Ship of Destiny: A Starship of Destiny Series novel Volume One

Ship of Magic

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It gives me hope that the heir to a powerful high dynasty is breaking free from the powerful mechanisms that indoctri Great First Book Whenever I have been asked what super power I would choose if I could have one, it has always been telekinesis. It gives me hope that the heir to a powerful high dynasty is breaking free from the powerful mechanisms that indoctrinate those of his position and is coming to see the universe through the eyes off a commoner. If I could change anything it would be to go more in depth into the telekinetic abilities, but I'm hopeful that this will come in subsequent volumes.

The book is fun, fast, and sets the stage for many more great books. Review Amy DuBoff pulls the reader into a world filled with surprises and intrigue. Ride along with Cris as he ventures beyond the pampered life as a Dynastic heir to forge his own destiny. All the while, forces unknown are plotting to put his life back in line with the destiny they had in mind at his birth. The characters are well-developed and relatable, each with their own strengths and weaknesses. What I didn't like: The danger to the main character seems to Architects of Destiny: The danger to the main character seems to a nebulous idea, but not an imminent threat yet.

I look forward to continuing the journey. Architects of Destiny is a fun fast-paced intro to a promising series. It can be difficult at times for sci-fi writers explain both the world the characters live in and the characters. Its a balancing act and I was clear that DuBoff had her hands full with establishing a world as complicated as this one. But she hit the nail on the head balance-wise. She has set up a good foundation for future stories and has left just enough mystery to keep people searching for her new books in stores. Archite Architects of Destiny is a fun fast-paced intro to a promising series.

Architects of Destiny was a good read and I am looking forward to reading her next book. I'm glad she allowed me to read it for free in exchange for this honest review. This is a great start at the series, I look forward to the next book. Jun 20, Jeff Closs rated it really liked it. Worthwhile reading, this book sits on the edge of YA, and is Science-Fiction that reminds me of older Heinlen and Asimov. My "Cons" list for this book and series is longer than you would probably expect from a 4 star review - so I won't go into everything.

Suffice to say that the Author grows from one novel to the next, with the high point likely being book 5 of 7. If there was one big negative trait to the series, it's that the characters other than the bad guys are too reasonable. They quickly evaluate emotional hang-ups that would stump most adults and act in mostly appropriate ways. They give in, or change their minds, too easily - more so than I would ever expect anyone to in real life. These emotional changes should take more time, and more self reflection - usually that self reflection is one or two lines of thought as they process their emotions and come, almost universally, to an appropriate response.

Liveship Traders Trilogy

Being that this is a book series that feels primarily YA oriented, this sort of emotional trite-ness doesn't feel too out of place. Certain illogicalisms I made that word up spring up in conversations and character thoughts throughout the novels. Cursing and colourful adjectives are used sparingly at least in English and the swearing that is used fits the mood and structure of the series, it's also usually consistent.

It's not perfect though again, illogicalisms sometimes. This space-opera series is multi-generational, and features some strong male and female leads throughout. Our first protagonist who we will follow for several novels in the series is a rich-kid on the run, ditching his life of comfort and privilege to see the world or galaxy, as the case may be.

Kind of a mash-up of Ender's Game and Harry Potter, the school setting works well and moves the story along in a measured way. As I mentioned at the outset, this books sits on the edge of YA some would call it completely YA and as such, we're going to need some Romance - cue the mood music! Never graphic, the complexities of a physical and emotional relationship aren't left out of this book, or the following novels. We don't see any of the darker side of romance here, and this feels appropriate.

However, I feel that those complexities are softened somewhat to make for easier reading. On the horizon we have a couple of antagonistic entities, all waiting to be unveiled and given their time in the spotlight. The Bakzen are a warlike alien race, and "The Priesthood" seems to be manipulating the world in nefarious ways. I received the first novel for free from a "10 science fiction e-books offer, and liked this novel enough to continue. I purchased the omnibus edition of the first 3 books from Amazon, and followed that up with 4 more full price purchases to complete the series.

They are a bit short though, so I wouldn't mind seeing them just a bit cheaper, or another omnibus edition at a medium price-point If you like Science Fiction, and if you grew up on the lighter side of it, back when there was no distinction between YA and regular Sci-Fi, I think you could get into this series. Compartmentalize and ignore the bits of triteness and occasional speech illogicalisms 3 times, it's a real word now right? There is quite a bit of social depth here, and a well constructed world for the characters to play in. I think you'll be happy with it, overall, by the time you reach the end.

Jun 07, M rated it liked it Shelves: This novella started off strong for me but fizzled out towards the end. Here's where I think this failed for me 1 It was too short. I initially started reading a bundled version of books and had no real sense of the story's length. However, once Cris view spoiler [ is recruited by the TSS and meets Jason Banks hide spoiler ] the pace picked up a bit and at a specific This novella started off strong for me but fizzled out towards the end.

However, once Cris view spoiler [ is recruited by the TSS and meets Jason Banks hide spoiler ] the pace picked up a bit and at a specific point view spoiler [ when Cris meets and starts dating Kate hide spoiler ] there was too much skipping around. A lot of character development was lost when time skipped years at a time 5 in total and certain things would be teased to the reader but never fully explored view spoiler [ for instance, much of Cris's Junior Agent training, specifically what happens in the 3 year gap and the internship he had hide spoiler ]. So while this was just a teaser for the other books, a lot of opportunities were lost here.

It felt like the author reached a checkpoint and started to really thin out the other plot details. It is impossible to tell how strong Cris is, or as everyone else says, what his potential is. Though certain things are mentioned such as it being difficult for Agents to do what Cris once did accidentally or Cris speeding through training at a record setting pace, we have little to compare that with.

If Cris had a normal training experience, the reader could experience Cris's superiority in that regard instead of being told by offhanded exposition from his peers. Cris himself doesn't even really know maybe this is intended, of course how different he is. I expected more of an astonished reaction from others to at least have some sort of build up and cathartic release of tension from peers.

Some sort of test to prove himself. There is none of that. No, the only other conflicts are purely familial spats and behind the scenes plotting that has no effect on the first book. So here is where I stand.

Ship of Magic by Robin Hobb

So no thank you. Good Beginning of an epic saga. Although it did have the teenage angst of Chris and I liked the thought inclusion of his and other characters' , the competition that usually occurs in teen relationships seemed to be missing. The reactions of fellow trainees to Chris' abilities seemed to be more an awe which I think would tend to isolate him more rather than draw them to him. However, that Good Beginning of an epic saga. However, that magnetism might be a byproduct of the telekinetic power in and between the gifted.

I also wondered about the fact that Chris was repeatedly told to block his mind from others, yet no training seemed to be done for this. It is interesting that he has such abilities, yet cannot and did not attempt to question the High Commander. Of course, this would be consistent with an emotionally abandoned child who finds is taken in by an apparently benevolent father figure. He could not 'see' what he subconsciously did not want to see. This is an easy read that is very captivating and well-written.

I look forward to the sequels. Dec 30, Renae Rogers rated it liked it Shelves: An enjoyable beginning to what is evidently a much bigger story. I mean, it's not actually like them, in so many ways, but it's what I kept seeing in my mind's eye. The MC began as a not very likeable young chap in some ways, because he seemed to onl An enjoyable beginning to what is evidently a much bigger story. The MC began as a not very likeable young chap in some ways, because he seemed to only be thinking about himself. But I can relate to where he was at emotionally and how that can cloud your view and impair your ability to make good decisions.

I mean, it's not that unheard of for a 16 yr old to be unable to see beyond the end of their own nose and to lack maturity. That's kind of the essence of being 16 for a lot of people. Anyway, I was a bit disappointed at times by the time jumps that occurred and the fact that we lost small moments to see the character growing into himself and who he is as a person, as well as his abilities. Otherwise, I enjoyed this book. May 23, Jemma rated it did not like it. This gets off to an unpromising start, with mention of electric sabres and a mystic preisthood.

Basically, it reads like Star Wars fan fiction but they're pretending it's not Star Wars by changing the details a bit. Then there is the annoying space swearing. It just doesn't ring true that people would curse "stars". Later on, the author seems to forget that they tried to develop space swearing not a bad idea in itself and uses "shite".

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Now, in the middle section the book does pick up a bit, bu This gets off to an unpromising start, with mention of electric sabres and a mystic preisthood. Now, in the middle section the book does pick up a bit, but I admit that by then I was only reading because I don't like to quit a book I've started. Then however it takes a dive. Not as far down as the beginning but still pretty lame. The main character falls for a woman, whom he thinks is a bit special - indeed she is, she's the only decent female character.

Which is odd, as this is written by a woman. Anyway, you might like this if you like all things sci-fi, but not one for the discerning reader. Jun 15, David Williams rated it really liked it. This book was alright. It did not blow me away, but the story telling was solid and while the characters were not fascinating they were interesting. I am interested to see what happens with the characters in future books. I pondered whether to give this three or four stars.

There were a few things that did bother me. The story is told in the third person, but the main character is constantly talking to himself which gives it the feel of going back and forth between first person and third person This book was alright. The story is told in the third person, but the main character is constantly talking to himself which gives it the feel of going back and forth between first person and third person constantly. Perhaps it would have been a little less jarring had the book been written in the first person.

In the end this wasn't enough for me to lower it to three stars. I did enjoy the main characters enough to want to see where we go from here. Dec 04, Chris rated it it was amazing. Architects of Destiny was a fun and exciting story for me to read. I really liked how well it was written and the style the author used when conveying the characters inner thoughts.

At first glance the story seems like it will be a simple straight forward tale but soon you realize there is quite a bit of intrigue with conspiracies laced in the background that the man characters have no clue about. The best part is, even as the reader we only get snippets It creates a wonderful plot for the book and the series as a whole and one thing I really enjoy is plot.

I'm looking forward to reading the next book in the series. I don't know when or why I picked this one… oh yeah, I like the author… nor why it has taken so long to read it. That's even more accurate now. I think this is the start to what might be a pretty good series. The only downside is the bad guys, or what might be the evil side. But then again, maybe not.

It looks like there might be a lot of twists and turns. I'm in for the journey and you should be too! May 02, Ludovica added it Shelves: Ship of Magic only takes place because of decisions made generations ago, and how the current people are trying to live around and with those decisions. There is a deep, complicated back story that at no time takes over what's happening now, but only makes it possible. Can I say how much I've missed this?

And they don't just skip the big scenes to sum up later. In fact they're so awesome, I'll have to get back to this. I feel like I shouldn't have to expect such things, but I am comparing it strictly to GoT here. Only here it's embedded from the beginning, and while not understood and distrusted by the inhabitants of the world, it doesn't follow the pattern of: Plot Like A Game of Thrones , Ship of Magic has several major plot threads approximately eight, some embedded in the 'world' arcs , all given roughly equal treatment, and a great many POV characters at least eight.

I wonder if there's something to those numbers. Character Getting into more spoiler-y territory, I loved the conflict between Ronica Althea's mother and Kyle her brother-in-law. Kyle really seems like just your standard sub-boss evil. In most novels The Name of the Wind , he'd be petty and cruel, and basically the antagonist until the confrontation with the real bad guy happens. In some ways, Kyle is all of those things. But his main threat is in how he threatens, and represents the threat, to the liveship trader way of life.

And Ronica loathes him for it. But he's been her son-in-law for 15 years, IIRC, and no one in the family has tried to make him understand these traditions and why things are the way they are in Bingtown. There's a lot of hidden history that's gradually being revealed, but the locals don't discuss it amongst themselves, much less outsiders like Kyle. At least once, the truth has been actively hidden from him.

These are cultures clashing because their people on any side cannot understand comprehend a way of life different from their own. Wintrow, Althea's oldest nephew, lived with the priests since infancy, because in Bingtown, it's an honor. Wintrow can't wait to be a priest. But since Kyle captains the Vivacia, he needs a family-member by blood on board, especially now that Vivacia is conscious.

Hobb has built an incredible, convincing fictional religion. Kennit is about as villainous as a villain can be. As I said in a forum: He also goes around going good deeds, but evilly Althea's story is central to the unifying thread.

All of these characters have very important stories of their own, but Althea's is going to be right in the middle of it all. Slut Shaming One note about the characters: Unless it's Kennit They can be whiny, infuriating, annoying, ignorant, just-plain-stupid, and often wrong. For instance, Althea's quest to retake the Vivacia? Well, first she has to learn that she wasn't qualified to captain a vessel on her own, that when she traveled with her father, she was playing at sailoring. So she goes off on her own to learn--and learn she does. Which is possibly the best part. Now that I've been working on this for two hours, I want to touch on a subject I know is important to many of my GR friends--and the reviewers I follow who have no idea who I am: O Good Lord, Malta.

She takes the place of Martin's Sansa: Only Malta specifically wants sex. Preferably before babies and marriage, because she doesn't want to end up with an icky husband. Is she too young for this? Hell yes, she's spoiled rotten, doesn't understand how her own society works, and despite her interest, completely ignorant of what said sex would actually mean. Sansa, I just hated, but while I wanted to smack Malta upside the head, I also ached for her.

She is so completely unaware of how vulnerable she is--and she does have to work at ignoring it too. Unlike Althea, she retreats from what scares her, what's hard although Althea has her moments , and Keffria her mother and Ronica are only just learning how much they've neglected to teach her. As for Althea-- Spoilers! Please click carefully, because this section is so important to her character development!

It wouldn't ruin the book, but it would color the reading experience. She's concussed and they're both drunk and high, I think. He might be concussed too. It turns out, despite being 'upper class' in this society, and their expectations for women, she's had sex before. The first time when she was fourteen under skeevy circumstances. When she goes home to tell her sister, Keffria makes her get a charm to prevent pregnancy and STDs, assuming her sister is easy.

It's the betray of trust that Althea has a problem with, she doesn't think of herself that way. In fact, she's NOT damaged by the experience, and she knows it's supposed to be pleasurable, so she seeks it out herself, occasionally. But it's not a flaw of her character that she's sexually active, and while other characters may not like it, it's never a view condoned by the text. Thought you guys might like that. I can think of so many more things to say! If I can get this under control, I promise to try and make it readable.

I just want to get everyone to read it themselves! It's just that awesome! View all 30 comments. View all 6 comments. Step aside Pirates of The Caribbean, Robin Hobb is the crowned queen of maritime fiction and she's here to stay! Allow to say that I can't believe I've been putting off starting Robin Hobb's work for the last couple of years just because it's a little bit on the heftier and slow burning side. Well, better late than never and all that rot.. I was thinking about saying that getting to this book was worth the time it took me to read through the Farseer trilogy, but Step aside Pirates of The Caribbean, Robin Hobb is the crowned queen of maritime fiction and she's here to stay!

I was thinking about saying that getting to this book was worth the time it took me to read through the Farseer trilogy, but I would be lying. I didn't "go through" that trilogy, I freaking loved it and enjoyed every dragged out second. So getting to Ship of Magic was not only a reward but a continuation of the wonderful journey I started in the Assassin's Apprentice, and it only gets better and better with every book.

First of all, let's be clear that I am not a fan of the sea, I hate ships urgh just the memory turns my stomach , I don't care for stories with sailors, I do love pirates but maybe once every blue moon I would go out of my way to read a story about them specifically. Well, Robin Hobb just changed my opinion degrees! However, I'll probably still won't think much about them unless those stories were written specifically by her. The atmosphere, the world, the characters, the plot, everything! It's so just immersive so that you feel you are experiencing every setting, feeling and hardship yourself.

Bit of warning, it's not a story about pretty ships and hearty adventures in the wide blue ocean, this novel deals of lot of heavy topics regarding family dynamics, inheritance, subservience to the "man of the family", slavery, free will, sexism, rape and abuse and many more that are so true to our world's issues today.

It's not as flashy as my other favorite fantasy books I've read by Sanderson, Tucker, Gwynne, and others.. Why I loved it so much? Why, the Characters of course! Captain Kennit probably takes the trophy here, a heartless bastard and a pirate to boot who just happened to do the right thing at the right time, reluctantly and out of sheer dumb luck. His conniving and coldness just serve to make him more interesting, and his interaction with everyone around him is always intrigue-guaranteed, and that ending man!

Althea Vestrit is another great character that comes to mind. Spoiled privileged girl who thinks she can do anything because she spent her childhood sailing with her father abroad their family liveship the Vivacia, only to be hit with the cruel reality of life. Her journey and growth were just amazing, she still has a lot to go and I can't wait to see how she'll progress. Speaking of the Vivacia, I've never read about a live ship before, like ever, and that was quite the experience I'll leave it at that!

Is it blasphemy that I think he's much much more interesting and awesome than Fitz ever was? Boy-priest forced into becoming a sailor by has asshole of a father, his arc has probably one of the best character development I've ever read! Vivacia and Wintrow by Sephinka Of course there's a tonload of other great characters that will make you love life or make your skin crawl and then there are a couple that will make you want to bitchslap some sense into them friggin' Malta that stupid brat!

I was surprise by the strong emotions that Hobb had awakened in me during my read, I won't lie to you it was bloody exhausting! Not to mention all the unsolved mysteries! OK that's enough rambling on my part, every minute I spend babbeling and gushing here is keeping me away from starting Mad ship, so farewell ye scallywags! View all 13 comments. Mar 01, Kaora rated it it was amazing Shelves: And while I loved her Farseer series, this has surpassed those as my favorite books. Vivacia is a liveship, a boat made of wizardwood, that after three deaths of family members on board comes to life.

Liveships are the only ships that can make the journey up the river to the Rain Wilds in order to do trade, and are extremely valuable. This book follows several points of view, including a pirate named Kennit, Althea the I was a huge fan of Robin Hobb ever since I read her story Homecoming in Epic. This book follows several points of view, including a pirate named Kennit, Althea the daughter of the last sailor to die aboard Vivacia, her sister Keffria, her nephew Winthrow, and various others.

Some I loved, some I hated. I also really enjoyed the addition to the world she has created in Farseer. While some of the places in the Farseer trilogy are mentioned, this takes place in a different area, and I was fascinated by the magic and depth of this world she has created. To get some perspective, this is an almost page book that I finished in about 5 days. All other books were placed on the backburner to be picked up at a later date, because I could not put this one down.

I quickly became invested in the characters, and love watching as events shape their lives and personalities in a very believable way. Even characters I hate with a passion can become favorites in the span of a few pages. A very, very character-driven book.

It reads almost like a classical family drama ala The Buddenbrocks. Despite the plot being rather on the back-burner I pretty much enjoyed all the characters and their development. Maybe not a book for everyone, due to its slow pace but I really enjoyed it, which was surprising, cause I normally prefer plot heavy books.

May 25, Kaitlin rated it it was amazing Shelves: This book was fabulous! It's a little bit on the slow side for sure, but actually it's a very interesting story and the characterisation and development of this was seriously fantastic. It's a slow story which is made up mostly from the introduction of various characters mostly Traders and developing our understanding of them and their ways.

It's set in a different part of the world from the Farseer Books and it's set on th This book was fabulous! It's set in a different part of the world from the Farseer Books and it's set on the Cursed Shores doesn't sound like the nicest area. We join the story when there's a fair amount of outside interference coming into the community of Bingtown, and the Trader families living there are not entirely sure just what to do or how to manage the situation of the new inhabitants trying to come in and change their ways.

This is a book which clearly puts the characters at the forefront of the story because despite it being an pg book actually only a few very major events stand out. Despite this, there's so much work on defining and understanding the characters that I feel as if I know them all so well now and I can see how they'd react and why they'd react that way in various situations. The world-building of this book is also more unique than that of the Farseer books in that it's largely focused on the sea, and ships at sea, used by the Traders.

The old traders of Bingtown are often owners of Liveships which means that they own a ship made of wizard wood for many years and generations and they gradually bond with the ship. Over time this bond develops to the point where the figurehead of the ship will 'quicken' and come to life, filled with the memories and wisdom of all the previous family members it has bonded with.

I loved the idea of the Liveships and the way that they become so integral to the town and the trade that they conduct. Not only this, but they are very interesting characters in their own right and the understanding they learn after their quickening can decide how they will react for years to come, being either loyal to the family they are bonded with or turning mad from the grief and savagery introduced to them.

We're also introduced not only to the Bingtown Traders in this book but also the Rain Wild Traders who were one of the most mysterious and interesting elements of the book for me. Pirates and Slavery are big themes within this book and we get to meet one character and crew who have little to do with the Traders other than that they are Pirates who wish to own a Liveship.

Everyone knows that a Liveship will only work for the family that it's bonded to and it can easily go mad or savage if it's separated from the family members, but this won't stop the crew who serve under Kennit, a man with high ambitions The final element I want to point out before diving into the characters is that we also follow some Serpents in this book and we get to see their thoughts as they follow their prey and seek food and wisdom.

This section, although initially intriguing, was the only element I feel like I still don't have much interest in, and although we get hints that there's a bigger story ahead involving the Serpents, I didn't find them anywhere near as interesting as the human characters. She's a somewhat competent sailor, but she's a little spoiled and she knows that when her father retires or dies she will be the one whom the ship is passed to.

She is bold and daring as a character, but she also has some flaws with entitlement and believing she's better than some of the other crew just because she's the captain's daughter. When her father is sick for a long time her story suddenly begins to change pace and things don't always go quite as she may have believed they would, throwing her into some rather tricky situations. I enjoyed Althea's story a lot, although she wasn't my favourite, and seeing her grow as a character and develop more skills and knowledge over the book was very pleasing.

She's got a way to go still, but her character was one which grew on me more and more as I got to know her more, and she's a very interesting one to watch. He used to be a great Liveship who was proud and happy as any other to serve his family, but something horrible happened and over time he sunk deeper and deeper into madness until he was no longer worth using for fear he would kill the crew he served. He's a sad and forlorn character a lot of the time and he really doesn't have a lot to live for which makes him grumpy and distrustful.

I really enjoyed that fact that the ships themselves had pov's in this and that we got to see things from their view as it gave a new perspective on many of the situations. Paragon is a character whose sections instantly gripped me because he was so different to most things I have read before, and his bitter nature was interesting to follow. She begins the story before she's quickened, and so the events that go on on the ship still affect her, but she has no voice herself for any but those she's bonded with.

Once she does become quickened she finds that things are not quite as she'd always imagined they would be and there's actually a lot more hardship and terror ahead for her than she would have ever believed that the Vestrit's would put her through. Vivacia's pov really was great to see, especially as she has the memories of various past Vestrit's within her. She gives us an interesting outlook, one of a newly quickened ship unlike the Paragon and she shows us how it is to be born into the life of a Liveship and the toll that this bond can exact upon her.

He's a kind and loyal member of the crew and when he sees things turning sour before him he understands that the best thing to do may be to abandon ship and start afresh. Unfortunately, things are not that simple and he's already entangled in the affairs of the Vestrit's, something which will no doubt continue Brashen is a friend to the Paragon, and he's also a good ship mate. He knows his job and does it thoroughly and well, and he's also a man of common sense most of the time.

Ship of Magic - Wikipedia

I really enjoyed seeing him on his journey, and I liked the way that he dealt with some of the more difficult situations he was put into, using his intelligence. He's a capable sailor and a decent captain, but he's ruthless and only believes in his way. He's always certain that he knows the best way to handle things, and he's unable to see other's points of view even when the evidence of his mistakes are laid bare before him. He's a stubborn and cruel character and whilst he's a little deserving of deference, he's not as deserving of loyalty and love as he first appears. He was certainly the 'bad-guy' of the book for me and I found him rather detestable at times, however it was a very tense moment whenever he intervened and for that his parts kept me intrigued!!

She's a woman who loves and admires her husband so much that she's become accustomed to deferring to him and letting him have his own way both with her and her family. She's a kind and conscientious character who only wishes that she could please everyone, but when everything starts to go wrong and she's in the middle of two strong wills she has to begin to stand tall herself and come into her own.

Keffria's character took longer for me to warm to because at first she seemed a little weak and silly, but as the story went on I saw her too grow and become someone I liked a lot and admired for the actions she took. He's a true member of the Vestrit blood whether he wants to be or not and he's been in training to become a Priest of Sa for most of his young life. He believe's strongly in Sa's teachings and the ways of following his God, and he's a soft-natured and gentle young man.

He's the character that I think I was most easily connected to early on because of his genteel nature and the way that he approached difficult situations and always tried to do the 'right' thing. He may not have always handled things in the most efficient and productive ways, but he's a very loyal and careful character and he stays firm to what he believes in no matter what he's subjected to so I admired him immensely for that. She's a strong-willed character who's handled the affairs of the family for as long as her husband has been sailing the Vivacia and she's very competent at what she does.

She's kind and careful and reputation matters greatly to her so she always tries to keep up appearances and do the best thing for her family. I think she was a character whom I enjoyed a lot as she was tested more because it brought out her more soft and tender side and showed how vulnerable even the head of the family can be.

She's always trying to do the thing she sees best for them all and sometimes she gets things wrong or makes mistakes, but I liked her ability to try new approaches when necessary and acknowledge her mistakes. She wants things to be her way and none other and she follows firmly in her father's way of managing things. She's silly and foolish and makes many grave mistakes over the course of the book but she's also young and naive and doesn't fully understand the results of her actions. I found her to be one of the most irritating and yet interesting characters and storylines because she made mistake after mistake and refused to bend or apologise even when she was caught out.

Her will is as strong as her father's and grandmother's and she tested her family sorely many times. After hearing a prophecy about himself at the start of the book he acts upon what he believes as his right and aims to capture and acquire a Liveship for himself. He's a dark and very cruel man with a skill for manipulation and pain.

He desires nothing more than reaching his goals and if he has to be a bloodthirsty Pirate to do so he will, but he's equally a fantastic character whose inner thoughts were great to read. I enjoyed seeing the development of him as a character and learning more about how he worked and planned out his moves. He's crafty, thinks highly of himself, and he uses all of this to his advantage to achieve his aims. Certainly another one to watch! So as you can see there's a range and collection of characters who are all very distinct and yet are connected together in various ways.

Hobb's development in this book of these characters leads me to believe that the plot of the next two should be a little faster paced and we will begin to learn more of the other elements of the world, but I a, sure there will still be more development and tests ahead for our characters.

Hobb certainly didn't shy away from a more dark and gritty reality in this book. She approaches topic such as slavery and gives great insights into how it would have been to be a slave or slaver and she integrates this into the story in a seamless way, making it a key part of the world and plot. She also manages to involve politics and mystery into the book, making it not only thought-provoking but also tense. On the whole, my favourite Hobb book by far and I hope to start the next one in this series sometime later this month to see what will happen next. View all 3 comments. Oct 26, Bradley rated it really liked it Shelves: It started slow for me until I realized that nothing much was going to happen until the extended family all had their say.

That being said, the plot started weaving and the world started blooming. So many bad things started happening to everyone so slowly that I wondered if I, too, was slowly being boiled alive. That's the effect this novel had on me. It's very long, and its very detailed. If you like immersive fantasy and especially nautical fantasy, then you'll love this. The final interesting events, the redemption and restoration of the mad ship, the tragedy of the main family, and all the proto-dragons, the leviathans, and the wilds, makes me think much more fondly on the whole storyline.

Mar 31, Kat Hooper rated it it was amazing Shelves: View all 7 comments. I think this could be the one of the best fantasy books I've read so far this year - I can't wait to see what the rest of this trilogy holds! This series is set in the same world at the Farseer Trilogy and so far I am enjoying it a lot more! Unlike the Farseer books The Liveship Traders follows a larger group of characters - from land to sea we are given a whole host of exciting people to share adventures with. One of our main characters is a young lady named Althea. She lives aboard her families I think this could be the one of the best fantasy books I've read so far this year - I can't wait to see what the rest of this trilogy holds!

She lives aboard her families liveship named Vivacia. Once a certain number of generations have died aboard the decks of a liveship the figurehead comes to life - at the very beginning of the book Althea's father dies and Vivacia is freed from her static life.

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Althea's dream of captaining the ship are quickly taken away by her sister's gruesome husband - it is then Althea's mission to regain the captaincy of her families ship! There are so many other things happening in this novel that I wouldn't be able to explain it all here.

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I would simply say that if you enjoy fantasy and you are looking for a exciting ride I would highly recommend you pick this one up! Robin Hobb is a wonderful writer and I can't wait to see what happens next! Titan as well as characters from Star Trek: Deep Space Nine , Star Trek: Voyager , and Star Trek: The Prometheus novels were written by German authors Christian Humberg, and Bernd Perplies, and were originally published in German in , before being translated to English.

Also known as SCE , this series of original novella-length stories was initially published in e-book format. The first 66 of these ebooks have been reissued in printed collections. In December , the e-book series was relaunched under the title Corps of Engineers. The following ebooks were issued which are not available in any of the above collections:. New Earth is a spinoff series from the Star Trek: The six-book storyline was published as volumes 89 through 94 of the TOS novel series and served to set up future Challenger adventures.

David Mack , Greg Cox. Several young-adult books were released between and , featuring various Star Trek crews during their Academy learning years. Many Star Trek novels have been adapted for audio, but these are the only original stories produced exclusively for audio. From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Star Trek Bantam Books. Star Trek Logs book series.

List of Star Trek: Voyager novels and relaunches. Enterprise; Original Novels and relaunch. Retrieved March 3, Voyages of the Imagination: The Star Trek Fiction Companion. Internet Speculative Fiction Database. Day of the Dove". Retrieved 18 February I wanted to come up with a way to bring him back quickly, an idea I went to sell to Paramount. I outlined forty pages around the time we filmed the death of the character. Articles of the Federation". Archived from the original on Retrieved 6 October Star Fleet Technical Manual Mr.

Mission to Horatius Spock Must Die! Death in Winter Rules of Engagement. Star Trek spin-off fiction. Generations First Contact Insurrection Nemesis. Star Trek Into Darkness Beyond. Retrieved from " https: Novels based on Star Trek Lists of novels based on works. All articles with unsourced statements Articles with unsourced statements from August Views Read Edit View history. This page was last edited on 1 August , at By using this site, you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Star Trek 1 [3] Variant title of Star Trek.

Mudd's Enterprise [5] Variant title of Mudd's Angels.

The New Voyages anthology. Cogswell and Charles A. The Price of the Phoenix. The New Voyages 2 anthology. The Fate of the Phoenix. Robert Hamner and Gene L. Oliver Crawford and S. William Rotsler and Wendy Barish. The Motion Picture Film novelization. The Covenant of the Crown. The Wrath of Khan Film novelization. Mutiny on the Enterprise. The Search for Spock Film novelization.

The Tears of the Singers. The Vulcan Academy Murders. Dwellers in the Crucible. Fortunes of War, Book 1 Dreadnought!

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