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    Ship of Magic
    Ship of Magic
    Ship of Magic
    Audiobook35 hours

    Ship of Magic

    Written by Robin Hobb

    Narrated by Anne Flosnik

    4.5/5

    ()

    About this audiobook

    Bingtown is a hub of exotic trade and home to a merchant nobility famed for its liveships-rare vessels carved from wizardwood, which ripens magically into sentient awareness. The fortunes of one of Bingtown's oldest families rest on the newly awakened liveship Vivacia.

    For Althea Vestrit, the ship is her rightful legacy unjustly denied her-a legacy she will risk anything to reclaim. For Althea's young nephew Wintrow, wrenched from his religious studies and forced to serve aboard ship, Vivacia is a life sentence.

    But the fate of the Vestrit family-and the ship-may ultimately lie in the hands of an outsider. The ruthless pirate Kennit seeks a way to seize power over all the denizens of the Pirate Isles...and the first step of his plan requires him to capture his own liveship and bend it to his will.
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherTantor Media, Inc
    Release dateFeb 22, 2010
    ISBN9781400184378
    Ship of Magic
    Author

    Robin Hobb

    Robin Hobb was born in California but grew up in Alaska. It was there that she learned to love the forest and the wilderness. She has lived most of her life in the Pacific Northwest and currently resides in Tacoma, Washington. She is the author of five critically acclaimed fantasy series: The Rain Wilds Chronicles (Dragon Keeper, Dragon Haven, City of Dragons, Blood of Dragons), The Soldier Son Trilogy, The Tawny Man Trilogy, The Liveship Traders Trilogy, and The Farseer Trilogy. Under the name Megan Lindholm she is the author of The Wizard of the Pigeons, Windsingers, and Cloven Hooves. The Inheritance, a collection of stories, was published under both names. Her short fiction has won the Asimov's Readers' Award and she has been a finalist for both the Nebula and Hugo awards.

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    Reviews for Ship of Magic

    4.5/5

    176 ratings39 reviews

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    • 3/5
      Great story but the reader is so dry. During narration she sounds like a newsreporter.

      2 people found this helpful

    • 4/5
      Only thing preventing me from giving 5 stars is the narration. I really dislike her.

      1 person found this helpful

    • 5/5
      I've really enjoyed revisiting Ship of Magic some 9 years after I first read it. It has a bit of a slow start, but once it hooks you, it won't let go. I love the different character perspectives (even that of the incredibly irritating Malta!) and the sense of place is excellent - I've never been on a ship in my life, yet Hobb somehow manages to make it easy to imagine life on one.The Six Duchies books will always hold a special place in my heart, but The Liveship Traders is an incredibly strong trilogy with memorable characters that is just as compelling. I think this might be a good Hobb series to move on to if you didn't get on with The Farseer Trilogy.

      1 person found this helpful

    • 4/5
      I really liked the Farseer trilogy, though I thought it was a bit slow. Robin Hobb's literary writing and character driven stories are heartbreaking, but for me there was something missing...I couldn't quite place my finger on it. Maybe it's Fitz, maybe it's the lull in the middle, maybe it's me.But damn Ship of Magic is fantastic! I've been gushing all over the Internet after I finished this book. The Liveship Traders series is told in third person from different points of views, adding a variety that the Farseer trilogy was missing.Mostly, I love the premise: ships that are alive and are actual characters capable of thoughts and emotion. I never thought I'd root for a wooden ship! Great pacing and non-stop action make this book a wild ride. I loved the antagonists Hobb created. There's one truly despicable villain, I wanted to strangle most of the time but Hobb shows us his point of view and in his own story his actions make sense to him. He's the hero of his own story and everything he does is because he believes it's the right thing to do. This added so much depth to his character and made him enthralling and at the same time my favourite and least favourite part of the book.All characters are well developed and the story is thrilling to the last page. Can't wait to dive into the sequel. I don't think I have to recommend this series to Robin Hobb fans, they probably have all read it already, but if you weren't a fan of the Farseer trilogy and would like to read something different by this beloved author, try this one! It's amazing! (If you happen to be a fantasy fan who has not tried Robin Hobb yet...what are you waiting for?)

      1 person found this helpful

    • 2/5
      I wanted to like this book. I had people recommend Robin Hobb to me as a great writer before. So I tried once, failed. This, my second attempt, determines if I keep going. I wondered as I listened to the audio if the good of Robin Hobb writing is in the actual reading. The audio sufffers from being unable to adequately show the POV shifts when they happen. Not enough of a noticeable gap.The early story suffers from so much backstory and information dump, it hides the actual plot from progressing. I'm sure much of the detail offered is relevant in some way, but the presentation leaves much to be desired.Then I reached the scene that made me want to chuck the MP3 player across the room. I can take only so much, but an overbearing, abusive, controlling, self absorbed bastard like Kyle Haven is portrayed in this book, I can't take it. It links to too many bad memories, which means it isn't a good book to me. Through all of this, it didn't help that the way the narrator chosen by Tantor to read this book annoyed me. The way she drew out the final syllable of words, sounding like she was running out of breath. Ugh. Just not good form for me. So for me, done with this author.

      1 person found this helpful

    • 4/5
      From the back cover (because it’s actually accurate this time): Bingtown is a hub of exotic trade and home to a merchant nobility famed for its liveships—rare vessels carved from wizardwood, which ripens magically into sentient awareness. Now the fortunes of one of Bingtown’s oldest families rest on the newly awakened liveship Vivacia. For Althea Vestrit, the ship is her rightful legacy. For Althea’s young nephew, wrenched from his religious studies and forced to serve aboard the ship, the Vivacia is a life sentence. But the fate of the ship—and the Vestrits—may ultimately lie in the hands of an outsider: the ruthless buccaneer captain Kennit, who plans to seize power over the Pirate Isles by capturing a liveship and bending it to his will.I picked up Ship of Magic because I’d really enjoyed what I’ve read of Hobb’s Farseer trilogy. My major complaint with Farseer was the lack of female characters, and I was told that the Liveship Traders trilogy was better on this front. I found this to be true. Ship of Magic is an epic fantasy centered on the Vestrit family. Like many epic fantasies it follows a large number of characters and has many different viewpoints. However, unlike many epic fantasies, Ship of Magic actually has multiple female characters, and all of its characters, male and female, are well written.Robin Hobb is cruel to her characters, but it sure makes for interesting reading. Throughout all of Ship of Magic, most of the characters are stressed, depressed and in terrible situations. Wintrow, my favorite character, is a prime example. He loved his life at the monastery, and the last thing he wanted was to be forced upon the family ship. He’s miserable there, and things just get worse.Not only were the characters amazing, the world building was too. Bingtown is a relatively new settlement that has started to age and change. I felt that there were many parallels to the American colonies and England, which makes me wonder if the next two books will bring war.I’d recommend Ship of Magic to anyone interested in epic fantasy or active female characters.
    • 3/5
      Awesome story, endlessly frustrating characters. I can barely get through the book with how it is narrated. The narrator reads every line as if she is almost out of breath it is terrible.
    • 5/5
      I've only read this trilogy 3 times. Enjoyed it just as much every time. Such a great twist on dragons.
    • 5/5
      Robin Hobb is one of my favourite authors and the Liveship Trader series was the one that got me completely hooked. Seas, adventures and magic all rolled into one. Robin Hobb books are brilliant in that they are great stories and adventures but you also get to love and know the characters and want to know what happens to them. There are loads of connections throughout the books.

    • 4/5
      I love the book. It was an incredible way to introduce new characters before I dive into the tawny man trilogy. The narrator was terrible. The bad narrator is no fault of the author or the book content.
    • 4/5
      Terrible things happening to awful people. But somehow it's still good. That's the magic of Robin Hobb.
    • 5/5
      First Off Anne Flosnik as narrator, AWESOME, couple that with the brilliance of Robin Hobb Characterization and world/plot then you actually have Magic. It reads like Downton Abby with Pirates and Dragons and Magic ships. And those Live Ships have attitude, I loved them, especially Paragon.
    • 5/5
      This was the fist book I read by Hobb. Stylistically, she reminded me of Melanie Rawn, but a bit more modern and original. A great mix of nautical/piratical tales with epic fantasy
    • 5/5
      So, I am not one for ocean voyages, and I only read this because so many insisted I should, but I am now happy to say that I am going to become a pirate.. Well, not really, but the book, although sometimes tiresome in its description of sea voyaging had so much more going on that I tended to get over it quickly to move on to what was really going on.. magic! What are those Rain Wilders up to and who are the serpents really? I suspect book 3 shall hold the final answers! And can we get rid of Malta soon? She's driving me batty! Great book, just hope you don't get sea sick!
    • 5/5
      I couldn't stop reading the "Ship of Magic" from the first few pages onward. Robin Hobb has created a tale that is so vivid and realistic that I was loath to wrench my eyes away from its pages for more than a few minutes at a time. Robin Hobb has built an incredible, complex world, much of which is gradually revealed throughout the story, naturally and through the characters' perspectives.There isn't one simple conflict between good and evil or even two families. Bingtown is a colony, only now, they're being settled again by people who don't understand the land and customs--and worse, Bingtown has started following the customs of the mainland, even those that just a generation ago would have been too horrifying to contemplate. She introduces many, brilliant characters that are all starring in a spectacular fantasy story including evil, yet charming pirates, tough girls' running from home, a sinister island, sea snakes and a long forgotten tribe, that in reality is very much alive in the blood of some people in Bingtown...
    • 4/5
      Took awhile to get going, but then Robin Hobb came in with her usual magic and blew me away. Can’t wait to dive in to the next one.
    • 3/5
      Set in the same world as the Farseer books, I found Ship of Magic to be a big step forward for Robin Hobb in several ways. The characters are excellent. She has chosen excellent characters and they move about in her plot line moving things forward in a satisfying way. The narrative is complicated to the point of being convoluted. I didn't really have a problem with this, she is writing an epic and is starting threads that will be addressed in future books. Some patience is required.

      Still, the reason to read this is not for satisfying resolution to conflict or wrapping up of plot threads. The reason to read this is for the characters. Specifically, In Captain Kyle she writes an excellent example of a selfish and power hungry man who has no idea that he is either selfish or power hungry. In the relationship between Kyle and his son Winstrow we see the balancing of different models of masculinity. Hobb shows us quite a bit about gender politics and strives to get into the head of her characters rather than showing simple "white hat / black hat" dichotomies.

      The book is worth reading for just that, but it does deliver on a few other vectors, as long as one is willing to give up on resolution and simply read to be immersed in the world and the characters.
    • 5/5
      It has been a while since I read this series but I really enjoyed them.
      The Magic of Hobb's world is mythical and just out of touch of most. The Live Ships are mysterious and drive you as well as the character development and flow of the book/s.

    • 5/5
      I adored this book. I read the Farseer trilogy before this. I loved the Farseer trilogy, but I also noticed quite a few flaws, as mentioned in my review for Assassin's Quest. This book plays to Hobb's strengths, and lessens her weaknesses. The main attraction of Hobb's work is her creative use of magic, and the heartfelt bonds beteeen characters. The drawbacks of the Farseer trilogy, were being trapped in Fitz' narrow point of view, and some not-so-stellar writing here and there.

      Ship of Magic has a unique (as far as I know) theme. "Liveships," rare ships that are alive, and characters in their own rights. The bond between the ships and other characters are incredibly interesting.
      The book is also from multiple perspectives, which allows the telling of different stories, and a more indepth look at cultural themes, compared to the Farseer trilogy, which was a bit simplified. It ponders gender inequality, religion, tradition v progression, and slavery. There is a marked difference in the points of view, and most of the characters we hear from (except Kyle) are likeable/sympathetic in their own way, and each begin with flaws. For Althea it was arrogance, for Wintrow it was naievete, for Kennit it was an inability to consider the worth and talents of others, and for Malta it was ignorance. It's a great experience, watching them all mature.
      As for the writing, it was engaging, and if there were any flaws in it, I didn't notice them.

      I definitely recommend this book, for fantasy lovers, lovers of great characters, and lovers of Hobb's other works.

      *My main point of comparison is Game of Thrones. I can't resist comparing them, but I kept it apart from the main review to let the book stand on its own. Both are great series, but this one relies less on shock, war, and regal politics. Both stories have great characters, but Ship of Magic gives them more agency- they act, rather than being swept up in things they can't control. Ship of Magic is also more direct and nuanced in its representation of religion, slavery etc. In Game of Thrones the characters we hear from are more distanced from those themes, compared to Wintrow.
    • 5/5
      Robin Hobb. I'm so glad I didn't miss out on this one! It has interesting, fully developed characters and an interesting plot line. The whole trilogy is good and worth reading.
    • 5/5
      This is an outstanding book. The setting is definitely something refreshingly different from your typical fantasy. As you might guess from the title, everything is very centered around ships and sailing.As is typical for many books, the author flips back and forth between a couple major story lines and a few minor ones. However, unlike most books where there are some story lines you just have to read through in order to get back to the "good stuff", in this book you can't wait to get back to all of the story lines. They're ALL "good stuff".Hobb develops some interesting characters, and presents them with some situations that develop very nicely, and there seem to be many places where the plot has a lot of potential, but goes a slightly different direction than you expected, but is still better off for taking the different route.This book actually brought me to the stage of being unable to put it down when I was only about a quarter of the way through (leaving me with a couple late nights). Usually with a good book that happens when I have about a quarter of the book left. I'm very much looking forward to reading the next two books in the series, although perhaps I should get some sleep first... 5/5
    • 5/5
      I liked the FitzChivalry books a lot, but if this first book is any indication, this series is even better, ranking right next to Game of Thrones. The characters are really interesting, not cliches--I particularly enjoy Wintrow--and even Kyle Haven has some sympathetic moments. The plot is compelling, and the setting--well, I have a thing for books set aboard ships, and if it is a magical living ship made of something called wizardwood, that makes it all the better.
    • 5/5
      Ship of Magic is the first book in the Liveship Traders trilogy. It is set in the same world as the Farseer trilogy, although the setting and characters are almost completely different.This is the series that made me a huge fan of Robin Hobb. Although I liked the Farseer trilogy, the ending left me a bit confused and I really wanted to see the world sketched out a bit more. Hobb certainly does that and a lot more.The story begins in the port city of Bingtown, a heavily taxed but otherwise neglected exclave of the nation of Jamallia. Bingtown Trader families are famous for their liveships - vessels carved from a special type of wood that ripens into sentience after three people in the family die aboard. Althea Vestrit has been waiting all her life for their ship Vivacia to quicken - even with the sadness of her father's death accompanying it. She has grown up on board the ship and fully expects to inherit it, but when it actually happens, she's in for a nasty shock - the ship instead goes to her greedy brother-in-law Kyle. Althea's gentle cousin Wintrow is training to be a priest and greatly enjoying it, but his father Kyle is determined to make a sailor out of him - by force if necessary. The newly awakened and confused Vivacia needs someone with Vestrit blood aboard her, but all she has is Wintrow, imprisoned upon her against his will. And there's Kennit who is not satisfied with being the most successful pirate of his time, and his plans will lead him directly into Vivacia's path.Hobb is never unduly kind to her characters - she makes them work really hard and go through a lot (it's almost physically painful to read about sometimes, but at least it pays off in the end, unlike say, with Joe Abercrombie.) They are not Chosen Ones - they are just fairly ordinary people that only become heroes because they care about something very much, and will cross any obstacles for it. Althea is no exception - she's stubborn, spirited and impertinent. I found myself alternating between cheering for her and being exasperated at her obstinate sense of entitlement. She loves Vivacia and after a few days of utter despair, makes up her mind that she will do anything to get her back - including proving her seamanship by enlisting on a dangerous whaling ship. Wintrow is also very well written, especially his relationship to Vivacia. He resents her because her need for Vestrit blood has chained him to her, but he also recognises that she's sad and confused and needs his help.Another thing I love about Hobb's fantasy is that there are no straight up villains. Everyone is complex and changeable, and Kennit is no exception. He's got some backstory behind his desire to capture a liveship, and he prides himself on being just and practical, and he's even kind most of the time. He also manipulates people for his own ends, but Hobb never portrays it as evil - he's just the product of his circumstances. The supporting cast is also really well envisioned - especially other Vestrit women (Ronica, Keffria and Malta.)The plot is really just a function of the characters' natural actions - although there is the lingering issue of the sea serpents. Hobb's descriptive writing and the complex history of Bingtown and the Rain Wilds really brings the setting to life.Highly recommended, even if you've never read anything else by Hobb.
    • 4/5
      not bad—interesting concept. Ends with several issues unresolved.
    • 4/5
      It took me a little while to get into this book. Hobb takes her time setting up the background before things get going. They finally do and it was an enjoyable read. The story follows one Trader family and their liveship. There are many threads being woven together between the family members and how they relate to each other. I'm looking forward to picking up where this one leaves off in the second book.
    • 5/5
      Big, fat, sprawling, gorgeous sea story. Rich characters, great dialogue, and a complex tale that keeps you enthralled from beginning to end. Not like high fantasy though, more like great historical fiction with just enough magic to throw some cool twists along the way. Hobb is an absolute master storyteller!
    • 4/5
      I mostly liked it. There were some things I had trouble with - for example, it often takes a sentence or two for there to be a clue who each section is talking about (between the 6 or 8 or whatever main characters the book flipped between). As in, it's something like "He walked down the street..." Ok, which he? It could be any of three or four or five male characters, mostly in different cities. It's a little frustrating to have to go back and reread the first sentence(s) of the section to understand what was going on, because it started with "He" instead of the character's name and oh, now I know how it's talking about, so what was that again?Other than that stylistic quirk, I liked it. I enjoyed most of the storylines, I cared about many of the characters, and I want to know what happens enough to go get the next books out of the library. I was surprised when some of the stories intersected and with some twists (not all - most I saw far in advance - but some).
    • 4/5
      In the same universe as the 'Farseer' books, and just as good. A unique twist of where the ships' powers come from.
    • 4/5
      Good fantasy, very intelligent magic system and the world is super well thought out.
    • 4/5
      A seafaring tale centering around a merchant family and their sentient ship.While set in the same world as Hobb's first trilogy, (The Farseer), this series stands on its own. (Though there is a suspiciously familiar character lurking in Bingtown...) I enjoyed the story quite a bit. It's mostly setup, but Hobb does a great job of weaving all the varied storylines together. As another reviewer mentioned, there was never a point at which I was waiting to get back to a good bit, because everything was good. I liked the characters, I appreciated the situations they found themselves in, and I absolutely loved all the seafaring stuff. (And how cool would it be to sail on a liveship?) I'm eager to dive into the next volume.But, that said, I was a little disappointed in the book. Having read (and loved) The Farseer earlier this year, I don't feel that this book quite stands up to the high standards the previous series set. Partly, I think Hobb works better in first person than third; I liked these characters a lot, but I never came to care for them in the same way I did for Fitz. It seems that her editor really stepped back here, too; there were many places where the writing could have been tighter, and with Wintrow in particular I wished there had been less telling and more showing. I think I would've felt a lot more for him had I been able to piece together some of his story for myself.Overall, though, this was very good. Recommended for fantasy fans who also like sea tales and don't mind plots that unfold slowly.