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Ship of Magic
Unavailable
Ship of Magic
Unavailable
Ship of Magic
Audiobook34 hours

Ship of Magic

Written by Robin Hobb

Narrated by Anne Flosnik

Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars

4.5/5

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About this audiobook

From the author of the classic Farseer trilogy, Ship of Magic is the first part of the Liveship Traders. Set in a land bordering the Six Duchies, Robin Hobb begins her epic of pirates, talking ships, magic, sea serpents, slave revolts, dashing heroes and bloody battles.

Wizardwood, a sentient wood. The most precious commodity in the world. Like many legendary wares, it comes only from the Rain River Wilds.

But how can one trade with the Rain Wilders, when only a liveship, fashioned from wizardwood, can negotiate the perilous waters of the Rain River? Rare and valuable, a liveship will quicken only when three members, from successive generations, have died on board. The liveship Vivacia is about to undergo her quickening, as Althea Vestrit’s father is carried on deck in his death-throes. Althea waits for the ship that she loves more than anything else in the world to awaken. Only to discover that the Vivacia has been signed away in her father’s will to her brutal brother-in-law, Kyle Haven. . .

Others plot to win, or steal, a liveship. The Paragon, known by many as the Pariah, went mad, turned turtle and drowned his crew. Now he lies, blind, lonely and broken on a deserted beach. But greedy men have designs to restore him, to sail the waters of the Rain Wild River once more.

LanguageEnglish
PublisherHarperCollins
Release dateAug 30, 2012
ISBN9780007504008
Unavailable
Ship of Magic
Author

Robin Hobb

Robin Hobb is one of the world’s finest writers of epic fiction. She was born in California in 1952 but raised in Alaska. She raised her family, ran a smallholding, delivered post to her remote community, all at the same time as writing stories and novels. She succeeded on all fronts, raising four children and becoming an internationally best-selling writer. She lives in Tacoma, Washington State.

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Reviews for Ship of Magic

Rating: 4.261363636363637 out of 5 stars
4.5/5

176 ratings30 reviews

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  • Rating: 2 out of 5 stars
    2/5
    I love this book so I decided to try the audiobook for some bed-time listening. Unfortunately the narrator is extremely monotonous and doesn't bring any life to the prose. She also mispronounces words like 'fungi' (as 'fun-jai'), which irritated me so much that I had to stop. If this had a different narrator I would have given this a 5 star rating because I love the characters and the writing style.

    5 people found this helpful

  • Rating: 1 out of 5 stars
    1/5
    Honestly? The narrator is awful. Don't think I'll finish it, will do my best though. Just be warned, sounds like my sat nav is reading it....

    4 people found this helpful

  • Rating: 1 out of 5 stars
    1/5
    The audiobook has a sound issue! Sounds like paused between words.

    4 people found this helpful

  • Rating: 1 out of 5 stars
    1/5
    I love this book, but this is a really bad recording

    3 people found this helpful

  • Rating: 2 out of 5 stars
    2/5
    I suspect I'd have liked this book far better had I read rather then listened to it. The narrator's breathy, portentous style made me annoyed. This book is told in a shifting perspective style, and for my money, there are about 6 too many viewpoints. There are not very many people to actually like, either. I shan't be going on with this series.

    1 person found this helpful

  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    In the same universe as the 'Farseer' books, and just as good. A unique twist of where the ships' powers come from.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    I couldnt put it down, read it over 2 days and moving on to the next one. very enjoyable.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    This is yet another fanastic Robin Hobb novel. It's a bit slower than many good fantasy novels, because there are is a lot of character development, something that Hobb excels at. My only issue with this book is that you really need to have the next book on hand, and while I do enjoy reading multiple book series, I dislike it when series books don't end without a little resolution, almost requiring you to start right back into the next novel.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    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.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    I was intrigued by this book. I got about two thirds of the way through it before things really started to bug me. Robin Hobb's writing is still good, and readable, but the way this story is put together is really quite flawed, in my opinion. It's in the characters, the way the plot is put together, the pacing.

    I'll post my full analysis of why it's "broken" for me on the last book of the trilogy.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    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.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    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.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    What an amazing book! I'm completely entranced by the characters, can't wait to read the next book in the series!
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    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
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Wonderfully entertaining series about sentient ships, pirates, high court plotting, sea serpents, and a mysterious elder race. Battles, magic, intrigue, finely drawn characters, multiple plot lines all coming together to a very satisfying ending.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    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...
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    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.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Slow in the start but very good after that. No Mercy and no pitty for the characters in this book. Very exiting book.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    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.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    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
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    not bad—interesting concept. Ends with several issues unresolved.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    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.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    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!
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    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).
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    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!
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    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.

  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    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.
  • Rating: 1 out of 5 stars
    1/5
    The audio sounds like it was recorded from a skipping CD.

    8 people found this helpful

  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Fantastic book have loved the whole series but bad glitchy audiobook I reported to Scribd but they never bothered to answer me.
    I persevered with it as I have read all the books before. It would spoil it for a first time reader.

    3 people found this helpful

  • Rating: 1 out of 5 stars
    1/5
    Looool the narrators voice had me like nooooopeee no thanks

    7 people found this helpful