Ship of Destiny

I made it to the end of this trilogy! confetti! I shall now be taking a well deserved Robin Hobb break.

I have worked out why I'm struggling so much to get into Robin Hobb's books. It has to do with the way characters often aren't having conversations. They're having philosophical debates. LONG philosophical debates. Especailly Wintrow and Etta, regarding Kennit. To be honest, that's incredibly dull. I tend to just start skimming. For most of the last half of the trilogy, I've been largely skimming when these debates occurred and whenever some character or other turned introspective for PAGES. Yes, fine, I get it, can we move on please? This is how you wind up with a trilogy of fairly large books and looking back, wonder how so much was filled up with so little.

The trilogy as a whole, I thought followed the same pattern as the first trilogy in this universe, in that the first book seemed quite interesting and balanced plotwise, and then the second one was a complete slog to get through, and the third was a rush, partly because plot started appearing and partly because I just want to be done with it.

Generally I'm just not dealing well with this slooooooooow buildup of things and then it all explodes in the space of one quarter of one book.

Some thoughts broken up by character underneath.

Kennit: He died. Hurray! I was deeply worried at one point that Hobb was going to pull a Regal and attempt to somewhat redeem him. I never liked him, I found him manipulative, power hungry, abusive, selfish and cruel. And that was before the frankly completely unnecessary drugging and raping of Althea that he was somehow forced to do. Oh come the hell on! At that point I really started loathing him, and loathing Sorcor, Wintrow, Etta and even Vivacia as well by sheer association.

Kyle: Put away for a long time, totally forgotten, then brought out again and ignored, and finally killed. Completely inconsequential to anything at all. What was the purpose of keeping him alive at all?

Malta: This is not even the same character as in the first book. It's supposed to be 'character growth' but really I thought it was more of a sort of retcon. She changed her disposition rather too quickly for it to be believable, I thought. I did like her afterwards though, when she grew up. The better part of her bit of the plot revolved around her betrothal to Reyn, but we never see them actually marry? I feel a little cheated there.

Cosgo: Uuuuuuuuugh! Did he actually learn anything at all? I should very much like to see some proof before I'm willing to believe it, because if he did, it feels like another retcon.

Althea: All about regaining her ship and not saddling herself with husband and children, but rather being her own person on her own decks. Soooo... she runs off with Brashen on a completely different ship. I mean, okay, Vivacia had changed so much the closeness was no longer there, but even so! She got over that rather quickly, didn't she?

Keffria: Take away the abusive husband and oh look, there was a person in there! Well done her. I actually came to like her eventually. Ronica too.

Serilla: What even was her purpose? Who's side was she even on, apart from her own? I could never figure out where I had her. Her attempt to set herself up as Bingtown dictator completely killed any sympathy I had for her, and what does she get in the end? Well, she gets sacked, but then immediately put back into the same position, and I don't see any evidence that she learned anything about her own behaviour either. Why would the Vestrits even want the woman under their roof?

Tintaglia: Sounds like a pasta shape. Anyway, very very clearly states that humans have next to no value for her, but she intends to totally rule them and treat them like cattle anyway. Completely arrogant and ungrateful. Makes all sorts of promises to Malta and Reyn in order to get them to help her and then does her best to avoid having to actually do anything for them at all. Every time they ask her to do something THAT SHE ALREADY PROMISED TO DO they have to beg and cajole, or have Selden flatter her endlessly and it was all a bit distasteful. Why would anybody want to help her with anything? Why would anybody want to help her procreate? Would they not have been better off building one more ship? Aifinkso.