Ship of Destiny

by Robin Hobb

Mass Market Paperback, 816 pages

English language

Published Nov. 27, 2001 by Spectra.

ISBN:: 978-0-553-57565-1

(30 reviews)

Robin Hobb has established herself as one of the masters of fantasy fiction And nowhere is that more apparent than in this powerful, poignant, swashbuckling epic of treachery, heroism, and humanity. The rousing conclusion to the Liveship Traders trilogy, Ship of Destiny is the spellbinding story of a once-thriving city now reduced to shambles by raging war and rampant greed; of a glorious and mythic species on the brutal edge of extinction; and of the Vestrits, the clan, whose destiny is intertwined with both.Bingtown is a city under fire from forces within and without. While accusations of conspiracy fly between the Old Bingtown Traders and the New, invaders attack the harbor, trying to take the city for their own. Matriarch Ronica Vestrit bears witness to the destruction, but she is not the type of woman to simply surrender. Even as she finds herself branded a traitor, she searches for a way to bring all the city's inhabitants together to stand against the Chalcedean threat. But there is someone who cannot allow Ronica to succeed, no matter what the cost.Far out on the stormy seas, Althea Vestrit, ignorant of all that has befallen Bingtown, continues her mission to track down and recover her liveship Vivacia from the ruthless pirate Kennit. Serving as the Paragon's second mate under Captain Brashen, she faces peril beyond imagining... not just from her growing love for Brashen or their reckless scheme to regain the Vivacia, but from the unpredictable vessel Paragon himself, as he wrestles with his madness and plots his own deadly brand of revenge.Yet Althea's bold scheme may be in vain. For her beloved Vivacia will face the most terrible confrontation of all as the secret of the liveships is finally revealed. This is a truth so horrifying, so shattering, it may destroy the Vivacia and all who love her, including the boy-priest Wintrow Vestrit, whose life already hangs in the balance...A triumph of imagination and masterful storytelling, Ship of Destiny is an enthralling blend of intrigue and magic, drama and high fantasy. It is the fitting conclusion to a tale that is bound to become a classic--by a beguiling author who is already deservedly revered.From the Hardcover edition.

8 editions

Erin reviewed Ship of Destiny by Robin Hobb (The Liveship Traders, #3)

Review of 'Ship of Destiny' on 'Goodreads'

5 stars

This whole trilogy has been great, and I enjoyed the crescendo to this finale. There’s a lot of continued character growth for everyone, including the liveships. There are reveals about the liveships and about Kennit in particular that shed new light on all that came before. I appreciate the personality and decidedly different priorities that Tintaglia has. There are a lot of complex relationships and POVs at play, and I appreciate how Hobb lets them be complex.

I enjoyed Kennit as a character a lot, so I was saddened by the turn he took in the end. I wouldn’t say it’s inconsistent with the rest of his characterization, but it’s not what I hoped for him.

There’s rape in this book like there was in the second book. I could really do without it, and I usually avoid books that include it, but I do think Hobb handled it well in terms of the aftermath. Given that she wrote this pre #MeToo, it’s surprisingly nuanced. Characters have to decide what to believe and deal with the fact that a person can do good things and be rapist.

A couple things kind of nag at me:

1. What’s the deal with the wizardwood charm? It doesn’t have a large enough presence to warrant being there to me. It occasionally confronts Kennit about his actions, but I don’t know. It feels random!
2. Serilla ended up feeling like an odd POV to include. I thought after book 2 she’d have a larger role in book 3, but she doesn’t. It’s odd to include her as a POV character at all when it doesn’t seem necessary.

I don’t know if we return to these characters later in the the series, but I’m happy with where they conclude here!