Helpful Score: 1
Mad Ship
By
Robin Hobb
In this second installment of Hobbs Liveship Traders Trilogy we are returned to the Cursed Shores and learn even more about these mysterious Liveships. Althea and Brashen team up to form a dangerous plot to retrieve the Vestrit family Liveship that has been captured by the vicious pirate Captain Kennit. While they hatch their plans Wintrow, who has also been captured along with the Liveship is slowly slipping under the influence of the vivacious pirate as he too hatches his own scemes.
And while everyone else schemes and dreams, the ever-present serpents struggle to complete their destiny and understand their reason for being
I picked up Mad Ship almost immediately after finishing the prequel Ship of Magic. I ended up having mixed feelings about Mad Ship. While the feelings edge towards the positive, there is still a feeling of oddness to it I just cant seem to shake when I think back on Mad Ship as a whole.
On the positive side, Hobb of course did not disappoint. Mad Ship was full of what Ship of Magic gave me a taste of and kept my appetite perked for more. The characters were well-rounded and really came into their own more in this book than in Ship of Magic. Schemes and plots came to light and others were dashed completely.
I also commend Hobb for keeping her second book true to the original story she started with in Ship of Magic. She did not pull a George Martin and introduce so many characters my head started to spin. The characters she did introduce were minimal and added to the story as opposed to hindering the plotline.
On the flipside there was a slight bit of cheese. Nothing a good Chardonnay couldnt compliment, but it was still there nonetheless. Towards the end of Mad Ship we begin to understand more about what a Liveship actually is and we understand why there are entire chapters dedicated to the serpents that in Ship of Magic at least, were seemingly insignificant to the plot.
Without giving anything away I found the reasons Hobb gave for the serpents being to be a little far-fetched. Yes I know its fantasy and anything can happen, and yes, I know: I couldnt believe I found myself griping over mythical characters either butI dont know I found her explanations to be a little corny.
Now, I will gladly eat my words if once I read the third book Ship of Destiny her reasons turn out to be justified. I love nothing more than when I have to eat my words.
I think I need to classify Mad Ship in the same category as The Empire Strikes Back. Not my favorite, but necessary to the storyline.
3 ½ stars.
By
Robin Hobb
In this second installment of Hobbs Liveship Traders Trilogy we are returned to the Cursed Shores and learn even more about these mysterious Liveships. Althea and Brashen team up to form a dangerous plot to retrieve the Vestrit family Liveship that has been captured by the vicious pirate Captain Kennit. While they hatch their plans Wintrow, who has also been captured along with the Liveship is slowly slipping under the influence of the vivacious pirate as he too hatches his own scemes.
And while everyone else schemes and dreams, the ever-present serpents struggle to complete their destiny and understand their reason for being
I picked up Mad Ship almost immediately after finishing the prequel Ship of Magic. I ended up having mixed feelings about Mad Ship. While the feelings edge towards the positive, there is still a feeling of oddness to it I just cant seem to shake when I think back on Mad Ship as a whole.
On the positive side, Hobb of course did not disappoint. Mad Ship was full of what Ship of Magic gave me a taste of and kept my appetite perked for more. The characters were well-rounded and really came into their own more in this book than in Ship of Magic. Schemes and plots came to light and others were dashed completely.
I also commend Hobb for keeping her second book true to the original story she started with in Ship of Magic. She did not pull a George Martin and introduce so many characters my head started to spin. The characters she did introduce were minimal and added to the story as opposed to hindering the plotline.
On the flipside there was a slight bit of cheese. Nothing a good Chardonnay couldnt compliment, but it was still there nonetheless. Towards the end of Mad Ship we begin to understand more about what a Liveship actually is and we understand why there are entire chapters dedicated to the serpents that in Ship of Magic at least, were seemingly insignificant to the plot.
Without giving anything away I found the reasons Hobb gave for the serpents being to be a little far-fetched. Yes I know its fantasy and anything can happen, and yes, I know: I couldnt believe I found myself griping over mythical characters either butI dont know I found her explanations to be a little corny.
Now, I will gladly eat my words if once I read the third book Ship of Destiny her reasons turn out to be justified. I love nothing more than when I have to eat my words.
I think I need to classify Mad Ship in the same category as The Empire Strikes Back. Not my favorite, but necessary to the storyline.
3 ½ stars.
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