Much of the plot revolves around the Vestrit family Liveship, Vivacia, who after a twist in events not long after her animation, is forced into the slave trade despite her youth and the Vestrit’s general aversion to the trade. It is said that “if a man can imagine a thing, he can buy it in Bingtown.” Even more interesting are the Liveships, ships with animated figureheads that quicken after three generations of the owning family die on deck.

The story revolves around the southern city of Bingtown, renowned for its trade in rare and magical items. Differing from the Farseer Trilogy through a range of viewpoint characters, a third-person narrative and a whole new setting, it challenges many things that we thought we knew about Hobb’s carefully crafted world. Ship of Magic, the first instalment, was first published in 1998. Though it doesn’t have the same accessibility or emotional impact as Fitzchivalry’s story, it remains wonderfully plotted with plenty of deeply created characters. Miles (literally) away from the medieval workings of the Six Duchies, Hobb undertakes sea serpents, pirates, talking ships and a host of new mysteries in her nautical themed second trilogy. She has twice won an Isaac Asimov’s Science Fiction Readers’ Award.Credit goes to Robin Hobb for doing something new and challenging. She also writes as Megan Lindholm, and works under that name have been finalists for the Hugo award, the Nebula Award, and the Endeavor award. She and her husband Fred have three grown children and one teenager, and three grand-children. In addition to writing, her interests include gardening, mushrooming, and beachcombing. Robin Hobb lives and works in Tacoma, Washington, and has been a professional writer for over 30 years. Robin Hobb is the author of three well-received fantasy trilogies: The Farseer Trilogy (Assassin’s Apprentice, Royal Assassin, and Assassin’s Quest), The Liveship Traders Trilogy (Ship of Magic, Mad Ship and Ship of Destiny) and the Tawny Man Trilogy (Fool’s Errand, Golden Fool, and Fool’s Fate) Her current work in progress is entitled Shaman’s Crossing. There's too many good ones out there waiting to be found. A 4 star means I'm probably in trouble with my editor for missing a deadline because I was reading this book. A 3 star means that I've ignored friends to finish it and my sink is full of dirty dishes. So a 2 star from me means,yes, I liked the book, and I'd loan it to a friend and it went everywhere in my jacket pocket or purse until I finished it.

If a book is so-so, it ends up under the bed somewhere, or maybe under a stinky judo bag in the back of the van. It's a good book that survives the reading process with me. I LIKED it! That means I read the whole thing, to the last page, in spite of my life raining comets on me. ** I am shocked to find that some people think a 2 star 'I liked it' rating is a bad rating.

Ship of destiny by robin hobb