Ship of Destiny
 First edition (UK) | |
| Author | Robin Hobb |
|---|---|
| Cover artist | John Howe |
| Language | English |
| Series | Liveship Traders Trilogy |
| Genre | Fantasy |
| Publisher | Voyager |
Publication date | August 1, 2000 |
| Publication place | United States |
| Media type | Print (hardcover) |
| Pages | 592 pp |
| ISBN | 0-553-10323-7 |
| OCLC | 43798455 |
| 813/.54 21 | |
| LC Class | PS3558.O33636 S53 2000 |
| Preceded by | The Mad Ship |
Ship of Destiny is a book by American writer Robin Hobb, the third and last in her Liveship Traders Trilogy.
Plot summary
Much of Bingtown has been destroyed after the conflict that broke out on the night of the Satrap's disappearance. The different factions in Bingtown struggle against each other even as they hold off the invading Chalcedeans. Ronica Vestrit finds herself destitute and labeled a traitor, and comes to accept that Bingtown must turn away from its traditions in order to survive. She clashes with Serilla, the companion to the Satrap who has assumed his authority, seeking to protect herself and maintain Jamaillia's authority. With the help of Rache, a slave, Ronica seeks to unite the Old Traders, New Traders, Three Ships folk, and the ex-slave Tattooed to form a new, independent order in Bingtown.
Althea sails on the mad liveship Paragon in hopes of retrieving Vivacia from Kennit. Keffria mourns the apparent death of Malta in the underground city after a large earthquake struck the Rain Wilds. Tintaglia, the dragon that Reyn and Selden freed from her cocoon, saves the two from the ruins. Tintaglia is determined to rescue her kind from extinction, but she finds the landscape changed and must appeal to the humans for help. Reyn agrees on the condition that she help him find Malta. Malta is alive but stranded with the Satrap. They float down the Rain Wild River and are rescued by a Chalcedean ship. Malta ensures both their survivals by influencing the Satrap's behavior.
On the Vivacia, Wintrow recovers from his contact with the serpent She Who Remembers. Through this, he now knows that liveships are created from the cocoons of dead dragons. When Vivacia learns this, she is so distraught that she flees inside herself. She reawakes with the memories of a conniving dragon named Bolt. Bolt strikes a bargain with Kennit: she communicates Kennit's orders to the serpents in exchange for Kennit eventually letting the ship guide the serpents up the Rain Wild River. With the serpents serving him, Kennit's power grows and it seems assured that he will be King of the Pirate Isles. Etta secretly aims to become pregnant with his child. Wintrow, cut off from Vivacia, grows to love Etta.
Paragon arrives in Divvytown in search of Kennit, and it is reveals that Paragon is the liveship that Igrot the Terrible sailed. Kennit is a descendent of the Ludluck family who was bonded with Paragon and kept hostage so that the ship would sail. Paragon pursues Vivacia. Althea and Brashen plan to negotiate with Kennit, but Kennit attacks Paragon with the serpents. He speaks with Paragon about their past agreement: they contrived that Paragon would absorb all of Kennit's memories of Igrot's abuse so that Kennit could start over as a new man. Paragon then attempted to sink himself, but eventually returned to Bingtown. Kennit believes he must erase his painful past by gaining all the power that Igrot had and reenacting all the cruelty that Igrot did, so he orders Paragon to die again, setting the ship on fire and into a storm. Meanwhile, Kennit takes Althea hostage, attempting to manipulate her to join him. While she is drugged, Kennit rapes her. When Althea later manages to escape, her story is not believed, even by Wintrow and the reawakened Vivacia, who trust that Kennit is doing good for the Pirate Isles. Only Etta realizes that Althea is telling the truth, creating a rift in her relationship with Kennit and eventually Wintrow's as well.
Brashen manages to sail Paragon to safety. Despite still loving Kennit, Paragon decides he must confront the pirate again. Paragon allows Amber to carve him a new face, lessening his madness somewhat by accepting that he is made from the wizardwood of two dragons and that his memories are incomplete. How tells the crew where they can find Kennit's mother, who they take hostage before pursuing Vivacia again.
Malta has decided to secure the Satrap's life by having him ally with Kennit. They board Vivacia with the promise that Kennit's kingship of the Pirate Isles will be officially reocgnized by Jaimaillia. Malta is reunited with Wintrow and Althea, but they are soon attacked by Jamaillian and Chalcedean ships attempting to assassinate the Satrap. During the battle, Tintaglia arrives with Reyn.
Reception
Reviews of Ship of Destiny have varied, but were generally positive. Many reviewers have praised Hobb’s writing skill with one stating in Ship of Destiny she "has woven her storylines and subplots into an extraordinarily vivid and complex tapestry."[1] However, some reviewers felt the book was excessively long, referring to it as a "doorstop".[2] Still, reviewers felt the book brought a satisfying conclusion to the Liveship Traders Trilogy.[1][3]
References
- ^ a b Perskie, Jana. "Book Review: Ship of Destiny". Mostly Fiction Book Reviews. Retrieved February 5, 2014.
- ^ "Ship of Destiny". Kirkus Reviews. Retrieved February 5, 2014.
- ^ "Ship of Destiny by Robin Hobb". Fantasy Book Review. Retrieved February 5, 2014.
External links
- Ship Of Destiny title listing at the Internet Speculative Fiction Database
- Ship Of Destiny at the Internet Book List