Scan barcode
aseaoftomes's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
For those of you who don't know me, the Realm of the Elderlings (RotE) is a series that means everything to me. It's impossible to review something I love and adore as much as I do. Anything I say about this book won't encapsulate the overall feeling and story, so I'm not going to do my normal routine (fully).
This is the first book in the Liveship Traders trilogy and the fourth book in the overall RotE series and we follow several characters, mostly from the same family (the Vestrits) with a few exceptions. This takes place in another part of the world - primarily Bingtown in this first book and Bingtown is home to merchant families - traders who own these magical ships called liveships (ships that come to life after the third generation of a family member dies aboard the ship). It's full of feminism, pirates, dysfunctional families, political intrigue of a different kind than we had with Fitz and complex relationships of all kinds.
Every element I normally do in my breakdowns (writing, plot, characters and world building) is just phenomenal. Hobb's characters and world building in particular are some of the best I've read. It's not a simple act of reading these books, you live them.
Graphic: Blood, Bullying, Child abuse, Death, Emotional abuse, Grief, Medical content, Misogyny, Murder, Physical abuse, Sexism, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, and Animal death
Moderate: Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Drug use, Excrement, Religious bigotry, and Sexual content
literaturesciencealliance's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Spoiler filled reaction Vlog: https://youtu.be/nxMMYkK-g5I
The first 150 pages of this was painful for me to read but by the end I read 230 pages in a day and was completely invested in the story. Hobb always pulls from relatable injustices and that's what makes her works even more heart wrenching to me than others. In this one themes of patriarchy, greed and corruption are very prevalent and even in this far off world on the sea the problems these characters face feel like something that could happen to you or someone you love. I am very excited to pick up the next book in the series and see how this story pans out.
Graphic: Child abuse, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, and Slavery
Moderate: Blood, Drug abuse, Drug use, Murder, Sexism, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, and Violence
lowkeymarie's review against another edition
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Vivacia lived it all, he suddenly recalled. She felt it all, and alone.
I just spent two weeks and 800+ pages living in this book, and like everything else I've read by Hobb, it was well worth the time invested. The premise of this book is so imaginative! The characters are so easy to love (or to hate). The world building is doled out in intriguing little bits and pieces, much like in the Farseer trilogy by Hobb. She has become my favorite author and I am looking forward to reading more of her work.
Graphic: Child abuse and Slavery
Minor: Rape
achingallover's review
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Addiction, Blood, Body horror, Child abuse, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Excrement, Grief, Homophobia, Medical content, Medical trauma, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Sexual content, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Trafficking, Terminal illness, Violence, and Vomit