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errie's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Domestic abuse, Sexism, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Trafficking, Confinement, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Animal death, Death, Death of parent, Bullying, Kidnapping, Violence, Injury/Injury detail, Blood, Child abuse, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Grief, and Police brutality
Moderate: Miscarriage, Infertility, Toxic relationship, Toxic friendship, Addiction, Classism, Drug use, Excrement, Alcohol, Abortion, Abandonment, Torture, and Sexual violence
josiah17's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
This is overall just fantastic nautical fantasy with exceptional character writing, as well as complex and entertaining family dynamics. I enjoyed almost every POV for one reason or another. Hobb writes characters that you can root for here, and some that you vehemently despise. I cannot stand Kyle and Torg. Malta really annoyed me even though I understand she's still a kid, I just hope she learns and develops as a character. And I was always rooting for Brashen, Althea, and I really came to sympathize and feel attached to Wintrow. He deserves better, but unfortunately his father is beyond awful.
The additional worldbuilding for the Realm of the Elderlings with the liveships was also very interesting and unique. The idea of a sentient ship bonded through familial blood is amazing, especially because two ships have their own POV's and we get some insight into their perspectives. I'm very curious to learn more about the Rain Wild Traders as well. The relationships they have with the Bingtown traders is interesting, and I hope the sequels explore some of the actual Rain Wild territory. And I have a suspicion about the serpents, but I still don't really know what's going on with them. They're cool though.
Even though the plot was pretty non-existent for most of the book—per usual with Hobb so far—this was surprisingly just addicting to read. The blurb on the cover says "as addictive as morphine," and that's a pretty apt metaphor for my experience. Nautical fantasy just works so well for the visual movie I have running in my brain when reading, and it seems to scratch an itch. Paired with fantastic writing and captivating character dynamics, this is an amazing read. I could see myself bumping it to 5 stars depending on how the trilogy pans out.
Graphic: Toxic relationship, Slavery, Physical abuse, and Trafficking
Moderate: Sexual violence and Sexual content
missgarceau's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.75
Moderate: Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt, Sexual content, Vomit, War, Excrement, Hate crime, Injury/Injury detail, Physical abuse, Slavery, Sexual violence, Torture, Toxic relationship, Animal cruelty, Body shaming, Sexual harassment, Self harm, Racial slurs, Child abuse, Confinement, Death, Bullying, Cursing, Drug use, Gaslighting, Mental illness, Sexual assault, Blood, Kidnapping, Racism, Trafficking, Violence, Abandonment, Body horror, Misogyny, Classism, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Emotional abuse, Gore, and Toxic friendship
smokingchagga's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Note: sexual violence is a major thing in this particular series. The threat of it is quite heavy and it can absolutely be a deal breaker for someone who is sensitive to it. There were also a few instances where an assault or the direct aftermath of one was explicitly shown.
Graphic: Child abuse, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Misogyny, Abandonment, Addiction, Alcoholism, Blood, Death of parent, Death, Alcohol, Animal death, Cursing, Sexism, Sexual content, Domestic abuse, Drug use, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Slavery, and Suicidal thoughts
lacyparrish's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
Minor: Colonisation, Drug use, Slavery, Rape, Sexual violence, Trafficking, and Violence
thebookfinch's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Graphic: Slavery, Blood, Violence, and Emotional abuse
Moderate: Sexual violence, Sexism, Sexual content, Sexual assault, Death, and Death of parent
Minor: Addiction, Drug abuse, and Drug use
achingallover's review against another edition
- 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