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roctothorpe's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
tense
slow-paced
- 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
3.5
Sentient ships sure was not on my reading bingo card for 2024 but I am fully convinced that Robin Hobb could write about literally anything and make it interesting.
This book reads very much as a setup for the trilogy, in the sense that we get a lot of (brilliant!) worldbuilding and meet a (huge!) cast of characters whilst the plot moves at a characteristically slow pace. This might be seen as a drawback to some readers but I had a great time. I love getting to slowly unravel a flawed character's backstory and understanding what made them into the way that they are and this book delivered on that front.
I don't think I have ever read a book with this many perspectives and it has taking me a bit to get used to, but the style is definitely growing on me and the story feels a lot more expansive than the Farseer trilogy. That being said, some of the POV cuts felt rather abrupt and there were multiple occasions where I felt like I was just getting "settled" and invested in one thread only to suddenly get whisked away and not being able to get back to that action for another hundred pages. Though there is magic and that magic is undoubtedly intriguing, this book reads much closer to "family drama" than "fantasy", so most of my thoughts are character-based.
Kennit and the pirate-y seafaring: 10/10 LOVED it. He is basically a charismatic psychopath and such a compelling character to me. These scenes swept me away and I weirdly can't get enough of this guy manipulating everyone around him and how he objectively lacks a moral compass or any concern for matters outside of his own self-serving interests.
And then there's Paragon, who absolutely stole my heart. I find it deeply amusing that my favorite character in this book is literally a boat... And Amber my beloved <33 I am convinced thatAmber is the Fool. The way that her appearance and mannerisms are described, allusions to being golden/having tawny eyes, helping Althea masquerade as a boy, as well as the woodcarving business is just too close to be coincidental!! That obviously colors my impressions of her because every time she appears on the page felt like a warm hug from the past. The scene between her and Paragon where she gifts him the necklace was one of the rare moments of beauty in this book.
I thought I was going to like Vivacia a lot more than I did, but she had no personality, was very wishy-washy in her loyalty between Althea and Wintrow, and was just constantly complaining? On the other hand, I did not expect to like Malta but honestly kind of enjoyed reading from her unhinged spoiled bitchy POV.
The character that I could not freaking handle was Kyle. God, Robin Hobb is so good at writing the feeling of powerlessness in the face of injustice, and I thought Regal was bad but Kyle is on a whole other level. Literally every time he opens his mouth he somehow manages to make me hate hime even more and I have to pause and take a breath after each chapter that he's in 😭. I feel like one of the personality traits I hate the most in the real world is people who are too narcissistic and narrow-minded to consider that they could ever be wrong and so Kyle hits on this very particular nerve for me. Gahhh.
Finally, I just want to note that Hobb effortlessly weaves in these broader themes and commentary on feminism, patriarchy, slavery, etc. without it ever feeling forced. A lot of modern fantasy (and non-fantasy) often feels like it's diverse for the sake of being diverse or trying to shoehorn in social issues and I really appreciate how all of the RotE books I've read so far have handled this.
Overall I enjoyed this quite a lot, I like the direction the story is going, and I'm excited to continue on. Reading these books is like watching grandmaster chess - some small, insignificant thing happens now that I don't understand will have its purpose magically become clear fifty moves later. I genuinely don't know how Robin Hobb does it.
Select quotes:
“Because I can see that you go through life athwart it. You see the flow of events, you are able to tell how you could most easily fit yourself into it. But you dare to oppose it. And why? Simply because you look at it and say, 'this fate does not suit me. I will not allow it to befall me.' I have always admired people who can do that. So few do. Many, of course, will rant and rave against the garment fate has woven for them, but they pick it up and don it all the same, and most wear it to the end of their days. You... you would rather go naked into the storm.”
“All time stopped, hovering like a nectar bird in that one sweet moment of decision, to open or to remain closed.”
This book reads very much as a setup for the trilogy, in the sense that we get a lot of (brilliant!) worldbuilding and meet a (huge!) cast of characters whilst the plot moves at a characteristically slow pace. This might be seen as a drawback to some readers but I had a great time. I love getting to slowly unravel a flawed character's backstory and understanding what made them into the way that they are and this book delivered on that front.
I don't think I have ever read a book with this many perspectives and it has taking me a bit to get used to, but the style is definitely growing on me and the story feels a lot more expansive than the Farseer trilogy. That being said, some of the POV cuts felt rather abrupt and there were multiple occasions where I felt like I was just getting "settled" and invested in one thread only to suddenly get whisked away and not being able to get back to that action for another hundred pages. Though there is magic and that magic is undoubtedly intriguing, this book reads much closer to "family drama" than "fantasy", so most of my thoughts are character-based.
Kennit and the pirate-y seafaring: 10/10 LOVED it. He is basically a charismatic psychopath and such a compelling character to me. These scenes swept me away and I weirdly can't get enough of this guy manipulating everyone around him and how he objectively lacks a moral compass or any concern for matters outside of his own self-serving interests.
And then there's Paragon, who absolutely stole my heart. I find it deeply amusing that my favorite character in this book is literally a boat... And Amber my beloved <33 I am convinced that
I thought I was going to like Vivacia a lot more than I did, but she had no personality, was very wishy-washy in her loyalty between Althea and Wintrow, and was just constantly complaining? On the other hand, I did not expect to like Malta but honestly kind of enjoyed reading from her unhinged spoiled bitchy POV.
The character that I could not freaking handle was Kyle. God, Robin Hobb is so good at writing the feeling of powerlessness in the face of injustice, and I thought Regal was bad but Kyle is on a whole other level. Literally every time he opens his mouth he somehow manages to make me hate hime even more and I have to pause and take a breath after each chapter that he's in 😭. I feel like one of the personality traits I hate the most in the real world is people who are too narcissistic and narrow-minded to consider that they could ever be wrong and so Kyle hits on this very particular nerve for me. Gahhh.
Finally, I just want to note that Hobb effortlessly weaves in these broader themes and commentary on feminism, patriarchy, slavery, etc. without it ever feeling forced. A lot of modern fantasy (and non-fantasy) often feels like it's diverse for the sake of being diverse or trying to shoehorn in social issues and I really appreciate how all of the RotE books I've read so far have handled this.
Overall I enjoyed this quite a lot, I like the direction the story is going, and I'm excited to continue on. Reading these books is like watching grandmaster chess - some small, insignificant thing happens now that I don't understand will have its purpose magically become clear fifty moves later. I genuinely don't know how Robin Hobb does it.
Select quotes:
“Because I can see that you go through life athwart it. You see the flow of events, you are able to tell how you could most easily fit yourself into it. But you dare to oppose it. And why? Simply because you look at it and say, 'this fate does not suit me. I will not allow it to befall me.' I have always admired people who can do that. So few do. Many, of course, will rant and rave against the garment fate has woven for them, but they pick it up and don it all the same, and most wear it to the end of their days. You... you would rather go naked into the storm.”
“All time stopped, hovering like a nectar bird in that one sweet moment of decision, to open or to remain closed.”
hexadonis's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
kendylldrilling's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
kevlanb's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
tense
slow-paced
- 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? No
3.5
moesbookshelf's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- 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
4.75
The amount of times that the characters made me want to throw the book across the room or tear up should tell you how invested I was and how well written they are.
If you enjoy a good hearty fantasy with amazingly fleshed out characters from sea serpents, to pirate captains, mad ships, and pre-teens (Malta you personally gave me a migraine) - give this one a go.
Btw. Wintrow is the one and only. My boy.
You’ll understand :)
If you enjoy a good hearty fantasy with amazingly fleshed out characters from sea serpents, to pirate captains, mad ships, and pre-teens (Malta you personally gave me a migraine) - give this one a go.
Btw. Wintrow is the one and only. My boy.
You’ll understand :)
suso121's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
4.25
buttercup06's review against another edition
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0