A review by cappuccino136
The Mad Ship by Robin Hobb

adventurous emotional mysterious tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

Wow, no second book syndrome in this trilogy. For those who feel that Farseer was slow and got tired of being in Fitz's head, this part of the Realm of the Elderlings may be just right. Multi-pov and so much worldbuilding. I have heard people say that you could skip this trilogy if pirates and sea settings are not appealing. I disagree.  Even for those who are impatient to get back to the Six Duchies and Fitz's story, there is so much here that connects and makes everything richer. We learn a lot about the history and magic of this world. At the heart of this book is a family drama with generations of interesting female characters. This is not male focussed like Farseer is. Robin Hobb's plotting is intricate and fast paced in this book. I changed my mind about several characters as they developed. One favorite character I have loved from the beginning of the series is Paragon, one of the liveships. There are some new characters introduced as well.  We do spend some time in the Rain Wilds, which is fascinating. There is a lot of nailbiting action in the final third of the book. Things are popping off everywhere. It gives a lot, but sets up for what promises to be an explosive finale in Ship of Destiny.
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