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A review by moth_mcgangis
Ship of Magic by Robin Hobb
challenging
emotional
reflective
sad
slow-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
3.25
Going off of the blurb on the back of the book and the first few reviews, I expected this to be a lighthearted pirate romp. Oh how naïve I was.
Ship of Magic is a sadistic sad-fest of a novel, and as much as I adored Hobb's prose, character development, and vivid descriptions, I don't feel like I can justify rating this book any higher because of that. The author starts by showing you an array of likable characters, then spends the rest of the book putting them through hell again and again and again and again and again.
No good deed goes unpunished in this novel. The likeable characters are beaten and forced to submit while the worst, most hateable characters always get their way. After the first quarter of the book, this pattern is frustrating. Halfway through it is tiresome. And three-quarters of the way I was starved for any sense of justice for the characters I had grown to care for so much, but I never really got it in a justifiably satisfying way. 800 pages is a long time to go without seeing anything good happen to the characters you love, and I just came out of it feeling depressed.
But as much psychological distress as this book caused me... goddammit, I can't possibly rate it lower because all of the characters are so compelling and my desire to see things work out for them (or for some, to see them held responsible for their actions) is overwhelming. Not to mention it is the first book I've read in recent memory to make me cry (poor Paragon...) I will definitely be reading the other two at some point, but not for a while.
In summary, if you are up for a sad novel with infuriating antagonists and very little hope, you will probably love this book. But if you are expecting something cozy and fun like I was, look elsewhere, or you will get strung along on a ride of beautifully written, but seemingly endless misery.
EDIT:
I HAVE DISCOVERD THAT YOU ARE NOT SUPPOSED TO READ THIS BEFORE READING THE FARSEER TRILOGY. DON'T DO WHAT I DID! READ FARSEER FIRST!
Ship of Magic is a sadistic sad-fest of a novel, and as much as I adored Hobb's prose, character development, and vivid descriptions, I don't feel like I can justify rating this book any higher because of that. The author starts by showing you an array of likable characters, then spends the rest of the book putting them through hell again and again and again and again and again.
No good deed goes unpunished in this novel. The likeable characters are beaten and forced to submit while the worst, most hateable characters always get their way. After the first quarter of the book, this pattern is frustrating. Halfway through it is tiresome. And three-quarters of the way I was starved for any sense of justice for the characters I had grown to care for so much, but I never really got it in a justifiably satisfying way. 800 pages is a long time to go without seeing anything good happen to the characters you love, and I just came out of it feeling depressed.
But as much psychological distress as this book caused me... goddammit, I can't possibly rate it lower because all of the characters are so compelling and my desire to see things work out for them (or for some, to see them held responsible for their actions) is overwhelming. Not to mention it is the first book I've read in recent memory to make me cry (poor Paragon...) I will definitely be reading the other two at some point, but not for a while.
In summary, if you are up for a sad novel with infuriating antagonists and very little hope, you will probably love this book. But if you are expecting something cozy and fun like I was, look elsewhere, or you will get strung along on a ride of beautifully written, but seemingly endless misery.
EDIT:
I HAVE DISCOVERD THAT YOU ARE NOT SUPPOSED TO READ THIS BEFORE READING THE FARSEER TRILOGY. DON'T DO WHAT I DID! READ FARSEER FIRST!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Misogyny, Child abuse, and Slavery