Ship of Destiny: Book Three of The Liveship Traders [Anglais] [Poche]

Robin Hobb concludes her nautical fantasy epic with Ship of Destiny, set in the world of her Farseer series. It lives up to its predecessors, Ship of Magic and Mad Ship in every way: the characters continue to develop, the plot moves swiftly, and the setting is vividly realized.

Again, three generations of Vestrit women are at the heart of the story. Ronica, the matriarch, stands alone against accusations that her family is responsible for the chaos that has overtaken Bingtown. She fights to uncover treachery and maintain the Trader's Council. Her daughter, Althea, sails on the disturbed liveship Paragon, hunting for Vivacia, the Vestrit's liveship, now the flagship of a pirate fleet under Kennit, who is both ruthless and compassionate. Her granddaughter, Malta, has disappeared following an earthquake in the ancient treasure city by the Rain Wild River. Her fiancé, Reyn, and her brother, Selden, are trapped while seeking her. They are rescued by the dragon Tintaglia, whom they helped liberate. Reyn asks Tintaglia's aid in finding Malta, but Tintaglia has her own urgent mission to accomplish, one which will change everything. Hobb weaves these plot threads into an exciting and satisfying conclusion. This is an original trilogy well worth reading! --Nona Vero --Ce texte fait référence à une édition épuisée ou non disponible de ce titre.

One has to use a jeweler's loupe to find a flaw or a dull moment in this splendid conclusion to one of the finest fantasy sagas to bridge the millennium. True, there are moments in this third novel of the Liveship Traders Trilogy (Mad Ship; Ship of Magic) when things progress too easilyDthe folk of Bingtown, for example, seem to embrace diversity, equality and female empowerment too quickly to be believed. But otherwise, this book soars. Hobb weaves together multiple storylines: there's Althea Vestrit's quest for her family's liveship, Vivacia; the awakening of Paragon (the eponymous "ship of destiny"); the establishing of links between the liveships made of wizardwood and the sea serpents who, cocooned in wizardwood, mature into dragons; the appearance of the dragon Tintaglia; and the maturing of Malta Haven through rescuing the Satrap. Such a profusion of plotlines could have overwhelmed or slowed down the book, but Hobb handles them with such agility that the reader is likely to want not fewer but more stories. The most absorbing theme continues to revolve around Captain Kennit, his mistress, Etta (now carrying his child), and the conversion of Wintrow Haven into Kennit's heir as king of the Pirate Isles. (Kennit, perhaps the most interesting character in the trilogy, clearly was developed with a good deal of scholarship about the history of piracy.) This installment leaves nothing to be desired: the subplots advance in parallel; the nautical themes are handled splendidly; and the characters (including one of the more engaging and terrifying dragons in current fantasy) and world-building are of the very highest standard. Like its predecessors, this is a masterful achievement. Major ad/promo. (Aug.)
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc. --Ce texte fait référence à une édition épuisée ou non disponible de ce titre.

Unaware of the war that threatens the trading families of Bingtown, Althea Vestrit searches the sea lanes for her stolen liveshipDonly to discover the truth behind the origin of the sentient vessels. Hobb combines a unique fantasy vision with themes of devotion and selflessness to produce a powerful conclusion to an innovative saga. Highly recommended, along with series predecessors Ship of Magic and Mad Ship, for all fantasy collections.
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc. --Ce texte fait référence à une édition épuisée ou non disponible de ce titre.

Althea Vestritt isn't the Danielle Steele character portrayed in cover art for her Liveship Traders trilogy, and the account of the rebuilding of Bingtown, the traders' home, is a trifle preachy. But otherwise it is hard to carp about the triumphant conclusion to what is probably the best fantasy trilogy of the past decade and a prospective fantasy classic. Hobb handles the seafaring aspects as well as ever but focuses this grandly complex book on relations between individuals and between groups and changes in individuals and relationships. Captain Kennit remains the most complex character, despite his growing ruthlessness, but Althea runs a close second, as her quest for the family liveship Vivacia and her love for Brashen Tell both become star-crossed. Althea's spoiled-brat niece, Malta Haven, matures in the school of hard knocks and finds her true love in a River Wild Trader, and the "mad ship" Paragon becomes the ship of this book's title and crucial to reestablishing the linkage between sea serpents, wildwood cocoons, and the dragons that hatch from the cocoons. Hobb's narrative skill is great enough to guarantee that the tale's many persons, places, and objects won't throw new readers. Meanwhile, veteran readers will appreciate more than ever before the sheer splendor of the Liveship Traders' story. Roland Green
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved --Ce texte fait référence à une édition épuisée ou non disponible de ce titre.

Don?t miss Robin Hobb?s Ship of Magic
Book One in the Liveship Traders Trilogy

Mad Ship
Book Two in the Liveship Traders Trilogy

and

The Farseer Trilogy:

Assassin?s Apprentice
Royal Assassin
Assassin?s Quest

Also, coming in spring 2002:

Fool?s Errand

Book One in the Tawny Man Trilogy

In the powerful conclusion to the Liveship Traders trilogy, Robin Hobb weaves the spellbinding story of a once-thriving city on the brink of ruin, a glorious and mythic species on the edge of extinction, and the Vestrit clan, whose destiny is intertwined with both....

As Bingtown slides toward disaster, clan matriarch Ronica Vestrit, branded a traitor, searches for a way to bring the city’s inhabitants together against the Chalcedean threat. Meanwhile, Althea Vestrit, unaware of what has befallen Bingtown and her family, continues her perilous quest to track down and recover her liveship Vivacia from the ruthless pirate Kennit.

Bold though it is, her scheme may be in vain. For her beloved Vivacia will face the most terrible confrontation of all as the secret of the liveships is revealed. It is a truth so shattering, it may destroy Vivacia and all who love her, including the boy-priest Wintrow Vestrit, whose life already hangs in the balance....

Don’t miss Robin Hobb’s Ship of Magic
Book One in the Liveship Traders Trilogy

Mad Ship
Book Two in the Liveship Traders Trilogy

and

The Farseer Trilogy:

Assassin’s Apprentice
Royal Assassin
Assassin’s Quest

Also, coming in spring 2002:

Fool’s Errand

Book One in the Tawny Man Trilogy

Robin Hobb is the author of the Farseer trilogy, consisting of Assassin’s Apprentice, Royal Assassin, and Assassin’s Quest. She lives in Washington state.