 First edition (UK) | |
| Author | Robin Hobb |
|---|---|
| Cover artist | John Howe |
| Language | English |
| Series | Liveship Traders Trilogy |
| Genre | Fantasy |
| Publisher | Voyager |
Publication date | August 1, 2000 |
| Publication place | United States |
| Media type | Print (hardcover) |
| Pages | 903 |
| ISBN | 0-553-10323-7 |
| OCLC | 43798455 |
| 813/.54 21 | |
| LC Class | PS3558.O33636 S53 2000 |
| Preceded by | The Mad Ship |
Ship of Destiny is a book by American writer Robin Hobb, the third and last in her Liveship Traders Trilogy .
Much of Bingtown has been destroyed after the night of the Satrap's disappearance. Factions in Bingtown struggle against each other even as they hold off the invading Chalcedeans. Ronica Vestrit comes to accept that Bingtown must turn away from its traditions to survive. She clashes with Serilla, the companion to the Satrap who has assumed his authority to protect herself. With the help of Rache, a slave, Ronica seeks to unite the Old Traders, New Traders, Three Ships folk, and the ex-slave Tattooed to form a new, independent order in Bingtown.
In the Rain Wilds, Tintaglia, the dragon freed by Reyn and Selden, saves them from the ruins of the underground city. Malta is stranded in a boat with the Satrap floating down the Rain Wild River. They are rescued by a Chalcedean ship. Malta ensures their survivals by influencing the Satrap's behavior. The Vestrits and some Rain Wilders return to Bingtown, where they help negotiate a united Bingtown. Tintaglia is determined to rescue her kind from extinction. She defeats the Chalcedean warships and proposes an alliance with the Bingtowners. Reyn and Selden are changed by their connection to the dragon, becoming like the ancient Elderlings. Reyn agrees to help Tintaglia on the condition that she helps him find Malta.
On Vivacia, Wintrow recovers from his contact with the serpent She Who Remembers. He now knows liveships are created from the cocoons of dead dragons. When Vivacia learns this, she is so distraught that she flees inside herself. She reawakes with the memories of a conniving dragon named Bolt. Bolt bargains with Kennit: she communicates Kennit's orders to the serpents in exchange for Kennit eventually letting the ship guide the serpents up the Rain Wild River. With the serpents serving him, Kennit's power grows. Etta secretly aims to become pregnant with his child, while Wintrow grows to love Etta.
Althea and Brashen sail the mad liveship Paragon in hopes of retrieving Vivacia. Paragon arrives in Divvytown and it is revealed that Paragon is the liveship Igrot the Terrible sailed. Kennit is a descendent of the Ludluck family who was bonded with Paragon and kept hostage on him. Paragon pursues Vivacia. Althea and Brashen plan to negotiate, but Kennit attacks Paragon with the serpents. He speaks with Paragon about their past agreement: they contrived that Paragon would absorb all Kennit's memories of Igrot's abuse so that Kennit could start over. Paragon then attempted to sink himself, but eventually returned to Bingtown. Kennit believes he must erase his painful past by gaining all the power that Igrot had, so he orders Paragon to die again, sending the ship into a storm. Kennit then takes Althea hostage and attempts to manipulate her to join him. While she is drugged, Kennit rapes her. When Althea later manages to escape, her story is not believed even by Wintrow and the reawakened Vivacia, who trust that Kennit is doing good for the Pirate Isles. Only Etta realizes that Althea is telling the truth, creating a rift in her relationship with Kennit and eventually Wintrow's as well.
Brashen manages to sail Paragon to safety. Despite still loving Kennit, Paragon decides he must confront the pirate again. Paragon allows Amber to carve him a new face, lessening his madness somewhat. He tells the crew where they can find Kennit's mother, whom they take hostage along with Kyle -now mentally broken from his long-term isolation- before pursuing Vivacia again.
Malta decides to secure the Satrap's life by having him ally with Kennit. They board Vivacia with the promise that Jaimaillia will recognize Kennit's kingship of the Pirate Isles, but they are soon attacked by Jamaillian and Chalcedean ships attempting to assassinate the Satrap. During the battle, Tintaglia arrives with Reyn, dropping him off before leading the serpents away. The Satrap is captured; Kennit attempts to take him back and is mortally wounded. Paragon arrives in time for Kennit to die on his deck so that Paragon absorbs his memories and becomes complete. Wintrow takes command of Vivacia's crew while Althea chooses to reunite with Brashen. Kyle is killed by an arrow barrage as Paragon and Althea escape their attackers.
In the aftermath, the Satrap is restored to power and an alliance is formed between the separate states of Jamaillia, Bingtown, and the Pirate Isles. Etta will rule as Pirate Queen with Wintrow's help until Kennit's child comes of age. Ronica, Keffria, and Serilla work to establish the new political order of Bingtown. Reyn and Malta, now engaged and becoming Elderlings, represent the Rain Wilders' and Tintaglia's interests. Althea is first mate to Brashen on Paragon, and the ship eventually helps her let go of the trauma of her rape. Wintrow captains Vivacia and helps Tintaglia lead the serpents to their cocooning grounds, where they prepare to become dragons.
Reviews of Ship of Destiny have varied, but were generally positive. Many reviewers have praised Hobb's writing skill with one stating in Ship of Destiny she "has woven her storylines and subplots into an extraordinarily vivid and complex tapestry." [1] However, some reviewers felt the book was excessively long, referring to it as a "doorstop". [2] Still, reviewers felt the book brought a satisfying conclusion to the Liveship Traders Trilogy . [1] [3]
Margaret Astrid Lindholm Ogden, known by her pen names Robin Hobb and Megan Lindholm, is an American writer of speculative fiction. As Hobb, she is best known for her fantasy novels set in the Realm of the Elderlings, which comprise the Farseer, Liveship Traders and Tawny Man trilogies, the Rain WildChronicles, and the Fitz and the Fool trilogy. Lindholm's writing includes the urban fantasy novel Wizard of the Pigeons and science fiction short stories, among other works. As of 2018, her fiction has been translated into 22 languages and sold more than 4 million copies.
Assassin's Apprentice is a fantasy novel by American writer Robin Hobb, the first book in The Farseer Trilogy. It was Margaret Astrid Lindholm Ogden's first book under this pseudonym, and was published in 1995. The book was written under the working title Chivalry’s Bastard.
Fool's Errand is a fantasy novel by American writer Robin Hobb, the first in her Tawny Man Trilogy. It commences 15 years after the events in Assassin's Quest, a period covered by The Liveship Traders Trilogy ; it resumes the story of FitzChivalry Farseer after he has wandered the world and finally settled to a quiet, cottage-dwelling life with his adopted son Hap.
Fool's Fate is a fantasy novel by American writer Robin Hobb, the third in her Tawny Man Trilogy. It was published in 2003.
Ship of Magic is a 1998 fantasy novel by American writer Robin Hobb, the first in her Liveship Traders Trilogy.
The Farseer trilogy is a series of fantasy novels by American author Robin Hobb, published from 1995 to 1997. It is often described as epic fantasy, and as a character-driven and introspective work. Set in and around the fictional realm of the Six Duchies, it tells the story of FitzChivalry Farseer, an illegitimate son of a prince who is trained as an assassin. Political machinations within the royal family threaten his life, and the kingdom is beset by naval raids. Fitz possesses two forms of magic: the telepathic Skill that runs in the royal line, and the socially despised Wit that enables bonding with animals. The series follows his life as he seeks to restore stability to the kingdom.
The Tawny Man trilogy is a series of novels by American author Robin Hobb, and the third trilogy in the Realm of the Elderlings sequence. Narrated in first person by FitzChivalry Farseer, it follows his life in his mid-thirties, and is set after the events of the Farseer Trilogy and the Liveship Traders.
Destiny's Hand is a pirate Original English-language manga written by Nunzio DeFilippis and Christina Weir, with art by Mel Calingo. It is published by Seven Seas Entertainment and the first volume came out in 2006.
The Liveship Traders is a trilogy of fantasy novels by American author Robin Hobb. A nautical fantasy series, the Liveship Traders is the second trilogy set in the Realm of the Elderlings and features pirates, sea serpents, a family of traders and their living ships. Several critics regard it as Hobb's best work.
Dragon Keeper is a fantasy novel by American writer Robin Hobb, the first in The Rain Wild Chronicles. It is written in a third-person narrative from the viewpoint of several of the key characters. The narrative follows a party of malformed newly hatched dragons, their spurned and mistrusted human keepers and other supporters who set out on a quest to find safety in the legendary Elderling city of Kelsingra.
Dragon Haven is a fantasy novel by American writer Robin Hobb, the second novel in The Rain Wild Chronicles. In a blog post Robin Hobb wrote: "The untitled book I am working on now picks up the tale of the Tarman expedition in search of Kelsingra. It’s my work in progress and threatens to be a long book!". Dragon Haven is written in third-person narrative from the viewpoint of several key characters. The narrative joins these separate threads together as a party of malformed dragons, their human keepers and other supporters are on a quest for the legendary Elderling city of Kelsingra.
The Mad Ship is a book by American writer Robin Hobb, the second in her Liveship Traders Trilogy. It appeared in the United States as simply Mad Ship.
The Rain Wild Chronicles is a quartet of fantasy novels by American author Robin Hobb, published from 2009 to 2013. It chronicles the re-emergence of dragons in the Rain Wilds, a setting in Hobb's fictional Realm of the Elderlings. It is her fourth series set in that world, following after the Farseer, Liveship Traders and Tawny Man trilogies, and features an entirely new cast of characters. The quartet features ecocentric themes, as it examines the reaction of humans to a new predator in the world.
City of Dragons is a 2011 fantasy novel by American writer Robin Hobb, the third book in The Rain Wild Chronicles. It was released in September 2011 and is a direct continuation of the previous novel: Dragon Haven.
Fool's Assassin is the first book in the epic fantasy trilogy Fitz and the Fool, written by American author Robin Hobb. Ten years after the events of Fool's Fate, it resumes the story of FitzChivalry Farseer, a former assassin, as a middle-aged husband and father whose quiet life is disrupted by a new crisis.
Fool's Quest is the second book in the epic fantasy trilogy Fitz and the Fool, written by American author Robin Hobb. It was published by HarperCollins and released in August, 2015 and continues the story of FitzChivalry Farseer and his daughter Bee after the events of Fool's Assassin, published in 2014.
The Pirate and the Slave Girl is a 1959 Italian adventure film written and directed by Piero Pierotti and starring Lex Barker and Chelo Alonso.
This is a complete list of works by American author Robin Hobb, the pen name of Margaret Astrid Lindholm Ogden, who also writes under the pen names Megan Lindholm.
Assassin's Fate is the third book in the epic fantasy trilogy Fitz and the Fool, written by American author Robin Hobb. It continues the story of FitzChivalry Farseer and his daughter Bee after the events of Fool's Quest, published in 2015.
The Fitz and the Fool trilogy is the concluding subseries of the Realm of the Elderlings, a 16-book fantasy series by American author Robin Hobb. Published from 2014 to 2017, it features the protagonist FitzChivalry Farseer in his fifties, and follows his life with his wife Molly and daughter Bee Farseer. It was well-received by critics, with the Los Angeles Review of Books praising Hobb's characterization and portrayal of aging, and The Guardian positively viewing how the final book consolidated plot threads from across the series.