Mad Ship (The Liveship Traders, Book 2) 
asked by heavymetal on November 24, 2006 5:02 PM
Robin Hobb returns to the sea with Mad Ship, the second book in a projected trilogy set in the same world as her famed Farseer series. Many unresolved questions from Ship of Magic are answered in this tale of sea serpents and dragons; living ships made of wizardwood; the Bingtown Trader families who sail the ships; and their disfigured cousins, the Rain Wild Traders, who build them.
The Vestritt family's liveship, Vivacia, has been taken by Kennit, an ambitious pirate. Captain Haven is a prisoner; his son Wintrow, who bears the Vestritt blood, finds himself competing with Kennit for Vivacia's love as she becomes a pirate ship. Althea Vestritt, in training to become Vivacia's captain, arrives home to discover her beloved ship lost. Brashen Trell, her old friend and shipmate, proposes that they sail to Vivacia's rescue in the liveship Paragon, who has lost two previous crews and is believed mad. Malta, Althea's niece, seeks help from her suitor, the Rain Wild Trader Reyn, whose family is the Vestritt's major creditor. Meanwhile, the sea serpents who follow sailing ships struggle to remember their history and return to their place of transformation.
Each volume in this series is a major undertaking, but those who enjoy original, epic fantasy, characters who grow and change believably, and fine writing will not want to miss The Liveship Traders. --Nona Vero
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The Vestrit family verges upon bankruptcy, and the Vivacia, the Vestrit family Liveship, is long overdue to return from trading. Their vast debts to the Rain Wild Traders are owed "in blood or gold." Unbeknownst to them, the Vivacia has been captured by Kennit the pirate, along Wintrow and Kyle Haven. But the Vestrits are not the only Trader family in trouble. All the Old Traders are feeling the pinch from the Satrap of Jamaillia's increasing taxes and the New Traders slave-made fortunes. People begin to openly discuss rebellion from Jamaillia. Althea returns home expecting to take over her ship, only to find it missing in action. When her old shipmate and former lover, Brashen Trell, also returns and confirms that pirates have captured the ship, the family initiates a mission to rescue Vivacia and their family members. Young but headstrong Malta Vestrit fears the possibility that she may be forced to marry a Rain Wilder to pay the family debt, while also secretly yearns for the adventure and the mystery of the Rain Wilds.
Kennit works his charms on Vivacia, attempting to win her over to the freedom and excitement of the pirate life.
The sea serpents gather and find a new way to restore their lost memories - namely eating Liveships. However, these memories are insufficient to allow them to complete their transformation alone. Even as they despair, She Who Remembers, freed by Wintrow at the cost of his life, is seeking them.
The Liveship Trader's Trilogy takes place in Jamaillia, Bingtown and the Pirate Isles, on the coast far to the south of the Six Duchies. The war in the north has interrupted the trade that is the lifeblood of Bingtown, and the Liveship Traders have fallen on hard times despite their magic sentient ships. At one time, possession of a Liveship, constructed of magical wizard wood, guaranteed a Trader's family prosperity. Only a Liveship can brave the dangers of the Rain Wild River and trade with the legendary Rain Wild Traders and their mysterious magical goods, plundered from the enigmatic Elderling ruins. Althea Vestrit expects her families to adhere to tradition, and pass the family Liveship on to her when it quickens at the death of her father. Instead, the Vivacia goes to her sister Keffria and her scheming Chalcedan husband Kyle. The proud Liveship becomes a transport vessel for the despised but highly profitable slave trade.
Althea, cast out on her own, resolves to make her own way in the world and somehow regain control of her family's living ship. Her old shipmate Brashen Trell, the enigmatic woodcarver Amber and the Paragon, the notorious mad Liveship are the only allies she can rally to her cause. Pirates, a slave rebellion, migrating sea serpents and a newly hatched dragon are but a few of the obstacles she must face on her way to discovering that Liveships are not, perhaps, what they seem to be, and may have dreams of their own to follow.
Kennit works his charms on Vivacia, attempting to win her over to the freedom and excitement of the pirate life.
The sea serpents gather and find a new way to restore their lost memories - namely eating Liveships. However, these memories are insufficient to allow them to complete their transformation alone. Even as they despair, She Who Remembers, freed by Wintrow at the cost of his life, is seeking them.
The Liveship Trader's Trilogy takes place in Jamaillia, Bingtown and the Pirate Isles, on the coast far to the south of the Six Duchies. The war in the north has interrupted the trade that is the lifeblood of Bingtown, and the Liveship Traders have fallen on hard times despite their magic sentient ships. At one time, possession of a Liveship, constructed of magical wizard wood, guaranteed a Trader's family prosperity. Only a Liveship can brave the dangers of the Rain Wild River and trade with the legendary Rain Wild Traders and their mysterious magical goods, plundered from the enigmatic Elderling ruins. Althea Vestrit expects her families to adhere to tradition, and pass the family Liveship on to her when it quickens at the death of her father. Instead, the Vivacia goes to her sister Keffria and her scheming Chalcedan husband Kyle. The proud Liveship becomes a transport vessel for the despised but highly profitable slave trade.
Althea, cast out on her own, resolves to make her own way in the world and somehow regain control of her family's living ship. Her old shipmate Brashen Trell, the enigmatic woodcarver Amber and the Paragon, the notorious mad Liveship are the only allies she can rally to her cause. Pirates, a slave rebellion, migrating sea serpents and a newly hatched dragon are but a few of the obstacles she must face on her way to discovering that Liveships are not, perhaps, what they seem to be, and may have dreams of their own to follow.
reviewed by kmf on November 29, 2006 9:52 AM
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In "Mad Ship", Hobb accelerates the pace of her epic saga of the Liveship Traders and significantly expands the breadth and scope of the canvas on which she dramatically paints the lives of her colourful characters.
The ancient traditions of Bingtown's old traders are under siege and a tariff revolt pushes Bingtown close to war with the Jamaillian government and their Chalcedean mercenaries. Internal strife and bickering between the Rain Wild families and the old and new traders make reaching a common, united front in the dispute near impossible. Satrap Cosgo, the self-indulgent and immature leader of Jamaillia is being held hostage up the Rain Wild River for his own protection and for use in negotiating a settlement to the escalating battle. At the same time, with the capture of the liveship Vivacia, Captain Kennitt establishes a growing reputation as the scourge of the ocean trade routes, a freedom fighter against the evils of slavery and Jamaillia's Public Enemy #1.
It is worth re-iterating the opinion that I expressed in my review of "Ship of Magic". Hobb's mastery of multiple plot lines that weave in and out of one another with exactly the right pacing is to die for. Her characters become so real that I swear I can hear them breathing as I turn the pages as quickly as I can manage. They mature, they change, they develop, they move, they live, love and die, they struggle, they whine, they moan, they celebrate, they laugh and cry, they succeed and fail - every aspect of their lives is astonishingly realistic. Just as it would be in the real world, it is difficult to determine whether events are driving their reactions or whether their actions are causing events to evolve. Of course, we know it is both!
Even as she becomes a more skilled sailor with every passing day, Althea develops the wisdom to acknowledge her one-time lover, Brashen Trell, to be a superior leader of men and grudgingly accepts his position as the Captain of the re-fitted liveship Paragon. Malta, the immature, self-centered and materialistic brat child of the Haven family, grows into an exciting, mature strong-willed woman who cares deeply for her family and struggles with her passion for Reyn, the scion of the wealthy Rain Wilds Khuprus family. She shares his dream of releasing "She Who Remembers", the only surviving dragon from her eternal prison inside the last remaining piece of wizardwood hidden in the old Rain Wilds city. Her missing father, Kyle Haven, now languishing in a prison of Kennitt's making, seems to have descended into the depths of a drooling madness as his hatred for Wintrow knows no limits! Even as they continue to hold Captain Kennitt on a hero's pedestal, Wintrow and Etta grow in strength and wisdom and display some stumbling confusion about their developing feelings for one another. Whether Kennitt's position of esteem will hold up through the third part of the trilogy remains unresolved and, indeed, it is clear that for now he treads an exceedingly narrow path between saint and egotistical psychopath! At the end of the story, it has become obvious that there is a deep and abiding relationship between Amber, the serpents, the dragon and the liveships, but its nature has become even more elusive and mysterious!
A phenomenal five star continuation of the epic tale which began in "Ship of Magic"! Hold onto your hats - "Ship of Destiny", here I come!
Paul Weiss
The ancient traditions of Bingtown's old traders are under siege and a tariff revolt pushes Bingtown close to war with the Jamaillian government and their Chalcedean mercenaries. Internal strife and bickering between the Rain Wild families and the old and new traders make reaching a common, united front in the dispute near impossible. Satrap Cosgo, the self-indulgent and immature leader of Jamaillia is being held hostage up the Rain Wild River for his own protection and for use in negotiating a settlement to the escalating battle. At the same time, with the capture of the liveship Vivacia, Captain Kennitt establishes a growing reputation as the scourge of the ocean trade routes, a freedom fighter against the evils of slavery and Jamaillia's Public Enemy #1.
It is worth re-iterating the opinion that I expressed in my review of "Ship of Magic". Hobb's mastery of multiple plot lines that weave in and out of one another with exactly the right pacing is to die for. Her characters become so real that I swear I can hear them breathing as I turn the pages as quickly as I can manage. They mature, they change, they develop, they move, they live, love and die, they struggle, they whine, they moan, they celebrate, they laugh and cry, they succeed and fail - every aspect of their lives is astonishingly realistic. Just as it would be in the real world, it is difficult to determine whether events are driving their reactions or whether their actions are causing events to evolve. Of course, we know it is both!
Even as she becomes a more skilled sailor with every passing day, Althea develops the wisdom to acknowledge her one-time lover, Brashen Trell, to be a superior leader of men and grudgingly accepts his position as the Captain of the re-fitted liveship Paragon. Malta, the immature, self-centered and materialistic brat child of the Haven family, grows into an exciting, mature strong-willed woman who cares deeply for her family and struggles with her passion for Reyn, the scion of the wealthy Rain Wilds Khuprus family. She shares his dream of releasing "She Who Remembers", the only surviving dragon from her eternal prison inside the last remaining piece of wizardwood hidden in the old Rain Wilds city. Her missing father, Kyle Haven, now languishing in a prison of Kennitt's making, seems to have descended into the depths of a drooling madness as his hatred for Wintrow knows no limits! Even as they continue to hold Captain Kennitt on a hero's pedestal, Wintrow and Etta grow in strength and wisdom and display some stumbling confusion about their developing feelings for one another. Whether Kennitt's position of esteem will hold up through the third part of the trilogy remains unresolved and, indeed, it is clear that for now he treads an exceedingly narrow path between saint and egotistical psychopath! At the end of the story, it has become obvious that there is a deep and abiding relationship between Amber, the serpents, the dragon and the liveships, but its nature has become even more elusive and mysterious!
A phenomenal five star continuation of the epic tale which began in "Ship of Magic"! Hold onto your hats - "Ship of Destiny", here I come!
Paul Weiss
reviewed by jan1975 on November 29, 2006 4:57 PM