The second trilogy in the Realm of the Elderlings transports its readership to a new region with entirely new characters.
I was sad to say goodbye to Fitz, protagonist of the Farseer trilogy, and all his friends, but after finishing Ship of Magic, I’m really looking forward to book two, The Mad Ship.
That said, this review has been difficult for me to write. Ship of Magic is a loooong book. I found the first three hundred pages to be an arduous amount of set-up, and the five-hundred pages that followed were so stuffed with adventure that it’s hard to capture my full feelings in one review. It would have been easier if the first book had been split into three.
Spoiler-Free Ship of Magic Summary
In a world where wood speaks and rivers boil with magic acid, one family strives to maintain its forward-thinking morality against a sea of debt and encroaching corruptive forces.
When the Vestrit family’s patriarch succumbs to illness, much is at stake and loyalties are called into question. Can the family stay together, or will they fare better apart? Can the selfish actions of the few truly doom hope and goodness?
Amongst it all, the source of the debt is the highly prized liveship, Vivacia—a newly awakened soul. A ship that can speak, feel, and share its memories with the Vestrit family.
This book handles some heavy topics, including slavery and rape, but it isn’t particularly graphic or immoral. I would recommend it for ages 16+.
I would also expound on my earlier description of the first 300 pages as a slog—this is a book with multiple perspectives, and those individual stories each require significant space to set up. As such, the reader needs to maintain trust and patience to reach the real meat of the Magic Ship.
If this is your first foray into Robin Hobb’s Realm of the Elderlings, you might have an easier time starting with the Farseer Trilogy.
My Thoughts on Ship of Magic
Spoiler section
Fantasy titles don’t need to be moral or have an agenda to succeed, but I can’t help but read one into Ship of Magic. No matter the character, their age, gender, or status, this book repeatedly told me that when people have to fight for the barest resources to merely survive, they are denied the opportunity to think effectively and be their best selves.
This doesn’t mean that impoverished people are destined to commit evil in this book (or in reality), but it does remind the reader that in times of great stress, a moral code is often forced to take the back seat.
Truer evil arises from privileged greed.
Wintrow Buddha Arc?
Early in the novel, I became convinced that Wintrow would embark on a Buddha-esque journey, from wise innocence to empathetic maturity. For much of the journey, this seemed to be so, but by the end of the book, I am less sure where his journey will end.
It seems destined that Althea will reclaim the ship, but after all that Wintrow and Vivacia have suffered together, I can’t imagine the two separating for long. Currently, I wonder if they could possibly enjoy a happy ending with Althea as captain and Wintrow as a nautical monk… but Wintrow’s momentary captaincy of Vivacia during the mutiny was too excellent, and I fear that Althea may now face resistance from Vivacia herself.
Romantic Shenanigans
The coincidences between Brashen and Althea are tropey enough to make me laugh, but nevertheless much appreciated. These two seem destined to be together, and it broke my heart to watch Althea push Brashen away at the end, even if her reasoning makes full sense.
Their vulnerable scene together in the medicine cabinet won’t be easily forgotten, but more needy is Brashen at the end of the novel. I’m worried for what will befall him as he sinks deeper into his drug addiction.
I hope Althea can win a ship of her own and recruit Brashen before it’s too late, but I fear that the coincidences between them are over, and Hobb won’t let them reunite for a while yet.
For the Love of Ship
Speaking of romantic shenanigans… I was not expecting the despicable captain Kennit to attempt to woo the liveship Vivacia. I expected that Althea would win back the ship with love and lustre, but I fear that Vivacia might be a tad unwilling to part with the dangerously charismatic Captain Kennit and his romantic bracelet charm…
Malta
Continuing the discussion on romantic shenanigans, because this book is full of them, we need to talk about Malta. I hate this kid, but I love how the plot shapes around her. It’s been a real joy watching Keffria come into her own as a result of Malta’s actions, and I look forward to Malta’s well-deserved downfall in book two or three (surely this will happen?).
Returning to Keffria, it’s hard to understand her marriage to the foul creature that is Kyle in light of her calm determination to step up to the demands of the Vestrit household. I look forward to the moment when Kyle and Keffria surely reunite and differences are laid bare.
Next Up
From whores and pirates to… ok, we still have pirates, but now there’s also a talking rat and a tea cup collector!? My review of Sanderson’s Tress of the Emerald Sea will go live on this blog in March.
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