As the ancient tradition of Bingtown's Old Traders slowly erodes under the cold new order of a corrupt ruler, the Vestrits anxiously await the return of their liveship—a rare magic ship carved from sentient wizardwood, which bonds the ships mystically with those who sail them. And Althea Vestrit waits even more avidly, living only to reclaim the ship as her lost inheritance and captain her on the high seas. But the Vivacia has been seized by the ruthless pirate captain Kennit, who holds Althea's nephew and his father hostage. Althea and her onetime sea mate Brashen resolve to liberate the liveship—but their plan may prove more dangerous than leaving the Vivacia in Kennit's ambitious grasp.
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"I'm getting more and more into the story. Robin Hobb is such a genius at plots. By now I'm completely absorbed in all the characters, and something exciting happens in every section she writes. I'm still not a fan of the serpents, but not even they are as annoying as they were in the first book."
— Dane (5 out of 5 stars)
With [Hobb's] hands on the wheel, high fantasy is going to sea magnificently.
— Booklist Starred Review" Hobb tackles all areas of societal politics in this pirate-fantasy trilogy. "
— Noelle, 2/6/2014" This is very good speculative fiction. I didn't have nearly as much fun with this one as with _Ship of Magic_ and I think it's because Hobb spends most of her time advancing the story as opposed to introducing new characters, the setting, and new fantastical creatures that weren't a part of the Farseer trilogy. I'm looking forward to the conclusion. "
— Jon, 1/27/2014" A 900 page book that feels more like 100 pages. As usual, Hobb deftly handles multiple story lines that are populated by well-rounded characters living in a fully-realised world. Though her writing of magic remains on the airy-fairy side, I really do enjoy her books. "
— Annji, 1/23/2014" Well, less of a cliff hanger than #1, but still incomplete Alternately engrossing and aggravating, slow at times.. I've learned to tolerate the POV shifts as I think it's likely most will survive ... even the ones I'd rather didn't.. "
— Sandra, 1/23/2014" The second book in this amazing trilogy is also the longest, it gets a lot of grief for this, but if depth is what you want then it's the price you have to pay! :) "
— Jerome, 1/20/2014" Improves on the first book in the series. "
— Trevor, 1/18/2014" Story is degrading. The first was okay and had promise to improve over time. Unfortunately, this was worse. "
— Erica, 1/14/2014Robin Hobb was born in California but grew up in Alaska, where she learned to love the forest and the wilderness. She has lived most of her life in the Pacific Northwest and currently resides in Tacoma, Washington. She is the author of the Rain Wilds Chronicles, the Farseer trilogy, the Liveship Traders trilogy, and the Tawny Man trilogy. Her books under the pseudonym Megan Lindholm include Wizard of the Pigeons, The Windsingers, and Cloven Hooves. She is also the author of The Inheritance, a collection of stories written under both names. Her short fiction has won the Asimov’s Readers’ Award and been a finalist for both the Nebula and Hugo awards.
Anne Flosnik, a seasoned audiobook narrator, has over four hundred titles to her credit and several awards and distinctions, including AudioFile Earphones Awards, a USA Today Recommended Listening selection, an AudioFile “Best Narration of the Year” selection in 2009, and the American Library Association’s Special Services to Children Award. She has also been a finalist for the prestigious Audie Award for best narration. She is an award-winning British actress with lead credits on stage, on television, and in commercials and voice-overs.