240 replies to this topic

[Katia11]

Oh no! That's a shame. Ugh. You liked the first one so much. How disappointing! 

[Mara=^.^=]

 

Just finished Assassin's Apprentice by Robin Hobb. It is an engaging, well-crafted fantasy novel penned by a seasoned author. I think I'm the wrong age to truly love this book, but I can think of a couple of high school friends who would've been head over heels for it.

 

4 Stars .

 

~*Mara*~ = ^.^ =

[Katia11]

I remember liking this but not being like really blown away. I keep meaning to return to the series now that some time has passed.

[Mara=^.^=]

 

If you like political intrigue, wolves, and watching a dude get the absolute shit kicked out of him, you will like this book. Queen Kettricken is an excellent new addition to the cast, and the familial and platonic relationships really shine. The romance is underwhelming, to put it mildly.

 

3.5 Stars .

 

 

~*Mara*~ = ^.^ =

[Mara=^.^=]

 

Much like Sefia in The Storyteller, Assassin's Quest is a story about someone who loses everything in service of the greater good. Structurally, it's very different from the previous two books, and I'm not going to lie - I almost gave up on it. Hobb's prose is beautifully crafted, but the main character remains an idiot, and the narrative itself was a repetitive, depressing slog. Getting to the ending was not easy, but still, I'm glad I soldiered through, even if I didn't get the answers I was looking for.

 

2.5 Stars .

 

~*Mara*~ = ^.^ =

[Katia11]

From how you make this sound, I don’t think I could have stuck with it. 😆

[Mara=^.^=]

From how you make this sound, I don’t think I could have stuck with it.

 

I finished it primarily because I wanted to read The Liveship Traders trilogy, which is set in the same world. Maybe I'll end up hating it and will have wasted my time. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ Gonna give it a go anyway.

 

~*Mara*~ = ^.^ =

[Katia11]

Best of luck! Let me know what you think, that's another series that's on my TBR. 

[Mara=^.^=]

Started reading The Liveship Traders. What is it with this woman and weird age-gap romances? Yeesh.

 

~*Mara*~ = ^.^ =

[Katia11]

Oh? Now I'm curious (big surprise there lol) How large is the age gap?

[Mara=^.^=]

Althea, in her late teens, hooks up with her dad's former first mate. Unclear exactly how big the gap is. It just feels slightly squicky because he was her father's right hand man. Later, Malta (who is 13) gets betrothed to a 20 year old (although this romance is actually a lot more interesting).

In Assassin's Quest, Molly (in her late teens) and Burrich (her baby daddy's adoptive father, who's in his 50s) get together. Very weird.

 

~*Mara*~ = ^.^ =

[Katia11]

Oh my that is weird!

[Mara=^.^=]

I'm not sure it would've bothered me as much if Althea and Brashen hadn't both been drugged out of their minds when they hooked up. I can see why it happened, but it was still uncomfortable to read, because I had been picturing him as a father figure to her, or maybe a much older brother.

 

~*Mara*~ = ^.^ =

[Katia11]

That's totally fair.

[Mara=^.^=]

I don't even think it's an age gap that's the problem, per se. It's the role that they occupy in one another's life that determines the squick factor for me.

 

~*Mara*~ = ^.^ =

[Katia11]

I can understand that! This is very good to note, because honestly it sounds like it would weird me out a little too.

[JimmyxxCindy4EVER]

A huge age gap like that, for me, is just... no...  Not one of the things I'd enjoy reading about...

[Mara=^.^=]

 

Ship of Magic is, overall, an excellent book. I remain convinced that Robin Hobb cannot write romance, but she certainly knows how to create compelling character drama. Virtually every single member of the vast ensemble cast (I've never read a book with this many POV characters) has something unique and interesting going on. Unlike the Farseer Trilogy, which is laser-focused on one particular person, the Liveship Traders series covers of a vast network of people (and sentient ships) whose destinies intertwine. The setting bears little resemblance to the setting of the previous books, even though they nominally take place in the same world. The landscape is different, the religion is different, the magic system is different, the social hierarchy is different...you get the picture. This new region — which is caught up in a tidal wave of change — is at once alluring, rich, and dark. Where once trade and exploration thrived, human rights are now slowly being stripped away. Women, once able to captain ships and participate fully in civic life, have been relegated to second class citizenship. Slavery spreads like a stain across the land, and piracy is on the rise, straining an already unstable system. It's the perfect place for action-oriented protagonists (and despicable antagonists) to have heady, high-stakes adventures.

 

4 Stars .

 

~*Mara*~ = ^.^ =

[Mara=^.^=]

 

An unsettling, thought-provoking examination of personhood and consciousness, with a deliberately ambiguous ending.

 

3.5 Stars .

[Mara=^.^=]

 

A gripping character study that made me nostalgic for a childhood experience I never had. Unfortunately, the abrupt ending — which leaves the fates of so many characters up in the air — left me feeling unsatisfied.

 

3 Stars .

 

 

 

Holy character development, Batman! This book accomplishes a rare feat: turning one of the worst characters into one of the best characters. Malta, you little brat, you won me over!

 

4 Stars .

 

~*Mara*~ = ^.^ =