Book Review: Mad Ship by Robin Hobb
May. 17th, 2016 06:23 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
juushikaTitle: Mad Ship (Liveship Traders Book 2)
Author: Robin Hobb
Published: New York: Del Rey, 2004 (1999)
Rating: 4 of 5
Page Count: 850
Total Page Count: 189,260
Text Number: 554
Read Because: continuing the series, ebook borrowed from the Multnomah County Library
Review: With Vivacia taken by pirates and the Satrap en route to Bingtown, revolution approaches the Cursed Shores. This is a difficult book to review alone, because it is distinctly more of the same in a style one ("one book with extra pieces of cardboard") series and not an independent story in itself. As with the first book, this is overlong but its relaxed style and intimate focus on a large cast is immersive. It's frequently unpleasant to read, as sexism and slavery remain forefront and this time PoV characters experience sexual assault and rape, and because interpersonal dynamics are plagued by manipulation and poor communication. But this is balanced by significant character growth and magical worldbuilding of larger scale and detail than was present in the Farseer Trilogy. Despite flaws and caveats, I find this series absorbing; I look forward to the final book.
Author: Robin Hobb
Published: New York: Del Rey, 2004 (1999)
Rating: 4 of 5
Page Count: 850
Total Page Count: 189,260
Text Number: 554
Read Because: continuing the series, ebook borrowed from the Multnomah County Library
Review: With Vivacia taken by pirates and the Satrap en route to Bingtown, revolution approaches the Cursed Shores. This is a difficult book to review alone, because it is distinctly more of the same in a style one ("one book with extra pieces of cardboard") series and not an independent story in itself. As with the first book, this is overlong but its relaxed style and intimate focus on a large cast is immersive. It's frequently unpleasant to read, as sexism and slavery remain forefront and this time PoV characters experience sexual assault and rape, and because interpersonal dynamics are plagued by manipulation and poor communication. But this is balanced by significant character growth and magical worldbuilding of larger scale and detail than was present in the Farseer Trilogy. Despite flaws and caveats, I find this series absorbing; I look forward to the final book.
