SHIP OF DESTINY by Robin Hobb - No Spoiler Review (Liveship Traders Book Three)

[@thefantasynuttwork]

What a ride! I think i've settled on Malta as my favorite character in the trilogy! Who is yours?

[@GypsieRhythms]

Always Althea and Paragon!

[@thefantasynuttwork]

@@GypsieRhythms Althea went way up for me in this book

[@jakebishop7822]

Althea is mine, but they are all so good

[@thefantasynuttwork]

@@jakebishop7822 hard to think of a cast as well rounded and developed as this one

[@derrisreaditbefore]

Malta - the growth from her introduction, to her final moments is breathtaking

[@Auron200004]

Kennit is one of if not the best realized villains in fantasy full-stop. What Hobb did with him, man, she fooled us without fooling us is all I'll say.

[@thefantasynuttwork]

Yeah, he's in the elite class of villains easily for me

[@maddy0119]

The first time I finished Ship of Destiny I was so stunned that a book could pull that type of visceral emotional response from me. Or that characters could evolve so seamlessly and end up where I least expected them to go, for both better and worse. I second all of your emotional responses to the infuriating event near the end (especially your disappointment in Wintrow!). I remember where I was over ten years ago when I first read it, it left that big of an impact on me. I know some people actually hate the book/series because of that event and I respect where they're coming from, but I was actually super impressed by how it was handled. Hobb pulls no punches and the different ways everyone responds to it felt authentic to how people respond to that type of event in the real world (even if the responses are often infuriating!) and it honestly felt like Hobb was examining a lot of important things: the consequences that come with idolizing someone; being unable to confront when someone isn't who you expected them to be; the vicious cycles of abuse. The second time through I read the ending a lot slower and was even more impressed by it. Like you, I was in a bit of a haze of fury the first time around. I like when a book confronts me like that and I think it was obvious Hobb wanted the reader to feel the raw emotion of the event, but I will say it puts several characters in very bad lighting! On the flip side, this was when I finally decided Malta was great, actually, and realized how far she'd come in her character growth.

[@thefantasynuttwork]

Beautiful comment, thank you for that. It's very very narrow ground to walk as a writer and I think Hobb handled it as well as anyone could have while not cheapening the true trauma that comes from it. It's something I will be thinking on for a very long time

[@ArlynChanel]

SEMI SPOILER for ending: I agree with your feelings about Wintrow. I also shared them. I struggled with the ending as I was upset with certain characters reactions to that one scene near the end, and wanted more justice for the one wronged to be believed. I wish certain characters knew the truth about a certain villain in the end and not to continue with their lives blind to the truth of who that person really was and thought about them.

[@thefantasynuttwork]

Yep it was tough to swallow and unfortunately realistic

[@HeadCannon19]

I haven't read any Robin Hobb books so idk why I'm watching this. I just love all your videos, I guess

[@thefantasynuttwork]

I honestly appreciate that, and I hope if you ever end up reading her books you have as much fun as I have had!

[@jenniferobin7260]

If you loved how all of the threads came together in LST then you are going to be awed at the tapestry Hobb weaves in the final trilogy.

[@thefantasynuttwork]

I'm so ready for it

[@crypticweeb]

Amen

[@berentook]

Kennit is one of the best written villains i have ever read and Malta is one off the best character arcs i have ever read, such an awesome series man.

[@thefantasynuttwork]

It's ridiculous how many characters here could make top 10 lists

[@coldwitch5606]

Great review! I totally agree about Malta and Wintrow, I feel maybe there's something to be said about how different members of the same family go on such different journeys. And yeah, "satisfying" is the right word for the ending.

[@thefantasynuttwork]

Thank you Clara! And yeah the family really ended up so far from one another not just physically but also emotionally towards the end. It was very interesting to see that distance play a role in their reactions to those major moments

[@judycarrasco74]

I finished the trilogy earlier this week, and the incident made me feel physically ill and distressed. Despite some truly awful moments toward the end, I still love Wintrow. His POV was my favorite throughout Liveship, and I wish we had gotten more of it after the incident. As it stands, Wintrow's loyalty to Kennit didn't surprise me: for better or worse, Kennit was more like family to him than Althea, whom he barely knew and who scarcely thought of him (he was always an afterthought to her.) And though he was book smart, Wintrow was also young and naive: he couldn't fully grasp what had happened to Althea. Etta and Vivacia did, though. I wish they'd all acted more heroically, but perhaps it's more realistic that they didn't. Wintrow was also under Kennit's manipulative influence for so long. But I'd also say that the incident as a whole isn't given as much time for anyone to properly explore and reflect upon. It happens so late, in the midst of tying up all the loose threads.

[@thefantasynuttwork]

@@judycarrasco74 thank you for this long and thoughtful comment! This trilogy is one I still think about a lot

[@mark0551]

When I read it I was sure it was a nightmare or a hallucination... I was sure it was. When I finally allowed myself to believe it happen. I was sick to my stomach I could not believe it came that. And the way that Wintrow handled it I agree completely discusting. Loved the series shes a genius.

[@thefantasynuttwork]

Really tore me up man, such a great trilogy

[@crystalsingh7325]

Great review! I like the story/plot of Liveship more, but I love the Farseer characters the best. SPOILERS! I cried so much for Kennit when he died even though he is so loathesome. I think Hobb did a great job showing the cycle of abuse with his character. That being said, he is still a terrible human being. I was very mad at Wintrow for not taking Althea's side but I can understand why Wintrow sees Kennit as a hero.

[@thefantasynuttwork]

It's one of the most conflicting pieces of fantasy I've ever read for the reasons you just listed here

[@crystalsingh7325]

@@thefantasynuttwork Also Kennit has had a lot of his experiences, memories and feelings forged out of him. Not defending him, just saying why he is so complex! 😅

[@thefantasynuttwork]

@@crystalsingh7325 true!

[@derrisreaditbefore]

You nailed the essence of Robin Hobb's writing when you gave your opinion that Liveships was the technically better trilogy, but that for you, Fitz has your heart. Ms Hobb isn't just excellent at creating well realized characters, she's able to build a relationship between them and the reader. Readers will often say they'd be happy to read about nothing, so long as it's time spent with Ms Hobb's characters, and that, right there, is why her fans are so devoted. No spoilers for Tawny Man, just - buy tissues.

[@thefantasynuttwork]

😭😭😭 I absolutely could read about Fitz fetching the mail for a post office and be enthralled

[@PetrikLeo]

Great review, Jimmy! Told you that Robin Hobb will win you over. And she's not done yet, there's still more and more. By the end, these characters have become real to me. Enjoy the ride!

[@thefantasynuttwork]

Thanks Petrik, you never steer me wrong haha

[@afantasybabble6222]

So many memories from this series. My favorite character was Kennit. I absolutely loved his storyline despite hating him. I also love Paragon but I can't say why because of future spoilers! Liveship is my favorite series from The Realm of The Elderlings and Tawny Man is a close second. The amount of emotional punches that are thrown in Tawny Man will break you. I found Tawny Man more emotional than Farseer and liveship.

[@thefantasynuttwork]

I'm a little ways into book 2 of Tawny Man and have definitely already cried lol

[@nicoles4214]

I know the exact scene you are talking about, i had the same reaction, i had to walk away from the book for a while. Its still with me, i cant get over it, im almost finished the whole series and that one scene is still with me!

[@thefantasynuttwork]

I've thought about it every day since I've finished the book. Haunting is a good word for it I think

[@liul]

How Wintrow and the others behaved, is something that happens all the time. It was infuriating, but realistic. Good review, by the way. Next trilogy is my favorite

[@thefantasynuttwork]

Thank you! I'm half way through Golden Fool and loving it

[@LostinDiscovery]

The thumbnail to rule them all.

[@thefantasynuttwork]

It's too strong mate

[@GypsieRhythms]

I KNOW exactly the moment....I remember your last review on The Mad Ship and all I could do was shake my head and say, wait till you read Ship of Destiny, all those feels are going to go right out the window...lol I look forward to the live show! I kind of get the feeling that the Vestrit family is in its own way like the Stark family in GOT and how they all separate and then come back together closer just to then go their own ways... Loved your reviews!

[@thefantasynuttwork]

Thank you so much! I actually really like that comparison to the Starks, it makes a lot of sense. I do think GRRM and Hobb inspire one another's works since they're such good friends.

[@Uppernorwood976]

This book blew me away, and I had the exact same reaction to ‘the event’ as you did. People talk about the grimdark genre and so called ‘morally grey’ characters, but Kennit beats them all IMO. A monster, but who is to blame for him being that way?

[@thefantasynuttwork]

A very nuanced and complex character

[@TheNerdyNarrative]

I watched this even though I already know I’m gonna love it. It’s still fun seeing others’ enjoyment! 😎

[@thefantasynuttwork]

Any Hobb video is an instant click! Thanks Lezlie 😊

[@TheNerdyNarrative]

@@thefantasynuttwork that’s the truth right there sir

[@Helloitsme5618]

Just a few words in defense of Wintrow. As I understood you were talking about the scene between Althea and Kennit and Wintrow's reaction on it. For me, his reaction was expected. It seems to me that at some moment he refused on his real family and began to percieve Kennit and Etta as his family. His relationship with Althea was not good, because she couldn't split him and Kyle, and treated him bad. That's why I don't really like Althea: she is not flexible and hold her line not considering feelings of other people. Althea is elder than Wintrow, most of protagonists are elder than Wintrow, but they always put him in the position that his wishes and purposes are worthless. And blood ties in that way can sometimes mean nothing. Of course, it's just my opinion. I appreciate yours anyway. Thank you for this wonderful video!

[@thefantasynuttwork]

Thanks for your insight! It's one of those trilogies where everyone can come out of it loving totally different characters. One of the reasons it's so great!

[@jeandrejoubert1777]

Just finished the series. Completely agree with your opinion about Wintrow! Finally somone who feels the same. Lost all love for him. Amber and putting certian details together about her was fun and satisfying. So many reveals and aha moments in this last book.

[@thefantasynuttwork]

I loved this book, screw Wintrow 😂

[@Shella132001]

Great review. I agree with almost all your points. Especially about that certain event. Can't wait for the spoiler discussion for that topic and more. I'm like you I prefer Liveship over Farseer but the Fitz characters stick with me more. I can't wait for your Tawny Man feelings!

[@thefantasynuttwork]

Thanks! I'm ready to be hurt again :-)

[@vodinmyrthana6513]

@thefantasynuttwork I have just finished reading the Liveship Traders trilogy and I must say that I am hugely disappointed by what Hobb put Althea through in the Ship of Destiny. Honestly, I hadn't expected to walk away with such a regret since I read the books only to find out about Amber's story. Before this book, I used to be one of Hobb's hard-core supporters and defended her against accusations of cruelty. I read all the 9 books involving Fitz and patiently suffered through the endless hardships he was subjected to. But that was Fitz's story and I accepted that fantasy books can be written around cruel destinies. However, what she did to Althea and how things were covered up afterwards is inexcusable!

[@mandyhuybregts3235]

First of all: i absolutely love your revieuws. It brings back so much memories. And i will watch the rest. In the new year i really need to read these again. All of them haha. I do strongly remembering hating Malta. She was so superficial and annoying and spoiled. But later on she turned into 1 of my favorite characters. I can not wait to make this journey again 💜

[@thefantasynuttwork]

Thank you so much! I am envious you are making your way back into this amazing world

[@ChrissiesPurpleLibrary]

Hi Jimmy! I just finished reading this. And OH MY FREAKIN GOD!!! 🥹🥹🥹🥹Im so speechless! Heading to your spoiler video cuz I have sOOOOO MANY QUESTIONS!!! Ahhhh 😅😅😅😅🙌🏾🙌🏾🙌🏾

[@thefantasynuttwork]

Haha I'm so glad you enjoyed it!

[@ChrissiesPurpleLibrary]

Oh! And I decided Malta’s character arc was the best. I couldn’t stand her in books 1 &2. But true to form Robin Hobb makes you care.🙌🏾 Between Fareseer and Liveship I still love me some Fitz. So I kind of fall in the same category you did. Great video! On to Tawny Man!

[@thefantasynuttwork]

@@ChrissiesPurpleLibrary Malta arc is one of my favorites of all time

[@110asmodeus]

Captain Kennit is the most believable villan i have ever read. You can really see why he is the way is and does the the things he does

[@thefantasynuttwork]

He's so dastardly

[@theoa126]

Jimmy I can't wait to start with Assasin's Apprentice. I have the beautiful illustrated editions staring me in the face. Once I finish the FATF and First Law, I'm diving into the realm of the elderlings.

[@thefantasynuttwork]

That's a STACKED list, I'm so envious of you diving into all of those for the first time. Soak it all in!

[@theoa126]

@@thefantasynuttwork I'm on the last book of each...making it last LOL.

[@lilyloves768]

The Tawny Man and Fitz & the Fool trilogies are my favorites even though I'm a huge Liveship fan. I love Brashen, I don't understand how he doesn't get any love 🤔 lol Kennit is one of the best villains in fantasy. His story was tragic.

[@thefantasynuttwork]

Brashen is a great dude!!!

[@MegaD96]

I love Kennit! I also hate Kennit! He’s despicable for sure, but I find him to be one of the most interesting and engrossing characters that I’ve ever read. I’m not condoning his act in any sort of way, because there is no condoning such an act, ever, but I understand it. I understand why he did what he did. (That doesn’t change the fact that it sickened me). And that is thanks to Hobb’s amazing work with characters. Him and Malta are probably my favorites in the trilogy. And yeah, you’ll see more of Malta. Great review, as always.

[@thefantasynuttwork]

Thank you so much! This trilogy has some of the most well realized characters of all time

[@MegaD96]

@@thefantasynuttwork unrelated, but are you planning on reading any Mark Lawrence anytime soon? Our tastes seem to align and I love his work. His character work is great and all his series have very distinct vibes. Would love to hear your thoughts on his books! You really can’t go wrong with any of his three big trilogies, The Broken Empire, Red Queen’s War and Book of the Ancestor.

[@thefantasynuttwork]

@@MegaD96 yeah he's on the list for sure! Haven't read anything from him yet but will!

[@milom5030]

I haven't finished the book yet, but man, do I feel the same about Wintrow and Malta! I loved Wintrow in the ship of magic and despised Malta, but now it has switched. I'm in awe of Hobb's skills at crafting characters - even though I didn't expect my feelings to change so much, their evolution is so organic and makes perfect sense. I still have 400 pages to go, hope I won't be disappointed! Can't wait to see your spoilery discussion of the whole trilogy once I'm finished with it P.S. I also fell in love with Ronica, she's not perfect (obviously) but so strong I respect her so much. Hope you'll touch upon her development in your next Liveship trades vid

[@thefantasynuttwork]

Thank you so much! I'll make sure to bring her up in the spoiler discussion. I should have in the review but there was just so many characters to cover 😅

[@milom5030]

@@thefantasynuttwork yeah, I get it. It's hard doing reviews that contain all of the important info, yet are spoiler-free

[@thefantasynuttwork]

@@milom5030 but the spoiler discussion will be 🔥

[@kirstenholmes6]

I absolutely loved this trilogy!

[@thefantasynuttwork]

Me too!

[@courtneyrae223]

My first thought after finishing this book is that Hobb did the infamous Sanderlanche better than Sanderson, and with better characters. No hate on Sanderson, he is incredible, but I was just so impressed after finishing this trilogy. I can't wait to read the rest of her books.

[@thefantasynuttwork]

She knows how to send a series off!

[@thisandthat418]

Live ship trilogy is so good, the story is excellent, but like you I wasn't as invested in the characters. I know you have already started Tawny Man, I hope you are loving it and if you think by the end of fools gate that you have reached some sort of peak emotionally, well just you wait until the final trilogy 😲 Also, after Fools Fate we all thought that that was it, finished, and then 11 years later up pops the final trilogy, couldn't believe it and omg, it was worth the wait.....brace yourself!

[@thefantasynuttwork]

Ahhhh idk how my heart will handle this hahah

[@110asmodeus]

Also just wanted too see if any of yall caught that the oracle on other island and book 1 totally foreshadowed the appendage kennit lost

[@thefantasynuttwork]

Yes!!

[@cosyreadingtimes8857]

(SPOILER WARNING). Share your op on Wintrow. At the end of SoM, he was a new favorite character, after SoD I despised him. He's the kind of character who hides behind righteousness. But as Jek said: You can't play in shit and not get some on you." On thing I wondered about is wether Wintrow would have acted differently if he knew that Kennit saw Alther only as female version of Wintrow - and how he thought about Etta and Wintrow really. I actually knew somewhat about Malta's arc - mainly that it would be amazing and that she would grow on the reader alot - and solely that (me being prepared for and expecting it) is the reason why it didn't have as huge of an impact on me as I've seen it had on others. Her arc wasn't as much on an surprise, knowing it would come. Still, I love her and the way her arc played out in reality was still unpredictable. But she's on the same level for me as the other characters, not above them. For a time I would have said Farseer over Liveships - purely because it's very close to my heart. But over time, Liveship got even closer to my heart than right after finishing it (AQ was my favorite read 2020, SoD was my close number 2). And a quick warning: Rainwild Chronicles is a personal favourite for me but it is also very slow - the least action packed of the whole RotE I would say. As I said, I loved them (5* each) but you shouldn't go in expecting as many twists and turns as Liveships offers but rather lean back, get yourself immersed and use it to heal over Tawny Man d; Great review as always, hope you have a good day and excited fro the Spoiler Liveshow

[@thefantasynuttwork]

Thank you so much, enjoyed reading this comment! It's almost sad how much I flipped on Wintrow but it's balanced out by how much I ended up loving Althea and Malta haha. Love this series!!

[@jonathonglover6488]

The difference between the finales for the two series is night and day. Quest is an absolute slog that suffers from removing the narrative away from the supporting characters we care about (Burrich, Chade, Patience etc) for characters we don’t (Starling, Kettle). The first person, which makes us care so much about Fitz over the series, really had its limitations in the finale. Whereas, Destiny is a page turner, and is able to wrap up all the characters we care about (except for Veronica, who disappears for the final half of the novel) in a satisfying way. I still think ‘Royal Assassin’ is my favourite from the 6 books, and that I care about some characters from Farseer more, but the Liveship is definitely a more enjoyable experience.

[@thefantasynuttwork]

I think you'll be pleasantly surprised with the finales of Tawny Man and FATF

[@wormemperor4167]

Great review as always, can't wait for the spoiler discussion!

[@thefantasynuttwork]

Thank you and me either 🙂

[@wormemperor4167]

@@thefantasynuttwork I am really interested to see which bomb Chris drops on us this time XD

[@thefantasynuttwork]

@@wormemperor4167 he always has some knowledge to drop 😂

[@wormemperor4167]

@@thefantasynuttwork Yeah it sure seems that way^^ Love his channel, he always unearths great obscure books

[@thefantasynuttwork]

@@wormemperor4167 agreed, when I want to branch out I always go to him. He's so well read

[@vidarfe]

As someone said (I'm taking it from memory, so please forgive me if I misremember): "Robin Hobb takes your heart, stomps on it, and you love her for it". I'm extremely impressed that you're able to read so many of her books in a row. Normally I'm a bing reader, but Hobb is way too emotionally draining. After two of her books in a row, I'm a wreck (in a good way) and in desperate need of something different. I love her, but just can't take her in big doses.

[@thefantasynuttwork]

I've definitely been balancing it with some lighter reads because you're right, it's heavy!

[@collinpace6522]

6:42 I would’ve like to see an alternate ending to the final battle with a certain character if you know what I mean. 😤

[@currangill430]

Liveship because Assassin's Quest just lost me. Liveship was just fantastic 10/10 would get my heart stomped again

[@muttineni03]

Hey I have a question, it might be a dumb question but recently after reading a book from Riyria, I understood that I don't enjoy whole seafaring stuff, as am not familiar with ship stuff like Tack for example or rigging and it has so many terms I don't know, which makes me hard to enjoy book where whole story happens on a ship, so does Liveship trilogy happens mostly on a ship? I haven't started this series, but thought it's better if I know more about this book, thanks!

[@thefantasynuttwork]

I can relate! I hate nautical stuff but honestly I barely even noticed in Liveships. There's stuff on boats yes but it's not a detractor at all.

[@muttineni03]

@@thefantasynuttwork that is such a relief tbh, it really distracts me from the story and characters, am glad it's not that prominent on Liveship, thank you!

[@thefantasynuttwork]

@@muttineni03 all good! It was a major concern of mine going into this

[@nihad-m]

Honestly, the reactions from all the characters (to that specific thing that happened at the end) I did not like. Everyone seemed so passive and that's what made me so angry. I still hated Malta by the end though.

[@thefantasynuttwork]

I definitely turned on Malta and love her now. Agreed totally about the incident and the reactions. Wintrow is dead to me tbh lol

[@azurepulse1870]

@@thefantasynuttwork Even good people can have bad reactions, especially when they don't know what you know. And the turnaround with Malta is just something I would never have expected and the payoff with her is just so good.

[@leono7380]

I hate everybody in this books. Except for Althea and she was treated so mean in the end. I threw the books in the trash bin.

[@thefantasynuttwork]

Sorry to hear that, hope your next read was awesome!

[@sharonrose5134]

Live ships was my least favourite of all the ROTE. If I had to pick a fave character I didn't like anyone!

[@thefantasynuttwork]

@@sharonrose5134 sorry to hear that

[@sharonrose5134]

@@thefantasynuttwork I was really looking forward to them as everyone seemed to love them. I will just have to be the odd one out. I have just finished Fools Errand it was fantastic! So I am pleased to get back into the world of Fitz.

[@thefantasynuttwork]

@@sharonrose5134 I definitely prefer my dear boy Fitz 😁