Ship of Destiny

The Liveship Traders, Book 3

By: Robin Hobb

Narrated by: Anne Flosnik

Length: 33 hrs and 39 mins

Publisher's summary

As Bingtown slides toward disaster, clan matriarch Ronica Vestrit, branded a traitor, searches for a way to bring the city's inhabitants together against the Chalcedean threat.

Meanwhile, Althea Vestrit, unaware of what has befallen Bingtown and her family, continues her perilous quest to track down and recover her liveship Vivacia from the ruthless pirate Kennit.

Bold though it is, her scheme may be in vain. For her beloved Vivacia will face the most terrible confrontation of all as the secret of the liveships is revealed. It is a truth so shattering, it may destroy Vivacia and all who love her, including the boy-priest Wintrow Vestrit, whose life already hangs in the balance.

Spend some more time with the Liveship Traders.

©1999 Robin Hobb (P)2010 Tantor

Critic reviews

"One has to use a jeweler's loupe to find a flaw or a dull moment in this splendid conclusion to one of the finest fantasy sagas to bridge the millennium." ( Publishers Weekly)

Story comes together

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

Only to a dedicated fantasy reader.

What other book might you compare Ship of Destiny to and why?

It is a teensy little bit Pernlike because there are dragons and people dedicated to them.

Did the narration match the pace of the story?

This narrator just isn't my favorite.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

No! I had periods of being sick of it.

Any additional comments?

I feel as if many of the characters started developing personalities they didn't have in the first two books. Kennit actually became pretty interesting. I still waiting on Althea.

Beautiful ending to a well written trilogy.

Strong women / non-men characters. Disheartened by the explicit sexual violence depicted. Satisfied by the story's closure, left few questions unanswered.

female characters

This series has some of the strongest and most realistic female characters I have ever read. I'm so excited to continue this Elderling saga in the next trilogy.

Amazing book! Amazing Trilogy!

My second favorite book of the trilogy. Narration not the best but you get used to it. Highly recommend for the in depth characters.

the story is incredible, occasionally triggering

Robin Hobb does it again! the story is engaging and gripping, and has the standard quality you'd expect from Robin Hobb. there are some occasional descriptions of SA, rape and PTSD so be aware of that. otherwise, I feel like it was a fitting conclusion to the trilogy.

the narrator is... OK. I became accustomed to her, but I still had to listen at 1.5x because she just speaks SO SLOWLY.

Enjoyable but slightly technically flawed

Ann Flosnic continues the tale with consistency and is convincing in her portrayal of the various voices. The editorial performance had a couple of hitches.
In chapter 26 of the audiobook, chapter 9 in the book, a whole three sentence paragraph is missing. In my trade paperback it is page 351, fifth paragraph from the bottom.
Please fix it and provide an update.
Later in the narration the is a repeat, which isn't as jarring and distracting

Great series!

Who was your favorite character and why?

I loved Amber because she is a favorite in another series ;), but overall I liked Etta the best in these books. Even though she was rough, she was a strong person with a good heart, doing what she felt to be best even in the face of hardship and adversity. My favorite kind of character!

What about Anne Flosnik’s performance did you like?

I thought she did a good job distinguishing the characters. He voice took a little getting used to, but I ended up enjoying it!

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Yes! All Robin Hobb's books are!

Any additional comments?

I enjoyed the entire series. Unfortunately, I read the Tawny Man series first, so many surprises were already known. I felt the ending was very satisfying, and wasn't left wishing things had turned out differently. I don't like books with depressing endings. Life is too short to be depressed because your favorite character died!

Unforgettable characters

Loved this series. A new and exciting fantasy trio. The character development is extraordinary. These people stay with you.
The only detractor was the serpent dialogue. It seemed repetitive.
Narrator was challenged with so many characters to voice. I think, that in trying to make each stand out, she may have overdone a few.
But overall, highly recommend.

Fantastic Trilogy

This series had a slow start setting up backgrounds for all the characters, but that is normal. By the end of the series I was in love with the characters and was giddy about all the plot setups that linked them to the Fitz series. All I have left is the 9th and final book to Fitz's tale and I feel like this series made the anticipation even greater. All of the hardships and triumphs these characters went through ultimately helped shape Fitz's own destiny more than I realized. Such a great universe made by Robin Hobb!

Great story.

Great story with imaginative plot full of intricate details. Outstanding characters that tore my heart.