Ship of Destiny concludes Robin Hobb’s Liveship Traders trilogy. Having committed to the series after enjoying her Farseer books, I finished it—but my reservations from The Mad Ship carried through to the end.
The finale brings together the various plot threads: the Vestrit family drama, Kennit’s pirate ambitions, the serpents’ journey, and the truth about liveships and dragons. Hobb ties things up competently enough, but the journey there continued to frustrate me.
The Mad Ship is the second book in Robin Hobb’s Liveship Traders trilogy. I came to this series after enjoying her Farseer trilogy (though finding it quite depressing), and read all three books in sequence shortly after publication.
The premise of living ships made from dragon cocoons has potential, and Hobb’s world-building remains detailed. However, several aspects didn’t work for me.
The trilogy leans heavily into themes of mental illness and trauma. Characters spend considerable time processing their psychological wounds rather than taking action. If you enjoy character introspection, this may appeal to you. I found it slowed the narrative and made the books feel like they were about suffering rather than adventure.