Ship of Destiny

Title: Ship of Destiny
Author: Robin Hobb
Published: 2000 by Voyager
Genre: Fantasy
Pages: 903


And the last of the Liveship Traders trilogy! I remember that it was the same last time, too, that I ended up liking the characters most in the end who I'd liked the least in the beginning. Except Amber. I always love Amber.

It's even harder to say something now without spoilers than with Mad Ship. Hobb carries the characters surely -and sometimes with breath-taking speed- towards the ends of their current stories. I was sad to see them go (finished the book about a week ago, in a sordid hotel room in London), but I'm also eager to jump into the next book on my quest to finish the three trilogies before the new book comes out. I've got about two months...


   He suddenly felt sorry for Brashen. He hated it when his feelings switched back and forth like this. But he couldn't control them. Impulsively, he offered, 'I promise I won't kill you, Brashen. Does that help?'
   He felt Brashen's convulsion of shock at his words. Paragon suddenly realzed that Brashen had never even considered the ship might kill him. That Paragon would now promise thus made him realize that the ship had been capable of it. Was still capable of it, if he decided to break his word. After a moment, Brashen said lifelessly, 'Of course that helps. Thank you, Paragon.' He started to turn away again.
   'Wait!' Paragon called to him. 'Are you going to let the others talk to me now?'
   He almost felt the man sigh. 'Of course. Not much sense in refusing you that.'
   Bitterness rose in Paragon. He had meant his promise to comfort the man, but he insisted on being grieved by it. Humans. They were never satisfied, no matter what you sacrificed for them. If Brashen was disappointed in him, it was his own fault. Why hadn't he realized that the first ones to be killed were the ones closest to you, the ones who knew you best? It was the only way to eliminate the threat to yourself. What was the sense of killing a stranger? Strangers had small interest in hurting you. That was always done best by yout own family and friends.