Astounding.

This is the third and last book of The Liveship Traders (after Ship of Magic and The Mad Ship).

"King" Kennit of the Pirate Isles is now captain of the Liveship Vivacia. After discovering his main city Divvytown had been raided by slavers and all but destroyed by Chalcedean patrol ships, he sails to Others Island with his woman Etta and the former priest-boy Wintrow Vestrit, now his fervant follower. There, Wintrow will have his fortune told by the Oracle, but instead ends up rescuing the crippled sea serpent She Who Remembers from her prison-pool, scalding his body with her toxins in the process. And when the serpent touches Vivacia, the Liveship suddenly realizes who, or what, she truly is. New destinies are set into motion.

Further to the North, after doing up the Paragon, Althea Vestrit, Brashen Trell and Amber finally set sail to claim the Vivacia back from the pirate king, barely in time before a treacherous attempt on the Satrap's life is made. Indeed, on the evening of the Summer Ball, war breaks out in Bingtown, and the Old Traders families are forced to flee to Trehaug, the treetop capital of the Rain Wilds. But as Malta and her little brother Selden are exploring the ruins located under Trehaug, answering the dragon Tintaglia's pleading calls for rescue, a terrible tremor shakes the Earth and the underground city collapses over them. Helping the dragon escape is their only chance of survival.

The setting free of She Who Remembers and Tintaglia marks the beginning of a new era for both humans and dragons, who will have no other option than to collaborate for their kins to survive. And as the pages turn and the story flows, new alliances are made, and others unmade, as all parties are slowly converging for a final battle on the choppy seas of the Cursed Shores.

Although as a whole I'd say I preferred her Farseer trilogy, Robin Hobb's Liveship Traders is an astounding, thrilling pirate adventure tale, with an extremely well-thought-of plot and real, three-dimensional characters. The hardships the heroes are going through reshape them, such as young Malta, who matures from a spoiled little brat to a fine diplomat, or Wintrow and Brashen, who gain more self-confidence throughout the series. In turns, you'll be fascinated by the mysterious prophet Amber, enraged by Althea's stubbornness and pride, seduced by Reyn's exotic figure and kindness, and you'll even feel pity for the "baddies". Fantasy books just don't come any better than that!

10/10