Ship of Magic Audiobook By Robin Hobb cover art

Ship of Magic

The Liveship Traders, Book 1

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Ship of Magic

By: Robin Hobb
Narrated by: Anne Flosnik
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About this listen

Bingtown is a hub of exotic trade and home to a merchant nobility famed for its liveships---rare vessels carved from wizardwood, which ripens magically into sentient awareness. The fortunes of one of Bingtown's oldest families rest on the newly awakened liveship Vivacia. For Althea Vestrit, the ship is her rightful legacy unjustly denied her---a legacy she will risk anything to reclaim.

For Althea's young nephew Wintrow, wrenched from his religious studies and forced to serve aboard ship, Vivacia is a life sentence. But the fate of the Vestrit family---and the ship---may ultimately lie in the hands of an outsider. The ruthless pirate Kennit seeks a way to seize power over all the denizens of the Pirate Isles...and the first step of his plan requires him to capture his own liveship and bend it to his will.

©1999 Robin Hobb (P)2010 Tantor
Classics Epic Epic Fantasy Fantasy Fiction Transportation

Critic reviews

“The characterizations are consistently superb.... Kudos to the author and encore!” ( Booklist, Starred Review)

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What listeners say about Ship of Magic

Highly rated for:

Captivating Story Intriguing World-building Engaging Narration Unique Fantasy Elements Compelling Plotlines
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  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars

Struggling with the Narration.

I read this trilogy a few years ago and it became my favorite series. My heart jumped when I saw it finally came to Audible. I couldnt download it fast enough. However; I can't listen to the narrator. I don't like it and I can't get very far without turning it off. I wish it was narrated by someone else. I am so disappointed.

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59 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

Speed it up

Would you consider the audio edition of Ship of Magic to be better than the print version?

I like the story, but not the style of narration. Sped up the replay to 125%, shazam... I don't mind it all now. Just thought I'd throw that out since many were compaining about drawn out words.

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5 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

strange narrator

all of the voices that she impersonated were so weird and all the same. loved the story though

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1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    1 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

I love this book, but

Growing up, this series was a favorite of mine. Hobb’s rich world building and beautiful characters still are. But I cannot stomach the terrible narration of this audiobook.

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  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    1 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    3 out of 5 stars

over annunciation

I struggled with the over Annunciation of each word and the hard diction. As. if. every. wooooord. had. a peeeeriod. afteeeer. saying. it.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Traders Series

I loved it! The reader is a bit dramatic but you get use to it. :-) And the story is a great read.

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  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    2 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    3 out of 5 stars

Some clarification

I felt I needed to give some clarification for my score.
I did not finish reading the book even though I’m a Robin Hobb fan. In part it was due to the book being rather dull at the beginning. Not his best. However, it was the narrator that put the final nail in the coffin, so to speak. Her accent sounded “put on”, she was overly dramatized, and yet somehow flat... if that’s possible. I think it made the book even more difficult to like.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

Unique story that is compellingly narrated.

Excellent story overall! Exciting, creative, and well-narrated. Not Tolkien-esque boilerplate, mercifully.

My only criticism would be the aithor's penchant to sometimes overplay minutiae, but some of those details may prove key in the forthcoming books of the trilogy.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

intriguing story

I have certainly enjoyed the intricate world that has been built here. There's only so much sorrow and anguish one can take, though.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

amazing

I have been looking for a new book series for a while now. I absolutely love this book. I cannot wait to read the next two it had me on the edge of my seat the whole time wondering what happened next. And also how could it possibly get much worse lol that ending definitely brought some much needed vengeance as a reader and also fear for the next book lol absolutely amazing. especially for a book that is over 20 years old I absolutely love the writing style and thought it was well read and very well written. thanks so much Robin Hobbs you are an excellent writer

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