Book Description
One of the last decade’s ten most influential books in China, this internationally acclaimed novel by one of the mainland’s most important contemporary writers provides an unflinching portrait of life under Chairman Mao.
A cart-pusher in a silk mill, Xu Sanguan augments his meager salary with regular visits to the local blood chief. His visits become lethally frequent as he struggles to provide for his wife and three sons at the height of the Cultural Revolution. Shattered to discover that his favorite son was actually born of a liaison between his wife and a neighbor, he suffers his greatest indignity, while his wife is publicly scorned as a prostitute. Although the poverty and betrayals of Mao’s regime have drained him, Xu Sanguan ultimately finds strength in the blood ties of his family. With rare emotional intensity, grippingly raw descriptions of place and time, and clear-eyed compassion, Yu Hua gives us a stunning tapestry of human life in the grave particulars of one man’s days.
Customer Reviews:
Interesting.......2007-02-22
I have read many children's books that were originally in Chinese, translated to English. I always thought it was funny the way the children end up with numbers for names in the stories. I was a bit surprised that this book used the same convention (Yile, Enle and Sanle = 1st Joy, 2nd Joy, 3rd Joy). At times I felt that I was reading a children's book and wonder how much of that is because of the translation or is this the Chinese convention for writing? It was often very simple and repetetive. Overall, though, once I finished it, I felt that it was a good story and gave me a little peak through the eyes of the average Xu on a time of political turmoil. Interesting.
A Moving Story of a Family's Struggles During Mao's Era.......2005-03-20
Blood is certainly one of the most graphic and potent of literary symbols: a life-sustaining fluid, a product of injury or death, a signal of feminine fertility and virginity, a salable commodity, a gift of life via transfusion, and a genetic and metaphorical bond among children, parents, their extended families, and prospective descendants. Each of these meanings plays a significant role in CHRONICLE OF A BLOOD MERCHANT, Yu Hua's harrowing tale of one father's relentless efforts to survive and provide for his family under the most difficult of circumstances.
Set in a small town in mainland China, CHRONICLE OF A BLOOD MERCHANT follows three decades in the life of Xu Sanguan, a cocoon deliverer in a local silk factory, as he marries Xu Yulan, fathers three children (more of less named One, Two, and Three), learns that he has been cuckolded, is in turn unfaithful to his own wife, and helps his family survive the Cultural Revolution, ruinous famines, the "sending down" of two sons to the countryside, and the critical illness of his oldest son, the one he has long known is not his own. Along the way, Xu Sanguan learns to sell his blood at a local hospital as a way to raise emergency funds. Symbolically, of course, Yu Hua is portraying the burdens and hypocrisies of a system in which the lowly and honest can only barely survive by resorting to the extreme measure of selling their energy, their strength, and in some cases, their very lives.
This novel works for several reasons. First, the language is simple and direct, almost choppy and childish at times, a reflection of its uneducated protagonists. Second, the author has created a small cast of characters whose fates are inextricably linked to one another, and among whom actions both good and bad eventually create unplanned or unintended consequences. In particular, the relationship between Xu Sanguan, Xu Yulan, their son Yile, Yile's blood father He Xiaoyong, and He's wife, creates a series of alternating and humorous interdependencies. Third, Yu Hua has skillfully recreated the peasant atmosphere of Chinese village life, complete with gossiping and public lamentations, traditions and superstitions, the importance of connections (guanxi, as the Chinese call it) with higher-ups, and horrific misinformation about human health and personal care.
Finally, CHRONICLE OF A DEATH MERCHANT is a story of fatherly devotion and filial piety. Xu Sanguan is so devoted to his family that he nearly sacrifices his own life to ensure theirs. The last fifty pages describe Xu Sanguan's horrifying physical descent to the edge of death, slowly yet so inevitably that I wanted to shout at him to stop. I was reminded of the similar, sick to the stomach sense of dread I felt watching Morgan Spurlock's SUPER SIZE ME. Curiously, one is about eating and intake, while Xu Sanguan's danger arises from the blood he is selling to raise money.
While I would not classify this book as one of China's great novels, CHRONICLE OF A DEATH MERCHANT is an engaging story, sometimes sad and sometimes humorous, filled with memorable characters. Perhaps more important, it offers a biting critique of an ineffectual and often capricious government system, told from the viewpoint of those who understood it least and suffered at its unfeeling hands the most. Intentionally or otherwise, Yu Hua traces the roots of a rampant blood-selling practice in China's poorest provinces that has created an epidemic of HIV and AIDS cases. This is a book well worth reading for anyone interested in Mao's era, in China's current day HIV health crisis, or simply in a heroic family saga.
great read.......2005-02-04
I'm surprised at the negative reviews here. This book was not depressing at all. It was a quick enjoyable read with the subtle humor I find only in Chinese works.
Uncomfortable read.......2005-01-17
I tried to like this book; however, it was too heartbreaking. Could not finish.
Lost in Translation.......2004-05-04
I really wanted to like this book, as I had liked Yu Hua's "To Live" so well, but something about this book is uncomfortable. The language is choppy and void of emotion. As this book is popular in China, and Yu Hua is revered as one of China's finest modern, popular writers, I am guessing that the translation is just not that good. If you can read Chinese, I would recommend reading this book in its original language, "Xu Sanguan Mai Xie Ji"
This is the story of Xu Sanguan, and his struggles to make ends meet when life deals him a blow. Whenever he is in a need of money, he sells his blood. There is something to say here about the dire poverty and desperation of Chinese peasants under Mao; about the HIV crisis that is threatening to develop in China; and about the selling of one's soul to make a buck. Of these three themes, only the third is alluded to. And in the context of 1950s-1970s China, that theme doesn't even seem to make much sense. Instead, "Chronicle of a Blood Merchant" is just THERE...that's about the only way I can put it.
As for the translation, the language is so active and choppy that it is hard to relate to the characters. Here is a typical passage..."Each and every time he sold his blood was for you. Every ren he made selling blood he spent on you. You were raised on his blood...You three seem to have forgotten all about that. Then there was the time Erle was sent to work in the countryside. Your dad sold blood not once but twice." etc. For such a rant, it's a tremendously unexciting, repetitive speech. And with so much punctuation (read: period, never an exclamation point), it's hard to feel the character's emotions. Also, while it may be a verbatim translation, the English is awkward...using slang (i.e. "snot-nosed brats", "kids")where proper terms would be much more appropriate makes the English just completely unnatural and stilted. There are times where i can see a glimmer of the real Yu Hua...passages where repitition is not boring, but touching, where simplicity is not unemotional, but jarring...in other words, the Yu Hua that wrote "To Live." I am pretty sure the translator has done a disservice to Yu Hua here.
One merit...the book is FAST, mainly because the language is absurdly simple. You can probably read all 250 plus pages in a few hours. And it's an okay story, even if it does read like something I could probably write myself.
I'd skip this one. Read "To Live" instead.
Book Description
I recommend it for anyone interested in peering into the future.--The Smithsonian Institute Air & Space Magazine
Customer Reviews:
Harry has the guts to tell it like it is and can be!.......1999-09-30
This is a must-read for any thinking person. The author charts the course for the future, and exposes the foibles of the past and present. The title will become apropos in the first 40 pages. I have been reading his works since 1959, and consider this man to be one of the unrecognized visionaries of our time. There is no escaping the truths in this work, even if you work for NASA and its subcontractors, as I have. No book offers more promise for the future of safe and routine space flight without mental flights of fancy better than this one. I hope to meet this author one day. Harry still has it!
A decent realistic book.......1999-09-17
A good book on an economically wise spacecraft made from old junkyard parts and walmart parts. It is a reusable spacecraft called the SSTO. Single Stage To Orbit
Interesting...inspiring book.......1999-06-14
I enjoyed this book very much and although it rants and raves a bit it delivers a strong message. Unfortunately the Delta Clipper was recently destroyed when a landing gear failed. Luckily several other companies seem interested in SSTO's so there is always hope.
An eye-opening portrayal of aerospace R&D!.......1998-03-13
"Halfway to Anywhere" provides an interesting history of a very current subject matter in modern technology, namely the "Reusable Launch Vehicle" (SSTO, etc). The book provides the necessary science background, and proceeds to tell of the development of the SSTO concept and the related X-vehicle programs that have been getting increased attention of late.
A good portion of the book is spent describing recent developments and how they have been "molded" by organizational egos, political maneuvering, and power plays, by everyone including industry, NASA, Congress, the DOD, and various "interest groups". As an engineer and researcher myself, I often found it tempting to sit back and snicker with an anti-establishment attitude at what often appears to be unwise or biased decisions that were not for the "better good" of our country. This said, I think that the reader must bear in mind that there is usually more than one side to an issue, and rarely will they be justly told by the same source. While originally scoffed at, as Stine's history unfolds, the SSTO concept becomes generally accepted. A degree of reconciliation develops between the various "factions", though a distinct "I told you so" attitude in the book's wording occasionally distracts the reader from the most effective message of the book, namely the importance of this work, both technologically, and economically.
In short, Stine gives a sometimes-biased, though always interesting account of what the subject of Reusable Launch Vehicles is all about (at least at present). Perhaps more importantly, he tells us WHY we should care, particularly in light of the relatively small costs, and the potentially large return on investment. Of course it must continue to be done "correctly", and not evolve into a thinly disguised "technical jobs program" that produces little more than paper at the cost of billions.
The Future is Sooner Than You Think.......1997-02-09
In twenty-five years, aeronautics progressed from the plywood 'Spruce Goose' to the 747. Twenty-five years have passed since the Space Shuttle was designed. Isn't it time for a Next Generation shuttle? G. Harry Stine says yes. In the next five years -- not twenty-five -- we can build a reusable rocket that carries passengers into space as cheaply as jets span continents today. If you've dreamt of exploring "Infinity -- and Beyond!", don't join the astronaut corps -- and hold off fantasizing about Star Trek. Read this book, and prepare for the very real and sooner-than-you-thought age of private citizens venturing into the Final Frontier
Average customer rating:
- A chronicle of the events that turned the rebellious Jimmy Kirk into Captain James T. Kirk
- Best Destiny = Boring!
- Star Trek: Best Destiny
- Best Destiny Rules@@@
- A good read, James T. as in teenager...
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Best Destiny (Star Trek)
Diane Carey
Manufacturer: Pocket Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
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Carey, Diane | ( C ) | Authors, A-Z | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Subjects | Books
General | Science Fiction | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Subjects | Books
General | Star Trek | Media | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Subjects | Books
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Web of the Romulans (Classic Star Trek #10)
ASIN: 0671795872 |
Book Description
As James T. Kirk prepares to retire from a long and illustrious Starfleet career, events in a distant part of the Federation draw him back to a part of the galaxy he had last visited as a young man, a mysterious world called Faramond whose name takes Kirk on a journey back to his youth.
At sixteen, Kirk is troubled, estranged from his father, and has a bleak future. However, a trip into space with Kirk's father George and Starfleet legend Captain Robert April changes James Kirk's life forever, when a simple voyage becomes a deadly trap. Soon Kirk and his father find themselves fighting for their lives against a vicious and powerful enemy.
Before the voyage ends, father and son will face life and death together, and James T. Kirk will get a glimpse of the future and his own best destiny.
Customer Reviews:
A chronicle of the events that turned the rebellious Jimmy Kirk into Captain James T. Kirk.......2007-06-17
Like so many of the greatest commanders in history, James T. Kirk was a rebellious teenager, driving his Star Fleet father George Kirk to the brink of frustrated parental defeat. In his first attempt to show his son what Star Fleet was all about, Jimmy Kirk experienced the brutality of Kodos' own brand of survival techniques. When Jimmy leads his gang in an attempt to run away on an ocean ship, George tries one last time to alter his son's life course.
Although the mission is designed to be a "milk-run", it turns out to be much more than that. George Kirk, Captain Robert April, Jimmy Kirk and several other Star Fleet members are observing a unique star formation in a small craft when a pirate ship attacks them. They put up a good fight but when they think that they are about to be destroyed, they put Jimmy in a makeshift survival pod and try to send him out of danger. However, Jimmy has other ideas and proceeds to attack the pirate ship and disable them long enough for his father and shipmates to join in the fight. They manage to defeat their opponents, one of which is a boy genius who has somehow managed to develop a new and revolutionary shield technology.
There is a later story intertwined with this one. Years later Kirk is an admiral and the time frame is right after "The Undiscovered Country." The Enterprise is about to be decommissioned when it is forced to answer a distress call from one of the newest models of starships. When they arrive, Kirk finds himself confronting an old nemesis with delusions of godhood.
This book is an excellent glimpse into the troubled teen years of the strong-willed Jimmy Kirk and the circumstances that turned a potential sociopath into one of the finest commanders Star Fleet ever produced.
Best Destiny = Boring!.......2005-07-28
Ok so here we have a book that shows James T. Kirk as a punk kid being a belligerant goof who turns his life around with one dramatic moment. It would be great if it were more believable. There's too much melodrama in this. Yeah he's James T. Kirk but he's not the most influential force in the history of the genre. I thought the action was good but at times dragged out. His interactions with Engsign Veronica Hall were the worst. It's an ok story with some good background. It glosses over his relation with siblings and mother as well.
Star Trek: Best Destiny.......2002-12-06
Star Trek: Best Destiny written by Diane Carey is a flashback novel of James T. Kirk. This book mixes the past with the present in the Trek genre.
James T. Kirk is seen as a teenager wanting to show his father that he can and will be worthy of wearing the Starfleet uniform someday. This is the first adventure we get to read about where James T. Kirk plays a sugnificant role. There is personal danger, self-discovery, and unparalleled adventure.
We read about James T. Kirk about to retire from his long tenure with the fleet. Now, events draw him back to a youthful adventue with his father George and Captain Robert April. A part of the galaxy only left in James Kirk's memory, a world called Faramond, mysterious in nature Kirk takes us back when he was sixteen years old.
Although he was estranged from his father he admired what his father did for him, but Captain Robert April changes James Kirk's life forever. This is a good Father-Father image/ son book. The adventure now only in James' memory they face life or death... but a glimpse of the future sets James T. Kirk on a Trek of his own... best destiny.
Best Destiny Rules@@@.......2002-04-21
Rarely do authors dig into the past of major series characters, but Diane Carey does a magnificent job here! I've read this book dozens of times, and I find something new that I'd missed the time before! The skill with which Carey uses flashbacks to tell the entire story of Kirk's last mission is amazing, and we get one of the best glimces into Kirk's younger years than had ever been presented in print, small, or large screen formats. We also are introduced to several new people that molded Kirk into the best captain in Starfleet, his in-and-out father, Commander George Kirk, and Captain Robert April, the first captain of the U.S.S. Enterprise. Anyone calling themselves a Trekker should buy this book and read it often!!!!
A good read, James T. as in teenager..........2000-08-08
In all the Star Trek lore that's been written over 30 plus years, it's rare to see books that delve into the past of the primary characters in anything other than alternate realities or brief flashbacks. More of this book takes place in Kirk's teenage years than in the "present" (Kirk's last voyage before the Enterprise "A" gets mothballed). I hate reviews that ruin good books by giving away major plot points, so I'll resist. Overall, the flashback scenes really make the story while the current events are less interesting. The end of the "present" events are anticlimactic compared the the end of the flashback events, but kudos to the Authors for further fleshing out characters from earlier books: Captain Robert April (first Captian of the original Enterprise), Commander George Kirk (Jimmy's father), and Kirk's right hand man Drake (great comic relief). McCoy & Spock sadly are reduced to small roles, but the book is, after all, a story about a young Jimmy Kirk, and in that respect it does an admerable job.
Product Description
LIFE CHANGING WORDS by Joel Osteen on DVDs (Retail price: $32.00)THE BIBLE TELLS US IN JAMES 3 THAT THE TONGUE IS LIKE THE RUDDER OF A SHIP. It determines the course of your life. Your words have a profound impact not only upon your own destiny, but also on the direction your friends and loved ones will go.Instead of merely using your words to describe your situation in life, change your situation for the better by using words of faith and victory. Joel Osteen shows you how in this compelling series of eight messages that includes:Speaking Faith-filled Words Be an Encourager Speaking a Blessing Speaking the Blessing Over Your Life Have a Grateful Attitude Don't Be a Complainer Don't Have a Judgemental Attitude Mind Your Own BusinessNo matter how much God loves you, no matter how many good things He has in store for you, destructive words can cancel out His best plan. Don't let that happen to you. Learn how to declare a blessing over your family, your children, all those you love and care for. Your words will bless others and God will certainly bless your own life beyond what you ever hoped or dreamed.
Customer Reviews:
DESCRIPTION FOR THIS DVD.......2007-04-24
LIFE CHANGING WORDS by Joel Osteen on DVDs
THE BIBLE TELLS US IN JAMES 3 THAT THE TONGUE IS LIKE THE RUDDER OF A SHIP. It determines the course of your life. Your words have a profound impact not only upon your own destiny, but also on the direction your friends and loved ones will go.
Instead of merely using your words to describe your situation in life, change your situation for the better by using words of faith and victory. Joel Osteen shows you how in this compelling series of eight messages that includes:
Speaking Faith-filled Words
Be an Encourager
Speaking a Blessing
Speaking the Blessing Over Your Life
Have a Grateful Attitude
Don't Be a Complainer
Don't Have a Judgemental Attitude
Mind Your Own Business
No matter how much God loves you, no matter how many good things He has in store for you, destructive words can cancel out His best plan. Don't let that happen to you. Learn how to declare a blessing over your family, your children, all those you love and care for. Your words will bless others and God will certainly bless your own life beyond what you ever hoped or dreamed.
Average customer rating:
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Mactan, ship of destiny
William L Noyer
Manufacturer: Rainbow Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding
General | Europe | History | Subjects | Books
General | World War II | Military | History | Subjects | Books
ASIN: B0006DXC2Y |
Average customer rating:
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A Ship Called Destiny : Yvonne's Book
Peter Trower
Manufacturer: Ekstasis Editions
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
20th Century | Poetry | United States | World Literature | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books
General | Poetry | United States | World Literature | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books
British | World Literature | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books | 18th Century | 19th Century | 20th Century | Classics | Contemporary | General | Historical | Humor | Letters & Correspondence | Middle | Old | Poetry | Renaissance | Shakespeare | Short Stories
General | Poetry | Canadian | World Literature | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books
General | Poetry | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books
United States | Single Authors | Poetry | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 189686077X |
Book Description
Peter Trower has a way with words that other poets envy. Despite years of logging and street-life, Peter Trower is a sensitive and skilled love-poet. The poems of this collection are poignant and personal, but never sentimental, telling the story of a life-long romance.
Average customer rating:
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Ship of Destiny
Henry J Slater
Manufacturer: THOMAS Y CROWELL COMPANY
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000UD2X70 |
Amazon.com
Robin Hobb concludes her nautical fantasy epic with Ship of Destiny, set in the world of her Farseer series. It lives up to its predecessors, Ship of Magic and Mad Ship in every way: the characters continue to develop, the plot moves swiftly, and the setting is vividly realized.
Again, three generations of Vestrit women are at the heart of the story. Ronica, the matriarch, stands alone against accusations that her family is responsible for the chaos that has overtaken Bingtown. She fights to uncover treachery and maintain the Trader's Council. Her daughter, Althea, sails on the disturbed liveship Paragon, hunting for Vivacia, the Vestrit's liveship, now the flagship of a pirate fleet under Kennit, who is both ruthless and compassionate. Her granddaughter, Malta, has disappeared following an earthquake in the ancient treasure city by the Rain Wild River. Her fiancé, Reyn, and her brother, Selden, are trapped while seeking her. They are rescued by the dragon Tintaglia, whom they helped liberate. Reyn asks Tintaglia's aid in finding Malta, but Tintaglia has her own urgent mission to accomplish, one which will change everything. Hobb weaves these plot threads into an exciting and satisfying conclusion. This is an original trilogy well worth reading! --Nona Vero
Book Description
Robin Hobb has established herself as one of the masters of fantasy fiction And nowhere is that more apparent than in this powerful, poignant, swashbuckling epic of treachery, heroism, and humanity. The rousing conclusion to the Liveship Traders trilogy,
Ship of Destiny is the spellbinding story of a once-thriving city now reduced to shambles by raging war and rampant greed; of a glorious and mythic species on the brutal edge of extinction; and of the Vestrits, the clan, whose destiny is intertwined with both.
Bingtown is a city under fire from forces within and without. While accusations of conspiracy fly between the Old Bingtown Traders and the New, invaders attack the harbor, trying to take the city for their own. Matriarch Ronica Vestrit bears witness to the destruction, but she is not the type of woman to simply surrender. Even as she finds herself branded a traitor, she searches for a way to bring all the city's inhabitants together to stand against the Chalcedean threat. But there is someone who cannot allow Ronica to succeed, no matter what the cost.
Far out on the stormy seas, Althea Vestrit, ignorant of all that has befallen Bingtown, continues her mission to track down and recover her liveship Vivacia from the ruthless pirate Kennit. Serving as the
Paragon's second mate under Captain Brashen, she faces peril beyond imagining... not just from her growing love for Brashen or their reckless scheme to regain the
Vivacia, but from the unpredictable vessel Paragon himself, as he wrestles with his madness and plots his own deadly brand of revenge.
Yet Althea's bold scheme may be in vain. For her beloved Vivacia will face the most terrible confrontation of all as the secret of the liveships is finally revealed. This is a truth so horrifying, so shattering, it may destroy the
Vivacia and all who love her, including the boy-priest Wintrow Vestrit, whose life already hangs in the balance...
A triumph of imagination and masterful storytelling,
Ship of Destiny is an enthralling blend of intrigue and magic, drama and high fantasy. It is the fitting conclusion to a tale that is bound to become a classic--by a beguiling author who is already deservedly revered.
Download Description
Robin Hobb has established herself as one of the masters of fantasy fiction And nowhere is that more apparent than in this powerful, poignant, swashbuckling epic of treachery, heroism, and humanity. The rousing conclusion to the Liveship Traders trilogy, Ship of Destiny is the spellbinding story of a once-thriving city now reduced to shambles by raging war and rampant greed; of a glorious and mythic species on the brutal edge of extinction; and of the Vestrits, the clan, whose destiny is intertwined with both.
Bingtown is a city under fire from forces within and without. While accusations of conspiracy fly between the Old Bingtown Traders and the New, invaders attack the harbor, trying to take the city for their own. Matriarch Ronica Vestrit bears witness to the destruction, but she is not the type of woman to simply surrender. Even as she finds herself branded a traitor, she searches for a way to bring all the city's inhabitants together to stand against the Chalcedean threat. But there is someone who cannot allow Ronica to succeed, no matter what the cost.
Far out on the stormy seas, Althea Vestrit, ignorant of all that has befallen Bingtown, continues her mission to track down and recover her liveship Vivacia from the ruthless pirate Kennit. Serving as the Paragon's second mate under Captain Brashen, she faces peril beyond imagining... not just from her growing love for Brashen or their reckless scheme to regain the Vivacia, but from the unpredictable vessel Paragon himself, as he wrestles with his madness and plots his own deadly brand of revenge.
Yet Althea's bold scheme may be in vain. For her beloved Vivacia will face the most terrible confrontation of all as the secret of the liveships is finally revealed. This is a truth so horrifying, so shattering, it may destroy the Vivacia and all who love her, including the boy-priest Wintrow Vestrit, whose life already hangs in the balance...
A triumph of imagination and masterful storytelling, Ship of Destiny is an enthralling blend of intrigue and magic, drama and high fantasy. It is the fitting conclusion to a tale that is bound to become a classic -- by a beguiling author who is already deservedly revered.
Customer Reviews:
What a whirlwind ending! I couldn't put it down!.......2007-07-08
Ms. Hobb has a rare talent for creating characters to real you feel you will run into them someday. Her worlds are so perfectly built that you swear you will see them someday. I have read the complete series and am amazed at how she blended everything together. Ms. Hobb does not give you bits of information to propel the story along, although at the time, they may seem like it. They are actually pieces to a much bigger puzzle that if you stay around for the ride, you will understand in the end. The last 200 pages of this book were difficult to put down. I finished this book while on vacation and looked for reasons to leave my company, just so I could read a couple more pages. It's amazing how you can cook and read at the same time. I was sad to see this series end, but I was satisfied with the turns of each character. If you have never read Ms. Hobb before, find a book immediately. She is one of our generations greatest writers!
Loved the ending and the hints for more to come.......2007-05-31
about this world. Hobb has finished with the Farseers and probably with the Liveships (because of the origin of them)as a main focus. But there are still open questions which if this is the last book on this world -then that's bad. But I think it's just making room for more with different characters except for Amber, who is likely to continue elsewhere...in fact she (Amber) all but says she's going elsewhere. I'm hoping for more because I love R. Hobbs' writing, and I love this exotic world. I am especially intrigued by the "magic" artifacts (there is one artifact mentioned in 2 of the trilogies that hasn't been explained or used yet) on the beaches and by the "gate" stones that lead to other places on the world and are used but aren't explained. I have my suspicions, but I'll let you develop your own until Hobb explains them. Also we're given the peek into a possible future of an old race of people who are new again. I'm realy glad that this trilogy was not written in the first person (as the Farseer trilogies are) because I really have a hard time with first person books. And I don't see how this one could have been written in any but the 3rd person since there are many characters tying the story together. There are lots of little tidbits that make you realize something about stuff in previous stories. It's this kind of thing that makes Hobbs' books so satisfying.
two books a better destiny [no spoilers].......2007-05-09
"The Liveship Traders Trilogy" concludes with "The Liveship Traders: Ship of Destiny" as Althea Vestrit and Brashen Trell sail on the revamped Paragon in search of the family liveship Vivica. The well-paced storylines intermingle agreeably but might have been better served with two novels.
Paragon, Brashen, and the dragon Tintaglia are the masterpiece characters of the novel. Tintaglia communicates arrogance and command flawlessly as a superior race but King of the Pirate Isles Kennit significantly falls from grace becoming a disgusting character by his own cruelty. The ships boy Clef inconsistently speaks without his strange enunciation and vocabulary. And the sudden ending does not address any of the affects the Satrap's absence had on Jamaillia in terms of riots or political upheavals or depth into what happened with the other characters such as Rache or Selden.
While serpents within the natural order reveals an interesting concept with cocooning and hatching for a developing dragon, the consumption and absorption of a shell or any deceased serpent or dragon for historical memories are outlandish. Though the series transpires south of the lands and following "The Farseer Trilogy", there are no associations to either the Skill or the Wit.
There are disturbing events similar to the prior novel, which may be questionable for young readers. A more detailed map of the significant terrains including a legend plus a comprehensive appendix would have been useful.
I highly recommend this series to any fan of the fantasy genre.
Thank you.
Great series.......2007-05-06
This is a must read for all fantasy readers. Spectacular conclusion of the Liveship series and a great opening left for future series. All of the excitment, drama, and suspense you could ask for.
sara.......2006-10-08
man i loved the first two in this trilogy. much of what i would have said has already been stated here.
not only is rape an inappropriate theme and event in this story, it was handled AWFULLY. insensitively. i HATE that the last glimpse you see of two central characters is a secret-ridden, forced make-out session! what?!?!?!?!?! what was the author thinking? the lack of mushy romance was what i liked so much about the first book - but if it HAD to be a main theme toward the end, did it have to be like that?? and also - will SOMEONE PLEASE EMAIL ME and explain why the hell he raped her in the first place? he was going crazy and she looked like wintrow. that's it?? it just seems like an easy way to get rid of his character. it would have been SO much more interesting had they all found a way to co-exist.
also, so much of the book, so much of why we plodded through the serpent dialogs, is waiting to see what the connection between serpants, dragons, and humans is. once you do, it's like there's no development at all. plots lines are tied and severed. for a thousand pages, you're made to excitedly wonder, 'what would life in this world be like if dragons were reintroduced?' and you never find out! i can't believe there isn't a fourth book - to find out what the ridge in malta's head is (more than a freakin sexual organ for chrissake?!?), what develops up the river, what the hatching process is like for the dragons, how life builds itself back in bingtown.
somehow, even with this lack of satisfaction, i consider these books to be beautific.
but damn!!
Books:
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- Cracker; Florida's Enduring Cowboys
- Diplomatic Immunity
- Donna Ferrato: Living With The Enemy
- Dr. Yoga: A Complete Guide to the Medical Benefits of Yoga (Yoga for Health)
- El Tunel
- English Passengers: A Novel
- Even Steven And Odd Todd (level 3) (Hello Reader, Math)
- F. Scott Fitzgerald: Novels and Stories 1920-1922: This Side of Paradise / Flappers and Philosophers / The Beautiful and the Damned / Tales of the Jazz Age (Library of America)
- Fons & Porter Presents Quilts from the Henry Ford: 24 Vintage Quilts Celebrating American Quiltmaking
Books Index
Books Home
Recommended Books
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To Live: A Novel
Red Sorghum: A Novel of China
A Wild Sheep Chase: A Novel
Raise the Red Lantern: Three Novellas
The Past and the Punishments: Eight Stories (Fiction from Modern China)
