Coming to an end of my first Hobb trilogy, I saved this book for a time I knew I'd need it. I hoped it was going to follow the first two, and be an epic immersion into a rich and vibrant world of magic, of adventure, and of humanity.

So, sure enough, coming out the other end of what was one of the hardest weeks of my adulthood, I picked up "Ship of Destiny" and I disappeared. Was it everything I'd hoped? Oh yes.

Such a satisfying conclusion. Characters, instead of following the path I assumed would be their "destiny," grew and evolved and ultimately ended up where they needed to be, not where they were "led." Characters that I *loathed* at first (I'm looking at you, Malta) ... grew up. Grew into themselves. Every single character became more than they were, from the smallest child to the serpents wandering aimlessly in the water, from the massive liveships to a block of wood buried in a city of mud. Entire cities, in fact, entire countries. All the swirling tangles of plot braided themselves into a strong rope, all leading to the gathering point of the story, without seeming contrived.

My only complaint was

Spoiler

the demise of Kennit. Althea's rape seemed so out of left field. Yes, it showed how his own abuse poisoned him, and helped frame Paragon's insanity, but I felt like he did something so wretched, so against his own plans of the future, just so when he died we maybe would feel it was a positive? Was she writing him too sympathetically and she needed to show he was still at heart a villain? Still, where he contemplates his own unborn child and sees a future where he would most certainly pass the abuse on, was chilling.

I have no excuse for never reading Robin Hobb before now. In fact, looking over to my "TO BE READ" shelf, there are the first three Farseer books, right there. Well, now I know I have a long, long treat ahead of me. And I won't be waiting for crap weeks to read them!