The Liveship Traders Trilogy (Ship of Magic; The Mad Ship; Ship of Destiny)

The gripping finale to Robin Hobb's classic Farseer trilogy. Keystone. Gate. Crossroads. Catalyst. Fitz is about to discover the truth about the Fool's prophecy. Having been resurrected from his fatal tortures in Regal's dungeons, Fitz has once more foiled Regal's attempts to be rid of him. Now, back in his own body, and after months of rehabilitation, Fitz begins the painful and slow process of learning the ways of a man again. Under the watchful eye of Burrich, old King Shrewd's Stablemaster, Fitz must learn to cast off the wild but carefree ways of the wolf and enter once more the human world: a world beset ever more viciously by the relentless Red Ship Raiders who are now left free to plunder any coastal town they please. But more immediately, a world in which he finds he is utterly alone. Regal has stripped the kingdom of its riches and retired to the inland city of Tradeford. Of Verity, on his quest to find the legendary Elderings, there has been no word; Molly, Kettricken and the Fool have all vanished. Unless Fitz can find Verity and help him in his quest, the Six Duchies will perish and there will be no safe place to live. Hobb's stunning fantasy trilogy (Royal Assassin, 1996; Assassin's Apprentice, 1995) about the beleaguered Six Duchies and their Farseer kings. Months ago, King Verity vanished into the far mountains in search of the semi-mythical Elderlings, whose help he must have in order to defeat the rampaging Red Ship Raiders, leaving his murderous, venal, and insanely ambitious brother, Prince Regal, to dispose of Verity's last few loyalists at his leisure--including narrator, spy, and assassin FitzChivalry. Poor Fitz, unable to contact his beloved Molly (she thinks he's dead) and daughter (by Molly) for fear of exposing them to Regal's attentions, uses his magic Skill to locate Verity and receives an imperious summons: ``COME TO ME!'' So, abandoning his plan to assassinate Regal, Fitz enters the mountains with a small band of helpers. Eventually, having evaded Regal's minions, Fitz comes upon Verity Skill-carving a huge dragon out of black rock; nearby stand other lifelike dragon-sculptures that, to Fitz's animal-magic Wit, seem somehow alive. Are these eerie sculptures what remain of the Elderlings? Yet, for all his Skill, Verity cannot bring the dragons to life; and soon Regal will arrive with his armies and his Skilled coterie. An enthralling conclusion to this superb trilogy, displaying an exceptional combination of originality, magic, adventure, character, and drama From an extraordinary new voice in fantasy comes the stunning conclusion to the Farseer trilogy, as FitzChivalry confronts his destiny as the catalyst who holds the fate of the kingdom of the Six Duchies...and the world itself.King Shrewd is dead at the hands of his son Regal. As is Fitz--or so his enemies and friends believe. But with the help of his allies and his beast magic, he emerges from the grave, deeply scarred in body and soul. The kingdom also teeters toward ruin: Regal has plundered and abandoned the capital, while the rightful heir, Prince Verity, is lost to his mad quest--perhaps to death. Only Verity's return--or the heir his princess carries--can save the Six Duchies.But Fitz will not wait. Driven by loss and bitter memories, he undertakes a quest: to kill Regal. The journey casts him into deep waters, as he discovers wild currents of magic within him--currents that will either drown him or make him something more than he was....From the Paperback edition. Young Fitz, the illegitimate son of the noble Prince Chivalry, is ignored by all royalty except the devious King Shrewd, who has had him tutored him in the dark arts of the assassin. He has barely survived his first, soul-shattering mission, and returns to the court where he is thrown headfirst into the tumult of royal life. With the King near death, and Fitz's only ally off on a seemingly hopeless quest, the throne itself is threatened. Meanwhile, the treacherous Red Ship Raiders have renewed their attacks on the Six Duchies, slaughtering the inhabitants of entire seaside towns. In this time of great peril, it soon becomes clear that the fate of the kingdom may rest in Fitz's hands--and his role in its salvation may require the ultimate sacrifice.From the Paperback edition. The Liveship Traders trilogy returns readers to Robin HobbвЂTMs most loved world. The perilous waters of the Rain River Wilds can only be negotiated by a sentient liveships made of Wizardwood, but a such a ship is difficult to come by. Rare and valuable, it will quicken only when three family members from successive generations have died on board. The liveship Vivacia is about to undergo her quickening as Althea VestritвЂTMs dying father is carried on to her deck. Althea waits with both sadness and awe for the ship that she loves more than anything in the world to awaken, only to find that her family have other plans for them both… Liveship Traders Trilogy by international betselling author Robin Hobb. "Fitz dreams of Red Ship raiders sacking a coastal village, leaving not a single man, woman or child alive. Tortured by this terrible vision he returns to the Six Duchies court where all is far from well. King Shrewd has been struck down by a mysterious illness and King-in-Waiting, verity, spends all his time attempting to conjure storms to confuse and destroy the Red-Ship raiders. And when he leaves on an insane mission to seek our the mystical Elderings, Fitz is left alone and friendless but for the wolf Nighteyes and the King's Fool with his cryptic prohesies." - back cover "Regal's treasonous attempt to usurp the Six Duchies throne from his half-brother Verity has been foiled. Now, as Fitz recovers slowly from the foul poison administered to him, the King's Fool prophecies: 'We are here, Fitz, you and I, to change the future and the world ... '"--Back cover The second book in "The Farseer" trilogy. The Six Duchies are once again being raided and plundered by the Red-Ship Raiders with horrible consequences. Then the old King falls dangerously ill - of poison? Fitz finds himself in a curious alliance with the Fool, Burrich, Molly and Patience In this final volume of the trilogy, Fitz must cast off the ways of the wolf and enter once more the human world, a world beset by the Red Ship Raiders, the horrifying stealers of souls. Will the Elderlings help repulse the Raiders? ‘Fantasy as it ought to be written’ George R.R. Martin The gripping finale to Robin Hobb’s classic Farseer Trilogy.