Robin Hobb concludes her Liveship Traders trilogy in fine fashion, weaving an incredibly vibrant tapestry of pirates, dragons, romance, danger, and political assignation. In particular, the second half of this book is packed full of action as the author deftly maneuvers her characters through rough seas, both literally and figuratively, and brings the entire epic to a thoroughly satisfying conclusion.
Essentially, the book begins, with bringing us up to speed on the three major plots that had formed from the last book: 1) Althea Vestritt and her drive to reclaim the stolen liveship Vivacia, 2) the pirate, Kennit, and his quest to rid the Pirate Isles of the slave trade, and 3) and the events back in Bingtown and The Rain Wild River where war has broken out and an uneasy alliance is just beginning. There is much ground to cover in this volume and so the pace of the more mundane events picks up a notch from book two, and it is not long before the three individual plots begin to overlap and build upon each other. Some of the lesser characters from the first two books, including Reyn, of the Rain Wild folk, the Satrap and his companions, and Althea's all-but forgotten sister forge new roles and become instrumental in the plot development. All of the characters have come a long way since the beginning of the series, and to see their growth as characters is one of the most fascinating aspects of the entire series. It is fun to watch as they transform from weak-willed adolescents into fulfilling their various roles, whether as full-fledged leaders or as political scapegoats.

Thankfully, the author has not kept us in suspense regarding all of the secrets and intrigues of the first two books. Here we at last discover the true nature of the serpents, the wizard wood, the liveships themselves, and we uncover the mystery surrounding Paragon (the Mad Ship) as well as Kennit's background. And, yes, the dragons not only finally make their appearance but also take center stage.

This book is a "10". It combines exactly the right amount of tension, danger, romance, build-up, comic relief, and everything else that makes a great story come to light. Many novels come close but never quite reach such a pinnacle. It simply succeeds on so many levels. Some may read it for the great fantasy adventure it is while others will take away a far subtler but fascinating undertone that provides key insights on human relationships of all forms. And, truthfully it is, plain and simply, original. The settings, the characters, the plot, are wholly original. The ability to create such a believable fantasy setting and populate it with such colorful characters is truly a remarkable gift. And yet Ms Hobb doesn't let this perfection stand in the way of a truly rousing adventure tale.