Ship of Destiny (2000) by Robin Hobb is the powerful conclusion to The Liveship Traders trilogy, where the fates of sailors, serpents, and sentient ships collide in a crescendo of magic and redemption. As the ancient sea serpents complete their desperate migration and the enslaved liveships yearn for liberation, the Vestrit family’s fractured legacy reaches its breaking point.
The novel follows Althea Vestrit and Brashen Trell as they rally a desperate crew to reclaim the Vivacia from the charismatic but increasingly unhinged pirate king Kennit, whose own carefully constructed myths begin to crumble. Meanwhile, Wintrow Haven—torn between his priestly vows and the brutal reality of piracy—confronts the darkness festering in Kennit’s soul, while Malta Vestrit, once a frivolous girl, risks everything to broker peace with the legendary Elderlings.
Hobb masterfully resolves the trilogy’s mysteries—the true nature of Wizardwood, the serpents’ lost homeland, and the price of breaking generational curses—while delivering visceral battles, heartbreaking sacrifices, and a transcendent finale where sea and sky reclaim their stolen children.
