Not far from the Six Duchies lies Bingtown, hub of exotic trade and home to a merchant nobility famed for its liveships- rare vessels carved from wizardwood, which ripens magically into sentient awareness. Bingtown’s Old Traders, their wealth eroded by northern wars and the rapacity of southern pirates, now face an influx of upstart merchants who bring change to a complex society.

I first considered Robin Hobb when I noticed her blurb on the back of Talyn: “Yet again, Holly Lisle creates a world and society that completely absorbs the reader. An unflinching examination of relationships amidst a clash of societies. This is not your average fat fantasy book.”

Of course, I agreed with every word of that endorsement. So when I saw Ship of Magic in the Used Book Superstore, just one shelf above a Holly Lisle title (which I’ve been collecting), I took a closer look. The story sounded like it might engage me. And I figured, if Robin knows good stuff when she reads it, maybe she’s written some good stuff, too.