in-short: a multi-POV pirate fantasy with sentient ships, magic, complex characters and amazing, intricate storylines that connect in the most interesting way. Basically everything I want from a high-fantasy and more

in-depth: This is everything I want from the first book in an epic fantasy. I had the best time reading this. It's long, almost 900 pages, but it doesn't feel that way. I was never bored, never felt out of breath or energy to continue. The world Hobb created is vivid, lush and feels so real. When she describes the towns, I could see them, when she mentions the harsh winds and the salty sea, I could taste them. Which was a good reminder that open sea is not the place for me to be, but I loved discovering it through the eyes of the amazing cast of characters.

Speaking of them, all of the POVs we get are great and add a new perspective that helps develop the world further. Nothing feels repetitive or boring and I was happy about every single narrator change – something I feel like is rare with multi-POV stories; I’ll always end up with a favorite. Not this time! No character we meet is superhuman or unflawed – they all have places to grow from, and Hobb does a great job setting up the arcs. Even the side characters are layered and complex (and rage-inducing…). I can’t stress this enough – the characters really make this story. Their actions drive the plot, their emotions hinder or further their paths. This really is a character driven story and it’s amazing.

Hobb weaves in so many themes and topics (slavery, sexism, religion and more) but they never feel overly pushed or preachy. I’m so excited that I have two more books to read in this series – I can’t wait to learn more about the serpents, the wizardwood and the people living in the Rain River Wilds!