The Mad Ship

Mad Ship
Robin Hobb
Liveship Traders

Mad Ship Summary

Maulkin, Shreever, and Sessurea are the last serpents searching to reclaim their memories, the others have drifted away. They are beginning to lose hope in their quest. Amber is living on Paragon and still wants to save him from being sold and cut up for his wood. Kennit’s leg is getting worse and will need to be amputated soon, but Wintrow is nervous, plus Kyle hates Wintrow even more now.

In Trehaug, the city up the Rain WIld River, there is an ancient elderling city buried under the earth. Reyn is a scholar and loves exploring and finding new stuff. There is one more massive Wizard wood log that his mother Jani Khuprus wants to cut up and sell, but Reyn can talk to it and has learned there is a dragon inside. The log needs to be exposed to sun for the dragons to hatch, but because all the Wizard wood was buried none of them could.

Kennit orders Wintrow to cut off his leg today. Wintrow is hesitant but Etta makes him do it. It is a bloody process but WIntrow successfully removes the bad part of the leg and stitches the skin closed. Afterwards Kennit stops breathing and seems to die, but Wintrow does something where he pulls Kennit’s soul back into his body. Kennit begins to feel a closeness and connection to Wintrow. Brashen has been serving on the Springeve and is accepting that he is basically a pirate, selling stolen merchandise. While buying items from a trader, he sees a picture of Vivacia and deduces that pirates must have taken her, then later sees her tied up in DIvvytown’s harbor and decides to return to Bingtown to let Althea and the Vestrit’s know.

Althea returns to Bingtown aboard Ophelia. Her and Grag Tenira have been growing closer, and he clearly likes her. As they near Bingtown they are accosted by a Chalcedean vessel, which was hired by the Satrap to patrol for pirates. They fight them off and run back to Bingtown harbor, but when they stop at the Tariff dock the fees are so exorbitant that Captain Tenira refuses to pay. He plans to rouse the other old trader families and make a stand against the Satrap. Althea sneaks off to return home.

In Jamaillia City, Serilla (A companion of the heart to the Satrap), tries to convince the young Satrap Cosgo that he needs to change his policies regarding Bingtown. Bingtown has been her field of study for many years and she longs to visit it. She tries to convince Cosgo to let her act as his ambassador (which will allow her to fix the problems he has caused), but the Satrap decides he will visit Bingtown himself (Along with his girls and drugs and nobles).

The Khuprus family is coming to visit the Vestrit’s to continue Reyn’s suit of Malta. Malta is continuing to try to control those around her and emotionally manipulating Reyn and especially Cerwyn Trell. Ronica still can tell this and hates Malta, but Malta thinks she is very smart. Davad Restart (Another old trader), continuously inserts himself gracelessly into many social situations.

Althea returns home to meet with Ronica and Keffria. She argues with Malta who as usual feels sullen and left out and judges everyone. Althea asks her family to support the Tenira’s in fighting back against the Satrap’s taxes and policies. Meanwhile, Kennit is making a full recovery and likes Wintrow now. Etta is also starting to bond with Wintrow. Kennit has an idea the maybe Etta and Wintrow should have a child so he will still have someone of Vestrit blood on board the Vivacia in case Wintrow ever leaves.

Maulkin manages to make another wild serpent remember who he is. By force they slowly grow their tangle again and bring back wild serpents to their memories and thoughts. The Satrap is travelling by ship to Bingtown, with a host of Chalcedean vessels for defense and to raid pirate settlements. Serilla is frustrated because he still refuses to discuss the problems in his territories, all he does is drugs. She confronts him and he says she must sleep with him. Serilla refuses so he gives her up to the captain to be used as a slave / prostitute.

Grag Tenira basically offers to marry Althea but she is hesitant. She does not want to stay at home raising children, she wants to sail (plus she still has feelings for Brashen). Brashen returns to Bingtown and brings the news of Vivacia’s capture by pirates to the Vestrits. They are obviously distraught and must plan what to do. It has the sharpest affect on Malta who seems to gain perspective now that her father has been captured, and begins to actually grow up. Brashen and Amber (Althea’s friend the bead-maker) come up with a plan. They should buy Paragon from the Ludlucks, make him ship-shape again, and sail him to free Vivacia. Many people argue against it since liveships are not supposed to be sold from their families, but eventually Althea and her family agree this is the best plan. Brashen is also trying to quit Cindin (drug).

Malta has a midnight meeting with Cerwyn Trell, but then realizes he is not a man like Reyn. She returns home and uses the dream box given to her by Reyn. Unknowingly to both, this connects Malta to the imprisoned Dragon in the Elderling city. It begins to torment both of their dreams, trying to force them to help it. It offers to save Kyle Haven and free the Vivacia if Malta can free it.

Kennit takes some of the freed slaves and Kyle Haven to a small, hidden island in the pirate isles. This used to be his family home, there is a big manor house and some small cottages with farms. Kennit’s mother lives here with her tongue cut out. This is where Kennit grew up before another pirate, Igrot, burned it, killed his father, and took Kennit as a captive. He imprisons Kyle in a cellar and asks the other slaves to make sure he does not die. He leaves them to live hopefully happily with his mother. Sa’Adar (The slave who started the slave revolt on Vivacia in the last book), refuses so Kennit kills him.

Bingtown holds a trader council and Althea and Captain Tenira speak out against the Satrap, and for help retrieving Vivacia. The old traders seem very split on what actions to take, as some are now profiting from slavery (Such as Davad Restart). No definitive action is decided upon, so Althea drives Davad home (someone vandalized his carriage). She also forces him to free a slave boy whom she gives to Brashen as a ship's boy. Davad negotiates the sale with the Ludlucks and Amber trades everything she owns for Paragon. They begin the hard work of getting the ship ready. Paragon’s mood swings make it difficult. Grag Tenira also led many men in burning down the Satrap’s tariff dock and free Ophelia, so he must go into hiding.

Vivacia is beginning to like being a pirate. She enjoys the chase and hunting down other ships. Wintrow is worried for her, but Kennit is happy. Malta is preparing for the summer ball where she will be presented as a woman. Reyn really wants to free the dragon but his family refuses, and his mother makes a contract with him to forget the dragon in exchange for being allowed to visit and marry Malta, and he agrees. Brashen has trouble finding men to work on Paragon since many still think he is cursed and Paragon himself acts out and makes the process difficult.

Serilla has been raped and abused by the Chalcedean captain. She feels broken, but the Satrap asks for her return. She seizes this opportunity and makes him think he has a bad illness and uses his weakness to negotiate more power for herself.

Maulkin and his now very large tangle drown a liveship and make it remember that it used to be a dragon. They eat it to gain it’s memories which help more of the tangle remember. They are now set in their purpose and know they need to return up the rain wild river to their cocoon grounds to become dragons. Apparently when the last batch of dragons was cocooned volcanoes or earthquakes happened which buried them so they never hatched.

Kennit is visiting his various pirate settlements where he is paid tribute. Wintrow teaches Etta to read and she teaches him knife fighting. Kennit realizes Etta would never cheat on him and they seem to be forming a small, strange family. When they reach Divvytown they find it has been burned and butchered by the Satrap’s Chalcedean ships. Kennit goes ashore and some of the men blame him. His people defend him and Wintrow kills a man. After the small skirmish those left accept Kennit as king and he draws up plans for a new, more defensible city here, and gives money and supplies to help facilitate that.

Paragon is refitted and ready to sail. Brashen will be captain, with a brute named Lavoy as first mate, Althea as second, and Amber as ship carpenter. Before they are set to leave the Vestrit’s come to see the ship and Malta faints (due to her contact with the dragon in her dreams and now touching wizard wood presumably). We also learned from the Khuprus family that Paragon is actually made with wizard wood from separate logs (Two dragons), so that is part of why he is erratic and crazy. The Paragon sets sail on its quest.

The Satrap and his Escort reach Bingtown. The people are alarmed at seeing many Chalcedean ships and set up a blockade. Unfortunately for Serilla Cosgo has regained his health, but she, him, and another companion Kekki, are allowed to go to shore and stay with Davad Restart. Meanwhile, Reyn and Grag (in disguise) are coming to Bingtown for the summer festival thing where Malta will be presented as a woman.

Serilla realizes that there is a plot to kill the Satrap in Bingtown, which will let the nobles in Jamaillia take power and Chalced will be given Bingtown. She needs to find a way to stop it. Althea is forced to fight some of the sailors when they question her, and then ends up either killing or injuring a serpent to defend the ship, but the serpent’s toxins make Paragon remember some of who he is (Dragon). Malta gets all dressed up and they head to town in a hired carriage.

Davad plans to make the Satrap fall in love with Malta to gain power. He introduces them and Malta and the Satrap dance. He insinuates he will send ships to help save Kyle Haven for a cost. Malta returns to Reyn and they half argue but then dance and Malta realizes she loves him. Reyn gets pulled away by Grag and Serilla to discuss the Satrap and how to save him and stop Bingtown from falling. Malta thinks he is just leaving her and is mad, but he manages to convince her family to leave. Davad offers his carriage but the Satrap forces his way in with Kekki. While riding away they are attacked by men on horses, all the Vestrits are hurt, Davad is killed, and the Satrap taken prisoner. Riots and fires break out in Bingtown.

Reyn shows up and takes Keffria, Malta, and Selden back up the Rain Wild river to Trehaug to keep them safe. Ronica remains to try to help Bingtown. Malta wakes up and confronts Reyn since it was kind of his troops that attacked the carriage to get the Satrap, but he did not know she would be there. He cries and apologizes, and Malta realizes forgiveness is possible (She has never had good male role models in her life because Kyle sucks). She forgives Reyn. Later Selden (her brother) comes by and they go to explore the hidden city alone.

Kennit takes Wintrow to the Others island (The oracles from the start of book 1), with Etta to help. Wintrow goes ahead and instead of finding treasurer and the Others he finds an imprisoned serpent. He sacrifices his body to free her. The Others appear and attack Wintrow, Kennit, Etta, and the Serpent but the serpent help fight them off. She is She Who Remembers, and she needs to share her memories with others. Vivacia somehow knows they are in trouble and comes around the island. Kennit seems to perform a miracle and gets all of them back to Vivacia and Wintrow barely lives.

Malta leaves Selden and goes deeper, finding the last wizardwood log / dragon. She absorbs a ton of ancient Elderling memories and tries to open a door to expose the log to sun but is not strong enough. A big earthquake happens and she frees Cosgo and Kekki from where they are trapped and leads them out, but they are way up river and have to boat back to Trehaug. Reyn is distraught the next morning and assumes Malta must be trapped in the city, he finds Selden and together they finish trying to open the door Malta started, but the entire city is falling apart. They do just enough and manage to let sunlight hatch the Dragon Tintaglia. At first she is going to leave them but then decides to help Reyn and Malta.

Maulkin and his tangle begin to head to the Rain Wild river to reach the cocooning grounds. She Who Remembers is crippled but stays with the Vivacia and also heads for the river. THE END.