The Mad Ship

Synopsis

'Hobb is a remarkable storyteller' GUARDIAN

The second volume in this superb trilogy from the author of The Farseer trilogy continues the dramatic tale of piracy, serpents, love and magic.

The Vestrit family's liveship, Vivacia, has been taken by the pirate king, Kennit. Held captive on board, Wintrow Vestrit finds himself competing with Kennit for Vivacia's love as the ship slowly acquires her own bloodlust.

Leagues away, Althea Vestrit has found a new home aboard the liveship Ophelia, but she lives only to reclaim the Vivacia and with her friend, Brashen, she plans a dangerous rescue.

Meanwhile in Bingtown, the fading fortunes of the Vestrit family lead Malta deeper into the magical secrets of the Rain Wild Traders. And just outside Bingtown, Amber dreams of relaunching Paragon, the mad liveship . . .

Summary

Chapter 1: The Mad Ship

The chapter opens with a vivid description of the titular ship, the Mad Ship, a mysterious and derelict vessel drifting aimlessly in the open sea. Captain Hollyer and a group of survivors from a wrecked ship stumble upon the Mad Ship and board it, hoping to salvage what they can.

Chapter 2: The Phantom Crew

As the survivors explore the Mad Ship, they encounter strange and eerie phenomena. The ship's decks are strewn with bodies, and ghostly apparitions haunt the corridors. Captain Hollyer senses a dark presence aboard the vessel.

Example: Hollyer describes the phantom crew as "men with blank faces and eyes that seemed to see nothing. They moved about the ship as if in a trance, their bodies swaying slightly."

Chapter 3: The Mad Captain

Hollyer and his crew track down the Mad Captain, a skeletal figure with a cruel and twisted smile. The Captain reveals that the Mad Ship is a vessel of the dead, cursed to sail the seas forever. He seeks to lure living souls aboard to replenish his phantom crew.

Chapter 4: The Deadly Cargo

The survivors discover that the Mad Ship is carrying a deadly cargo: a shipment of plague-ridden rats. The rats have escaped and are now spreading disease throughout the vessel. Captain Hollyer orders his crew to exterminate the vermin, but their efforts prove futile.

Example: The chapter describes the rats as "a teeming horde, their eyes gleaming red in the darkness. They scurried and slithered over every surface, spreading death and terror."

Chapter 5: The Siege of the Mad Ship

As the plague takes hold, the survivors barricade themselves inside the ship's control room. Captain Hollyer leads a desperate defense against the phantom crew and the relentless rats. The situation becomes increasingly hopeless.

Chapter 6: The Final Battle

With the ship sinking and their options dwindling, Captain Hollyer and his remaining crew confront the Mad Captain in a final battle. Hollyer realizes that the Captain is a manifestation of the ship itself, a twisted and malevolent entity.

Chapter 7: The Destruction of the Mad Ship

Hollyer and his crew manage to defeat the Mad Captain and escape the sinking ship. The Mad Ship plunges into the depths, taking with it the phantom crew and the deadly cargo. Captain Hollyer and his survivors are left to drift adrift in a lifeboat, their fate unknown.