Instead, the Vivacia goes to her sister Keffria and her scheming Chalcedean husband Kyle. Althea Vestrit expects her families to adhere to tradition, and pass the family Liveship on to her when it quickens at the death of her father. Only a Liveship can brave the dangers of the Rain Wild River and trade with the legendary Rain Wild Traders and their mysterious magical goods, plundered from the enigmatic Elderling ruins. At one time, possession of a Liveship, constructed of magical wizard wood, guaranteed a Trader's family prosperity. The war in the north has interrupted the trade that is the lifeblood of Bingtown, and the Liveship Traders have fallen on hard times despite their magic sentient ships. The Liveship Trader's Trilogy takes place in Jamaillia, Bingtown and the Pirate Isles, on the coast far to the south of the Six Duchies.

All the first editions were hardcovers: the UK covers were illustrated by John Howe, while the US versions were designed by Stephen Youll. The series was stylized as The Liveship Traders, and also as the Liveship Traders. The concluding volume, Ship of Destiny, was released in March 2000 in the UK and in August 2000 in the US. The second book followed in March 1999 in the UK, where it was titled The Mad Ship a US edition titled Mad Ship followed one month later. The first volume of the trilogy, Ship of Magic, was published in March 1998 by HarperCollins Voyager in the UK, and simultaneously in the US by Bantam Spectra.

Several critics regard it as Hobb's best work. A nautical fantasy series, the Liveship Traders is the second trilogy set in the Realm of the Elderlings and features pirates, sea serpents, a family of traders and their living ships. The Liveship Traders is a trilogy of fantasy novels by American author Robin Hobb.

The liveship traders trilogy