Power dynamics shift and collapse in the second volume of the Liveship Traders trilogy. New characters are introduced, others disappear only to reveal worse dangers than the ones they embodied. 
Robin Hobb's character writing shines particularly brightly in the sequel to Ship of Magic. I'm thinking of one in particular, whom I can't stand in book 1 but start to tolerate i' book 2 (and will end up loving in book 3). I can't even imagine the effort it must have taken to orchestrate such a masterful chorus of voices, but it works. Now that we are more familiar with names and characters, the deeper currents of the story start to move closer to the surface and big mysteries are glimpsed through the moving tide. 
CW: closed spaces, sexual assault, slavery, rape.