The Quartered Sea

Quarters #4

by Tanya Huff

Queen Jelena of Shkoder has decided to start her reign by commissioning a ship to undertake the exploration of uncharted waters in search of the homeland of the legendary Dark Sailor. When disaster strikes, the bard Benedikt -- who Sings only One Quarter, that of Water -- is hopelessly stranded with no way to get word back to the queen. Washed up on the shores of a distant land, Benedikt is claimed by his rescuers as a pawn in their intricate and perilous game of politics and religion. Can this One Quarter bard find a Song that will let him survive without disturbing the precarious power balance of a civilization he barely understands?

Genres: Fantasy, Fiction, Science Fiction Fantasy, High Fantasy, Magic, LGBT, Canada

416 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published May 1, 1999

About the author

Tanya Sue Huff is a Canadian fantasy author. Her stories have been published since the late 1980s, including five fantasy series and one science fiction series. One of these, her Blood Books series, featuring detective Vicki Nelson, was adapted for television under the title Blood Ties.

Reviews

[Craig · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is the fourth and fittingly final Quarter novel in Huff's high-fantasy series. I was glad she chose to return to contemporary/urban fantasy after this one. It is set several years after the third book, there is some overlap in characters but it's essentially a stand-alone story. I did not like it as well as the previous books because it seemed to lack the clever dialog and as much humor, and because the main character isn't as interesting or as likable. The setting is quite well described, and the rules of the magic system remain interesting and consistent. It's a nice quest story, but not outstanding.

[Jeremy Preacher · Rating 3 out of 5]

I am sort of torn on this one. On the one hand, it's refreshing to read about fantasy-medieval Central America instead of Europe, nice to examine how the magically chosen culture guardians can go badly wrong, and look at some of the ways personal insecurity can have larger-scale consequences. On on the other hand, fantasy Aztecs are almost invariably portrayed as coldblooded sociopaths, hidebound bureaucrats are very nearly my least favorite characters to read about, and insecure and amoral but irresistible pretty boys are my least favorite characters to read about.

So... yeah. It was a decent read, I suppose, but not a main character I enjoyed spending time with and not exactly the comfort food I was looking for.

[Akiva ꙮ · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was gonna give it 3, but I talked myself down to 2. 2.5? Brainless high fantasy reading, the first I've read in a long time. I haven't read any of the other books in the series (though I think I've read other Tanya Huff books); I got this at random from a BookCrossing site.

The world is pretty boring---an "elemental magic!1" spin on Valdemar. There are a few interesting and original bits of magic, but the magic/music connection is a little overdone at this point. How about magic/plumbing or something? Oh wait, Tamora Pierce covered that. Anyway, you know things are a tad underdeveloped when you don't find out what instrument Benedikt plays until 3/4 of the way through the book. (Early on, he puts his "instrument case" away. Whut?)

Benedikt is a dickhead in the classic Vanyel (Mercedes Lackey's Valdemar) sense, with the difference that I could actually stand to read an entire book about him and that other characters seem to realize that he's a dickhead. Character development is the obvious plot, but by the end of the book he's still going "Waaaah my life is so hard! I can only sing the best water in the history of the planet! Waaaaaaah!" Also everyone wants to have sex with him, to the point that it is almost funny. I am not even kidding, everyone. When someone hears that he's dead, her first reaction is "Damn, I really wanted to bone him when he had grown up a bit and stopped being so self-absorbed." (Paraphrased less than you might think.) Benedikt, of course, finds it such a hardship that people want to have sex with him all the time. Even though he gets constant boners, at a rate of every twenty pages or so.

There's a lot of ostentatious permissiveness of same-sex relationships and not many actual same-sex relationships. Benedikt's own (human) love life manages to be both somewhat important to the plot and completely chaste and barren. Not to mention the bit where it's clumsily foreshadowed and doesn't make a lick of sense, but who's counting?

But overall I was pretty entertained and I wanted to finish it quickly rather than put it down. For what the book is, my biggest complaint is that the ending was far too sudden and felt like a cop-out.

[Amanda · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dammit, I love Tanya Huff's writing! I so wish she was more prolific...
The writing in this novel are as good as ever, full of longing, magic, and an unlikely hero that survives what nobody else could have. I love the loose love stories that don't pick and choose between man and woman. It's beautiful, unique, and a distinct trait of most of Tanya's books and I appreciate it. There's no need to explain away or scandalize...it all just IS.

[Willow Wood · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a mixed bag of feelings I have for this book! After loving the first three books in the series, I was super bummed that I just didn't immediately fall for this one too. I kept putting it off. I went back for the fantastic world and the peripheral, well-established side-characters. But ugh, did I hate Benedickt. In the beginning. I hated him so much sometimes that I read a page a time. And 140 pages later BOOM. I'm reeled in.

The first act is establishing Benedickt's deep insecurities (see also: insufferable self-pity), his failure to appreciate the Very Patient and Kind people in his life, and his general inability to see beyond what he lacks compared to others. So when someone important, like the Queen, asks him to do what he believes no one else can, Benedickt is given a self-important purpose.

Act 2 is Benedickt being thrown upon the mercies of two cruel, powerful rulers in an unknown country that does not value Benedickt in the way he longs to be valued. He feels noticed but, as a desirable commodity, similar to a "dancing bear", because either his looks or his unique powers serve peoples' manipulative game. Exploring the pseudo-Aztec-Mexican culture was super interesting, as was seeing Benedickt constantly reasses what he thought of himself and what he was willing to do to survive.

Once I got past the hill of the first act, I couldn't put it down. I loved the current of m/m romance that slowly came cresting to the shore. I adored the increasingly creative uses of water kigh and the beautiful camaraderie of the Shokdians left behind. I especially enjoyed how terrifying the Xaan was, probably because Benedickt is such a self-absorbed idiot for most of it who couldn't see it for himself.

Ultimately, very well done. And damn it, Huff knows how to crack a good joke.

[Tracy Smyth · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this series.

[Mir · Rating 2 out of 5]

I wanted to like this more, not only because I usually find Huff enjoyable even when she isn't good, but because I was excited to see a fantasy novel head in an original direction. In this story a ship sets out to explore uncharted ocean distances, is wrecked, and leaves one survivor prisoner in a previously unknown land, very loosely based on pre-Columbian Mesoamerican cultures. The survivor, Benedikt, is a Bard, able to control the element of water through music. His captors have no familiarity with this magic and a power struggle to control Benedikt develops between two rulers. Every now and then we flash back across the seas to the kingdom of Shkoder where the queen and various other characters from earlier books in the series are worrying about what happened to the voyagers.

Sadly, the book is pretty much all-Benedikt all the time, and Benedikt is a whiny, self-absorbed pity-party. Even before this disastrous shipwreck, he has spent his entire life feeling sorry for himself because, although he is handsome and talented, he cannot sing Air like most Bards, who use this element to communicate over long distances. The excuses for choosing Benedikt as the Bard despite this lack for the voyage are pretty weak, but obviously this is a necessary plot device as otherwise he could easily send for help. Even though I felt sorry for his suffering I did not like Benedikt and was soon bored with his self-pity.

The book also had an unnecessary and super-weak romantic subplot pairing Benedikt with Bannon, a major character from No Quarter. Since the two hardly know each other and have no interaction throughout the book, this seemed pointless as well as not in keeping with the personality already developed for Bannon, who hardly seemed like someone who would have patience for self-pity (unless it were his own). The only thing in favor of this plot point was that it kept the bulk of the book romance free.

[Audrey · Rating 1 out of 5]

Not even mediocre. Reads like the author just wanted to write a horny gay fanfic.

[Cornelia Johansson · Rating 3 out of 5]

I think this is probably my least favourite of the series, though I still enjoyed it a lot. I've always been a fan of fish out of water type stories, and just like all the Quarters books it's very engaging with a good mix of humour and tension.

But I did have... a bit of hard time with the treatment of the fantasy empire based on pre columbian America. It just felt a bit icky that the European based empires are all nice with benevolent monarchs, while the one based on native americans has terrible ruthless leaders. It isn't portrayed as uncivilised or savage or anything; their empire is complex and advanced and fascinating, but its corrupt, borderline evil leaders just felt unfair in comparison.

Also, I had a bit of a hard time with the main character. I liked him just fine, and then he went and did something exceedingly stupid and I wanted to smack my head into a table.

[Stephen Poltz · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sometimes I really like Tanya Huff’s books, sometimes I think they’re okay. This time, I thought the book was kind of average but I really liked it. It’s average because the magic system is not that spectacular: music as a way of manipulating the elements. I really liked it though because of what she did with it. The energy of the elements is called “kigh.” The main character only Sings water, but he is such a profound bard that not only controls water, but it responds to his presence and emotions as well. That’s what set apart this magical musical world. This book was nominated for a Gaylactic Spectrum Award for positive LGBTQ+ content in genre fiction.

Come visit my blog for the full review…
https://itstartedwiththehugos.blogspo...

[Juushika · Rating 2 out of 5]

A bard with an unusually close connection to water travels across the sea to find undiscovered lands. "Unusually close" is very Huff, but perhaps the only fun part of the book. The protagonist's characterization grates; it was a relief to realize this was initial and to witness his significant growth, but I still dislike him. The world expands significantly, in ways which question and deepen the magic system, but the setting and local plot, hot and humid and hateful, failed to engage me. I'm not sorry to've read this, particularly for its additions to the worldbuilding, but this is the first book in the series that I haven't enjoyed.

[Alina · Rating 4 out of 5]

(3.75 stars) I was honestly pretty surprised that I ended up enjoying this book so much. The first Quarter book was just okay for me, so I wasn't sure where this one would go. I thought the beginning was very slow and I was pretty worried that I wouldn't like it, but once Benedikt was on his own, the story became truly gripping. I loved watching him slowly overcome the language and culture barrier, which takes up most of the middle of the book. Then he gets put into harder and harder situations and the tension winds tighter and tighter until the very end. I'm glad that I ended up enjoying this one because I loved The Fire's Stone, but not Sing the Four Quarters.

[Jessica · Rating 4 out of 5]

Do you know what I love about this series? Besides everyone (EVERYONE) being bisexual, and the brilliant magic system? All the characters populating this world are messy, complex, people who make poor choices, and are effected by trauma, and are unlikable in some way, and exist in such complex shades of grey, which makes for wonderful & relatable stories... about magic bards who manipulate the elements through song... like ya do.

[Carol Xu · Rating 1 out of 5]

This series just got worse after the first book. By the time I got to “Quartered Sea”, I didn’t like any of the characters, none of the storyline or romances felt realistically fleshed out, and the author somehow managed to exoticize a cis white man while portraying the fantasy Aztecs like bloodthirsty savages. Definitely glad that’s all over with.

[John · Rating 5 out of 5]

And the second wave was more restful

The four book series were all very good, but the second climax and finish provided in the 4th book was more restful. And created from deep feeling and knowledge….
Probably easier to internalize by reading the series in the provided sequence. Gladly recommended, without wasting energy.

[Wetdryvac Wetdryvac · Rating 3 out of 5]

Meh.

[Gabrielle · Rating 4 out of 5]

A bit like a Hernando Cortez story, but without the genocide.

[Hosha Naimool · Rating 5 out of 5]

Definitely the best book in the series with well-developed characters.

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

Quite an abrupt ending and not as gripping as the previous ones but still good.

[Sue · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book. Love this series.

[Angela]

7 March 2020:

[Katie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really wanted this to be a sequel to Sing the Four Quarters, which it is not. It struck me the wrong way at first and again when the main character takes off on a sudden new direction. But it won me over by the end.

[Michelle Swanson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not as good as past few books of this series, story draged on .

[Lisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent read. This is my second time through and it was just as enjoyable as I remembered.

[Debrac2014 · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars! I wasn't a big fan of Benedikt but events changed his character by the end!

[Claudia Parker · Rating 5 out of 5]

Surprising conclusion

Perhaps the best of the series, the Quartered Sea has many surprising twists and turns as Benedikt learns what it really means to be a bard of water.

[Tessa in Mid-Michigan · Rating 3 out of 5]

TW torture, bestiality?

[Arliegh Kovacs · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is much different than the other three in this Tanya Huff series [ Sing the Four Quarters, Fifth Quarter, No Quarter, The Quartered Sea ]. In fact, the dedication itself reads "For Alex: Not quite the sequel he wanted, but I'm afraid it'll have to do."
Please remember that this series should definitely be read in order or it can be confusing. While this one contains some of the same characters, and the premise that there are those who can Sing (and, therefore, control) air, fire, earth, and/or water, it adds a new and different character. Benedikt is only able to Sing water. Because he hasn't met the expectations of his home village, he doubts his worth; he feels inferior to his fellow bards, and isolated from them because he not only sings only one of the quarters, he is unable to Sing air -- which is the means by which the bards communicate with each other.
So when the new queen of Shkoder decides to have a vessel built for a crew that will sail into the unknown (to prove that the world is not flat and that their voyage will ultimately end up on the opposite shores of their continent), Benedikt is thrilled to be the bard chosen to sail with it. His ability to communicate with the water kigh will allow his to smooth and speed the voyage of their ship. Because of an unfortunate disagreement with the head of the school over whether the expedition should be sent at all, the bards who sing the other kigh have declined the chance to sail with the Starfarer. The lack of someone who Sings air means that the ship is soon out of range of communication. Some information gets back by water but it is often incomplete or garbled.
When a typhoon hits, Benedikt is swept overboard and is washed up on the beach of a strange new land where his appearance sets him apart from people he is saved by. He becomes a slave in a power struggle between dynasties about to change positions in the government and his situation becomes perilous. With no way to communicate his plight to those in his homeland, he must do his best to survive as he is caught in the middle -- where both sides are ruthless in their means to attain their goals. Can the water kigh find a way to communicate with the bards of Shkoder and their queen? In fact, will he be able to stay alive and sane in this new land?

[Daniel · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book broke my heart again and again (in a good way).

I was able to relate to the main character from the beginning. We have all experienced the idea that we are not a good as the other person in the room or the idea that we don't deserve to be as happy as everyone else.

Benedickt is the main character of this book. He is a bard who has only the ability to Sing one quarter, that of water. Without the ability to Sing the quarter of air, he is always left out of the loop of gossip and information that everyone else is able to hear and keep in touch with. Benedickt is asked to go on a dangerous mission across the unknown seas. When a storm the likes Benedickt has never seen hits, he becomes the only survivor thanks to the water spirits that he Sings.
Stuck in a strange land with people who do not seem to know about the spirits or the Bards that Sing, Benedickt tries to make the best of a bad situation. Meanwhile back home, Benedickt has friends he never believed he had who are doing everything in their power to get him back home.

[Ward Bond · Rating 2 out of 5]

Queen Jalena of Shkoder has decided to start her reign by commissioning a ship to undertake the exploration of uncharted waters and see if it is possible to circumnavigate the world. When disaster strikes, the sole survivor is the bard Benedikt who Sings only One Quarter, that of Water. Found by the people of a Mayan-like civilization, he becomes a pawn between the brother and sister who are the most powerful people in their culture.

Praise for Tanya Huff:

"Ms. Huff is a marvelous talent whose vibrant characterizations and intelligent plotting make each new book a very special reading experience. Bring on the next verse!" --_Romantic Times_

"I love the way Huff writes. She creates rich, complex fantasy worlds, populates them with likable characters, includes lots of humor and action, bright, lively dialogue....Unputdownable." --_VOYA_