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Lhind #1
Lhind the Thief
LHIND HAS BEEN ON THE RUN ALL HER LIFE. Stealing what she needs, using magic for disguise, she never stays anywhere long. Lhind even has secrets from herself, for she has few memories, and those are troubling. But life is good until she gets caught by Rajanas the warrior-prince, Thianra the bard, and Hlanan the scribe. And that’s when adventure begins, because someone very powerful wants them all dead. As they evade pursuit and work to uncover their enemies, Lhind struggles with the invisible bonds of friendship and trust, while Hlanan begins uncovering her secrets one by one. This young adult romantic fantasy adventure will appeal to fans of A POSSE OF PRINCESSES.
274 pages, Kindle Edition
First published August 17, 2013
53 people are currently reading
960 people want to read
About the author
Sherwood Smith
168 books37.5k followersI am a writer,( Patreon here) but I'm on Goodreads to talk about books, as I've been a passionate reader as long as I've been a writer--since early childhood.
I'm not going to rate books--there are too many variables. I'd rather talk about the reading experience. My 'reviews' of my books are confined to the writing process.
I'm not going to rate books--there are too many variables. I'd rather talk about the reading experience. My 'reviews' of my books are confined to the writing process.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 84 reviews
Read
January 12, 2015This one, releasing now, is sheer wish-fulfillment, written in spurts over the past bunch of years, whenever my life crashed and burned.
I finished it this year while getting past the death of my little brother. I never sent it to a major publisher: it falls between marketing categories, as it's too PG for adult or the new YA, and it contains none of the story elements they seem to be looking for, like angsty-Instalove, grimdark, and important cultural or political themes.
Instead, I kitchen-sinked it with all my old comfort-read faves: disguises, flying, swashbuckling on land and sea, tree-houses, secrets, telepathy, magical powers and spells, food, good-looking villains as well as heroes, and even some romance.
It's pretty much aimed at the same audience who read A Posse of Princesses, which it overlaps.
I finished it this year while getting past the death of my little brother. I never sent it to a major publisher: it falls between marketing categories, as it's too PG for adult or the new YA, and it contains none of the story elements they seem to be looking for, like angsty-Instalove, grimdark, and important cultural or political themes.
Instead, I kitchen-sinked it with all my old comfort-read faves: disguises, flying, swashbuckling on land and sea, tree-houses, secrets, telepathy, magical powers and spells, food, good-looking villains as well as heroes, and even some romance.
It's pretty much aimed at the same audience who read A Posse of Princesses, which it overlaps.
Read
August 16, 2013This was the exact book I was in the mood for at the exact time I read it: fun but not too light; YA but no angst or triangles or Instalove; a thief in a fantasy world and one with some truly interesting secrets to hide. Lhind was a delightful heroine, and I particularly loved the way that one of my favourite YA fantasy tropes (the young protagonist who's alone and has survived by trusting nobody learns that sometimes you can and have to trust others) is handled with such a light touch. Every possible bit of fun and pathos and certainty that Lhind will come through for the people she starts off viewing as her enemies (or at least targets-who-deserve-it) is got out of this journey. Every distrustful, inventive-curse-accompanied step of it. Everyone who's ever read any of Sherwood's books will know absolutely that they don't have to worry her young female protag will be a helpless type, but she's also very much her own character, rather than your generic 'kickass heroine'.
Remember how I said there was no angst? Well, one of the coolest things about the book is that there's a big - really unusual - reveal, which in 99.9% of other YA books (with even a bit of romance) would elicit huge amounts of wailing and hand-wringing and here it's a non-issue. Finding it hard to express how refreshing it is, although I don't want to do a spoiler cut and explain more until the book is published and more people have read it. The romance is sweet and light and I approve Lhind's choice. :) It almost goes without saying that the world and the magic will feel thoroughly solid, although it is Wren's world, rather than Sartorias-deles. (Interesting page on the connection between the two can be read here.)
I think it's pretty clear how I felt about the book by now, but it bears restating; I loved it, and would be really happy to read more - either a direct sequel or a sideways one, picking up on some of the other great characters encountered here.
Remember how I said there was no angst? Well, one of the coolest things about the book is that there's a big - really unusual - reveal, which in 99.9% of other YA books (with even a bit of romance) would elicit huge amounts of wailing and hand-wringing and here it's a non-issue. Finding it hard to express how refreshing it is, although I don't want to do a spoiler cut and explain more until the book is published and more people have read it. The romance is sweet and light and I approve Lhind's choice. :) It almost goes without saying that the world and the magic will feel thoroughly solid, although it is Wren's world, rather than Sartorias-deles. (Interesting page on the connection between the two can be read here.)
I think it's pretty clear how I felt about the book by now, but it bears restating; I loved it, and would be really happy to read more - either a direct sequel or a sideways one, picking up on some of the other great characters encountered here.
dnf
January 26, 2020YA fantasy with a girl disguised as a boy, thief protagonist is SO my thing, and I have really nostalgic fond memories of this author's Crown Duel, so I'm surprised by how much I am not into this. I'm just bored. DNF
Read
September 23, 2013So nice to come to a book which kept making me want to read just one more page. Lhind - who is far more complex than your standard girl-disguised-as-boy - rarely does anything but hit the ground running, and thinks hard while she does. I was a little worried she was going to , but she rewarded me by not being quite so easy. Juicy world-building to go with it, and plenty of other characters whose stories I'd like to hear more of.
January 28, 2015
Lhind the Thief is an escapist adventure story in the very best sense--completely absorbing, fast paced, and with plot twists and action that just keep coming. Lhind is an orphan who has survived to date by thievery, aided by her unusual agility, her ability to speak any language she hears and to communicate with animals, and her facility for magic. She's quick-witted and an excellent improviser.
She's not so good, however, at trust, friendship, and truthfulness. These things have only been impediments in her past, but when she's kidnapped after a display of magic, her anger and indignation soon turn to curiosity and a grudging sort of wistfulness over the bond of friendship shared by the sardonic Prince Rajanas, the thoughtful scribe Hlanan, and Hlanan's sister, the bard Thianra. So in addition to the adventures, there's also a quieter story unfolding, about the consequences of deception and what trust means.
I confess, though, that my favorite parts were the ones in which Lhind was learning about her magical abilities. In one very funny scene, the timorous restraint of a lawful magic user (Faryana) is contrasted with the accommodating lure of a wicked sorcerer (Dhes-Andis). Lhind is in desperate straits and reaches out first to the one, then the other:
Before Faryana can finish her stipulations, the threat reaches critical levels, so Lhind turns to the sorcerer:
No strings attached--or not apparently. But of course, Lhind's interactions with Dhes-Andis do have consequences.
If you want to lose yourself in magic, intrigue, danger, and a touch of romance, Lhind the Thief is just the ticket.
She's not so good, however, at trust, friendship, and truthfulness. These things have only been impediments in her past, but when she's kidnapped after a display of magic, her anger and indignation soon turn to curiosity and a grudging sort of wistfulness over the bond of friendship shared by the sardonic Prince Rajanas, the thoughtful scribe Hlanan, and Hlanan's sister, the bard Thianra. So in addition to the adventures, there's also a quieter story unfolding, about the consequences of deception and what trust means.
I confess, though, that my favorite parts were the ones in which Lhind was learning about her magical abilities. In one very funny scene, the timorous restraint of a lawful magic user (Faryana) is contrasted with the accommodating lure of a wicked sorcerer (Dhes-Andis). Lhind is in desperate straits and reaches out first to the one, then the other:
Faryana! Help me do magic to get rid of these reekers?
I must know exactly what you are doing and why. And I must have your vow not to harm any living—
Before Faryana can finish her stipulations, the threat reaches critical levels, so Lhind turns to the sorcerer:
I fumbled at my turban, and smacked the whistle so that it touched against my forehead. I need magic help—
Here’s a fire spell, was the instantaneous reply.
No strings attached--or not apparently. But of course, Lhind's interactions with Dhes-Andis do have consequences.
If you want to lose yourself in magic, intrigue, danger, and a touch of romance, Lhind the Thief is just the ticket.
August 27, 2013
I really enjoyed this book, but then, that wasn't hard to predict as I'm generally a fan of Sherwood Smith's novels. While this one is set in the same world as some of the others, it doesn't rely on any previous knowledge for the story (which is a good thing, given my generally poor memory).
Lhind is a great character, charming and witty. She has a plethora of secrets and the story does such a fine job of revealing them over time that I hesitate to go into too much detail in this review. I will say that it's an interesting take on the girl with a murky past, and some of those developments were as surprising as they were unique. Lhind is an itinerant thief, reluctant to form attachments (largely due to those secrets as opposed to by choice). Part of the engagement with the book is her learning to respect and eventually trust those who drag her (sometimes kicking, though rarely screaming) from her hidden life. Seeing her develop trust in herself (emotionally-speaking) along with those relationships was very rewarding.
Which is a lot of character development to insert into a plot that is pretty active in its own right. Lhind manages to steal some things early on that turn out to be rather important to some nasty people. Being hunted by people (don't miss that plural) with power both political and magical makes for some exciting and tense moments (at one point, I had to put the book down for an evening just to give myself some emotional breathing room--I couldn't stand the thought of the possible repercussions if she or Hlanan were caught).
So there are characters I came to care about deeply doing things that are both important and interesting. I call that an unreserved win and a great story.
Lhind is a great character, charming and witty. She has a plethora of secrets and the story does such a fine job of revealing them over time that I hesitate to go into too much detail in this review. I will say that it's an interesting take on the girl with a murky past, and some of those developments were as surprising as they were unique. Lhind is an itinerant thief, reluctant to form attachments (largely due to those secrets as opposed to by choice). Part of the engagement with the book is her learning to respect and eventually trust those who drag her (sometimes kicking, though rarely screaming) from her hidden life. Seeing her develop trust in herself (emotionally-speaking) along with those relationships was very rewarding.
Which is a lot of character development to insert into a plot that is pretty active in its own right. Lhind manages to steal some things early on that turn out to be rather important to some nasty people. Being hunted by people (don't miss that plural) with power both political and magical makes for some exciting and tense moments (at one point, I had to put the book down for an evening just to give myself some emotional breathing room--I couldn't stand the thought of the possible repercussions if she or Hlanan were caught).
So there are characters I came to care about deeply doing things that are both important and interesting. I call that an unreserved win and a great story.
January 2, 2021
Sherwood Smith continues to amaze me with her fantastic but thorough world-building skills. Every nuance of her stories feel so effortless and yet I would guess that it is all meticulously planned out in her head. I can say this feels like truth because there was a sample chapter of A Posse of Princesses in the back. I thought 'what the heck' and re-read my copy of that immediately after finishing this book. There was a beautiful easter egg hidden in a letter that the protagonist writes near the back of that book which mentioned in passing the Imperial Heir and one of the Snow Folk. I found myself grinning when I read that. A Posse of Princesses was published in 2010!
I know there are a lot of little details like the one mentioned above that I know I'm missing out on all over the place but when I do catch one I find myself even more in awe of the magic of her tale-spinning and all the amazing detail that goes into the writing of these stories. It's just incredible.
I know this was a hard book for Ms. Smith to write and all I can say is thank you so much for another amazing read. And thank goodness that it was not full of all the angsty-instalove, grimdark, political, dystopian themes that are so prevalent in YA novels nowadays. A breath of fresh air, as always.
And for anyone out there who wants a book full of "disguises, flying, swashbuckling on land and sea, tree-houses, secrets, telepathy, magical powers and spells, food, good-looking villains as well as heroes, and even some romance" (as said by Ms. Smith herself) please pick up this book!! If you liked it, try out A Posse of Princesses or her most well-known Crown Duel next if you haven't already. It's well worth your time, I promise you.
July 23, 2016
I understand all the five-star reviews friends and acquaintances gave the novel. This book shows the best of fantasy: a great plot, a delightful world, a great cast of characters.
But it showcases perfectly also why I'm not a fan of YA.
I can't connect with the leading characters. They often don't compute for me.
Here the heroine is a street urchin, a thief that survives a brutal life in a world where she can be burned at the stakes. She's not stupid, never such. But she's way too naive for the part. Moreover, if you are depicted as someone who doesn't trust, the moment that trust is broken should have consequences. And here there are none. I understand that not all book should be angsty, but at the same time not all books should be pollyannish.
The movement from distrust to trust was almost too swift. And in this again we see the behavior of a child, not a grownup. Only a child moves this quickly from dislike to like the first time someone shows him "trust".
And the choice of a goody-two-shoe as a hero didn't help. I couldn't like this supercilious guy, never able to think outside what was taught. I did prefer Rajanas to him.
All of this shows my age, nothing can be said against such an author :)
But it showcases perfectly also why I'm not a fan of YA.
I can't connect with the leading characters. They often don't compute for me.
Here the heroine is a street urchin, a thief that survives a brutal life in a world where she can be burned at the stakes. She's not stupid, never such. But she's way too naive for the part. Moreover, if you are depicted as someone who doesn't trust, the moment that trust is broken should have consequences. And here there are none. I understand that not all book should be angsty, but at the same time not all books should be pollyannish.
The movement from distrust to trust was almost too swift. And in this again we see the behavior of a child, not a grownup. Only a child moves this quickly from dislike to like the first time someone shows him "trust".
And the choice of a goody-two-shoe as a hero didn't help. I couldn't like this supercilious guy, never able to think outside what was taught. I did prefer Rajanas to him.
All of this shows my age, nothing can be said against such an author :)
September 13, 2017
This book practically had me at "nonhuman female protagonist." Even though the romance was not its strongest suit (though I did like the character of the love interest; there's a lot more to him than just "love interest"), for a change we see the man as the "ordinary" human and the woman as "the Other." I also appreciate the wide array of other female characters who made their contributions to the plot. Thianra the bard is probably my favorite character in the book.
August 30, 2013
Admittedly I still don't see the overlap with A Posse of Princesses, but maybe that only means it's set in the same world - and the mentioning of the various countries there really isn't in my memory anymore - anyway, this is a hardly-ever-calming-down series of escapades for Lhind, the thief with memory gaps in her past, who doesn't know much for sure - but she does have magic and she doesn't look like other people.
I liked what I saw of Hlanan or Thiarna or even Rajanas and would have loved to have seen more of the Kuraf and her people, especially, but Sherwood Smith leaves the door open for many further possible adventures:
In this book we learn who Lhind is and we see her react to kindness and trust - some of her about-turns I found a bit difficult to believe from her age and the way the past had treated her (she would really be so easy to manipulate by the bone whistle when she had scoffed at trusting the necklace and Hlanan, within reasonable suspicion I thought?), but it's a swash-buckling adventure to clear the palate after dark and difficult books, so enjoy it for what it is ^^.
I liked what I saw of Hlanan or Thiarna or even Rajanas and would have loved to have seen more of the Kuraf and her people, especially, but Sherwood Smith leaves the door open for many further possible adventures:
In this book we learn who Lhind is and we see her react to kindness and trust - some of her about-turns I found a bit difficult to believe from her age and the way the past had treated her (she would really be so easy to manipulate by the bone whistle when she had scoffed at trusting the necklace and Hlanan, within reasonable suspicion I thought?), but it's a swash-buckling adventure to clear the palate after dark and difficult books, so enjoy it for what it is ^^.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 3, 2013
I really enjoyed this book. The characters are wonderful. I don't understpand the need for angst filled dramatic "love" that is in YA books these days. What I looked for then (much as I do now) is adventure mixed in with "people" I can identify with. I also think young love should be exactly as it was portrayed.....think of your first kiss...how many of us smack foreheads or even miss entirely? As an adult I think its sweet and this world could use more of that and less of the stress we create for ourselves trying to duplicate the hyper sexual "romances" in books and on t.v.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 24, 2025
2.75/5
the premise of this book was promising, but in execution it fell flat on so many levels. i love thief books, i’m almost guaranteed to pick a book up with that trope, but her being a thief stopped mattering about halfway through and then ended up re-emerging at the end to fuck everything up?? why
it was also simultaneously boring and chaotic. so many wars and invasions and alliances, and yet i could not name you a single place or person other than the main three characters. every time they mentioned a place, my eyes would glaze over because of how little it mattered. there was also no map so every time they were like “we need to get to this place which makes us pass through this and this place which is under occupancy of this place” i got so turned around. it was boring because of how the plot was really just a series of events with little connection to each other other than that she was traveling.
not to say that this book didn’t have some good ideas. tell me the story of the two noble children who become friends while on a slave ship and forge this unbreakable bond of trust but then have to navigate their differing views on magic and their loyalties to their countries. tell me the story of the hidden royal children and their different adventures in learning to navigate the war. tell me the story of the evil sorcerer king’s plot to use a group of magic people to take over the world and simultaneously kill it. hell, tell me the story of the inn keepers wife who was ready to throw down for her husband. tell me any story except lhind’s.
didn’t even talk about the tail and fur that wasn’t revealed until a third of the way through. like what the hell sherwood smith.
the premise of this book was promising, but in execution it fell flat on so many levels. i love thief books, i’m almost guaranteed to pick a book up with that trope, but her being a thief stopped mattering about halfway through and then ended up re-emerging at the end to fuck everything up?? why
it was also simultaneously boring and chaotic. so many wars and invasions and alliances, and yet i could not name you a single place or person other than the main three characters. every time they mentioned a place, my eyes would glaze over because of how little it mattered. there was also no map so every time they were like “we need to get to this place which makes us pass through this and this place which is under occupancy of this place” i got so turned around. it was boring because of how the plot was really just a series of events with little connection to each other other than that she was traveling.
not to say that this book didn’t have some good ideas. tell me the story of the two noble children who become friends while on a slave ship and forge this unbreakable bond of trust but then have to navigate their differing views on magic and their loyalties to their countries. tell me the story of the hidden royal children and their different adventures in learning to navigate the war. tell me the story of the evil sorcerer king’s plot to use a group of magic people to take over the world and simultaneously kill it. hell, tell me the story of the inn keepers wife who was ready to throw down for her husband. tell me any story except lhind’s.
didn’t even talk about the tail and fur that wasn’t revealed until a third of the way through. like what the hell sherwood smith.
February 18, 2018
Fun, light fantasy book.
Lhind is a thief, who is kidnapped by an unknown pair - Rajanas and Hlanan for her ability at magic. We learn that magic is illegal where she is; hence her various disguises.
I appreciated Lhind's slow journey to trusting Hlanan. We have the usual misunderstandings, but these were resolved, and we slowly learn why
I enjoyed the romance, as well as Lhind finding out her background. It's a coming-of-age story, although the protagonist is older than usual (twenties).
Lhind is a thief, who is kidnapped by an unknown pair - Rajanas and Hlanan for her ability at magic. We learn that magic is illegal where she is; hence her various disguises.
I appreciated Lhind's slow journey to trusting Hlanan. We have the usual misunderstandings, but these were resolved, and we slowly learn why
I enjoyed the romance, as well as Lhind finding out her background. It's a coming-of-age story, although the protagonist is older than usual (twenties).
January 19, 2019
Absolute sword-and-sorcery romp with perhaps a bit more tromping from place to place than needed. If you feel like a ship (twice), coach, bareback horse, saddled horse, were wings, magical transporting, and lots of walking tale, well here it is. There's pirates (twice!), duels, evil princes, good princes, disguised princes, attempted regicides, potions in flagons, spies, mercenaries, fireballs, and lots of other fantastical mayhem too. Lhind is not just your basic Shakespearean cross-dressing lead, and Smith's twist on what Lhind is hiding under her cap is great fun.
December 12, 2023
This book is one of my favorites by Sherwood Smith! It was even better the second time reading it. The unique characters, detailed world and exciting plot never fail to draw me in. I couldn't put it down by the time I was halfway through! It's a perfect story to escape into. I highly recommend it.
May 9, 2018
Rajanas the warrior-prince and Hlanan the scribe catch Lhind using magic to escape after stealing some gold. Despite kidnapping her, thinking she's a young boy, and trying to force some secrets from her, they and Thianra end up becoming buddies as they realize they've got bigger issues. Like magic and non-humans and kingdoms trying to take over others. And of course, it turns out Lhind is a bigger piece to the puzzle than anyone realized.
Not my favorite. Not sure why still. I liked Lhind's confrontation with finding the courage and strength to be herself and allowing herself to trust people for the first time ever. It was precious, honest, and not over-the-top. The story moved quickly and true consequences compared to the danger. Our characters had a lot of tools at their disposal and worked well with what they had. They still had problems, and I still worried about them, but they were usually well-off.
I think there was a bit too much exposition. There's a bunch of action interwoven with 2 whole pages of map descriptions or plotting a journey or describing a backstory that are just boring. And I feel like our narrator, Lhind, wouldn't have sat still for all of that. But she does, and so we do as well.
I didn't care much about the ending. Maybe that's it. Just was kind of bleh. Not that I liked it or didn't like it - I just seriously wasn't interested.
Not my favorite. Not sure why still. I liked Lhind's confrontation with finding the courage and strength to be herself and allowing herself to trust people for the first time ever. It was precious, honest, and not over-the-top. The story moved quickly and true consequences compared to the danger. Our characters had a lot of tools at their disposal and worked well with what they had. They still had problems, and I still worried about them, but they were usually well-off.
I think there was a bit too much exposition. There's a bunch of action interwoven with 2 whole pages of map descriptions or plotting a journey or describing a backstory that are just boring. And I feel like our narrator, Lhind, wouldn't have sat still for all of that. But she does, and so we do as well.
I didn't care much about the ending. Maybe that's it. Just was kind of bleh. Not that I liked it or didn't like it - I just seriously wasn't interested.
August 23, 2020
I'm really not having good luck with the books I've been picking out lately.... mostly fantasy. I had to DNF this one about 1/3 of the way in. Not because it's a bad book, I enjoy the mystery of the story and the writing is wonderful. But I couldn't stand the characters anymore 😔 our main character is in hiding not only in gender but in species and it really frustrated me how she doesn't get mad at her "friends" for kidnapping her, or basically killing her with magic after she saved all their lives (more than once). And she just kept going "yeah okay, I'll share all my secrets" I personally would have punched the dude in the face after he almost killed me.
So I'm sad to say another book bites the dust.
So I'm sad to say another book bites the dust.
June 26, 2016
I really enjoyed this - it reads a bit young, but like Lhind, that’s part of the charm. Lhind’s one of those totally self-centred protagonists, who grows up over the course of the book. There’s a hint of romance, but it remains quite firmly Lhind’s story.
Downsides? It’s a bit on the lengthy side, and that’s not really a downside, to be fair! If you’re familiar with Sherwood Smith’s writing, you may recognise familiar plot points from her other books - there’s the navigation of palace life and an evil emperor.
As I neared the end of the book, I wondered how she was going to wrap up the story in a few chapters, but she did, and quite nicely too.
Downsides? It’s a bit on the lengthy side, and that’s not really a downside, to be fair! If you’re familiar with Sherwood Smith’s writing, you may recognise familiar plot points from her other books - there’s the navigation of palace life and an evil emperor.
As I neared the end of the book, I wondered how she was going to wrap up the story in a few chapters, but she did, and quite nicely too.
August 21, 2013
Light and fun. Just what I was in the mood for.
September 10, 2013
Cute, fast paced fantasy
havent-finished
August 2, 2022Haven't Finished and won't :(
I really am disappointed because I really was liking it. I really like Sherwood Smith's characters, yes they may be similar across books, at least that is what I have found thus far, but they are unique compared to other books. Her world building also has such depth, so much that I don't always follow it all, but I nonetheless appreciate it as it sets her books apart from many other 2D books nowadays. This book definitly has its cheesy moments but it was a delightful sort of cheesiness.
My problem with this book is that even though I love books about thieves, and I was rather digging the plot and as I said, the characters, I could not get past the fact that she is a cat girl. Yes, you heard me right, she is a furry cat that walks around like a human. I didn't know this at first, but then I started to wonder as a tail was mentioned and then fur...and then it just kind of ruined it for me...
I know the author probably did not have her envisioned to look like this, and probably imagined the cat girl to be much more lithe and majestic, but this is what I thought of. aghhh! Why!? Why couldn't she just be a human!
Anyways, onward to another Sherwood Smith book.
I really am disappointed because I really was liking it. I really like Sherwood Smith's characters, yes they may be similar across books, at least that is what I have found thus far, but they are unique compared to other books. Her world building also has such depth, so much that I don't always follow it all, but I nonetheless appreciate it as it sets her books apart from many other 2D books nowadays. This book definitly has its cheesy moments but it was a delightful sort of cheesiness.
My problem with this book is that even though I love books about thieves, and I was rather digging the plot and as I said, the characters, I could not get past the fact that she is a cat girl. Yes, you heard me right, she is a furry cat that walks around like a human. I didn't know this at first, but then I started to wonder as a tail was mentioned and then fur...and then it just kind of ruined it for me...
I know the author probably did not have her envisioned to look like this, and probably imagined the cat girl to be much more lithe and majestic, but this is what I thought of. aghhh! Why!? Why couldn't she just be a human!
Anyways, onward to another Sherwood Smith book.
August 5, 2022
I think my issues with this might be the fact that the baddies seem to be unrealistically good at their every plot. I just can't fathom how they managed to do all the highly coordinated things they'd have needed to have done, in such a short span of time.
Believe it or not, armies do not normally just show up at someone's doorstep completely unannounced. Moving large groups of people across land on foot and horseback...kinda causes a bit of a stir. Unless somehow they did it all with magic? But that teleportation spell thing didn't really seem like it'd be great for large groups.
So...
This books wants me to either buy that they either managed to find and kill every single person who would have alerted the proper authorities before they showed up. Or, that all the people obviously thrilled at the return of their Lord, just suddenly decided, "You know what? Actually, fuck those rich bastards!" I mean, I do feel ya. But somehow it does strain credulity.
Also, the cat-person thing was not my cup of tea at all. I mean, to each their own, but I've be On The Internet long enough to want to run far far away at the first hints of "look at my super cool cat girl!" wandering into conversation. I like that Lhind seemed to be written as genderqueer...but even that's not enough to battle the PTSD that cat people invoke in me.
DNF @35%
Believe it or not, armies do not normally just show up at someone's doorstep completely unannounced. Moving large groups of people across land on foot and horseback...kinda causes a bit of a stir. Unless somehow they did it all with magic? But that teleportation spell thing didn't really seem like it'd be great for large groups.
So...
This books wants me to either buy that they either managed to find and kill every single person who would have alerted the proper authorities before they showed up. Or, that all the people obviously thrilled at the return of their Lord, just suddenly decided, "You know what? Actually, fuck those rich bastards!" I mean, I do feel ya. But somehow it does strain credulity.
Also, the cat-person thing was not my cup of tea at all. I mean, to each their own, but I've be On The Internet long enough to want to run far far away at the first hints of "look at my super cool cat girl!" wandering into conversation. I like that Lhind seemed to be written as genderqueer...but even that's not enough to battle the PTSD that cat people invoke in me.
DNF @35%
May 8, 2017
I read Lhind the Thief as part of a boxed fantasy set "Light in the Darkness". This is one of my favorites of the bunch, though the ending was a bit anticlimactic. Good writing, good fantasy, the main character is very likable. I give it four stars and it looks like there is one more book in the Lhind series so I will probably finish it. I can recommend to teens and up. No sexual content or (real) swearing, there is violence.
June 26, 2024
This reminds me of the adventure stories I used to read from the public library as a kid. Nowadays, we scan the book reviews sites—Goodreads, Amazon— in order to discover which book to read next. Back then, we used to pull books off shelves and read back covers. This brings me back to my childhood finds just like that, with sword fights, pirates, magic shimmers, aristocratic palaces, and besting the evil guys.
October 11, 2022
I consider this one a middle grade novel from plot and tone. It was fine. I enjoyed it well enough, but it wasn't my favorite Sherwood Smith book. The relationships felt a little rushed actually, and the twist at the end felt...kind of unrealistic I guess? I don't know. I don't really have an objection to the book, but I didn't love it either.
July 30, 2017
A cute, light, not-annoying wish-fulfillment book. It's a rarity: most wish-fulfillment books are too silly, or too heavy-handed about it.
September 27, 2018
3 stars.
January 11, 2019
Good, solid YA-ish fantasy with compelling voice from main character/narrator. Nothing outside the ordinary, but does what it does well.
June 7, 2019
I enjoyed this book. The protagonist, Lhind, is good fun to follow. I enjoyed the world and the characters. I'd like to read the sequel, Lhind the spy.
July 14, 2019
Not Smith's strongest book, but very enjoyable regardless.
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