Lhind the Spy

Lhind #2

by Sherwood Smith

In this young adult fantasy sequel to Lhind the Thief, Lhind has gone from castoffs to silks, back alleys to palace halls.

And she's not having an easy time of it.

That's before she's snatched by an angry prince she'd robbed twice, who is determined to turn her over to the enemy who frightens her most, the sinister Emperor Jardis Dhes-Andis.

When her own dear Hlanan comes to rescue her, it's Lhind who has to do the rescuing, setting off a wild chase to fend off mercenaries and then to confront an entire army intent on invasion.

Lhind and Hlanan try to negotiate the perilous waters of a relationship while on the run-straight into a trap.

Just when Lhind is beginning to figure out where she might fit into the world, she finds herself alone again, surrounded by enemies, in one of the most dangerous courts in the world.
And she begins to find out who she really is.

Genres: Fantasy, Young Adult, Fiction, Dragons, Romance, Espionage, Magic

ebook

First published June 9, 2015

About the author

I 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.

Reviews

[Sherwood Smith]

The one before this, Lhind the Thief, was written over a period of about thirty years, a good deal of it in hospital waiting rooms. It was my escapist story, a kitchen sink fantasy that I turned to when things were really dire in realityland. I set it aside yet again 1990 when 60 k words was the expected limit but it didn’t feel done. A couple decades later another bad patch happened, out it came and this time I finished it.

Of the readers who liked it, many indicated they expected a sequel. Oh! I can do that . . . I think. At my time of life, forty year projects are not optimal. Early last year I was driving across the desert with my co-writer on the Change Series, and with her help brainstormed a plot.

When I actually wrote it, that plot turned out to be half of the story, the fluff mixing with other stuff, like identity, power, the problem of pain, the question of family, added to all the chases and magic and castles and side worlds and mythical creatures.

So, in short, I think of this second one as Fluff with Stuff.

[Andrea]

Lhind is technically no longer a thief, but a new identity is not so easy to find. Magic lessons aren't working out, her newly-discovered kin don't seem keen on associating with her, and she doesn't know where her relationship with Hlanan is going.

Immediate decision is taken from her and Lhind is catapulted into a series of kidnappings, escapes, rescues, military complications, and then a courtly battle for her very self. I found this last particularly compulsive reading, and gulped the story down until Lhind finally settles at least some of these questions - only to find a whole new set waiting for her. But that's (hopefully) for next book. :)

[Rachel Brown]

Ah-ha! The sequel to Sherwood Smith's Lhind the Thief just came out!

[Stephanie · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was okay, but nowhere near as good as the previous.

About 2/3 of the book dragged a lot, and it almost felt like two books mashed together. I thought the beginning should have been part of the previous book, or the part where Lhind is trapped at the palace should have been edited down more.

If there is another book coming, I will be more generous to this one, but as it stands I'm not happy with how things ended up. I understand what the intended message is - things aren't black/white, it isn't easy to solve the problem of a bad ruler (particularly when that ruler is somewhere else), but I did think the book minimized the trauma Lhind experiences. However, this could simply be because after she is rescued, very little narrative is left. So, we don't see much of the results of her time as a prisoner. I also thought it a bit disappointing that we see so little of Hlanan in this book compared to the first. (but that's more personal disappointment than a failing of the novel)

[Rosemary · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sherwood Smith is one of those queens of fantasy that fans rely on for a good read. Her "Crown Duel" is a classic. This story is her admittedly old-fashioned tale of lost princesses, hidden royals, escaped galley slave turned prince, mercenaries known as Gray Wolves, and everything but the fantasy kitchen sink. Although there is a pretty good cooking scene down in the scullery in this one. Kicking it all a notch above the norm is the character of Lhind, whose feathers, fancy tail, and magics make her an endearing foundling thief and chosen one combo. Of course, what exactly Lhind's heritage means and what task that she is chosen to do won't be resolved until book 3. Which I am already halfway through.

[Becca · Rating 3 out of 5]

I did enjoy reading this, but it felt so undirected. I realize it's a middle book but it felt like a series of interludes more than a book with a plot. But the second half was at least really interesting.

[Suzanne · Rating 3 out of 5]

The plot was disjointed and felt like it had two separate threads. It was interesting and fun to watch Lhind discover her magic, but I feel this novel was mostly fluff.

[Nikita · Rating 4 out of 5]

I like Lhind and anything she gets up to. Two things, one is that I felt that Lhind was stuck in captivity too long. Although I guess there was plot progression during the captivity but still, I don't like Lhind being restricted. She's like freedom to me. Second, I totally get why Hlanan had to kinda let her go when so many people's lives were in danger. But later when he came to rescue her how was he going against his mother's wishes to rescue her such a big deal? The threat had been neutralized by then. He didn't put her first, and I totally understand why but why is there is pretendish feeling that he did??

Also is there a third?

[Graylark · Rating 3 out of 5]

This wasn't as fun to read as the first one.

It started dragging after a certain point (when she is captured by the emperor) and became pretty boring then.

This continued all the way until around 90%, when suddenly her problems are solved via deus ex machina.

The story then peters out with quite a few loose ends left hanging, chief among them the main overarching plot left unresolved. I suppose this is not so bad as all that if there was a third book planned. As of now, I don't see one in the series. I felt cheated reaching the end to find that there was no real ending.

Edit: Now that there IS a third book, this last gripe from 2019 has been rendered null.

[Tiffany · Rating 3 out of 5]

12/10/24 just finished listening to the audiobook with my daughter (7). She really enjoyed the story. I was pleasantly surprised by the audiobook. It is narrated by virtual voice and apart from mispronouncing (or pronouncing differently) the names of people and places and a few wrong pronunciations of “bow” and “more so” the audio was pretty nice to listen to. The story is clean (mentions of consorts and passion) and provides food for thought on freedom and how the way one is raised changes how one thinks.

[Little Red Readinghood]

Reminds me of the Princess Bride in it has all the best parts. Magic in a new world with Lhind who is not an elf, fairy or other magical being but a whole new species out of Sherwood's imagination. Together we discover what she is and what her friends are. Great read.

[Lesley · Rating 4 out of 5]

I had problems with getting up momentum on this, but that was largely, I think, due to the circumstances in which I was initially trying to read it, in small snatches with much interruption and distraction.

[Amanda · Rating 3 out of 5]

Lhind is in a different place now, but is it better? She is still fierce and angry, and trust is hard for her. Then she finds herself in a dangerous situation, at the mercy of a powerful madman, completely isolated, and playing a serious game where she doesn't know the rules and has no allies.

[Michelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved the sequel!!! Thank you Sherwood!!

[Sarah Peters · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars, if only because a little too much time was spent explaining the world instead of experiencing it (although it is a very well built and interesting world).

[Barbara Douglas · Rating 4 out of 5]

More of Lhind, this time mostly separated from her friends. very enjoyable all the same, and I look forward eagerly to the next instalment.