Petrodor

A Trial of Blood & Steel #2

by Joel Shepherd

The second book in the Trials of Blood & Steel series picks up the story of the independent heroine, Sasha, now living in the port city of Petrodor. Together with her old mentor Kessligh, Sasha attempts to navigate the political intrigues and stop the war.

Genres: Fantasy, Adventure, High Fantasy, Fiction, Epic Fantasy, Military Fiction, Medieval

467 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2008

About the author

Joel Shepherd is an Australian science fiction author. He moved to Perth, Western Australia with his family when he was seven, where he later studied film and television arts at Curtin University. He now lives in Adelaide.

Reviews

[Di Maitland · Rating 4 out of 5]

'I'm not a highlands warrior princess! Now why don't you go off and...and eat raw lizards, or rub sand in your hair, or whatever it is that you do in the mornings to stay so warrior like!'

Sasha is back, and in all honesty, not quite as badass as she was. Exiled from Lenayin by her father, the King, Sasha has joined Kessligh and Errollyn in Petrodor. With war between the Verenthane Bacosh and the inhuman serrin in the south still looming, Petrodor (representing Torovan for all intents and purposes) must decide where they stand.

Leading Houses Steiner and Maeler both want to be leading the troops south and manoeuvre to win the other houses, and even the supposedly impartial Church, to their side. The serrin, led by Rhillian, will do anything in their power to prevent the war and play a dangerous game pitching one house against another.

‘Saalshen shall not allow Patachi Steiner to form this army,’ Rhillian said coldly. ‘We shall prevent it however we have to. If our Nasi-Keth friends can offer a better solution, we’ll take it. Only know where we stand. If the Saalshen Bacosh falls, the fanatics will not stop at the border. They’ll march on into Saalshen, and they have all the mercy of death itself. We do not fight for an ideal, or a king, or wealth or land. We fight for the right to exist. And we refuse to fail.’

Meanwhile, the Nasi-Keth can't seem to decide what they want. Drawn to one side by their Verenthane beliefs and the other by their love and respect for serrin ways, the Nasi-Keth are left without united leadership, victim to both an increasingly hostile general populace and an increasingly distant serrin alliance. When civil war breaks out, loyalties are tested and Kessligh and Sasha must fight to find a middle ground for the Nasi-Keth if any of them are to survive the battle.

Told from multiple perspectives, we revisit the world's of Sasha, Jaryd and Sofy, but also get insight into those of Errollyn, Duke Alexanda Rochel (friendly patriarch), Alythia (Sasha's elder sister), Rhillian, Aisha (friendly half-serrin), and others. The greater number of viewpoints, I think, emphasises Sasha's reduced role in this book. She isn't leading a rebellion this time but helping Kessligh to gather what rabble he can to protect their home in Dockside. That's not to say she isn't a target. Uma to a leading Nasi-Keth and Princess in her own right, both houses want her dead before she can do more damage to their Crusading cause. Killing Sasha was never easy though, particularly not now she has a pet serrin lover.

The budding relationship between Sasha and Errollyn made this story for me. Whereas in the first book, Errollyn seemed this distant, god-like being - unbeatable, infinitely wise, ageless - we now get to see his softer side (and learn he's 23, not 203). A strong bond forms between him and Sasha, born of respect and admiration, humour and understanding - and finally a good romp between the sheets.

'I'm glad you came, crazy fool,' he murmured in her ear.
'I had to come,' she replied, a touch desperately. 'You're the only one who really understands me.' The words might have come from his own lips to her, Errolyn reflected. To hear her say it back to him..well, they had to get out of this alive, he thought. Because he wanted to take this amazing, energetic, wild, exasperating, beautiful, crazy person to bed and make love to her for about a year.

Errollyn was born du'janah, or without the mind-link that all serrin experience. This leaves him feeling ostracised and misunderstood by his own people. It is because of that, however, that he is better able to understand humans and so see the follies that his people are making in their political machinations. When his warnings to Rhillian go unheeded, Errollyn questions the loyalty he feels for his people and retreats into Sasha's company. Never particularly likinig Rhillian myself, I was pleased by this and felt vindicated in the end. That said, I do like what the serrin stand for in general, though I also have a growing appreciation for just how different they are.

In side stories, it was also nice to see Jaryd and Sofy together again, despite their very different circumstances. We all know they have an uphill battle against them but who cares. Much better to fight for Jaryd than shuffle off with the Bacosh codswallop I say! Go Sofy!

I'm hoping the next book will have us marching south. I'm not sure I can take much more of the intricate political manoeuvrings, as interesting and clever as they are.

[Dan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pretty good.

[Stefan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Petrodor picks up shortly after the ending of Sasha, the first novel in Joel Shepherd's A Trial of Blood and Steel series. Sashandra Lenayin (Sasha for short) now resides in the Torrovan port city Petrodor, a true hotbed of intrigue with several political factions squaring off against each other. With a brewing Verenthane crusade to retake the Bakosh provinces that are occupied by the serrin, war is in the air, and the tensions between the various camps are threatening to come to a boil: the powerful and rich merchant families, the nobility, the clergy, and the common folk who are torn between the predominant Verenthane religion and the serrin-influenced Nasi-Keth. Add to this the "talmaad" — serrin agents living in Petrodor — and you have a tension-filled setting that promises — and delivers — an exciting read.

A large part of what makes A Trial of Blood and Steel so memorable is its main character, Sasha, who is (for a fantasy character) refreshingly human: she is a supremely talented swordswoman, devoted to her cause, her training, and her friends, but at the same time she's also a hothead, a bit full of herself, and not as tactful as she could be. One of the most interesting aspects of this novel is seeing Sasha become more mature and aware, e.g. applying the theory and patterns of the svaalverd fighting style to larger concepts such as politics (at the start of chapter 13), or coming to terms with the fact that her concept of honor doesn't always translate well into the Petrodor environment (throughout the entire book). Sasha, as a character, probably learns and grows more in Petrodor than she did in the first novel of the series.

A second main character who reappears in Petrodor is Jaryd, who is now training with the Goeren-yay in Sasha's old village after having abandoned his Verenthane faith at the end of Sasha. He is hell-bent on revenge for the murder of his little brother, and the way he sometimes lets his passion and temperament take over make him, in some ways, a mirror of Sasha.

A new viewpoint character is Sasha's sister, the princess Alythia, who is also in Petrodor after having been married into one of the merchant families. Alythia is another great example of Joel Shepherd's ability to create characters who go through genuine changes throughout the novel, and I am curious to see if and how her story will continue in later books in the series. (Side-note: the many reviewers who compared Sasha to George R. R. Martin's A Song of Ice and Fire will probably be amused to find out that Alythia ends up with, yes, a pet wolf in this novel.)

Most other characters and factions also avoid falling into black-and-white stereotypes: not all Verenthanes are evil, not all nasi-keth are honorable, and the serrin aren't quite as unified and angelic as they seemed at the end of Sasha. Everyone tries to look out for their own interests as best as they can. The political set-up is once again very complex, with factions within factions depending on or plotting against each other. It's a shame that Petrodor doesn't include a Dramatis Personae (like Sasha did), as it would have been helpful in keeping track of the many different players in this story. Likewise, including a map of the city of Petrodor would have been great to help visualize some of the gripping street battles.

There are some minor issues (including the occasional tendency of characters to engage in debate and speak back and forth in full paragraphs, even in the middle of action scenes), but overall, Petrodor is an excellent continuation of the story started in Sasha. Both books are opening chapters that show separate glimpses of the build-up to a major conflict. Joel Shepherd has carefully built up this fantasy world's complexity, with considerable focus on the nature of power, politics, and religion, while at the same time creating some fascinating, memorable characters. An intricate setting, interesting characters, and a solid plot arc that leads up to what promises to be a strong climax — what's not to love? Tracato, book 3 in A Trial of Blood and Steel, is due out from Pyr in October 2010, and I, for one, can't wait.

(This review was also published at the Fantasy Literature website: www.fantasyliterature.com --- come check us out!)

[Naomi · Rating 4 out of 5]

The sequel to Sasha, this book was just as action packed, but the plot takes a twist within the city of Petrodor. The best 'fantasy' series I have read so far...

[Stephanie I · Rating 3 out of 5]

This took me far too long to finish and I blame it in part of so many other great books coming out at the same time and on a few things in this book that were roadblocks in my reading of it.

I understand that with the serrin involved, there was bound to be many convoluted conversations. But there were too many speeches in these conversations, too many times when simple breakfasts turned into declarations of beliefs. I remember this one particular speech of Kessligh's towards the end I believe and I was just thinking, "If I was there, I would've stopped listening to him half way through." And "Doesn't he ever get tongue-tied? Doesn't he ever have to stop to think? Or does he just form these long paragraphs in his head?" Maybe this is unfounded but I just like the conversations to be more interaction between the characters. Most of the book did this very well.

And when it finally came to the culmination of all the talking, I was more than a little confused. But the action is good, Sasha retains all the qualities that made her lovable in the first book while developing a little; Jaryd is seeking out his revenge at all costs. I feel as though some particular part of Alythia's story towards the end was just cut out. I don't know why but that made that very awkward for me to read.

I felt as if the series was going in a completely different direction with the first book and I liked that direction a lot more. But as soon as Sasha left, that way died and a new one was almost forcibly forged. It's possible that this plot line existed and I ignored it in favor of the one delving into Lenayin's fascinating culture and dynamics. If that's the case, I'm suffered for it dearly-- having expectations of something that would never come. I didn't like Lenayin through Jaryd's eyes. Besides, for most of this book, all he saw was red.

Honestly, I miss Lenayin as much as Sasha does. And since we just keep moving forward, I doubt that we'll ever return in this series (until the VERY end). I supposed I'll just be content with being wherever Sasha is.

[Clay Kallam · Rating 4 out of 5]

Joel Shepherd’s sequel to the wonderful “Sasha” has many of the problems common to the second book of trilogies (no resolution is possible, and it has to end on a note of crisis), but “Petrodor” (Pyr, $16, 446 pages) is still a very good read.

It’s a very good read in part because it’s a rollicking story of a pre-industrial city caught on the threshold of war, with plenty of action and intrigue, but it’s also a very good read because Shepherd doesn’t settle for clichés. One character, for example, must decide whether to hold on to the ideals that make her people special, or sink to a lower level to fight the enemy on even terms, while another must come face to face, and heart to heart, with her decisions that cause a young warrior’s death.

Shepherd has also created a complex world, with lots of competing interests, and the cast of characters is very different from the one in “Sasha” – and it would have helped immensely to have a list of the dukes and merchant houses that impact the intricate plot of “Petrodor.” (It also is important to read “Sasha” first; “Petrodor” won’t make much sense without that background.)

[Satima · Rating 4 out of 5]

An earlier version of this review first appeared on the now defunct webzine, The Specusphere, in January 2010.

Joel Shepherd, from being one of the youthful prodigies of Australian spec-fic, has matured over the last decade into an accomplished, stylish writer. His current series, A Trial of Blood and Steel, has been compared to George RR Martin's A Song of Ice and Fire, and one suspects from the similar construction of the series’ titles that the comparison was sought by Shepherd. Perhaps he meant it as a tribute to the senior author, since Shepherd himself appears to be a modest young man who would not presume to compare his work with that of a master such as Martin.

But while comparisons may be odious, this is certainly an epic tale in the grand tradition. What is more, Shepherd has succeeded in fitting it into four books, unlike Martin, whose serieshas fans impatiently shaking their fists and stamping their feet as they demand a conclusion to the tale.

In at least one respect, however, Shepherd could fruitfully copy Martin, by adding a character list to each book. As it stands, the only list is at the beginning of book one, yet new characters make their appearance in later volumes. However, this is a small complaint and one we can possibly write off as an editorial decision rather than an omission on the part of the author. There are maps and they are useful, but an alphabetical glossary of people and places would be godsend in dealing with a series as complex as this.

At the end of Sasha, book one of the quartet, the doughty warrior Sasha planned to leave her homeland of Lenayin, and when we find her at the start of book two, she has surfaced in the port city of Petrodor in the neighbouring country of Torovan. War is in the air: a conflict between Lenayin and The Bacosh. The serrin — the closest thing this world has to elves — are key in this portentous possibility, and Sasha, who has friends among the serrin, must deal with intrigue on all sides.

In book three, the scene moves to the region known as The Bacosh and the chief serrin city of Tracato. Serrin civilisation is perhaps all that might prevent the complete degradation of humankind, but it is under threat — from Sasha's own homeland, Lenayin. It does not help, either, that two of Sasha's sisters have conflicting allegiances by marriage. Where do her own loyalties belong?

The main strength of this series lies in its characterisation. Sasha, particularly, can be seen to grow in maturity and self-understanding as the story progresses. She is no Mary Sue — far from flawless, she becomes aware of her shortcomings and is therefore better able to make allowances for her own failings and those of others. Tension flags now and then, especially when Shepherd allows his characters to indulge in info-dump, sometimes about politics (and it's obvious that he is commenting just as much on our political systems as those of his invented world) or sometimes the narrative drifts off into a discussion of linguistics or religion, which, while fascinating, might be better served up as supporting material in an appendix. But overall, this is a bumper series, which fans, once hooked, will keep on their bookshelves forever.

[Peter · Rating 4 out of 5]

After a somewhat slow start in Sasha, the quartet picks up speed with this novel. Joel Shepherd gets to show what he can do in a large city, where many characters collide with little possibility to escape and intrigue reigns. This story gives us a much larger introduction to the Serrinim and also provides many possibilities for the main characters to grow. Many of the secondary characters are also well fleshed out although Sasha's opponents remain sadly under-developed and could use better illustrations of their motivations. This unfortunately affects the plot which mainly builds on the conflicts between the families of Petrodor and, since their motivations are only drawn in a few strokes, is lacking depth if not in surprising turns and revelations. All in all a fun story with a satisfying ending and many questions left unanswered for the remaining books in the quartet.

[Renee · Rating 4 out of 5]

Little character development compared to the first book besides perhaps the Serrin. Alythia's and Softy's development were shallow at best.

I really grew to hate Rhillian's character. How did she get that much "respect" if she acts like a child? She makes the same mistakes over and over again, and then blames all the failures on humans for being so horrible. The humans who want to help she ignores and treats horribly herself. And really, she's not the only one who has been to war and lost people. Sasha and Kessligh have too but they don't go completely insane.

[Anna · Rating 1 out of 5]

While the first part of this series was acceptable, this one is a complete disaster. I very rarely give up on books, even the crappy ones, but this I threw away after first 100 pages or so. It's not even about poor language, omnipresent boredom or author's apparent lack of ideas. What really repulsed me was the amount of animal cruelty Shepherd managed to put on so few pages, treating the topic so lightly, almost laughing at it that it made me sick. Add it to his fat, oversized ego (this pulp as good as The Song of Ice and Fire? Really?) and I'm done. With no regrets.

[Vleigh · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enjoyed this second book in the series as it takes place in an entirely different location than the first. Sasha's all about the sword fighting and the battles in a medieval urban setting require very different tactics than open fields. Plus lots more politics with local folks to keep you guessing. I also liked learning more about Sasha's siblings and how they affected the outcome of the story.

This was a paperback and I found the map in the beginning to be quite helpful. I don't recall seeing one in the previous ebook.

[Craig · Rating 3 out of 5]

More action than the series first book. In fact there is perhaps a little too much action - just a few too many similar escapes from tight spots to feel right. Still, a fine sequel.

Re-read 8/13. Weakest of the series. Too much churn. 3.5
Re-read 9/15.
Listened 4/22. Must have skimmed a lot when reading hard copy, as I did a lot of fast-forwarding through tediously repetitive fighting scenes while listening. Down-bump to 3.
Listened again, 7/23.

[Rachel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Petrodor is a good growth spot for both Sasha and the human/serrin alliance. Of course a place wild with opportunity does not come without risks. Risk of attack, risk of dissolution, risk of values questioned... Perhaps this is what I enjoy most of this series, the challenges faced by the characters are multi-dimensional. The Saalsi language highlighted in the series is a beautiful expression of these many facets. This is a well-crafted world.

[John · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sasha joins her teacher in a sort of Italianate city and becomes involved in a violent consolidation of power that creates a king and occasions a massacre of Serrin. She also Finds Looovvve. Still talky like the first volume, but the characters have an engaging complexity and if you just skip the philosophical conversations the action is very well described.

[Alya · Rating 5 out of 5]

the second book of A Trial of Blood and Steel after the first book "sasha"
i loved the setting here more, the feel of a coastal city bursting with people, events, schemes, struggles is very appealing to me, the scale of battles even thou it's maybe lesser than the first book but it felt deeper and savager...much savager, and its effects -story wise- will defiantly last longer

[Vj Parker · Rating 4 out of 5]

A continuation to the story of Sasha, more twists as her mentor trys to include her in his fight for the people of his home town, show parts were a little over the top, but i enjoy the race of people who play with only logic, the fight between different sisters and their ideals was interesting, however poor Sasha is still fighting to become a woman in her own right.
most enjoyable continuation.

[John Davies · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not a bad follow-up. The only real problem I had was the ending seemed rushed, and with only a couple of chapters. Lots happened in those last few chapters that I'd have liked explained better. I look forward to reading the next in the series, and seeing if some of what happened in this book get followed up on there.

[Carol · Rating 4 out of 5]

Liked this one too, good sci-fi fantasy read.

[Rachel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really enjoyed the whole series! One of my favorite things I've read in awhile. This Is perhaps the darkest and most graphic book of the four.

[Shae · Rating 4 out of 5]

Some surprises from peripheral characters...and of course lots of politically-driven battle.

[Brenda · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really enjoyed this although far too much description of battle.

[Staki Haselberger · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm in love with these books especially the action and you really root for these characters

[Laz the Sailor · Rating 5 out of 5]

See review on paperback version.

[Michaella · Rating 4 out of 5]

Actual rating: 3.5 stars.

Petrodor, the Torovan capital, is a sprawling trade hub and home to the rich and powerful, and to the most zealous of Verenthane adherents. But it must rid itself of its serrin roots, and those pesky questions of honour and morality if they are to launch a holy war against Saalshen with the rest of the faithful.

As promised by the title, the sequel to Sasha takes place primarily atop the mansioned cliffs and within the winding streets and slums of Petrodor. Highly reminiscent of the Holy Roman Empire (just on a smaller scale), it is the staging ground upon which lies the balance of the coming conflict. The Nasi-Keth fight for tolerance and reason. The Verenthanes cry in outrage for far-off holy lands taken in retaliation to their own provocations of Saalshen passivity. And the serrin, of peaceful ideology now facing genocide, need to navigate the ruthlessness and deception of humanity in order to save their people and preserve their way of life.

The jump in scale from the first to the second book was monumental. Gone is the familiar territory of the highlands of Lenayin, and now there is a whole new cast of characters, higher stakes, and more dire consequences for one’s actions. The only reason I can’t rate this higher is because of just how much new information there is to take in. It was a LOT. I love political intrigue and the game of alliance and betrayal, but the first half of this book gave me political *fatigue*. It seemed all the moments that made me care happened in the second half, which I understand in the grand scheme of world building, but it did feel like a slog to get there.

On a better note, our warrior princess, Sasha, is back and reunited with her mentor, Kessligh. It was compelling to watch her navigate this new landscape and find her place amongst the chaos. She still makes mistakes and is her ever-irreverent self but she plays off the other characters well. I enjoyed her friendship with Rhillian and Errollyn, and her reunions with two of her sisters. Best of all was having Sofy return - though in a separate plot line. Sofy may be one of my favourite characters and, knowing how important a role she plays in the wider plan, I can’t wait to see where her story leads. Alythia finds redemption. The highland warriors in the city were a fast favourite. There was a bit of slow-burn romance sprinkled in there. What more could you ask for? Except maybe some extra attention to pacing in that first half… but I digress.

A solid follow-up to the first novel. A veritable catapult for the next.

[Vickey · Rating 2 out of 5]

I almost stopped reading the series with this one because it just couldn't hold me. It feels like a sidequest of a book with no real main character and the story kept being interrupted by these long monologues about the philosophies of the serrin and nasi-keth. The book is set in Kessligh's hometown, which seems to be modelled in Venice with families of merchant princes angling for supremacy and serrin agents doing their best to shape things to their benefit. It could have been more engaging than it was but I found myself constantly setting my book aside and doing other stuff so it took me over a week to finish it which is unusual for me. Still some issues with men writing women that made me roll my eyes. I liked the first book enough that I decided to give book three a go and liked it a lot better than this one. I think you could honestly summarise it with "Sasha learns to judge people by their actions" and skip it - it doesn't seem to have much bearing on book three.

[Robert · Rating 4 out of 5]

I think there were definitely wasted opportunities. Espesially considering Sahsa's elder sister, who was in a position to uncover the underlaying plot organically, instead it has to be spelt out and dropped on the reader by a literal "plot-drop-and-die" character. I liked the romance, but they seemed to have fallen in love with each other over the course of a couple weeks, which they did not spend entirely in each other's company.

There is a character that is essentially the "everything they touch turns to ash" archetype that goes on to blame literally everyone else, even calling those who point out problems with their plans insolate children, whilst we, the audence, are clearly supposed to coninue to like them. She even kidnaps a person and gets upset when there's an attempt to rescue them.

[Pati Roberson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Action-packed fantasy book. A few too many philosophical serrin discussions for me but still good.

[Piper · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good story

Sasha still trailblazing. She has been exiled from her home, but she is still in the pursuit of peace. Good characters.

[Chris Jarvis · Rating 4 out of 5]

Could not put this down -- which says something. Still enjoying the characters and the world.

[Wendy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lots of fighting, otherwise good