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Time of Daughters #1
Time of Daughters I
In a time of change and danger, peace sparks to war, and sons become daughters...
It’s nearly a century after the death of Inda, the unbeatable Marlovan commander.
Danet and Arrow, content in their arranged marriage, just want to live in peaceful obscurity and raise their family. But when a treaty sends them to the royal city to meet the heir to the throne, they discover that peace is fragile, old enemies have long memories, and what you want isn't always what you get.
By the time they learn that you can’t go back again, events ignite a conflagration that no one could have foreseen—except for the ghosts who walk the walls in the royal city.
This is the first half of an epic story of politics, war, family and magic in the beloved world of Sartorias-deles.
It’s nearly a century after the death of Inda, the unbeatable Marlovan commander.
Danet and Arrow, content in their arranged marriage, just want to live in peaceful obscurity and raise their family. But when a treaty sends them to the royal city to meet the heir to the throne, they discover that peace is fragile, old enemies have long memories, and what you want isn't always what you get.
By the time they learn that you can’t go back again, events ignite a conflagration that no one could have foreseen—except for the ghosts who walk the walls in the royal city.
This is the first half of an epic story of politics, war, family and magic in the beloved world of Sartorias-deles.
- GenresFantasyEpic FantasyLGBT
462 pages, Kindle Edition
First published October 8, 2019
58 people are currently reading
306 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 - 24 of 24 reviews
April 18, 2020
4.5 stars! Final review, first posted on Fantasy Literature:
In Time of Daughters, Book One, Sherwood Smith returns to the world of Sartorias-Deles, the setting for most of her fantasy novels. This epic tale, broken into two volumes, begins about a century after the INDA quartet of books about the historic Marlovan military commander. The country of Marlovan Iasca (later called Marloven Hess) is particularly noteworthy for the huge influence of the military in its society, amped up with a healthy side of political intriguing — including, on occasion, assassinations — and a social structure where marriage among those in the upper class is primarily for political purposes and strengthening alliances with other powerful families, and romantic love is typically found elsewhere.
Book One of Time of Daughters, spanning a period of about eighteen years, begins in the northern part of the kingdom. A practical-minded mother, wife of a relatively minor freeholder, announces to her two daughters, Danet and Hliss Farendavan, that they have been betrothed to two young men of the Olavayir family, a branch of the royal amily, so it’s a good pair of matches for the Farendavan sisters. Danet, a plain, intelligent young woman with a talent for numbers and accounting, is to marry the second Olavayir jarl’s son, Anred, called Arrow.
After a rocky start, complicated by Arrow’s jealous lover Fini, Danet and Arrow rub along reasonably well. Then an unexpected summons comes, and Arrow and his older brother Jarend, along with their wives and young sons, are sent to the royal city for a lengthy stay. There they meet the self-absorbed and ambitious young heir to the throne, Evred Olavayir, whose regent is his uncle Kendred. They also encounter the commander of the Marlovan army, Mathren, who is Kendred’s brother and another powerful and ambitious man.
About a third of the way into Time of Daughters I game-changing events unexpectedly occur that have immense ramifications. The upheavals in the royal city and elsewhere were stunning, and at the same time a pleasure to read because they were also so well-plotted, with characters acting in ways that are unexpected and yet true to their personalities. It was particularly fascinating to me to see the gradual reveal of the character and personality of Arrow’s brother Jarend culminate at this key moment in time. Difficult choices are made — some selfish, some not — and the ramifications will echo down through the years.
Time of Daughters includes stellar world-building (some of it familiar if you’ve read previous Sherwood Smith novels set in Marlovan Iasca) and a large cast of characters. Different personalities rotate on and off the stage over the course of the novel, but the key characters are memorable enough that I didn’t experience the confusion that beset me while reading Smith’s other recent novel, A Sword Named Truth. Time of Daughters is also set in a single country and has a more coherent plotline, making it far more accessible than A Sword named Truth, though it’s still a complex and far-reaching tale.
As one particular young character grows and matures, the seeds of future political troubles — which I assume will come to fruition in Book Two — are readily apparent. While I was slightly disappointed that future problems are being so clearly telegraphed here, I think Smith’s focus is on showing the development of his character and motivations, and how he is deeply influenced by certain people around him, despite the best intentions of others.
The title of Time of Daughters and the blurb “In a time of change and danger peace sparks to war and sons become daughters” were initially mystifying. The answer to that enigmatic statement comes later in the book and is rather amusing (though admittedly not to the characters themselves). I’m interested to see if Smith has found a way to integrate this theme into Book Two.
Though it’s set in a later time period and there are only a few scattered references to the Inda characters, Time of Daughters is very similar to the style and scope of the Inda series. I highly recommend Time of Daughters I for epic fantasy fans, especially if you’ve read and enjoyed the Inda quartet. I expect Time of Daughters II will be equally excellent.
I received a free copy of this book for review from the author, who is an online friend, but my love of her books long preceded our friendship. Thanks, Sherwood!
Initial post: Unexpected ARC landed on my doorstep today, a present from the author! And yes, I definitely want to know more about what went down in Marloven history after Inda’s time.
In Time of Daughters, Book One, Sherwood Smith returns to the world of Sartorias-Deles, the setting for most of her fantasy novels. This epic tale, broken into two volumes, begins about a century after the INDA quartet of books about the historic Marlovan military commander. The country of Marlovan Iasca (later called Marloven Hess) is particularly noteworthy for the huge influence of the military in its society, amped up with a healthy side of political intriguing — including, on occasion, assassinations — and a social structure where marriage among those in the upper class is primarily for political purposes and strengthening alliances with other powerful families, and romantic love is typically found elsewhere.
Book One of Time of Daughters, spanning a period of about eighteen years, begins in the northern part of the kingdom. A practical-minded mother, wife of a relatively minor freeholder, announces to her two daughters, Danet and Hliss Farendavan, that they have been betrothed to two young men of the Olavayir family, a branch of the royal amily, so it’s a good pair of matches for the Farendavan sisters. Danet, a plain, intelligent young woman with a talent for numbers and accounting, is to marry the second Olavayir jarl’s son, Anred, called Arrow.
After a rocky start, complicated by Arrow’s jealous lover Fini, Danet and Arrow rub along reasonably well. Then an unexpected summons comes, and Arrow and his older brother Jarend, along with their wives and young sons, are sent to the royal city for a lengthy stay. There they meet the self-absorbed and ambitious young heir to the throne, Evred Olavayir, whose regent is his uncle Kendred. They also encounter the commander of the Marlovan army, Mathren, who is Kendred’s brother and another powerful and ambitious man.
About a third of the way into Time of Daughters I game-changing events unexpectedly occur that have immense ramifications. The upheavals in the royal city and elsewhere were stunning, and at the same time a pleasure to read because they were also so well-plotted, with characters acting in ways that are unexpected and yet true to their personalities. It was particularly fascinating to me to see the gradual reveal of the character and personality of Arrow’s brother Jarend culminate at this key moment in time. Difficult choices are made — some selfish, some not — and the ramifications will echo down through the years.
Time of Daughters includes stellar world-building (some of it familiar if you’ve read previous Sherwood Smith novels set in Marlovan Iasca) and a large cast of characters. Different personalities rotate on and off the stage over the course of the novel, but the key characters are memorable enough that I didn’t experience the confusion that beset me while reading Smith’s other recent novel, A Sword Named Truth. Time of Daughters is also set in a single country and has a more coherent plotline, making it far more accessible than A Sword named Truth, though it’s still a complex and far-reaching tale.
As one particular young character grows and matures, the seeds of future political troubles — which I assume will come to fruition in Book Two — are readily apparent. While I was slightly disappointed that future problems are being so clearly telegraphed here, I think Smith’s focus is on showing the development of his character and motivations, and how he is deeply influenced by certain people around him, despite the best intentions of others.
The title of Time of Daughters and the blurb “In a time of change and danger peace sparks to war and sons become daughters” were initially mystifying. The answer to that enigmatic statement comes later in the book and is rather amusing (though admittedly not to the characters themselves). I’m interested to see if Smith has found a way to integrate this theme into Book Two.
Though it’s set in a later time period and there are only a few scattered references to the Inda characters, Time of Daughters is very similar to the style and scope of the Inda series. I highly recommend Time of Daughters I for epic fantasy fans, especially if you’ve read and enjoyed the Inda quartet. I expect Time of Daughters II will be equally excellent.
I received a free copy of this book for review from the author, who is an online friend, but my love of her books long preceded our friendship. Thanks, Sherwood!
Initial post: Unexpected ARC landed on my doorstep today, a present from the author! And yes, I definitely want to know more about what went down in Marloven history after Inda’s time.
Read
October 8, 2019This book began as an epistolary exchange, meant to be short--covering a couple of bride and groom stealing incidents the century after the INDA arc. Those are in there, but the downside of being a visual writer is that sometimes I fall into the head-movie, and when I come out the other side, I've written what turns out to be a pair of long books.
I lived this story for two years. It has the bride (and groom) stealing, but around that is a tale about family, love, power, the influence of fame down generations, and a lot of the usual stuff.
This is the first half, which comes to some resolution, though setting things up for the second half, when the new generation reaches adulthood.
I lived this story for two years. It has the bride (and groom) stealing, but around that is a tale about family, love, power, the influence of fame down generations, and a lot of the usual stuff.
This is the first half, which comes to some resolution, though setting things up for the second half, when the new generation reaches adulthood.
February 8, 2021
I can almost exactly place the moment where I fell out of love with epic fantasy. It was in late October of 1998, just after the release of Robert Jordan's book The Path of Daggers. I got to the end of the book, thought about it for a minute, and said, "I'm done." That was it. I had been a huge fan of the genre, particularly of big multi-volume sagas; I had re-read all of The Wheel of Time every year before the next book came out; I could quote passages from The Lord of the Rings from memory; the minutiae of these vast worlds and the characters who inhabited them fascinated me. But I was done. I didn't realize I was serious until the next year rolled around with a new Jordan doorstopper and I didn't even bother buying it for several months. I simply didn't love the genre anymore.
Which is all a very long way of saying I should never have picked up Time of Daughters at all.
In fact, I can't remember why I started reading it. The concept interested me, I think; I'd read and loved Inda back in the day, and that gave me enough of a grounding in the time period in which this book is set that I was curious. So I decided I would give it a try. (I have never come to terms with the fact that there are now whole subgenres I can't bear to read. I tell myself it's a fluke, because my whole life I was defined by being That Girl who could read and enjoy anything. It's not true, but I don't like that idea.)
Time of Daughters was very hard for me to get into. There are a lot of characters, and most of them have two or even three different names. Much as I appreciated the list of characters at the end, flipping back and forth to remind myself what Arrow's real name was and so forth really slowed me down. And I felt the same pressure I usually do now when I'm reading epic fantasy, which is that I get overwhelmed and impatient after a few chapters even if I'm enjoying the book. And the setup at the beginning of Time of Daughters is heavier on explication of the political and historical position, so between that and the frequent POV shifting, I often put the book aside for other things.
(Does this sound like a five-star read? No? Stick with me.)
The turning point was when I decided to trust Smith and just go with the flow. I stopped checking the character list and depended on context to remember who was who, and decided to think of the characters by their most common names and not worry about their given names. (Though now I wonder what determines whether someone will get a nickname or not. Not the kids in the military academy like "Cabbage" Gannan, but why the heir to the throne goes by Noddy (I think his real name is Nadald or Nadand--remember how I stopped looking it up?) and his brother is always and ever just Connar. Or the king, who is known to his wife and friends as Arrow, but the queen is just Danet. It's an interesting aspect of the characterization that makes the book feel more real.) After that, reading was a lot more enjoyable. But I still had the problem of being incapable of reading more than four chapters without feeling itchy and irritable--not a good sign.
Then something remarkable happened. There was one character I was mildly attached to (I thought) who is a great guy and someone I wanted good things for. And something happened to him--nothing fatal, but a terrible personal crisis--and I was stunned and heartbroken.
And then I couldn't make myself go on.
This happens occasionally. I get attached to someone or something in a book and the emotions are too much to bear. Only in this case, it was a huge surprise because I hadn't thought I was all that attached. I really, really wanted this character to be happy, and I hadn't even noticed I felt that way.
Fast-forward several months. The book was sitting in my night stand drawer all that time--I was reading the ebook, but I'd had the paper copy on hand from when I kept accessing the character list. I decided I was tired of seeing it there and I was going to finish it. Only this time, I had a plan. I had bought a treadmill so I could walk in the mornings without going out in the cold, and I wanted to see if I could read the tablet while I walked. (Very long story cut here.)
It worked! And because I only walk for about half an hour, I was reading--that's right--three or four chapters at a time. No more feeling like I should be doing more, or carving out reading time. I was done in just a week and a half.
Time of Daughters is set in the author's invented world of Sartorias-Deles, which is this enormous, detailed, brilliantly imagined place with a long history and dozens of countries and a hint of magic (more than a hint depending on what country you're in). If you are familiar only with Smith's book Crown Duel, you're missing out on the full depth and breadth of the world that supports that book. I freely admit I have not read most of what Smith has written in this world, but Time of Daughters does not demand any great knowledge of what has come before. The Inda series makes for a nice background to the reading, but, again, it's not necessary.
The first thing that struck me about this book was how much it feels like real history. If you've studied even a little bit of, say, English history, you know how names got repeated and everybody is related to everybody else and kings came and went like mayflies sometimes. This is what's going on with Time of Daughters. It's part of why I included that incredibly long personal preface--I suggest readers not be put off if that initial dunk in the ocean overwhelms them. The book is very realistic in that sense, and I appreciate that depth now that I've plunged deeper.
The second thing that struck me is that despite this being an epic, it is also a dozen very personal stories, a dozen character studies (I didn't count; there could be more), and if you aren't someone who cares much about the epic narrative, it is just as easy to fall into the rhythm of caring about these characters. The book is not just about the rise of a dynasty (please, let it not also be about the fall of a dynasty, I'm looking at you, Connar), it's about the lives of the people who were present at all these world-changing events, as well as all the little unnoticed events.
The moment that told me this would not be a typical epic--actually, I guess there were two--was when the story hit a crisis point, somewhere around the 1/3 mark I think. I won't even include the spoiler text, but in short, one of the characters who is almost but not quite a villain encounters someone who is definitely a villain, and--well, fine, here's the spoiler: This encounter turned my expectations around so I no longer knew what was going to happen. And I loved it.
The second moment is more a scene, an image, than anything else: But it's the other aspect of the book I find so remarkable, because there are these scenes that stand out that are part of what shapes the story.
I have reservations about some aspects of the plot. One of them centers on the sexual mores of the culture, in which women have complete control over contraception and are therefore as free as the men to take whatever partners they choose. That's actually pretty cool, and I like that and the attitudes they have toward sex as a good thing. What I'm not totally convinced of is the lack of jealousy in almost all the relationships they have, particularly where partners are married for political or dynastic reasons, but are in love with other people. It's not like the specific instances don't make sense, it's just that I felt there should be more examples of it not working out, something beyond Lanrid and the horrible Fi.
Given all this, I would have rated Time of Daughters four stars, but it earns an extra star, as is my policy, for how much the story stuck with me during the times I wasn't reading it. And this is why I began this very long review with a very long preface: I could easily have passed this book over as one more epic fantasy I wasn't going to like. I could have decided not to bother, because I'm not in school anymore and I no longer have to read anything I don't want to. And I would have missed out on so much.
I am well into the second volume of this book, in which Arrow and Danet's children and the others of their generation are adults. I have grave concerns about some of them, and my attachment to some of them has grown deeper. But I have every confidence I will be satisfied with the outcome.
Which is all a very long way of saying I should never have picked up Time of Daughters at all.
In fact, I can't remember why I started reading it. The concept interested me, I think; I'd read and loved Inda back in the day, and that gave me enough of a grounding in the time period in which this book is set that I was curious. So I decided I would give it a try. (I have never come to terms with the fact that there are now whole subgenres I can't bear to read. I tell myself it's a fluke, because my whole life I was defined by being That Girl who could read and enjoy anything. It's not true, but I don't like that idea.)
Time of Daughters was very hard for me to get into. There are a lot of characters, and most of them have two or even three different names. Much as I appreciated the list of characters at the end, flipping back and forth to remind myself what Arrow's real name was and so forth really slowed me down. And I felt the same pressure I usually do now when I'm reading epic fantasy, which is that I get overwhelmed and impatient after a few chapters even if I'm enjoying the book. And the setup at the beginning of Time of Daughters is heavier on explication of the political and historical position, so between that and the frequent POV shifting, I often put the book aside for other things.
(Does this sound like a five-star read? No? Stick with me.)
The turning point was when I decided to trust Smith and just go with the flow. I stopped checking the character list and depended on context to remember who was who, and decided to think of the characters by their most common names and not worry about their given names. (Though now I wonder what determines whether someone will get a nickname or not. Not the kids in the military academy like "Cabbage" Gannan, but why the heir to the throne goes by Noddy (I think his real name is Nadald or Nadand--remember how I stopped looking it up?) and his brother is always and ever just Connar. Or the king, who is known to his wife and friends as Arrow, but the queen is just Danet. It's an interesting aspect of the characterization that makes the book feel more real.) After that, reading was a lot more enjoyable. But I still had the problem of being incapable of reading more than four chapters without feeling itchy and irritable--not a good sign.
Then something remarkable happened. There was one character I was mildly attached to (I thought) who is a great guy and someone I wanted good things for. And something happened to him--nothing fatal, but a terrible personal crisis--and I was stunned and heartbroken.
And then I couldn't make myself go on.
This happens occasionally. I get attached to someone or something in a book and the emotions are too much to bear. Only in this case, it was a huge surprise because I hadn't thought I was all that attached. I really, really wanted this character to be happy, and I hadn't even noticed I felt that way.
Fast-forward several months. The book was sitting in my night stand drawer all that time--I was reading the ebook, but I'd had the paper copy on hand from when I kept accessing the character list. I decided I was tired of seeing it there and I was going to finish it. Only this time, I had a plan. I had bought a treadmill so I could walk in the mornings without going out in the cold, and I wanted to see if I could read the tablet while I walked. (Very long story cut here.)
It worked! And because I only walk for about half an hour, I was reading--that's right--three or four chapters at a time. No more feeling like I should be doing more, or carving out reading time. I was done in just a week and a half.
Time of Daughters is set in the author's invented world of Sartorias-Deles, which is this enormous, detailed, brilliantly imagined place with a long history and dozens of countries and a hint of magic (more than a hint depending on what country you're in). If you are familiar only with Smith's book Crown Duel, you're missing out on the full depth and breadth of the world that supports that book. I freely admit I have not read most of what Smith has written in this world, but Time of Daughters does not demand any great knowledge of what has come before. The Inda series makes for a nice background to the reading, but, again, it's not necessary.
The first thing that struck me about this book was how much it feels like real history. If you've studied even a little bit of, say, English history, you know how names got repeated and everybody is related to everybody else and kings came and went like mayflies sometimes. This is what's going on with Time of Daughters. It's part of why I included that incredibly long personal preface--I suggest readers not be put off if that initial dunk in the ocean overwhelms them. The book is very realistic in that sense, and I appreciate that depth now that I've plunged deeper.
The second thing that struck me is that despite this being an epic, it is also a dozen very personal stories, a dozen character studies (I didn't count; there could be more), and if you aren't someone who cares much about the epic narrative, it is just as easy to fall into the rhythm of caring about these characters. The book is not just about the rise of a dynasty (please, let it not also be about the fall of a dynasty, I'm looking at you, Connar), it's about the lives of the people who were present at all these world-changing events, as well as all the little unnoticed events.
The moment that told me this would not be a typical epic--actually, I guess there were two--was when the story hit a crisis point, somewhere around the 1/3 mark I think. I won't even include the spoiler text, but in short, one of the characters who is almost but not quite a villain encounters someone who is definitely a villain, and--well, fine, here's the spoiler: This encounter turned my expectations around so I no longer knew what was going to happen. And I loved it.
The second moment is more a scene, an image, than anything else: But it's the other aspect of the book I find so remarkable, because there are these scenes that stand out that are part of what shapes the story.
I have reservations about some aspects of the plot. One of them centers on the sexual mores of the culture, in which women have complete control over contraception and are therefore as free as the men to take whatever partners they choose. That's actually pretty cool, and I like that and the attitudes they have toward sex as a good thing. What I'm not totally convinced of is the lack of jealousy in almost all the relationships they have, particularly where partners are married for political or dynastic reasons, but are in love with other people. It's not like the specific instances don't make sense, it's just that I felt there should be more examples of it not working out, something beyond Lanrid and the horrible Fi.
Given all this, I would have rated Time of Daughters four stars, but it earns an extra star, as is my policy, for how much the story stuck with me during the times I wasn't reading it. And this is why I began this very long review with a very long preface: I could easily have passed this book over as one more epic fantasy I wasn't going to like. I could have decided not to bother, because I'm not in school anymore and I no longer have to read anything I don't want to. And I would have missed out on so much.
I am well into the second volume of this book, in which Arrow and Danet's children and the others of their generation are adults. I have grave concerns about some of them, and my attachment to some of them has grown deeper. But I have every confidence I will be satisfied with the outcome.
December 5, 2019
A massacre and some murders put an unexpected king on the throne of Marlovan Iasca about a century after Inda’s time (see note at end), and he and—even more so—his wife set about shoring up the volatile country. These events all happen in the first third of the book, which is equal parts excitement and character development, and focuses largely (but not exclusively) on Danet, the wife in question.
The rest of the book is a family dynasty story, as we watch adults pair up, children be born and grow to adolescence, and the resentments of the past and hopes for the future come to light. You follow several people, but my favorites are Lineas, the somewhat eccentric but altogether wonderful young royal runner, and Connar, the hot-tempered, jealous, driven adopted prince.
Connar’s character lets Sherwood Smith explore so much—the expectations (negative as well as positive) people have of you based on your parents, the power of adults to influence children, and how good and bad character traits can come mixed in one person. Connar’s a complicated, jangly bundle of emotions and ambitions, and he’s got people fighting for his soul, though he doesn’t really realize it.
As always, Sherwood is **great** at characters—both individually and en masse, and with this book you see things unfolding and playing out in a way I just love. Also this book is very tight—even though it encompasses two generations and quite a few viewpoint characters, it’s the opposite of what I’d call sprawling, which some of her stories can be. Here, you’re very clearly focused on what will happen to the royal family. It ends a bit abruptly, but good news: the sequel volume is now available, and the story is complete with that volume. Starting it today!
There are also plot elements that address gender performance and transgender that I thought were really nicely handled, showing several types of difference rather than just one, and there are also characters who are deaf and neuroatypical, which was cool too.
Note: I saw one review that complained that you needed to have read the Inda books to understand this one, but I have to say I don’t think that’s true at all. All you need to know is that Inda is a beloved hero and military genius who was *not* king—and this is amply explained in the story. Honestly, I thought the way the past was woven into the story was one of the strengths.
The rest of the book is a family dynasty story, as we watch adults pair up, children be born and grow to adolescence, and the resentments of the past and hopes for the future come to light. You follow several people, but my favorites are Lineas, the somewhat eccentric but altogether wonderful young royal runner, and Connar, the hot-tempered, jealous, driven adopted prince.
Connar’s character lets Sherwood Smith explore so much—the expectations (negative as well as positive) people have of you based on your parents, the power of adults to influence children, and how good and bad character traits can come mixed in one person. Connar’s a complicated, jangly bundle of emotions and ambitions, and he’s got people fighting for his soul, though he doesn’t really realize it.
As always, Sherwood is **great** at characters—both individually and en masse, and with this book you see things unfolding and playing out in a way I just love. Also this book is very tight—even though it encompasses two generations and quite a few viewpoint characters, it’s the opposite of what I’d call sprawling, which some of her stories can be. Here, you’re very clearly focused on what will happen to the royal family. It ends a bit abruptly, but good news: the sequel volume is now available, and the story is complete with that volume. Starting it today!
There are also plot elements that address gender performance and transgender that I thought were really nicely handled, showing several types of difference rather than just one, and there are also characters who are deaf and neuroatypical, which was cool too.
Note: I saw one review that complained that you needed to have read the Inda books to understand this one, but I have to say I don’t think that’s true at all. All you need to know is that Inda is a beloved hero and military genius who was *not* king—and this is amply explained in the story. Honestly, I thought the way the past was woven into the story was one of the strengths.
December 23, 2019
First, I am grateful to my local independent bookstore for being able to get me a physical copy of this book. Often things that aren't traditionally published by the big six aren't available in physical form in Canada, but they got me this. 400 pages is too much to read in the iBooks app on my phone.
Second, I want to appreciate whomever wrote the back of the book. It was written artfully, without giving away the climax of Part I, on which all of Part II depends.
Part I and Part II are very different. I took a break between Part I and Part II because of the abrupt change in time and focused characters. Part I is singularly focused on Danet and Arrow for the most part, while Part II feels more like the other books in Sator-Deles where multiple characters with multiple POVs are explored. Part I exhibited some airs of trying to keep it as a novela, and Part II definitely just gave up and explored, which was great.
Two things are very odd about this book, but both of them are good things. I am able to keep all of the characters in the book apart, which is a momentous task because many of them share names. I am also horrifically bad at keeping character names straight, so it is a small miracle that I am able to keep them apart.
The other thing is that I don't feel like the characters in the books are repeats. This would be the fourth Sator-Deles book about Marlovian commanders, kings, and war. I feel like each cast of characters brings a new perspective to issues that are different. I don't feel like I'm reading the same cardboard cutouts, which sometimes happens when an author spends a lot of time in a world.
One thing I enjoyed about the book is that it is so much about 'normal' people going through their lives. Inda was a genius and the current generation are preparing for a lot. Danet and Arrow are just normal people. The characters in Part II are just normal people. It felt like the stakes were lower, but it read so much more comfortingly? These are these people, and these are their lives.
I also enjoyed how the book talked about representation. There was a significant presence of deaf individuals, and some cannons about characters in the Inda books I will accept. I've always loved the frank discussion regarding sex in these novels, along with how the marriage system and partners work.
I look forward to learning more about these characters and their lives in Time of Daughters II.
Second, I want to appreciate whomever wrote the back of the book. It was written artfully, without giving away the climax of Part I, on which all of Part II depends.
Part I and Part II are very different. I took a break between Part I and Part II because of the abrupt change in time and focused characters. Part I is singularly focused on Danet and Arrow for the most part, while Part II feels more like the other books in Sator-Deles where multiple characters with multiple POVs are explored. Part I exhibited some airs of trying to keep it as a novela, and Part II definitely just gave up and explored, which was great.
Two things are very odd about this book, but both of them are good things. I am able to keep all of the characters in the book apart, which is a momentous task because many of them share names. I am also horrifically bad at keeping character names straight, so it is a small miracle that I am able to keep them apart.
The other thing is that I don't feel like the characters in the books are repeats. This would be the fourth Sator-Deles book about Marlovian commanders, kings, and war. I feel like each cast of characters brings a new perspective to issues that are different. I don't feel like I'm reading the same cardboard cutouts, which sometimes happens when an author spends a lot of time in a world.
One thing I enjoyed about the book is that it is so much about 'normal' people going through their lives. Inda was a genius and the current generation are preparing for a lot. Danet and Arrow are just normal people. The characters in Part II are just normal people. It felt like the stakes were lower, but it read so much more comfortingly? These are these people, and these are their lives.
I also enjoyed how the book talked about representation. There was a significant presence of deaf individuals, and some cannons about characters in the Inda books I will accept. I've always loved the frank discussion regarding sex in these novels, along with how the marriage system and partners work.
I look forward to learning more about these characters and their lives in Time of Daughters II.
December 26, 2019
I loved this, but I am a diehard INDA fan and even I had trouble keeping track of the names and history, so this is not a place to start learning about the world of Sartorias-deles. However, it is a wonderfully welcome deep cut for those who wonder (as I do) about the changes between the INDA series and BANNER OF THE DAMNED where the Time of Daughters is briefly referenced.
November 12, 2019
I enjoyed reading this book, but not a lot happened, so it's probably best to wait until part 2 is out and then read the whole thing together. Set about a hundred years post-Inda, this book is so reliant on the history of that quartet (Inda, The Fox, King's Shield, and Treason's Shore) that if you haven't read all four books you will be totally lost in Time of Daughters. Don't read Time of Daughters as your first Sartorias-Deles book--it won't make any sense and you'll spoil the endings of the other ones. (It also helps to have read Banner of the Damned, since the occasional omniscient first-person narration makes absolutely no sense otherwise.)
Time of Daughters 1 is split into two parts. Sherwood Smith always writes these cycles of a horrible king (or a series of horrible kings), who are violent, venal, and treacherous, followed by a good king/queen pair that try their hardest to fix things and restore honor. The first part essentially focuses on what it means to come to power when your first priority is cleaning up the mess made by the previous leaders--it starts with bad kings and halfway through, via blood everywhere, ends up with a good king/queen pair. But the rest of the population doesn't trust the new royals to be better than the previous ones, so the first part ends with a series of secondary characters making choices that seem to explain why the book is called Time of Daughters. ... And then we get to part 2, twelve years later, and it's an extended riff on the nature of war, and defense, and command, and jealousy, and the differences between men and women, and the choices that seemed so fraught at the end of part 1 turn out to be a big nothingburger. Some exploration of trans issues, and a lot of time spent on how adults can manipulate teenagers for their own purposes. But no real action. It's all about how, if you train an army, the army will expect a war... presumably the war comes in Time of Daughters 2. So much of the second part of the book was narrated by teenagers that it seemed almost as if it belonged more with the young adult Sartorias-Deles books than the adult ones, in terms of the simplicity of everyone's actions and motivations. There are basically no hidden depths in this book, or (thanks to the huge variety of narrators) even really any secrets besides which country is behind the spring raids.
TLDR: more philosophical than action-focused, lots of narrators, definitely not stand-alone. Good LGB representation and a decent amount of T representation as well.
Time of Daughters 1 is split into two parts. Sherwood Smith always writes these cycles of a horrible king (or a series of horrible kings), who are violent, venal, and treacherous, followed by a good king/queen pair that try their hardest to fix things and restore honor. The first part essentially focuses on what it means to come to power when your first priority is cleaning up the mess made by the previous leaders--it starts with bad kings and halfway through, via blood everywhere, ends up with a good king/queen pair. But the rest of the population doesn't trust the new royals to be better than the previous ones, so the first part ends with a series of secondary characters making choices that seem to explain why the book is called Time of Daughters. ... And then we get to part 2, twelve years later, and it's an extended riff on the nature of war, and defense, and command, and jealousy, and the differences between men and women, and the choices that seemed so fraught at the end of part 1 turn out to be a big nothingburger. Some exploration of trans issues, and a lot of time spent on how adults can manipulate teenagers for their own purposes. But no real action. It's all about how, if you train an army, the army will expect a war... presumably the war comes in Time of Daughters 2. So much of the second part of the book was narrated by teenagers that it seemed almost as if it belonged more with the young adult Sartorias-Deles books than the adult ones, in terms of the simplicity of everyone's actions and motivations. There are basically no hidden depths in this book, or (thanks to the huge variety of narrators) even really any secrets besides which country is behind the spring raids.
TLDR: more philosophical than action-focused, lots of narrators, definitely not stand-alone. Good LGB representation and a decent amount of T representation as well.
September 13, 2020
I enjoyed this book and I love reading about this world. The author writes characters very well. They absolutely feel real, with true strengths and weaknesses, and various desires pushing and pulling at them. I also think the author writes different ages well. I absolutely feel the difference between younger and older characters, and the way youth/age affect those characters' decisions. Relationships and feelings are honest, messy, fluid.
My primary complaint is it feels like this book, the first of two, was just chopped in the middle. The ending felt very abrupt and not at all satisfying.
There are so many characters in this world, so many layers, and the names are hard to keep track of, but it's something I personally enjoy because it adds to realism for me. Planning to buy the second and start reading soon.
I definitely recommend reading the Inda series before this one; many of the events in this book make more sense as a result and it adds a layer of interest.
My primary complaint is it feels like this book, the first of two, was just chopped in the middle. The ending felt very abrupt and not at all satisfying.
There are so many characters in this world, so many layers, and the names are hard to keep track of, but it's something I personally enjoy because it adds to realism for me. Planning to buy the second and start reading soon.
I definitely recommend reading the Inda series before this one; many of the events in this book make more sense as a result and it adds a layer of interest.
December 10, 2023
It was only after I read Banner of the Damned that I understood what the reference it the title was about.
This duology is great. Recommend.
All these series within a series do not require reading the previous series. So far in my reading of them anyway. Smith is excellent at dropping in bits of information as needed.
This duology is great. Recommend.
All these series within a series do not require reading the previous series. So far in my reading of them anyway. Smith is excellent at dropping in bits of information as needed.
May 14, 2023
I loved loved loved the Inda quartet, and quite enjoyed the Banner of the Damned. The world-building in those was rich and complex, and the interplay of history and politics and culture and language were so complex and skillfully manipulated that I was very happy to return to the world in this book. However, those were conventionally published, and so had had the benefit of professional editing. This books was, I think, self-published, and it showed. The plot was meandering and lacked any driving force; the characters spend a lot of time talking about the events and consequences of events of the previous books; and events are introduced and then dropped and never picked up again, as if the author were publishing each chapter serially, without the benefit of going back to rejigger and reconsider earlier things that turned out not to be relevant to later developments. There were, to be sure, some very skillfully done bits, especially the build-up to the Night of Four Kings, in which hints and set-ups came to fruition very satisfactorally. Indeed, I think if the book had ended after that, it would have been quite a successful novella set in this world. But things then keep on happening, and there doesn't seem to be any swell or primary conflict in sight. What happened to Wolf's daughter from his first marriage? Is Lavais actually going to cause trouble? She sure was set up as if she wanted to cause trouble, but then she just goes away again, having thought the better of it. Even Connar's grooming as the 'true king' never really goes anywhere, and that's the most constant thread through the second half of the book.
Yet the depth of world-building and the richness of the politics and intrigue--even if they never really go anywhere--have a certain verisimilitude. I can easily imagine someone who deeply loves this world and these people revelling in pages and pages and pages of just life. Not everything has to be a world-threatening epic. Sometimes you just want to hang out with the king and queen and Academy and runners and live in a fantasy realm for a while. Things happen, plots are conceived but never executed, shenanigans take place, people grow and learn and talk and live their lives, and talk about the events of the previous books that you've already read and loved. If that's what you want, then this book does it beautifully. This desire is exactly what motivates so many billions of words of fanfiction. Indeed, this book feels like a very long work of fanfiction of the author's previous books.
I myself am left just a bit unsatisfied, though. I find myself wanting to go back and re-read the Inda quartet, because that offers all the world-building richness and depth of this book, but it also has a plot that goes places.
But maybe I'm being unfair. Maybe the second book will pick up all the threads that feel dropped and incomplete, and weave them into something astonishing. Given what Smith did with the Inda quartet, I know she has the ability. I will read book 2, for sure. I'm just a little bit doubtful going into it.
Yet the depth of world-building and the richness of the politics and intrigue--even if they never really go anywhere--have a certain verisimilitude. I can easily imagine someone who deeply loves this world and these people revelling in pages and pages and pages of just life. Not everything has to be a world-threatening epic. Sometimes you just want to hang out with the king and queen and Academy and runners and live in a fantasy realm for a while. Things happen, plots are conceived but never executed, shenanigans take place, people grow and learn and talk and live their lives, and talk about the events of the previous books that you've already read and loved. If that's what you want, then this book does it beautifully. This desire is exactly what motivates so many billions of words of fanfiction. Indeed, this book feels like a very long work of fanfiction of the author's previous books.
I myself am left just a bit unsatisfied, though. I find myself wanting to go back and re-read the Inda quartet, because that offers all the world-building richness and depth of this book, but it also has a plot that goes places.
But maybe I'm being unfair. Maybe the second book will pick up all the threads that feel dropped and incomplete, and weave them into something astonishing. Given what Smith did with the Inda quartet, I know she has the ability. I will read book 2, for sure. I'm just a little bit doubtful going into it.
January 20, 2020
Revisit after I finish Volume 2. So far, a lot of characters, and having trouble keeping them straight with names & nicknames (like Russian literature, eh?).
Overall, So far, so good. Sherwood Smith has evolved a long way from Crown Duel (tho that was a favorite of mine at the time). I love the premise of all the leadership being eliminated nearly simultaneously, and thus time for amateurs to fumble their way to greatness. Lots of seeds have been planted in this volume for future conflict and succession strife (will Connor challenge? will the King's true son? could a woman rule?). Also a remarkable lack of apparent heroes, in the Inda mold. Will true leadership emerge? What would that look like? We're pretty low on magical horsepower at the moment too. I'm hoping not to be disappointed in the denouement.
Nothing in the narrative that seems too deep. I see here a lot about the barriers we create when we stop communicating well with others who share or do not share our values. An interesting world from the standpoint of interpersonal relationships and sexual politics. Not convinced that assigning marriages from childhood would have the consequences envisioned in the story line, but it's an interesting sub-plot. Hoping for a lot more from the daughters, so far seems like it's just a man's world. Most of the female perspective has been about relationships, inclusion, status? Speaking of plot, I'm a bit disappointed in absence of politics within the kingdom and lacking all the jockeying for position that to me seems inevitable in times of change (no reference to Trump here).
Anyway, I'm having fun with this.
Overall, So far, so good. Sherwood Smith has evolved a long way from Crown Duel (tho that was a favorite of mine at the time). I love the premise of all the leadership being eliminated nearly simultaneously, and thus time for amateurs to fumble their way to greatness. Lots of seeds have been planted in this volume for future conflict and succession strife (will Connor challenge? will the King's true son? could a woman rule?). Also a remarkable lack of apparent heroes, in the Inda mold. Will true leadership emerge? What would that look like? We're pretty low on magical horsepower at the moment too. I'm hoping not to be disappointed in the denouement.
Nothing in the narrative that seems too deep. I see here a lot about the barriers we create when we stop communicating well with others who share or do not share our values. An interesting world from the standpoint of interpersonal relationships and sexual politics. Not convinced that assigning marriages from childhood would have the consequences envisioned in the story line, but it's an interesting sub-plot. Hoping for a lot more from the daughters, so far seems like it's just a man's world. Most of the female perspective has been about relationships, inclusion, status? Speaking of plot, I'm a bit disappointed in absence of politics within the kingdom and lacking all the jockeying for position that to me seems inevitable in times of change (no reference to Trump here).
Anyway, I'm having fun with this.
February 27, 2020
Look, I'm biased. I love the Inda series and Stranger to Command, so just spending some four-hundred more pages in the world of the Marlovens delighted me. Aside from the world-building alone, which is usually what draws me into Sherwood Smith's books, it had a much quicker plot like the Inda books, but unlike some of her other works (for instance, Banner of the Damned and Fleeing Peace were both ones I got kind of bogged down in). Court intrigue aplenty, complex interesting characters and relationships, matter of fact queer representation ... I loved it. I would definitely read the Inda books first though.
I am interested how a trans reader would respond to this book. It did have some trans characters and discussion around trans identity, which is great to see in a fantasy book, but some of the framing seemed a little outdated (a lot of talk of "being born in the wrong body" or, for instance, a transmasculine character being "born a girl").
I am interested how a trans reader would respond to this book. It did have some trans characters and discussion around trans identity, which is great to see in a fantasy book, but some of the framing seemed a little outdated (a lot of talk of "being born in the wrong body" or, for instance, a transmasculine character being "born a girl").
February 21, 2023
I loved this for the chance to spend more time in Marlovan society, and I adored Danet.
I found the back-half with its time-shift to focusing more on Danet's kids and their peers to be a fair bit weaker, so moving it down from 4-stars to 3-stay on that. I got a bit worn down with this giant pile of various teenagers mooning over other teenagers and everyone mooning after the wrong person, developing petty teenage grudges, and just generally being teens. I'm sure this was all setting up for how those characters will feel towards each other into adulthood in the next book (assuming that will be the trajectory here) but the overall effect was that the back-half out-stayed its welcome a bit. Still, I'll be looking forward to seeing what evolves from it all.
I found the back-half with its time-shift to focusing more on Danet's kids and their peers to be a fair bit weaker, so moving it down from 4-stars to 3-stay on that. I got a bit worn down with this giant pile of various teenagers mooning over other teenagers and everyone mooning after the wrong person, developing petty teenage grudges, and just generally being teens. I'm sure this was all setting up for how those characters will feel towards each other into adulthood in the next book (assuming that will be the trajectory here) but the overall effect was that the back-half out-stayed its welcome a bit. Still, I'll be looking forward to seeing what evolves from it all.
May 12, 2020
Great read, lots of action, detail and history. I like too giving girls the right to train and hold positions of responsibility. The competitions etc were very realistic.
Their hero Inda is really was just that yet the king tries to make him even more than Inda was. He was modest never seeing himself as others did.
Myself, I wish there was more detail about magic and its study, how one gets invited to study it, etc.
Their hero Inda is really was just that yet the king tries to make him even more than Inda was. He was modest never seeing himself as others did.
Myself, I wish there was more detail about magic and its study, how one gets invited to study it, etc.
December 22, 2020
Two part series set a few hundred years after the end of the Inda series. A shift in the political landscape means a new family in power, and some bad apples in a dynasty leads to some destabilizing events with far reaching consequences. Sherwood Smith's books feel like historical records of a rich world, and this one is particularly fascinating to see how political power and boundaries shift over time.
March 30, 2020
Sherwood Smith amazes me. I loved returning to the world of Sartorias-deles. Time of Daughters takes place about 100 years after the end of the Inda series and is set in the same country as Inda (and Senrid) Contains: mentions of sex (nothing explicit), mild swearing, violence.
September 14, 2020
I had a hard time staying with this book, mostly because there were so many people to deal with. I would recommend it to anyone that likes to figure out who is who and why they are part of the story. I don’t plan on reading any more of the series.
October 6, 2023
Got rather oddly fascinated by this one and its sequel. Tons of characters and history--got a little confusing with the nicknames and as I've not read the Inda books that are chronologically first--but I couldn't look away until the tale was told.
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(Contains violence and murder.)
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(Contains violence and murder.)
December 30, 2019
I completely despised Banner of the Damned, while I was obsessed by the Inda quartet. This book returns to the previous sweeping, river-like narrative style I can pick up any moment and lose myself into. And also, it's NOT about a completely uninteresting set of characters, an anodyne narrator and a culture that turned boredom into a war form.
Yeah, I really hated BotD, and this shades any feeling I have toward this series, but this book was all good from the opening, so I'll keep loving Sherwood Smith... but I exaggerate, I have already forgiven her, because she's SO great.
Yeah, I really hated BotD, and this shades any feeling I have toward this series, but this book was all good from the opening, so I'll keep loving Sherwood Smith... but I exaggerate, I have already forgiven her, because she's SO great.
May 15, 2020
I feel into this with my usual love of Sherwood Smith's historical books. Who cares if it has an active plot? I'm enjoying the characters too much.
January 17, 2021
utterly delightful to return to sartorias-deles
August 10, 2022
For me, Time of Daughters I was disappointing compared to the other books in the Sartorias-deles arc. The characters were less accessible and I was not as invested. It's impact would have been minimal without the previous Inda books.
If anything, the most impactful part was the manipulation and corruption of Inda's name to the benefit of the various parties in power. It has become not so much a legacy but a rallying cry to their mislead causes. It makes a mockery of his sacrifices, not to mention those of Evred, Sindan, Hadand, Tdor, Tau, Jeje, Tanrid, Buck, Hawkeye, Noddy, the list goes on. Not just the desecration of Inda's name, but all the other changes seen in Marlovan Iasca (previously Iasca Leror) in less than on hundred years is shocking. Treason's Shore wraps up mostly with a happy ending. Fast forward to Time of Daughters I and the kingdom is in disarray, the hard work of previous generations undone. Which, I suppose, is the greatest truth of history - all great deeds are eventually forgotten. Some of the greatest historical moments in my grandparents' lives are covered in a paragraph in today's history books. Though I will say, the sacrifice and bravery of the women and girls in the Andahai Pass has not been forgotten, and for that, there is some justice in the world.
The title is a bit of a play on words because as we find out . Though Danet is arguable the key daughter as she saves a kingdom by doing her duty. She's the sensible voice of reason. I waiver with Arrow, he's mostly an unlikeable drunk, but he has his moments of tenderness. It's nice to see Fox's descendants in Camarend and Quill, though neither seem to have his edge. It's like the Sierlaef all over again with poor Connar, being manipulated by someone he trusts. I'm worried to see how this will play out. I wouldn't be surprised if . The rest of the POVs aren't really worth mentioning. I've already downloaded part 2, Time of Daughters II, but part of me is ready to get through it and Banner of the Damned so I can finally get to the Vidanric and Meliara stories, which started this whole reading adventure for me in the first place.
If anything, the most impactful part was the manipulation and corruption of Inda's name to the benefit of the various parties in power. It has become not so much a legacy but a rallying cry to their mislead causes. It makes a mockery of his sacrifices, not to mention those of Evred, Sindan, Hadand, Tdor, Tau, Jeje, Tanrid, Buck, Hawkeye, Noddy, the list goes on. Not just the desecration of Inda's name, but all the other changes seen in Marlovan Iasca (previously Iasca Leror) in less than on hundred years is shocking. Treason's Shore wraps up mostly with a happy ending. Fast forward to Time of Daughters I and the kingdom is in disarray, the hard work of previous generations undone. Which, I suppose, is the greatest truth of history - all great deeds are eventually forgotten. Some of the greatest historical moments in my grandparents' lives are covered in a paragraph in today's history books. Though I will say, the sacrifice and bravery of the women and girls in the Andahai Pass has not been forgotten, and for that, there is some justice in the world.
The title is a bit of a play on words because as we find out . Though Danet is arguable the key daughter as she saves a kingdom by doing her duty. She's the sensible voice of reason. I waiver with Arrow, he's mostly an unlikeable drunk, but he has his moments of tenderness. It's nice to see Fox's descendants in Camarend and Quill, though neither seem to have his edge. It's like the Sierlaef all over again with poor Connar, being manipulated by someone he trusts. I'm worried to see how this will play out. I wouldn't be surprised if . The rest of the POVs aren't really worth mentioning. I've already downloaded part 2, Time of Daughters II, but part of me is ready to get through it and Banner of the Damned so I can finally get to the Vidanric and Meliara stories, which started this whole reading adventure for me in the first place.
June 4, 2025
Sadly (because I've loved most of Sherwood Smith's work) I was quite disappointed with this book. First of all, the book is misnamed. I think she may have titled it tongue-in-cheek, since it was overflowing with the doings of the sons. Having thought about it more, I think maybe the title had more to do with the few boys who were raised female in order to escape the compulsory schooling, but I'm not sure. My disappointment doesn't change, though.
The first part of the book started strongly female, with a compelling story line. That only lasted maybe a quarter of the way in. From then on, it was mostly the story of the men and boys, and they were all, except for one or two very minor characters, very unappealing. I feel like so many strong, would-be compelling female characters got short-shafted in the narrative. Passages would start about them and I'd think, "Finally we get so-and-so's story!" only for it to be abruptly abandoned (and I do mean abruptly) in favor of the males. If I had cared about the princes (or any of the males in the story) this might have been a different review, but I couldn't stand them. I have no objection, on principle, to the story heavily featuring boys and men, but the title led me to expect something different, and I was disappointed because Smith does kick-ass female characters.
On the positive side, the world-building is intricate, although I'd not like to live in that world. Unfortunately, it all summed up to a tedious read that I have no desire to relive or explore further.
The first part of the book started strongly female, with a compelling story line. That only lasted maybe a quarter of the way in. From then on, it was mostly the story of the men and boys, and they were all, except for one or two very minor characters, very unappealing. I feel like so many strong, would-be compelling female characters got short-shafted in the narrative. Passages would start about them and I'd think, "Finally we get so-and-so's story!" only for it to be abruptly abandoned (and I do mean abruptly) in favor of the males. If I had cared about the princes (or any of the males in the story) this might have been a different review, but I couldn't stand them. I have no objection, on principle, to the story heavily featuring boys and men, but the title led me to expect something different, and I was disappointed because Smith does kick-ass female characters.
On the positive side, the world-building is intricate, although I'd not like to live in that world. Unfortunately, it all summed up to a tedious read that I have no desire to relive or explore further.
September 8, 2021
Want more Marlvolen history? Well, you're in luck! Here's the first of a duology set about 80 years or so after Inda that more or less sets up why the academy was the way it was in Banner of the Damned.
POV's mainly from the female characters in the nobility.
POV's mainly from the female characters in the nobility.
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