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Inda #4
Treason's Shore
Fourth in "an intense fascinating epic"* of high action and fantasy adventure.
Inda, fresh from his triumph on the battlefield against the Venn, takes his place beside King Evred as Harskialdna, the King's Shield. But the Venn are far from defeated and only Inda's fame is strong enough to inspire all the squabbling kingdoms to unite and raise a force mighty enough to protect the strait and repel the enemy. Evred has also ordered Inda to take over the strait once the battle is won, but Inda, a former pirate, knows that this is a very bad idea. Now Inda must choose between obeying his liege-or committing treason.
Inda, fresh from his triumph on the battlefield against the Venn, takes his place beside King Evred as Harskialdna, the King's Shield. But the Venn are far from defeated and only Inda's fame is strong enough to inspire all the squabbling kingdoms to unite and raise a force mighty enough to protect the strait and repel the enemy. Evred has also ordered Inda to take over the strait once the battle is won, but Inda, a former pirate, knows that this is a very bad idea. Now Inda must choose between obeying his liege-or committing treason.
691 pages, Hardcover
First published July 23, 2009
79 people are currently reading
1067 people want to read
About the author
Sherwood Smith
168 books37.5k followersI am a writer,( Patreon here) but I'm on Goodreads to talk about books, as I've been a passionate reader as long as I've been a writer--since early childhood.
I'm not going to rate books--there are too many variables. I'd rather talk about the reading experience. My 'reviews' of my books are confined to the writing process.
I'm not going to rate books--there are too many variables. I'd rather talk about the reading experience. My 'reviews' of my books are confined to the writing process.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 141 reviews
November 16, 2018
“Consider how many of our kings and heroes define honour by the worthiness of their enemies. Things will only change when we define honour by our works.”
For months I have been telling you to read this series and now I am concluding it with the pathetic 2-star review. Why? Well, while I still believe “Inda” is one of my best discoveries on Goodreads, what has been done to the ending of this series is… well, a treason actually.
I was excited to return to this immensely rich world. The transition between the penultimate and final book in the series is smooth, what on the one hand means that all the threads continue in a very natural way and on the other, I did have a feeling that I was still reading King’s Shield. Indeed, the breakthrough, when it comes, happens quite far into the book and is followed by a jumbled avalanche of occurrences, actions and other developments that just leave the reader in a bewildered mess of “what has just happened?”
I have read several reviews indicating that Inda should have been a trilogy, and upon finishing I need to say I support these voices. Stretching the story into four books was not necessary. To the contrary, fattening the book up with information and characters that are aimed mainly at contributing to the background building and accentuating an atmosphere but do not feed into a plot development, crippled the series. I love the Sartorias-Deles universe, I am happy to get to know Marlovans and I definitely want to read more on them but more does not mean a fanfic style and quality of writing. The redundant sub-plots that had no impact on the main tale, and read better as separate novellas. But then, novellas don’t sell, I guess.
The sad truth is that the main story staggers from the beginning, and then, like a lame horse, gets worse and worse from chapter to chapter, only to die in the (not so grand) finale. Interpersonal relationships take up a huge amount of this long and drawn out novel and it might be my cultural background that prevented me from enjoying it fully. But more significantly, this prevented Ms Smith from paying more attention to issues that should have been more important than who loved and who didn’t whom and in what ways.
It is extremely disappointing that of the four main arcs introduced in the first book , only the YA component was properly explored while the other three were either ignored or mutilated at the end.
I hate how the final battle resolved in one paragraph and the Venn problem within a couple of pages . Ms Smith has the evil defeated so quickly that all the dramatic buildup proves redundant. Even the protagonists seem to be mere props: there are no haunting choices, no life turning actions, nothing that stems from the individual agency of a living and breathing person. Everything just… sort of happens.
The rest should be silence but instead, we get denouement. And an epilogue like a hiccup. I would be OK with the slow wrap up if it made sense, but it doesn’t. It doesn’t even do what it purports to, that is wrap up. Instead, book finishes with ends loose and wild and the melancholy of the final pages is not going to disguise this obvious flaw.
The most disappointing aspect of this novel is the conflict between Inda’s responsibilities and oaths, and his conscience and friends. This was not explored properly especially in the Inda-Evred-Fox triangle. The political, philosophical and ethical dilemmas and problems that were heralded in the previous instalments were tackled in a selective manner and quite nonchalantly, to be honest. The treason is more of a figurative and symbolic value than an objective reality the protagonists would be forced to face. Altogether, an easy way out for the Author.
And excuse me, I have to flag this up, but I positively loathed what happened with Fox and what not happened with regard to the betrayed Montredavan-An family.
Over the course of the second book and onward Savarend “Fox” Montredavan-An grew into my second most favourite male protagonist after Inda (Tau was just too perfect and too promiscuous). I have been rooting for Fox since, well, since forever really. Inda met him as a boy in book one and I knew back then that this unjust exile must be solved somehow by the end of the book and that there is only one way to solve it .
Not only did Ms Smith frequently alluded to the feud between the two families, and the link between Inda’s family and the Montredavan-Ans, but also Inda and Fox were connected by a deep friendship born at the sea and cemented by the daring rescue from the perverted count. This friendship not so much rivalled as balanced the connection between India and Evred. The unresolved business between the present and former Marlovan royal family was regularly reappearing throughout the series, and so it is only natural to assume that it would eventually lead to some reckoning. Especially that Fox also proved himself a capable leader, who cared for his people even if his methods might seem harsh (Mind you, he himself had a harsh and bitter upbringing). More importantly, he was not a copycat or a shadow unable to function without Inda’s guidance (“And every time I hear ‘but’ I’m going to give you another watch on cleaning duty. Two watches if you start a sentence with “But Inda always said.”). Quite the opposite, he remembers things that Inda had entirely ignored: The scenes when he started teaching his crew to read and respect books is one of my favourites.
In the view of above, you really cannot blame me for hating the ending. I am so disappointed not precisely because my theories did not work, but because I have a feeling Ms Smith lost total control over what is happening in her own story. She had so many YEARS to refine and polish the tale, and instead the novel felt like something that has been written within a couple of months (and she says she has been working on it since mid-1990s!).
I’m aggrieved and betrayed reader because I really loved the first two books and thought the third one passable (my rating for King’s shield showed the benefit of the doubt). That this book has a higher average rating than Inda is a grave misunderstanding - it shouldn’t!
I still believe that anyone looking for a completed fantasy series focused on war, politics, and personal relationships with sprawling worldbuilding that breathes and feels unbelievably real and well-drawn characters that live need to look no farther than Inda. But maybe it would be prudent to read the first two books and then just stop and allow your own imagination to fill in the blanks.
Also in the series:
1. Inda ★★★★☆
2. The Fox ★★★★★
3. King's Shield ★★★★☆
For months I have been telling you to read this series and now I am concluding it with the pathetic 2-star review. Why? Well, while I still believe “Inda” is one of my best discoveries on Goodreads, what has been done to the ending of this series is… well, a treason actually.
I was excited to return to this immensely rich world. The transition between the penultimate and final book in the series is smooth, what on the one hand means that all the threads continue in a very natural way and on the other, I did have a feeling that I was still reading King’s Shield. Indeed, the breakthrough, when it comes, happens quite far into the book and is followed by a jumbled avalanche of occurrences, actions and other developments that just leave the reader in a bewildered mess of “what has just happened?”
I have read several reviews indicating that Inda should have been a trilogy, and upon finishing I need to say I support these voices. Stretching the story into four books was not necessary. To the contrary, fattening the book up with information and characters that are aimed mainly at contributing to the background building and accentuating an atmosphere but do not feed into a plot development, crippled the series. I love the Sartorias-Deles universe, I am happy to get to know Marlovans and I definitely want to read more on them but more does not mean a fanfic style and quality of writing. The redundant sub-plots that had no impact on the main tale, and read better as separate novellas. But then, novellas don’t sell, I guess.
The sad truth is that the main story staggers from the beginning, and then, like a lame horse, gets worse and worse from chapter to chapter, only to die in the (not so grand) finale. Interpersonal relationships take up a huge amount of this long and drawn out novel and it might be my cultural background that prevented me from enjoying it fully. But more significantly, this prevented Ms Smith from paying more attention to issues that should have been more important than who loved and who didn’t whom and in what ways.
It is extremely disappointing that of the four main arcs introduced in the first book , only the YA component was properly explored while the other three were either ignored or mutilated at the end.
I hate how the final battle resolved in one paragraph and the Venn problem within a couple of pages . Ms Smith has the evil defeated so quickly that all the dramatic buildup proves redundant. Even the protagonists seem to be mere props: there are no haunting choices, no life turning actions, nothing that stems from the individual agency of a living and breathing person. Everything just… sort of happens.
The rest should be silence but instead, we get denouement. And an epilogue like a hiccup. I would be OK with the slow wrap up if it made sense, but it doesn’t. It doesn’t even do what it purports to, that is wrap up. Instead, book finishes with ends loose and wild and the melancholy of the final pages is not going to disguise this obvious flaw.
The most disappointing aspect of this novel is the conflict between Inda’s responsibilities and oaths, and his conscience and friends. This was not explored properly especially in the Inda-Evred-Fox triangle. The political, philosophical and ethical dilemmas and problems that were heralded in the previous instalments were tackled in a selective manner and quite nonchalantly, to be honest. The treason is more of a figurative and symbolic value than an objective reality the protagonists would be forced to face. Altogether, an easy way out for the Author.
And excuse me, I have to flag this up, but I positively loathed what happened with Fox and what not happened with regard to the betrayed Montredavan-An family.
Over the course of the second book and onward Savarend “Fox” Montredavan-An grew into my second most favourite male protagonist after Inda (Tau was just too perfect and too promiscuous). I have been rooting for Fox since, well, since forever really. Inda met him as a boy in book one and I knew back then that this unjust exile must be solved somehow by the end of the book and that there is only one way to solve it .
Not only did Ms Smith frequently alluded to the feud between the two families, and the link between Inda’s family and the Montredavan-Ans, but also Inda and Fox were connected by a deep friendship born at the sea and cemented by the daring rescue from the perverted count. This friendship not so much rivalled as balanced the connection between India and Evred. The unresolved business between the present and former Marlovan royal family was regularly reappearing throughout the series, and so it is only natural to assume that it would eventually lead to some reckoning. Especially that Fox also proved himself a capable leader, who cared for his people even if his methods might seem harsh (Mind you, he himself had a harsh and bitter upbringing). More importantly, he was not a copycat or a shadow unable to function without Inda’s guidance (“And every time I hear ‘but’ I’m going to give you another watch on cleaning duty. Two watches if you start a sentence with “But Inda always said.”). Quite the opposite, he remembers things that Inda had entirely ignored: The scenes when he started teaching his crew to read and respect books is one of my favourites.
In the view of above, you really cannot blame me for hating the ending. I am so disappointed not precisely because my theories did not work, but because I have a feeling Ms Smith lost total control over what is happening in her own story. She had so many YEARS to refine and polish the tale, and instead the novel felt like something that has been written within a couple of months (and she says she has been working on it since mid-1990s!).
I’m aggrieved and betrayed reader because I really loved the first two books and thought the third one passable (my rating for King’s shield showed the benefit of the doubt). That this book has a higher average rating than Inda is a grave misunderstanding - it shouldn’t!
I still believe that anyone looking for a completed fantasy series focused on war, politics, and personal relationships with sprawling worldbuilding that breathes and feels unbelievably real and well-drawn characters that live need to look no farther than Inda. But maybe it would be prudent to read the first two books and then just stop and allow your own imagination to fill in the blanks.
Also in the series:
1. Inda ★★★★☆
2. The Fox ★★★★★
3. King's Shield ★★★★☆
Read
August 5, 2009The first half of this book is really King's Shield, but all four books are one story.
I've learned a lot while doing this arc--and I also have learned how much more I have to learn. I do wish I could have learned some things forty years ago, but hey.
First image was around 1970, might even have been earlier, when I was making my world map. I always go into the zone when I do maps. I put the Elgar Strait where two continents almost touch (and had, much earlier in the world's history, leaving behind a scattering of rocky upthrusts called The Fangs) and thought, "Everything they said about Elgar was wrong, including his name." That evolved over the years to "Legend said he was a pirate but he wasn't, and nobody really knew where he was born, so a lot of lands claim him, except where he's a total villain, and it was a he, not a she."
That was all I had until the mid-nineties, when I got this vivid image of kids in the courtyard of a castle made of honey-colored stone (which meant I knew where it was), and a cheerful boy's voice piping "Let's go fight the girls!" Not out of enmity at all--the one he was attacking was his intended wife--it was practice for defense. And she would one day be the castle defender.
From there the images do what they do, cascading into story, and I dove in. Because this is the history of the timeline I've been working on longest, there was a parallel game, or bit of fun, which was laying down the tracks for the future stories--or sometimes bringing up even older tracks and showing how they shaped events farther on. Including the midpoint between the present-day stories and the Inda one, which is where Banner of the Damned comes in.
I first saw this story begin thirty years ago, but I didn't start work on it until ten years ago this month. It sets up a lot of stuff for the main arc that I've been working on all my life.
I put up a "what happens after" on my website, in case anyone wants to see it.
I've learned a lot while doing this arc--and I also have learned how much more I have to learn. I do wish I could have learned some things forty years ago, but hey.
First image was around 1970, might even have been earlier, when I was making my world map. I always go into the zone when I do maps. I put the Elgar Strait where two continents almost touch (and had, much earlier in the world's history, leaving behind a scattering of rocky upthrusts called The Fangs) and thought, "Everything they said about Elgar was wrong, including his name." That evolved over the years to "Legend said he was a pirate but he wasn't, and nobody really knew where he was born, so a lot of lands claim him, except where he's a total villain, and it was a he, not a she."
That was all I had until the mid-nineties, when I got this vivid image of kids in the courtyard of a castle made of honey-colored stone (which meant I knew where it was), and a cheerful boy's voice piping "Let's go fight the girls!" Not out of enmity at all--the one he was attacking was his intended wife--it was practice for defense. And she would one day be the castle defender.
From there the images do what they do, cascading into story, and I dove in. Because this is the history of the timeline I've been working on longest, there was a parallel game, or bit of fun, which was laying down the tracks for the future stories--or sometimes bringing up even older tracks and showing how they shaped events farther on. Including the midpoint between the present-day stories and the Inda one, which is where Banner of the Damned comes in.
I first saw this story begin thirty years ago, but I didn't start work on it until ten years ago this month. It sets up a lot of stuff for the main arc that I've been working on all my life.
I put up a "what happens after" on my website, in case anyone wants to see it.
October 2, 2018
Book 1: 4*
Book 2: 4.25*
Book 3: 3.5*
Book 4: 3.5*
Really torn on the rating of this final book. Part of me wants to go with 4* and another part 2*. I will say the ending made me sad but more in a nostalgic way than anything else. I think the author had so many threads hanging she couldn't decide how to end it. She didn't answer everything. Finally the choices on the ending almost seemed out of convenience to tie up loose ends and put things/people in their proper places.
Even the climatic scenes felt truncated and could have been much more dramatic.
Overall a very good series but with some questionable choices along the way. I wonder if given a rewrite if she would make a few different choices.......much like Inda if given the choice.
Book 2: 4.25*
Book 3: 3.5*
Book 4: 3.5*
Really torn on the rating of this final book. Part of me wants to go with 4* and another part 2*. I will say the ending made me sad but more in a nostalgic way than anything else. I think the author had so many threads hanging she couldn't decide how to end it. She didn't answer everything. Finally the choices on the ending almost seemed out of convenience to tie up loose ends and put things/people in their proper places.
Even the climatic scenes felt truncated and could have been much more dramatic.
Overall a very good series but with some questionable choices along the way. I wonder if given a rewrite if she would make a few different choices.......much like Inda if given the choice.
January 17, 2019
I'm going to be brief, because it's almost impossible to review a fourth book without spoiling the first three.
I felt like the third and the fourth book should have been one tighter, shorter book. A lot of what happens in Treason's Shore felt less interesting than the plot-lines of the previous books, and despite the length, I felt like some characters got an unsatisfying ending. An abrupt one, so to speak. As if they no longer mattered.
Overall, the series ends on a hopeful tone, and I can understand that some people were unhappy with some of the aspects, but I mostly felt relief. For such an epic story, I was quite happy how Smith tied everything together.
I highly recommend Inda as a series to any fantasy fan who enjoys coming of age themes and watching younger characters grow up. This has a military academy, friendships, backstabbing, pirates, loyalty and wonderful female characters.
One day soon, I will re-read this series.
I felt like the third and the fourth book should have been one tighter, shorter book. A lot of what happens in Treason's Shore felt less interesting than the plot-lines of the previous books, and despite the length, I felt like some characters got an unsatisfying ending. An abrupt one, so to speak. As if they no longer mattered.
Overall, the series ends on a hopeful tone, and I can understand that some people were unhappy with some of the aspects, but I mostly felt relief. For such an epic story, I was quite happy how Smith tied everything together.
I highly recommend Inda as a series to any fantasy fan who enjoys coming of age themes and watching younger characters grow up. This has a military academy, friendships, backstabbing, pirates, loyalty and wonderful female characters.
One day soon, I will re-read this series.
September 18, 2016
As is my custom, this review is going to talk about the entire Inda quartet rather than just Treason’s Shore. No spoilers.
To get the negative out of the way: this series does suffer from a bit too much worldbuilding. I understand that Smith was working on it since she was about 12, but there was a fair bit of it in there that didn’t seem like it served any purpose whatsoever. But as complaints go, it’s definitely a mild one.
As Tolkien said, the great stories never end, and that’s something this quartet does wonderfully. We meet the characters when they’re a bunch of kids, and the story ends when they’re middle-aged. But with both beginning and end, there’s a clear sense that what we read does not comprise “The Story.” There were interesting things going on before the story began, that greatly influenced the events we read. There are interesting things that will follow, that will be influenced by the actions of Inda & company. The climax of the fourth book didn’t mark the End Of An Age. Life, and the story, goes on.
The character dynamics were possibly the strongest part of the book. None of the relationships were cut and dry. There’s unrequited love, and raging jealousy, and baseless jealousy, and jealousy being firmly held in check because it’s unnecessary. All of it is messy, and all of it is wonderfully human. One theme in particular stood out to me: the tension between our feelings for people as they are and for people as we imagine them to be.
And one relatively theme that Smith kept revisiting that I particularly enjoyed: the inevitability of change. The Marlovans are one of those societies that reveres the old ways, that distrusts new ideas, that generally resists change. Yet their society is in constant flux, with some rather drastic transformations over the course of the quartet. A number of characters comment on it, and it made me smile every time.
On the whole, this is a strongly recommended series. Great characters, epic scale, and a masterpiece of the (surprisingly small) subgenre of Pirate Fantasy.
To get the negative out of the way: this series does suffer from a bit too much worldbuilding. I understand that Smith was working on it since she was about 12, but there was a fair bit of it in there that didn’t seem like it served any purpose whatsoever. But as complaints go, it’s definitely a mild one.
As Tolkien said, the great stories never end, and that’s something this quartet does wonderfully. We meet the characters when they’re a bunch of kids, and the story ends when they’re middle-aged. But with both beginning and end, there’s a clear sense that what we read does not comprise “The Story.” There were interesting things going on before the story began, that greatly influenced the events we read. There are interesting things that will follow, that will be influenced by the actions of Inda & company. The climax of the fourth book didn’t mark the End Of An Age. Life, and the story, goes on.
The character dynamics were possibly the strongest part of the book. None of the relationships were cut and dry. There’s unrequited love, and raging jealousy, and baseless jealousy, and jealousy being firmly held in check because it’s unnecessary. All of it is messy, and all of it is wonderfully human. One theme in particular stood out to me: the tension between our feelings for people as they are and for people as we imagine them to be.
And one relatively theme that Smith kept revisiting that I particularly enjoyed: the inevitability of change. The Marlovans are one of those societies that reveres the old ways, that distrusts new ideas, that generally resists change. Yet their society is in constant flux, with some rather drastic transformations over the course of the quartet. A number of characters comment on it, and it made me smile every time.
On the whole, this is a strongly recommended series. Great characters, epic scale, and a masterpiece of the (surprisingly small) subgenre of Pirate Fantasy.
December 24, 2009
What I love about Inda is his innocence. Despite the betrayals, torture, and numerous battles, Inda remains pure of thought and intention. He believes in loyalty. He trusts his friends. And they, in turn, want to protect him. A warrior. A military leader. A genius. Who has to be reminded to eat without slurping his soup. Who feels inadequate when he cannot train a group of 12-year-old boys to fight perfectly. Who, when faced with the impossible, goes. Executes. And takes none of the credit. And who, when faced with a moral choice, makes the only one he can. Inda is still Inda, even in the last 100 pages of the fourth 6 to 800 page book. And that is what I loved about Treason’s Shore.
September 23, 2009
It's a good thing I finished this book before rating it, because the ending really does wrap things up and bring a sense of conclusion and satisfaction.
In the course of reading this I often felt very conflicted about it... which is perhaps appropriate, because this is a far more nuanced and difficult fantasy than just about any I have read. This is far, very far, from the formulaic. These people work like real people, speak and think and struggle like real people... which in many cases means that they do not succeed in communicating clearly with one another, and can't put their thoughts into words, and don't even fully understand their own motivations. This makes the book both fascinating and sometimes frustrating.
It is also the most complex of the 4 novels of the series, covering the greatest timespan and dealing with the largest cast of characters. Naturally this leads to a lot of jumping around of the narrative; there were certainly times when I wished I could have spent more time with certain characters in order to understand their situation or to see it developed, but often a scene was sketched out just enough that one could see how it affected the later developments.
Honestly, I felt like the book was too long. There were a lot of scene sketches that didn't add much to my experience of this world or of the characters. I never cared much for the Venn parts; those sections were so thick with Venn terms that it felt more like a lexicon than a culture. Also, the obvious inspiration of the Vikings seemed too thick to me. Seemed too much like taking Viking concepts and switching the words around. I enjoyed everything that had to do with Iasca-Leror, but I would have been happy with a lot more of that and a lot less about every other culture - because the real theme of the book seems to be about how the warlike Marlovans can find their way toward change and learn to bend their rules enough to achieve peace.
I found it interesting that Inda's mother describes what is essentially autism to Signi and tells her that Inda was such a child. It does make him a fascinating character, this autistic savant aspect of him, although clearly he was a fully functioning member of adult society. The fact that this is commented on only in the 4th book makes it seem like an afterthought, even though there was certainly this element in his character in earlier books - his brilliance and at the same time a certain naivete. I don't recall anything about his eating habits in the earlier books, yet in this one the fact that he can't be bothered with social niceties is repeatedly commented on.
I found it frustrating that characters would be very prominent for a while and then not mentioned or further developed (i.e. Cap'n Han, who plays such a large part in the 3rd book and is briefly in the 4th). Certainly her story is part of the greater change that is coming over Iasca-Leror, but I wished for more. The way in which characters like Nugget would rise to the surface, appear briefly and then reappear much later having gone through changes was disconcerting.
Even though I found a lot to be frustrated with while reading the book, I never wanted to stop reading. Sherwood Smith does things with this quartet of books that few fantasy writers could dare to attempt.
In the course of reading this I often felt very conflicted about it... which is perhaps appropriate, because this is a far more nuanced and difficult fantasy than just about any I have read. This is far, very far, from the formulaic. These people work like real people, speak and think and struggle like real people... which in many cases means that they do not succeed in communicating clearly with one another, and can't put their thoughts into words, and don't even fully understand their own motivations. This makes the book both fascinating and sometimes frustrating.
It is also the most complex of the 4 novels of the series, covering the greatest timespan and dealing with the largest cast of characters. Naturally this leads to a lot of jumping around of the narrative; there were certainly times when I wished I could have spent more time with certain characters in order to understand their situation or to see it developed, but often a scene was sketched out just enough that one could see how it affected the later developments.
Honestly, I felt like the book was too long. There were a lot of scene sketches that didn't add much to my experience of this world or of the characters. I never cared much for the Venn parts; those sections were so thick with Venn terms that it felt more like a lexicon than a culture. Also, the obvious inspiration of the Vikings seemed too thick to me. Seemed too much like taking Viking concepts and switching the words around. I enjoyed everything that had to do with Iasca-Leror, but I would have been happy with a lot more of that and a lot less about every other culture - because the real theme of the book seems to be about how the warlike Marlovans can find their way toward change and learn to bend their rules enough to achieve peace.
I found it interesting that Inda's mother describes what is essentially autism to Signi and tells her that Inda was such a child. It does make him a fascinating character, this autistic savant aspect of him, although clearly he was a fully functioning member of adult society. The fact that this is commented on only in the 4th book makes it seem like an afterthought, even though there was certainly this element in his character in earlier books - his brilliance and at the same time a certain naivete. I don't recall anything about his eating habits in the earlier books, yet in this one the fact that he can't be bothered with social niceties is repeatedly commented on.
I found it frustrating that characters would be very prominent for a while and then not mentioned or further developed (i.e. Cap'n Han, who plays such a large part in the 3rd book and is briefly in the 4th). Certainly her story is part of the greater change that is coming over Iasca-Leror, but I wished for more. The way in which characters like Nugget would rise to the surface, appear briefly and then reappear much later having gone through changes was disconcerting.
Even though I found a lot to be frustrated with while reading the book, I never wanted to stop reading. Sherwood Smith does things with this quartet of books that few fantasy writers could dare to attempt.
June 28, 2018
I’m giving this series all the stars. I needed to escape reality when I heard the cries of the immigrant children torn from their parents arms, just everything. This series did the job beautifully. I lived and breathed this series, the characters are fantastic. Now I’m in limbo, tried 2 other books, really good books, and can’t get into them. I want more of these people and this world. Well done!
May 28, 2017
A solid ending to a great series. I enjoyed my time spent with Inda and his mates through all four books. The main draws for me in this series have been the writing, the (super rich-growing-smart-and-real) characters, the relationships, and the depth of this world. The series is also full of action with wars, pirates, plotting and political intrigue on an epic scale, which all contribute to an enjoyable reading experience.
In terms of this book, I think it maybe stretched out a little bit longer than necessary, and I can understand some having qualms with the final battle (I was ok with it)...but hey, I loved the series and in the end everything came together well (little details may or may not have had me close to tearing up!) I'll look forward to reading more from Sherwood Smith.
In terms of this book, I think it maybe stretched out a little bit longer than necessary, and I can understand some having qualms with the final battle (I was ok with it)...but hey, I loved the series and in the end everything came together well (little details may or may not have had me close to tearing up!) I'll look forward to reading more from Sherwood Smith.
November 29, 2024
I thought the ending of this tale a tad protracted. Certainly anticlimactic given all that came before it. Though unsaid, I could hear Sherwood Smith thinking 'all's well that ends well.'
"Treason's Shore" brings our characters full circle. From young academy boys to adults with the pains of memories, promises broken (some with good reason) and loves lost. The final defeat of the dreaded Venn and their nefarious mage could have easily ended this saga. Our author thought instead to cause conflict between our two main characters and friends over misunderstanding and simply (for one) a total lack of reality. A bit of philosophical license by Smith. Entitled certainly.
Still, a good read overall. I shall give Sherwood Smith a rest for now.
"Treason's Shore" brings our characters full circle. From young academy boys to adults with the pains of memories, promises broken (some with good reason) and loves lost. The final defeat of the dreaded Venn and their nefarious mage could have easily ended this saga. Our author thought instead to cause conflict between our two main characters and friends over misunderstanding and simply (for one) a total lack of reality. A bit of philosophical license by Smith. Entitled certainly.
Still, a good read overall. I shall give Sherwood Smith a rest for now.
October 9, 2022
First of all... the fact that I spent today reading this? A chill day of self-care? An act of self-inflicted violence? Perhaps both? We may never know.
At any rate, I am gutted. Emotionally exhausted. Weary of carrying all the tensions and emotions in this whole country. And yes, I did enjoy the whole thing.
Overall, this book wraps up the many, many threads of storyline opened in the "Inda" series so far, and it does so in a way that is characteristically bittersweet and a long time coming.
Tdor and Inda set off for the capital city and begin their lives as Evred's right-hand couple. It's a bit tense and awkward for everyone, and they are all PAINFULLY doing their best. I really do love all the political maneuvering, even when it's just double-barrel Marlovan family names dropping so thick and fast that I have no idea what's going on.
Inda is in charge of the Academy, which is also a nice thing to see, though it's actually less of a plot point than I had hoped for. I'm glad we didn't have to go through book one again with yet another set of scrubs, but it would have been nice to get a bit more into the weeds with Inda and Gand planning the changes and dynamics they wanted at the Academy.
Everything culminates in a final battle against the Venn, where we finally learn what is going on with their magic coup problems. And then Inda has to decide whether to obey Evred's orders, or betray his friends. This seems on the surface a bit out of left field - why is it so hard for them to communicate about this? It's not that difficult! But it's just the final tipping point in Evred and Inda's incredibly strung-tight relationship where so much is always left unsaid, so emotionally it makes a lot of sense.
The eventual resolution for everyone is satisfying, if not wholly pleasant.
Inda and Tdor get their happy ending. Jeje and Tau get theirs.
Evred fulfills his destiny as The Man Who Was Never Going To Be Happy. It's sad to see the way his and Inda's relationship turns out, but honestly it had been broken several books ago and they just never realized it until now. I do blame Evred for this a little bit.
The most disappointing part for me was Fox Montredavan-An's ending. Really? There had to be a greater, more cage-shattering denouement possible for him. His and Inda's is such a great relationship. On the surface they are at odds and don't trust each other, when on a deeper level they work seamlessly as two halves of the same person. There actually is a threat of betrayal between them, but Fox shows up for Inda time and time again. Fox and Inda have the working partnership that Evred wishes he had with Inda.
Fox an awesome character, and there HAD to be a more dynamic destiny for him. Make the Freedom Isles their own kingdom and make Fox king or something? He could then defend the strait with the required strong arm, remain as a pirate, and regain his family's status at the same time.
The tangled threads of Marlovan polyamory and the jealousy they engender are truly awkward and wearying. I would have enjoyed the story more without having to wade through that dynamic, which does seem to consume the plot at points.
All in all, there are questions and wishes left by the epilogue as well as a heavy weight of emotion. Regardless, this series was a truly enjoyable experience and will undoubtedly live rent free in my head forever.
At any rate, I am gutted. Emotionally exhausted. Weary of carrying all the tensions and emotions in this whole country. And yes, I did enjoy the whole thing.
Overall, this book wraps up the many, many threads of storyline opened in the "Inda" series so far, and it does so in a way that is characteristically bittersweet and a long time coming.
Tdor and Inda set off for the capital city and begin their lives as Evred's right-hand couple. It's a bit tense and awkward for everyone, and they are all PAINFULLY doing their best. I really do love all the political maneuvering, even when it's just double-barrel Marlovan family names dropping so thick and fast that I have no idea what's going on.
Inda is in charge of the Academy, which is also a nice thing to see, though it's actually less of a plot point than I had hoped for. I'm glad we didn't have to go through book one again with yet another set of scrubs, but it would have been nice to get a bit more into the weeds with Inda and Gand planning the changes and dynamics they wanted at the Academy.
Everything culminates in a final battle against the Venn, where we finally learn what is going on with their magic coup problems. And then Inda has to decide whether to obey Evred's orders, or betray his friends. This seems on the surface a bit out of left field - why is it so hard for them to communicate about this? It's not that difficult! But it's just the final tipping point in Evred and Inda's incredibly strung-tight relationship where so much is always left unsaid, so emotionally it makes a lot of sense.
The eventual resolution for everyone is satisfying, if not wholly pleasant.
Inda and Tdor get their happy ending. Jeje and Tau get theirs.
Evred fulfills his destiny as The Man Who Was Never Going To Be Happy. It's sad to see the way his and Inda's relationship turns out, but honestly it had been broken several books ago and they just never realized it until now. I do blame Evred for this a little bit.
The most disappointing part for me was Fox Montredavan-An's ending. Really? There had to be a greater, more cage-shattering denouement possible for him. His and Inda's is such a great relationship. On the surface they are at odds and don't trust each other, when on a deeper level they work seamlessly as two halves of the same person. There actually is a threat of betrayal between them, but Fox shows up for Inda time and time again. Fox and Inda have the working partnership that Evred wishes he had with Inda.
Fox an awesome character, and there HAD to be a more dynamic destiny for him. Make the Freedom Isles their own kingdom and make Fox king or something? He could then defend the strait with the required strong arm, remain as a pirate, and regain his family's status at the same time.
The tangled threads of Marlovan polyamory and the jealousy they engender are truly awkward and wearying. I would have enjoyed the story more without having to wade through that dynamic, which does seem to consume the plot at points.
All in all, there are questions and wishes left by the epilogue as well as a heavy weight of emotion. Regardless, this series was a truly enjoyable experience and will undoubtedly live rent free in my head forever.
March 18, 2019
The conclusion to one of my favourite series, this has been sitting on my shelf for far too long. To keep it spoiler-free, I will say this: the worldbuilding and the characters are as great as ever and the ending is amazing. I may have teared up a little bit. However, it has one big problem, the plague of most long books: it stalls in the middle. Horribly. In the first 90% of the book I felt no tension whatsoever, never a shadow of doubt that the protagonists would succeed, I struggled to pick it up after I put it down, and I could not say what the first half was about even though I am writing this mere minutes after I finished. It was, in short, a slog, and by far the weakest of the four.
But the ending...! The story tied up in a satisfying manner, done as well as I could have hoped. Which leaves me conflicted. Does the fact that it's a fitting ending for probably my favourite epic fantasy series make up for the fact that most of it is kind of boring? I don't know. Does it make me recommend the series any less? Not at all.
Enjoyment: 3/5, ending 4.5/5
Execution: 3/5
Recommended to: those who read the other three books, not much else to say. And if you're wondering if the series is worth it? Yes, yes it is.
More reviews on my blog, To Other Worlds.
But the ending...! The story tied up in a satisfying manner, done as well as I could have hoped. Which leaves me conflicted. Does the fact that it's a fitting ending for probably my favourite epic fantasy series make up for the fact that most of it is kind of boring? I don't know. Does it make me recommend the series any less? Not at all.
Enjoyment: 3/5, ending 4.5/5
Execution: 3/5
Recommended to: those who read the other three books, not much else to say. And if you're wondering if the series is worth it? Yes, yes it is.
More reviews on my blog, To Other Worlds.
September 16, 2021
Probably 3.5, actually.
July 23, 2010
This concluding volume of the Inda saga really is just the second very large half of the third book, as Sherwood Smith commented below. Inda is a master strategist and master fighter who has just fought a land battle against the Vend, when the retire from the field because the old King is dead, killed by Eskric a master magician or Dag.
This volume starts off in the Venn homeland as the Venn return home from the war to crown Raynic as the new King, who unknown to the Venn is completely controlled by Eskric through magic. Signi, the Dag lover of Inda, is tried in absentia and found guilty as a traitor and a blood hunt is sent after her. Meanwhile Drussaner and his wife know that Eskric is plotting and scheme to thwart him.
In Inda's homeland he settles in to teach the young men and women at the academy and there is peace for a time. Many of the characters in the novel continue on their story arc. We learn what is Tau's background. Fox remains with the fleet and Barend is sent to get the treasure on Ghost Island, which Fox determines not to allow but is then visited by Ramis who tells Fox its the right thing to do.
The latter portion of the book has Inda sent back to Fox because a huge Venn fleet is sent down to take the strait. Inda joins up with all of his sailors and we see again Nugget, Jeje, Fox, Tau, Berend and the like at sea as Inda takes command and comes up with a plan to personally go after Eskric and Raynic on the command ship.
So there is a final confrontation between Eskric and Inda at sea.
This is a huge volume, with many interweaving storylines.
There is also final confrontation between Inda and Evrad, his king, who wants Inda to use his fleet to take over the strait with military muscle and Inda who believes that Evrad is wrong. Tau tries to help by fashioning a treaty, but Evrad is determined and it is up to Inda to make a choice that turns his whole life. I leave how that comes out to the readers.
After this choice, there are more pages devoted to the lives of Inda with T'dor, Fox taking over his father's castle.
There are various loose ends however at the end that cried out for more resolution given the huge length of the book, I thought they could have been fit in more. Signi, who left Inda as we knew she would has had a baby but we never know what happens to her even though years do go by at the end.
Smith spends a lot of time on the story of Captain Han, the young woman who is sent to the capital city to become a Rider, but other than that one young man becomes her friend, we never find a resolution for her either.
Yet these are minor flaws
The book is enjoyable.
This volume starts off in the Venn homeland as the Venn return home from the war to crown Raynic as the new King, who unknown to the Venn is completely controlled by Eskric through magic. Signi, the Dag lover of Inda, is tried in absentia and found guilty as a traitor and a blood hunt is sent after her. Meanwhile Drussaner and his wife know that Eskric is plotting and scheme to thwart him.
In Inda's homeland he settles in to teach the young men and women at the academy and there is peace for a time. Many of the characters in the novel continue on their story arc. We learn what is Tau's background. Fox remains with the fleet and Barend is sent to get the treasure on Ghost Island, which Fox determines not to allow but is then visited by Ramis who tells Fox its the right thing to do.
The latter portion of the book has Inda sent back to Fox because a huge Venn fleet is sent down to take the strait. Inda joins up with all of his sailors and we see again Nugget, Jeje, Fox, Tau, Berend and the like at sea as Inda takes command and comes up with a plan to personally go after Eskric and Raynic on the command ship.
So there is a final confrontation between Eskric and Inda at sea.
This is a huge volume, with many interweaving storylines.
There is also final confrontation between Inda and Evrad, his king, who wants Inda to use his fleet to take over the strait with military muscle and Inda who believes that Evrad is wrong. Tau tries to help by fashioning a treaty, but Evrad is determined and it is up to Inda to make a choice that turns his whole life. I leave how that comes out to the readers.
After this choice, there are more pages devoted to the lives of Inda with T'dor, Fox taking over his father's castle.
There are various loose ends however at the end that cried out for more resolution given the huge length of the book, I thought they could have been fit in more. Signi, who left Inda as we knew she would has had a baby but we never know what happens to her even though years do go by at the end.
Smith spends a lot of time on the story of Captain Han, the young woman who is sent to the capital city to become a Rider, but other than that one young man becomes her friend, we never find a resolution for her either.
Yet these are minor flaws
The book is enjoyable.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 17, 2012
The last of the Inda series. Years ago, Inda was exiled from his homeland and made a new life for himself as the infamous pirate Elgar the Fox. But when he heard of his former home's invasion by the Venn, he returned. The Venn were turned back, but not for long. They, and their mind-controlled king, are going a'viking once more. And once again, only Inda can stop them.
I feel conflicted about this book. On the one hand, Smith continues to split up her narrative far more than she needs to. Constantly switching from one person to the next stalls the narrative tension. On the other, it's a gutsy move to spend more than half of the final volume of a series on the POVs of the main characters' enemies. And Smith has more than enough tension to go around: unrequited love, mind control, magicians double-crossing each other constantly, internecine court drama, pirate battles, training a new generation, ambushes, affairs, reinforcing the infrastructure of a kingdom, breaking down gender barriers, naval battles...There's no derth of plot. Astoundingly, there's still plenty of characterization, of both old characters and new. Inda is more damaged and oblivious than in previous volumes, which annoyed me but felt believable, given what he's gone through. And the new characters are fantastic: I particularly loved the viking captain's hawk-nosed wife.
Smith showcases both the uses and the limits of diplomacy. Her battle scenes are chaotic but understandable. The domestic lives she imagined for her characters helps keep the narrative grounded and believable. And the world building is just top notch.
I think these books would reward rereading--Smith has so much story to tell that I'm sure I missed out on plot points, moments of characterization, and world-building as I raced through. I'm glad I read this series; I just wish there was more!
ETA: These books really deserve at least 4 stars for their depth and complexity, and all the thought that was put into the characters and their world. But I generally only give 4 stars to books that I enjoyed in a very particular, id-satisfying way. So although they're far more interesting than the vast majority of fantasy, I just don't feel right bumping the rating up. But I want to make it very clear that I whole-heartedly recommend these books to anyone interested in a novel take on fantasy.
I feel conflicted about this book. On the one hand, Smith continues to split up her narrative far more than she needs to. Constantly switching from one person to the next stalls the narrative tension. On the other, it's a gutsy move to spend more than half of the final volume of a series on the POVs of the main characters' enemies. And Smith has more than enough tension to go around: unrequited love, mind control, magicians double-crossing each other constantly, internecine court drama, pirate battles, training a new generation, ambushes, affairs, reinforcing the infrastructure of a kingdom, breaking down gender barriers, naval battles...There's no derth of plot. Astoundingly, there's still plenty of characterization, of both old characters and new. Inda is more damaged and oblivious than in previous volumes, which annoyed me but felt believable, given what he's gone through. And the new characters are fantastic: I particularly loved the viking captain's hawk-nosed wife.
Smith showcases both the uses and the limits of diplomacy. Her battle scenes are chaotic but understandable. The domestic lives she imagined for her characters helps keep the narrative grounded and believable. And the world building is just top notch.
I think these books would reward rereading--Smith has so much story to tell that I'm sure I missed out on plot points, moments of characterization, and world-building as I raced through. I'm glad I read this series; I just wish there was more!
ETA: These books really deserve at least 4 stars for their depth and complexity, and all the thought that was put into the characters and their world. But I generally only give 4 stars to books that I enjoyed in a very particular, id-satisfying way. So although they're far more interesting than the vast majority of fantasy, I just don't feel right bumping the rating up. But I want to make it very clear that I whole-heartedly recommend these books to anyone interested in a novel take on fantasy.
March 25, 2011
Well Sherwood Smith has proven that it is all about the money. Smith is not a major novelist of Fantasy. Despite what anyone will say to the contrary, she is not Tolkein, Jordan or even GRRM. Let alone new voices like Rothfuss. Then in 2006 she wrote Inda and perhaps was ready to breakout.
Having read some of her other works, one could not expect a great fantasy adventure but Inda worked. And then we found that she planned to make it a trilogy. But in between completing the trilogy the money must have enticed her to stretch this to four, and she threw in the complete drek of Senrid for us to slog through for no good reason but to line her pockets.
Why is this book so poorly rated. Well it took me 3 months to slog through. Inda took a couple days.Then for 600+ pages all we have talked about is the damn final naval battle to end all battles. Smith decides not to have it after all that reading. She cops out. She has the leaders meet in a far fetched way. She has the eveil element defeated so quickly that there is nothing dramatic that happens to any of our heroes. Then she spends a hundred pages trying to make a dramatic question of conscious which again she takes a paragraph to diffuse. A paragraph that could have been inserted at page one of the book and saved us all the trouble of reading this further piece of drek.
Don't buy this book. Don't read it. Be happy with what you have already read in this series. Even better, expunge from your mind that there was anything after Inda.
Really Ms. Smith, 600+ pages leading up to your naval battle of thousands of ships and then you end it with a twist? She put in a great deal of nonsense making one dimensional characters all protagonists, and then nothing. This was an exercise in taking her readers money and give little value in return. What do I care what a wife of a wounded officer low in the hierarchy of the kingdom cares about. Or what another who is in training to be a warrior has to defy his uncle. Treason's Shore is a waste of time. I want my life back.
Having read some of her other works, one could not expect a great fantasy adventure but Inda worked. And then we found that she planned to make it a trilogy. But in between completing the trilogy the money must have enticed her to stretch this to four, and she threw in the complete drek of Senrid for us to slog through for no good reason but to line her pockets.
Why is this book so poorly rated. Well it took me 3 months to slog through. Inda took a couple days.Then for 600+ pages all we have talked about is the damn final naval battle to end all battles. Smith decides not to have it after all that reading. She cops out. She has the leaders meet in a far fetched way. She has the eveil element defeated so quickly that there is nothing dramatic that happens to any of our heroes. Then she spends a hundred pages trying to make a dramatic question of conscious which again she takes a paragraph to diffuse. A paragraph that could have been inserted at page one of the book and saved us all the trouble of reading this further piece of drek.
Don't buy this book. Don't read it. Be happy with what you have already read in this series. Even better, expunge from your mind that there was anything after Inda.
Really Ms. Smith, 600+ pages leading up to your naval battle of thousands of ships and then you end it with a twist? She put in a great deal of nonsense making one dimensional characters all protagonists, and then nothing. This was an exercise in taking her readers money and give little value in return. What do I care what a wife of a wounded officer low in the hierarchy of the kingdom cares about. Or what another who is in training to be a warrior has to defy his uncle. Treason's Shore is a waste of time. I want my life back.
February 24, 2012
I think the most revolutionary thing this series does is portray violence against women not because they are women but because they are warriors. I have issues with how Smith got there (in-universe), but it made the battle scenes refreshing. As they portrayed women being chopped into bloody bits. Okay, I probably shouldn't be allowed to review books anymore.
Moving on: great characterization, thought-provoking worldbuilding, bizarre pacing. If you have the patience for it, there are dozens of interesting stories in this series, but the problem is that they really are kind of buried. It came out ahead for me because I don't mind a slow-burning story (and I will forgive much in exchange for good, complex characters), but I can see how it might not be everyone's cup of tea.
DON'T read this if you're expecting the kind of gritty, violent epic fantasy that is popular right now -- for valid reasons, I think -- but do give it a try if you're intrigued by the idea of an old-fashioned fantasy (all about Honor and Treaties and Political Marriages) with unusual, ultra-liberal, but consistent social mores.
Now to contemplate how the same person who wrote this could have also written Crown Duel.
Moving on: great characterization, thought-provoking worldbuilding, bizarre pacing. If you have the patience for it, there are dozens of interesting stories in this series, but the problem is that they really are kind of buried. It came out ahead for me because I don't mind a slow-burning story (and I will forgive much in exchange for good, complex characters), but I can see how it might not be everyone's cup of tea.
DON'T read this if you're expecting the kind of gritty, violent epic fantasy that is popular right now -- for valid reasons, I think -- but do give it a try if you're intrigued by the idea of an old-fashioned fantasy (all about Honor and Treaties and Political Marriages) with unusual, ultra-liberal, but consistent social mores.
Now to contemplate how the same person who wrote this could have also written Crown Duel.
May 4, 2017
I really wish it was possible to give a book more than 5 stars. Or that a star rating could accurately encompass how good this series actually was. In a word: amazing. It has easily become one of my favorite fantasy series ever, and I can't recommend it enough.
It's so good I already can't wait to reread it :D And also devour the rest of Smith's works
It's so good I already can't wait to reread it :D And also devour the rest of Smith's works
April 21, 2023
PREMESSA IMPORTANTE:
Quando ho deciso di leggere questa serie di libri, l'ho fatto per una sola ragione: mi avevano promesso il trope shipping king/knight, che io adoro. Letteralmente questo libro era consigliato di risposta a questo specifico tweet: "knights falling for their kings is an excellent ship trope that needs to be explored more cause there's nothing gayer than devoting your entire life to protecting this one other man".
Ora, due sono le cose, 1)ho letto la versione farlocca o 2)ci sono dei seri problemi di comprensione del testo in tutto ciò. Perché in questo libro il trope king/knight è non così fondamentale rispetto a tutto il resto della roba che c'è, i due personaggi passano la quasi totalità dei libri separati e anche quando si reincontrano c'è talmente tanto da fare che il loro rapporto è poco approfondito, la storia d'amore è one-sided e non viene mai affrontata se non dai personaggi secondari che li circondano, e dulcis in fondo mi sono pure dovuta sorbire il fatto che il cavaliere è canonicamente innamorato della sua tipa (coppia endgame).
Non è colpa del libro, che giustamente va per la sua strada e non aveva assolutamente come obiettivo quello di scrivere una storia con quel trope, per quanto siano presenti alcuni aspetti. Ma purtroppo le aspettative contano quando si parla di godimento dell'arte, e io mi sono sciroppata quattro libri da 600 pagine e passa con delle aspettative assolutamente deluse.
Immaginate che vi consiglino un ristorante dicendo che fanno una pizza stratosferica, e poi ci andate e ciò che ottenete è un menu in cui in mezzo a centinaia di altri piatti la famosa pizza è una fettina striminzita e nemmeno con il condimento che preferite. Ecco, io mi sono sentita esattamente così.
Come posso dire che questi libri mi siano piaciuti? Semplicemente non posso.
Detto ciò, provo invece a esternarmi dai miei sentimenti negativi e dare una parvenza di oggettività a questo commento.
Ciò che mi è piaciuto:
- il worldbuilding e il sistema magico: questo libro è la prova che si può costruire un mondo credibile e realistico anche se simil-medievale e che chi non lo fa è semplicemente pigro. Il mondo funziona, ha delle sue regole e una coerenza interna tutta sua che lo rendono assolutamente vivo. Personalmente ho adorato che qui la separazione tra i generi non si manifesti nel solito "le donne non combattono perché non lo facevano nemmeno nel medioevo (per altro falsità)" ma sia una cosa interna a come la società è stata sviluppata. Quindi c'è sostanzialmente una sorta di gender roles che viene messa in discussione ma non legata al nostro medioevo, ma alla coerenza interna della società del libro.
Il sistema magico è generica magia, quindi niente di che, ma quello che personalmente ho amato è stata l'idea che tutti possano usare un certo tipo di incantesimo per le cose quotidiane, tipo quello per evitare di andare a fare la cacca. Mi ha fatto ridere ma ha anche un suo senso perché sbarazzarsi degli escrementi mica è facile in un contesto simile, e francamente è super-realistico che si usi/sviluppi, avendola a disposizione, una magia per liberarsene in maniera facile.
- lo sviluppo della trama: questo, a prescindere da quello che dice goodreads, non è uno YA (o lo è quanto può esserlo il Signore degli Anelli); infatti segue una traiettoria di vita tutta sua, per cui la narrazione non è assolutamente lineare e ciò che succede non è una premessa A e una conclusione B. Sembra davvero di seguire delle vite che sono casuali (è anche un libro estremamente corale, dove ci si tiene a farci conoscere ogni singola voce di ogni singolo personaggio, anche minore, che si incontra) e soprattutto anche i personaggi non sono lineari: come capita nella vita, si partiva da un punto, per poi scoprire che si desiderava altro, per poi finire a fare tutt'altro ancora, o tornare al punto di partenza. Ho trovato che funzionasse molto bene.
Ciò che mi è piaciuto:
- lo stile: è un POV universale, il che implica che in ogni scena, ogni paragrafo può riferirsi a una persona diversa che agisce in quella scena. Io personalmente l'ho trovato estremamente straniante e non immersivo, perché non facevo in tempo a cercare di capire il punto di vista di un personaggio che subito mi se ne presentava un altro davanti, in questo continuo ping-pong che mi ha tenuto lontano da qualsiasi legame emotivo con loro
- il risultato della trama: purtroppo, il fatto che la trama proceda un po' a casaccio viene a detrimento del climax, che di fatto non viene quasi mai raggiunto o comunque dura pochissimo per essere soddisfacente (se suona come una metafora sessuale, be', un po' lo è). Il problema è proprio che ti viene prospettata una situazione che poi si risolve in fretta e furia perché si deve passare ad altro. "Oh ci sono il principe ereditario e il fratello del re che sono colpevoli di cospirazione, no, ok, sono morti, passiamo oltre" oppure "dobbiamo battere questo esercito o il nostro regno cadrà, oh, ok si ritirano perché nel frattempo il loro re è morto" oppure "devi batterti con questa persona, ah, no, si è già salvata da sola e ha risolto la situazione per conto suo". Quindi tu sei lì che aspetti questa scena e poi "fatto, passiamo oltre", come quando cucini e poi il risultato è un raviolo che manco ti arriva in gola. E questo causa anche la presenza di troppi deus ex machina per far andare avanti la trama.
- il finale: non tanto il finale generale, che quello ci sta nell'ottica appunto di un libro maturo in cui la vittoria non è un vero finale ma anche la ricostruzione e gli anni che vengono dopo, ma proprio l'epilogo in sé. Mi ha dato l'impressione che dopo quattro libri l'autrice si sia svegliata e abbia pensato "oh merda ho dato un finale positivo a tutti i personaggi tranne uno, fammi rimediare" solo che la pezza è peggio del buco. L'imbarazzo.
Consiglierei questi libri? In realtà, alla fine no. Nonostante alcune cose indubbiamente positive e per quanto alla fine abbia apprezzato certi personaggi e certe dinamiche, li ho trovati troppo lunghi e non così soddisfacenti per quello che promettono.
Quando ho deciso di leggere questa serie di libri, l'ho fatto per una sola ragione: mi avevano promesso il trope shipping king/knight, che io adoro. Letteralmente questo libro era consigliato di risposta a questo specifico tweet: "knights falling for their kings is an excellent ship trope that needs to be explored more cause there's nothing gayer than devoting your entire life to protecting this one other man".
Ora, due sono le cose, 1)ho letto la versione farlocca o 2)ci sono dei seri problemi di comprensione del testo in tutto ciò. Perché in questo libro il trope king/knight è non così fondamentale rispetto a tutto il resto della roba che c'è, i due personaggi passano la quasi totalità dei libri separati e anche quando si reincontrano c'è talmente tanto da fare che il loro rapporto è poco approfondito, la storia d'amore è one-sided e non viene mai affrontata se non dai personaggi secondari che li circondano, e dulcis in fondo mi sono pure dovuta sorbire il fatto che il cavaliere è canonicamente innamorato della sua tipa (coppia endgame).
Non è colpa del libro, che giustamente va per la sua strada e non aveva assolutamente come obiettivo quello di scrivere una storia con quel trope, per quanto siano presenti alcuni aspetti. Ma purtroppo le aspettative contano quando si parla di godimento dell'arte, e io mi sono sciroppata quattro libri da 600 pagine e passa con delle aspettative assolutamente deluse.
Immaginate che vi consiglino un ristorante dicendo che fanno una pizza stratosferica, e poi ci andate e ciò che ottenete è un menu in cui in mezzo a centinaia di altri piatti la famosa pizza è una fettina striminzita e nemmeno con il condimento che preferite. Ecco, io mi sono sentita esattamente così.
Come posso dire che questi libri mi siano piaciuti? Semplicemente non posso.
Detto ciò, provo invece a esternarmi dai miei sentimenti negativi e dare una parvenza di oggettività a questo commento.
Ciò che mi è piaciuto:
- il worldbuilding e il sistema magico: questo libro è la prova che si può costruire un mondo credibile e realistico anche se simil-medievale e che chi non lo fa è semplicemente pigro. Il mondo funziona, ha delle sue regole e una coerenza interna tutta sua che lo rendono assolutamente vivo. Personalmente ho adorato che qui la separazione tra i generi non si manifesti nel solito "le donne non combattono perché non lo facevano nemmeno nel medioevo (per altro falsità)" ma sia una cosa interna a come la società è stata sviluppata. Quindi c'è sostanzialmente una sorta di gender roles che viene messa in discussione ma non legata al nostro medioevo, ma alla coerenza interna della società del libro.
Il sistema magico è generica magia, quindi niente di che, ma quello che personalmente ho amato è stata l'idea che tutti possano usare un certo tipo di incantesimo per le cose quotidiane, tipo quello per evitare di andare a fare la cacca. Mi ha fatto ridere ma ha anche un suo senso perché sbarazzarsi degli escrementi mica è facile in un contesto simile, e francamente è super-realistico che si usi/sviluppi, avendola a disposizione, una magia per liberarsene in maniera facile.
- lo sviluppo della trama: questo, a prescindere da quello che dice goodreads, non è uno YA (o lo è quanto può esserlo il Signore degli Anelli); infatti segue una traiettoria di vita tutta sua, per cui la narrazione non è assolutamente lineare e ciò che succede non è una premessa A e una conclusione B. Sembra davvero di seguire delle vite che sono casuali (è anche un libro estremamente corale, dove ci si tiene a farci conoscere ogni singola voce di ogni singolo personaggio, anche minore, che si incontra) e soprattutto anche i personaggi non sono lineari: come capita nella vita, si partiva da un punto, per poi scoprire che si desiderava altro, per poi finire a fare tutt'altro ancora, o tornare al punto di partenza. Ho trovato che funzionasse molto bene.
Ciò che mi è piaciuto:
- lo stile: è un POV universale, il che implica che in ogni scena, ogni paragrafo può riferirsi a una persona diversa che agisce in quella scena. Io personalmente l'ho trovato estremamente straniante e non immersivo, perché non facevo in tempo a cercare di capire il punto di vista di un personaggio che subito mi se ne presentava un altro davanti, in questo continuo ping-pong che mi ha tenuto lontano da qualsiasi legame emotivo con loro
- il risultato della trama: purtroppo, il fatto che la trama proceda un po' a casaccio viene a detrimento del climax, che di fatto non viene quasi mai raggiunto o comunque dura pochissimo per essere soddisfacente (se suona come una metafora sessuale, be', un po' lo è). Il problema è proprio che ti viene prospettata una situazione che poi si risolve in fretta e furia perché si deve passare ad altro. "Oh ci sono il principe ereditario e il fratello del re che sono colpevoli di cospirazione, no, ok, sono morti, passiamo oltre" oppure "dobbiamo battere questo esercito o il nostro regno cadrà, oh, ok si ritirano perché nel frattempo il loro re è morto" oppure "devi batterti con questa persona, ah, no, si è già salvata da sola e ha risolto la situazione per conto suo". Quindi tu sei lì che aspetti questa scena e poi "fatto, passiamo oltre", come quando cucini e poi il risultato è un raviolo che manco ti arriva in gola. E questo causa anche la presenza di troppi deus ex machina per far andare avanti la trama.
- il finale: non tanto il finale generale, che quello ci sta nell'ottica appunto di un libro maturo in cui la vittoria non è un vero finale ma anche la ricostruzione e gli anni che vengono dopo, ma proprio l'epilogo in sé. Mi ha dato l'impressione che dopo quattro libri l'autrice si sia svegliata e abbia pensato "oh merda ho dato un finale positivo a tutti i personaggi tranne uno, fammi rimediare" solo che la pezza è peggio del buco. L'imbarazzo.
Consiglierei questi libri? In realtà, alla fine no. Nonostante alcune cose indubbiamente positive e per quanto alla fine abbia apprezzato certi personaggi e certe dinamiche, li ho trovati troppo lunghi e non così soddisfacenti per quello che promettono.
May 6, 2017
What a ride :)
This book has so many interesting characters & I enjoyed almost every PoV, though I was also occasionally annoyed that I could not spend as much time as I wanted with my favorites. Inevitable with such a cast though. The time span mostly worked for me, though occasionally it was slightly disorienting to go from several chapters happening in the course of a few days to several months happening in one chapter and back again.
I'm not yet quite sure how I feel about the ending. I really liked the conflict at the end and how that played out. I think I would just have liked to be able to imagine more happiness in one particular character's future.
This book has so many interesting characters & I enjoyed almost every PoV, though I was also occasionally annoyed that I could not spend as much time as I wanted with my favorites. Inevitable with such a cast though. The time span mostly worked for me, though occasionally it was slightly disorienting to go from several chapters happening in the course of a few days to several months happening in one chapter and back again.
I'm not yet quite sure how I feel about the ending. I really liked the conflict at the end and how that played out. I think I would just have liked to be able to imagine more happiness in one particular character's future.
July 1, 2023
3.5-3.75 overall. Will definitely need to get my thoughts on this series down soon.
November 22, 2018
Treason's Shore wraps up the Inda quartet, for better or for worse. I empathize with the people who found this book difficult to like; it is significantly different than most other fantasies and it does not wrap up in the way most epics finish - with massive, bombastic, cataclysmic events. But I think I liked this book (and this series) because of the differences. These are novels of complexity and nuance. Sherwood Smith focuses on characters, relationships and politics rather than battles and magic. In the end, I found this concluding volume to be the second best in the series, behind only The Fox.
The story picks up where King's Shield leaves off. Inda and Evred have won their first battle with the Venn, but must prepare for their inevitable return. Meanwhile, politics in the world of the Venn are confused, with the mage Erkric controlling Prince Rajnir while Durasnir discreetly opposes him and a group of dags runs an insurgency. Erkric orders Durasnir to prepare the fleet for a massive invasion of the Southern continent in less than a year's time. Evred tasks Inda with coalescing the maritime forces in the strait between the two continents, under the assumption that he is the only person everyone will trust. But Evred also wants permanent Marlovan control of the strait after the battle is over, and Inda cannot betray the trust of his fellow captains like this. The final conflict in the book thus becomes a matter of conscience - of duty against personal morals - rather than a good vs. evil showdown.
I can see that for people raised on Tolkien, Williams or Martin, this series might seem thin. If you're expecting massive battles or major supernatural occurrences on every other page, you will be disappointed. But Smith's deft handling of the characters and interpersonal conflicts gives these books a more human component. The players are not outsized heroes; they are human beings with hopes, fears, loves and hates. I could empathize with their plights in a way that I can't always empathize with macho protagonists like Aragorn or John Carter. And the final resolutions of the various conflicts represent the cumulative effect of multiple actors, not just the actions of one superhuman hero. That felt authentic to me. Although Inda is the protagonist, he alone does not control the narrative.
The final sections bring things to a satisfying, if not always neat and tidy, conclusion. True to the character of the series, there are complex compromises and bittersweet choices to be made. You may not find yourself cheering when this over, but I think you will be content.
One last comment: I think Smith does a great job of handling the concept of PTSD in a culture that has no word for such a thing. It's another element I've never seen in a fantasy series, and yet another difference I found rewarding. The denouement and epilogue are fascinating and unique. This book may not be for all tastes, but if you like characters, relationships and politics and are OK with a little less action, you might enjoy this series too.
The story picks up where King's Shield leaves off. Inda and Evred have won their first battle with the Venn, but must prepare for their inevitable return. Meanwhile, politics in the world of the Venn are confused, with the mage Erkric controlling Prince Rajnir while Durasnir discreetly opposes him and a group of dags runs an insurgency. Erkric orders Durasnir to prepare the fleet for a massive invasion of the Southern continent in less than a year's time. Evred tasks Inda with coalescing the maritime forces in the strait between the two continents, under the assumption that he is the only person everyone will trust. But Evred also wants permanent Marlovan control of the strait after the battle is over, and Inda cannot betray the trust of his fellow captains like this. The final conflict in the book thus becomes a matter of conscience - of duty against personal morals - rather than a good vs. evil showdown.
I can see that for people raised on Tolkien, Williams or Martin, this series might seem thin. If you're expecting massive battles or major supernatural occurrences on every other page, you will be disappointed. But Smith's deft handling of the characters and interpersonal conflicts gives these books a more human component. The players are not outsized heroes; they are human beings with hopes, fears, loves and hates. I could empathize with their plights in a way that I can't always empathize with macho protagonists like Aragorn or John Carter. And the final resolutions of the various conflicts represent the cumulative effect of multiple actors, not just the actions of one superhuman hero. That felt authentic to me. Although Inda is the protagonist, he alone does not control the narrative.
The final sections bring things to a satisfying, if not always neat and tidy, conclusion. True to the character of the series, there are complex compromises and bittersweet choices to be made. You may not find yourself cheering when this over, but I think you will be content.
One last comment: I think Smith does a great job of handling the concept of PTSD in a culture that has no word for such a thing. It's another element I've never seen in a fantasy series, and yet another difference I found rewarding. The denouement and epilogue are fascinating and unique. This book may not be for all tastes, but if you like characters, relationships and politics and are OK with a little less action, you might enjoy this series too.
March 12, 2012
This is the final book in the Inda quartet. Phew, what a marathon! I reckon at least 250,000, possibly more, words in just this final book alone. We've followed Inda since he was a child of ten and here he is, still a young man, having achieved his wildest dream, to be Harskialdna – war leader – to his childhood friend, now King Evred of Iasca-Leror. At the end of King's Shield (book 3) it seemed that Inda's story had run its course. And so it might have ended there with Inda running the academy and second only to Evred, but the Venn, repelled but not defeated, mass for another attack, driven by Erkric, chief dag (mage) of the Venn, who has seized ultimate power by taking over the mind and will of Rajnir, the new king. Erkric has enemies In his own camp, including some of the mages and good-sort naval commander Fulla Durasnir, but it isn't until Erkric overstretches himself with this sea-attack to take over the all-important strait that he becomes vulnerable.
It's the sea attack that brings Inda back into the forefront of conflict. As Elgar the Fox (book 2) he had established a fearsome reputation as a sea-commander who never lost a fight. The countries around the straight will unite to fight the Venn, but only under Elgar's command. It's Inda's return to the sea that finally brings his old friend Fox, now commander of Inda's Fox-Banner fleet, back into the Marlovan fold as the Fox banner Fleet becomes the Marlovan navy.
How Inda and Fox fare against the Venn is long and complex, and presents Inda with a huge moral dilemma, seemingly impossible to solve, at the end of it. Is he going to betray his friends or be foresworn and disobey his king? The final segment of the book wraps up everyone's story arcs, actually telling the happy-ever-afters, which, like life, are filled with ups and downs, but mostly happier than not. (And there's a final wrap up on Sherwood Smith's website in case you wondered what happened when all the dust had settled.)
Inda's story, through four books, is mammoth. Though he remains the commander who never loses a battle, sometimes the win comes from an entirely unexpected element in the whole million-piece jigsaw puzzle that Sherwood Smith has fitted together so elegantly. The characters have way more dimensions than three and even the minor characters are important. Relationships matter and death in battle leaves painful gaping holes in people's lives. Inda is a rare puzzle of a character all by himself, dedicated to his own personal truths, but deeply damaged not only by childhood trauma, but by battle wounds. There is always a price to pay for victory and Inda, who never loses, often pays the biggest price of all, mentally as well as physically.
This is a completely realised world that the author has been nurturing in various timelines since she was a child, and the depth of imagination shows. There's no handwaving, everything is thought out carefully and fits together with not a piece out of place. This is a fantasy tour-de-force. Highly recommended.
It's the sea attack that brings Inda back into the forefront of conflict. As Elgar the Fox (book 2) he had established a fearsome reputation as a sea-commander who never lost a fight. The countries around the straight will unite to fight the Venn, but only under Elgar's command. It's Inda's return to the sea that finally brings his old friend Fox, now commander of Inda's Fox-Banner fleet, back into the Marlovan fold as the Fox banner Fleet becomes the Marlovan navy.
How Inda and Fox fare against the Venn is long and complex, and presents Inda with a huge moral dilemma, seemingly impossible to solve, at the end of it. Is he going to betray his friends or be foresworn and disobey his king? The final segment of the book wraps up everyone's story arcs, actually telling the happy-ever-afters, which, like life, are filled with ups and downs, but mostly happier than not. (And there's a final wrap up on Sherwood Smith's website in case you wondered what happened when all the dust had settled.)
Inda's story, through four books, is mammoth. Though he remains the commander who never loses a battle, sometimes the win comes from an entirely unexpected element in the whole million-piece jigsaw puzzle that Sherwood Smith has fitted together so elegantly. The characters have way more dimensions than three and even the minor characters are important. Relationships matter and death in battle leaves painful gaping holes in people's lives. Inda is a rare puzzle of a character all by himself, dedicated to his own personal truths, but deeply damaged not only by childhood trauma, but by battle wounds. There is always a price to pay for victory and Inda, who never loses, often pays the biggest price of all, mentally as well as physically.
This is a completely realised world that the author has been nurturing in various timelines since she was a child, and the depth of imagination shows. There's no handwaving, everything is thought out carefully and fits together with not a piece out of place. This is a fantasy tour-de-force. Highly recommended.
July 26, 2015
~4.5 Stars~
Ohhh god that ending guys, that ending.
I'm obviously not going to go into specifics because, duh, last book in a series, but seriously. That ending is what pushed it from a rounded down 4.5 to a rounded up 4.5 because it was just so cute, like seriously. Ugh. That ending.
Also, Barend is solidly my favorite. Like, it's at the point where I skimmed through the first few books for his parts just for a refresher on him because he is my favorite. Which turned out to be good, because then I noticed a part where he's just drawing and in the first book it was mentioned that he liked drawing and it was adorable and he's adorable and even though he's an adult and older than me he is my child. He's just so cute. God. Barend is cute.
Speaking of Barend, Fox needs to calm down. Like, seriously man. Calm. Down.
My only real problem with this book was the Venn chapters. For most of the book, there's a bunch of chapters telling what's going on for them, and I just... didn't care. I didn't care at all. I'm pretty sure one of my status updates was like "if these venn chapters were barend chapters, this would be perfect". Unfortunately, the Venn chapters were Venn chapters and therefore, 4.5 instead of 5.
But I did love this book, and this series overall. It's insane that I finished; I got so attached to these characters that it's going to be hard. Overall, a series that's a little difficult to get into but just absolutely wonderful.
Ohhh god that ending guys, that ending.
I'm obviously not going to go into specifics because, duh, last book in a series, but seriously. That ending is what pushed it from a rounded down 4.5 to a rounded up 4.5 because it was just so cute, like seriously. Ugh. That ending.
Also, Barend is solidly my favorite. Like, it's at the point where I skimmed through the first few books for his parts just for a refresher on him because he is my favorite. Which turned out to be good, because then I noticed a part where he's just drawing and in the first book it was mentioned that he liked drawing and it was adorable and he's adorable and even though he's an adult and older than me he is my child. He's just so cute. God. Barend is cute.
Speaking of Barend, Fox needs to calm down. Like, seriously man. Calm. Down.
My only real problem with this book was the Venn chapters. For most of the book, there's a bunch of chapters telling what's going on for them, and I just... didn't care. I didn't care at all. I'm pretty sure one of my status updates was like "if these venn chapters were barend chapters, this would be perfect". Unfortunately, the Venn chapters were Venn chapters and therefore, 4.5 instead of 5.
But I did love this book, and this series overall. It's insane that I finished; I got so attached to these characters that it's going to be hard. Overall, a series that's a little difficult to get into but just absolutely wonderful.
January 21, 2019
A satisfying conclusion to a wonderful epic fantasy. In book 4, the Venn are returning to attack the strait once more, and Inda is asked by a shaky alliance of the coastal nations to lead their defense, as he is the only one they can agree on to trust. Unknown to them, the Venn are undergoing political turmoil as their king is under the mind control of the head Dag, or magic user, as he attempts to gather power for himself. Their military leader suspects, but cannot act on his own and is forced to go into war unprepared. But even unprepared they are still superior in numbers to Inda's fleet, and Inda has to find a way to get everyone under him to cooperate even though they don't trust each other.
Heavy on the politics, Inda's story returns once more to the seas as he reluctantly agrees to leave his family and take control of his fleet once again. Aside from the action, I also thoroughly enjoyed the moral dilemmas our heroes are forced to confront. Evred kind of annoyed me, as the author continues to put him through changes that were not pleasant, but great for conflict in the story. The resolution of the war I felt was a little too easy, and Inda did not have enough to do with it in my opinion, but I was happy enough with its dramatics. I like how the story does not end with the battles, but takes the reader through the political and moral difficulties of the aftermath. And I loved how the book ended, far into the next generation so we know what happens to them all. This is a great series that I would recommend to any fantasy lover!
Heavy on the politics, Inda's story returns once more to the seas as he reluctantly agrees to leave his family and take control of his fleet once again. Aside from the action, I also thoroughly enjoyed the moral dilemmas our heroes are forced to confront. Evred kind of annoyed me, as the author continues to put him through changes that were not pleasant, but great for conflict in the story. The resolution of the war I felt was a little too easy, and Inda did not have enough to do with it in my opinion, but I was happy enough with its dramatics. I like how the story does not end with the battles, but takes the reader through the political and moral difficulties of the aftermath. And I loved how the book ended, far into the next generation so we know what happens to them all. This is a great series that I would recommend to any fantasy lover!
February 7, 2017
I'd been dragging my feet with this book, both because it's the last one in the series and because it's so much more difficult to read. I feel like this series done what Harry Potter has set out to do and didn't quite manage to: have a character live their entire life in front of your eyes and let you grow alongside them. And the characters that books follow make them best book on leadership that I'd read.
The Inda series is similar to HP in that the character starts out at 11 years old, and at that age the world around them is full of wonder, and although the life is hard, nothing can really touch them. Until, of course, something does and their whole life changes.
Like HP, everything gets progressively darker and grows more complicated as characters age, but unlike HP, the complications are very close to what could be experienced in our world. It teaches that the worst that can happen to you is a decision between your convictions and outside expectations for you. Because it's a decision that no one can really help you make and no one can help you live through the consequences of it.
The Inda series is similar to HP in that the character starts out at 11 years old, and at that age the world around them is full of wonder, and although the life is hard, nothing can really touch them. Until, of course, something does and their whole life changes.
Like HP, everything gets progressively darker and grows more complicated as characters age, but unlike HP, the complications are very close to what could be experienced in our world. It teaches that the worst that can happen to you is a decision between your convictions and outside expectations for you. Because it's a decision that no one can really help you make and no one can help you live through the consequences of it.
September 3, 2009
Hmmmmm. A very long and drawn out conclusion. Very, very conclusive. :) I won't post any spoilers, but I was a little disappointed that the (collective) story seemed to be more a rambling expose on a large number of people instead of the exploration of societies and human nature that it seemed like it could have been. Or maybe, there was an exploration--seemingly random--without any conclusions drawn. I don't hate it, it's human nature on an inescapable level; but I'm black and white enough to be slightly disappointed anyway. :)
March 16, 2022
What's worse than a book hangover? Grief? Homesickness, maybe? I had a pit in my stomach when I read the last sentence. I can't believe the Inda series is finally over.
I'm just wrapping everything in spoiler text because the rest of this review is just my stream of consciousness as I read.
In conclusion, what an amazing series! It has unforgettable characters and such insight into the human mind. Really a shame it's not more widely read.
I'm just wrapping everything in spoiler text because the rest of this review is just my stream of consciousness as I read.
In conclusion, what an amazing series! It has unforgettable characters and such insight into the human mind. Really a shame it's not more widely read.
August 15, 2012
Mostly a wrap up book. I still enjoyed it, and it was definitely necessary. I like that the most "moral" of the characters is haunted by his choices, and that not everything is fixed at the end. Basically, that there are consequences, and intention and goodness don't obviate those consequences.
February 22, 2014
This is a great end to a great series, and it is definitely worth a read for anyone that loves fantasy. For those that have read the first three books, I think they will be satisfied with this ending!
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