What do you think?
Rate this book
Clashing Courts #1
The Interpreter's Tale: A Word With Too Many Meanings
He lives to facilitate understanding. But in this quest to forge a political agreement, any confusion could be fatal.
Military interpreter Eliadmaru Faraa has had a lifelong love affair with words. Habitually attuned to the delicate verbal subtext of those around him on the front line, the last thing the linguist wants to do is pick up a sword. But after he’s personally selected to accompany the Emperor’s nephew on a perilous trip to negotiate a high-stakes treaty, he suddenly has the fate of his people in his hands.
When their ploy to save the other realm’s princess works, Eliadmaru quickly finds himself caught in the complicated position of translating sweet nothings between the two royals. But as powerful players push their own insidious agendas, the wordsmith may be the only person who knows precisely what everyone desires…
With life, death, and love on the line, will Eliadmaru find the perfect expression to bring two realms together?
- GenresFantasy
287 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 2014
12 people are currently reading
47 people want to read
About the author
E.M. Epps
16 books42 followersBy day, E. M. Epps is a bookseller in Seattle, WA. By night, she writes high fantasy with likable but pragmatic heroes, who are likely to be diplomats, warriors, sorcerers, or some combination of the above. To receive free stories and writing updates, sign up for her mailing list at www.emepps.com.
As a young writer, she was inspired by the action and heroism of C.S. Forester, the scope of Tolstoy, the scientific magic of Diane Duane, the romance of Catherine Asaro, the martial arts of Michelle Yeoh and Jackie Chan - and, above all, the diversity of human cultures featured in the anthropology textbooks she devoured in her teens.
She is the author of the court intrigue novel THE INTERPRETER'S TALE and the single-volume epic adventure COMPLETE WITH SHIPWRECK (both set in her Direnayu high fantasy world), the fantasy romantic comedy COLD SANDWICHES AND ALL, and many, many other works.
As a young writer, she was inspired by the action and heroism of C.S. Forester, the scope of Tolstoy, the scientific magic of Diane Duane, the romance of Catherine Asaro, the martial arts of Michelle Yeoh and Jackie Chan - and, above all, the diversity of human cultures featured in the anthropology textbooks she devoured in her teens.
She is the author of the court intrigue novel THE INTERPRETER'S TALE and the single-volume epic adventure COMPLETE WITH SHIPWRECK (both set in her Direnayu high fantasy world), the fantasy romantic comedy COLD SANDWICHES AND ALL, and many, many other works.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
January 11, 2016
I was asked to review this book based on my interest in constructed languages, and based on the intriguing premise, I was happy to do so. Because if you're going to the trouble of making up two languages (just for fun), why _not_ make up a story directly about those two languages, starring the man given the task of interpreting between them?
Our hero is Eliadmaru Faraa, an army interpreter volunteered into joining the secret diplomatic mission of a young noble seeking to forge an alliance with a foreign king. The meat of the plot is the challenges Eliadmaru, as the voice of the party, faces as they learn the complex rules of the court. And this is fascinating and well done; I'm a sucker for byzantine politics. Not to mention that the linguistic perspective is very cool and unsual. The heart of the story though, is the relationships that form between the characters, especially between Eliadmaru and Siol, the sorcerer/bodyguard attached to the mission. And though being supporting characters, they both have a lot of character, which makes a stream of witty banter that's a joy to read.
The book is written in a fairly light style, and while it makes the story flow easily, I did at some point start to worry that it was getting a bit too breezy, but... Well, there also comes a point where events ratchet up the tension by several notches, and I was hooked again. So don't worry; here is substance as well as surface, and it's an easy book to recommend.
Our hero is Eliadmaru Faraa, an army interpreter volunteered into joining the secret diplomatic mission of a young noble seeking to forge an alliance with a foreign king. The meat of the plot is the challenges Eliadmaru, as the voice of the party, faces as they learn the complex rules of the court. And this is fascinating and well done; I'm a sucker for byzantine politics. Not to mention that the linguistic perspective is very cool and unsual. The heart of the story though, is the relationships that form between the characters, especially between Eliadmaru and Siol, the sorcerer/bodyguard attached to the mission. And though being supporting characters, they both have a lot of character, which makes a stream of witty banter that's a joy to read.
The book is written in a fairly light style, and while it makes the story flow easily, I did at some point start to worry that it was getting a bit too breezy, but... Well, there also comes a point where events ratchet up the tension by several notches, and I was hooked again. So don't worry; here is substance as well as surface, and it's an easy book to recommend.
October 7, 2015
I was a little skeptical about a book called "The Interpreter's Tale". I was extremely skeptical about the dedication to "linguistic nerds" on the first pages---not because I wasn't sure that I would like it, but because I wasn't sure that anybody else would.
Well. I shouldn't have been worried.
This is a charming, breezily-written story about an interpreter named Eliadmaru, a bookish, curious young man who has made a habit of studying obscure languages. He is picked up from his obscure post at a border station by a relative of the Emperor, called "the Autransi", for a diplomatic mission to a neighboring country. His job, ostensibly, is merely to facilitate the Autransi's attempt to heal the neighboring king's sickly daughter with magic, and then help the Autransi woo the princess and secure a favorable trade agreement. Their mission becomes more complicated than it looks, as you might expect. There are enemies in the foreign court and members of their own mission who have ulterior motives. Eliadmaru develops a relationship with the imperial sorceress, a woman named Folso, and he finds himself with divided loyalties as his duties as a translator, his oaths to the Autransi, and his fondness for Folso all come into conflict.
This book is not a page-turner: the pacing is gentle, and the tone is measured and pleasant even when the stakes in the Autransi's mission turn lethal. That's not to say that the book is boring; on the contrary, after reading a series of arduously brutal fantasies Eliadmaru's the calm confidence was exactly the sort of thing I was looking for. And I was preparing to give the book a solid four stars, right into the last fifth of the book, where---
I don't want to reveal anything about the last bits of the plot. However, the light-hearted nature of the story takes a sudden turn towards the end, and the store ends with a psychological and moral quandary of surprising depth. Characters I thought that I understood turned out to have more complexity than previously suspected, and the protagonist is forced into hard choices with no good options. And I am ambivalent about the ending, which has had me wondering for several days whether Eliadmaru actually did the right thing.
And as for the promise of the title and dedication: there are plenty of allusions to linguistic trivia and the mental and physical act of interpreting, but these discussions don't overwhelm the story, and there's plenty to recommend the book even to someone who isn't terribly interested in linguistics. I'd recommend the book to anyone who enjoys a good political fantasy.
Well. I shouldn't have been worried.
This is a charming, breezily-written story about an interpreter named Eliadmaru, a bookish, curious young man who has made a habit of studying obscure languages. He is picked up from his obscure post at a border station by a relative of the Emperor, called "the Autransi", for a diplomatic mission to a neighboring country. His job, ostensibly, is merely to facilitate the Autransi's attempt to heal the neighboring king's sickly daughter with magic, and then help the Autransi woo the princess and secure a favorable trade agreement. Their mission becomes more complicated than it looks, as you might expect. There are enemies in the foreign court and members of their own mission who have ulterior motives. Eliadmaru develops a relationship with the imperial sorceress, a woman named Folso, and he finds himself with divided loyalties as his duties as a translator, his oaths to the Autransi, and his fondness for Folso all come into conflict.
This book is not a page-turner: the pacing is gentle, and the tone is measured and pleasant even when the stakes in the Autransi's mission turn lethal. That's not to say that the book is boring; on the contrary, after reading a series of arduously brutal fantasies Eliadmaru's the calm confidence was exactly the sort of thing I was looking for. And I was preparing to give the book a solid four stars, right into the last fifth of the book, where---
I don't want to reveal anything about the last bits of the plot. However, the light-hearted nature of the story takes a sudden turn towards the end, and the store ends with a psychological and moral quandary of surprising depth. Characters I thought that I understood turned out to have more complexity than previously suspected, and the protagonist is forced into hard choices with no good options. And I am ambivalent about the ending, which has had me wondering for several days whether Eliadmaru actually did the right thing.
And as for the promise of the title and dedication: there are plenty of allusions to linguistic trivia and the mental and physical act of interpreting, but these discussions don't overwhelm the story, and there's plenty to recommend the book even to someone who isn't terribly interested in linguistics. I'd recommend the book to anyone who enjoys a good political fantasy.
August 28, 2020
Full characters that are more human than their archetypes would make you guess on first blush. Steady plot, with one huge excited piece. Some of the best character building I've had the pleasure of reading.
December 9, 2017
Ms. Epps has woven a wonderful tapestry of characters, setting, and plot with "The Interpreter's Tale." The characters are especially intriguing, cleverly put together and assembled, and different. There are no run-of-the-mill fantasy heroes here.
The main character, the interpreter, is obsessed with two things: words and his unrequited love. His obsessions, however, do not completely completely blind him to what's going on around him, and he finds himself doing things he never expected to do. His boss is a teenage member of the royal family, but expendable, idealistic, and his self-confidence is a work-in-progress. The royal's bodyguard/sorcerer is… chaotic. She is a force of nature, loyal to a fault, and stubborn.
Most of the story takes place at a single location: the palace in Dayono City. Rather than feeling limited, the sparse setting details work well as characterizations of the people. The Tsaini are ostentatious, the Hene more spartan. And so, while we are given enough information to make us comfortable, we're not dragged all over the countryside, observing the entire world. The setting was present without being obtrusive.
While the plot starts out simply enough—go to Dayono, heal a dying princess, try to establish peace—it doesn't stay simple. There are complications, ulterior motives, and delightful subplots. The pacing is easy, but hardly boring. The author makes sure of that with humorous encounters and thought-provoking observations. There's no blood and gore, though there is some violence. There are no explicit (or even titillating) sex scenes. There wasn't a single point I found entirely unbelievable.
I love the characters (though I didn't like some of them), and I love the way Ms. Epps uses words. I thoroughly enjoyed the language of the story—until the F-bomb appeared. The first use of the word bothered me except that, on deeper reflection, I felt it drove a point home. Explicitly. But then it showed up several more times… That a work so verbally clever, agile, and intelligent fell back on such a crass word was disappointing. In a similar vein, there were a few (only a few!) times when modern slang interrupted the otherwise graceful and even beautiful flow of the story.
The latter part of the story raises the stakes, ratchets up the tension, and puts several of the characters in a serious moral dilemma of surprising depth. I couldn't help but wonder what I would do in a similar situation. Were the choices made right or wrong? Fair or cruel?
Bravo, Ms. Epps…!
The main character, the interpreter, is obsessed with two things: words and his unrequited love. His obsessions, however, do not completely completely blind him to what's going on around him, and he finds himself doing things he never expected to do. His boss is a teenage member of the royal family, but expendable, idealistic, and his self-confidence is a work-in-progress. The royal's bodyguard/sorcerer is… chaotic. She is a force of nature, loyal to a fault, and stubborn.
Most of the story takes place at a single location: the palace in Dayono City. Rather than feeling limited, the sparse setting details work well as characterizations of the people. The Tsaini are ostentatious, the Hene more spartan. And so, while we are given enough information to make us comfortable, we're not dragged all over the countryside, observing the entire world. The setting was present without being obtrusive.
While the plot starts out simply enough—go to Dayono, heal a dying princess, try to establish peace—it doesn't stay simple. There are complications, ulterior motives, and delightful subplots. The pacing is easy, but hardly boring. The author makes sure of that with humorous encounters and thought-provoking observations. There's no blood and gore, though there is some violence. There are no explicit (or even titillating) sex scenes. There wasn't a single point I found entirely unbelievable.
I love the characters (though I didn't like some of them), and I love the way Ms. Epps uses words. I thoroughly enjoyed the language of the story—until the F-bomb appeared. The first use of the word bothered me except that, on deeper reflection, I felt it drove a point home. Explicitly. But then it showed up several more times… That a work so verbally clever, agile, and intelligent fell back on such a crass word was disappointing. In a similar vein, there were a few (only a few!) times when modern slang interrupted the otherwise graceful and even beautiful flow of the story.
The latter part of the story raises the stakes, ratchets up the tension, and puts several of the characters in a serious moral dilemma of surprising depth. I couldn't help but wonder what I would do in a similar situation. Were the choices made right or wrong? Fair or cruel?
Bravo, Ms. Epps…!
February 13, 2019
Having enjoyed You Made My Heart a Hunter so much, I wanted to read something else by Epps, and the description of this book intrigued me. I was delighted to find out it was set in the same universe as YMMHaH, and even briefly mentioned Lhennuen. But the focus of the story was Eliadmaru, the titular interpreter, and a royal assignment he was given. I loved how the story upset conventions: A plot point that I was sure would go badly ended up happily and sweetly, with no drama, whereas another plot point that should have been some sort of happily ever after went south in an unexpected way. So reading it was full of peaks and valleys, and now I'd like to read even more by Epps.
November 2, 2021
This book did not make sense at all, where is the chapters? This story lacks of excitement and action not to mention, confusing me.
July 17, 2016
Overall review: It is an accessible read with a fabulous character point of view. There are what I feel are many wonderful aspects of The Interpreter’s Tale and with a few small points of contention. However over all worth the read.
Great: Well-rounded characters, interesting topic, lack of a sappy love story, and great story line perspective.
The best part about this book was the point of view of the main character who is an interpreter. It was such a unique perspective that I would recommend that it be read despite of the minor lacking which you will read further on. The story was well written and aimed at adult readers but not in a high brow kind of read, it’s the kind of book that makes you feel snooty and self-satisfied for reading it. I liked many of the characters, they were interesting and had their own mission and goals within the story line. The foreign princess was a favorite character because she was underestimated in her own culture. For that matter the princesses little sister was my favorite character, quick witted, sweet and completely underestimated. The Ambassador was a good secondary character. And the Prince/minor lordling was great character too. It's clear that the magician/witch was the author's favorite character as she was the most well rounded and most interesting character.
One of the part of the book that I found unexpected was the lack of a love story for the main character, he was in love but the girl he loved didn't love him but the story spent very little time on that plot line. I didn't want a love story and when the book opened up on that avenue I thought we might be heading in that direction but we didn't which was great!
Ok: Good story line but I didn’t get attached to the characters.
I didn’t get invested in the characters they seemed distant, more like co-workers then friends. It might have been because it was my first reading but I just didn’t get attached. The reason being…
Not so good: Character names. The story was too expected there was a plot twist that I was expecting that never came.
I love that they all had interesting and diverse names, that’s great, but they were so different that I couldn’t tell who anyone was. It took half the book before I could remember who the main character’s names were never mind the secondary characters.
The story-line was too straightforward. Even if I can expect a twist or turn I still want them to happen just for the G force. I felt like the book was setting me up for the plot twist that one of the characters who we came to love was going to be a terrible person. I was actually very disappointed to have not had my heart shattered and stabbed by betrayal.
Great: Well-rounded characters, interesting topic, lack of a sappy love story, and great story line perspective.
The best part about this book was the point of view of the main character who is an interpreter. It was such a unique perspective that I would recommend that it be read despite of the minor lacking which you will read further on. The story was well written and aimed at adult readers but not in a high brow kind of read, it’s the kind of book that makes you feel snooty and self-satisfied for reading it. I liked many of the characters, they were interesting and had their own mission and goals within the story line. The foreign princess was a favorite character because she was underestimated in her own culture. For that matter the princesses little sister was my favorite character, quick witted, sweet and completely underestimated. The Ambassador was a good secondary character. And the Prince/minor lordling was great character too. It's clear that the magician/witch was the author's favorite character as she was the most well rounded and most interesting character.
One of the part of the book that I found unexpected was the lack of a love story for the main character, he was in love but the girl he loved didn't love him but the story spent very little time on that plot line. I didn't want a love story and when the book opened up on that avenue I thought we might be heading in that direction but we didn't which was great!
Ok: Good story line but I didn’t get attached to the characters.
I didn’t get invested in the characters they seemed distant, more like co-workers then friends. It might have been because it was my first reading but I just didn’t get attached. The reason being…
Not so good: Character names. The story was too expected there was a plot twist that I was expecting that never came.
I love that they all had interesting and diverse names, that’s great, but they were so different that I couldn’t tell who anyone was. It took half the book before I could remember who the main character’s names were never mind the secondary characters.
The story-line was too straightforward. Even if I can expect a twist or turn I still want them to happen just for the G force. I felt like the book was setting me up for the plot twist that one of the characters who we came to love was going to be a terrible person. I was actually very disappointed to have not had my heart shattered and stabbed by betrayal.
February 24, 2015
This is a complicated, detailed novel. It's relatively slow-paced, and necessarily formal. But I can't say whether I enjoyed it or not. The main character is real and complex and behaves in every sense as an actual person would. The surrounding characters varied from complex down to cardboard. The story was easy to read and held my attention throughout.
It's about an interpreter who is solicited for a risky diplomatic mission by a young royal. They have little hope of getting what they're going to ask for, their company is entirely volunteer and their only bargaining point is that they think they can heal the foreign king's daughter. Our main character is neither hero nor antihero. He ends up having to do all of the translation for both sides of the negotiations, which is evidently a great deal of work and a large responsibility. He is neither recognized nor rewarded for this nor does he think he should be; it's just his job to him.
The other major characters are the sorceress/bodyguard/healer and the ambassador who speaks the foreign language quite poorly. And, oh yes, the interpreter's love interest, the girl he left behind who doesn't want to marry him and who is pining after a married man.
The story follows the negotiations and the love story, but isn't a love story, if you know what I mean. It's simply a solid, well-told tale. I'd rate it higher if I could say I could narrow down how I feel about the book, but I can't.
I received an electronic copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
It's about an interpreter who is solicited for a risky diplomatic mission by a young royal. They have little hope of getting what they're going to ask for, their company is entirely volunteer and their only bargaining point is that they think they can heal the foreign king's daughter. Our main character is neither hero nor antihero. He ends up having to do all of the translation for both sides of the negotiations, which is evidently a great deal of work and a large responsibility. He is neither recognized nor rewarded for this nor does he think he should be; it's just his job to him.
The other major characters are the sorceress/bodyguard/healer and the ambassador who speaks the foreign language quite poorly. And, oh yes, the interpreter's love interest, the girl he left behind who doesn't want to marry him and who is pining after a married man.
The story follows the negotiations and the love story, but isn't a love story, if you know what I mean. It's simply a solid, well-told tale. I'd rate it higher if I could say I could narrow down how I feel about the book, but I can't.
I received an electronic copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
January 11, 2016
Let me start off with everything that’s great about this book. I LOVED it. It was a captivating tale. The book could almost have been a resource shedding light on being an interpreter, but throw in sorcerers, magicians, heartbreak, and a royal court and you’ve got the makings of an epic adventure. The book was excellently written from the aspects of fantasy portrayed as real as if it all happened in our own history to the language jargon and occupational terminology (which I thoroughly enjoyed). It was clearly well-researched and the author masterfully wove in fact and fiction to bring a non-stop read. The action was brilliant, the sex tasteful, and the pace well done.
My biggest complaint was the lack of chapters. One thing I like when reading is the thought, “Only this many pages and I can take a quick break between chapters.” Not because I actually want to put the book down, but because my life is full and these small breaks are often necessary. The lack of distinction between one part to the next caused a dragging feeling.
Nevertheless I found myself sucked into the story and when I had to put it down I couldn’t wait to pick it back up. I read the entire thing over the course of a little more than a day. I definitely recommend this book! I’m giving it 5 stars overall.
My biggest complaint was the lack of chapters. One thing I like when reading is the thought, “Only this many pages and I can take a quick break between chapters.” Not because I actually want to put the book down, but because my life is full and these small breaks are often necessary. The lack of distinction between one part to the next caused a dragging feeling.
Nevertheless I found myself sucked into the story and when I had to put it down I couldn’t wait to pick it back up. I read the entire thing over the course of a little more than a day. I definitely recommend this book! I’m giving it 5 stars overall.
November 19, 2014
*A Copy of this Book Was Given To Me By The Author In Exchange For An Honest Review*
As it says in the Synopsis above this novel is unique in that it is told from the perspective of a character essential to world trade and diplomatic missions, previously neglected.
The author’s use of language and memory for unusual names, continuity in the story etc. is without fault and I could admire the work for that reason.
For me though (and possibly only for me) the central character had the personality of wooden golem who happened to have language skills. The story he told, though was, I admit, an interesting one but even so, whereas I would normally read an up to three hundred page work in one sitting, or at least in one day: this one I spread over two, hence three stars.
Review has been done in conjunction with Nerd Girl Official.
For more information regarding our reviews please visit our Fansite: www.facebook.com/NerdGirl.ng ***
As it says in the Synopsis above this novel is unique in that it is told from the perspective of a character essential to world trade and diplomatic missions, previously neglected.
The author’s use of language and memory for unusual names, continuity in the story etc. is without fault and I could admire the work for that reason.
For me though (and possibly only for me) the central character had the personality of wooden golem who happened to have language skills. The story he told, though was, I admit, an interesting one but even so, whereas I would normally read an up to three hundred page work in one sitting, or at least in one day: this one I spread over two, hence three stars.
Review has been done in conjunction with Nerd Girl Official.
For more information regarding our reviews please visit our Fansite: www.facebook.com/NerdGirl.ng ***
January 26, 2015
I can't recommend this book highly enough. It really sucked me in and I even had dreams about the characters last night! Can't wait to read more from this world that she has created.
April 13, 2015
Literally charming.
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews