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Sartorias-deles (Timeline Order) #26
Ship Without Sails
Nobody sane wants war.
But what happens when war comes to you?
In this first volume of The Norsunder War, the allies introduced in The Rise of the Alliance find their world invaded. For Atan, Queen of Sartor, preserving lives and knowledge come before fleeing to safety. Jilo of Chwahirsland risks his life to resist the return of an evil king. And for Senrid of Marloven Hess, it means facing a combined army whose might hasn’t been seen for eight hundred years, and losing everything he holds dear.
Heroism. Betrayal. Endurance. Resistance. Both sides encounter unexpected twists as some discover that even when existence is most dire, it can still surprise you . . .
But what happens when war comes to you?
In this first volume of The Norsunder War, the allies introduced in The Rise of the Alliance find their world invaded. For Atan, Queen of Sartor, preserving lives and knowledge come before fleeing to safety. Jilo of Chwahirsland risks his life to resist the return of an evil king. And for Senrid of Marloven Hess, it means facing a combined army whose might hasn’t been seen for eight hundred years, and losing everything he holds dear.
Heroism. Betrayal. Endurance. Resistance. Both sides encounter unexpected twists as some discover that even when existence is most dire, it can still surprise you . . .
- GenresFantasy
508 pages, Kindle Edition
Published September 20, 2022
15 people are currently reading
97 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 - 6 of 6 reviews
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September 20, 2022The first draft of this was begun while I was a student in Europe, during my first (only, actually) winter, exactly fifty years ago. Written in a publisher's dummy a prof gave me my freshman year of college, and toted to Europe twice and all over the country for the next ten years, until I finished it. I wrote in such a tiny handwriting that when it came time to type it up, I got six or eight pages of type to each page of handwriting.
This one might need a content warning? I mean, it says right there on the can, "Norsunder WAR." Part One definitely gets into war. Possible trigger . But it was never meant to be a story about war--I was hip-deep in reading about war in my history classes at the university in Vienna, as well as English-written books. I heard about war, as the older generation talked about the horrors of WW II, and there were horrors for Austrians, especially when the Russians came to take revenge, er, liberate Austria.
I'd been planning this story for some years, since high school, but my year abroad gave shape and color to what I had barely understood as a teen--especially as I listened to people who had been teens talking about their experiences during and after the years of Hitler's madness.
I knew that I did not want to write about war as war, especially glorifying it. The story struggling its way from brain to that fountain pen I carried everywhere was about conflict, yes, but also about change, growth, failure, trust and betrayal, fear and overcoming fear, destruction and restructure. About cherishing what once was taken for granted, and all the ways of being a hero, large and small.
Only the reader can decide if any of my intent actually made it to the page. Not for me to decide, but there it is, me gabbing from inside the forest, peering dimly past the trees.
This one might need a content warning? I mean, it says right there on the can, "Norsunder WAR." Part One definitely gets into war. Possible trigger . But it was never meant to be a story about war--I was hip-deep in reading about war in my history classes at the university in Vienna, as well as English-written books. I heard about war, as the older generation talked about the horrors of WW II, and there were horrors for Austrians, especially when the Russians came to take revenge, er, liberate Austria.
I'd been planning this story for some years, since high school, but my year abroad gave shape and color to what I had barely understood as a teen--especially as I listened to people who had been teens talking about their experiences during and after the years of Hitler's madness.
I knew that I did not want to write about war as war, especially glorifying it. The story struggling its way from brain to that fountain pen I carried everywhere was about conflict, yes, but also about change, growth, failure, trust and betrayal, fear and overcoming fear, destruction and restructure. About cherishing what once was taken for granted, and all the ways of being a hero, large and small.
Only the reader can decide if any of my intent actually made it to the page. Not for me to decide, but there it is, me gabbing from inside the forest, peering dimly past the trees.
November 12, 2022
Contains: some violence, mentions of sex (nothing explicit), some language.
I have been looking forward to this series since reading The Banner of the Damned. I'm so excited to finally find out what happens to Ivandred! Okay, so I view Smith's works as like watching a chess master at work (not that I know anything about chess but still...) for the past while she's been putting her pieces in place and setting the stage. Now, in this series we'll get to see where it all leads! I loved that we get glimpses of some of our favorite characters: There are mentions of Sasharia, Jehan, and Owl from Sasharia En Guard, scenes with Melaria and Vidanric from Crown Duel, glimpses of Flian, Jaim, Markham, etc. from Trouble with Kings, and of course our favorite characters from Senrid, Sartor, Rise of the Alliance series, and CJ's notebooks.
I have been looking forward to this series since reading The Banner of the Damned. I'm so excited to finally find out what happens to Ivandred! Okay, so I view Smith's works as like watching a chess master at work (not that I know anything about chess but still...) for the past while she's been putting her pieces in place and setting the stage. Now, in this series we'll get to see where it all leads! I loved that we get glimpses of some of our favorite characters: There are mentions of Sasharia, Jehan, and Owl from Sasharia En Guard, scenes with Melaria and Vidanric from Crown Duel, glimpses of Flian, Jaim, Markham, etc. from Trouble with Kings, and of course our favorite characters from Senrid, Sartor, Rise of the Alliance series, and CJ's notebooks.
January 14, 2023
CW for major character death.
The first part of this was so hard to read. There are characters I've followed for a very long time who are gone now.
Then it becomes fairly aimless-- there are tons of small missions, but I don't know where this is going. That seems realistic, but it doesn't make this any easier to read.
I do like that even the annoying characters are just part of things, and are sometimes useful even if others don't like them. And I like reading about many of the characters, so seeing snippets of their lives keeps me reading. CJ isn't as bad in this one, though it's a bit heavy handed to have one character explain to another why she isn't so bad.
But even though I can see characters making errors, it still hurts when they go.
The first part of this was so hard to read. There are characters I've followed for a very long time who are gone now.
Then it becomes fairly aimless-- there are tons of small missions, but I don't know where this is going. That seems realistic, but it doesn't make this any easier to read.
I do like that even the annoying characters are just part of things, and are sometimes useful even if others don't like them. And I like reading about many of the characters, so seeing snippets of their lives keeps me reading. CJ isn't as bad in this one, though it's a bit heavy handed to have one character explain to another why she isn't so bad.
But even though I can see characters making errors, it still hurts when they go.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 28, 2023
The beginning of the end.
Ever since reading a battered copy of Crown Duel on interlibrary loan as a teenager, I've known that there is some sort of major arc underfoot in Sator-Deles. Glimpses of it have been seen throughout the other published works, but Ship Without Sails is really the beginning of the end. It's a conclusion twenty-five books in the making which I have been following for over a decade.
I've spoken at length about how much I love Smith's writing and the societies that she sets up. Instead of writing "her voice quivered", Smith goes one step further and writes "her voice quivered with fear". Every time she mentions Senrid's open palm hand gesture, she always explains it means assent, except for when a character is unfamiliar with the Marlovens. Something about the body language descriptions feels particularly grounding and immersive. It really helps me visualize and picture the world and I am not a visual reader.
This book was an emotional rollercoaster; a mastery in plotting, tension, and long cons; and time with the characters I have come to love. Smith states in her review that this portion of the series is based on the fall of Europe during World War II, which illustrates how dark this book gets. Characters I have known and loved for the entire modern arc die horrible deaths. They aren't "noble" deaths, they aren't "fair" deaths, they aren't "revenged" deaths. They are the beautiful hope for the future of Sator-Deles snuffed from the page. I was reading in public when a particular set of deaths occurred and bawled my eyes out. Smith states that she wants to discuss the fruitlessness of war, especially after making the reader love military Marloven-Hess, and my heart still clenches at the innocent characters she used to demonstrate her point.
Ever since reading a battered copy of Crown Duel on interlibrary loan as a teenager, I've known that there is some sort of major arc underfoot in Sator-Deles. Glimpses of it have been seen throughout the other published works, but Ship Without Sails is really the beginning of the end. It's a conclusion twenty-five books in the making which I have been following for over a decade.
I've spoken at length about how much I love Smith's writing and the societies that she sets up. Instead of writing "her voice quivered", Smith goes one step further and writes "her voice quivered with fear". Every time she mentions Senrid's open palm hand gesture, she always explains it means assent, except for when a character is unfamiliar with the Marlovens. Something about the body language descriptions feels particularly grounding and immersive. It really helps me visualize and picture the world and I am not a visual reader.
This book was an emotional rollercoaster; a mastery in plotting, tension, and long cons; and time with the characters I have come to love. Smith states in her review that this portion of the series is based on the fall of Europe during World War II, which illustrates how dark this book gets. Characters I have known and loved for the entire modern arc die horrible deaths. They aren't "noble" deaths, they aren't "fair" deaths, they aren't "revenged" deaths. They are the beautiful hope for the future of Sator-Deles snuffed from the page. I was reading in public when a particular set of deaths occurred and bawled my eyes out. Smith states that she wants to discuss the fruitlessness of war, especially after making the reader love military Marloven-Hess, and my heart still clenches at the innocent characters she used to demonstrate her point.
December 13, 2022
It turns out I should have read the YA books first - guess I will eventually.
June 20, 2024
Good.
The Norsunder War sub part of the greater (over 30 books) series is good.
Be prepared to have the map (at the beginning of the book) available for reference. Bits of the story happen all over the world.
I like how everything plays out.
The Norsunder War sub part of the greater (over 30 books) series is good.
Be prepared to have the map (at the beginning of the book) available for reference. Bits of the story happen all over the world.
I like how everything plays out.
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews