Book Log 30/2011 - Sherwood Smith: Inda
Oct. 20th, 2011 02:56 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
jaceyI've been looking forward to reading Inda for some time, but putting it off while I finished the revision of the magic pirate book knowing there was some pirate stuff in this.
I was not disappointed.
I expected a lighter faster read, what I got was a richly layered, fully realised world with a child protagonist covering about seven years of Inda's life from 10 - 17. Set in Iasca Leror, a land conquered some years earlier by the warlike Marlovans the story centres around Inda, second son of the prince of Choraed-Elgaer. His life is mapped out. When his elder brother, Tanrid, inherits, Inda will become his Shield Arm - his military champion defending home. Not for Inda the excitement of the military academy, a privilege for firstborn sons only, until politics and impending war intervene.
The book follows Inda through two years of academy training where he befriends a boy called Sponge, the King's second son, who has fallen foul of his older brother and the Royal Shield Arm, his uncle. There are feuds, political infighting, intrigue and sabotage. The women are also warriors, though trained separately in defensive strategies and are subject to arranged marriages. Despite not seeming to have much of a voice they are busy with plans of their own, researching to reclaim lost magic.
Inda is betrayed by the Royal Shield Arm who sees his developing talent for military strategy and his loyalty to Sponge as a threat. Dishonoured, he is spirited away when he refuses to admit liability for something that was not his fault. His life changes suddenly and he's sent to sea, ending up fighting pirates while the Royal Shield Arm finally gets the war he's been craving for years..
I found myself desperately wanting to read the next book in the series as soon as I'd finished this. To be honest I wouldn't like to leave too long a gap, mainly because the names and ranks are mind-twisting. A prince is not a prince, he either an Adaluin or a Varaef or a Sierlaef depending on whether he's the prince of a territory or the King's second or first son. The Royal Shield Arm is the Sierandael or Harskialdna depending on whether they are actually at war. It takes a while to get into this and I did find it confusing at first. Sierlaef and Sierandael were a bit too close for comfort and it threw me a bit. If only I'd turned to the back first and found the glossary!
But that's a small price to pay for such a complex, satisfying book. I'm looking forward to the next one. Come on, Amazon, hurry up!
I was not disappointed.
I expected a lighter faster read, what I got was a richly layered, fully realised world with a child protagonist covering about seven years of Inda's life from 10 - 17. Set in Iasca Leror, a land conquered some years earlier by the warlike Marlovans the story centres around Inda, second son of the prince of Choraed-Elgaer. His life is mapped out. When his elder brother, Tanrid, inherits, Inda will become his Shield Arm - his military champion defending home. Not for Inda the excitement of the military academy, a privilege for firstborn sons only, until politics and impending war intervene.
The book follows Inda through two years of academy training where he befriends a boy called Sponge, the King's second son, who has fallen foul of his older brother and the Royal Shield Arm, his uncle. There are feuds, political infighting, intrigue and sabotage. The women are also warriors, though trained separately in defensive strategies and are subject to arranged marriages. Despite not seeming to have much of a voice they are busy with plans of their own, researching to reclaim lost magic.
Inda is betrayed by the Royal Shield Arm who sees his developing talent for military strategy and his loyalty to Sponge as a threat. Dishonoured, he is spirited away when he refuses to admit liability for something that was not his fault. His life changes suddenly and he's sent to sea, ending up fighting pirates while the Royal Shield Arm finally gets the war he's been craving for years..
I found myself desperately wanting to read the next book in the series as soon as I'd finished this. To be honest I wouldn't like to leave too long a gap, mainly because the names and ranks are mind-twisting. A prince is not a prince, he either an Adaluin or a Varaef or a Sierlaef depending on whether he's the prince of a territory or the King's second or first son. The Royal Shield Arm is the Sierandael or Harskialdna depending on whether they are actually at war. It takes a while to get into this and I did find it confusing at first. Sierlaef and Sierandael were a bit too close for comfort and it threw me a bit. If only I'd turned to the back first and found the glossary!
But that's a small price to pay for such a complex, satisfying book. I'm looking forward to the next one. Come on, Amazon, hurry up!
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Date: Oct. 20th, 2011 10:56 am (UTC)