(no subject)
About a year ago I read Sherwood Smith's Inda, and even though I was not officially booklogging then I may have blogged about it anyways - I can't remember - because I was super-impressed by it. I read Sherwood Smith's Wren books and Crown Duel when I was growing up and enjoyed them in a moderate fashion, but with Inda she really steps up her game. The most prominent aspect of the book is the worldbuilding; there is an incredible amount of detail on the militaristic society and the culture in which the story begins (they speak two languages! And there's specific meaning and relevance based on whatever language they use at a specific time!) and then once you're settled into that, the story moves into a whole broader world with about ten more different cultures with completely different cultures and languages and perspectives on each other. Also there is complex political machination, and pretty good characterization, and subtle family dynamics (and some not-so-subtle, but) and a secret conspiracy of badass women and even though occasionally I laughed at the main character's mad skills and bouts of emo basically I ate it the whole thing up with a spoon.
Anyways, recently I came into library possession of the sequel, The Fox, and picked it up and read the first ten pages and could not remember who anyone was. So I went back and reread Inda, which took a while, and then . . . realized my copy of The Fox had fallen out of my bag on the subway. So I bought a new copy! . . . and then lost that copy in Boston. So I went to the library, some kind person having restored the lost library copy to its proper place, and picked up the library copy again, and third time apparently was the charm, because I have finally finished it! And after all that my review is probably going to be pretty anti-climactic because I don't want to spoil anything for people who might read it, but in short, I was not in the least disappointed. I also continued to be very much impressed by how much Sherwood Smith is willing to change the game around in the middle through important character deaths (seriously important; we are not talking Cedric Diggory here) and political turnover. Also there are lesbian pirates! Though I did want a little less wacky piratical hijinks and a little more Marlovan politics, because I find the Marlovan society to be the most fun part. Anyways, now I am eagerly waiting for my library copy of the third one to appear; consider this an enthusiastic rec if you love excellent worldbuilding and don't mind a cast of 200.
Anyways, recently I came into library possession of the sequel, The Fox, and picked it up and read the first ten pages and could not remember who anyone was. So I went back and reread Inda, which took a while, and then . . . realized my copy of The Fox had fallen out of my bag on the subway. So I bought a new copy! . . . and then lost that copy in Boston. So I went to the library, some kind person having restored the lost library copy to its proper place, and picked up the library copy again, and third time apparently was the charm, because I have finally finished it! And after all that my review is probably going to be pretty anti-climactic because I don't want to spoil anything for people who might read it, but in short, I was not in the least disappointed. I also continued to be very much impressed by how much Sherwood Smith is willing to change the game around in the middle through important character deaths (seriously important; we are not talking Cedric Diggory here) and political turnover. Also there are lesbian pirates! Though I did want a little less wacky piratical hijinks and a little more Marlovan politics, because I find the Marlovan society to be the most fun part. Anyways, now I am eagerly waiting for my library copy of the third one to appear; consider this an enthusiastic rec if you love excellent worldbuilding and don't mind a cast of 200.