Customer Reviews

The King's Shield (Inda, Book 3)

5 star:		(13)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

The characters, the cultures, and the countries are so vivid and three dimensional and there is such a rich back story - this world feels *real*... it is more like reading Tolstoy or George Eliot than a work of fantasy, in that sense. The solidity and depth of the setting and culture are felt rather than described and the characters' complexities reveal themselves naturally over time.

The first two books, Inda and Fox, introduced us to the characters and the world:

In the first we are shown Inda as a boy going off to a military academy, drawn into the complex ties of aristocratic kinship, and given a glimpse of the intricacies of politics and personality. We saw Inda, still so young!, rushed off into a bewildering exile and learned with him the ways of the sea... only to watch that world too disintegrate for him.

The second book: Piracy, teamwork, strategy & tactics - and lots of action at sea and for those back at home in the next book. ...and, deliciously, an ever deeper and more subtle exploration of character, of friendship, and of politics.

King's Shield takes all the beauty, depth, complexity, and richness of the previous books and brings it all home - literally and figuratively. For me, this book was the ultimate payoff for the investment I have made in this world and these characters. I consider it one of the best works of fantasy I have ever read - the intricate, tightly woven plot (and no lack of breath taking action!) which both drew me into a passionate caring for the characters and made me really think about war, about conscience, responsibility, friendship, love, duty... and the hard choices that we all face.

This wasn't a light, easy read - not a delicate, slightly frothy fantasy romance. Crown Duel, Trouble with Kings, Sashiara en Garde, and the lovely short story in Lace and Blade are all beautiful examples of that genre - magical, special books, but lacking the depth and complexity of the Inda series. King's Shield drew me into it almost at once, but demanded my attention, my focus...my heart, but that investment was exponentially rewarded.

So, if you love character driven fantasy with strong, intelligent plotting - read this series... read it now!

I was surprised at how much I enjoyed this series. It is a wonderful story of a group of people who are very diverse, who grow and love and make us cry. The story is large and interesting, political background, personal and family stories, battles and pirates, it is all in there, and it makes sense, no sudden miracle solutions and trite plot devices. There are lots of surprises and a lot of emotions, I am deeply involved with these people and I truly enjoy spending time with them all, they are so real and intensely drawn. Great!
Although I love Sherwood Smith, I waited for "Inda" in paperback because I could not imagine that I would be interested in a story about a warrior culture in a medieval-feel setting and a hero who was a young boy who goes to military academy. I do not regret buying it, bought "Fox" in Hardcover and pre-ordered this book as soon as I could, in hardcover. I am not disappointed. Great story, great characters, very gripping.
The reasons I gave 4 stars, not 5:
I have to work quite a bit to get back into the story and the characters - there are very many, and many strands of story - this is concentration work, as I do not have the time to re-read both stories that came before. I do not like authors who make endless recaps, but I like to have someone fill in another character a little, or a short moment of someone thinking back to a big event, just to get back into the names and big events. There are lots of details about Inda' childhood, but very few about the larger political story, so I have to strain a bit to rediscover all those bits and pieces, and connect the names to some important people. It would help if the list of characters and terms was included in a glossary at the back, and I did not have to go online to Sherwood Smith's site to find all that.
Second, this was announced as the final book of a trilogy. I bought it under this premise, and I very much looked forward to a satisfying ending to a great story. I really hate endless series, I want endings at some point. So finding out that there will be a 4th book was a strong disappointment for me.
Otherwise, strongly recommended, but start at the beginning, no way you can enjoy this series starting with this book.

The third book in the series and still captivating. I disagree with readers who want quickly-solved dilemmas,1-2-3, done! I certainly do not complain about the series going into a 4th or 5th book. I believe and trust in the author to know where she wants to lead us. I 'd rather enjoy and look forward to reading more chapters and more developments of the story than expecting it to end forcibly to meet a 'three-volume-only' requirement.
Besides, the author is right on target with her yearly issue of the new sequel. And who said it's boring because there's no fights or battles involved? Personal and inner conflicts are just as important in the characters as their prowess versus nature or antagonists.
Two thumbs up for Sherwood Smith's books and series!!!

Inda left in self imposed exile as a preadolescent to preclude a monarchy crisis. In the nine years of his absence, his friend Evred became the King instead of Inda's older brother who was murdered and married to Inda's sister Hadand. Meanwhile Inda learned naval warfare while spending time with prates and has become a military hero after winning a major sea battle.

Inda accompanied by his beloved Dag Signi, a Venn sorceress, comes home to warn his ruling family that the Venn plan to invade. He is stunned to find Evred as the ruler, but also shocked that he is the heir to Choraed Elgaer and must marry his childhood friend Tdor; both have loved one another, but he also is committed to Signi. However, working through his feelings and what is good for his people are on hold as Evred asks Inda to lead their army. Though a naval expert, Inda agrees even if he feels like a fish out of water.

The third Inda military fantasy (see INDA and THE FOX) is a fabulous thriller, which ironically takes an anti-war stand; as Edwin Starr's song War asks "what is it good for?" Signi answers with her scornful legalized murder argument. The vivid story line is fast-paced even when chapters are devoted to preparation as Sherwood Smith also responds to the question "What is it good for?" with a resounding "absolutely nothing". This is an excellent military fantasy that pulls no punches in openly describing the horrors of war on everyone; not hiding the consequences from her readers.

Harriet Klausner

In King's Shield, the weakest volume of the ongoing Inda series, author Sherwood Smith errs by telling instead of showing. This is a war story, and Smith tells us about the war, mostly through expository dialogue, but does not show us enough. The battle scenes are brief and uninspiring, and the scale of the conflict is never emphasized.

In my opinion, Smith's biggest mistake is how she glosses over the novel's best idea: the defense of Castle Andahi by girls and women. The martial upbringing of girls is a significant detail that distinguishes the setting of the Inda series, and at first I was glad that I would see the women in action. Only, I didn't see: Smith never delves into the action except for a few pages and some retelling at the end. Why? I want to experience two hundred girls fighting thousands of Venn. I want to know these women as characters, which never happens. Furthermore, Smith could have contrived a way to place established female characters such as Hadand or Tdor, characters we already care about, at Castle Andahi, to intensify the drama. The stand at Castle Andahi is the heart of the novel, and Sherwood mostly bypasses it.

I also think that the main characters' youth could have been larger factors. Evred, Inda, and their compatriots are in their 20s, and they are commanding armies. Isn't that worth noting? While it is common for soldiers to be young men, commanders are typically older and seasoned.
Shouldn't the Venn at least scoff about facing an army led by boys? Additionally, part of the plot revolves around Inda's ability to command: Everyone knows he can fight, but can he lead an army to victory? By the end of the novel, I did not feel that he proved his ability to command a land force.

The novel includes a few scenes of Fox and Inda's former shipmates, and I am unable to explain why. I suspect that Smith is setting up plot points for the next novel, but I think she could have done away with the Fox storyline altogether. These scenes feel unnecessary.

The novel's biggest strength is the development of Tau into a primary character. He is the most interesting, complicated character, and I like how we learn about him through his interaction with others, not by his own disclosures. Compared to the interchangeable Marlovans, he is a breath of fresh air.

After enjoying Inda and The Fox, I was disappointed by King's Shield. While it is readable and entertaining at times, it fails to live up to the promise of the earlier novels. Thankfully, I think that the novel's last sentence offers hope for the next installment by promising more Tau.

This book continues the tale of the first two, and it's recommended to begin with _Inda_, as the story is complex and full of characters and events and there is little to no recapping of information. After nine years of exile from his country, Inda, still only around 20 years old, is returning with news of an invasion by the Venn. He returns to an uncertain welcome and many unknown changes that have occurred since he was wrongly accused of killing another boy at the Academy where sons are trained in military skills.

The old king and many others, including Inda's older brother, have been killed in plots and intrigues and Evred, the king's younger son and Inda's friend, is newly made king. Inda had found out about the Venn after he had built and successfully lead a fleet against other notorious pirates. He's had years of experience with sea battles and has won a deserved reputation for winning battles and being a military genius. But when Evred chooses Inda as his Royal Shield Arm, in charge of the coming battle against the invasion, Inda is years behind in the Academy training he missed; fighting on land is not like fighting on sea. He also needs to reintegrate himself into the tightly-bound warrior society he'd left behind.

The pace is non-stop, beginning as Inda and his companions, Signi, the Venn sorceress whom he loves, and Jeje and Tau, creep carefully back, unsure of their welcome. Then, reunited with old Academy mates, Inda is swept off to the capital city and the new king, with hasty preparations for the coming invasion to be made. Sadly, Inda barely has time to appreciate being home--spending less than a day reunited with Tdor, the childhood friend who is his arranged bride, and no time at all to visit his aged parents. The logistics of moving men and positioning them so maximize their lesser numbers against the might of the Venn invaders takes up much of the book, with skirmishes and battles leading up to the main confrontation with an enemy army that none of them may survive.

While I would have preferred a bit more focus on the personal drama, there were still telling bits interwoven in the action. There are issues none of the characters want to face and no time to do it at any rate, so they simmer behind the scenes. Although there is a suitable conclusion to this book, it is still good to know that there is another book coming in this series. The characters and events and the world are so well-drawn and compelling, one can't help wanting more. This is another fine book in an excellent series that I would not hesitate to recommend.

So much of this book was about the positioning of troops. Endless pages seemed to be focused on that single aspect. Yet, this wasn't really a military novel. The movement of forces is a necessary event, but the actions that occur prior to it are what the story is about. And that's where I thought it was average. So much of the focus in on every character but Inda. He is the King's Shield and he is a large part of the book, but very few times do we actually understand what he is thinking. Instead, he comes across as some stare-off-into-the-distance ethereal being. He's a tertiary character in a book that is nominally titled after him. Much of the book also seemed to read as filler. Everything that we learn about the various characters; all their actions; all their thoughts; the events in the book-it all could have been boiled down much more tightly to a book 1/2 this one's length. I think that was what I found the most irritating: not much happens and not much is learned for most of the 500 pages, until the climactic battle at the end. I wanted to read more about Inda's actions from his POV, but barring that, I could have still liked this book if the events prior to the battle actually meant something. Sadly, I didn't find myself caring. I struggled to the end, but I doubt I'll purchase the 4th book.

Sherwood Smith's world is so complex that it, at times, feels as detailed as Tolkien's. It wouldn't surprise me to discover that she has written her own language too. I don't think many authors take the time she does to flesh out a world's political and social structures and I believe that this is one of the reasons why the Inda series is so good. Even the minor characters are shown to have motives, belief systems and histories. Although it does make it a bit confusing and I will agree with the previous reviews that wished for a list of characters. You can find most of them on her website, but it would have been nice to just quickly flip to the back of the book when I forgot the name of Cama's brother. And there were too many Noth's to count.

I think Smith has been labeled as a young (female) adult writer, which is a shame because I think it may deter some of the male fans from trying the series. But Smith is right up there with Orson Scott Card when it comes to military strategy, pacing, and action. She also reminds me of Carol Berg and Lynn Flewelling, both of which have been able to create stories that cater to most if not all readers. The only warning I will give is that the Inda Series is not a light read; you won't be able to breeze through them. Not if you want to fully appreciate the scope of Marloven Hess. But it is well worth the effort and readers should take advantage of authors who are willing to put in the time that it takes to create such a intricate and fascinating world.

Although I couldn't put this book down and enjoyed every moment reading it, I felt it didn't stand side-by-side with the first two books. Each of the first two left us was countless surprises around ever corner. Where this one just lead us mostly on an endless road to a very short-lived war.

**This may have some spoilers, so please beware.**

I, too, anticipated this to be the final installment of Inda's series and was disappointed to find no clear resolution. I had preordered Fox and King's Shield because I was totally in love with the characters. It felt as if I was growing up with them and reliving the angst of life. The only downside was the enormity of Inda's world...there were so many things to remember and if I don't make a point to remember something, it sometimes becomes forgotten and I feel like I'm missing out on a lot. The result of that made me skim a lot of pages, especially for KS (since I hadn't reread the previous books recently) - I zoomed through a lot of passages. If I couldn't recall what the characters alluded to, it was simply dismissed. Like the previous commenter, I think a list of characters inserted in the back/beginning of the book would have helped a lot.

The other thing that I was really looking forward to was a conclusion to Inda's relationships between the Ven dag and Tdor. It was really hard for me to understand his love for both women...I keep thinking, he really should choose one...Not to say that I couldn't comprehend the dichotomy of the marriage relationship and that of the heart - they were separate in the Marlovan society, and only the blessed few grew enamored of his or her spouse. I was just REALLY hoping he would *just* pick one or the other gosh =P

Anyway, if you hadn't read the book yet and you're still reading this part, be prepared to have some tissue handy! True to the series, it portrays lives so well that you'd sometimes feel for the unfairness of it. But there's joy too, and the celebration of life, but even these made me tear up a time or two lol.