Customer Reviews

A Stranger to Command

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Sherwood Smith established herself on my favorite authors list with her book, "Crown Duel." So of course I had to read "A Stranger to Command," which gives readers more insight into Vidanric, the Marquis of Shevraeth, one of the protagonists from "Crown Duel."

"A Stranger to Command" follows Vidanric (re-named Shevraeth after his title) as he goes to faraway country Marloven Hess to their famed military academy at age 15. Over the next few years, he goes from being the newbie outsider to someone respected and admired by everyone at the academy, including the country's king, Senrid, as he learns how to become a leader. Meanwhile, events back home are taking a sinister turn as King Galdran goes from being a paranoid ruler to a complete despot.

Sherwood Smith is great at world-building and characterization, and "A Stranger to Command" is typical of her style. Vidanric doesn't really have many character lessons to learn (unlike his future wife Mel in "Crown Duel") but he does have to learn how to fit in. In some respects, Vidanric is a little too perfect, since he doesn't seem to make many missteps as he grows in military command at the academy.

There are only a few issues I have with this book, and they're pretty minor if you're already a Sherwood Smith fan. For one thing, I think she assumes that we're already familiar with her characters' world, and doesn't really explain the hand modes (something from Vidanric's country). It didn't bother me, since I had already read "Crown Duel," but if you're reading these books in chronological order, it might be confusing. There are also some tense situations that are never really resolved, such as the Norsundrian invasion at the end.

While this book is fine as a standalone, I actually recommend reading it as a sequel to "Crown Duel" instead of in chronological order. Not only are the customs explained in more detail, but for me it was nicer to learn Vidanric's history after I had already fallen in love with the other book. I don't think I would have enjoyed it as much the other way around. Definitely a must read.

Fifteen-year-old Vidanric Renselaeus, Marquis of Shevraeth, has been sent from his home in Remalna to a military academy in Marloven Hess in order to escape political unrest at home, where the king is increasingly out of control. In Marloven Hess, Vidanric must learn and accept many new things: a new name (the Marlovens assume his title, Shevraeth, is his name), a new king (the young king Senrid), new friends and foes, and most of all, a new view of the world, as he must reconcile the seemingly civilized ways of his own country with the warlike ones of Marloven Hess.

As always, the worldbuilding is excellent, and the characters are as well. I loved Vidanric's courage, intelligence, and integrity, which he retains in spite of the difficulty of adapting to his new environment. The difference between the two cultures is especially intriguing, as Vidanric finds that there might be more to be said for Marloven Hess than he originally thought.

This prequel to Sherwood Smith's popular novel Crown Duel gives us the past of the dashing and mysterious Vidanric, Marquis of Shevraeth, who travels to Marloven Hess, a country famed for its horses and military prowess, to train in its famous military academy. The young courtier is unprepared for his harsh new life, but he grows into it admirably, becoming a true leader.

The fan base for Crown Duel is probably mainly female, but boys will love this story too--Sherwood Smith's sense for military training is uncanny; you'll feel ready to take command yourself, when you've finished the book.

Sherwood Smith is a wonderful writer and it truly shows in all of her stories. Her characters are so real. They always linger in your mind long after you put the book down and start to feel like old friends. As everyone says, her world building is INCREDIBLE. There is so much depth and history and echoes of stories within stories.

This book is a followup to Crown Duel and tells Shevraeth's backstory. It was really interesting to learn about Marloven Hess and realize how much work Shevraeth's family had done to peacefully rid their kingdom of an evil tyrant. The book made me curious about the Marloven history, but at the same time, I still felt like I was missing a lot. I didn't mind in the end because it also made me search for her other books and reading each one felt like opening a new treasure.

My biggest gripe however...HOLY SMOKES! Who chose this cover?! And WHYYYYYYYYY?!

That is NOT how I pictured Shevraeth and it's completely ruined my mental image of him. It's burned into my mind and I wish I could gouge my eyes out. Haha. Dramatic, yes. But it really stinks when I re-read the books and all I can picture is this guy instead. Yech. I would have preferred anything----a spear, a tree, a gray building, a cat?---anything but this. Now I always have to cover my computer screen w/my hand when the thumbnail comes up. Thanks a lot publisher. >__<

Vidanric Renslaeas, Marquis of Shevraeth, otherwise known as Shevraeth, is sent from his home country of Remalna at age fifteen to train in the military academy of Marloven-Hess. If you've read Crown Duel, this is aptly named the prequel. Shevraeth is a marvelous character and I love him to death. Umm, synopsis: The tyrant on the throne of Remalna, Galdran, is making it difficult for Shevraeth to stay at home and not be killed. So while his family and friends stay and try to organize an underground rebellion (without being found and killed themselves) Shevraeth's parents send him somewhere far away where he will learn actually useful skills, like how to fight and save his life, yes? But Marloven-Hess is as far away from court life as the desert from the rainforest, so Shevraeth must learn how to get his bearings, in a new country with a new language, while the problems at home keep his mind far from content. He is a very clear-headed person, liking to think things through, and a good leader. He goes through all the normal teenage stuff too, like getting a girlfriend, but THANK GOODNESS it's not the center of the book. And while away from home he learns to command, so that maybe...[erase spoiler] Just read Crown Duel, it comes next.

"Stranger to Command" is the prequel to "Crown Duel" and, in a way, a sequel to "Senrid." You don't need to have read either of these books to understand and enjoy "Stranger to Command" though some of the references will (obviously) have more meaning if you've read these books. Because of this, I'd actually recommend reading "Crown Duel" before "Stranger to Command" even though this is technically the prequel.

The world-building was excellent. The clash of unique cultures--Remalna manners against Marloven Hess customs--was fun. A few details made me raise an eyebrow, like Vidanric plunging his saber into the ground almost to the hilt to clean it (not the best way to clean blood from a blade even if he somehow physically managed the feat). However, things like this only happened few times and the questionable details weren't important to the story.

The characters were engaging and realistic--even Vidanric's enemies. I cared about what happened to them. The pacing and suspense were excellent, compelling me to read on to find out how the latest conflict or concern would be resolved. My one complaint is that we were only given a bare hint of what happened to Vidanric's Marloven Hess friends and charges after he returns home. He left them on the brink of war. I expect that's going to be another (not yet released) book, but I care enough about them that I want to know _now_. ;)

There was a romance and some kissing in the book, but no sex. Any bad language was done with made-up phrases. Overall, I'd highly recommend this well-written, clean novel to both teens and adults.


Reviewed by Debbie from Genre Reviews (genrereviews. blogspot. com)

I thought that reading this would ruin Crown Duel for me since Danric was apparently in love with another girl in this book but was surprised when I found out I liked this book more than Crown Duel! The characters are much more developed and the amount of detail makes it seem so realistic! I finished reading it and then started reading it a second time! Fantastic book! I hope she come out with more books soon :D

I was very eager to get my hand on this book. And I zipped though it, unable to put it down. It really lived up to Sherwood's style, that is for sure!

I'm very much in love with her Marloven world now. I want to read more about them and I'm eager to know what happened now between Inda's story and Senrid's.

I'm very aware that this story was about Danric...but I was somewhat disappointed toward the end when it seemed everything was rushed or cut short. You are left not knowing what happens to his friends...

All-in-all...it was a wonderful read and it will stay on my shelf to be read over and over for years to come!

As a prequel it does its job beautifully. I am finding intense pleasure in rereading Crown/ Court Duel with this new information in mind.
I have a few major criticisms, however.
1. The conflict is completely and utterly abandoned. Sherwood Smith set up what was going to be an epic war and then our protagonist (Shevraeth) is magically transported out of the country. Not only is he physically removed from what would have been the climax, but we aren't even told of the outcome of the war. Are the people I have come to love so dearly going to survive? I don't know. Is the country I have spent many late nights banishing sleepiness to learn about going to pull through? I don't know.
2. There are gobs of characters in this story. A glossary would have been very helpful.

Disclaimer/Spoiler: This review assumes that the audience has read the Crown Duel and Court Duel book(s).

This prequel is a surprisingly different novel than the Crown and Court Duel books for several reasons:

1. The original Crown Duel & Court Duel (CCD) was written adventurously and romantically to be understood by young adults, but A Stranger to Command is decidedly more adult, serious and complex though still simple enough for a younger audience.

2. The undertones of a Stranger to Command are more sinister from an unseen threat--perhaps because a lot is hinted rather than plainly stated in Crown Duel. It plays out in military style more of the subterfuge of Court Duel without any of the romance.

That said, it's a fascinating novel about Vidanric's teen years in that there is a pleasantly surprising link to the Inda novel series world.

While this book has some romance, it is nowhere nearly as romantic as Court Duel, but it gives a lot of interesting context to the person that Vidanric becomes in CCD.

My recommendation for the order in which to read the novels is below:

1. Crown Duel (any version)

2. Court Duel

3. Inda (which has four books, but you can get away with reading the first and last, or the first two to three of the four books as long as you check the online wikis to catch summaries of the rest of them.)

4. Optional: CCD again, this time paying attention.

5. A Stranger to Command (preferably the electronic eBook/Kindle version, which the author stated in September 2011 has the most completed scenes and recent revisions.)

6. The electronic version of Crown Duel published in 2010, because it contains both Crown and Court, and there are significant variations from the original hardcovers, as well as some extra chapters and scenes that the author added.

7. Then go to Sherwood Smith's website and livejournal blog to read all the extra short stories related to the world of these novels.

Yes, I realize that means re-reading Crown Duel multiple times, but most of us reading this review will have already read CCD recently, so it's really a matter of laboring through the complex adult series, Inda, and then refreshing our minds about CCD, and then reading it again after A Stranger to Command because it's those final reads in which the reader is delighted to discover the richly complex world that author Sherwood Smith has created and revel in what it all means.