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Inda (Inda #1)

by Sherwood Smith (Goodreads Author)

3.98 of 5 stars 3.98 · rating details · 1,675 ratings · 186 reviews

Indevan Algara-Vayir was born the second son of a powerful prince, destined to stay at home and defend his family's castle. But when war threatens, Inda is sent to the Royal Academy where he learns the art of war and finds that danger and intrigue don't only come from outside the kingdom.

Hardcover, 570 pages

Published August 1st 2006 by DAW Hardcover

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Apr 04, 2011 Michael rated it 2 of 5 stars Recommends it for: People who read very quickly

Recommended to Michael by: Grabbed it off the shelf

The first thing I have to say about this novel is that it is very much the first in a series. Absolutely nothing was resolved in the end. Nothing at all. In fact, there wasn't much of a story either, which is quite a challenge for over 500 pages.

Here's the rub: I still want to read the next one in the series. A cast of hundreds of points of view, a meandering plot that seemed to jump forward at a ridiculous pace, then slow down just as fast, as if the entire novel is one giant montage. Worked fo...more The first thing I have to say about this novel is that it is very much the first in a series. Absolutely nothing was resolved in the end. Nothing at all. In fact, there wasn't much of a story either, which is quite a challenge for over 500 pages.

Here's the rub: I still want to read the next one in the series. A cast of hundreds of points of view, a meandering plot that seemed to jump forward at a ridiculous pace, then slow down just as fast, as if the entire novel is one giant montage. Worked for the movie Fight Club, but does not work here.

Still, I don't want to, but I'm actually considering spending my hard earned dollars on the next in this abyssmal series, which is probably a testament to the author's particular skills.

How can I sum this up for you? There are approximately five novels in here, all summarized wonderfully, but losing their power in the summary. I don't want to spoil it for you, because I am definitely recommending this for hard-core fantasy readers, who often read so much and so fast that this novel/series would be perfect for them. Let's just say that it feels like Sherwood Smith started a novel, got bored with it, and hit the fast-forward button on her word-processor to get to the next section.

I guess that would be fine, if it weren't for the fact that the author never actually settles on a story to tell. We just keep pinging all over the place, to the effect that we, as readers, are never truly invested in what's going on in the story, and simply keep reading to see what happens next. Sherwood tries to build suspense, but I have a hard time caring because the characters have not had time to evolve in my mind, and therefore I really don't give a shit that they're in danger.

I think I've made my point, so let's move on to craft, something that makes or breaks a review for me.

As far as I can tell, Sherwood Smith has never been trained to write. At a sentence level, it's obvious that Smith is quite enamored with language, and likes to throw in volumously poetic phrases to end chapters or sections using some sort of a literary bang. But it's a gimmick: the blatant attempt at manipulation is insulting to mean. I more often roll my eyes than say, "How perfect." That's what should be the author's principle concern: not what sounds pleasant or is neat, but what fits the story. And the story is so completely barebones that these literary indulgences seem completely out of place, like Paris fashions at a PTA meeting. I stole that from a commercial.

The world does not really hold together, with its unexplainedly accepting sexual mores, its strange equality amonst the sexes. I admit that it is a refreshing change from the unremittingly masculine fantasy of most spec-fic, but it's just so polished and pretty that's it's almost passive-aggressive. The internal and external politics are less than intuitive, and constantly bashed over the reader's head. I'll let you decide on that one.

Let me reiterate the fact that NOTHING IS EVER AT STAKE. The main character(s) goals are constantly thwarted, but only as plotpoints. Inda never fails, never has to learn from his failures, is always perfect from his extreme youth through his teens. He just always succeeds. For God's sake, Horatio Hornblower suffered less success in his own storied carreer.

What saves this novel from the dismal depths of a 1 is the simple fact that, despite hating the book and never being able to read it for even the short train ride from my work to my house, I still want to find out what happens next. I must be a little masochistic. Read this if you read quickly and voraciously, as it passes the time. Bear in mind, it's definitely a book for teenagers.(less)

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Nov 02, 2007 John rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

have to say up-front that I found two things about this book off-putting. First and foremost, Smith uses a third-person omniscient voice; I think it's fair to say that this POV is rarely used today, and there's a good reason for that. We get plenty of third person limited omniscient in which the point of view shifts between various characters but only changes perspective from one scene to another. I found Smith's jumping around mid-scene to be, at times, hard to follow.

Likewise hard to follow,...more have to say up-front that I found two things about this book off-putting. First and foremost, Smith uses a third-person omniscient voice; I think it's fair to say that this POV is rarely used today, and there's a good reason for that. We get plenty of third person limited omniscient in which the point of view shifts between various characters but only changes perspective from one scene to another. I found Smith's jumping around mid-scene to be, at times, hard to follow.

Likewise hard to follow, at least at first, were the names. The problem is that each character typically is referred to in three different ways: a common name, a nickname, and a title. Particularly as the scope widened and more characters were brought in, this could be confusing as I at times found myself desperately searching my brain to remember whether so-and-so was the same as such-and-such or someone else entirely. A lot of epic fantasy has started offering a dramatis personae listing the main characters with a description that is brief enough to avoid giving away the plot yet descriptive enough to help the reader follow along easily.

Now, those things said, Sherwood Smith does an excellent job of telling a story. I could hardly put the book down while I was reading it (that was several weeks ago, when I still had time on my hands somehow) and I'm desperately looking forward to having time to read the next volume in the series.

First and foremost, it's the characters and relationships that carry the novel. Smith does an excellent job of creating a variety of characters about whom we care and in whom we take an interest. The characters interactions are often complex. For that matter, so is the world of political intrigue and varied cultures, all of which have a distinct foreignness about them in their values, yet they are drawn so skillfully that we absolutely believe their reality and want to explore their complexity.

For better or for worse, Smith is not afraid to kill off major characters. I'm torn on this: on the one hand, as a reader, you hate to lose characters in whom you have invested; on the other, one sometimes gets a feeling of unreality when huge battles are happening or dangerous political intrigues are underway and all the characters you like make it through unscathed. The end result is both a narrative that feels more real and a narrative in which something is really at stake. In some (particularly fantasy) novels, one gets the sense that all the main characters are virtually immortal: oh, they may have some setbacks and difficulties accomplishing their goals, but in the end everything will turn out all right and the good guys will live happily ever after. Well, not in the world of Inda they don't. We get the sense that the title character might, and a few others seem like they'll have to make it through to the end, but then again, Smith has set things up such that every character seems vulnerable, and thus the danger always seems real. It's a good effect she's got going there.

It occurs to me that I didn't say anything about the plot or subject matter. The obvious comparison that came to mind was to say that it is Ender's Game in a fantasy milieu, but that's a gross oversimplification. The title character, Inda, is a natural leader and strategic thinker who goes off to his country's military academy. However, he's not the same sort of raw genius that Ender is, nor is the story confined to his experience in the academy, though that makes up a significant part of the action. There is, inherent in Inda, a coming-of-age story, but it's also more than that. Inda goes from innocence to experience, and the narrative builds in a similar fashion, as the political and cultural complexity of Smith's world gradually unfolds.

In short, it was good. I liked it, despite the flaws noted above.(less)

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Aug 17, 2007 Karina rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: unsorted

Too long, and no real resolution (rather a set up for a follow-up book). If I knew I'd never even have started to read. The main character Inda is sympathetic, so I decided to stick it out (especially when I read over half of the book), though at times the pace was so slow I considered giving up and writing "TL;DR" for review.

Sometimes I like long books and like it when they have a continuation, for instance "Wizard's First Rule", so those can't be the only reasons I couldn't get to enjoy this b...more

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Jun 12, 2009 Editt rated it 2 of 5 stars

The story line was very interesting and would've deserved a 4 but for the world it was set in. To be blunt it is a society that accepts homosexuality and sleeping around (nothing was described in graphic detail). There are no consequences from these acts (STDs). I'm not sure I fully realized this until the second book because I like to skim over descriptions until I get to actual plot. This surprised me because other books by him/her (I probably should research more about the author) are clean a...more

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Apr 10, 2012 Beth Cato rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: in, 2009, fantasy

Inda is the second son of a prince. When old traditions are thrown aside, Inda and other second sons are eligible to attend the King's military academy. What the impetuous ten-year-old boy deems an honor is really something more insidious within the political tangles of the royal family. He immediately befriends the second son of the king, nicknamed Sponge, and discovers all is not what it seems. Sponge is loathed by his older brother, the heir, and anyone close to him will suffer for it. Even w...more

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Jun 15, 2011 Odd Oddtest rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasy, adventure, seafaring, military

Sherwood Smith certainly knows how to deliver a well-done tale that all lovers of pirates, fantasy, or intrigue ought to be snatching up. THE FOX lives up to its predecessor in this grand sequel of pirates, governing, courts and princes.[return][return]In INDA we were introduced to the world of a little boy striving to survive military training, and later on, life on the high seas. By the time THE FOX rolls around Inda has already established a foothold in seafaring - he's now the commander of s...more

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May 05, 2013 Amelia rated it 3 of 5 stars

Overall, I ended up enjoying this book, although it was a slow start. I like the way the background of the world is doled out in hints and small comments from the characters, especially regarding the use of magic. By the end I really wanted to read more in the series to find out about the world and what happens to some of the characters. I also liked that while there were gender specific differences (women defend the home, men go out to fight), women were not treated as incapable and were taught...more

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Sep 24, 2012 Kim rated it 1 of 5 stars

Shelves: could-not-finish

Okay. I really wanted to like this book- I really did. I absolutely loved Crown Duel and I hoped that other books by Sherwood Smith would be just as good. Apparently I was wrong. I just really couldn't get into Inda. The setting was just plain old confusing and I couldn't keep cast of all the characters straight. And I felt like the emphasis on who was using what language when was a little overboard. And I didn't like all of the inappropriate language. And the nickname for the blonde kid? Um, di...more

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Sep 03, 2011 Debbie rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy

"Inda" is a fantasy novel. This author's young adult novels are some of my favorite stories because they have an innocence and earnestness about them even when bad things are happening. This book is so different in writing style and tone from those stories that I wouldn't have even guessed it came from the same author if her name wasn't on the cover.

Each character had a nickname, a title, another title, and all of these frequently changed. The titles were often very similar, adding to my difficu...more "Inda" is a fantasy novel. This author's young adult novels are some of my favorite stories because they have an innocence and earnestness about them even when bad things are happening. This book is so different in writing style and tone from those stories that I wouldn't have even guessed it came from the same author if her name wasn't on the cover.

Each character had a nickname, a title, another title, and all of these frequently changed. The titles were often very similar, adding to my difficulty in keep straight who was being talked about. The author also switched viewpoints from character to character from one paragraph to the next, so it was even harder to keep track of what was going on. This also meant that I never really got to know any one of the huge cast of characters.

It also seemed like every time we got to a scene where Inda could have charmed us (like all the characters) with his natural leadership skills, the author jumped over the scene and had two adults talking over what a brilliant, natural leader he was. I wanted to see it, not just hear it.

Another problem I had was that the story was about teen boys beating up pre-teen boys and forcing them to badly beat each other up. Not surprising, due to all the verbal and physical abuse, Inda tended to show little emotion in most of his scenes. Honor is not rewarded. Inda isn't even given an explanation for how the adults treat him (referring to part 2 of this book) when they could have told him. It was not fun reading.

While the world was well-developed and unique, it was also a confusing one due to the writing style and a depressing one due to the content. I didn't even find the characters interesting. Since the action mostly occurred "off scene," there wasn't much suspense most of the time. Basically, I was very disappointed.

There was some explicit bad language. There were no sex scenes, but unmarried sex was encouraged and homosexual relationships were normal there. Overall, I wouldn't recommend this book, especially not to those who enjoy Sherwood Smith's previous novels.(less)

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Mar 15, 2011 Hanh rated it 3 of 5 stars

I've read other stuff by Sherwood Smith that was more girl- and adolescent-oriented. Crown Duel is what started me on her stuff. This series has a different feel. The storytelling is slower to really get into the epic scope, and it's less romanticized. As a bildungsroman, it's not bad, but there's something that's missing in Inda's younger characterization -- some solid insight into his character. For some reason I didn't really care about him (in fact, he kind of bored me) until he encountered

...more

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Dec 01, 2010 Shantel rated it 4 of 5 stars

So, it's hard to know what to say with this book, or how to rate it. I took me a bit to get into it, mostly because the names of the characters are difficult, long, and confusing. But the plot is definitely not simple. It reminds me of the Enders Game series by Orson Scott Card. It has a lot of war games, strategy, training up the youth to fight one day, treachery, etc. There is the world of the men and the world of the women, and they all have their secrets, the women and the men and all of the...more

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Nov 02, 2010 Rfjeff9 rated it 4 of 5 stars

Not bad for a light Fantasy reading. THe plot is good and somewhat original (forgetting the cliche little boy grows up and is important). I read reviews on this book before I bought it and many people seemed put out that nothing was resolved at the end of he first book. Welcome to the Fantasy Series, folks. What was resolved in The Fellowship of the Rings, hmmm? Nevermind that, then.

I do agree with them, however, that the jumping from one persons point of view to another at random is annoying. A...more

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Mar 11, 2012 Jacey rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: fiction, fantasy, favorites

I've been looking forward to reading this 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 and not wanting to accidentally acquire ideas.

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 s...more I've been looking forward to reading this 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 and not wanting to accidentally acquire ideas.

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 throiugh his first and into his second year of academy training where he befriends a boy called Sponge, the King's second son, who has fallen foul of his older brother and his uncle, the Royal Shield Arm. There are feuds, political infighting, intrigue and sabotage. The women are also warriors, though trained separately in defensive strategies. Everyone (at this level of society) is subject to arranged marriages. Despite not seeming to have much of a voice the women are busy with plans of their own, researching to relearn lost magic.

Inda is betrayed and spirited away to sea when he refuses to admit liability for something that was not his fault. He ends 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 before reading the next one mainly because the names and ranks are mind-twisting. A prince is not a prince, he either an Adaluin or a Varlaef 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 I was not looking in that direction because i wanted to avoid spoilers!

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!
(less)

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Jan 21, 2013 Constance rated it 5 of 5 stars

I'm a huge fan of Sherwood Smith, and have read most of her stuff set in the Sartor/Norsunder universe. Inda seems like her first foray into adult fantasy writing and employs some of the great world building you see in some of her other works (and after all, Inda is set in the same universe) but with more emphasis on the characters, less on magic and court finery.

She returns to the Marlovan war academy, not sure how it relates to the time period depicted in Crown Duel or Posse of Princesses (or...more

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Jan 09, 2010 Amanda Davies rated it 4 of 5 stars

I didn't really know what to expect from this book, but in the end I enjoyed it quite a bit. It took a while for me to get into it, and I'll start by explaining why, and other things I disliked.

I am not at all a fan of fantasy authors who throw a bunch of made-up terms at you in the beginning of their novels, forcing you to 'sink or swim', memorize these terms or be confused for the rest of the book. Yes, there's a short glossary in the back, but I really don't want to be thrown out of the flow...more I didn't really know what to expect from this book, but in the end I enjoyed it quite a bit. It took a while for me to get into it, and I'll start by explaining why, and other things I disliked.

I am not at all a fan of fantasy authors who throw a bunch of made-up terms at you in the beginning of their novels, forcing you to 'sink or swim', memorize these terms or be confused for the rest of the book. Yes, there's a short glossary in the back, but I really don't want to be thrown out of the flow of the story because I've forgotten the author's special word for 'prince' and need to go back and check what it means. This book does that, and that was the main reason I had a hard time getting involved in the story at first.

I appreciate the world-building and thought that goes into made-up languages, but frankly, they rarely add all that much to a book. A couple words here or there would be fine, but too many and it feels like the author is asking you to learn this language before you can enjoy the story they want to tell. English already has perfectly good words to use for most terms, it'd be much easier for everyone to use them.

Also, many of the characters have two or more names used, and it's pretty annoying to have to spend a few minutes trying to figure out who a character is only to realize that they've been around the whole time, but they're usually called by a different name.

That said, I actually did really enjoy this book. Once I slogged through enough of the beginning to have somewhat of a grasp on the terms and nicknames, the story was good enough to pull me right in. I even stayed up past my bedtime, wanting to know what would happen next to the characters. I did find the omniscient POV a bit difficult to get used to, but I think it was used fairly well.

Unlike some, the author's treatment of sexuality really made me happy. I openly adore fantasy worlds that actually contain orientations other than 'so straight parallel lines would envy them', and this world definitely had that, as well as a relaxed attitude to sexuality without having everyone being pansexual and polyamorous (not that there's anything wrong with that, but as a monogamous lesbian I get tired of the seeming polarity between 'nothing but heterosexual monogamy' and 'nothing but polyamorous pansexuality' in fantasy novels, and I'm always overjoyed to see books that are on the middle path). That was one of the little things about the book that I loved, personally.

As for the plot, I felt that it started a little slowly, but once you were on the way, it just kept building steam. The characters were interesting and the author didn't flinch from putting them in real danger and even killing them, and I particularly enjoyed her use of female characters in a society that's very military-based - giving them so much to do besides raise babies.

The story isn't resolved at all at the end of the first book, but I don't expect that from the first book in a series. I've already bought the next book, though I won't be able to read it for some time, and if the series continues to be this interesting I expect I'll be buying the last two pretty soon.(less)

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Dec 21, 2007 K. Kesington rated it 3 of 5 stars

I had more disappointment with this book than dislike*. While I liked it well enough, it took about 125 pages to actually pick up from the data-dump of a beginning. The random shifts of PoV made it a bit hard to follow.

However, it is still a good book on its own, and made even better by its sequel The Fox.

*Sherwood Smith has written some pretty fantastic stuff, and this isn't quite up to what I thought it would be, is all.

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Mar 26, 2013 Julie rated it 4 of 5 stars

It took me until about page 100 to get into the story, that's why I gave Inda four stars instead of five. The story begins with a ten year old Inda being summoned to the academy, something previously reserved for the first born son. Inda gets dumped into the middle of a ton of political and militaristic maneuvering, getting him banished a year later when he refuses to be punished for the death of one of his classmates. Then the story splits into two main arcs, one following Inda and the other fo...more

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Jul 07, 2008 Star rated it 3 of 5 stars Recommends it for: friends and people who like adventures

This book shows what one has to go through when the blame is put on you and you hven't done anything wrong.has the ruling of different places affect even kids and are commited as if they are adults. the boy Inda travels around the sea and practically grows up before he's even reach the age of 15. i was reading for long periods of time wanting to know what will happen next.

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Aug 29, 2011 Aaron rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: borrowed_books, fantasy

I would never have stumbled across this book if it hadn't been for a recommendation from a friend. It is much different from my usual fantasy fare (and much better because of it). Inda takes place in a fantasy world much like hundreds of others - mostly medieval, with magic present, and some fantastical creatures. Where it differs is that this is a book focused on the politics, alliances, and intrigues of running a kingdom. It takes a good number of chapters before one is completely comfortable...more I would never have stumbled across this book if it hadn't been for a recommendation from a friend. It is much different from my usual fantasy fare (and much better because of it). Inda takes place in a fantasy world much like hundreds of others - mostly medieval, with magic present, and some fantastical creatures. Where it differs is that this is a book focused on the politics, alliances, and intrigues of running a kingdom. It takes a good number of chapters before one is completely comfortable with the tangled web of alliances, families, and considerable history behind each character's motivations (not to mention a new vocabulary/language related to leadership and war positions). The book proceeds briskly as we delve deeper into all of the intrigue surrounding the characters; it's not until the last third of the book that things slow down as one realizes this is all set-up for three other books in the series.

The other fascinating part of the book is the role of magic. In most books, magic is a force to be reckoned with; wizards & mages, witches & enchantresses play central roles in the conflicts, using powers that are incomprehensible to regular people. In Inda, though, magic has declined and is largely forgotten in society. There are mentions of great magic worked in far history, but the only magic the reader "sees" are spells every man, woman, and child learn to dispose of waste in all its forms, from bodily, to garbage, to dead bodies (practical...maybe the author is a little OCD...).

Finally, Inda is a novel about war, strategy, and tactics. My friend likened it Ender's Game - a sci-fi novel about a school that trains children to fight a war against an alien menace. Inda really is very similar; a young boy with an in-born sense of command and the ability to see strategies and tactics in his mind before his peers and elders can even comprehend the battlefield. His society is built upon war and preparation for it, and he is the shining example of all of that preparedness. Where that leads next in the series is something I can't wait to see.(less)

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Jan 25, 2011 Craig rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasy

3 1/2 stars for the series. Epic fantasy. And I do mean epic - over 2000 pages in the four that comprise the series. Glad I'm reading them after they've all been written, 'cause I'd hate to have to have to remember the plots/subplots and names (OMG the names - way too damned confusing) from year to year. Decent job of world-building and the massive plot rolls on through the whole series. Many, many very well-drawn characters, each distinct and with varying amounts of good/evil. And the author is...more

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Mar 06, 2011 Melissa rated it 2 of 5 stars

Well I just couldn't stick it out with these books. I had a total different expectation of these books then what they are. There is just very little forward movement and so many details to learn and lots of names to memorize! Geez, some of the people have three or four names and there is three different languages they could be talking in. There is also many different view points that the story is written in. I like that you know what everyone is thinking but the change is so quick, you have to r...more

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Aug 23, 2010 Candi rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: ya, ya-supernatural

So, I don't want to like this book, I don't I don't. It's the beginning of another thick fantasy series, it's based around a male hero, it has made up politics, and is written in this omniscient third person that can basically slip into anyone's head at anytime, even minor characters and villains.

All in all, annoying and from an author whose other books are lovely for being light and fluffy. But...I couldn't put it down, I feel like pulling out my eyeballs for dorkiness, but I care about the cha...more

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Dec 22, 2011 Mary rated it 4 of 5 stars

This was really hard for me to rate although I love the characters and the story, it brought a lot of different feelings, I guess that's really good in a book but at the same time it was pretty hard to read for that same reason. The main thing that bother me is a shallow one: the sex. I didn't like the philosophy behind it (Not that it's graphic or anything of the sort), the problem is there's no monogamy in relationships or even in marriage. People just go to pleasure houses for weird reasons (...more

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Jan 03, 2013 Jasmine rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: high-fantasy, fantasy, 2013, kindle

This was a reread, if that says anything. I love a good high fantasy, but this one struck a good spark with me. Inda is a great protagonist. Even if he is very smart and talented, he never comes across as a Gary-Stu sort of character to me, not really. He's not perfect. He makes mistakes. He has to learn things.

I think Smith is a good writer who juggles a variety of points of view well, as well as an intense, well written world with a degree of mystery to it--the magic, and the lack of it--as we...more

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Feb 01, 2012 Coucher de soleil rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasy-read

I definitely enjoyed this one. The world building, characters and their evolution, and the adventure was very well done. The writing style was also very good with great descriptions of events such as nautical battles.

The one complaint I would have about this book concerns the author's (and the publisher's?) apparent assumption, within the first third of the book in particular, that we had read some (nonexisting!) previous novel(s) in the series. This made it relatively difficult to get through...more

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Nov 02, 2010 Jeff O'Quinn rated it 3 of 5 stars

3 Stars because of the frequent subject of sexuality and the point of view changes in midstride. The author comes off as trying to push or at least is somewhat interested in acceptance of sexual promiscuity and homosexuality. It's a turnoff for me personally, however, I liked the story enough that my Nook is currently downloading The Fox.

THe plot is original enough to make me want to find out what happens next. Inda is not on par with FitzChivalry Farseer, but he's a likable enough main characte...more

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Nov 16, 2010 Michael rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasy

It took a good bit of time to get used to the multiple titles/names, cultural references, and political layout of the world ... but once I did, it was a very engaging story! The intrigues are constant and far-reaching - even the smallest details can affect the relationships of nations. As the book progresses, the intrigue becomes more interesting and the action more exciting. The characters really are very engaging. I just don't think this book is one that you can read at 30-minute to 1-hour inc...more

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Aug 22, 2012 April rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: unapologetic-sci-fi-and-fantasy

So this is the first of a four book series but they are huge books! or at least very large. I accidentally got all of them out of the library at the same time and i'm still not sure if that was a good thing or not. Good because I could read them all back to back. Bad because that's a whole lot of reading. Anyway, they were good. As you would expect with anything that is that long, there are added characters so you're constantly referring back to things and people that came earlier. Now, that was...more

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Nov 25, 2008 Eva Mitnick rated it 4 of 5 stars

Excellent fantasy with fascinating political intrigue, plenty of fantasy-style military strategy, and even some seafaring piratical adventures. The characters are all complicated and well-developed - although I must say that our hero Inda is the most enigmatic of all the characters. The sections at the military academy, with the hazing and the genius-boy turning strategy on its head, reminded me very much of Card's "Ender's Game" (not a bad thing) and of Robin Hobb's "Shaman's Crossing." The sea...more

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Jan 13, 2013 Michelle rated it 4 of 5 stars

Started out a little slow and depressing because he's always getting beaten up, along with all of his friends. But once the action gets going it is pretty much nonstop. I enjoyed the characters, especially the ways they grow and change. Most of them do not stay stagnant in any way. Inda is a compelling hero, unassuming and likable. The only negative for me is the portrayal of sexuality. Its very casually treated and given no sacredness. In fact, the general attitude is that visiting prostitutes...more

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