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Petrodor (A Trial of Blood and Steel #2)

3.92 of 5 stars 3.92 · rating details · 238 ratings · 15 reviews

The second book in the Trials of Blood & Steel series picks up the story of the independent heroine, Sasha, now living in the port city of Petrodor. Together with her old mentor Kessligh, Sasha attempts to navigate the political intrigues and stop the war.

Paperback, 467 pages

Published July 1st 2008 by Orbit (first published 2008)

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Apr 04, 2013 Satima rated it 4 of 5 stars

An earlier version of this review first appeared on the now defunct webzine, The Specusphere, in January 2010.

Joel Shepherd, from being one of the youthful prodigies of Australian spec-fic, has matured over the last decade into an accomplished, stylish writer. His current series, A Trial of Blood and Steel, has been compared to George RR Martin's A Song of Ice and Fire, and one suspects from the similar construction of the series’ titles that the comparison was sought by Shepherd. Perhaps he mea...more An earlier version of this review first appeared on the now defunct webzine, The Specusphere, in January 2010.

Joel Shepherd, from being one of the youthful prodigies of Australian spec-fic, has matured over the last decade into an accomplished, stylish writer. His current series, A Trial of Blood and Steel, has been compared to George RR Martin's A Song of Ice and Fire, and one suspects from the similar construction of the series’ titles that the comparison was sought by Shepherd. Perhaps he meant it as a tribute to the senior author, since Shepherd himself appears to be a modest young man who would not presume to compare his work with that of a master such as Martin.

But while comparisons may be odious, this is certainly an epic tale in the grand tradition. What is more, Shepherd has succeeded in fitting it into four books, unlike Martin, whose serieshas fans impatiently shaking their fists and stamping their feet as they demand a conclusion to the tale.

In at least one respect, however, Shepherd could fruitfully copy Martin, by adding a character list to each book. As it stands, the only list is at the beginning of book one, yet new characters make their appearance in later volumes. However, this is a small complaint and one we can possibly write off as an editorial decision rather than an omission on the part of the author. There are maps and they are useful, but an alphabetical glossary of people and places would be godsend in dealing with a series as complex as this.

At the end of Sasha, book one of the quartet, the doughty warrior Sasha planned to leave her homeland of Lenayin, and when we find her at the start of book two, she has surfaced in the port city of Petrodor in the neighbouring country of Torovan. War is in the air: a conflict between Lenayin and The Bacosh. The serrin — the closest thing this world has to elves — are key in this portentous possibility, and Sasha, who has friends among the serrin, must deal with intrigue on all sides.

In book three, the scene moves to the region known as The Bacosh and the chief serrin city of Tracato. Serrin civilisation is perhaps all that might prevent the complete degradation of humankind, but it is under threat — from Sasha's own homeland, Lenayin. It does not help, either, that two of Sasha's sisters have conflicting allegiances by marriage. Where do her own loyalties belong?

The main strength of this series lies in its characterisation. Sasha, particularly, can be seen to grow in maturity and self-understanding as the story progresses. She is no Mary Sue — far from flawless, she becomes aware of her shortcomings and is therefore better able to make allowances for her own failings and those of others. Tension flags now and then, especially when Shepherd allows his characters to indulge in info-dump, sometimes about politics (and it's obvious that he is commenting just as much on our political systems as those of his invented world) or sometimes the narrative drifts off into a discussion of linguistics or religion, which, while fascinating, might be better served up as supporting material in an appendix. But overall, this is a bumper series, which fans, once hooked, will keep on their bookshelves forever.
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Jan 28, 2011 Clay rated it 4 of 5 stars

Joel Shepherd’s sequel to the wonderful “Sasha” has many of the problems common to the second book of trilogies (no resolution is possible, and it has to end on a note of crisis), but “Petrodor” (Pyr, $16, 446 pages) is still a very good read.

It’s a very good read in part because it’s a rollicking story of a pre-industrial city caught on the threshold of war, with plenty of action and intrigue, but it’s also a very good read because Shepherd doesn’t settle for clichés. One character, for exampl...more

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Mar 18, 2010 Stefan rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy, www-fantasyliterature-com-review

Petrodor picks up shortly after the ending of Sasha, the first novel in Joel Shepherd's A Trial of Blood and Steel series. Sashandra Lenayin (Sasha for short) now resides in the Torrovan port city Petrodor, a true hotbed of intrigue with several political factions squaring off against each other. With a brewing Verenthane crusade to retake the Bakosh provinces that are occupied by the serrin, war is in the air, and the tensions between the various camps are threatening to come to a boil: the pow...more Petrodor picks up shortly after the ending of Sasha, the first novel in Joel Shepherd's A Trial of Blood and Steel series. Sashandra Lenayin (Sasha for short) now resides in the Torrovan port city Petrodor, a true hotbed of intrigue with several political factions squaring off against each other. With a brewing Verenthane crusade to retake the Bakosh provinces that are occupied by the serrin, war is in the air, and the tensions between the various camps are threatening to come to a boil: the powerful and rich merchant families, the nobility, the clergy, and the common folk who are torn between the predominant Verenthane religion and the serrin-influenced Nasi-Keth. Add to this the "talmaad" — serrin agents living in Petrodor — and you have a tension-filled setting that promises — and delivers — an exciting read.

A large part of what makes A Trial of Blood and Steel so memorable is its main character, Sasha, who is (for a fantasy character) refreshingly human: she is a supremely talented swordswoman, devoted to her cause, her training, and her friends, but at the same time she's also a hothead, a bit full of herself, and not as tactful as she could be. One of the most interesting aspects of this novel is seeing Sasha become more mature and aware, e.g. applying the theory and patterns of the svaalverd fighting style to larger concepts such as politics (at the start of chapter 13), or coming to terms with the fact that her concept of honor doesn't always translate well into the Petrodor environment (throughout the entire book). Sasha, as a character, probably learns and grows more in Petrodor than she did in the first novel of the series.

A second main character who reappears in Petrodor is Jaryd, who is now training with the Goeren-yay in Sasha's old village after having abandoned his Verenthane faith at the end of Sasha. He is hell-bent on revenge for the murder of his little brother, and the way he sometimes lets his passion and temperament take over make him, in some ways, a mirror of Sasha.

A new viewpoint character is Sasha's sister, the princess Alythia, who is also in Petrodor after having been married into one of the merchant families. Alythia is another great example of Joel Shepherd's ability to create characters who go through genuine changes throughout the novel, and I am curious to see if and how her story will continue in later books in the series. (Side-note: the many reviewers who compared Sasha to George R. R. Martin's A Song of Ice and Fire will probably be amused to find out that Alythia ends up with, yes, a pet wolf in this novel.)

Most other characters and factions also avoid falling into black-and-white stereotypes: not all Verenthanes are evil, not all nasi-keth are honorable, and the serrin aren't quite as unified and angelic as they seemed at the end of Sasha. Everyone tries to look out for their own interests as best as they can. The political set-up is once again very complex, with factions within factions depending on or plotting against each other. It's a shame that Petrodor doesn't include a Dramatis Personae (like Sasha did), as it would have been helpful in keeping track of the many different players in this story. Likewise, including a map of the city of Petrodor would have been great to help visualize some of the gripping street battles.

There are some minor issues (including the occasional tendency of characters to engage in debate and speak back and forth in full paragraphs, even in the middle of action scenes), but overall, Petrodor is an excellent continuation of the story started in Sasha. Both books are opening chapters that show separate glimpses of the build-up to a major conflict. Joel Shepherd has carefully built up this fantasy world's complexity, with considerable focus on the nature of power, politics, and religion, while at the same time creating some fascinating, memorable characters. An intricate setting, interesting characters, and a solid plot arc that leads up to what promises to be a strong climax — what's not to love? Tracato, book 3 in A Trial of Blood and Steel, is due out from Pyr in October 2010, and I, for one, can't wait.

(This review was also published at the Fantasy Literature website: www.fantasyliterature.com --- come check us out!)(less)

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Nov 22, 2010 Peter rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy

After a somewhat slow start in Sasha, the quartet picks up speed with this novel. Joel Shepherd gets to show what he can do in a large city, where many characters collide with little possibility to escape and intrigue reigns. This story gives us a much larger introduction to the Serrinim and also provides many possibilities for the main characters to grow. Many of the secondary characters are also well fleshed out although Sasha's opponents remain sadly under-developed and could use better illus...more

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Mar 10, 2011 Stephanie I rated it 3 of 5 stars

This took me far too long to finish and I blame it in part of so many other great books coming out at the same time and on a few things in this book that were roadblocks in my reading of it.

I understand that with the serrin involved, there was bound to be many convoluted conversations. But there were too many speeches in these conversations, too many times when simple breakfasts turned into declarations of beliefs. I remember this one particular speech of Kessligh's towards the end I believe an...more This took me far too long to finish and I blame it in part of so many other great books coming out at the same time and on a few things in this book that were roadblocks in my reading of it.

I understand that with the serrin involved, there was bound to be many convoluted conversations. But there were too many speeches in these conversations, too many times when simple breakfasts turned into declarations of beliefs. I remember this one particular speech of Kessligh's towards the end I believe and I was just thinking, "If I was there, I would've stopped listening to him half way through." And "Doesn't he ever get tongue-tied? Doesn't he ever have to stop to think? Or does he just form these long paragraphs in his head?" Maybe this is unfounded but I just like the conversations to be more interaction between the characters. Most of the book did this very well.

And when it finally came to the culmination of all the talking, I was more than a little confused. But the action is good, Sasha retains all the qualities that made her lovable in the first book while developing a little; Jaryd is seeking out his revenge at all costs. I feel as though some particular part of Alythia's story towards the end was just cut out. I don't know why but that made that very awkward for me to read.

I felt as if the series was going in a completely different direction with the first book and I liked that direction a lot more. But as soon as Sasha left, that way died and a new one was almost forcibly forged. It's possible that this plot line existed and I ignored it in favor of the one delving into Lenayin's fascinating culture and dynamics. If that's the case, I'm suffered for it dearly-- having expectations of something that would never come. I didn't like Lenayin through Jaryd's eyes. Besides, for most of this book, all he saw was red.

Honestly, I miss Lenayin as much as Sasha does. And since we just keep moving forward, I doubt that we'll ever return in this series (until the VERY end). I supposed I'll just be content with being wherever Sasha is.(less)

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Mar 16, 2012 Vj Parker rated it 4 of 5 stars

A continuation to the story of Sasha, more twists as her mentor trys to include her in his fight for the people of his home town, show parts were a little over the top, but i enjoy the race of people who play with only logic, the fight between different sisters and their ideals was interesting, however poor Sasha is still fighting to become a woman in her own right.
most enjoyable continuation.

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May 12, 2011 John rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: sf-fantasy

Sasha joins her teacher in a sort of Italianate city and becomes involved in a violent consolidation of power that creates a king and occasions a massacre of Serrin. She also Finds Looovvve. Still talky like the first volume, but the characters have an engaging complexity and if you just skip the philosophical conversations the action is very well described.

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Jan 02, 2011 Craig rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasy

More action than the series first book. In fact there is perhaps a little too much action - just a few too many similar escapes from tight spots to feel right. Still, a fine sequel.

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Nov 13, 2012 Brenda Wolfenbarger rated it 4 of 5 stars

Really enjoyed this although far too much description of battle.

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Feb 22, 2011 Carol rated it 4 of 5 stars

Liked this one too, good sci-fi fantasy read.

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Jan 15, 2012 Shae Hart rated it 4 of 5 stars

Some surprises from peripheral characters...and of course lots of politically-driven battle.

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Dec 23, 2011 Alya rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

the second book of A Trial of Blood and Steel after the first book "sasha"
i loved the setting here more, the feel of a coastal city bursting with people, events, schemes, struggles is very appealing to me, the scale of battles even thou it's maybe lesser than the first book but it felt deeper and savager...much savager, and its effects -story wise- will defiantly last longer

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Aug 19, 2008 Naomi rated it 4 of 5 stars

The sequel to Sasha, this book was just as action packed, but the plot takes a twist within the city of Petrodor. The best 'fantasy' series I have read so far...

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Sep 24, 2011 Rachel rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy-sci-fi

Really enjoyed the whole series! One of my favorite things I've read in awhile. This Is perhaps the darkest and most graphic book of the four.

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Mar 18, 2013 Staki Haselberger rated it 4 of 5 stars

I'm in love with these books especially the action and you really root for these characters

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May 21, 2013 rhyder marked it as to-read

May 17, 2013 Gina rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: adult-fantasy

May 17, 2013 Elb4966 rated it 4 of 5 stars

May 16, 2013 Gabriela rated it 4 of 5 stars

May 14, 2013 Jonathon Dyer rated it 4 of 5 stars

May 10, 2013 Carl rated it 4 of 5 stars

May 11, 2013 Beth rated it 5 of 5 stars

May 09, 2013 Carl added it · review of another edition

May 09, 2013 Shauna marked it as to-read

May 07, 2013 Valerie marked it as to-read

May 04, 2013 Shelley added it · review of another edition

May 06, 2013 Reid Palmquist rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: classic-fantasy

May 06, 2013 Zliplus rated it 4 of 5 stars

Apr 29, 2013 Lexie marked it as to-read

May 02, 2013 Tiyrna Nightschild rated it 4 of 5 stars

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About Joel Shepherd

Joel Shepherd is an Australian science fiction author. He moved to Perth, Western Australia with his family when he was seven, where he later studied film and television arts at Curtin University. He now lives in Adelaide.

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Quotes from Petrodor

“You mean one human is good, but a hundred humans is bad?"

"Exactly. One human is just a person. A hundred humans make a society. And societies have kings, and religions and priests, and all these other things serrin completely fail to understand” — 11 people liked it

“human societies always define themselves by their narrowest possible interests.That they are exclusive not inclusive.” — 2 people liked it

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Petrodor (A Trial of Blood and Steel #2)

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