Let the Torrent Dance Thee Down

Sartorias-deles (Timeline Order) #33

by Sherwood Smith

“Written with searing intensity, this story of the redemptive power of love amid the shambles of war and the re-emergence of ancient powers builds to a white-knuckle climax.”

The war is over, all but the cleanup. And the emotional recovery, with its scars both visible and invisible. Liere Fer Eider learns on the run how to become a queen, while Andri adjusts to life this side of the law. Senrid, in devastated Marloven Hess, has to straight-arm a rage-filled populace into peace. While on a faraway mountain Detlev at last oversees the rebuilding of his school for training re-emerging psychic powers after four millennia. .

A few years pass, and everything seems to be settling into the new norm--until Liere wakes from a drugged sleep to an enemy who offers an impossible choice.

This epic fantasy follows on from The Norsunder War

Genres: Fantasy

628 pages, Paperback

Published March 15, 2023

About the author

I am a writer,( Patreon here) but I'm on Goodreads to talk about books, as I've been a passionate reader as long as I've been a writer--since early childhood.

I'm not going to rate books--there are too many variables. I'd rather talk about the reading experience. My 'reviews' of my books are confined to the writing process.

Reviews

[Sherwood Smith]

This book took the longest to write of any of them. Complete drafts over thirty years. It's about postwar recovery, and relationships. It's about mistaking lust for love, and being afraid of love. It's about coming to terms with the fallout of being raised by broken people, and transcending that. It's about redemption, and about obsession, and it's also about dancing and singing and being your very best self. I tried to make it stand alone, but really, it's coming off the Norsunder War series, and those before.

I ran this one chapter by chapter through Patreon, where a small but dedicated group comment on everything, causing me to redraft. A LOT. I'd thought I had plenty of drafts behind me when I put it up, but I hadn't a clue. Some pretty impassioned exchanges happened.

Of course, as always, I'm on the inside looking out, so my opinion is irrelevant--whether it works or not is up to the reader!

[Francesca Forrest]

Let the Torrent Dance Thee Down has two very distinct parts. The first, Bridges, touches base with Sartorias-deles’s far-flung cast of characters after the end of the Norsunder war (See A Chain of Braided Silver) as they deal with repairing society and their lives. Every Sartorias-deles fan has different characters they especially care about—I was particularly interested in seeing what was happening with Jilo (shouldering the task of bringing the poisoned land and cowed populace of Chwahirsland back to health), Marend (whose pride and need to prove herself caused her to walk down a very dark path, but who is now doing better), Imry Llyenthur (one-time Norsunder general and murderer of [spoilers], now dancing toward and away from redemption), Marga (a marvelous character whose sunny humanity and joyful humility are nice foils for her tremendous powers), and also, importantly, Liere, Andri, Senrid, and those around them. As always, the emotional truth of the characters’ interactions is a big draw. Sherwood satisfyingly wraps up some problems while planting the seeds/showing the beginnings of others.

The second part, Torrent, is tightly focused on Liere and her family and friends. A terrible betrayal happens, one that involves murder, threat of violence to a child, and sexual coercion. It’s very, very intense, though Sherwood being Sherwood, there’s nothing prurient about any of it: most of the intensity is emotional/psychological and comes from how Liere navigates the stark choices she’s presented with, and how she feels. When Sherwood was serializing this one on her Patreon, it prompted passionate discussion of the issues Liere’s situation raised. On the one hand, it’s hard to blithely recommend this portion of the book because the topics are so content-warning-y. But there’s power in that, too, and if you’re interested in how someone with Sherwood’s compassion for people and interest in human interaction handles those topics, you might give it a try. Parts of it I remain ambivalent about, but I applaud the instinct toward healing and affirmation of life.

Note: Review is of an advance copy.

[Connie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Let the Torrent Dance Thee Down is an exploration of childhood trauma and sexual assault. Due to the sensitivity of these topics, I will include my entire review under the spoiler tag. I want to be clear that for any other author, I would have put down Let the Torrent Dance Thee Down as I have found discussions and explorations on these subjects to not be victim-centred. Only through faith that rape does not exist in Satorias-deles, as long established in the world building, and through the excellent examination of difficult topics in the previous thirty-one books in this series, did I read this book. None of these topics can ever be explored lightly without considering the real human beings who face these challenges outside of a fantasy world.

Within this spoiler tag, there will also be plot spoilers. To be honest, there are very few people reading this review who aren't completely and wholly immersed in Satorias-deles at this point. This review isn't going to focus on the strengths of Smith's writing (characters I would die for and excellent world building) or comment on the weaknesses (the plots can be a little meandering). This review will be more of an essay on the thorough, thought-provoking, victim-centred discussion Smith has in Let the Torrent Dance Thee Down about childhood abuse and sexual assault.

It's not mentioned on the back cover, but within the first few chapters Liere finds Andri murdered by Trevor (king next door, cousin of sorts) in an excellently planned and executed coup. There is an almost bloodless transition of power, but Trevor needs to legitimize his reign. Trevor has decided that he needs an heir, which Liere will bear him, or he will kill Liere and Andri's son. Liere is confined to the palace for a year to demonstrate a peaceful transition of power and her dilemma is the plot of Let the Torrent Dance Thee Down. Senrid and David's stories both support and interact with Liere's, so their points of view are featured throughout. However, the heart of Let the Torrent Dance Thee Down is Liere's story and Liere's impossible choice.

When I first read what Trevor's terms and conditions were, I wanted to throw up. I purposeful avoid books with sexual assault and I didn't know if I could continue. I had to remember the fundamental component of Satorias-deles' world building - Trevor could not rape Liere. Liere would have to say "yes", even if it wasn't consensual sex due to the power imbalance and threats. I could never have read the version of this in which Liere is a prisoner who is raped at Trevor's whim. I never want an author to publish a story with that plot line because "it's interesting". That's not what Smith does in Let the Torrent Dance Thee Down.

Liere has the option to get Trevor assassinated. She could do it herself. It would also spark a bloody war with no clear heir, completely devastate the economy (and starve her people), and pit neighbours against neighbours for a country that's already been at war for ten years. Trevor is, objectively, a better king than Andri ever will be and the unification is fantastic politically. Although her husband is dead, Liere has to sit there and weigh the choices of her grief and the people's sense of nationalism over the blood that will be spilled, both in fighting and in starving families. I really appreciated Smith's close examination of this dilemma. There are too many situations currently where both sides are fighting for political victory, without considering the cost of human lives. The reader has been following Andri for six books and to have everyone sit down and consider "what is best" vs "what makes me feel the best" was worth every page of Let the Torrent Dance Thee Down.

Smith's discussion of childhood abuse and sexual assault made me pause and examine my own behaviours. Liere and Trevor both had abusive childhoods and have grown up to respond to them very differently (both unhealthily, but manifesting in very different ways). Liere's realization of how much the voice in her head sounded like her father and how much she was still letting that voice control her actions touched a part of my soul that needed to hear that. Liere's realization of Trevor's childhood and how that drove him to commit the coup and think nothing of requiring Liere to bear his child served as a counterpoint to Liere's own realizations. Trevor is never excused for his actions, but there is a thorough examination on how a tyrant is made. More importantly, there is a discussion on how a tyrant could be unmade.

Trevor's demand is never justified in Let the Torrent Dance Thee Down, but I cried with joy when Atan said "there needs to be a cost that the entire diplomatic world talks about, so that no one will be tempted again." Liere's sexual assault does not drive her character development, setting unreal expectations for real survivors. The only "resolution" of Liere's sexual assault comes from allies speaking up and fighting for the next victim. To see the weight of resolution not to rest with the sexual assault victim, and instead to rest with powerful members of society, is incredibly freeing. Sexual assault survivors do not need another burden.

The subject matter in Let the Torrent Dance Thee Down is not light hearted, but I think it will be on my re-read list, simply for the honest examination Smith does at the heart of the story.

[Becca · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book brings the sadness and the pain, but also the catharsis. It's very hard to read in parts, which is exactly as it should be. I bawled through most of this, switching between sadness and joy.

[Tiffany · Rating 5 out of 5]

Contains: some language, sexual coercion to produce an heir (no explicit sex scenes but their coupling is mentioned in vague terms), some violence.

This book takes place directly after the end of the last series (The Norsunder War) and it is understood that the reader has a knowledge of those events/characters when reading this book. The book spans 10 years and is a beautiful work of self-discovery, forgiveness, and seeking to understand others’ motivations. I don’t know if any one could have gone through what Liere did and come out better self-aware and understanding than she. It was so good to see her get out of her own head and recognize her “bitter herb” self. I also loved seeing what happens with Marend, Jilo, Clair, and other book friends whose lives and stories are so interesting to me.

I received an advanced copy of this book.

[Ay · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was an intense read.

It covers the 10 years after the Norsunder war. Again, it follows people all over the planet and the maps are important.