Tia

Tia asked Sherwood Smith:

PS Inda's series has everything I have been looking for in fantasy. I've been feeling let down by the 2D nature of supporting characters, tropes in place of backstory, or "gritty violence" (aka sexism) lately. Do you have any recommendations of other fantasy books for people looking for complex character-driven stories? The only comparable thing I've read lately is Joel Shepherd's A Trial of Blood & Steel. Thank you!!

Sherwood Smith Complex and character driven! So much of our judgment about books is subjective. However, I'll mention some recent reads that have impressed me with their complexity and intensity: Robert Jackson Bennett's three books; anything by Adrian Tchaikovsky; Mark Lawrence's new series; The Goblin Emperor by Katherine Addison; all Kate Elliott's series. There are many others that others have recommended for their complexity but fall into the grimdark category, which doesn't draw me. There's enough "grim" in the daily news.

More Answered Questions

Robin

Robin asked Sherwood Smith:

No question, just a big, big thank you for writing such fabulous books. A friend of mine gave me Crown Duel last month, and it was so wonderful I'm now working my way through all the rest of your books. Currently reading and loving A Stranger to Command. Next up, the Wren books. Thank you for the great storytelling! Goodreads just flagged this for not having a question mark. So here you go?

Teagan Marks

Teagan Marks asked Sherwood Smith:

I absolutely LOVE The Spy Princess! It's my all-time favorite stand alone book, and probably always will be. And, I was wondering, what gave you the inspiration to write it?

Pixie

Pixie asked Sherwood Smith:

Have you read George RR Martin's Song of Ice and Fire series? I plan on tackling them this summer. (I've already watched the HBO TV series. Shame on me for watching before reading the books! ^_^) If you have, I'm very curious as to your impressions of them.

All answers from Sherwood Smith…

37,545 followers

To ask Sherwood Smith a question, please sign up.

About Goodreads Q&A

Ask and answer questions about books!

You can pose questions to the Goodreads community with Reader Q&A, or ask your favorite author a question with Ask the Author.

See Featured Authors Answering Questions