5 posts tagged “sherwood smith”
so i finally took the chance to finish this book, which i was about four chapters away from finishing this summer, because i caught the flu and was limited to staying in bed last weekend. i can't say as to what took me so long to finish; part of it, i can admit, is because of the sheer length of the book. anyone who's seen or picked up the book will know what a behemoth it is, though nothing special in comparison to some of the more hardcore fantasy novels. so that's no excuse. the other part i'm going to have to admit is simply because i grew too attached to some characters, and i knew they were gonna go. i accidentally flipped ahead, and also accidentally visited the wiki devoted to this series, and so i knew ahead of time who was going to die and partially how things would play out.
so then there are the personal reasons, like having no time to finish it, because a) the book was overdue from the library, b) the semester had just started, and c) i was still constantly doing photo shoots. all this adds up to a huge case of why i just recently managed to finish a book i started roughly 2-3 months ago. with all that aside, i can now move on to how the book actually was.
i had attempted to read this maybe about a year ago? i remember having checked it out from the library once before, and not having gone anywhere with it. i am personally a big fan of sherwood smith from having read some of her other books (which cater mainly to the YA crowd). it starts off slow, so i just kept putting it down, and eventually lost interest altogether. when i finally found my way back to inda though, i was determined to bull through that opening. i'll say for the opening that while it isn't dull per say.. it is somewhat hard to get through. we get introduced to at least a dozen different names/terms, there are the names of lands/countries to be learned, different titles to be learned, different class systems. it feels entirely like learning an alien culture, which is legitimate as that is the way a well-built world should be, but it would be easy enough to drown in information overload in this beginning.
once it gets going, however, it really draws you in. there is a huge amount of political intrigue that keeps the suspense going about how things will eventually play out; we know the factions involved, and we know what they want, but we gradually learn about why their motivations are what they are. and more and more these characters become multi-faceted as the plot thickens, and eventually, while you're not sympathizing with the villains, you do have to give some credit to the author for creating such unconventional villains. they become more real for their trials too, so you really do get a sense of everyone in the story getting fully fleshed out.
there are some things i thought were unnecessary: the ending is ripe with character deaths that were not foreshadowed or required by any means. the ending ends with the feel of, say, the unresolved conflict of the first episode of a tv series, but you know the second episode is coming soon, maybe in another week. this is a book. if i had read it when the sequels weren't already out, i might have lost interest by the time they did come out. while i said beforehand that a lot of the characters are fleshed out, at the same time i had kind of hoped that tdor, inda's betrothed, would have a bigger part in events, because otherwise i'm not sure i care either way about her. why is this important? because inda hits puberty at the end of this book, and he thinks about sex, and he thinks about tdor and how much he misses her, and i honestly couldn't feel where this was coming from. if i thought about the facts i could recognize that yes, tdor is his betrothed; but at the same time, i couldn't feel this connection in the writing. it could just be because of my long disconnection from the book, but i kind of doubt it, since i was only about four chapters from the end when i put it down. anyway.
i am definitely looking forward to reading the next book, despite being a bit intimidated by the size of that one too. i would get started on it right away if it wasn't for more pressing matters, like my waiting 20 page paper. so i'll say that i'm glad that sherwood smith has finally proven herself as a capable fiction author beyond writing for YA, but her scope may have been overextended. i'm sincerely hoping that isn't the case, since that would make for some amazing reading. at the moment, it looks like it doesn't matter anyway--i'll know when i read the subsequent volumes. the reviews on amazon look to be favorable so far though, so that is something to look forward to.
i think i have a strange tendency to read a lot of YA fiction, if only because they afford a lighter read without me having to wade through pretentious writing. at times. sherwood smith has been a very interesting find for that kind of book, and maybe through typing this entry i can figure out why.
'the trouble with kings' starts off in the middle of things, as our character has already gone through amnesia and some. i could never be sure who the 'hero' was going to be, since no one in particular seemed promising. several parts made me giggle, but her description of court intrigue seemed the most confusing that i've read of her work to date. some of the humor, if that's what it's called, like that instance with jewel and the cow? i don't get it. what? how is that remotely funny? many other instances like that were found, especially when they were in court and whatnot. i simply couldn't understand what they were talking about, or what some of the supposed hidden messages were.
another is that it seemed to me there was barely any build-up to the romance. i was mostly confused at where the turning point was, because her character (male) seemed so cold that i never saw the affection at all; in this case she succeeded very well in making him the passionless man he seemed. too bad i don't think i ever saw underneath it to make that romance convincing to me. i could only understand the final result, with her ending up with him, and not the reasoning. or even the process. things don't seem as.. i don't know.. satisfying as in her other books? there was never really conflict, making for not much of good chemistry between the two characters. and i got exceedingly tired of her going "i don't trust words" as a response to EVERYTHING that was thrown at her. why her interest in music? i don't trust words. why not respond to that bitch insulting her? i don't trust words. it was like she hid behind that excuse every other corner, and when even other characters starting going, oh, is it because you don't trust words?--i just got annoyed. maybe it wasn't justified that i complain so much about such a little thing, but i felt these characters were just a tad bit lacking in personality.
jewel, on the other hand, i found quite delightful, with exception to her tendency to whine about everything. and her somewhat spoiled character. i also found myself liking garian, for whatever reason--he was cruel, but he seemed more interesting as a character. maybe sherwood smith was so good at convincing me that our heroine was uninteresting that i believed it with unfailing conviction, but either way it's a score against her (the character, whatever her name was). that said.. not all of it was complaint. i just really minded that there was nothing exceptional in this book, especially when i've had her other works to compare this with.
good things.. hmm. maxl was interesting. i wanted a more explosive conclusion with gilian's family, since we kept hearing about it. i understand her need to define what the motives behind her family was, but what was the point if they never resolve it to the reader's perspective? the marriage could be the resolution, BUT we never get to see it resolved, with our own eyes. it seemed awfully anticlimactic. actually. i can't think of anything that stood out to me as a good thing--unfortunately. i'm sure there was something though, i just.. grr.
okay, forget it. i liked it okay. but it was nothing special, and the ending quite anticlimactic, and a bit of a letdown, since all the action ended quite a ways back. it just felt like a drag, so that's about the most i can say for it. geez.
EDIT: oh god, her name was flian. that was how boring her character was to me. *rolls eyes*
noo idea how i managed to read another one when i'm this tired, but that's what happens on a time limit, i guess. i am, of course, talking about the countdown to the start of classes again. yeesh. don't wanna face that prospect on top of work. yet.
but onto the book. the title initially gave me pause--but come on, i like sherwood smith. and it is YA fiction, so i have to go under the assumption that titles and covers and such things really are just a part of the marketing direction they decide to take or whatever. it was initially hard getting into it, especially right after howl's moving castle; the protagonist starts off immature here, whereas that of howl's moving castle was pretty mature throughout most of what happens. but hey, ya fiction is about growth. so i'm totally for it, after having settled into the character.
i did keep trying to spot out who was to be the romantic interest during their first function all sitting together though, and it doesn't take more than the second encounter to realize who it is. i give props to the author to keep being able to create such endearing male protagonists. there is also a certain kind of magic to the way she writes encounters between those interactions between the sexes, and it doesn't go unappreciated by me. she understands that the tension between characters is captured mostly in the hints and stares, and not really at the blatant crap usually in romance novels. and while understanding is one matter altogether, her execution is pretty flawless too. double props, because i know i'll never be able to write like that.
strangely, i feel that rhis's hasty words in anger to lios were justified. she ends up feeling guilty later, i know, and apologizes for it, but i see that even if it's just her perspective that made her think of him that way, she wasn't wrong about what she said. shrug. my personal thing about honesty, anyway.
oh, and the ending. a bit strange. feels really rushed, somehow, and not enough closure? it was one of those well there you go, you have your happy ending types, but somehow i wanted to see MORE glitter. MORE.. i dunno. bugged me somehow. can't say what. i guess i will come back later if i can figure it out, but otherwise, i'm out of things to say for now. off to get some well-needed sleep then.
i don't think i have any such rule, but maybe it's because i don't that i should probably establish that now. i find i like plots, any plots, that involve court intrigue, and i guess when applying that rule to my opinion in general, it wouldn't be surprising that i found myself liking this better than i liked the first. but then of course, in the first she still had a lot of maturing left to do, and in the second she is the better of a character for the events that came to pass in the first. this is all speaking in the sense that this was originally published as two books, of course, because again, i restate that the edition i read was the omnibus.
i also feel, however, that i knew who her "courtship" was with from the outset. it was apparent it couldn't have been anyone but shevra-something. i also found myself drawn to the blonde guy (dammit i can't remember any of their names! there, i just looked it up, blondie was flauvic merindar, and main male interest was vidanric shevraeth. geez.) anyway. court intrigue is much more interesting to read about than a pointless rebellion which really didn't seem like it was leading anywhere. but the beauty of the two parts is that it's written with charm, and although the humor was a bit off the mark in the first book at times, i found myself giggling in the second, because she has a more refined sense of wit rather than clumsiness in general. despite all her misgivings, i end up turning out to like her.
i found i especially liked reading their letters. i wonder if sherwood smith's other stories might also have been based in this world? it's a nice one that i don't want to let go of for now. and cameo appearances in her other works would be nice. regardless, i'm going to die in class today, if i decide to go, because i haven't slept at all thanks to finishing this. i'm sure there was more i wanted to put down before i went to sleep, but if there was then it slips my mind at the moment, and i will return to make an edit on this entry later if i remember anything of particular value to me.
EDIT: okay this is like two secs later, but i just remembered something. author's note at the end says something about how her name was changed when this was first published--her editors or maybe publisher thought wren would be a more appealing name than meliara. the hell? and in any case, if this is more true to her original, maybe i should buy this version too, just for the sake of having it to look back on and reference from time to time. most definitely reread.
i've had this a couple of months on loan from the library, and actually managed to get to it so late only because of the really terrible cover. it seemed more likely judging from the cover that this would be a children's book instead, and the amazon description did include something about ages 7-10, which is most certainly not the age range this book was intended for. i've also had my hands on a copy of the hardcover version from pbs for a while now, but hadn't had a chance to crack it open either. the edition i read was actually the two-in-one omnibus edition, but i figure if i split it up it might be easier to remember which was which.
first of all, i would have to mention something about the main character. it wasn't even that she was really lacking in the brains department, but that there were so many things that prejudice blinded her to--if she'd seen things clearer instead of through her haze of rage she would've realized who to trust and who not to from the beginning, and saved all the heroes a shitload of grief. that's one of the main things i hold against her. another is that she hangs so steadfastly onto that bull-headed rage that she completely refuses to see logic when it's presented to her in a one two three process. even when her argument is lost she refuses to budge. not only does that bode for a serious character flaw, but one that makes her almost unworthy of being the heroine of the book, and at times completely losing my sympathy.
now, although the only reason i saw things through the opposite end might be that i'd known ahead of time that what's-his-name was her romantic interest, but regardless i felt that she really deserved a hardy slap in the face many times throughout the course of the plot. as for the plot itself, there was another thing that annoyed me entirely--how the hell does she manage to spend most of it either wandering from place to place without reasonable aim, falling asleep, or fainting completely? she spends a lot of her time in captivity pondering escape, but she never really attempts it at all, which leaves me wondering not only her integrity, but whether she really has any of that grit that's supposedly there. she's quick to anger and quick to snap off a lot, but a lot of her just seem like talk. of course, she was willing to take action once, but it wasn't a noble one when she couldn't even figure out who the enemy was--it was like watching a dog chase its own tail. it drove me crazy.
there was a lot of maturity that i'd really hoped to see in her as the story progressed--the way these usually go, she would start off a spoiled brat and gradually change into someone stronger and the better for all she's suffered. instead, not much really changes at the end, besides her realizing she wasn't right (well duh.) after the way she treated the dude whose name i already forgot, you'd think she would be game enough to at least give him a verbal apology instead of running off? it just goes to show that she hasn't made much progress at all, and i really must wonder why he puts up with her. her "heroine" of the country status was earned mainly by luck, either way, or through others' help. it didn't seem like she deserved much. but she's endured pain, i guess i'd give her that.
overall. good, but the reviews on amazon really prepped me for something amazing. that, and that it was recommended after i marked dawn cook's princess series as my favorites, really raised my stakes on this one. but who knows. maybe the second part will serve me better, and i'll be crossing my fingers on that. or maybe not, since that'll likely mean raised expectations again and most likely followed by disappointment. better keep myself in check.
last thought: nice detail on the black eye. before i'd even started reading this, i'd asked mike, "who the hell draws the main character with a black eye?" now i know.
