Treason's Shore

Customer Reviews

• Hooray for Inda!  Aug 9, 2009 (6 of 7 found this helpful)

  I picked up the first volume, Inda, at a MythCon a couple of years ago, was immediately hooked, and rushed out to find the second book, The Fox, and then had to wait for the third book, King's Shield. When I finished rereading them all earlier this summer I had a feeling it might be time for the fourth, and was delighted to find it available for pre-order on Amazon.
  
  The Inda books are everything you want from a fantasy series--an interesting, fully-developed world with several languages, environments, and cultures that are evocatively described, a complex but not confusing plotline with a number of unexpected twists, really well-written action scenes, and above all characters whose lives you follow and whose fates you care about. She includes all the elements needed for a good solid fantasy, and deals with all of them in original ways.
  
  In Treason's Shore, all the favorite elements from the earlier books come into play. There are scenes at the training academy and a long sequence with the (ex)-pirates. Sherwood does great sea-battles, something you don't often see in contemporary fantasy. There are no cop outs and no easy answers, but the ending satisfies. What makes this book a worthy conclusion to the series is its focus on character. "Character-driven" too often means a preoccupation with the internal drama of people who weren't that interesting in the first place. In Treason's Shore, the developing conflict between Inda and Evred, two characters whom we have come to care for, transcends the physical conflict with the enemy, and we realize that even more important than winning the war is winning the peace. In the end, the real victories come not through physical strength but through communication and love.
  

• Mainly dialogue and diplomacy ~  Oct 27, 2009 (2 of 2 found this helpful)

  I've read Inda twice and the Fox three times but book 3 I only wanted to read once.. When Treason's Shore came out I was hoping it would possibly shift back to something along the lines of the Fox but more or less all the excitement falls by the wayside here as if one of the Venn warriors was discarding all his armor piece by piece while a narrator described the removal of each item. The series finale enters the drama & love genre with an anti-climatic ending that veers sharply away from the sights and sounds of the first two novels. Read it to finish the series but don't expect this to be a page turner.
  
  I know I'll read Inda & the Fox again!

• fantastic fantasy  Sep 18, 2009 (3 of 5 found this helpful)

  Prince Indevan-Dal has regained his honor having warned his country of the Venn invasion and led the defeat of the enemy. He remains in the capital after years of exile and does his duty by pledging his allegiance to the ruler Evred and marrying Tdor although his lover when he lived at sea, the sorceress Dag Signi is unhappy with her relegated status.
  
  Meanwhile the Venn war fleet returns home to recuperate. Commander Durasnir and his wife Brun hope the foolish youthful monarch Rajnir gives them and their sailors a respite; but fear the real ruler behind the throne Dag Erkric will not allow such. Their trepidation proves correct when Erkric abducts his ten year old son to use as a hostage. There is also a Blood Hunt directed at Signi, who is captured. The Venn are preparing for a second invasion but who shall lead the opposition Inda or Elgar the Fox becomes a controversial distraction.
  
  The fantastic fourth and final Inda fantasy (see INDA, THE FOX and KING'S SHIELD) is a super ending to an excellent saga as the prime characters constantly must choose between personal desires and kingdom needs. The choices are not easy as loyalty to a king may prove treasonous to a kingdom. Complex with thriving cultures on land and at sea, TREASON'S SHORE completes one of the best fantasy chronicles in years as fans will want to visit the realm of stupendous Sherwood Smith; recommend starting at the beginning to better understand the motives of the prime time players.
  
  Harriet Klausner
  

• Good ending to the INDA series (or will there be more?)  Aug 24, 2009 (2 of 4 found this helpful)

  This book should not be read as a standalone adventure, but as the final volume in a solid and novel fantasy series it does well. If you have not read the earlier volumes recently, you may want to refresh your list of characters and the general timeline of preceding events, since most are referenced and many wrapped up. There is of course room for more adventures by the same characters or their relatives in this world Sherwood Smith has invented, as evidenced by her other books set in the same reality. I bought this one the day it came out and have enjoyed it very much. There are no real surprises, just the satisfaction of seeing how various conflicts and challenges are resolved and spending time with characters I like. If you liked the Swallows and Amazon books or any alternate world series with castles, cavalry and pirates, try this series, which takes its characters step by step from childhood to command, governing and parenthood.

• Not a page turner...  Aug 15, 2009 (2 of 4 found this helpful)

  I am a fan of the Inda series, especially the earlier book where Inda is growing up but this book was rather disappointing. The story was good but what disappointed was the choice of writing style, which is omniscient third person. A section starts off as one character but another character's thoughts are also told in that same section before switching to another party in the conversation, still in that same section. Eventually there is a section or chapter break but it all feels rather disjointed. Another major, major problem for me was the short duration of a chapter. Once the chapter ends the next chapter might be 3 or 6 months later, part 1 of the book spans about 5 years and is told through approximately 15 character's perspectives. There wasn't enough content for me to appreciate the character's reactions to the situation before we fast forwarded in time. But, once you get past/used to the writing style the overall story/plot is enjoyable.