Inda Reviews

• Ms. Smith Does Know This World Too Well

  
  By A3CYX21N5FX4YO on 2006-09-24
  leaving the rest of us to play catch-up at times, but in a world imagined this intensely, there's always going to be more detail than can ever be brought into any one storyline.
  
  That's the case here--the reader is left entirely convinced that, around any corner, in any cupboard, whether we find ourselves in a hovel, castle, mansion, or country, aboard a ship or aboard a stallion, still more consistent but surprising detail lurks, waiting to be found.
  
  While I understand the annoyance of the reviewer below--a stutterer herself, who finds the character of the "evil," stuttering heir-to-the-throne too one-dimensional--the stuttering is NOT actually portrayed as the root of the prince's evil. In fact, this prince is presented sympathetically in several respects: at several different points, he attempts to resist his "weaknesses," the less-than-noble character traits we all have. But his "evil" uncle consistently undercuts the prince's efforts. And even the uncle is not presented as inherently evil, but as rather-complexly conflicted--so driven by his own need to demonstrate his loyalty that he's ultimately led into disloyally. The uncle's motivating passions and jealousies are themselves traced back to an earlier generation's envies and enmities.
  
  Ultimately, the elite, governing strata of Inda's society is shown to contain its own vein of weakness: an "Achilles' heel" of abusive behavior, in which brothers are pitted against one another, supposedly to develop their strength. As with the British "public" school system, sometimes strength and bonding emerge from this corrupt cauldron; sometimes cruelty and competitiveness are fostered instead.
  
  And this unhealthy system itself is shown to have understandable antecedents in the history of the culture--horse-borne conquerors trying to adapt to the settled ways of the more-sophisticated and civilized agrarian culture is has managed to overcome militarily.
  
  The "conquered" culture itself is fighting back in various covert ways to absorb the conquerors and make them over, even as--within the culture of the overlords--the genders find themselves covertly working at cross purposes, even developing contrasting systems of personal combat.
  
  Which leads us to the issue of Inda's "heroic" perfection: superb strategist, fighter, leader... Again, however, we are shown--to a certain extent, since Inda does seem to have an inborn talent for integrating data under pressure--how Inda comes by the skills he has. as much through loss and misery as through glory and gain. For he too is shown both as the intended highest product of a "war-gaming" culture and as that culture's victim (and, perhaps, its ultimate nemesis): Inda-the-child is shown receiving the benefit of the "female" as well as the male sides of the culture (via his mother, his sister, and his bride-to-be). Somebody in a given culture is bound to embody--or surpass--the traits the culture deems most desirable. Interestingly, of course, when those in power begin to perceive the heroic coming-together of too many "desirable" traits in a single individual, efforts are made to suppress and sideline the hero before he can fully emerge from his chrysalis.
  
  Sherwood deftly rings changes on the boot-camp, ranger-training, elite boy's-school theme--so familiar from hundreds of fictional outings, from nearly any recent "military" sci-fi novel, going back through Honor Harrington and "Ender" to prototypes in the British fiction of the 18th and 19th Centuries--and then has her chosen hero EJECTED from the midst of the "band of brothers" he has forged into yet another familiar variant of the matured-in-hardship genre, the shipboard coming-of-age story--which we can again trace back through Harrington and her proteges through the Aubrey-Maturin novels of Patrick O'Brian to the Horatio Hornblower tales to Kipling's "Captains Courageous" and on...
  
  There aren't any new plot devices, folks, just interesting new ways to combine all the good old archetypes with fresh, fully-realized settings and scads of engrossing characters! Heck, we've even got a version of David and Bathsheba here (which makes perfect sense in this "band of brothers" culture). Oh, and did I mention THE PIRATES!
  
  Despite the seeming familiarity of some of these tropes, Sherwood does interesting new things with all her material. In large part, this is because Sherwood doesn't just receive and regurgitate all that's tried and true in tales of this kind, she subjects the underlying premises to intense scrutiny and devises diabolical ways to subject those underlying premises to strain--thus revealing their inevitable faults, joints, and failure points.
  
  For those of you who mourn favorite fallen characters--don't be too sure they are all gone for good! While gritty fictional realism requires some of the characters with whom we identify to fail or fall, suffer and be betrayed, some of those we thought dead and gone from earlier pages reappear in the last few. Others we now think lost may yet return--or not!
  
  Yet despite all the political chicanery and the welter of shifting alliances and betrayals, Sherwood never slips into the grim mood that infects some of our best-written recent fantasy fiction--of utter nihilism, senseless sadism, and ultimate futility. There are still characters aplenty here who transcend their limits, live and die for admirable principles--heroes for whom to cheer, even as dynasties rise and fall around them.
  
  I, for one, was thrilled to read that "Inda II" is off to the publisher! Now please excuse me while I wipe the drool off my keyboard...
  
  

• this was the pared-down version?

  
  By A2JCR2SX5TYYL6 on 2006-08-09
  I waited for this book a long time - had it pre-ordered when it was first scheduled for release, and then the release was delayed for additinal revisions. I have much enjoyed Sherwood Smith's books and short stories set in this world. And I enjoyed Inda, a lot. The world she built is complex and sophisticated (although strangely lacking even mention of religious structure - no matter your personal beliefs, all cultures tend to have a faith system to explain and express spirituality...and it usually becomes entwined in some fashion with governing bodies, for good or evil.) Her chararcters have depth, and are interesting to follow. Inda, the main character, is a joy, and I like Smith's trick of showing how Inda is seen through the eyes of other characters - different perspectives add richness to the reader's understanding of Inda.
  
  The book is basically divided into two periods - Inda at school and Inda banished to the sea. Throughout the book, I found myself continually surprised to be reminded how young Inda is. The book reads like an adult book, but the plot in many ways echoes the common theme of a young adolescent away at school learning to deal with others of his age, or older, without the protection or structure of family. Learning skills, winning allies, making friends and enemies. Smith moves the story to a more adult level by reflecting the perspectives of both adults and other adolescents throughout the kingdom she has created, and allowing this to be the story of more than Inda. The political maneuvering and agendas reminded me more of George Martin. Personally, I find multiple points of view can be distracting and irritating, especially when told from the view of "the bad guy", or unsympathetic characters. But Smith's writing usually compensates, and she uses the multiple viewpoints to general good effect. Inda at sea is gripping and fun, but here is where I especially had a hard time remembering that he was only supposed to be 12, or 14 (or whatever his age was at the particualr spot I was reading.) He comes across as much older, and the other characters respond to him as an older person.
  
  Overall, an excellent read. The only other issue I had was the names - very hard to remember the various proper names, nicknames, surnames, titles, who was who by which name or title and how they all related. Kind of felt like reading one of the old Russian classics. Needed an index in the front or back, so you could cross reference.
  
  

• Slightly enjoyable, but mainly slow and overwritten

  
  By A1EYTSQMNRSW6T on 2006-08-31
  [This is written by the daughter of the above member. I apparently can't review on my account because I haven't bought anything. Ha.]
  
  I'd like to start this review by saying that I am an avid Sherwood Smith fan. I fell in love with Wren's War when I was scarcely ten, and at the ripe old age of seventeen I find myself reading and rereading Crown Duel because I could probably not live without it. (Sometimes I have dreams in which I am Meliara.) Understandably, I was extremely excited to receive my copy of Inda. It's a pretty hefty size, which is not detrimental in the least - the reader is given ample time to fall into Inda's world and live with the characters. However, Sherwood Smith's world is so painstakingly designed that the length of the book is absolutely necessary.
  
  I spent at least the first half of the book engaging in some rapid-fire catchup. Just the first chapter introduces such a myriad of new terms, rankings, customs, traditions, and politics that it is difficult to absorb on the first reading. Although part of the credibly of the world rests in the sophisticated way it is presented, even by the end of the book I found myself slightly confused. The maps in the front of the book aren't even that helpful - by the time you understand who comes from where, what the different rankings are, and the fact that two different nations are shown on the inset instead of just the primary country, the main action of the book has moved to the high seas.
  
  The main plot of the book, even, is difficult to pick out. At first, it seems to be a coming-of-age novel for Inda, the primary character. Inda's family, the Algara-Vayir line, is politically entangled for reasons never fully explained. Inda is the second son, and is expected to remain at home under the tutelage of his older brother, which involves a lot of abuse, in order to someday become the chief defense commander for his home lands. However, his country is about to go to war, so Inda is taken to the capital with several other second sons to be trained at the war academy.
  
  Of course, Inda doesn't go straight to the academy - Smith throws in a lot of confusing past history, trying to explain the way the kingdom is run, about the last three thousand years of its history, and a couple of mysterious characters who will later become revolutionary figures. I am ashamed to admit that most of this flew right over my head. The first five chapters contain so much information and are so riddled with different versions of the same titles for different people that it is almost easier to not boggle your brain with extraneous information and to just take the story as it goes. Of course, this makes it more difficult to understand the various political clashes that are never fully explained or, to be frank, ever very interesting. There is always "danger" lurking for the children caught up in the political machinations of the castle, but nothing definite ever happens.
  
  Inda's run at the academy is perhaps one of the more enjoyable points of the book. The rivalries and conflicts between older sons and younger sons are fun to read. The system that Smith has set up is completely original and innovative - the older sons previously trained the younger, and their supremacy over their brothers went unquestioned until the younger sons started at the academy. The presence of their brothers raises tension and creates new conflicts. The war games, drills, and academy life are all enjoyable to read about. Inda, of course, is a leader among his peers, but this is done in a subtle way and turns out to be acceptable.
  
  Unfortunately, Inda is then set off from the academy in a very odd way - the king's brother begins to dislike him, so he sets up a situation in which Inda gets burned. Smith turns a seemingly small (yes, heartbreaking, but small in the scope of the novel) incident into a huge problem. Inda cannot remain at home, because of pride he has not hitherto exhibited. Instead of submitting to his ranking superiors, he chooses in this specific instance to be contrary. The king and his advisors (???) conspire to send Inda onto a merchant vessel (????) for his safety (????), neglecting to actually tell the Algara-Vayirs what they are doing so that Inda will remain safe (????). Everyone apparently accepts his disappearance, and Inda goes on with life.
  
  Clearly Inda is a tortured soul now, and he throws himself into merchant life. The first two years of his shipboard life are unfortunately not written - his exploits are thrown off in passing. (This was one of the parts of the book where I actually became excited to see what was going to happen next. Unfortunately, Smith sets up a great situation - Inda the downtrodden, sorrowful, and different does not fit in with his crewmates. Small problems ensue. SURPRISE! Flash forward to two years later, where Inda fits in/gets along/is respected just fine. A bit odd and disappointing.)
  
  This is basically one of the intrinsic problems of the novel. You never really get to know Inda. Inda is always far-off and inscrutable. Half the time I kept forgetting what age he was, and then realizing he was several years younger/older than I thought. The passage of time isn't clearly declaimed. And then Inda is the perfect character. He's great with weaponry, loyal to his friends and family, proud (but not so proud that it gets annoying, as a real character's pride might), hard-working, and mysterious. To his ship friends, he's mainly mysterious, and that is Inda thoroughout the entire book. I could never get inside his head. You never learn much about him. Inda is just ... perfect. Emo, yet perfect. Even at nine, he has the "flair of command." He's a natural leader. The boys respect him. Inda is just very predictable and ... boring. (By the way, Inda is all of sixteen at the end of the novel. As a teen and a teen reader, I respect that, but the pacing is such that it seems he is much, much older at times.)
  
  So are his friends. Although they are set up to be more interesting, their plot lines peter out and vanish. For example, what's up with Jeje's doomed love for Tau, which I actually found intriguing? It vanishes in the sex of a brothel and isn't mentioned again.
  
  Once Inda and his crewmates lose their ship due to a failed mutiny and other circumstances, they take up a trade as professional fighters. Inda trains a slew of characters, many whom are introduced in a series of confusing introductions and then never brought up again. They work together as a seamless team, predictably, and Inda earns even more respect and prestige. Surprise. Fun. Believable. Not. It almost makes you want to go back to the other plot of what's happening in Inda's homeland.
  
  Back home, Inda's friend the princeling (originally the worst in weapons training and disrespected by the entire group for his lack of profiency) has become a Natural Commander, who Commands Respect. There are also some interesting scenes in which Smith explores the princeling's sexuality; this is one of the better parts of the novel, though I did hope that the camaraderie between his older brother's betrothed and the princeling would blossom into something more, furthering the plot in that direction. Anyway, the country has plunged into war. The heir-apparent (the Sierlaef) narrowly averts a trap and furthers his own ends neatly. La di da. Which is hard to believe, because ...
  
  The Sierlaef is one of the narrowest and most annoying characters in the entire novel. The Sierlaef's entire being is based around his stutter, which is so bad that he doesn't communicate with anyone at all and can therefore not earn their trust or love like his brother does, etc, etc. He doesn't need to communicate as long as he can be mighty in war. Anyway, he's completely one dimensional. (That's right, he's a line, not even a flat shape.) He never speaks and his thoughts are neanderthal. His one expressed desire, and apparent entire motivation in life, is a beautiful and unattainable girl. As someone who has stuttered badly since elementary school (and done just fine, thanks), I found his character extremely annoying. I am sure that Smith did not intend to offend. However, I found the character completely unbelievable. The stuttering is the point of the character, to show ineffectiveness, stupidity, and inability. There is nothing else. As the older son to inherit the kingdom, the Sierlaef could have been an influential, important character. (Then again, there are SO MANY important, influential characters doing dangerous, subtle, political things that never come up again that he would be lost in the shuffle. So never mind. It is better to have him strutting about accomplishing nothing.)
  
  The ending of the book of course ends with Inda. There is a surprise, a character reappears, and the book ends abruptly. The end. I think my thoughts were upon ending, "Oh, really? That's interesting," and then I put down the book and wandered off. I wasn't grabbed for the next installment, which is odd because that's what the entire end of the book was. I don't know about you as a reader, but I prefer books with endings - books that aren't simply installments in a series and continue the action seamlessly from one book to the next. I enjoy books that have nice, well-written endings but still have me hungering for the sequel. This did not happen. The action and plot are abruptly broken off. There is no true ending, no true climax or resolution to the book. I am left with nothing but a vague curiosity to see what happens in the next book. I probably won't buy in hardback.
  
  Then again, I will read the next book, and the next, if only to see if they get better. I did enjoy reading this novel, but it was too shaky for my enjoyment. I can only hope that on second and third rereadings it gets better, but for now I have no desire to repeat the experience.
  
  

• A complex, absorbing, entertaining fantasy

  
  By A3B8NT9SENY674 on 2006-09-19
  Inda is quite a bit different from what I expected--it is not the "comfort reading" that Crown Duel is for me. This is a much more complicated (and more adult) story, told in omniscient POV and spanning many years, and set in a harsh society where physical abuse of younger brothers by elder brothers is a thoroughly accepted component of education and training for adult responsibilities. Smith's worldbuilding, however, is so complete that although my sheltered sensibilities would normally recoil from this kind of endemic violence, it is understandable within the context of the story, and we readers are able to empathize with the characters' attitudes toward this and other aspects of their world. And the characters are wonderful: Inda, with his kindheartedness and inborn genius for military strategy; Sponge, the scholarly young prince of whom no one expects much; Hadand, the future wife of the crown prince, pursuing secret studies in magic; Tau, the beautiful pleasure-house boy who becomes a mercenary sailor; Tanrid, Inda's honorable, conscientious, tough-minded brother.... There are villains here, too, driven by lust or greed or jealousy, or simply by their own ideas of what is good for the kingdom; there are no hard and fast moral lines, and sympathetic characters are sometimes misguided, sometimes make tragic mistakes.
  
  There are many intriguing aspects to Inda's militaristic society; I am particularly fascinated by the gender roles. Noble boys and girls both receive military training, but the girls' is focused on castle defense, while the boys' emphasizes offensive tactics, equestrian skills, and the like, for they will be the ones to ride out to war. Boys and girls, men and women mix very freely in this society (ships are crewed by both genders, for example), but there is still an invisible wall separating them and, at least among the nobles, there seems to be a perception that women and men inhabit rather different worlds. And as some of the men are beginning to realize, the women have many secrets.
  
  Readers who have difficulty with a lot of made-up words and names are likely to find Inda slow going at first (there is a glossary at the back of the book, though), and the complexities of the plot require some attentive reading, but the effort is well worth it. This world is fascinating, and the characters so thoroughly engaging that I find myself wondering about them throughout the day. I've stayed up way too late a few nights because I couldn't bear not to find out what happened next to Inda and the rest! Even so, I'm a slow reader, so I haven't quite finished Inda yet, but I expect to tonight. I know I'm going to be left with that peculiar feeling of loss one gets after finishing a book that has completely involved one in its imaginative world.
  
  

• an excellent fantasy novel set in a rich, complex world

  
  By A29U8KH59RDVBL on 2006-08-10
  Indevan-Dal Algara-Vayir is the second son of the Prince and Princess of Choraed Elgaer, destined to become Shield Arm (military leader) for his older brother Tanric. His future seems all laid out for him, down to the girl he'll marry -- until one day when a messenger arrives from the King, summoning Inda to the King's Military Academy. Inda thinks he's prepared for the harsh life at the Academy, as Tanric has always followed the tradition of thrashing his younger brother into obedience, but when he gets there, he finds himself caught up in a confusing tangle of loyalty and treachery.
  
  What I was most impressed with in _Inda_ is the worldbuilding. According to the jacket copy, Smith has been writing stories in this world since she was eight, and consequently, it's fantastically deep and rich. Particularly interesting to me was the relationship between men and women. Inda's society is war-oriented, constantly on guard, skirmishing, and occasionally conquering. Though the men are in charge of war and offense, that does not exclude the women, who receive their own kind of training, oriented toward defense rather than offense.
  
  Along with the worldbuilding, the characterization is also excellent. Inda himself is the character we spend the most time with and get to know the best, but there are a variety of other viewpoints which enrich our understanding of him and of his friends, family, and enemies. Sometimes I find multiple viewpoints offputting, but here I felt that they really contributed to the depth of the characters.
  
  _Inda_ is the first in a trilogy, and I'm already eager for the next books.
  
  
• no magical formula here
  By AIRCOHU2NULXV on 2007-03-26
  The following is more of a commentary than a review. Probably lots of spoilers down there.
  
  This book is for lovers of history, psychology, sociology and government -- not just fantasy. Often, fantasy writers have borrowed plot devices, character prototypes, name derivations and relationship-formulae of long and established fantasy works. Superficially, Inda is quite straightforward: Indevan-Dal Algara-Vayir goes to the royal academy for military training, etc. and subsequent adventures with pirates. If you're put off by long, laborious reading, it's probably not for you. And yes, it's part one of a trilogy, so I'm itching just as much for the next two as everyone else here.
  
  Any revulsions this book might cause merely display lack of understanding. Put off by Tanrid's thrashing of Inda before he's even 10? Maybe you didn't fully comprehend Marloven war culture and the pirate attack on Choraed Elgaer 25 years ago that violently killed the Prince's first family, and the Prince's warning to his eldest son that it was because he wasn't hard enough on his own younger brother (called a Randael, a Shield Arm). Head swimming from all the titles, endings, or distinction between languages? Hey, me too, but in a world so richly developed as Sartorias-deles, they had their own language, too -- Tolkien did just that, and Sherwood's terms follow a logical linguistic pattern. Disgusted at the idea of people so young having sexual relations? There is no virtue in chastity in this world, which has its own beginning and its own influences. Truly appreciating Inda means educating yourself in Sherwood's world, Marloven history and culture. It's a pretty big feat, but most of the information is on her website. Read the general concept, read the glossary, get informed on all the names of the Marlovan families and the characters relations to one another, and scrutinize the maps (!). It's worth it.
  
  I read some of the naysayers on Amazon before reading the book, and when I found the offending passages, I just snorted. Because once you immerse yourself in that world, all those crazy barbarian Marloven acts are reasonable. Sure, if something like this happened in real life, you would be on your toes and phoning social workers in a heartbeat. But here, they make sense, and as cruel or repulsive as they are, there is always a "why" following it, so that nothing is black and white, purely good or entirely evil.
  
  Another concern of the book I'd like to address is Inda's age. While the argument can definitely be made that he comes off as much older than he really is, or that his natural grasp of commanding others is uncanny. True and true. First, I think "ten" means something different in Sartorias-deles, where a year is 441 days, and given the circumstances and the fact that they must always be on high alert of spies and such, noble children behave more like adults. They practice wargames after all, and the girls, especially Hadand and Tdor, are very much familiar of the subtleties of high politics. Sherwood hasn't tried to hide the fact that Inda is special. We know he is, which is why his name is the title of the book.
  
  What I liked the most about this book was the absence of prototyping. Any knowledge or guidance Inda had was learned or earned -- there was no Gandalf, so to speak. The reason why he was so prepared for the academy was because of Tanrid's abuse. He was educated by his mother, he worked the hardest out of all the rats on the ship, the Pim Ryala, and it was his attitude and work ethic that kept him alive (ironically, it was his talent and skill that got him thrown out). Second, while there is the threat of the Venn Empire and Norsunder, there is no Sauron or Voldemort. The immediate "bad guys" - the Sierandael (royal shield arm) and the Sierlaef (king's heir) - are not completely evil, at least not inherently. You will learn how and why they got that way, and what drove them to perform the actions that they did. The omniscient point-of-view is sometimes confusing, but it is the clearest way to explain everything, and you'll be glad you know. And while I'm the last person in the world to humanize someone who beats his little brother into submission, Tanrid is a fascinating character worthy of analysis. In fact, all the characters are wonderfully developed and complex - not just Inda himself, but Sponge, the king's younger son, Hadand, Tdor, Captain Sindan, Tau, Jeje, beautiful Joret, the prince and princess, and MOST of all the Sierandael and the Sierlaef.
  
  Yes, this book has no real resolution. How did the Prince's first wife, Joret die, and what's going on with the whisperings of "treachery"? How does Savarend survive? What else do we know about the mysterious Dei family? Or find out more about the Montredavan-Ans? When will Inda return home? And most importantly, what happens next?
  
  As a reviewer below noted, there is nothing revolutionary about Inda, only new, refreshing ways of storytelling, everything fleshed out and real. Sherwood definitely doesn't wimp out with the traditionally established "hero" formula.
  
  Thus begins my agonizing wait for The Fox.
  
  
• Slow, long, and without an ending.
  By A4TCW9WO6INDE on 2006-11-07
  I read 560 pages of slow, long-winded prose and was rewarded with a hasty conclusion. There was no ending to this book. After making my way through extensive histories, foreign words, and confusing names worthy of any Russian novel, I was given five or six pages of slap-shod resolution. I understand that this book is only the beginning of an ongoing series, yet the Harry Potter series, the most well-known, epic young adult fantasy, features definitive conclusions within each volume. Mark Twain said that if he had more time, he would have written a shorter book. Sherwood Smith should have taken more time with this book. I love the Crown/Court Duel books. They are gripping, concise, and ultimately rewarding. Inda is nothing like those books, despite being set in the same world. Some of the ideas and story lines were entertaining and even gripping. However, any enjoyment I received from the story was swallowed by my overwhelming disappointment at the conclusion mixed with my impatience for the story to move forward. Overall, this book was a waste of my time.
  
  
• Didn't even finish it....
  By A22JLK7H94B4GY on 2007-03-07
  I began Inda looking forward to another great adventure in the same world as Meliara's story. I was not disappointed in the world, though slightly confused at being thrown into a world of politics and intrigue where explanations didn't seem to explain anything. The language disturbed me at first, there having been no swearing in the Crown/court Duel. After I read slightly farthur in I was rather shocked when the children got in bed with each other 'knowing that they'd be expected to do it someday'. Nothing happens 'that hadn't really mean't anything, any more than it mean't to cuddle pups or kittens and sniff thier fur'...then I skipped farther and was shocked again...and again...and again as the thoughts and actions of people turned toward...sex. I finally put the book down in disgust. Sex scenes were never actually written, but the hints and thoughts were. I am eighteen years old and if this is what young adult fiction is, I'll pass. I 've read books with sex in them before, or shall I say read them up until the sex and then put them down. I loved the Dragonrider's of Pern series by Anne Mcaffrey, until I threw the book down, utterly repulsed. I have read her children's book, Dragonsong, which I highly recommend. If this is what authors are churning out for teenagers today, there must be a market for it, but I digress. My point is, don't bother buying this book. The writing was good, the storyline (the part I read) was slightly confusing but interesting. I would give it a lower rating, but it is not possible. Buy Crown Duel or Court Duel.
  
  
• Mixed bag for me
  By ADII0O1CAGD9I on 2007-09-04
  I just finished this book and have mixed emotions about it.
  
  Pros:
  
  1. Well-written.
  2. Interesting characters. I always like "bad" characters who have real motivations and personalities. I found myself quite caught up in these characters.
  3. Complex world and plot.
  4. Realistic violence. I liked the realistic portrayal of this war-like society.
  
  Cons:
  1. For me, the number one gripe was the sex. Not that it's graphic or described in any objectional way. However, I didn't like the philosophy that gender doesn't matter, monogamy doesn't matter, marriage doesn't matter, etc. Instead of any romantic relationships (maybe they're coming in a later book), people solved everything with a trip to the brothel. Unappealing to me.
  2. The names and titles ARE hard to remember, definitely. It probably took me 50-100 pages to really get into this book and make sense of the politics.
  3. I didn't like some of the "political correctness" of the book -- that women are just as tough as men, that all sexual aggression has been wiped out, etc. It doesn't strike me as realistic (and yes, I'm a woman).
  4. I found the ending a bit bleak. Hopefully, things cheer up a bit in future volumes...?
  
  I have the feeling that I will buy and read the sequel. Perhaps not a favorite book but definitely an interesting one.
  
  
  
  
• A Big Disappointment
  By A25MFFKQVKYXEM on 2007-10-14
  While the story of Inda is very detailed, and interesting in a way, ultimately, I found it to be completely soulless. I never grew to care about any of the characters; whatever happened to them simply didn't matter to me. And none of the characters seem to really care about each other either. I never felt any real emotional connection between the characters. Sometimes the words were there describing such connections but I never actually sensed those emotions in the way the characters acted. I also found the "little magics" used in this world for cleaning and eliminating waste to be far too convenient. Basically, anything that we would find disgusting in our modern world, but that was simply part of everyday life in the period of history that would most closely resemble the world of the book, is conveniently swept away with magic. It smacks unpleasantly of wish-fulfillment for a person who is obsessed with cleanliness. In addition, I found it disturbing that, in that world, satisfying sexual appetites was actually a kind of physical need--having regular sex is as necessary to a person's health as eating well. So, the genitals are pretty much transformed into a second stomach. It was not an idea I found appealing. Overall, the whole thing simply left me cold. It's just not a book I would recommend purchasing. If you're really curious, check it out from a local library, but don't waste your money on it.
  
  
• Very Disappointing
  By A11MN43FYU3H04 on 2007-07-02
  I was VERY disappointed with this book; Smith's Crown Duel is my all-time favorite fantasy novel, and Inda was nowhere near it's caliber. It was extremely confusing at first; it was like she threw us into this strange exotic world with no guide or explanation whatsoever. I still can't keep track of all the different names each character has! It was full of pointless "pleasure house" visits, which really added absolutely nothing to the story, except maybe to the disgust factor. I was really looking forward to it--it had great potential, but it was too confusing and too full of meaningless, pointless sex-capades *They weren't really graphic, but they certainly didn't do anything for the story* for my taste.
  
  P.S.- If you're looking for romance, don't expect to find it here.
  
  Stick with Crown Duel.
  
  
• Depth, true originality and a great plot in a very complex world
  By A3SSAJY2BH4ECH on 2007-09-30
  I waited until the sequel, The FOX, was out, before reading this. I was happy I did, the two books together - as SSmith points out on her website - make a better story arc to stop after. Stopping at the end of this book is really hard, you do not feel that you can let go at this point. And the more I read, the more I hate those cliffhanger endings. I want to be OK with leaving the characters in a place of temporary rest, or at the end of a big effort, and not right in the middle.
  
  I am still eagerly waiting for the third volume, as this does not mean that at the end of FOX I am not very curious what comes next.
  
  Yes, I agree with other reviewers, that this is a complex world that we discover only bits by bits - and that at the start names are a big problem, so many! solution: on her website, you can find a name list and index, I printed that out, it helped. It might be nice if it were right there in the book though. So I had to have just a little patience until I understood what was happening at the big level - history, culture, adult plotting and intrigue in the background. At the smaller one, the story of boys in a military training school should have been boring, I am not a boy, I am not interested very much in military, but I got pulled in fast, and she did not let go.
  
  I was immersed in the world from very early on, and I read it every moment i could until the end of FOX.
  
  Characters and their motives are very well described, you can understand even those who do evil things because their thought processes and feelings are drawn clearly, there are no over the top villains, the surprises are believable, the coincidences too. There is not too much jumping around from one character to the other.
  
  I cannot say why this is such a very very good book, I just wish that SSmith were much more popular, so her backlist would be published, her new novels brought out quickly, I just want more of her work.
  
  I read on her site that she has books without a publisher, it seems very sad to know how much I would like to spend money on her work and here she cannot sell it!!
  
  Just one caution: Do not go for this if you want a quick and easy read, you have to be awake to follow all those plots and ideas, otherwise you will just be disappointed. Perfect for a long planeride or a quiet weekend or vacation.
  
  
• a book to get lost in..., so promising it is!
  By A1JB93TSADISSY on 2006-08-18
  Wow! This book is so in-depth, I cannot wait to get my hands on the next 2 volumes. The characters have such rich personalities, one feels enticed to read on and on to peel away the plots, the subplots and other smarting surprises. An exceedngly thrilling start which, undoubtedly, will send the fans of Sherwood Smith agonizing over the making and publishing of the subsequent developments for months to come.
  
  
• Fantasy for smart people
  By A2P3U7ET7EX243 on 2006-08-31
  INDA is a feast of reading. It is simultaneously a book you can devour for the excitement--swashbuckling and battles, intrigue and betrayals--and a book you can sip and savor for its thoughtful observations on friendship and loyalty. INDA's plot sweeps across a vast and complex world; it also pauses to look within a character's soul. I've read this book several times in draft, but as I read through the published version, I felt as though Sherwood has given me a raft of new senses for the story.
  
  Publisher's Weekly calls the book "A fantasy world fit for the most discriminating medieval partisan." I would say, this book is not just a medieval fantasy. It is its own world, true and deep and utterly worth knowing.
  
  
• A rich, complex story
  By A2HVRCZ3CET9QC on 2006-11-10
  This story is much more intricate and subtle than the author's published YA fiction; fans expecting a similar style of story might be disappointed at first, but readers who appreciate more mature stories set in a fascinating, well-developed world will find this a very satisfying story...
  
  However, there is one flaw with Inda: it is the first book in a trilogy, and the only one out! I pre-ordered it from Amazon, spent most of the day it arrived reading it, and am now impatiently awaiting the second book...
  
  
• My First
  By A1Y85K3I2CNXAF on 2007-10-19
  My first time reading Sherwood Smith, had been dancing around "Inda" for awhile...even checked it out of the library and returned unread. Finally opened it...wow...once I read a few pages, couldn't put it down. I was almost immediately pulled into this complex and fascinating world created by Ms. Smith. Judging from some less thrilled, long time Smith fans, this book was not what they were expecting...for myself reading it without expectations or thoughts of what I wanted from a favorite author...simply FABULOUS.
  
  If you want a simple, traditional, beach read that ends after 216 pages with minimal plot and a happy ever after (and I enjoy more than my share of these), Inda isn't it. It is the first installment of a trilogy, so not all the plots, subplots, and threads are neatly connected yet at the end of this book, although I did not feel left hanging (& more is revealed in the next book). If you're in the mood for a fascinating new world peopled with complex characters & events, try this one! IMO, this is an epic novel at its best (in a genre that I usually describe as less interesting than watching grass grow). This is a novel, not a diary, do not expect every day to be written, so yes there are some gaps. I didn't find this a problem and didn't feel like pieces were missing.
  
  What's all the hoo-ha over the sex in this book...what sex??? There was nothing inappropriate to the 10 - 14 yr. old ages of the characters (ok one time they undress & compare body parts, like kids haven't been doing that since forever). I found it refreshing this author chose to write about a world where pedophiles, perverts (ok one pirate, sorta), & rapists do not exist (overused plots that squick me). Seriously, the traditional view of an "old-school, all boys military academy" would include some variations of corruption, pedophilia, and rampant homosexuality, all absent here. Instead we see the military training, personal discipline, and developing friendships that shape the rest of this trilogy. Ms. Smith's background in history is apparent in the Viking/Spartan-ish influences I see in the world she has created.
  
  I LOVED IT!
  
  
• Great!
  By APYKA6ODSSNEE on 2006-08-05
  A really captivating read with interesting, evolving characters in a rich and complex world. Can't wait for the follow-up!
  
  
• slightly different, but it's still good.
  By A1W8MGCO70TUF on 2007-06-08
  Inda is targeted towards older teens and above, so younger readers might get bored (with its complexity and length), but i still recommmend it. initially getting into the story might be difficult with all the new terms and the new culture you're getting introduced to, but it's well worth the read. for the crown duel fans, this is not the same tone as crown duel. as i mentioned above, it's a lot more large scale. i almost considered giving it 4 stars not 5 because of the cliffhanger ending, but since this is the first in a trilogy, it's excusable. :)
  
  
• surprising
  By A3TG4RC23963NN on 2007-09-04
  Unlike Robin Hobbs' new triology about a second son going to military academy and failing for reasons not in his control (sounds familiar), this book keeps you interested and not disgusted and caring about its characters. The books are similar, but in this one the characters seem to have some control over their lives, even when chance takes control. And there is no half asleep magic that is inconsistent and doesn't make sense. You can understand what is happening. as well, there are multiple plot lines that keep you going. Fast paced. Well worth while.
  
  
• This book won't let go
  By A2IJ6B50LH37EO on 2008-01-13
  I read about Inda in a review on Orson Scott Card's Hatrack River Website. He said that the book stayed with him for days after he finished it (which was inconvenient, considering that he had stories of his own to write). That, I imagine, is a common affliction; the characters just won't leave me in peace, and I find that instead of digging into the pile of new books waiting to be read I keep dipping back into Inda and its sequel, The Fox.
  I passed my paperback copy on to a friend (who seemed to take forever to get around to starting it, but fell just as hard as I had once she did) and sent for a hardcover; this, with sequel The Fox and, I hope, the third and final part (not due out until this summer -- agony!), is a story I'm going to keep returning to in years to come.
  
  
• Well thought out world, interesting if not always 3-D characters
  By A1O7EVRD3P5N2I on 2008-01-15
  I had absolutely no expectations from this novel. Picked it up purely on the the basis of the jacket description and perusal of the first 5 pages. I say this because some of the other reviews have mentioned Sherwood Smith's previous works, I was unaware of them or her. I thoroughly enjoyed this novel. I was pleasantly surprised by the depth and detail of the world she presents. Many modern fantasy novels tend to focus on the "idea", and barely flesh out the worlds in which the "idea" lives and grows. Inda is almost the opposite in that the world is incredibly detailed and makes for fascinating reading just from an anthropological point of view. Kudos to her! My only disappointment with the novel lay in the lack of depth of character development. I enjoyed the characters, rooted for some of them, but was never engrossed and engaged by any of them. Some of their actions were predictable and were too foreshadowed. I hope the next novel delves more into the motivations behind the myriad of characters. I was fascinated by the story/plot line and will be ordering Fox, the second book in the trilogy, just to find out where the plot goes!
  
  A few reviewers talked about the "little magics" dealing with sex and waste. I didn't find them incongruous at all-after all a hearty suspension of belief/logic is necessary in reading Fantasy to begin with. Those offended by the VERY MINOR mentions of sex had better not read any of Robert Heinlein's novels for example- they might die of apoplexy!
  
  
• Compelling, intricate fantasy
  By A2CKRZ08YKQD45 on 2007-08-15
  Suffice to say that this a novel one can really sink into. Admittedly, the world of Inda can be a bit overwhelming at first, the beginning so filled with detail that it feels like cold water closing over your head. Nevertheless, the culture and characters are so well-crafted that once you've adjusted, everything sharpens into focus and you are swept along the storyline quite enjoyably. I like that Inda isn't reminiscent of some generally tasteless, overly-contrived fantasies. The situations are real, the characters are real, and there's a natural current to the narrative. It simple feels more genuine than many things I've read.
  
  
• Inda
  By APB1VZK1X50TJ on 2007-09-25
  I have literally just finished reading this book, and ordering the second one. For me, the world and characters that Sherwood Smith created were fascinating, and a pleasure to get lost in for a few hours. Granted --as i've read in other's reviews-- some of the names and titles were especially hard to grasp, being very similar in spelling and meaning. However, I did not have a problem disassociating any of the characters I found key to the plot, so it didn't hinder my reading too badly.
  I love Inda's character, he's one of those un-assuming individuals, never realizing how much he influences the people around him, and never caring --or knowing--about all the power he could possess. I often found myself irritated when the author took me away from Inda's story to another character's story.
  I found the "villains" in the book, the Sierandael and the Sierlaef [see what I mean about those names?] were irritating enough that I just cant want to see what eventually happens with them.
  SO needless to say, I thoroughly enjoyed the book, and can't wait to recieve the next one in the mail!!
  
  
• Absolutely amazing!
  By ARBBRPERRLK01 on 2008-07-17
  Wow! I started reading this not because of the description but because I had read and enjoyed another of Sherwood Smith's books when I was younger. I am soooo happy I read it! This book is like a combination between Orson Scott Card's Ender's Game, Kristen Britain's Green Rider and the complex writing style of Robin Hobb. It is a fairly long book, with many sub-plots and characters names to keep straight, but somehow she makes it work! I read this book in 2 days I liked it so much! If you enjoy a good complex fantasy or find yourself craving books by Orson Scott Card or Robin Hobb, this is definitely a book for you!
  
  
• a good surprise
  By A1GZK7WQFX0H94 on 2008-07-24
  I had never read any Sherwood Smith's book, but I read all the classical fantasy authors (and non-classical)and I had nothing to read and it is holiday so I tried an unknown (for me) author, without great expectations,I thought "another fantasy, with good and bad guys", but when I start the book I could'nt leave it, there are so much plots inside, so much suspense, and humour, and the women are as important as the men (not waiting to be saved by a good knignt). I read this book in one night and it's sequel during another night, and now I'm afraid that I will not have the patience to wait for the paperback version of the third one and that I will buy the last and third of the trilogy in hardcover!
  
  

• The Fox
• The King's Shield (Inda, Book 3)
• The Fox (Inda, Book 2)
• Senrid
• Crown Duel (Crown Duel / Court Duel)