Petrodor

Joel Shepherd's second in this series is a little more of a set piece but is well worth reading.

Petrodor picks up shortly after the ending of Sasha, the first novel in Joel Shepherd's A Trial of Blood and Steel series. Sashandra Lenayin (Sasha for short) now resides in the Torrovan port city Petrodor, a true hotbed of intrigue with several political factions squaring off against each other. With a brewing Verenthane crusade to retake the Bakosh provinces that are occupied by the serrin, war is in the air, and the tensions between the various camps are threatening to come to a boil: the powerful and rich merchant families, the nobility, the clergy, and the common folk who are torn between the predominant Verenthane religion and the serrin-influenced Nasi-Keth. Add to this the "talmaad" -- serrin agents living in Petrodor -- and you have a tension-filled setting that promises -- and delivers -- an exciting read. A large part of what makes A Trial of Blood and Steel so memorable is its main character, Sasha, who is (for a fantasy character) refreshingly human: she is a supremely talented swordswoman, devoted to her cause, her training, and her friends, but at the same time she's also a hothead, a bit full of herself, and not as tactful as she could be. One of the most interesting aspects of this novel is seeing Sasha become more mature and aware, e.g. applying the theory and patterns of the svaalverd fighting style to larger concepts such as politics (at the start of chapter 13), or coming to terms with the fact that her concept of honor doesn't always translate well into the Petrodor environment (throughout the entire book). Sasha, as a character, probably learns and grows more in Petrodor than she did in the first novel of the series. A second main character who reappears in Petrodor is Jaryd, who is now training with the Goeren-yay in Sasha's old village after having abandoned his Verenthane faith at the end of Sasha. He is hell-bent on revenge for the murder of his little brother, and the way he sometimes lets his passion and temperament take over make him, in some ways, a mirror of Sasha. A new viewpoint character is Sasha's sister, the princess Alythia, who is also in Petrodor after having been married into one of the merchant families. Alythia is another great example of Joel Shepherd's ability to create characters who go through genuine changes throughout the novel, and I am curious to see if and how her story will continue in later books in the series. (Side-note: the many reviewers who compared Sasha to George R. R. Martin's A Song of Ice and Fire will probably be amused to find out that Alythia ends up with, yes, a pet wolf in this novel.) Most other characters and factions also avoid falling into black-and-white stereotypes: not all Verenthanes are evil, not all nasi-keth are honorable, and the serrin aren't quite as unified and angelic as they seemed at the end of Sasha. Everyone tries to look out for their own interests as best as they can. The political set-up is once again very complex, with factions within factions depend

War seems imminent between Lenayin and Bacosh as leaders on both sides discuss their advantages and the merits of the fight; no one cares that soldiers and civilians will die. Although she would prefer to stay out of the mess, Svaalverd style master bladeswoman Princess Sasha continues her training under the tutelage of the great warrior, Kessligh,. She and Kessligh want to prevent the combat that will devastate her homeland. In exile after leading a rebellion against her father, Sasha and her mentor are in the affluent port city of Petrodor to attempt to keep the dispute from turning into war. While her sisters are being married to the highest political bidder in an obvious effort to obtain allies, Sasha turns to the serrin from beyond the Bacosh; of whom she understands somewhat their strange culture, but has doubts she can trust them even her friend Errollyn. War still seems to be coming in spite of Sasha's efforts. The second Trial of Blood & Steal is an exciting fantasy that provides an interesting look at the political-military-religious complex. The story line is action-packed but has the second book feel as little progress is made. Still with the maturing of Sasha taking a setback as she has become increasingly obstinate and egoistical rejecting advice, fans who read Sasha will enjoy this fine tale; newcomers will be lost as they will not know the cause of the seemingly coming war. Harriet Klausner