Petrodor

January 18, 2010
Picking up where 2009's Sasha
ended, Shepherd sets Sasha and her doughty band of human and serrin war leaders in the port city of Petrodor as Sasha's sister Alythia is married off to the noble Halmady family. This peace-treaty marriage sparks a power struggle among the other noble houses, including Steiner House, to which Sasha and Alythia's sister Marye was married. A politically minded archbishop begins bloody machinations that raise the stakes and turn allies into enemies. As in the first volume, the beginning bogs down with many similar names and a huge number of characters who tend to make speeches at one another with a lot of unfamiliar terms, but as soon as the action picks up, the banter, character development, and vivid descriptions build tension toward a gripping climax, leaving tantalizing threads dangling.

March 15, 2010
Sasha, the former Princess of Lenayin, now lives in the port city of Petrodor, where her life becomes even more complicated as a sister's marriage involves her in a rivalry among the wealthy families of the city. As political turmoil escalates, the beautiful nonhuman serrin race may tip the balance in the struggle, provided Sasha can trust her serrin friends. This sequel to Sasha continues Shepherd's complex drama of political intrigue, sword play, and magic while leaving new avenues for future books. VERDICT The author of the Cassandra Kresnov trilogy ("Crossover; Breakaway; Killswitch") brings an acute eye for detail and a gift for dialog and characterization to a fantasy adventure series that should appeal to most genre fans.

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