A Sword Named Truth

May 6, 2019
In this ambitious, slow-burning series opener, tied to and heavily dependent on the Inda series, the influential young leaders of a world still recovering from its most recent conflicts form a loose-knit alliance in anticipation of renewed trouble. Among the characters are Atan, the reluctant queen of a land which was frozen in time for a century; Jilo, who’s unexpectedly responsible for his country after its fearsome dictator suddenly vanishes; Senrid, the new ruler of a kingdom that prizes military strength; and Hibern, a student mage whose travels take her across the world. With the forces of the fearsome Norsunder stirring and war on the horizon, this generation comes together over the course of several years, dealing with problems both domestic and foreign, until their enemies finally strike. This installment is set centuries after the events of the Inda series, but it picks up ongoing threads from numerous precursors, and much of the backstory, worldbuilding, and character development rely on these earlier installments, making it a daunting, occasionally confusing experience for new readers. The leisurely pace, sprawling cast, and wide-ranging scope will delight existing fans and those seeking an immersive experience, but many of the finer details risk being lost along the way.

May 15, 2019
Set after the events of Fleeing Peace (2011), the first installment of Smith's new epic fantasy trilogy follows the adventures of a group of untested heroes as they begin to form an alliance of young rulers and magic users to stand against a looming invasion from a mythic evil. With the forces of Norsunder threatening to enter the temporal world through rifts after having been vanquished more than 4,700 years earlier, Senrid, the newly crowned king of the politically unstable nation of Marloven Hess, Hibern, a highly talented mage student, and Liere, a young shopkeeper's daughter who saved the realm in an earlier adventure, understand the grave danger a Norsunder invasion brings to all of Sartorias-deles. As the young heroes slowly begin to form their alliance with other leaders--like Atan, the 15-year-old queen of Sartor, the oldest country in the world--the villainous commanders of Norsunder, Detlev and his nephew Siamis, plot to put the entire realm under magical control. But while Smith's signature realm of Sartorias-deles is richly described and full of narrative potential, the entire novel has an unfocused feel to it. The unwieldiness of the numerous plot threads slows the pace down to a crawl and, coupled with a conspicuous lack of significant action (particularly in the first 500 pages), gives the book a bloated quality. Readers may also be confused about the target audience of this trilogy. The main characters are all young adults, and the content--a looming magical war where entire populations could be wiped out--is decidedly dark. The tone, however, is strangely light, downplaying the violence and concentrating more on character dynamics. Ultimately, this long novel falls flat, with cardboard characters, excruciatingly slow pacing, and very little action: disappointing on almost all levels. Epic fantasy fans would be advised to find their literary escapism elsewhere.

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