Very annoing I-am-not-like-other-girls heroine, but everyone likes her because she can kick asses. And I`m tired of the trope "good military leader=very good with sword". ( )

Sasha made me grin like an idiot, laugh, and cry. However, there were also parts that made me yawn in boredom, or rage at the grammar. Mostly, though, it was a very enjoyable read.

The main character, Sashandra Lenayin, is the daughter of the Varenthane king, but she has renounced that life, and is living in a small town with the "uncivilized" Goeren-yai, practicing swordwork. She doesn't know it, but she is destined to become a hero, a saviour, of both peoples. Yes, it is that cliched. But I didn't really mind.

The characters are well-drawn for the most part. My favourites are Jaryd Nyvar, the pampered nobleman's son; and Sasha's sister Sofy, the spoiled princess. Both surprised and impressed me with their growth over the course of the story. Sasha herself is unfortunately not as interesting; I've seen this character before.

There is one race of nonhumans in this world: the serrin. Unfortunately, we aren't told much about them, except that many Varenthanes think they are demons. The only serrinim who appear as characters show up very near the end, are described as incredibly beautiful, and are deadly fighters. They are nearly perfect in every way. I found myself imagining Tolkien's Elves.

It seems that [a:Joel Shepherd|215710|Joel Shepherd|http://d.gr-assets.com/authors/1309637582p2/215710.jpg] has no idea that comma splices are incorrect grammar. Or he doesn't care. The text is riddled with them. I would probably not be exaggerating if I said that every single page has at least one. There were very few grammar issues besides. In one place, Sasha muses that "her plan trap worked." This jarred me since I've never seen that phrase used before. Another time, Sasha sees a friend and instead of "saying" his name, "'Andreyis?' she recognized." As far as I am aware, "recognized" is not a dialogue tag.

I found that the plot took a long time to get moving for me. It took me over a week to read the first half, then a day or two to finish. I prefer books that I can read faster than that. I used to read everything, no matter what, but I no longer have the time or the energy to do that. ( )

REVIEW SUMMARY: An intelligent fantasy featuring a strong female warrior in a land divided by religion.

BRIEF SYNOPSIS: This book of intrigue has everything: a strong female protagonist, a feudal society riven by religious differences, sentient non-humans occupying the holy land and a seemingly weak ruler driven to despair by the death of his eldest son. Complications abound, making this book almost seem more history than fantasy - which is all to the good.

MY REVIEW:
PROS: A solid, compelling, complicated, interesting plot.
CONS: Characters are often types rather than fully formed individuals - perhaps a natural consequence of there being so very many of them.
BOTTOM LINE: Anyone who likes his or her fantasy to be as intellectually complex as it is entertaining would do well to pick up this book.

Please see the remainder of my review at http://www.sfsignal.com/archives/2009/12/review-sasha-a-trial-of-blood-steel-boo... ( )

This was thoroughly enjoyable. Joel Shepherd takes you on a journey along with the main character - Sasha. Like all good journeys, as the story unfolded, so did the character of Sasha. Simply put, I loved it, and am looking forward to reading more. ( )

Review by Carissa Thorp

Sasha tells the story of a princess turned apprentice warrior who's turned her back on her family and upbringing to embrace another life, another culture, and another belief system. With the story told mostly from the title character's perspective, it helps if you like her; me, I mostly wanted to give her a slap, at first. Strongly portrayed, Sasha is not an easy character to like. She's self-absorbed, angry, and aloof, and she doesn't care about much, other than her master, her training, her horses, and the people in her town. Her personality made it difficult to want to stick with her, and her aloofness kept me from getting as deep a sense of her world as I'd like, but perseverance paid off. Sasha is changed by the events in the story and, especially helpful in redeeming her to me, she grows up.

The world of the novel is an amalgam of real-world cultures and clashes. At first, it's a challenge to keep track of it all, especially if you try to track the "sources", so I stopped doing that and let the story take me away. Focused more on the martial and the political, there's plenty of bouts and battles, and plotting and manoeuvring, but the most touching element of the story is the way the scales fall from Sasha's eyes, particularly with regard to her family.