A Stranger to Command

Vidanric Renselaeus, Marquis of Shevraeth, is a courtly, well-mannered teen coached in the noble art of dueling. Growing up in a court that on the surface seems civilized under an increasingly despotic king, he is sent by his father to the infamous military academy in Marloven Hess. He expects to be reading theories about statecraft, but finds that he is going to learn about military command from the inside — and finally, what it really means to be king.

In this prequel to CROWN DUEL, the reader learns what made the elegant Vidanric into the enigmatic Marquis of Shevraeth.

About the Author: Sherwood Smith has published over forty books, one of which was an Anne Lindbergh Honor Book; she’s twice been a finalist for the Mythopoeic Fantasy Award and once a Nebula finalist. She fell in love with Chinese historical dramas and hero tales six years ago, and ever since has immersed in Asian history, literature, and language.

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1 review for A Stranger to Command

Rated 5 out of 5

From Goodreds – October 2, 2023

This is still weirdly compelling and evocative. I say weirdly, because I can’t quite pin my finger on why this is so successful (and this is after multiple rereads over the last few years). Maybe it’s alternate school story charm, albeit a fairly unusual school? Maybe it’s sympathy for the isolated protagonist? Somehow, I can read this story of said isolated protagonist – no friends, really, even after years in the school; nothing more than friendly acquaintances – and yet I can find so much humanity in it. Maybe that’s the key to the novel’s success: it takes the familiar school story and twists it just enough so that it’s still recognizable, but it’s different enough that highlighting this one character’s ordeals makes him seem – not special. Which is a good thing. I don’t think I’m articulating this very well. What I’m trying to get at is sort of related to this McKinley quote: “The great thing about fantasy is that you can drag dreams and longings and hopes and fears and strivings out of your subconscious and call them ‘magic’ or ‘dragons’ or ‘faeries’ and get to know them better.” I think that’s what A Stranger to Command does – partly. It still retains enough similarities to the familiar school story that Shevraeth’s reactions always feel exactly right. And I finish the novel, as always, wondering what comes next! What happens with Norsunder? Why does this enormous threat go almost unmentioned and unresolved, even in Crown Duel? What happens when Vidanric becomes king with regard to relations with the Marlovens, especially once you take into account how tiny Remalna is, and the disproportionately close relationship Vidanric has with a bunch of influential Marlovens? How are the neighboring kingdoms (Colend, wherever Flauvic was a page) handling the threat? FIRST READ: I was not expecting to love this so much. A prequel of sorts to Crown Duel, this book is nearly flawless in every regard, the world building being the most notable with characterization a very close second.

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