King's Shield

Acclaimed Inda series within Sherwood Smith's epic fantasy Sartorias-deles universe • Military fantasy woven with courtly politics, vast worldbuilding, and diverse characters

For nearly nine years, Inda has been at sea, living under a new name and forcing himself to never think of all he had lost. He created a new life, for the military skills that had been trained into him and his own inborn strategic skill led him to mutiny against the pirate that had captured him, and take his followers into a battle against the infamous Brotherhood of Blood. As a pirate raiding pirates, he has earned a reputation for being one of the most dangerous fleets on the waters.

But when Inda discovers that his home country is about to be attacked from the sea by an ancient enemy, he throws his seagoing days to the winds and returns home. After nearly a decade at sea, Inda finds his home utterly changed. His good friend Evred, the formerly powerless and harassed younger prince, is now king. Evred has heard of Inda's martial accomplishments at sea, and is determined to make Inda his Royal Shield Arm—the person in charge of defending the entire kingdom.

And Inda has to learn how to conduct a land war while on the march against an enemy outnumbering his force ten to one.