Having Leah at the center of this shop and involved with Darien meant we got to be reunited with all the characters. This is when things really start to get interesting. But Darien isn't done employing Leah and it isn't before long that she has another assignment that involves opening a shop catering to foreign visitors. Settling in means having to face people she's long avoided and most importantly of all, get to know the daughter she abandoned five years ago. After years spent away in a foreign land working as a spy for Darien Serlast, Leah has finally returned to her homeland of Welch.

So good.Unquiet Land introduces another memorable heroine with Leah Frothen. If you want to read the first book in the Elemental Blessings set, get Troubled Waters. I’m sure there’s an app that does the same thing! I wish we had something like a booth of promises - but of course, we probably do. Plus, the promise is made as part of a formal, elaborate ritual, which gives it extra strength (Strategy of First Steps). Both copies are signed and can be sealed, and one copy is given to the promissor.Īn interesting method of holding yourself to a promise! Using the strategies that I outline in Better Than Before, a person commits in writing (Strategy of Clarity), decides whether that promise is more powerful when public or private (Strategy of Distinctions), and is creating accountability (Strategy of Accountability). In beautiful script, the promise is written in a record book and on a heavy sheet of paper. “Here patrons could swear, before witnesses and for all eternity, that they would accomplish specific tasks, and their vows were recorded in books kept by the booth owner and his family.” The promissor can choose whether to make a public recording that anyone can ask to read, or a private one that’s not released until he or she gives permission or dies. In the country of Welce, people can go to the Plaza of Men to visit the booth of promises. And Unquiet Land features a great accountability solution. For Obligers, outer accountability is crucial for other Tendencies, it may not be needed, and for some people, may even be counter-productive.īut because Obliger is the largest Tendency, accountability is a very important strategy. One key aspect of the Four Tendencies is understanding the role that accountability can play. (Don’t know about the Four Tendencies? Find out if you’re an Upholder, Questioner, Obliger, or Rebel here.) These days, everything reminds me of my Four Tendencies framework, and Unquiet Land was no exception. I was lucky enough to get an advance copy of her novel Unquiet Land, which is the new addition to her Elemental Blessings novels. I’ve been reading my way through all her novels. I love fantasy fiction, and I recently discovered the work of Sharon Shinn.

Unquiet Land by Sharon Shinn