Published: Feb. 07, 2010
Words: 163129 (approximate)
Language: English

Ebook description

Meliara and her brother vow to free Remalna from an evil king. War is tougher than it seemed. When Meliara is caught by the enemy commander, the elegant Marquis, it’s escape or die. Afterward, Meliara faces a tougher challenge: the battlefield is no longer mud and steel, but palaces, the weapons manners and fans. Toughest of all is courtship, when the one who catches her heart is an enemy.

Tags

fiction, adventure, action, fantasy, action adventure, ya

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Reviews

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Review by: Chachic on Nov. 02, 2010 :
Cross-posting my review from Wordpress - http://chachic.wordpress.com/2010/01/22/sherwood-smiths-crown-duel/

This is a duology, originally published as two books (Crown Duel and Court Duel) but Firebird combined both books in one edition.

Meliara (Mel for short), the impoverished Countess of Tlanth, tells the story from her point of view. I loved the fact that Mel is such an unreliable narrator and how the story unfolded from the way she sees things. The first part of the book involves a war against a tyrant of a king because both Mel and her brother Branaric promised their father that they will do what they can to oust the king from the throne. While the second part of the book involves court intrigue and politics. Mel is a believable character because she blunders and is not afraid to admit when she makes mistakes.

I've been giving this book as a gift a lot lately and to one friend, I included a note that said "I know you haven't read a lot of fantasy and this is a good book to get you started because this is YA fantasy at its finest." This book has everything - incredible world-building, believable characters, intelligent dialogue, subtle romance, court intrigue. I've reread this book a couple of times and it just doesn't get old for me.

Sherwood also posted a couple of outtakes in her website. You can check these out after reading the book because these are scenes of Crown Duel, written from Vidanric's point of view.
(reviewed long after purchase)

Review by: Karen C on Aug. 25, 2010 :
I read this book a LONG time ago and I was so happy to find that Sherwoods Smith extended it. It's such a good book. It's fast paced and funny in a world so wonderfully creative. It's a must read!
(reviewed the day of purchase)

Review by: ella k on Aug. 12, 2010 :
This is one of my all-time favorite books. It has everything a great book must have - great writing, fantastic dialogue, very well developed characters, and intriguing and unpredictable plot.

First, the writing. I think Sherwood Smith is one of the most talented contemporary fantasy writers. Sadly, she is often overlooked. Her writing has no fillers, every sentence seems to be either adding to the story or to the character.

The heroine in this book is Meliara, a future countess with a broken down and impoverished land holdings. She and her brother made an oath to their farther to protect their land and its treaty against the agenda of the king of Remalna. This becomes their struggle. And Meliara's adventure. She proves to be a fearless and loyal heroine. She's considerate of others, acting with good intentions, but driven by ignorance. Her antagonist, Shevraeth, one of the King's minions, is intent on bringing her down. He proves to be a worthy opponent.

The plot evolves slowly and with precision. There are no unanswered questions at the end. It just fits perfectly together.

A must read for anyone!
(reviewed long after purchase)

Review by: kitti laki on May 09, 2010 : (no rating)
LOVE This book! Not hocus-pocus, but more earth-y magic involved. The characters are really spunky and interesting, and are humble, which is the most important thing. This version comes with an epilogue scene, and scenes from Vidanric's perspective!
I love books like this that combine romance, adventure, and humour, and which are well-written at the same time. Highly recommended. I was giddy for a week after reading this book, and it is still one of my favourites!
(reviewed within a month of purchase)

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