Review (Updated): Crown Duel & Court Duel

Crown Duel by Sherwood Smith
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

(Updated Review Jan 11, 2014)

This was a lighter tale of political intrigue and danger, with a little bit of magic, and a good dash of romance.

This edition is actually two books in one. Crown Duel, the first book, focuses on a rebellion against the king, with several people going after the crown. This book, I would maybe rate 3 stars, even though it was "just ok." I must have been in the right mood to read it at the time. It is full of adventure and calamity, as the heroine, Mel, escapes from one dangerous situation to another. I honestly found the nonstop being-on-the-run kind of tiring, but was interested enough to read on.

I also found that Mel was quick to hate and slow to forgive, especially once she found out what was happening and should have been able to adjust to her new understanding of the situation. I feel like her stubbornness was mistaken for strength.

I was glad when the second book, Court Duel, ended up being more a Comedy of Manners, with political maneuvering and intrigue at court and a frustrated romance. I enjoyed this much more because I do enjoy the twists and betrayals of political intrigue, but mainly because I loved the poor hero. I guess I'm a sucker for a guy who can stay so in love when he is constantly scorned. I really felt for him. The bonus chapters at the end are written from his point of view, and they were a wonderful treat because I liked him so much more than Mel.

So this was by no means perfect, but I was still glued to the pages, trying to find out how the totally annoying and stubbornly prejudiced girl was going to learn the truth and finally be transformed. Mel's refusal to examine her own reactions or to re-evaluate her opinions when she realized she was ignorant or wrong was frustrating. She certainly had plenty of room to grow, but since she did get there in the end, I could forgive her for her blindness.

I give the second book 4 stars, even though it's maybe not as strong a book as others I've rated highly. Sometimes I really do just like the romance and so can ignore everything else.

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