Crown Duel
by Sherwood Smith
Crown and Court (Collections and Selections — Omnibus Books 1-2), Sartorias-deles {Sherwood Smith} (Collections and Selections — 4749 Omnibus (Crown Duel 1 & 2))
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Description
Sherwood Smith's most popular young adult fantasy begins with Meliara and her brother vowing to free Remalna from an evil king. War is tougher than it seemed. When Meliara is caught by the enemy commander, the elegant Marquis of Shevraeth, 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.Nominated for ALA/YASLA show more Best Books for Young Adults, on the ALA/YASLA Quick Pick List for Reluctant Young Adult Readers, and named one of NY Public Library Best Books for Teens, 1998 list. Finalist, Soaring Eagle Award (Kids 12-18 voting, Wyoming Library System) in its 16th printing.
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Owlnip Similar in terms of the kind of world you get to escape into, with a strong young female protagonist and wonderful cast of characters.
50
espertus Both books are fantasies with strong-minded young noblewomen fighting tyranny in alliance with forces of nature, although Crown Duel's heroine is a naive and untutored orphan, while Tricksters' has learned much from her spymaster father. Crown Duel is lighter, Tricksters more complex.
41
by anonymous user
wordcauldron Similar feel of espionage and court life.
Also recommended by kathleen.morrow
Jen7waters Has the same kind of political royal intrigue going on, and a heroine who goes through a lot.
Member Reviews
I stayed up into the wee hours of the morning rereading this book. Mel is a difficult heroine to like - she's painfully self-conscious, quick to judge, and extremely stubborn in holding onto those judgements, even when all the evidence around her proves otherwise.
But that's why I love her. I spend the entire book wanting to shake her because if she'd just let go of certain things, her life would be so much easier, but isn't that true of most people? It's certainly true of me.
I also love how Sherwood Smith plays with perception, as we're shown the contrast between how Mel perceives her rebellion and how the various members of the court perceived it.
This is a wonderful, engrossing, maddening book, and one of my favorite fantasy novels.
But that's why I love her. I spend the entire book wanting to shake her because if she'd just let go of certain things, her life would be so much easier, but isn't that true of most people? It's certainly true of me.
I also love how Sherwood Smith plays with perception, as we're shown the contrast between how Mel perceives her rebellion and how the various members of the court perceived it.
This is a wonderful, engrossing, maddening book, and one of my favorite fantasy novels.
This book is actually an omnibus of Crown Duel and Court Duel, plus an extra short story at the end, and so, I will divide the review in these 3 parts.
Crown Duel, the first part, presents us to Meliara, a countess from a troubled kingdom, where a tyrant king rules, and all the counties are heavily taxed to pay for his pleasures and his court. This kingdom is also inhabited by the Hill People, a kind of otherworld beings (a bit of a mix of elves and fairies), with whom everyone accepted a Covenant. Basically no wood is to be taken from trees, only the fallen branches can be collected. The Hill People gift families every year with Firesticks, that allow them to warm their houses and cook their food. And the tyranny of the king wouldn't be show more complete if he didn't mean to break this Covenant.
But back to Meliara, the heroine of our story. She is a countess but knows nothing of niceties and curtsies. She runs barefoot with all the other kids, mingles with servants and peasants, and, in fact, thinks nothing of difference of status. Nor does her brother.
When both of them find out that the king intends to break the Covenant they decide it's time for him to be gone, and they start to plan their revolt, trying to harness supporters among the other counties to go to war. Only, war comes to them and they are alone on this strife.
This was quite a nice start. Intrigue, plots for revolution and war, overthrowing tyrants, a hint of fantasy here and there. I liked to discover the customs of this new world, the dances and songs, the festivities, the fact that everyone worked for the same goal (at least at Meliara's house).
This is the story of Meliara, and as so, we follow all of her exploits. And also, keep her company for almost 500 pages. She is quite a spunky kid, not used to lying, actually, very bad at it, but that is no matter because she would much rather be honest. And blunt. But she was also rather oblivious and obstinate. Not a good combination, and as this book progressed (and well into the second part), I started to get the urge to slap some sense into this girl.
Storywise, it was a good first part. Not very surprising, beyond a few twists here and there, but nicely written. And most authors would have made of this first part a standalone book (save from a less open ending, and a few other minor changes).
Which brings us to the second part, Court Duel. This is what made the Crown Duel (as a whole) an amazing read. The first part was about war, and overthrowing a king. This second part, however, dealt with the court and all its intricacies.
I kept imagining the court of Remalna has something out of 18th century France, with parties and balls, and secret silent languages. Discovering all the intrigues, who's friend and who's foe, who to trust, that was all part of the fun. Meliara's ignorance (and also extreme dislike) of the Court life was the perfect excuse for me, the reader, to learn all about it, and I loved every part of it.
Of course the desire to slap Mel until she saw reason persisted, but at least in this part she was aware she needed some slapping.
Another thing that I liked, well, loved, were the letters. Secret admirers can be so fun in a book. There is something about it that takes you back to being 12, but there is also so much that can be done with it. People are more sincere with letters, especially if the other person doesn't know who are. And then there is the mystery of the entire thing. Of course I knew who the writer was, part because of comments from my friend, and part because it was rather obvious. But this is one of the cases that is not so much who the culprit is, but how you find out. Also, you are about 99% sure you have the right answer to the mystery, but just want to be proven right in the off 1% chance you are wrong.
This second part was what made me surrender to this book. If the first part was read languidly, alternating with other books, this second one was a rush to read more and more about the Court, wondering when Mel would see some sense, and see an ending to the kingdom's troubles.
The ending was quite good, I liked how it was done, and where the story stopped. And that leads to the final short story.
I understand that it was a gift for the fans of the book (and of Meliara's love story), but it was completely unnecessary. Especially because it was not as well written as the rest of the book. It was a bit of silliness I could have done without.
But, despite this short story, I liked this book. There a few things that surprised me, and that I loved, for example that there you were as likely to find women in the army as you were to find men. And that some of the ladies of court were very keen on competing in horse racing and on sword fighting. It was refreshing.
I'm glad that I paid some heed to my friend's constant nagging, because it was an excellent book.
Also at Spoilers and Nuts show less
Crown Duel, the first part, presents us to Meliara, a countess from a troubled kingdom, where a tyrant king rules, and all the counties are heavily taxed to pay for his pleasures and his court. This kingdom is also inhabited by the Hill People, a kind of otherworld beings (a bit of a mix of elves and fairies), with whom everyone accepted a Covenant. Basically no wood is to be taken from trees, only the fallen branches can be collected. The Hill People gift families every year with Firesticks, that allow them to warm their houses and cook their food. And the tyranny of the king wouldn't be show more complete if he didn't mean to break this Covenant.
But back to Meliara, the heroine of our story. She is a countess but knows nothing of niceties and curtsies. She runs barefoot with all the other kids, mingles with servants and peasants, and, in fact, thinks nothing of difference of status. Nor does her brother.
When both of them find out that the king intends to break the Covenant they decide it's time for him to be gone, and they start to plan their revolt, trying to harness supporters among the other counties to go to war. Only, war comes to them and they are alone on this strife.
This was quite a nice start. Intrigue, plots for revolution and war, overthrowing tyrants, a hint of fantasy here and there. I liked to discover the customs of this new world, the dances and songs, the festivities, the fact that everyone worked for the same goal (at least at Meliara's house).
This is the story of Meliara, and as so, we follow all of her exploits. And also, keep her company for almost 500 pages. She is quite a spunky kid, not used to lying, actually, very bad at it, but that is no matter because she would much rather be honest. And blunt. But she was also rather oblivious and obstinate. Not a good combination, and as this book progressed (and well into the second part), I started to get the urge to slap some sense into this girl.
Storywise, it was a good first part. Not very surprising, beyond a few twists here and there, but nicely written. And most authors would have made of this first part a standalone book (save from a less open ending, and a few other minor changes).
Which brings us to the second part, Court Duel. This is what made the Crown Duel (as a whole) an amazing read. The first part was about war, and overthrowing a king. This second part, however, dealt with the court and all its intricacies.
I kept imagining the court of Remalna has something out of 18th century France, with parties and balls, and secret silent languages. Discovering all the intrigues, who's friend and who's foe, who to trust, that was all part of the fun. Meliara's ignorance (and also extreme dislike) of the Court life was the perfect excuse for me, the reader, to learn all about it, and I loved every part of it.
Of course the desire to slap Mel until she saw reason persisted, but at least in this part she was aware she needed some slapping.
Another thing that I liked, well, loved, were the letters. Secret admirers can be so fun in a book. There is something about it that takes you back to being 12, but there is also so much that can be done with it. People are more sincere with letters, especially if the other person doesn't know who are. And then there is the mystery of the entire thing. Of course I knew who the writer was, part because of comments from my friend, and part because it was rather obvious. But this is one of the cases that is not so much who the culprit is, but how you find out. Also, you are about 99% sure you have the right answer to the mystery, but just want to be proven right in the off 1% chance you are wrong.
This second part was what made me surrender to this book. If the first part was read languidly, alternating with other books, this second one was a rush to read more and more about the Court, wondering when Mel would see some sense, and see an ending to the kingdom's troubles.
The ending was quite good, I liked how it was done, and where the story stopped. And that leads to the final short story.
I understand that it was a gift for the fans of the book (and of Meliara's love story), but it was completely unnecessary. Especially because it was not as well written as the rest of the book. It was a bit of silliness I could have done without.
But, despite this short story, I liked this book. There a few things that surprised me, and that I loved, for example that there you were as likely to find women in the army as you were to find men. And that some of the ladies of court were very keen on competing in horse racing and on sword fighting. It was refreshing.
I'm glad that I paid some heed to my friend's constant nagging, because it was an excellent book.
Also at Spoilers and Nuts show less
This is not a perfect book. On a large scale, the plot is repetitive (how often does a chapter end with Meliara fainting?), major action happens offstage, the book ends with a deus ex machina, and key plot reveals will be guessed by anyone with a passing familiarity with the genre.
However, on a scene and character level, this book is a gem. I love stories of secret identities and fixing broken relationships and this story does those fantastically. So, I'm giving it a ridiculously high 4 stars because those aspects really worked for me, while acknowledging that the story might not work at all for someone else.
However, on a scene and character level, this book is a gem. I love stories of secret identities and fixing broken relationships and this story does those fantastically. So, I'm giving it a ridiculously high 4 stars because those aspects really worked for me, while acknowledging that the story might not work at all for someone else.
Sherwood Smith, why oh why are your covers so horrifically bad? Because girl… you can write oh so good. Seriously, as I read this fantastic gem of a young adult fantasy duo I felt like pumping my fist and shouting GIRL POWER quite happily. Because this girl, this Meliara, she knocked my socks off.
So basically this story starts with an impoverished member of the court and his two kids, a boy and a girl. The girl has been left to her own devices, she’s run wild, and she does not have a good impression of the finery and snobbery of the court off in the distance. But now.. her father is dying and the duchy is left to both girl and boy. And to make matters worse – it appears they are going to war.
Meliara is gutsy in a very good way. show more She doesn’t have magical powers that allow her to pick up a sword and kick some butt, she’s too petite for that, and Sherwood realistically portrays that weakness. Instead, she sneaks, she spies, and she does what she firmly believes to be best. From captures to escapes, double-crossings and alliances, and then to the scene at court and the flirtations, parties and secrets, this story moves quickly and had me flipping pages and very grateful that the edition I read had both books combined.
This is a satisfying, little gem of a fantasy that is the perfect solution for those of you out there who are tired of cliffhangers and want to read a good, solid story that will have you cheering and maybe even tearing up a little bit at the conclusion. show less
So basically this story starts with an impoverished member of the court and his two kids, a boy and a girl. The girl has been left to her own devices, she’s run wild, and she does not have a good impression of the finery and snobbery of the court off in the distance. But now.. her father is dying and the duchy is left to both girl and boy. And to make matters worse – it appears they are going to war.
Meliara is gutsy in a very good way. show more She doesn’t have magical powers that allow her to pick up a sword and kick some butt, she’s too petite for that, and Sherwood realistically portrays that weakness. Instead, she sneaks, she spies, and she does what she firmly believes to be best. From captures to escapes, double-crossings and alliances, and then to the scene at court and the flirtations, parties and secrets, this story moves quickly and had me flipping pages and very grateful that the edition I read had both books combined.
This is a satisfying, little gem of a fantasy that is the perfect solution for those of you out there who are tired of cliffhangers and want to read a good, solid story that will have you cheering and maybe even tearing up a little bit at the conclusion. show less
Meliara's father dies after she and her brother promise they will fight to overthrow the country's king, who is taxing his people into poverty and planning to break the covenant with the Hill-folk. However (like in all good stories), things don't go according to plan and Mel finds herself a prisoner of the enemy.
The first part of Crown Duel is very much an adventure and Mel spends much of her time trying to escape or evading being captured. Not only did this keep the story tense and suspenseful, but the intrigue of trying to work out who to trust and who not to trust means it is interesting, and unpredictable.
The story is also about Mel learning the extent of her own naivety, and what it means to act in ignorance (an interesting theme show more to accompany the action) but I didn't find this frustrating. The first person narration meant I shared her perspective, and hence shared her mistrust. I could see the sense in her reasoning.
The second part deals with Mel's experiences as she leaves her family's country castle for the royal palace in the capital. Court life is a world Mel is unfamiliar with - one of masks and deception, codes, plots and manipulations. When she encounters the Merindars - the family of the previous king - she decides she needs advice and turns to an anonymous source with her questions. However, there are more plots beneath the surface than Mel is aware of, and she does not know whose advice it is she seeks.
This part is much more subtle. It is about trust, the more subtle manipulations of power (not the sort of power wherein one goes in with guns blazing - not that this world has guns), people, relationships and, perhaps, finding one's place in the world.
(I must admit I had certain suspicions about one or two things, but instead of being irritated with that possible predictability, I was entertained, watching the story unfold and waiting to see if my suspicions were correct.)
It might seem trite to say "this story is well written", but the use of language was quite deliberate and effective. It helps build an original world in a convincing manner, with believable depth to the history, the politics, and the court etiquette.
To say I really enjoyed this is perhaps an understatement, for I have read it three times in almost as many days. show less
The first part of Crown Duel is very much an adventure and Mel spends much of her time trying to escape or evading being captured. Not only did this keep the story tense and suspenseful, but the intrigue of trying to work out who to trust and who not to trust means it is interesting, and unpredictable.
The story is also about Mel learning the extent of her own naivety, and what it means to act in ignorance (an interesting theme show more to accompany the action) but I didn't find this frustrating. The first person narration meant I shared her perspective, and hence shared her mistrust. I could see the sense in her reasoning.
The second part deals with Mel's experiences as she leaves her family's country castle for the royal palace in the capital. Court life is a world Mel is unfamiliar with - one of masks and deception, codes, plots and manipulations. When she encounters the Merindars - the family of the previous king - she decides she needs advice and turns to an anonymous source with her questions. However, there are more plots beneath the surface than Mel is aware of, and she does not know whose advice it is she seeks.
This part is much more subtle. It is about trust, the more subtle manipulations of power (not the sort of power wherein one goes in with guns blazing - not that this world has guns), people, relationships and, perhaps, finding one's place in the world.
(I must admit I had certain suspicions about one or two things, but instead of being irritated with that possible predictability, I was entertained, watching the story unfold and waiting to see if my suspicions were correct.)
It might seem trite to say "this story is well written", but the use of language was quite deliberate and effective. It helps build an original world in a convincing manner, with believable depth to the history, the politics, and the court etiquette.
To say I really enjoyed this is perhaps an understatement, for I have read it three times in almost as many days. show less
Meliara and her brother Branaric are technically a countess and count now that their father has died, but they've spent their childhoods in backwater hill country in a falling-down castle with no windows, huddling with their servants for warmth and wandering the countryside as they please. Meliara has even grown up speaking with the hill folk, the magical race of people who provide them with valuable fire sticks to use for warmth, cooking, and survival. Meliara is mostly content with her life, but when her family's sole spy sends word that the current ruler is planning on breaking the all-important covenant with the hill folk for his own gain, Mel and Bran know they cannot stand by -- they must mount a revolution and take the throne for show more themselves, despite their entirely unsuited for court backgrounds. But things quickly spiral out of control, and Mel finds herself fighting for her life -- first on the run from royal forces and a certain mysterious, annoying Marquess, and then in a more metaphorical fashion at court, where she doesn't understand the intrigues and complicated customs she's been thrust into.
This is a book I remember loving as a teenager. I enjoyed it this time around, too, although it definitely felt less groundbreaking and Mel came off as a little dense sometimes. 4 stars. show less
This is a book I remember loving as a teenager. I enjoyed it this time around, too, although it definitely felt less groundbreaking and Mel came off as a little dense sometimes. 4 stars. show less
Meliara and her brother Branaric’s lives change forever the day they promise their count father on his deathbed to overthrow the king’s corrupt regime. Mel and Bran lead a ragtag bunch of loyal servants and friends against the king’s army, which throws Mel again and again across the path of the Marquis of Shevraeth, a stoic man hiding quite a few number of his secrets. When, however, the dust of war has settled, Mel discovers that she just might prefer running and hiding across the countryside to save her life better than putting on the façade of gracious noblewoman in the new king-to-be’s court.
Oh how I adore feisty heroines embroiled in duplicitous, action-packed fantasy political intrigues and romance! I wish I had known show more about this book earlier, for I have a feeling it will be one that I return to again and again for that magical dose of adventure, feminism, and romance.
Mel is my favorite kind of fantasy heroine: tough, resourceful, opinionated, and scared of being seen as vulnerable despite her deeply warm heart. I don’t even care that this type of female protagonist is a fantasy trope, because I just love ‘em. I loved reading about Mel’s struggles to avoid capture at the hands of Shevraeth and the king’s other men. And then I loved reading about Mel’s struggles to make herself a gentlewoman, worthy of the respect of the court. Mel is a protagonist worthy of Tamora Pierce’s creations.
I love that this book’s pacing never drags, which is great because I just get so darn bored of the MC’s moody contemplations of anything and everything that has or hasn’t happened to her. I admit wholeheartedly that I adored the book’s romantic subplot and, yes, will probably reread this book many times for mostly that element. It reminds me of a sort of Elizabeth Bennet-Mr. Darcy relationship arc, and I will leave it at that appetite-whetting point.
CROWN DUEL is a must-read if you love your Tamora Pierce and Gail Carson Levine. Maybe it doesn’t break new ground in lighthearted fantasy literature, but it fuels the fire that keeps my heart warm, fuzzy, and swooningly romantic. Sighhh. Now, back to rereading favorite bits… show less
Oh how I adore feisty heroines embroiled in duplicitous, action-packed fantasy political intrigues and romance! I wish I had known show more about this book earlier, for I have a feeling it will be one that I return to again and again for that magical dose of adventure, feminism, and romance.
Mel is my favorite kind of fantasy heroine: tough, resourceful, opinionated, and scared of being seen as vulnerable despite her deeply warm heart. I don’t even care that this type of female protagonist is a fantasy trope, because I just love ‘em. I loved reading about Mel’s struggles to avoid capture at the hands of Shevraeth and the king’s other men. And then I loved reading about Mel’s struggles to make herself a gentlewoman, worthy of the respect of the court. Mel is a protagonist worthy of Tamora Pierce’s creations.
I love that this book’s pacing never drags, which is great because I just get so darn bored of the MC’s moody contemplations of anything and everything that has or hasn’t happened to her. I admit wholeheartedly that I adored the book’s romantic subplot and, yes, will probably reread this book many times for mostly that element. It reminds me of a sort of Elizabeth Bennet-Mr. Darcy relationship arc, and I will leave it at that appetite-whetting point.
CROWN DUEL is a must-read if you love your Tamora Pierce and Gail Carson Levine. Maybe it doesn’t break new ground in lighthearted fantasy literature, but it fuels the fire that keeps my heart warm, fuzzy, and swooningly romantic. Sighhh. Now, back to rereading favorite bits… show less
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Author Information
113+ Works 10,651 Members
Sherwood Smith writes fantasy and science fiction for young adult and adults. She received a master's degree in history and worked for twenty years as a teacher. Her first book was Wren to the Rescue and she has written more than thirty books since then including the Exordium series with Dave Trowbridge and two of the books in the Solar Queen show more series with Andre Norton. (Bowker Author Biography) show less
Series
Work Relationships
Contains
Common Knowledge
- Canonical title
- Crown Duel
- Original title
- Crown Duel (Crown and Court Duet) (Crown and Court Duet)
- Original publication date
- 2002-06-10 (omnibus) (omnibus); 1997 (Crown Duel) (Crown Duel); 1998 (Court Duel) (Court Duel)
- People/Characters
- Meliara Astiar; Vidanric Renselaeus (Marquis of Shevraeth); Vidanric Renselaeus; Branaric; Oria; Khesot (show all 12); Charic; Justav; Julen; Nimiar; Savona; Galdran
- Important places
- Sartorias-deles; Remalna
- Dedication
- This story is dedicated to my agent, Valerie Smith
- First words
- (PROLOGUE): I hope any of my descendants reading this know exactly what the Covenant and the Code of War are, but there is always the chance that my story has been copied by the scribes and taken to another land that will con... (show all)sider Remalna distant and its customs strange.
- Last words
- (Click to show. Warning: May contain spoilers.)So let me end with the wish that you have found the same kind of happiness, and laughter, and love, that I have found, and that you have the wisdom to make them last.
- Disambiguation notice
- Do not combine with 'Crown Duel' book 1 or with 'Crown Duel/ Court Duel Definitive Edition {a revised version (ISBN: 9781611388770 or ISBN-10: 1611388775; published by Book Cafe) with additional material}. This is the origina... (show all)l combined edition (ISBN: 9780142301517 or ISBN-10: 0142301515; published by Firebird).
Classifications
- Genres
- Fantasy, Fiction and Literature, Teen, Young Adult
- DDC/MDS
- 813.69 — Literature & rhetoric American literature in English American fiction in English 2000-
- LCC
- PZ7 .S65933 .C — Language and Literature Fiction and juvenile belles lettres Fiction and juvenile belles lettres Juvenile belles lettres
- BISAC
Statistics
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- 1,710
- Popularity
- 12,964
- Reviews
- 54
- Rating
- (4.17)
- Languages
- English
- Media
- Paper, Audiobook, Ebook
- ISBNs
- 8
- ASINs
- 6