Crown Duel by Sherwood Smith
reviewed by Bronte
The subject is a civil war and courtly intrigue which shouldn't be boring, but with Smith's style it really is. I like the medieval setting and story, but it could have gone faster. That's an understatement, it could have gone a lot faster. The book used to be cut into two parts, but really — the whole story should have been the size of one half.
I had to plod through it though I usually love the medieval period. (Although this is technically set in a fantasy world, it is based on a medieval setting.) And I usually like girls and women who don't follow society's rules. The heroine Meliara is one of them. Sworn to protect her people from the greedy king, Meliara struggles to uphold her promise. Then, when the war is over, she is summoned to court and must learn to discern enemy from friend. Those are the two plots of the separate parts.
The story seems a little forced, and there aren't any extremely emotional or funny scenes, nothing really stands out to me. I don't really feel anything about this book, I don't love it or hate it, if that helps anyone guage whether they will like it. The best thing about this book is the idea behind the story, though it could have been executed better. If you're really into the medieval time period you will probably like it at the start, it just gets boring very quickly. I would recommend this for 12 year old girls interested in history.
Posted by at July 28, 2010 01:21 PM