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emlickliter's review
adventurous
emotional
funny
fast-paced
5.0
Remalna's Children (Crown & Court #2.5) by Sherwood Smith – I loved having time with Mel and Danric’s oldest two children, but I want an adventure with the youngest daughter as well! Time in Remalna is always well spent! Happy Reading!
stephxsu's review
3.0
"Beauty" - Oh, funnn! [b:Crown Duel|21060|Crown Duel (Crown & Court #1-2)|Sherwood Smith|http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1309213505s/21060.jpg|4398231] fans will certainly appreciate the fact that Elestra's voice is reminiscent of her mother's--slightly sullen and tired of being different from the other court children. The was a bit odd, and how that developed requires a bit of suspension of disbelief or ignoring your feelings from Crown Duel in order to invest in it. However, this is certainly a novelette that would have the potential to be turned into a full-length novel, if Sherwood Smith is ever interested in doing so. 3.5/5
"Court Ship" - I wasn't a fan. The third-person omniscient narrator, the way it switched rapidly between characters' heads, reminded me of the narrative styles of [b:A Stranger to Command|3876030|A Stranger to Command|Sherwood Smith|http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1256861844s/3876030.jpg|3921267] or [b:Inda|222837|Inda (Inda, #1)|Sherwood Smith|http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1309284273s/222837.jpg|215796], which I didn't really find effective. There's a spoiled princess being petty... aaaaaand not much else going on. The maybe-maybe-not friendship/romance was too ambiguous to allow me to care much for it. 2/5
Spoiler
reappearance of Flauvic"Court Ship" - I wasn't a fan. The third-person omniscient narrator, the way it switched rapidly between characters' heads, reminded me of the narrative styles of [b:A Stranger to Command|3876030|A Stranger to Command|Sherwood Smith|http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1256861844s/3876030.jpg|3921267] or [b:Inda|222837|Inda (Inda, #1)|Sherwood Smith|http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1309284273s/222837.jpg|215796], which I didn't really find effective. There's a spoiled princess being petty... aaaaaand not much else going on. The maybe-maybe-not friendship/romance was too ambiguous to allow me to care much for it. 2/5
wild_dog's review
2.0
...Not particularly compelling I must admit. I love this world, but this was rough.
Oh, I did a blog post about this when I read it...link.
Oh, I did a blog post about this when I read it...link.
crypticparchment's review
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.0
kwugirl's review
3.0
A fun couple short stories if you want stay within the Mel/Vidanric world. I would totally read the continuation of these as full on novels.
emmashutup's review
3.0
Ok so I only read this because my local library had the ebook and I needed the little nostalgia boost. Sherwood Smith's books meant a lot to me when I was a middle schooler-ish. This is two short stories set in the world of Crown Duel published together, one about Mel and Vidanric's daughter and one about their son. In the first story, "Beauty," Mel's daughter is tired of being plain and useless, but her talents may come in handy when a situation arises regarding a tree in the throne room. The second, "Court Ship," is somewhat sillier; Mel's son decides to make an impromptu visit to a princess he may or may not marry. This story feels like Smith was writing off the cuff a lot more; it's a lighthearted series of events that are breezed by so quickly they hardly leave an impression.
Smith's writing is as good as ever, though! She's great at creating a lush fantasy atmosphere, with a folksy sensibility that makes the characters feel relatable. If you're a die-hard Smith fan, these two stories are a fun return to those characters.
Smith's writing is as good as ever, though! She's great at creating a lush fantasy atmosphere, with a folksy sensibility that makes the characters feel relatable. If you're a die-hard Smith fan, these two stories are a fun return to those characters.
emterf's review
3.0
I found the two stories in this anthology frustrating. Not because they were bad, but because they were intriguing enough that I want to find out what happened after the end of the story. They were like tastes of a larger story, and I want to read the larger story.
nevergreen's review
5.0
I love this world so much. These were obviously not at the level if her other works, being short stories but I loved them all the same. Even when the premise of them had holes.
shilo1364's review
3.0
I wish the stories had been longer. They really left me wanting more - I felt like when I really became invested in the characters and their stories, they ended way too abruptly. :-( I want another novel continuing each story. ;-)
stefaniajoy's review against another edition
5.0
My only complaint is that it was too short! I wanted to know more!
I recommend reading this after Crown Duel.
I recommend reading this after Crown Duel.