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3.67 AVERAGE
3.67 AVERAGE
Princess Flian is a very austere, civilized princess. She knows the rules of- and her role within- the royal court. She knows that she will someday marry for the good of her country. She also knows that her kingdom’s vast wealth, and her rather large dowry are her most attractive features, as she is otherwise quite ordinary. So when she finds herself being pursued by two kings and a prince, she has no doubt about what they are after– it’s certainly not her heart. However, Flian finds herself embroiled in intrigue, and entangled in so many plots and counter-plots that she can hardly think straight.
This was a surprisingly subtle book in a lot of ways, and I found that I really enjoyed that. Flian grows, her relationships shift and change, and she learns. She goes from an object which is acted upon to a person who makes conscious decisions about what she will do. Flian is not the only character to grow; Jewel makes great progress from beginning to end, and though it is hard to say whether other characters change, or it is just Flian’s understanding of them which develops, there are not many static characters.
It wasn't a breathless, headlong rush, but I did find myself enjoying the read quite a bit. I loved the characters, and the world, and found myself drawn in by the plot. It was a fun read, one I'd suggest to quite a few of my friends.
~ If you'd like to read more of my opinions on this novel, please feel free to visit my blog: AeliaReads.
This was a surprisingly subtle book in a lot of ways, and I found that I really enjoyed that. Flian grows, her relationships shift and change, and she learns. She goes from an object which is acted upon to a person who makes conscious decisions about what she will do. Flian is not the only character to grow; Jewel makes great progress from beginning to end, and though it is hard to say whether other characters change, or it is just Flian’s understanding of them which develops, there are not many static characters.
It wasn't a breathless, headlong rush, but I did find myself enjoying the read quite a bit. I loved the characters, and the world, and found myself drawn in by the plot. It was a fun read, one I'd suggest to quite a few of my friends.
~ If you'd like to read more of my opinions on this novel, please feel free to visit my blog: AeliaReads.
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
N/A
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
N/A
adventurous
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
adventurous
medium-paced
adventurous
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
RATING = 3.5 STARS
This book is the fifth Sherwood Smith book that I've read, and though I didn't enjoy it as much as I enjoyed Court Duel, it was still fun and romantic. At the start I found it boring and I put off continuing to read the book, but it picked up eventually and I found it interesting and exciting! In some sections it was confusing, but I worked it out eventually and enjoyed the hostages, court behaviour and romance in this book. Thanks S.S.!
This book is the fifth Sherwood Smith book that I've read, and though I didn't enjoy it as much as I enjoyed Court Duel, it was still fun and romantic. At the start I found it boring and I put off continuing to read the book, but it picked up eventually and I found it interesting and exciting! In some sections it was confusing, but I worked it out eventually and enjoyed the hostages, court behaviour and romance in this book. Thanks S.S.!
This is the first book of Smith's I've read aside from the (beyond amazing) [b:Inda|222837|Inda (Inda, #1)|Sherwood Smith|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1309284273s/222837.jpg|215796] series. I was a bit cautious, since many of her books seem to straddle the border between juvenile fiction and adult fantasy. When I started this one, I was prepared at any second to put it down - the heroine is weak, shy, ineffectual and constantly swept into other people's politics. I didn't like her; I barely even felt sorry for her. As for all the male characters, they all seemed to be playing their own games.
But as the story goes on, the author does a stunning job of making the female lead, Flian, grow up, find her balance, and become a real person instead of a child - and she does it believably, not in some cheesy "I learned a lesson and suddenly I was a completely different person" sort of way. Flian learns little things about the male characters that rounds them out from all being villains and plotters to being people you want to know more about and/or see Flian with. The pace of the plot for most of the book is absolutely perfect.
The characters, when you finally get to know them, are so individual, interesting, and different from any stock characters. Even the minor characters become fascinating.
My only real complaint as I look back at the book in its entirety is the pace at the beginning. The heroine the pace does slow down, and the rest is better for it.
In all, an excellent book, which is what I came to expect from her while reading the Inda series. It's a little weird that this takes place nominally in the same world as the Inda books, because I kept wondering where and when it takes place in comparison to those. Maybe there's a map in the book - I read this on my kindle, so I didn't see one.
But as the story goes on, the author does a stunning job of making the female lead, Flian, grow up, find her balance, and become a real person instead of a child - and she does it believably, not in some cheesy "I learned a lesson and suddenly I was a completely different person" sort of way. Flian learns little things about the male characters that rounds them out from all being villains and plotters to being people you want to know more about and/or see Flian with. The pace of the plot for most of the book is absolutely perfect.
The characters, when you finally get to know them, are so individual, interesting, and different from any stock characters. Even the minor characters become fascinating.
My only real complaint as I look back at the book in its entirety is the pace at the beginning. The heroine
Spoiler
gets her memory back with a suddenness that seems weird, and fills in the holes left from her bout with amnesia waaay too quickly through conversation with people she suddenly remembers. After she escapes Jaim with Jewel,In all, an excellent book, which is what I came to expect from her while reading the Inda series. It's a little weird that this takes place nominally in the same world as the Inda books, because I kept wondering where and when it takes place in comparison to those. Maybe there's a map in the book - I read this on my kindle, so I didn't see one.
Predictable but enjoyable. This book has little more edge (violence-wise) than most books in this genre. Although her characters all have slightly annoying qualities, I do enjoy that kind of frankness in an author's choice. Rather than create perfect wonderful characters, we get something that's a bit more real to life.
3.5 stars - A cute old-school fantasy, that doesn't involve special snowflakes with hidden powers or love triangles (despite what the preponderance of kings and kidnappings suggest). Flian may have a stupid name, but she's an intelligent, likeable heroine with a nicely-developed character arc. The plot is rather slow-paced, yet manages to tie up neatly while leaving you wanting more of this world and its characters.
slow-paced