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3.67 AVERAGE
3.67 AVERAGE
I would've loved this book, except that I found the over-use of the word lust very disturbing (I mean, how can 'in lust' be said so casually by characters like that??? ) I liked Flian more than Meliara(see Crown & Court) because she was a lot more sensible and less hotheaded, but I found so many things lacking, and there were many unanswered questions, such as how Jewel and Maxl got married in the end ( this case was discussed so much in the book, so why weren't we provided with what really happened? It did not suffice to just say that they got married) and also how Jason dealt with Garian. And what about Markham? We all want to know something about him.
All in all, if I'd been Sherwood Smith, I would've taken this book, written it again, and given the plot and characters more space to flesh out. It would have made and a good duology .
Spoiler
I liked how unpredictable the romance between Flian and Jason was in the beginningAll in all, if I'd been Sherwood Smith, I would've taken this book, written it again, and given the plot and characters more space to flesh out. It would have made and a good duology .
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Starts slow (and disjointed) but worth the wait. Throughout the book the adventure never stops, but what I appreciated the most was the subtle character development of Flian. The second half was much better than the first.
Quintessential Smith, lots of romance and political intrigue. Some elements not tied up very well, maybe a sequel?
This was one of my favorite books when I was a teenager, and I thought now that I am in my mid-twenties, I should give it a reread. I definitely see weaknesses in the story that I wouldn't notice ten years ago, and yet it is still such an enjoyable and hilarious story. It's that type of book you can sit down with a cup of tea and blast through in one setting. It's got romance, friendship, adventure and, my favorite part, philosophical debates of good vs. evil. This is a book I highly recommend if you like high fantasy.
Having read this on the heals of Crown Duel, I have to just go with three stars. The first chapter totally hooked me, but I felt like it just didn't live up to my initial interest. It is good and there are some great scenes and moments! I definitely consider myself a Sherwood Smith fan and will look forward to more by her.
Flian is rich and a princess, but she takes no pleasure in the sycophants or court politics she's known all her life. Being kidnapped by three royals in short succession (the sarcastic Garion, the dour Jason, and the swashbuckling Jaim) shakes up her staid routine. She begins to rethink her life, and how she wants to spend it. Annoyed at the numerous kidnappings, Flian takes up self-defense lessons (but in a twist on the trope, she doesn't become a super-ninja, but instead just slightly more competent and confident). She realizes that she's letting others lead the Court, and that if she wants it to be a more friendly, interesting place, she has to take charge and do it herself. In one of her escape attempts, Flian spends time as a maid, and starts thinking about her own servants. She was never cruel, but never exactly inviting, either, and she seeks to change that. (Amusingly, this works well in some instances but not in all--when she tries to have a more intimate conversation with her life-long ladies maid, the woman is clearly discomfited and uncomfortable.) She has long conversations with her brother, who rules their country, about what it means to be a good and just ruler. Meanwhile, Flian begins to realize that at least one of her kidnappers is a better man than she'd thought...
One thing I love about Sherwood Smith is that she always plays with the expectations and assumptions of the genre. Most fantasy is written in a pseudo-medieval Western Europe where society is patriarchal and queer and non-white people don't exist (or, as in the case of CS Lewis, are only present in order to be a villanous contrast). Reading stories set in a slightly fantastical version of the dominant culture and paradigm is fun! But it does get old, especially when "realism" is used as an excuse for why the author didn't bother to do much in the way of world-building. If readers can accept dragons and wizards without disbelief, surely we can deal with the occassional non-patriarchal, non-heterosexist society? Is it really so unbelievable that not all cultures are based in the same assumptions as ours is? Sherwood Smith uses the magical background of her stories (for magic itself is only rarely mentioned, but is used constantly in a thousand quiet, housekeeping-type ways) to create societies without hang-ups about polyamory, heterosexism or homophobia, sexism, or racism. Smith doesn't preach, she just creates societies in which the most beautiful woman in the world has brown skin, women are rulers and jailors and housemaids, in which a queen's female lover helps run the country and the most jock-like man at court is the one to capture the eye of a handsome visiting prince. It's all so casually accepted that it feels beleivable. Her work is unpretentious proof that medievalish fantasy world doesn't have to have sexism to be realistic.
Which is not to say that this is a great novel. The world is great, the characters belieable and relatable, and the dialog natural. There are lots of friendships that never turn romantic, but have their ups and downs nevertheless. There are fight scenes and strategy, internecine court politics and off-handed talk about countries left under centuries of enchanted isolation. But though the fantasy is good, the romance is not. I rooted for the couple to get together, but the periodic insertion of romance novel tropes felt unnatural and forced. Also, the names feel off: Flian and Maxl don't trip off the tongue, but at least they're better than "King Jason" or (worst of all) "Princess Jewel". That aside, I really liked this book, and am feeling disheartened at the fact that it's over and I have to read something else.
One thing I love about Sherwood Smith is that she always plays with the expectations and assumptions of the genre. Most fantasy is written in a pseudo-medieval Western Europe where society is patriarchal and queer and non-white people don't exist (or, as in the case of CS Lewis, are only present in order to be a villanous contrast). Reading stories set in a slightly fantastical version of the dominant culture and paradigm is fun! But it does get old, especially when "realism" is used as an excuse for why the author didn't bother to do much in the way of world-building. If readers can accept dragons and wizards without disbelief, surely we can deal with the occassional non-patriarchal, non-heterosexist society? Is it really so unbelievable that not all cultures are based in the same assumptions as ours is? Sherwood Smith uses the magical background of her stories (for magic itself is only rarely mentioned, but is used constantly in a thousand quiet, housekeeping-type ways) to create societies without hang-ups about polyamory, heterosexism or homophobia, sexism, or racism. Smith doesn't preach, she just creates societies in which the most beautiful woman in the world has brown skin, women are rulers and jailors and housemaids, in which a queen's female lover helps run the country and the most jock-like man at court is the one to capture the eye of a handsome visiting prince. It's all so casually accepted that it feels beleivable. Her work is unpretentious proof that medievalish fantasy world doesn't have to have sexism to be realistic.
Which is not to say that this is a great novel. The world is great, the characters belieable and relatable, and the dialog natural. There are lots of friendships that never turn romantic, but have their ups and downs nevertheless. There are fight scenes and strategy, internecine court politics and off-handed talk about countries left under centuries of enchanted isolation. But though the fantasy is good, the romance is not. I rooted for the couple to get together, but the periodic insertion of romance novel tropes felt unnatural and forced. Also, the names feel off: Flian and Maxl don't trip off the tongue, but at least they're better than "King Jason" or (worst of all) "Princess Jewel". That aside, I really liked this book, and am feeling disheartened at the fact that it's over and I have to read something else.
3.5
Pretty good but I still can't get over the fact that Jason kidnapped her to court her.
Pretty good but I still can't get over the fact that Jason kidnapped her to court her.
A light, fun read which isn't entirely predictable. I enjoyed it a lot and I have to say, it is SO refreshing to see a love interest who /listens/ when the MC says no, and makes sure she's /certain/ when they have their inevitable reunion.
