Over their father’s deathbed, young Meliara Astiar and her brother Branaric promise to lead their people against the evil King. The impoverished count and countess discover that even when the cause is right, leading a war is much tougher than it appears. When Meliara falls into the hands of the elegant Marquis of Shevraeth, the enemy commander, she knows she has to either escape or die. After a … a desperate chase across country, she discovers that she and Bran are not alone — but the alliance is offered by the person she hates the most.
Once the king is gone, she faces a new type of battlefield: not muddy fields and sharpened steel, but marble palaces. The weapons now are fashion, manners, and the subtle and secret language of fans. Finally, there is the toughest challenge of all, courtship. For how do you defend yourself when the one who draws your eye, and your heart, is your worst enemy?
Crown Duel, once published as Crown Duel and Court Duel, was put together with an added story by Firebird in 2003, and has remained in print ever since. This new edition has been edited, with the addition of several scenes from the hero’s point of view.
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This is a great book, a fantasy dealing out escape and battle, political maneuvering, and court etiquette underwritten by a beautiful romance of miscommunication. Crown Duel is two novella length stories (Crown Duel & Court Duel) about the same characters combined into one novel. Mel is a strong capable single minded heroine, very like Elizabeth …
Crown Duel is one of my favorites that I will keep going back to when I need to get lost in a well-written, action-packed story of court intrigue and romance. This is a great fantasy tale for those who like the classics (Cinderella, Beauty and the Beast, etc.) and fantasy involving a strong heroine coming into her own in a unique world. Highly …
This is one of the best books anyone ever put in my hands. I’m pretty sure Aly handed it to me knowing I would love it, but she wasn’t sure she could live without it long enough for me to finish it. The fact that I read it in about 2 days the first time, and promptly went and bought my own copy to read it again made her happy I’m sure. There are …
Wow! I’m so glad I saw this book recommended in a Facebook group. I’d never read anything by this author and picked it up based on the reviews. It was a bit slow for about ten pages, then I got hooked and just hated to put it down! Lady Meliara Astiar and her brother try to live up to a promise they made to their dying father, to topple an …
Crown Duel by author Sherwood Smith is actually two books in one, Crown Duel + Court Duel. It is listed as YA and Fantasy Fiction.
I did not complete the whole book but did finish Crown Duel. I did not start reading Court Duel. I’ve read some other reviews that say Court Duel is better than Crown Duel. Perhaps I will read it one day.
Some …
Sherwood Smith has been one of my favorite authors since I first read Crown Duel and it’s companion novel Court Duel. I was a teenager and I loved the strong female character, the intrigue, I loved how she fought for her family and her people. I loved watching her adapt and change and learn how to deal with politics and then watch her fall in …
This has long been a favorite novel (or pair of novels, as they were originally published) that I return to time and again, whenever I’m in need of an old friend. While there are some novels I’ve read as a teen that don’t work as well for me as an adult, Crown Duel remains a book I enjoy with every reading, noticing elements that I may have missed …