Court Duel: The Crown & Court Duet, Book II [Hardcover]

Sherwood Smith (Author)

Book Description

Series: Crown & Court Duet | Publication Date: April 15, 1998

The stirring sequel to Crown Duel finds young Meliara at the center of a deadly court intrigue.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 6-9?In this sequel to Crown Duel (Harcourt, 1997), the teenage Countess Meliara finds herself compelled for political reasons to leave her small castle in county Tlanth to stay at the royal palace Athanarel in the capital city, Remalna. She is completely unprepared for court life, preferring to run barefoot over the hills rather than learning how to hold her fan correctly, but luckily her brother's new fiancee takes Meliara under her wing and teaches her the nuances of court etiquette. Mel soon finds herself swept up in a dizzying whirl of flirtation and political intrigue, and she remains confused about both until a plot to take over the throne brings many secrets to light. Court Duel stands well on its own, although readers will immediately want to go back and read the first book. Mel is a likable heroine who is constantly chastising herself for her ignorance and quick temper, and the other characters are fully realized and fascinating in their own right. There isn't much action until the very end, but readers will enjoy immersing themselves in the subtleties of courtly life and love.?Eva Mitnick, Los Angeles Public Library
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist

Gr. 5^-8. Different in setting, structure, and tone from Crown Duel (1997), the first volume of the Crown & Court Duet, this book begins with Meliara back at the home castle, reading a letter from a powerful courtier and trying to decide if the writer is friend or foe. When she travels to court, Meliara finds herself constantly trying to tell friends from enemies as she endeavors to learn the subtle language of the courtiers, who communicate in a language of gesture and intimation that is quite foreign to her native bluntness. Readers who loved Crown Duel for its strongly realized fantasy world, adventurous characters, and scenes of action may find the sequel disappointing. The character and voice of Meliara are as compelling as ever, and several others are intriguing as well; however, readers will find it difficult to maintain a high level of engagement, given the more static setting, the many details of courtly behavior, and the general lack of something happening. Still, libraries with readers for the first volume should offer the second as well, since Meliara's story is incomplete without it. Carolyn Phelan

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 12 and up
  
• Hardcover: 256 pages
• Publisher: Harcourt Children's Books; 1st edition (April 15, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0152016090
• ISBN-13: 978-0152016098
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 6.3 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (224 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #183,565 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Simply splendid!, March 14, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Court Duel: The Crown & Court Duet, Book II (Hardcover)

"Court Duel" has it all--magic, intrigue, and romance. It resumes a year after the grand battle against the evil King (Crown Duel) with Meliara, our heroine, back at her ancestral home in Tlanth. She has recieved a puzzling letter from the Marquise of Merindar, the sister of the late king, who wants her to come the Royal court. Shortly afterwards, Meliara's brother, Branaric (Count of Tlanth) pays her an impromptu visit with his fiancee(!) and the infuriatingly elegant Marquis of Shevraeth, who looks like will be the next king of the realm.

Soon, Meliara is swept off to court life, leaving "security and sanity" behind at Tlanth. Even though Meliara, or Mel, would rather lead another revolt than play the gentile court lady, she becomes very popular with the rest of the courtiers. However, court life is not as dandified as it appears. Meliara soon learns that the smiling masks and painted fans conceal jealousy, envy, and ambition. In desperation, Mel writes to a mysterious secret admirer for advice and soon, their correspondence evolve into a courtship.

As the new king prepares to ascend the throne, counter plots are set into action. Before long, Meliara is forced to choose loyalties, either way she will be placed in grave danger....

This is a very worthy novel stylistically because the language was used so expertly that you could almost see the sights and feel exactly what the heroine experienced. I liked how Meliara's courtship with her admirer developped naturally, eg. it wansn't love at first sight which would've marred the tempo of the book. The only fault that I can find with this book is that it was too short! The last bit could be extended a bit. I really can't critize because I'm not a professional critic. Lastly, don't worry about the "Gr.5-8" label on the book because I guarantee you of other age groups will get to love this book as much as I.

15 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Nearly Perfect..., February 22, 2003

By 

Ms_Moody (Doylestown, PA United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Court Duel: The Crown & Court Duet, Book II (Hardcover)

...and an absolute delight to read. I bought the Crown and Court duet because of the great reviews and recommendations (and beautiful covers, true), and believe me, I was not disappointed. This book has just surpassed what was my favorite book of all time-'Ella Enchanted'- to become one of, if not the best, book I've ever read.

The main storyline is simple enough, though highly interesting (beginning with Crown Duel): a young girl (who happens to be a Countess) and her brother are sick of the evil king's greed and tyranny over the land, and so they organize a revolt of a small group of rebels attacking sporadically in guerilla warfare. They are doing relatively well enough (at least they're succeeding in infuriating the king and his cousin), until Meliara (the Countess) gets caught and is imprisoned by an impudent Marquis. She faces a series of challenges that nearly kill her (such as her broken foot, being in a torture chamber, and being face-to-face with enemies that are more than a little intimidating...), though she always bounces back with humor and manages to help her revolt turn into a true war that finally knocks the king off his throne and out of power. The question now is: where does the power go? (Court Duel) Meliara now has retreated back to her home in Tlanth and spends her days peacefully with her old friends while reading up on family history, when she is yet again bothered by political affairs. Her brother wants her to join him in court to help him fight a new war in the palace Athanarel in Remalna-city. She reluctantly agrees, and is soon swept up in a fast-paced world that is completely new to her, filled with lies and deception behind every fan, and she must overcome a new type of battle...

Some wonderful little additions to this book that I found very interesting were things such as the Colorwoods, the time schedule (first blue, second green, etc.), and the wonderful names of characters (Branaric, Meliara, Nimiar) and of the land Remalna (Tlanth, Renselaeus) that are completely unique. I compliment the author on her innovative imagination on the creation of the setting.

The characters in this novel and it's predecessor were extremely well developed. I soon knew how every vital character would react to any situation, but the dialogue was humorous and well spoken enough that I couldn't guess as to what they would say specifically, which kept me hanging on. I soon felt like I was another of the characters, experiencing everything, and I knew the character's weaknesses and strengths, making them all the more realistic to me. It's an especially astonishing feat for the author, considering she writes from Meliara's perspective, first person, yet still allows the reader to get inside everyone's minds in a round-about way.

The reader can relate to nearly every character in this novel, even if they don't agree with the person, which proves just how well developed Smith makes her characters. Antagonistic characters from both books in the Duet, such as Galdran, Debegri, and Flauvic, were well portrayed as dangerous, cruel people, and while I couldn't connect with them (who could?), I thought they were well executed. Meliara was a spunky, intelligent heroine and it was refreshing to view the world through her eyes. Branaric was startlingly blunt sometimes, but also a hearty, likeable person. Nimiar was sweet and wonderfully pleasant throughout the story, and people such as Tamara and Savona were a bit two faced at times, but were portrayed exactly as most court people probably did act. As for the Marquis of Shevraeth, what can I say? I absolutely fell in love with him. He was incredibly intelligent and well-spoken, good-looking, wise about political and personal issues, and he can wield a sword and ride a horse like no other. Savona was pretty captivating as well...

The only reason I didn't say 'Perfect' in my review title is because nothing ever is completely perfect. There were some things I didn't like, true, but they were small things that probably only I would notice, and were far and between. Some small things were how Branaric became slightly distant and court-snotty in the second book, which bothered me for a bit, but when I though about it, it was necessary to the plot to have him change a bit. Another thing that really startled me more than I didn't like it was the abrupt romance between Meliara and Vidanric at the end of the story, though when I thought about that one, I saw that the build up kept people guessing and also made the romance that much more anticipated.

Overall, I think I've already summed up my purpose of this review: read this book! It's excellent, and I wish it got my publicity than Ella Enchanted did, because I truly believe it's better. This book will be one you will cherish, and I recommend buying the Crown and Court books separately (mostly because they look beautiful standing together hardcover on your bookshelf), though I heard that if you buy them together there is an extra paragraph or so at the end that is supposed to be great. I still have yet to find out for myself. As for which of the Crown and Court Duet books is better, I'd say neither, because they compliment each other with their differences. The only thing that could possibly tip the scale (which is why I have my review for the second book and not the first) is the romance at the end, which I had been sort of waiting for, though I wish I could have the Marquis for my own! Now go and buy both books, and make sure you get them on a weekend, because you can't stop reading...I found out first hand how addictive they are, and I'm hungry for another book. You just don't want the story to stop. Sherwood Smith, please write more!

18 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars a noble young woman who's intelligent and keen, yet ignorant, July 26, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: Court Duel: The Crown & Court Duet, Book II (Hardcover)

When it comes to fantasy novels, i usually think of black-magic, witches, dragons, and... well... duels. But this book changed my view on fantasy books, this book was wholesome and satisfying which leaves you with an after taste in your tongue; something rarely found in a book.

While trying to adjust to the unique "court" life and manner, Countess Meliara stumbles around like a villager, since she wasn't brought up in court but running around barefooted under her own wish. After saving her father's land (as mentioned in this duet CROWN DUEL) she goes off to the land where her rival/evil menace/lover (she is slow to learn of courting matters) the Grand Marquis of Shevrath attends and lives. They some how ended up hating each other in this previous book (READ CROWN DUEL TO GET A GOOD BACKGROUND OF THIS BOOK) yet it seems so stupid and idiotic of her not to notice Shevrath's reactions to her. How he's always "just there" at the right moments or ! the wrong. How he secretly follows her and creeps about. He is secretly detaining his feelings for Meliara; and I love it!!!

Most authors just throw love at you, but Smith has given time to let us ponder on what IS going between these two young ones. Meliara is a strong character, not some delicate shy face-hiding average princess; a fighter, yet ignorant in her ways of court life which is expressed in this book with a unique characters you will never read about, ever.