The Trouble with Kings [Paperback]

Sherwood Smith (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: December 29, 2008

Princess Flian finds herself the unwilling object of desire of three royals. Is the one she wants a villainor a hero? Waking up in a strange place, Flian Elandersi at first doesn't know who she is. One wicked prince tells her she is secretly engaged to an even more wicked king who wants to marry her right away. But before that happens, yet another wicked prince crashes through a window on horseback to sweep her off her feet. Memory returns, and Flian realizes that all any of them seem to want is her considerable wealth, not her pleasant-but-ordinary self. She longs to escape the barracks-like, military atmosphere and return to civilization and her musical studies. Who is the villain? Prince Garian Herlesterlanguid, elegant, sarcastic? Prince Jaimhe of the dashing horsemanship? Or King Jason Szinzar, whose ambiguous warning might be a threat? Flian decides it's time to throw off civilization and take action.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Sherwood Smith is the author of a number of science fiction and fantasy novels, including the "Wren "series for Young Adults, the Exordium novels (with Dave Trowbridge), the recent "Atlantis Endgame," a novel of the Time Traders series (with Andre Norton), Solar Queen novels (also with Andre Norton), and many others. She lives south of Los Angeles.

Product Details

• Paperback: 328 pages
• Publisher: Samhain Publishing (December 29, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1605040258
• ISBN-13: 978-1605040257
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.4 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 15.5 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (26 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #396,668 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

30 of 30 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Subtle chemistry, subtle magic, mind-blowingly addictive, June 24, 2009

By 

Valerie M. Mullen (Oregon, USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Trouble with Kings (Paperback)

"The Trouble with Kings" takes place in four main countries, leading to delightful cultural comparison and quite some speculation on fashion, which Sherwood Smith is known to do well. So when you read the summaries, please remember that there is much more to this book than just a plotline and a jumble of characters.

Princess Flian, her memory gone, is told by her cousin, King Garian, that she is passionately in love with, and engaged to, King Jason Szinzar - a man who is "as expressive as a stone. A stone in the dead of winter, to give an idea of how much warmth there was in his countenance." When she is kidnapped on the eve of her wedding, the outlaws that capture her jog her memory, and all she wants to do is get back to her home in Carnison and be with her father in his old age. The powerful men all around her have other plans, however, and she's forced to face more of reality than she would like to deal with. Can you kill a man because he's an enemy? Can you really not trust anyone, when you've a fortune to your name that's easier to acquire through kidnapping and threats than by a wedding?

Flian is not a hothead, and she could be called passive. Her subtle charms may not appeal to everyone, especially not people looking for a kick-butt princess willing to take on anyone and everyone (for that, read "Once a Princess" - hilarious and exciting in all the right amounts). However, there is chemistry. Not in the Twilight-esque, ground-shaking, throat-tightening animal attraction, but in gestures and conversations and how the characters interact with one another. It struck me as very realistic - the kind of romance you can relate to. The magic is mostly present in the fact that "The Trouble with Kings" is set in a magical world with some handy magical objects and interesting magical history. Both are believable.

That said, I stayed up until 6 o'clock in the morning reading this, unable to put it down. It was great to see Flian grow and decide to take action - decide to find out who really is on her side, and help them if possible. If you're willing to read a book about a girl who is strong in a way that doesn't necessarily involve kicking butt, I recommend this book as highly as I can. It's fun, it's fast, and it's full of all the things we love: adventure, excitement, kings, queens, princesses, romance, magic - and beautiful dresses.

12 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Pleasent Read, December 30, 2008

By 

S. Stickel - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Trouble with Kings (Paperback)

This book was a pleasent fantasy/romance along the same lines as Crown Duel. I liked the main character, a very normal girl which I think was the whole point. She is not supposed to be a superhero, or "Princess", she is a regular person with regular strengths and weaknesses. The missunderstandings and romance was very remmenisant of Pride and Predjudice. To give you an idea of my viewpoint, I am a fan of Ms Smith and I adore her Inda series, as well as Crown Duel. Senrid, on the other hand, I hated and couldn't get past the begenning. I enjoyed this book, and will no doubt reread it again in the future, which I suppose is the real test afterall.

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A book to come back to...., January 1, 2009

By 

A. - See all my reviews
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Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The Trouble with Kings (Paperback)

This is a delightful book. There is fun, humor, adventure, saddness, romance, coming of age - all in sufficient quantity to complete the story. Nothing is overboard - as is not uncommon these days.

I bought the e-book version as soon as it was available, and have re-read several times so far.

The heroine, Flian, is a quiet princess who prefers to watch things from the sidelines. Unfortunately, circumstances compel her to participate. Eventually she realizes there is a balance to be had between action and inaction, and choses her path and future accordingly.

Three Cheers for another fine book from Sherwood Smith!