Crown Duel by Sherwood Smith

[meganbmoore]

In some ways, the plot of this book (originally released as two books) is the most generic of generic fantasy plots. Countess Meliara of Tlanth (we shall call her Mel, as the book calls her Meliara so rarely that I blinked when it did) and her brother, Branaric (Bran) are descended from the royal line through their mother. Their mother was murdered

Comments

[redbrunja]

Plus, isn't the understated sexual tension, especially in the first book, utterly fantastic? I loved the relationship between Shevreath and Mel.

[meganbmoore]

Yes. A lot of the times "UST" seems to either be badly handled bythe text, or, often, it seems to me to be more in a person's head than on the page(including some cases where I'd actually like there to be UST) but this was actually handled pretty well.

(Though, frankly, romance that's secondaryto plot often is handled better than when it's a main focus.)

[redbrunja]

*nods* Yep, UST is one of the hardest things to do right, if only because milage varies so much.

(Though, frankly, romance that's secondaryto plot often is handled better than when it's a main focus.)

Exactly. I love romance with a little r books for just that reason.

[meganbmoore]

The problem I have with UST is that it often seems to be code for "what I wish were the case" with fans and "what I want to be called clever for" with writers.

Romance when it's central often fails because I'm not left with the impression that the couple can handle anything worse than an interested third party, or a few issues from the past.

[meganbmoore]

It's one of the things I noticed...that there's no real hint of her being "special" until near the end.

[the_sun_is_up]

OMG I loved that book! :D Though most of my love may be due to what redbrunja mentioned: the massive amounts of UST between Mel and Shevreath, to which Mel seemed largely and amusingly oblivious for most of the book.

[meganbmoore]

Yeah, the obliviousness is handled well.

(I have to say, between here and Amazon reviews, I seem to be the only one not in love with Shevraeth...I liked him quite a bit, but apparently not as much as others...)

[the_sun_is_up]

Ha, I can see how that would happen. Well I liked him fine, but I was more interested in him to the extent that he was standing around having smouldering chemistry with Mel.

[meganbmoore]

It's pretty good. I'm annoyed to note that only a part of a series of hers that sounds interesting is currently in print.

[estara]

Well at least you can get Inda, Fox and the third hardcover this year and that's the same world as CrownDuel as far as I know.

There's one short story about Mel's daughter in a Firebird Anthology, too.

The Wren books don't really connect here, I thought. I haven't managed to read the third one, it's just too sad a beginning for me.

[southerndave]

"and her brother, Branaric (Bran)"

Am I the only person who first read that as "Brainiac"?

[meganbmoore]

No, no you are not. Should you read the book, you also will not be the only one to do a double take every time his proper name is used.

(And yet, two more different characters are difficult to imagine...)