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bethrb's review
3.75
The ending felt very rushed, but this was a lot of fun. I'm glad I finally got around to reading this series!
rahellarad's review
5.0
The number of times I’ve now sent screenshots of my reading notes from this book to friends is well beyond any other work, so you know this one was good. I made the mistake of continuing straight on after Crown Duel and read Court Duel at work, which meant that by the time I’d finished it, I had given myself a bruise on my hand from gripping it so hard, and a crick in my neck from trying to hold my laughter in.
The plot in Court Duel is same same but wildly different from Crown Duel - Instead of focusing on one big main problem which threatens Mel’s life, we focus on a big main problem which threaten’s Mel’s patience - Vidanric, Marquis of Shevraeth, son of the Prince of Reneslaeus, and shoo-in for the throne of Remalna. Mel and Danric do NOT see eye to eye, and seem to devolve into arguments every time Mel has the misfortune of laying eyes on the otherwise-charming Marquis. With Mel’s brother firmly ensconced at Court and with a marriage upcoming, it falls to Mel to finally face the music and learn the ways of court decorum to spend time with her brother and soon-to-be sister-in-law. But Mel quickly finds there are people lurking behind the fluttering painted fans of court who would seek to exploit the tumultuous relationship between Danric and herself, and Mel isn’t sure whether the most obvious choice for the throne is the best one… or who she should trust. With a secret admirer sending her notes, and each day fraught with hidden social perils to navigate her way through, Mel soon finds herself turning to old allies and forging unexpected new ones to help her understand court - and romantic - intrigue.
This book slapsso hard. I had the pleasure of borrowing the edition where both stories were published in the same volume, as well as Sherwood Smith’s extra’s from LiveJournal and I don’t think I’ve been more thrilled in my life than when I realised I was going to get tasteful POV switches at the end of the story - and I am someone who generally hates unnecessary POV switches. I even wrote in my notes that I wanted to hear from Danric, just a little bit, just as a treat, and Sherwood Smith, like always, knew exactly what I wanted. It’s also worth mentioning that this book was fucking hilarious, and I took by far and away the most notes I’ve ever taken while reading it because I just needed some keyboard smashes to let off some steam.
The romance in this was beautifully crafted, and every character was treated with reverence and care. Feelings were accurately portrayed (and worked through!!!!) and everyone was given time and breathing room to process - I also appreciated that nobody jumped to conclusions about how anybody else felt, either, because I hate reading misinterpreted feelings. The romance was so nice I wouldn’t shut the fuck up about it for the next week after I read the book and was trying to convince everyone who’d listen that they should read it and send me notes every thirty pages. The bread crumbing for the plot in this was so good that I didn’t even realise it had been bread crumbing until the reveal was made, which is astonishingly rare for me!! Superb pacing which neatly coupled romantic developments with plot counterparts.
Yet again, another 5/5, this would get a 6 if it were possible. So good I genuinely think I’m going to read the whole thing again cover to cover just for fun.
The plot in Court Duel is same same but wildly different from Crown Duel - Instead of focusing on one big main problem which threatens Mel’s life, we focus on a big main problem which threaten’s Mel’s patience - Vidanric, Marquis of Shevraeth, son of the Prince of Reneslaeus, and shoo-in for the throne of Remalna. Mel and Danric do NOT see eye to eye, and seem to devolve into arguments every time Mel has the misfortune of laying eyes on the otherwise-charming Marquis. With Mel’s brother firmly ensconced at Court and with a marriage upcoming, it falls to Mel to finally face the music and learn the ways of court decorum to spend time with her brother and soon-to-be sister-in-law. But Mel quickly finds there are people lurking behind the fluttering painted fans of court who would seek to exploit the tumultuous relationship between Danric and herself, and Mel isn’t sure whether the most obvious choice for the throne is the best one… or who she should trust. With a secret admirer sending her notes, and each day fraught with hidden social perils to navigate her way through, Mel soon finds herself turning to old allies and forging unexpected new ones to help her understand court - and romantic - intrigue.
This book slapsso hard. I had the pleasure of borrowing the edition where both stories were published in the same volume, as well as Sherwood Smith’s extra’s from LiveJournal and I don’t think I’ve been more thrilled in my life than when I realised I was going to get tasteful POV switches at the end of the story - and I am someone who generally hates unnecessary POV switches. I even wrote in my notes that I wanted to hear from Danric, just a little bit, just as a treat, and Sherwood Smith, like always, knew exactly what I wanted. It’s also worth mentioning that this book was fucking hilarious, and I took by far and away the most notes I’ve ever taken while reading it because I just needed some keyboard smashes to let off some steam.
The romance in this was beautifully crafted, and every character was treated with reverence and care. Feelings were accurately portrayed (and worked through!!!!) and everyone was given time and breathing room to process - I also appreciated that nobody jumped to conclusions about how anybody else felt, either, because I hate reading misinterpreted feelings. The romance was so nice I wouldn’t shut the fuck up about it for the next week after I read the book and was trying to convince everyone who’d listen that they should read it and send me notes every thirty pages. The bread crumbing for the plot in this was so good that I didn’t even realise it had been bread crumbing until the reveal was made, which is astonishingly rare for me!! Superb pacing which neatly coupled romantic developments with plot counterparts.
Yet again, another 5/5, this would get a 6 if it were possible. So good I genuinely think I’m going to read the whole thing again cover to cover just for fun.
raadelma's review
3.0
This was such a delightful series! Really liked how the first book was more action! and adventure!, while Court Duel focused on subtler political shenanigans; both of them had their own strong points. Meliara was a great main character with some really nice character development. The slow burn romance was excellent, too. The only reason I am not giving this four stars is that the ending, especially few last chapters, felt quite rushed and abrupt.
eb00kie's review against another edition
5.0
Funny and touching - proof that sensibility isn't lost on people
scribesprite's review
4.0
I could go on and on about how much I appreciate the author for keeping everything fairly simple and great but I’ll keep it at a minimum. There were more politics in this book instead of the action present in the first book. I still really like Mel and she is still true to herself. She is headstrong, aware of her ignorance, and an all around nice girl.
Even though there was more politics in this book it wasn’t half as cumbersome as in other books I’ve read. There were a few times when I had to think back to who they were talking about, but that is mostly because I’m lazy with names.
Most of the book consists of Mel trying to figure out the ways of the court and whose side she is on. She makes some accurate guesses and some mistakes too. She still needs help from her friends, acquaintances, and her secret admirer who was actually helping her in more ways than with just his letters and gifts. I liked the concept of a secret admirer. The guy didn’t go on and on about how much he loved her and how great she was so it didn’t annoy me as it could have. It was kind of obvious who the “secret admirer” was but it didn’t bother me. I actually kind of liked it because I was in on the secret.
The drama level of both books is low and I’m thankful for that. The book as a whole was an easy and enjoyable read.
Even though there was more politics in this book it wasn’t half as cumbersome as in other books I’ve read. There were a few times when I had to think back to who they were talking about, but that is mostly because I’m lazy with names.
Most of the book consists of Mel trying to figure out the ways of the court and whose side she is on. She makes some accurate guesses and some mistakes too. She still needs help from her friends, acquaintances, and her secret admirer who was actually helping her in more ways than with just his letters and gifts. I liked the concept of a secret admirer. The guy didn’t go on and on about how much he loved her and how great she was so it didn’t annoy me as it could have. It was kind of obvious who the “secret admirer” was but it didn’t bother me. I actually kind of liked it because I was in on the secret.
The drama level of both books is low and I’m thankful for that. The book as a whole was an easy and enjoyable read.
punandprose's review
4.0
Such a great read! Meliara shows what she's made of: a super solid, no-nonsense young woman. She sticks to her guns, and even though she may feel a bit self-conscious at times, she doesn't let it overrule her actions or sense of what's right. I liked the little bit of romance that was provided on the side of the main storyline. It was charming, and I just have to say that I called it from the beginning of the first book.
mlottermoser's review
4.0
I actually liked this book more than the first. The characters were more relatable and the plot moved along steadily.
futurememory's review
3.0
If you're a fan of Crown Duel, I definitely feel like Court Duel is a must-read. Crown Duel almost feels like a prequel, and Court Duel has all of the intrigue and small dramas. The two parts are now sold as one book, and it's 100% appropriate.
That being said, my god, is Mel dense. It's almost painful to watch her flounder around, completely unaware of things happening right under her nose. The first book contains much of this, and the second book continues in the tradition of clueless heroine. I kind of enjoyed the fact that she's ignorant, but some beats were just a bit... much.
The pace is pretty okay - probably a bit slower than current YA fantasy novels - and overall, it's a really solid read.
That being said, my god, is Mel dense. It's almost painful to watch her flounder around, completely unaware of things happening right under her nose. The first book contains much of this, and the second book continues in the tradition of clueless heroine. I kind of enjoyed the fact that she's ignorant, but some beats were just a bit... much.
The pace is pretty okay - probably a bit slower than current YA fantasy novels - and overall, it's a really solid read.