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Sartorias-deles (Timeline Order) #23
The Trouble with Kings
Princess Flian finds herself the unwilling object of desire of three royals. Is the one she wants a villain--or 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.
Flian endures another abduction, this time in the middle of a poetry reading. Who is the villain? Prince Garian Herlester--languid, elegant, sarcastic? Prince Jaim--he 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. The problem with action is that duels of wit turn into duels of steel--and love can't be grabbed and galloped away.
NOTE: this edition has gone out of print, and has been edited and reissued by Book View Cafe.
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.
Flian endures another abduction, this time in the middle of a poetry reading. Who is the villain? Prince Garian Herlester--languid, elegant, sarcastic? Prince Jaim--he 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. The problem with action is that duels of wit turn into duels of steel--and love can't be grabbed and galloped away.
NOTE: this edition has gone out of print, and has been edited and reissued by Book View Cafe.
309 pages, ebook
First published February 1, 2008
75 people are currently reading
2458 people want to read
About the author
Sherwood Smith
168 books37.5k followersI am a writer,( Patreon here) but I'm on Goodreads to talk about books, as I've been a passionate reader as long as I've been a writer--since early childhood.
I'm not going to rate books--there are too many variables. I'd rather talk about the reading experience. My 'reviews' of my books are confined to the writing process.
I'm not going to rate books--there are too many variables. I'd rather talk about the reading experience. My 'reviews' of my books are confined to the writing process.
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March 10, 2015Wrote this one in my early twenties, around the time I wrote Crown Duel.
The initial idea was to write up what happened to an ordinary princess (back in those days they all had raven locks (never black, always raven) and gemstone eyes (emerald, topaz, sapphire) so I'd put this totally ordinary princess in the biggest set of adventures I could contrive. Abductions? Two, no three! Sword fights and chases? Bring 'em on!
But as I wrote it, and thought about how an ordinary person would deal with extraordinary circumstances, it really became a story about choosing to take charge of one's life, rather than drifting along making nice right and left. Because when I was young, we were told that Ladies Make Nice . . . the problem was, life didn't always make nice back.
I have gained the rights back, polished it, and reissued it via Book View Cafe.
The initial idea was to write up what happened to an ordinary princess (back in those days they all had raven locks (never black, always raven) and gemstone eyes (emerald, topaz, sapphire) so I'd put this totally ordinary princess in the biggest set of adventures I could contrive. Abductions? Two, no three! Sword fights and chases? Bring 'em on!
But as I wrote it, and thought about how an ordinary person would deal with extraordinary circumstances, it really became a story about choosing to take charge of one's life, rather than drifting along making nice right and left. Because when I was young, we were told that Ladies Make Nice . . . the problem was, life didn't always make nice back.
I have gained the rights back, polished it, and reissued it via Book View Cafe.
December 19, 2017
I pulled this YA fantasy romance up out of the depths of my Kindle app last night and reread it. As an antidote to stress it worked very well, even if it kept me up until 1:30 am. :) The Trouble with Kings will appeal to readers who are looking for a fairly light young adult fantasy adventure with a side of romance (of the squeaky clean variety). If you've read Sherwood Smith's Crown Duel, this is much in the same vein. I like that one even better, so if you haven't read either I'd go for Crown Duel first, but The Trouble with Kings has its own appealing charm.
Princess Flian wakes with a case of amnesia, surrounded by people she doesn't recognize. She's assured by Garian, the lord of the castle where she's staying, that she's among friends - in fact, she's due to be married to Jason, Garian's friend, in a few days. This is rather alarming to Flian, not just because she doesn't recognize Jason (or anyone else) but also because he's distinctly sinister-looking. So perhaps it's a good thing that Flian is abducted just before the wedding! But that's only the beginning of her adventures.
What I especially like about this one is the way Sherwood Smith plays with tropes: The heroine, Flian, gets kidnapped so many times (including twice before the book even picks up the plot!) it'll make your head spin. And it's because of her wealth and use as a political pawn, not because of any amazing beauty that she has - which Flian realizes full well. She's a very ordinary-looking person, with the type of hair that my mother used to refer to unflatteringly as dishwater blonde.
Flian is also a shy person, rather an introvert, who considers herself to have no people skills. It's fun to see that part of her personality develop through the course of the book. And the people she meets in the course of her adventures sometimes turn out to be not at all the type of person she originally judged them to be. Her ultimate romantic interest .
Full review to come.
Content advisory/TW: There's one nasty character who thinks it's okay to slap around and physically abuse women.
Princess Flian wakes with a case of amnesia, surrounded by people she doesn't recognize. She's assured by Garian, the lord of the castle where she's staying, that she's among friends - in fact, she's due to be married to Jason, Garian's friend, in a few days. This is rather alarming to Flian, not just because she doesn't recognize Jason (or anyone else) but also because he's distinctly sinister-looking. So perhaps it's a good thing that Flian is abducted just before the wedding! But that's only the beginning of her adventures.
What I especially like about this one is the way Sherwood Smith plays with tropes: The heroine, Flian, gets kidnapped so many times (including twice before the book even picks up the plot!) it'll make your head spin. And it's because of her wealth and use as a political pawn, not because of any amazing beauty that she has - which Flian realizes full well. She's a very ordinary-looking person, with the type of hair that my mother used to refer to unflatteringly as dishwater blonde.
Flian is also a shy person, rather an introvert, who considers herself to have no people skills. It's fun to see that part of her personality develop through the course of the book. And the people she meets in the course of her adventures sometimes turn out to be not at all the type of person she originally judged them to be. Her ultimate romantic interest .
Full review to come.
Content advisory/TW: There's one nasty character who thinks it's okay to slap around and physically abuse women.
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January 27, 2023Read this book two years back and finally writing a short review! Confession: I loved Crown Duel by the same author & so I read this hoping for similar feels. This book gave me everything I asked for, and I would not hesitate to recommend to any of my YA fantasy friends with a quick warning:
The first 100 pages bored me to tears. No action, no drama (at least for me), the dialogue was lacking its luster and I was tired of all the girly, frilly details and the lack of an interesting male lead.
I was honestly shocked this was the same author who had written the masterpiece that was Crown Duel. I only kept reading because I had bought the book in paperback and I feel more guilty about DNFing my paperbacks than Kindle books.
But then all of a sudden the plot picked up & I realized who the love interest was and I couldn't put the dang thing down. Literally. I didn't go to sleep that night.
This book is very similar to Crown Duel -the romance plays out almost the exact same way, but hey it's in a new setting with a new plot and new characters and frankly I loved the romance the first time around so a repeat performance didn't bother me in the least. The last half of the book was it's saving grace and I loved every second of it.
Five stars. I would recommend this book to any YA fantasy romance fan. Yes, there is action and drama too, but if you read the blurb this is definitely about the romance. Also, side note, the paperback I have has a different cover with a really hot cover model for the romantic lead (not cheating and telling you who since it's supposed to be a mystery). I don't know why but I love when books put the perfect cover model for the leads on them, I kept flipping to the front as I was reading. I don't even like long hair and goatees or mustaches but somehow it just worked;P
Oh, and that title. I am freaking obsessed with this title. I don't know why. I just am.
The first 100 pages bored me to tears. No action, no drama (at least for me), the dialogue was lacking its luster and I was tired of all the girly, frilly details and the lack of an interesting male lead.
I was honestly shocked this was the same author who had written the masterpiece that was Crown Duel. I only kept reading because I had bought the book in paperback and I feel more guilty about DNFing my paperbacks than Kindle books.
But then all of a sudden the plot picked up & I realized who the love interest was and I couldn't put the dang thing down. Literally. I didn't go to sleep that night.
This book is very similar to Crown Duel -the romance plays out almost the exact same way, but hey it's in a new setting with a new plot and new characters and frankly I loved the romance the first time around so a repeat performance didn't bother me in the least. The last half of the book was it's saving grace and I loved every second of it.
Five stars. I would recommend this book to any YA fantasy romance fan. Yes, there is action and drama too, but if you read the blurb this is definitely about the romance. Also, side note, the paperback I have has a different cover with a really hot cover model for the romantic lead (not cheating and telling you who since it's supposed to be a mystery). I don't know why but I love when books put the perfect cover model for the leads on them, I kept flipping to the front as I was reading. I don't even like long hair and goatees or mustaches but somehow it just worked;P
Oh, and that title. I am freaking obsessed with this title. I don't know why. I just am.
August 18, 2016
In order to truly enjoy this book, you'll need to:
(1) Forgive the author for naming the heroine "Princess Flian"
(2) Be patient when the storytelling gets weighed down by seemingly unimportant details (and when you realize later that YES, they really were totally unimportant. I suppose you could say all that extra crap was part of the 'world-building', but eh, whatever - I could've done without it.)
(3) Be cool with extremely vague magic (that honestly, felt a bit half-assed)
I enjoyed this overall (the second half was much better than the first). It very much reminded me of Crown Duel, in a good way.
This really felt like "old school" YA fantasy. Aaaand, now that I've said that, I don't really know what I mean by it. But if you happen to know what I mean, and if you're into it, then I say check this one out! :)
(It was fun trying to figure out which guy was supposed to be the actual hero and love interest of the story. At first it seemed obvious, then it didn't, then it did, then it was like, wait, is the author making THIS guy seem obvious cuz it's actually NOT him?? haha, it was fun.)
3.5 stars
(1) Forgive the author for naming the heroine "Princess Flian"
(2) Be patient when the storytelling gets weighed down by seemingly unimportant details (and when you realize later that YES, they really were totally unimportant. I suppose you could say all that extra crap was part of the 'world-building', but eh, whatever - I could've done without it.)
(3) Be cool with extremely vague magic (that honestly, felt a bit half-assed)
I enjoyed this overall (the second half was much better than the first). It very much reminded me of Crown Duel, in a good way.
This really felt like "old school" YA fantasy. Aaaand, now that I've said that, I don't really know what I mean by it. But if you happen to know what I mean, and if you're into it, then I say check this one out! :)
(It was fun trying to figure out which guy was supposed to be the actual hero and love interest of the story. At first it seemed obvious, then it didn't, then it did, then it was like, wait, is the author making THIS guy seem obvious cuz it's actually NOT him?? haha, it was fun.)
3.5 stars
December 30, 2008
First published in ebook format by Samhain Publishing, The Trouble with Kings was just recently released in print format. I read and loved Crown Duel several years ago and this one caught my eye because it sounded similar in a delightfully swashbuckling sort of way. This book is also being billed as a fantasy romance--a genre I'm beginning to feel is a bit finicky (for me at least). It seems very difficult to strike just the right chord.
Flian is a princess. Though when we first meet her she does not recall that rather important fact about herself. She does not, in fact, recall anything about herself as she apparently took a fall off a horse, a bump on the head, and lost her memory. She awakes in an old woman's cabin and is soon whisked off to a castle by her "cousin" Garian. Garian seems very keen to let Flian know she was on her way to see him when she took the fall. Oh, and she was also on her way to her marriage to a dour king named Jason who is also in residence at the castle. Despite the fact that she feels nothing for Jason (and is pretty sure Garian is drugging her drinks) Flian goes along with the plan. That is until another overbearing prince crashes through the window on horseback and whisks her off to a cave in the back of beyond. This prince turns out to be Dour King Jason's brother who is very intent on selling his version of events. Naturally. Eventually Flian manages to remember herself and get home. She even has a loving father and pretty awesome brother waiting for her there. Not that she gets to enjoy them long. Dour King Jason swoops in in the middle of a poetry reading and carries her off once more.
Okay. Enough with the plotliness. I had a problem with this book. For one thing, it was very light on the fantasy and even lighter on the romance. I kept waiting for something magical to happen or for there to be some semblance of chemistry between characters (in any sense), but it never came. I really wanted to like it. And parts of it I liked very much. It has a great premise: the amnesiac princess who gets carried off not once but thrice (it's actually even more than that) and has to determine which prince/dour king is lying to her and who to trust, etc. The thing is the abductions got to be too much. And Flian wasn't compelling enough to carry the whole thing off. If she was just so freaking awesome that it was clear why these nutjobs wanted her and you wanted to stick with her and watch her be awesome and figure out which nutjob was actually a cool cat, then that would be one thing. But Flian is just. so. boring. And the princes three? Turns out they're just nutjobs. Pretty creepy ones, in fact. Nothing more. None of the characters get any decent development and when you do find out which one has been telling the truth the whole time (even though he SO has not) he doesn't get any cooler. He's just no longer the one who wants to marry her for her money then kill her. Hardly my idea of The One. Now it did keep me reading all the way through because I kept hoping at some point the story would delve beneath the surface and I'd get to know these perplexing characters in some more profound way. But satisfacton was not in the cards this time.
Flian is a princess. Though when we first meet her she does not recall that rather important fact about herself. She does not, in fact, recall anything about herself as she apparently took a fall off a horse, a bump on the head, and lost her memory. She awakes in an old woman's cabin and is soon whisked off to a castle by her "cousin" Garian. Garian seems very keen to let Flian know she was on her way to see him when she took the fall. Oh, and she was also on her way to her marriage to a dour king named Jason who is also in residence at the castle. Despite the fact that she feels nothing for Jason (and is pretty sure Garian is drugging her drinks) Flian goes along with the plan. That is until another overbearing prince crashes through the window on horseback and whisks her off to a cave in the back of beyond. This prince turns out to be Dour King Jason's brother who is very intent on selling his version of events. Naturally. Eventually Flian manages to remember herself and get home. She even has a loving father and pretty awesome brother waiting for her there. Not that she gets to enjoy them long. Dour King Jason swoops in in the middle of a poetry reading and carries her off once more.
Okay. Enough with the plotliness. I had a problem with this book. For one thing, it was very light on the fantasy and even lighter on the romance. I kept waiting for something magical to happen or for there to be some semblance of chemistry between characters (in any sense), but it never came. I really wanted to like it. And parts of it I liked very much. It has a great premise: the amnesiac princess who gets carried off not once but thrice (it's actually even more than that) and has to determine which prince/dour king is lying to her and who to trust, etc. The thing is the abductions got to be too much. And Flian wasn't compelling enough to carry the whole thing off. If she was just so freaking awesome that it was clear why these nutjobs wanted her and you wanted to stick with her and watch her be awesome and figure out which nutjob was actually a cool cat, then that would be one thing. But Flian is just. so. boring. And the princes three? Turns out they're just nutjobs. Pretty creepy ones, in fact. Nothing more. None of the characters get any decent development and when you do find out which one has been telling the truth the whole time (even though he SO has not) he doesn't get any cooler. He's just no longer the one who wants to marry her for her money then kill her. Hardly my idea of The One. Now it did keep me reading all the way through because I kept hoping at some point the story would delve beneath the surface and I'd get to know these perplexing characters in some more profound way. But satisfacton was not in the cards this time.
January 12, 2012
Flian is rich and a princess, but she takes no pleasure in the sycophants or court politics she's known all her life. Being kidnapped by three royals in short succession (the sarcastic Garion, the dour Jason, and the swashbuckling Jaim) shakes up her staid routine. She begins to rethink her life, and how she wants to spend it. Annoyed at the numerous kidnappings, Flian takes up self-defense lessons (but in a twist on the trope, she doesn't become a super-ninja, but instead just slightly more competent and confident). She realizes that she's letting others lead the Court, and that if she wants it to be a more friendly, interesting place, she has to take charge and do it herself. In one of her escape attempts, Flian spends time as a maid, and starts thinking about her own servants. She was never cruel, but never exactly inviting, either, and she seeks to change that. (Amusingly, this works well in some instances but not in all--when she tries to have a more intimate conversation with her life-long ladies maid, the woman is clearly discomfited and uncomfortable.) She has long conversations with her brother, who rules their country, about what it means to be a good and just ruler. Meanwhile, Flian begins to realize that at least one of her kidnappers is a better man than she'd thought...
One thing I love about Sherwood Smith is that she always plays with the expectations and assumptions of the genre. Most fantasy is written in a pseudo-medieval Western Europe where society is patriarchal and queer and non-white people don't exist (or, as in the case of CS Lewis, are only present in order to be a villanous contrast). Reading stories set in a slightly fantastical version of the dominant culture and paradigm is fun! But it does get old, especially when "realism" is used as an excuse for why the author didn't bother to do much in the way of world-building. If readers can accept dragons and wizards without disbelief, surely we can deal with the occassional non-patriarchal, non-heterosexist society? Is it really so unbelievable that not all cultures are based in the same assumptions as ours is? Sherwood Smith uses the magical background of her stories (for magic itself is only rarely mentioned, but is used constantly in a thousand quiet, housekeeping-type ways) to create societies without hang-ups about polyamory, heterosexism or homophobia, sexism, or racism. Smith doesn't preach, she just creates societies in which the most beautiful woman in the world has brown skin, women are rulers and jailors and housemaids, in which a queen's female lover helps run the country and the most jock-like man at court is the one to capture the eye of a handsome visiting prince. It's all so casually accepted that it feels beleivable. Her work is unpretentious proof that medievalish fantasy world doesn't have to have sexism to be realistic.
Which is not to say that this is a great novel. The world is great, the characters belieable and relatable, and the dialog natural. There are lots of friendships that never turn romantic, but have their ups and downs nevertheless. There are fight scenes and strategy, internecine court politics and off-handed talk about countries left under centuries of enchanted isolation. But though the fantasy is good, the romance is not. I rooted for the couple to get together, but the periodic insertion of romance novel tropes felt unnatural and forced. Also, the names feel off: Flian and Maxl don't trip off the tongue, but at least they're better than "King Jason" or (worst of all) "Princess Jewel". That aside, I really liked this book, and am feeling disheartened at the fact that it's over and I have to read something else.
One thing I love about Sherwood Smith is that she always plays with the expectations and assumptions of the genre. Most fantasy is written in a pseudo-medieval Western Europe where society is patriarchal and queer and non-white people don't exist (or, as in the case of CS Lewis, are only present in order to be a villanous contrast). Reading stories set in a slightly fantastical version of the dominant culture and paradigm is fun! But it does get old, especially when "realism" is used as an excuse for why the author didn't bother to do much in the way of world-building. If readers can accept dragons and wizards without disbelief, surely we can deal with the occassional non-patriarchal, non-heterosexist society? Is it really so unbelievable that not all cultures are based in the same assumptions as ours is? Sherwood Smith uses the magical background of her stories (for magic itself is only rarely mentioned, but is used constantly in a thousand quiet, housekeeping-type ways) to create societies without hang-ups about polyamory, heterosexism or homophobia, sexism, or racism. Smith doesn't preach, she just creates societies in which the most beautiful woman in the world has brown skin, women are rulers and jailors and housemaids, in which a queen's female lover helps run the country and the most jock-like man at court is the one to capture the eye of a handsome visiting prince. It's all so casually accepted that it feels beleivable. Her work is unpretentious proof that medievalish fantasy world doesn't have to have sexism to be realistic.
Which is not to say that this is a great novel. The world is great, the characters belieable and relatable, and the dialog natural. There are lots of friendships that never turn romantic, but have their ups and downs nevertheless. There are fight scenes and strategy, internecine court politics and off-handed talk about countries left under centuries of enchanted isolation. But though the fantasy is good, the romance is not. I rooted for the couple to get together, but the periodic insertion of romance novel tropes felt unnatural and forced. Also, the names feel off: Flian and Maxl don't trip off the tongue, but at least they're better than "King Jason" or (worst of all) "Princess Jewel". That aside, I really liked this book, and am feeling disheartened at the fact that it's over and I have to read something else.
June 29, 2016
A solid YA story, very funny and full of royal politics (or social carriage races, depending on where you stand). I particularly appreciated the no-nonsense narrator and the absorbing mix of action and inner struggles. Straightforward, but oh so very smart and unlike what I've come to expect from YA literature. 4.5 stars, rounded up with glee.
Passivity without strength created victims. Only where did strength cross over into evil?
Passivity without strength created victims. Only where did strength cross over into evil?
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February 24, 2009Feeling a bit too indecisive to choose number of stars for this. It wasn't Crown Duel, but had so many similarities in ways that it was a bit hard not to measure it against that, which isn't really fair. It certainly wouldn't be one to give someone who'd never read Sherwood Smith before, but devoted fans might have the problem I had of comparing it to the Crown & Court Duet. I did find the characters grew on me, and the heroine was far from the passive victim of fate the back-cover blurb, with its stress on the number of times she's abducted, might suggest. But it took a while before I was willing to accept the hero's worth as a romantic lead. Some of that was the kind of misunderstandings seen in the C&C Duet, but not as deftly done to my mind. Quite a few elements recognizable from Jane Austen's books, I thought, and that was fun. Overall, not top-notch Sherwood Smith, but I enjoyed it.
January 14, 2010
Genre: Young Adult (maybe), High Fantasy, Romance
This book is a romance more then anything else. The principal characters are all royalty (mostly from differing kingdoms) and politics plays a role, but I don't think the politics are very realistic; Moral and ethical behavior (while highly desirable in a hero or heroine) when it's combined with a huge amount of naiveté sounds like a recipe for getting your kingdom conquered, in a world of realpolitik. Luckily for the hero and heroine, it doesn't seem to be a world of realpolitik. The backdrop of international (though illogical) politics makes a great venue for the hero and heroine to display their honor and mettle and to recognize admirable qualities in each other.
The plot has many romance plot tropes - a villainous king with no logical reason for his actions, a heroine who's hit her head and has no memory, and a tall, dark and silent hero. The background cast of characters is colorful and amusing: a princess from a poverty stricken country who only wants to attend parties and have fun (and despite her superficial silliness, which she never does grow out of, one likes very much); A golden haired crown prince, struggling to responsibly govern while being chased by rapacious females hoping to win his hand; A run-away prince with not much sense leading a robin-hood-esque band of rebels against his "villainous" brother (whose villainy seems to have been to insist his brother be trained properly - and school is such a bore...); A manservant with a mysterious past, and more.
The heart of the story is the romance between Flian and Jason. It's incredibly sweet, for all they barely touch before the denouement. I found it very believable. You see him listen to her. You see him think of things for her comfort without ever asking for acknowledgement of the thought involved. She initially (though completely reasonably) misjudges him, and we get to watch that impression slowly change. We also get to see that Flian would be happy in his Kingdom, in a way that she is not in her own. At the end I very much believed in their future happiness as well as their current happiness.
I adored this book, despite its flaws. After finishing it, I immediately turned around and re-read all the best bits.
This book is a romance more then anything else. The principal characters are all royalty (mostly from differing kingdoms) and politics plays a role, but I don't think the politics are very realistic; Moral and ethical behavior (while highly desirable in a hero or heroine) when it's combined with a huge amount of naiveté sounds like a recipe for getting your kingdom conquered, in a world of realpolitik. Luckily for the hero and heroine, it doesn't seem to be a world of realpolitik. The backdrop of international (though illogical) politics makes a great venue for the hero and heroine to display their honor and mettle and to recognize admirable qualities in each other.
The plot has many romance plot tropes - a villainous king with no logical reason for his actions, a heroine who's hit her head and has no memory, and a tall, dark and silent hero. The background cast of characters is colorful and amusing: a princess from a poverty stricken country who only wants to attend parties and have fun (and despite her superficial silliness, which she never does grow out of, one likes very much); A golden haired crown prince, struggling to responsibly govern while being chased by rapacious females hoping to win his hand; A run-away prince with not much sense leading a robin-hood-esque band of rebels against his "villainous" brother (whose villainy seems to have been to insist his brother be trained properly - and school is such a bore...); A manservant with a mysterious past, and more.
The heart of the story is the romance between Flian and Jason. It's incredibly sweet, for all they barely touch before the denouement. I found it very believable. You see him listen to her. You see him think of things for her comfort without ever asking for acknowledgement of the thought involved. She initially (though completely reasonably) misjudges him, and we get to watch that impression slowly change. We also get to see that Flian would be happy in his Kingdom, in a way that she is not in her own. At the end I very much believed in their future happiness as well as their current happiness.
I adored this book, despite its flaws. After finishing it, I immediately turned around and re-read all the best bits.
December 11, 2017
While this book was amazing and beautiful and another great Sherwood Smith novel, I do have to get one thing off my chest...
WHY THE HECK COULD THEY NOT HAVE MADE A PRETTIER PAPERBACK COVER
Yes, I admit it, I am a shallow person who loves pretty book covers so that I can shove the book in people's faces and say, "LOOK HOW PRETTY."
The inside of this book is great though. Sherwood, you did not disappoint me
Some elements were similar to Crown Duel but that book is one of my absolute favorite novels that I have read in my lifetime, so the similarities gave me Crown Duel nostalgia, hooking me in even more. Different setting different plot, different characters. The similarities were in the way the romance played out. But again, Crown Duel's romance was the best, so no complaints here.
Jason, just like Shevraeth, was a judged and misunderstood cinnamon roll who deserves all the love in the world and who I wanted protected at all times
“We meet again.” Was he trying not to laugh?
Since I couldn’t think of an insult vast enough to express my irritation, I glared.
I am a sucker for straight-faced-but-fighting-a-smile men.
Flian is our lovely heroine, who I felt such a strong connection to that this book made it onto the all-time-favs shelf. She was quiet, tongue-tied, awkward, and had a hobby that helped her escape. She reminded me a lot of myself. Hopefully, though, I can be half as great as she turned out to be some day ❤️
Lovely book with a funny and interesting plot and a slow building, heart mushy romance which makes this book a must read.
WHY THE HECK COULD THEY NOT HAVE MADE A PRETTIER PAPERBACK COVER
Yes, I admit it, I am a shallow person who loves pretty book covers so that I can shove the book in people's faces and say, "LOOK HOW PRETTY."
The inside of this book is great though. Sherwood, you did not disappoint me
Some elements were similar to Crown Duel but that book is one of my absolute favorite novels that I have read in my lifetime, so the similarities gave me Crown Duel nostalgia, hooking me in even more. Different setting different plot, different characters. The similarities were in the way the romance played out. But again, Crown Duel's romance was the best, so no complaints here.
Jason, just like Shevraeth, was a judged and misunderstood cinnamon roll who deserves all the love in the world and who I wanted protected at all times
“We meet again.” Was he trying not to laugh?
Since I couldn’t think of an insult vast enough to express my irritation, I glared.
I am a sucker for straight-faced-but-fighting-a-smile men.
Flian is our lovely heroine, who I felt such a strong connection to that this book made it onto the all-time-favs shelf. She was quiet, tongue-tied, awkward, and had a hobby that helped her escape. She reminded me a lot of myself. Hopefully, though, I can be half as great as she turned out to be some day ❤️
Lovely book with a funny and interesting plot and a slow building, heart mushy romance which makes this book a must read.
September 30, 2016
The Trouble with Kings was on my radar for a while. Mostly because it's a standalone fantasy novel - a rare thing to find.
The good: It was easy to read and has a heroine to whom you could easily relate to. Although she is a princess, Flian seemed like an ordinary girl. And I liked how she grew up in the end.
The meh: Story had a couple of very boring parts..
The bad: I was very disappointed with the amount of magic this book had - almost none. Basically it's labeled fantasy because countries are all invented. I almost felt like the author was lazy to do some research and place it in European medieval setting.
In the end, The Trouble with Kings was just OK for me, nothing special. I'll probably give Sherwood Smith another chance to impress me before giving up on her.
The good: It was easy to read and has a heroine to whom you could easily relate to. Although she is a princess, Flian seemed like an ordinary girl. And I liked how she grew up in the end.
The meh: Story had a couple of very boring parts..
The bad: I was very disappointed with the amount of magic this book had - almost none. Basically it's labeled fantasy because countries are all invented. I almost felt like the author was lazy to do some research and place it in European medieval setting.
In the end, The Trouble with Kings was just OK for me, nothing special. I'll probably give Sherwood Smith another chance to impress me before giving up on her.
August 8, 2008
This was a very enjoyable ebook for those of us who love Sherwood Smith’s writing, her romance and politics, and who have read Crown Duel so many times we own a second copy. It’s hard for me to say what someone who isn’t familiar with her work would think, except that I worry this book might confuse them in parts and wouldn’t keep their interest long enough to get to all the great parts. Because I’ve loved her other books, I slogged through my format problems with it being an ebook, but with another author I doubt I would have had the patience.
My problems with this book almost all went back to format. See, this is an ebook, and it’s the first one I’ve read. Now, the price isn’t too bad at least–$6.50 for an ebook isn’t outrageous. But I’m just too much of a print book kind of person. I was tempted to simply print out the pages, but I hate spending paper like that. So I put it on my new little PDA that I won in a raffle and took three to four months to read a story that as a book would have taken me two days. Because I did enjoy the book. But I doubt I’ll reread it until it’s in print. For one thing, because with my PDA, what’s one page on the computer is three screens on my tiny screen. That alone makes the book far longer to read and made me set it down in the middle of a page quite often.
My second problem with the book was that it was very clear that there was a lot of extra information. I can’t help but think that if this had gone through one of the New York publishers, quite a bit would have been cut. Which is both good and bad. Good for the brand new reader for whom this is their first journey into Sherwood’s world, bad for the long time reader who wants to know more. Overall, the information was sometimes a little much but mostly just fine for me. When it did annoy me, it was probably as much because of the format I was reading in as the actual amount of information. Remember, one screen is only a third of a page, but my eye wants to think of it as a page. Sherwood writes most of her books in the same world, and name dropped a lot of countries from Crown Duel, though there was no real connection. So readers who enjoy Crown Duel would get what was being mentioned, but a new reader would just be lost and a bit irritated. I’ve read that book four times, and I still didn’t get all the references.
Now, I also had a few thoughts on the plot. It never really comes to a conclusion, except for the conclusion of the romances. The bad guy got no comeuppance; in fact soon before the end of the book he made more threats against the main character that were never carried out. I felt like we needed another good fifty pages, some kind of conclusion to the plot with the bad guy. And if a traditional publisher had taken this on, I can pretty much guarantee it would have had one. Still, I didn’t feel unsatisfied at the actual end of the book–it’s only as I think critically to write a review that the lack of ending bothers me. My other small issue with the plot was the vague uses of magic. Now in Crown Duel magic has a role. Here, Flian just occasionally is able to see faces in water or fire, but the magic never serves a purpose. That was one thing I felt a little let down about. I would have liked to see those bits of magic go on to have a more clear meaning. Instead, it’s kind of just a set up to the magic in Crown Duel.
It does look like this book will be available in paperback this December, so my personal recommendation would be to just wait until then, unless you enjoy ebooks. Fans of Crown Duel check it out.
Read the rest of my review at Bookwyrm Chrysalis!
My problems with this book almost all went back to format. See, this is an ebook, and it’s the first one I’ve read. Now, the price isn’t too bad at least–$6.50 for an ebook isn’t outrageous. But I’m just too much of a print book kind of person. I was tempted to simply print out the pages, but I hate spending paper like that. So I put it on my new little PDA that I won in a raffle and took three to four months to read a story that as a book would have taken me two days. Because I did enjoy the book. But I doubt I’ll reread it until it’s in print. For one thing, because with my PDA, what’s one page on the computer is three screens on my tiny screen. That alone makes the book far longer to read and made me set it down in the middle of a page quite often.
My second problem with the book was that it was very clear that there was a lot of extra information. I can’t help but think that if this had gone through one of the New York publishers, quite a bit would have been cut. Which is both good and bad. Good for the brand new reader for whom this is their first journey into Sherwood’s world, bad for the long time reader who wants to know more. Overall, the information was sometimes a little much but mostly just fine for me. When it did annoy me, it was probably as much because of the format I was reading in as the actual amount of information. Remember, one screen is only a third of a page, but my eye wants to think of it as a page. Sherwood writes most of her books in the same world, and name dropped a lot of countries from Crown Duel, though there was no real connection. So readers who enjoy Crown Duel would get what was being mentioned, but a new reader would just be lost and a bit irritated. I’ve read that book four times, and I still didn’t get all the references.
Now, I also had a few thoughts on the plot. It never really comes to a conclusion, except for the conclusion of the romances. The bad guy got no comeuppance; in fact soon before the end of the book he made more threats against the main character that were never carried out. I felt like we needed another good fifty pages, some kind of conclusion to the plot with the bad guy. And if a traditional publisher had taken this on, I can pretty much guarantee it would have had one. Still, I didn’t feel unsatisfied at the actual end of the book–it’s only as I think critically to write a review that the lack of ending bothers me. My other small issue with the plot was the vague uses of magic. Now in Crown Duel magic has a role. Here, Flian just occasionally is able to see faces in water or fire, but the magic never serves a purpose. That was one thing I felt a little let down about. I would have liked to see those bits of magic go on to have a more clear meaning. Instead, it’s kind of just a set up to the magic in Crown Duel.
It does look like this book will be available in paperback this December, so my personal recommendation would be to just wait until then, unless you enjoy ebooks. Fans of Crown Duel check it out.
Read the rest of my review at Bookwyrm Chrysalis!
December 30, 2008
In many ways, this book seemed like a trial run for Crown Duel. There were many similarities, yet this book just didn't measure up in comparison. Even taken on it's own, it had a major flaw.
I did like many of the characters and the pacing was good. The world-building was pretty good, but I sometimes felt like the author assumed I understood things that this story didn't fully explain. She also occasionally and randomly threw in archaic words or phrasings that weren't needed. Despite this, I probably would have given the book five stars.
However, the main character, Flian, is very passive. The problem is that she never stops being passive or really learns much from what has happened. She's kidnapped repeatedly, yet never sees a kidnapping coming even though the clues are all there.
Yes, she's nice and she's brave when it comes to her friends, but even she realizes she's always reacting to what other people do rather than acting to change things.
Spoilers Yes, she finally does take self-defense lessons, but she does this so she can protect herself if she's kidnapped again. She makes very little effort toward making sure she isn't kidnapped again. The other characters take care of that for her.
Another example is that she loves a very honorable man who has sworn to leave her alone. She's left him thinking that's what she wants. Rather than tell him the truth and fight for his love (against what she sees as the competition), she goes home to mope. It's left to the friends and family to get the two back together because neither of them were going to take action. The only action Flian takes is, when pressed, acknowledge she doesn't want him to leave and, when it's obvious he won't touch her without some sign from her, she has to step into his arms.End of Spoilers
So, despite some wonderful elements, the book left me feeling a little depressed.
I did like many of the characters and the pacing was good. The world-building was pretty good, but I sometimes felt like the author assumed I understood things that this story didn't fully explain. She also occasionally and randomly threw in archaic words or phrasings that weren't needed. Despite this, I probably would have given the book five stars.
However, the main character, Flian, is very passive. The problem is that she never stops being passive or really learns much from what has happened. She's kidnapped repeatedly, yet never sees a kidnapping coming even though the clues are all there.
Yes, she's nice and she's brave when it comes to her friends, but even she realizes she's always reacting to what other people do rather than acting to change things.
Spoilers Yes, she finally does take self-defense lessons, but she does this so she can protect herself if she's kidnapped again. She makes very little effort toward making sure she isn't kidnapped again. The other characters take care of that for her.
Another example is that she loves a very honorable man who has sworn to leave her alone. She's left him thinking that's what she wants. Rather than tell him the truth and fight for his love (against what she sees as the competition), she goes home to mope. It's left to the friends and family to get the two back together because neither of them were going to take action. The only action Flian takes is, when pressed, acknowledge she doesn't want him to leave and, when it's obvious he won't touch her without some sign from her, she has to step into his arms.End of Spoilers
So, despite some wonderful elements, the book left me feeling a little depressed.
September 12, 2013
I re-read this last night, and everything is so much clearer now. My previous confusion over the story--and the characters--is probably due to my desperation then to finish reading it in one seating and so foregoing sleep. The pacing won't set you on your toes, but the unspoken dialogue between the characters make me think twice about what they're really saying. And despite the spare details, the build-up of the romance made me go kilig (butterflies in the stomach?) more than the slew of HRs I've been reading lately. Flian's magical abilities weren't much mentioned as much as I liked, as well as what became of Garian, the smug snake.
3.5 stars. I like it mainly for its politics part. I find Jewel ridiculous and funny. I like Maxl too, but I think it's because I have a tendency to like strong but reserved intellectual characters. I liked that Flian isn't a teenager However, I find the development of a bit lacking. I was a bit confused how But that's just me. Maybe it's because of the POV? I got confused a bit at the beginning because there were so many questions in my head that were not yet answered in the book, but I liked how I can see events in the story interpreted by Flian and by the other characters and compare and put them together.
3.5 stars. I like it mainly for its politics part. I find Jewel ridiculous and funny. I like Maxl too, but I think it's because I have a tendency to like strong but reserved intellectual characters. I liked that Flian isn't a teenager However, I find the development of a bit lacking. I was a bit confused how But that's just me. Maybe it's because of the POV? I got confused a bit at the beginning because there were so many questions in my head that were not yet answered in the book, but I liked how I can see events in the story interpreted by Flian and by the other characters and compare and put them together.
December 2, 2015
I'm marking this down after the reread from 4 stars to 3.
It was an enjoyable fantasy romance with rich worldbuilding and an interesting plot but I wished the OW, Eleandra didn't have so much presence in the book and found it hard to believe the h didn't mind that the H had loved/wanted to marry the OW.
It was an enjoyable fantasy romance with rich worldbuilding and an interesting plot but I wished the OW, Eleandra didn't have so much presence in the book and found it hard to believe the h didn't mind that the H had loved/wanted to marry the OW.
March 25, 2019
I couldn't get into the story throughout the whole book I actually started to read the book months ago but stopped in like 25% and now I started to read it from the beginning. Overall I would say this was average, nothing special for me...
April 24, 2013
I started and finished this book the same day. When I finished it, I wanted to turn back to page one and start all over again.
It's hard to say what I liked most about The Trouble with Kings, so I've made a list.
1. The main character is more passive than your average protagonist, but wants to become active. She doesn't always succeed, but I could feel her effort to do more. As an incurably lazy person, I loved this.
2. Secondary characters are interesting and enjoyable.
3. The world is more accepting than ours, not the rigidly anti-woman, anti-gay backdrop we see in a lot of fantasy. Characters also have a range of skin colors.
4. Our heroine is squeamish.
5. While the plot never felt directionless, I felt more like I was experiencing someone's life rather than reading a story. There was extraneous detail, which is supposed to be a bad thing, but instead I enjoyed the not-necessarily-important-for-plot bits just as much as the plot bits.
6. A slightly Jane Austenish feel to thoughts and conversations. (I'm sure it's not uniquely Jane Austen but rather regency stuff--I just haven't read any non-Austen regency romances.)
7. The romance is relatively subdued, but what there was made me weak at the knees. I understand from other reviews that not everyone felt like this but this girl needed to fan herself a few times. (Ha! Get it? Sherwood Smith book and fans? Anyone? Anyone..?)
8. The exquisite languishing. Please tell me I'm not alone on this.
I'm going to quit it with the list because when it comes down to it I loved everything. If you prefer glitter to grit in your fantasy, and enjoy thoughts and feelings more than blood and guts... I highly recommend The Trouble with Kings. The first time I read it (a few years ago) I wasn't hugely impressed but somehow this time it was just right. This is definitely going in my feelgood, read-as-needed books. Prescription strength. :)
It's hard to say what I liked most about The Trouble with Kings, so I've made a list.
1. The main character is more passive than your average protagonist, but wants to become active. She doesn't always succeed, but I could feel her effort to do more. As an incurably lazy person, I loved this.
2. Secondary characters are interesting and enjoyable.
3. The world is more accepting than ours, not the rigidly anti-woman, anti-gay backdrop we see in a lot of fantasy. Characters also have a range of skin colors.
4. Our heroine is squeamish.
5. While the plot never felt directionless, I felt more like I was experiencing someone's life rather than reading a story. There was extraneous detail, which is supposed to be a bad thing, but instead I enjoyed the not-necessarily-important-for-plot bits just as much as the plot bits.
6. A slightly Jane Austenish feel to thoughts and conversations. (I'm sure it's not uniquely Jane Austen but rather regency stuff--I just haven't read any non-Austen regency romances.)
7. The romance is relatively subdued, but what there was made me weak at the knees. I understand from other reviews that not everyone felt like this but this girl needed to fan herself a few times. (Ha! Get it? Sherwood Smith book and fans? Anyone? Anyone..?)
8. The exquisite languishing. Please tell me I'm not alone on this.
I'm going to quit it with the list because when it comes down to it I loved everything. If you prefer glitter to grit in your fantasy, and enjoy thoughts and feelings more than blood and guts... I highly recommend The Trouble with Kings. The first time I read it (a few years ago) I wasn't hugely impressed but somehow this time it was just right. This is definitely going in my feelgood, read-as-needed books. Prescription strength. :)
September 19, 2010
This is much more a coming-of-age fantasy than a romance and I don't see the resemblance to Crown Duel which some here have mentioned, except that Flian grew up without close friendships with her peers, but here it is because she was raised at court and sensitive and stopped trying to make friends when a rival usurped her importance.
The music that is so important to her is a genuine pleasure, but also a way of avoiding having to deal with the nasty people, who find her boring. Where Meliara takes action from the start, if ill-conceived and is sure of her purpose, even to the point of stubbornness, Flian is very much a chesspiece at the beginning and finds her strengths (and that does not mean turning into a tomboy) during the harrowing abductions.
Now it's debatable if she really needed all the danger happening to her, to learn to look outward and try to become better able to deal with her situation as sister to the next King, but her experiences in those different countries forced her to compare what is custom at home and her perception of the world and how others see it, raised in different circumstances.
That's why her maturation is believable, and that her quiet persistence and dreams capture the interest of a hero which we never really see into (so the reader can't judge him) except at the end - being very taciturn to everyone.
I learned to trust Flian's judgement though, even to the extent that she avoids a probably quite pleasant and easy solution to her situation without having any guarantee that her true love will be realised at all.
She has some views concerning responsibility that she suffers for and is literally prepared to die for, if necessary, and that's what makes her a heroine to me. And then there's Jewel ^^.
The music that is so important to her is a genuine pleasure, but also a way of avoiding having to deal with the nasty people, who find her boring. Where Meliara takes action from the start, if ill-conceived and is sure of her purpose, even to the point of stubbornness, Flian is very much a chesspiece at the beginning and finds her strengths (and that does not mean turning into a tomboy) during the harrowing abductions.
Now it's debatable if she really needed all the danger happening to her, to learn to look outward and try to become better able to deal with her situation as sister to the next King, but her experiences in those different countries forced her to compare what is custom at home and her perception of the world and how others see it, raised in different circumstances.
That's why her maturation is believable, and that her quiet persistence and dreams capture the interest of a hero which we never really see into (so the reader can't judge him) except at the end - being very taciturn to everyone.
I learned to trust Flian's judgement though, even to the extent that she avoids a probably quite pleasant and easy solution to her situation without having any guarantee that her true love will be realised at all.
She has some views concerning responsibility that she suffers for and is literally prepared to die for, if necessary, and that's what makes her a heroine to me. And then there's Jewel ^^.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 16, 2012
I liked this book but I didn't love it. Sherwood Smith reminds me of Eva Ibotson in a way. Her characters usually score better than the story by the end. They even scored low with love interests for the same reason. Not this book which did well with the romance but Coronets and Steal [for Ibotson it was Countess Below Stairs. Those guys were willing to marry someone else. Jason was just using the jealously trick when he sent Filan and Jewel to court the Princess.]
I read it while on my first flight overseas to Berlin. I read most of it during layovers in Atlanta and Amsterdam. It's a point in its favour that I could keep my mind on it while literally jumping in my seat with excitement. I'll think fondly of this book for that time alone.
The pluses- Filan was ordinary. I'm sick of the master swordsman/healer/awesome/half fae/half witch/half demon beauty heroine. Filan spends a chunk of the time in pain from an injury.
The magic was very subtle in this book and felt realistic.
These characters did belong together. Jason and Filan were suited to one another.
Garian was a charismatic villain. He did plant a good seed of doubt in her mind about Jason.
Other fantasy/midevil books could take a leaf from Smith. You don't have to be sexist or like the real worlds midevil days. [here's looking at you Game of Thrones.]
The minuses-
That people need royalty and kings. After Garian abused his power how could Filan come to that conclusion?
I shouldn't have expected a socialist ending I suppose... but I did visit the DDR musuem by that time and my Herr Fuch toy was in the hotel room with me. ;)
I read it while on my first flight overseas to Berlin. I read most of it during layovers in Atlanta and Amsterdam. It's a point in its favour that I could keep my mind on it while literally jumping in my seat with excitement. I'll think fondly of this book for that time alone.
The pluses- Filan was ordinary. I'm sick of the master swordsman/healer/awesome/half fae/half witch/half demon beauty heroine. Filan spends a chunk of the time in pain from an injury.
The magic was very subtle in this book and felt realistic.
These characters did belong together. Jason and Filan were suited to one another.
Garian was a charismatic villain. He did plant a good seed of doubt in her mind about Jason.
Other fantasy/midevil books could take a leaf from Smith. You don't have to be sexist or like the real worlds midevil days. [here's looking at you Game of Thrones.]
The minuses-
That people need royalty and kings. After Garian abused his power how could Filan come to that conclusion?
I shouldn't have expected a socialist ending I suppose... but I did visit the DDR musuem by that time and my Herr Fuch toy was in the hotel room with me. ;)
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 16, 2025
Adored this story in high school. I really loved the journey the main character, Flian, takes. Her growth seems real to me, somehow. Though this story shares Crown Duel like qualities, it is a different story as well. It does seem that this should be read before Crown Duel, like a teaser. Crown Duel is the big time, Trouble with Kings gets you hooked.
This book had brilliant moments, when I could not put the book down if I had wanted to — Flian's second capture during the poetry reading, the fire and Flian's rescue by Jason, and the rescue and stand off at Drath, Jewel being traded for Flian.
During those parts in the book, I did not want the pages to turn too fast, nor did I want to miss anything, I felt the scenes were that good.
I also loved the court where Eleandra resides. Really, the author does a speculator job with her world and system of royal court. The voices of the characters are highly developed too. The writing is funny, heart wrenching, and sarcastic all at once.
2025 — I’m doing a reread of all my favorite books from my high school/college years and I have to say, with fantasy romance becoming more popular, this one and crown duel still hold true. It was before all the tropes and it’s better. It’s clean and magical. It whisks us off to a kingdom, feels like Robin Hood, and has all the tropes before we knew what they were. Well done Sherwood.
This book had brilliant moments, when I could not put the book down if I had wanted to — Flian's second capture during the poetry reading, the fire and Flian's rescue by Jason, and the rescue and stand off at Drath, Jewel being traded for Flian.
During those parts in the book, I did not want the pages to turn too fast, nor did I want to miss anything, I felt the scenes were that good.
I also loved the court where Eleandra resides. Really, the author does a speculator job with her world and system of royal court. The voices of the characters are highly developed too. The writing is funny, heart wrenching, and sarcastic all at once.
2025 — I’m doing a reread of all my favorite books from my high school/college years and I have to say, with fantasy romance becoming more popular, this one and crown duel still hold true. It was before all the tropes and it’s better. It’s clean and magical. It whisks us off to a kingdom, feels like Robin Hood, and has all the tropes before we knew what they were. Well done Sherwood.
November 26, 2015
31.10.2015 - 4*
Ze začátku to bylo dokonale absurdní. Ten prvek se postupně vytrácel, ale pořád to mělo skvělou atmosféru.
Charaktery byly úžasné. Největší zábava byla objevovat jejich hloubku. Málokro byl takový, jaký se jevil na začátku.
Děj byl tak pokroucený, že si nejsem jistá, že bych z konce viděla začátek, a zatraceně bych ani ve snu netušila, jak to skončí. Alespoň ne v první kapitole.
Konec možná trochu natažený, ale celkově hodně dobrý.
Děj byl promyšlený, měl rychlý spád, v dobrém smyslu, a bylo to vtipné!
Byla to zasláskovanost, do které spadlo trochu politikaření a hlavně to byla zábava. :)
Ze začátku to bylo dokonale absurdní. Ten prvek se postupně vytrácel, ale pořád to mělo skvělou atmosféru.
Charaktery byly úžasné. Největší zábava byla objevovat jejich hloubku. Málokro byl takový, jaký se jevil na začátku.
Děj byl tak pokroucený, že si nejsem jistá, že bych z konce viděla začátek, a zatraceně bych ani ve snu netušila, jak to skončí. Alespoň ne v první kapitole.
Konec možná trochu natažený, ale celkově hodně dobrý.
Děj byl promyšlený, měl rychlý spád, v dobrém smyslu, a bylo to vtipné!
Byla to zasláskovanost, do které spadlo trochu politikaření a hlavně to byla zábava. :)
November 16, 2015
Update in April 2012: Had to change my rating to 5 stars as I have re-read this book twice, I love it so...
Oh Sherwood Smith, you never disappoint. The Trouble With Kings is an absolutely delightful tale of princesses, myriad suitors, kidnappings, court politics and unexpected love. It definitely follows a pattern established in Crown Duel and echoed in A Posse of Princesses and (to a lesser extent) Coronets and Steel, but you know what? I was having way too much fun to care about some of the more predictable aspects.
Oh Sherwood Smith, you never disappoint. The Trouble With Kings is an absolutely delightful tale of princesses, myriad suitors, kidnappings, court politics and unexpected love. It definitely follows a pattern established in Crown Duel and echoed in A Posse of Princesses and (to a lesser extent) Coronets and Steel, but you know what? I was having way too much fun to care about some of the more predictable aspects.
November 3, 2011
An absorbing romance that's impossible to put down. The heroine is characteristic of Sherwood Smith's best works: independent, humble, interesting and warm, and the 'hero' somehow manages to be irresistable precisely because he is down-to-earth and full of common sense. Several themes are introduced through secondary characters that require maturity, making it inappropriate for younger teens.
December 4, 2024
It was a delightful romp in intrigue and disaster all rolled into one. One unsuspecting princess and three mysterious suitors - the premise is wonderful.
I loved this book because the heroine is more sensible than other YA heroines.
2nd read years later - as delightful as it was the first time around! Time to read Crown Duel and Court Duel again!
I loved this book because the heroine is more sensible than other YA heroines.
2nd read years later - as delightful as it was the first time around! Time to read Crown Duel and Court Duel again!
December 31, 2021
A light, fun read which isn't entirely predictable. I enjoyed it a lot and I have to say, it is SO refreshing to see a love interest who /listens/ when the MC says no, and makes sure she's /certain/ when they have their inevitable reunion.
July 16, 2022
This book is so fun and surprisingly sweet. I love this author and these characters were just a pleasant surprise.
December 31, 2015
I think I might have liked this one even more than Crown Duel, which has been a favorite for years! I've been loving reading more of Sherwood Smith's books.
November 20, 2017
I've known about this book for a while but hadn't gotten around to buying/reading it till this past weekend. And I am very glad I did!
First off, you should know that I've been a fan of Sherwood Smith's since reading Crown Duel in middle school (and then again, and again, and again...you get the picture) -- the Inda series, A Stranger To Command, etc. -- so I'm already on board, so to speak, with the universe she's developed, the type of characters and personalities and plotlines she explores. If you're new to her work -- in general, you will like it if you like:
- worlds in which decency matters
- discussions about power, in particular the relationship between diplomacy and violence
- (related to the above) discussions about what it means to rule a kingdom
- ideals like courage and honor
- careful attention to how cultures change and spread across time and space
It follows that you might not like it if you prefer the gritty, Lord of the Flies, "nasty, brutish, short" view of life -- or if you like more heady, headlong romances.
I won't summarize the book since you can find a perfectly good one above, in the official description. I'll just say that I really appreciated this book, watching the relationships develop between the characters, the intrigue, and the romance that felt real, guarded, understated -- and all the more romantic for that. I enjoyed the theme, present in a lot of Smith's work, of young people who must take their place in (and remake) their society and world, in the shadow of the actions of their ancestors. I hadn't thought of that as a theme till now -- but as someone in my mid-twenties, it's been kind of lovely to come again to her work as someone in a similar position as her characters. Finding my own way as an adult, and deciding how to be/act in the world in a way that best benefits society and myself -- all the while feeling unsure.
As other reviewers have noted, it is reminiscent of Pride and Prejudice, just as Crown Duel was, in terms of the web of social relations, the denouement that relies more on domestic pleasure than any kind of martial or political revenge/defeat. A note for those who loved Crown Duel: This is a very similar book -- questions of kingship, courts, a romance that gets off on the wrong foot -- but just imagine a more measured (and less oblivious) heroine. From other reviews, I think others were put off by this -- they wanted Mel's drama and angst.
I think Princess Flian is several years older than Mel, and you can tell. It's a maturity I really appreciated, as much as I love Mel's confusion and restlessness. Princess Flian is much more sensible, and unlike Mel, she understands her heartache for what it is. There are some that might find this a letdown, I found it realistic and likable.
It was a charming, skillful, comforting read -- I was never quite sure where it was going, but not in the sense of some books, where you're stressed and bracing yourself for the moment when something horrible will happen. It was more like a lovely carriage ride through the woods, each new twist of the path surprising and compelling. And I didn't want it to end, I didn't want to leave the cozy world it painted, so there were points where I forced myself to put the book down and do something else, so I could savor it longer.
I know it's something I will come back to again and again (as I do with Smith's other works), the experience deepening with time. Her work has always felt like home to me, I think just because the universe she builds is so graceful, and the characters are noble, and give me a warming, inspiring sense of the heroic -- a heroism that's everyday, and (unlike more "epic" exploits found in other fantasy/romance books) perhaps a bit more attainable.
Rachel R
11/20/2017
First off, you should know that I've been a fan of Sherwood Smith's since reading Crown Duel in middle school (and then again, and again, and again...you get the picture) -- the Inda series, A Stranger To Command, etc. -- so I'm already on board, so to speak, with the universe she's developed, the type of characters and personalities and plotlines she explores. If you're new to her work -- in general, you will like it if you like:
- worlds in which decency matters
- discussions about power, in particular the relationship between diplomacy and violence
- (related to the above) discussions about what it means to rule a kingdom
- ideals like courage and honor
- careful attention to how cultures change and spread across time and space
It follows that you might not like it if you prefer the gritty, Lord of the Flies, "nasty, brutish, short" view of life -- or if you like more heady, headlong romances.
I won't summarize the book since you can find a perfectly good one above, in the official description. I'll just say that I really appreciated this book, watching the relationships develop between the characters, the intrigue, and the romance that felt real, guarded, understated -- and all the more romantic for that. I enjoyed the theme, present in a lot of Smith's work, of young people who must take their place in (and remake) their society and world, in the shadow of the actions of their ancestors. I hadn't thought of that as a theme till now -- but as someone in my mid-twenties, it's been kind of lovely to come again to her work as someone in a similar position as her characters. Finding my own way as an adult, and deciding how to be/act in the world in a way that best benefits society and myself -- all the while feeling unsure.
As other reviewers have noted, it is reminiscent of Pride and Prejudice, just as Crown Duel was, in terms of the web of social relations, the denouement that relies more on domestic pleasure than any kind of martial or political revenge/defeat. A note for those who loved Crown Duel: This is a very similar book -- questions of kingship, courts, a romance that gets off on the wrong foot -- but just imagine a more measured (and less oblivious) heroine. From other reviews, I think others were put off by this -- they wanted Mel's drama and angst.
I think Princess Flian is several years older than Mel, and you can tell. It's a maturity I really appreciated, as much as I love Mel's confusion and restlessness. Princess Flian is much more sensible, and unlike Mel, she understands her heartache for what it is. There are some that might find this a letdown, I found it realistic and likable.
It was a charming, skillful, comforting read -- I was never quite sure where it was going, but not in the sense of some books, where you're stressed and bracing yourself for the moment when something horrible will happen. It was more like a lovely carriage ride through the woods, each new twist of the path surprising and compelling. And I didn't want it to end, I didn't want to leave the cozy world it painted, so there were points where I forced myself to put the book down and do something else, so I could savor it longer.
I know it's something I will come back to again and again (as I do with Smith's other works), the experience deepening with time. Her work has always felt like home to me, I think just because the universe she builds is so graceful, and the characters are noble, and give me a warming, inspiring sense of the heroic -- a heroism that's everyday, and (unlike more "epic" exploits found in other fantasy/romance books) perhaps a bit more attainable.
Rachel R
11/20/2017
August 25, 2021
I really, really liked this!
Flian ended up being such a great main character: her journey to becoming a more active participant in her own life was so satisfying, and I just enjoyed how ordinary she was (though of course, some of her traits she considers ordinary are actually really impressive!)
And I really loved that the political elements focused quite a bit on what these things would actually mean for people's lives, especially ordinary citizens.
Flian's love for music, and music itself, was also used in a really thoughtful and interesting way.
Two of my favorite elements of the book were the way the romance played out, and also Jewel as a supporting character/Flian's friendship with Jewel...
...which is perhaps why my two issues with this novel are also related to those elements!
1) The main romance. I really wish we had gotten more scenes of this! I think the parts we did get were done wonderfully and were so interesting, but I wanted more. Also, Sherwood Smith does this thing where we are building up to this couple, we have all this great romantic tension between them, and then she just...dissipates it with a stupid miscommunication?! it really bugged me, and it made parts of the end feel a little draggy as I was waiting for these two to get it together. Not to mention when we got to the resolution it wasn't as satisfying as it could have been, because of that same wasted tension. Don't get me wrong, I still loved it, but not as much as I could have.
2) Like I said, I loved Jewel. So it really irritated me that so many of the other characters treated her as ridiculous or air-headed or annoying, when she's not! I do appreciate that Flian doesn't think of her that way, but almost everyone else seems to. I think it's actually really reasonable of Jewel to be excited about going to court, and dressing up, and falling in love, and MAYBE another part of why she's so excited is that she's tired of all the kidnapping/attempted murder that was such a normal part of her life before this! It's bizarre to me that she was seen as shallow or silly for wanting the things she did, especially after the stress of her life before this. I thought she was a really fun character who didn't deserve the way she was dismissed by some of the other characters in the book.
Anyway, still loved most of this! Excited to keep reading from Sherwood Smith. She's definitely turning into a reliably great author for me!
CW: Kidnapping, grief, physical abuse, bullying, fat-shaming, description of suicide (off-page / in past)
Flian ended up being such a great main character: her journey to becoming a more active participant in her own life was so satisfying, and I just enjoyed how ordinary she was (though of course, some of her traits she considers ordinary are actually really impressive!)
And I really loved that the political elements focused quite a bit on what these things would actually mean for people's lives, especially ordinary citizens.
Flian's love for music, and music itself, was also used in a really thoughtful and interesting way.
Two of my favorite elements of the book were the way the romance played out, and also Jewel as a supporting character/Flian's friendship with Jewel...
...which is perhaps why my two issues with this novel are also related to those elements!
1) The main romance. I really wish we had gotten more scenes of this! I think the parts we did get were done wonderfully and were so interesting, but I wanted more. Also, Sherwood Smith does this thing where we are building up to this couple, we have all this great romantic tension between them, and then she just...dissipates it with a stupid miscommunication?! it really bugged me, and it made parts of the end feel a little draggy as I was waiting for these two to get it together. Not to mention when we got to the resolution it wasn't as satisfying as it could have been, because of that same wasted tension. Don't get me wrong, I still loved it, but not as much as I could have.
2) Like I said, I loved Jewel. So it really irritated me that so many of the other characters treated her as ridiculous or air-headed or annoying, when she's not! I do appreciate that Flian doesn't think of her that way, but almost everyone else seems to. I think it's actually really reasonable of Jewel to be excited about going to court, and dressing up, and falling in love, and MAYBE another part of why she's so excited is that she's tired of all the kidnapping/attempted murder that was such a normal part of her life before this! It's bizarre to me that she was seen as shallow or silly for wanting the things she did, especially after the stress of her life before this. I thought she was a really fun character who didn't deserve the way she was dismissed by some of the other characters in the book.
Anyway, still loved most of this! Excited to keep reading from Sherwood Smith. She's definitely turning into a reliably great author for me!
CW: Kidnapping, grief, physical abuse, bullying, fat-shaming, description of suicide (off-page / in past)
September 10, 2018
I was rather dissapointed seeing as how I really liked Crown Duel series. In fact this book is even in the same world and was rather similar I thought at first to the Crown Duel books. However it just fell flat. The plot was kind of non existent once we found out the one of the bad guys wasn't actually a bad guy, but just misunderstand (much like the Marquis of Crown Duel books). His manner is even similar to the blonde guy in the Crown Duel and Flian, though different from the main character in Crown Duel, did have similarities.
Flian was an okay character and so was Jason, though the plot fell flat as I said after they realized Jason didn't actually want to invade anyone...okay...SO THE WHOLE BOOK IS MISUNDERSTANDING! Because honestly it wasn't that hard to defeat the red haired guy, Garry? I forgot it name, because there are like a million names in this book and a million countries that I simply cannot keep track of. So after the red haired guy is put in his place Flian goes back to her home and I kid you not there are fifty pages of nothingness! She's doing NOTHING! Jason doesn't even show up until there are like 10 pages left! The whole fifty pages are just her talking about the different court goings ons, which by all accounts don't matter because we all know she's going to marry Jason and move.
Also the romance between Jason and Flian was almost like super breezed over like there is very little conversation. The author spends like twenty pages talking about the scenery and the weather and then in one sentences SAYS that they talked. And they talked about trivial things and it was the best time ever. Great. But why can't she include the actual conversation in the book and then we can actually feel more connected to the characters. I like books with conversation which Sherwood Smith's books lack somewhat. What conversation she does have I enjoy, I just want more. She should cut down on her descriptions and give more human interaction. More than once the narrator, Flian, would say I won't describe our journey down the mountain because nothing much happened. But then she would then proceed to describe their journey! Which is boooring.
Another point I thought was a bit of a fail and disapointment was Flian's power to look through water and fire. It could've been an intrigrul part of the story but it really wasn't it was just like hey this is cool. Also at first I didn't even know it was a power, I thought it was her just seeing people in water but more like in her minds eye, like imagining it so it was kind of confusing when they started talking about it and saying it was a power. The author I feel like could've used some of the space she spent describing scenery to develop this aspect of the story more.
I believe I should stick with Crown Duel, even though I didn't actually like the ending.
Flian was an okay character and so was Jason, though the plot fell flat as I said after they realized Jason didn't actually want to invade anyone...okay...SO THE WHOLE BOOK IS MISUNDERSTANDING! Because honestly it wasn't that hard to defeat the red haired guy, Garry? I forgot it name, because there are like a million names in this book and a million countries that I simply cannot keep track of. So after the red haired guy is put in his place Flian goes back to her home and I kid you not there are fifty pages of nothingness! She's doing NOTHING! Jason doesn't even show up until there are like 10 pages left! The whole fifty pages are just her talking about the different court goings ons, which by all accounts don't matter because we all know she's going to marry Jason and move.
Also the romance between Jason and Flian was almost like super breezed over like there is very little conversation. The author spends like twenty pages talking about the scenery and the weather and then in one sentences SAYS that they talked. And they talked about trivial things and it was the best time ever. Great. But why can't she include the actual conversation in the book and then we can actually feel more connected to the characters. I like books with conversation which Sherwood Smith's books lack somewhat. What conversation she does have I enjoy, I just want more. She should cut down on her descriptions and give more human interaction. More than once the narrator, Flian, would say I won't describe our journey down the mountain because nothing much happened. But then she would then proceed to describe their journey! Which is boooring.
Another point I thought was a bit of a fail and disapointment was Flian's power to look through water and fire. It could've been an intrigrul part of the story but it really wasn't it was just like hey this is cool. Also at first I didn't even know it was a power, I thought it was her just seeing people in water but more like in her minds eye, like imagining it so it was kind of confusing when they started talking about it and saying it was a power. The author I feel like could've used some of the space she spent describing scenery to develop this aspect of the story more.
I believe I should stick with Crown Duel, even though I didn't actually like the ending.
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