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Sasharia en Garde! #2
Twice a Prince
Sasha s prince is wicked, Sun s is missing they take up the sword, L.A. style!
Sasharia En Garde Book 2
In the magical world of Khanerenth, there s a long way to go before Sasha and her dream prince, Jehan, can get to perfect. Jehan s deception has left her unable to trust him, and grimly determined to search for her missing father. Jehan only wants to protect Sasha from the dangerous undercover mission he s undertaken to heal the broken kingdom, but he knows she can t afford to listen to him not when he s the one living a lie.
Enemies, allies and temptation make the ballroom floor as dangerous as pirate raids. In a world where love is danger and honor is difficult to define, the crown is not the only thing on the line for a wicked prince and a princess with a core of steel.
There s a royal price for love."
Sasharia En Garde Book 2
In the magical world of Khanerenth, there s a long way to go before Sasha and her dream prince, Jehan, can get to perfect. Jehan s deception has left her unable to trust him, and grimly determined to search for her missing father. Jehan only wants to protect Sasha from the dangerous undercover mission he s undertaken to heal the broken kingdom, but he knows she can t afford to listen to him not when he s the one living a lie.
Enemies, allies and temptation make the ballroom floor as dangerous as pirate raids. In a world where love is danger and honor is difficult to define, the crown is not the only thing on the line for a wicked prince and a princess with a core of steel.
There s a royal price for love."
267 pages, Kindle Edition
First published July 22, 2008
3 people are currently reading
487 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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Displaying 1 - 30 of 66 reviews
July 10, 2015
The swashbuckling and magic continue....
As I said in my review of Once a Princess (read that review first), this is the second half of a two-volume story. If you like YA high fantasies with a solid dose of both action and romance, and with a side dish of humor, I highly recommend this one-two punch of Once a Princess/Twice a Prince (also the same author's Crown Duel and The Trouble with Kings, but those are different reviews, to come one of these times).
I found this a highly satisfactory conclusion to Sasha's story.
As I said in my review of Once a Princess (read that review first), this is the second half of a two-volume story. If you like YA high fantasies with a solid dose of both action and romance, and with a side dish of humor, I highly recommend this one-two punch of Once a Princess/Twice a Prince (also the same author's Crown Duel and The Trouble with Kings, but those are different reviews, to come one of these times).
I found this a highly satisfactory conclusion to Sasha's story.
April 8, 2015
If you've read the first book (and do read the first book!), you'll know what you're getting with this one. At least, that applies to the first three quarters or so. And I mean that in the best possible way because Sasha is as fantastic as ever and Jehan just gets better and better as you get to know him. The PoV shifts still grated on me, but the pace and story just barreled along and I could not put it down.
But really, it's the last quarter that raised the bar (and my rating). It's way, way too spoilerific to burble on about, so I'll stick to saying that it's a fantastic conclusion, as good as any Sherwood Smith story, and that's a high bar, indeed...
And I really liked the eventual internal justification for the PoV shifts that comes at the end. It snapped everything together in a natural, even organic way (that doesn't actually abrogate my discomfort throughout, but helps alleviate it somewhat in retrospect). Indeed, that justification shows how very good Smith is with narrative voice . . . but again, spoilers, so I'll stop now.
But really, it's the last quarter that raised the bar (and my rating). It's way, way too spoilerific to burble on about, so I'll stick to saying that it's a fantastic conclusion, as good as any Sherwood Smith story, and that's a high bar, indeed...
And I really liked the eventual internal justification for the PoV shifts that comes at the end. It snapped everything together in a natural, even organic way (that doesn't actually abrogate my discomfort throughout, but helps alleviate it somewhat in retrospect). Indeed, that justification shows how very good Smith is with narrative voice . . . but again, spoilers, so I'll stop now.
August 19, 2010
Twice a Prince is the sequel to Sherwood Smith’s Once a Princess. And truly, the two go hand in hand. You can’t possibly blitz through the first without needing to plunge into the second!
With her mother a prisoner in the palace, and the man Sasha isn’t supposed to love now walking straight into that viper pit himself, our heroine sets out for Ivory Mountain. To find her father, whom no one has seen in a decade. And to save him with a spell--one she hasn’t used in a decade. In order to free a country on the brink of war, chaos, and destruction. But then what can’t be overcome by a kick-butt L.A. girl with questionable people skills?
With her mother a prisoner in the palace, and the man Sasha isn’t supposed to love now walking straight into that viper pit himself, our heroine sets out for Ivory Mountain. To find her father, whom no one has seen in a decade. And to save him with a spell--one she hasn’t used in a decade. In order to free a country on the brink of war, chaos, and destruction. But then what can’t be overcome by a kick-butt L.A. girl with questionable people skills?
February 8, 2016
4/5; 4 stars; A-
I really enjoyed this book, the second half, following Once a Princess. This review covers both books, with the only difference being my impressions of the two different narrators. I don't think a person should read Once a Princess or Twice a Prince as a standalone unless they want to be quite disappointed because its really only half of a bigger book.
I must thank Sherwood Smith for giving me the chance to listen to both of these audiobooks by generously offering me Audible codes.
I really liked the female characters in these books. They had guts and integrity as well as ingenuity and loyalty. For most of the story, Sasha and her mom, Sun, each have their own adventure and challenges, even though they are heading in the same direction. The POV varies back and forth between them.
Sasha was an admirable young woman, in that she had taken her self defense lessons in her youth seriously, knowing some day she might really need to use them. But at the same time, she embraced her life in the U.S. and didn't sit around thinking 'oh, one day I'm going to be princess so I am better than everyone else'. When she was sucked back into the realm of her birth, she was everything she needed to be; smart, resourceful, cautious and determined. And she had ample opportunity to put her self defense training to good use. Fun sword fights and swashbuckling ensued. Despite all the action, I liked that she never lost sight of her goal of finding her father.
Sun had a bit of a trickier time pursuing her goals since she was a prisoner for much of the book, however, when the opportunity arose, she found her own way to rouse the kingdom against the bad guys and seek out her lost husband. I had a chuckle at her struggles with hot flashes. Its such an annoying fact of life that half the population deals with yet it rarely gets factored into character development. Hats off to the author for that one.
I really enjoyed Prince Jehan and the pirate Zathdar. Quite a bit of the humor of the story was woven into these characters.
Most of the other main characters in the story were various members of the 'bad guys' but they were painted with enough depth to make them interesting and even sympathetic to some degree. Although I must say that while King Canardan wasn't a solid black villain and he had 'nuances' his war commander was pure evil. You have to have at least one really bad guy right?
This story was a fun adventure that can appeal to young readers as well as adults. The second half had a bit more in the way of romance but it was still very subtle. There is a HEA for Sun as well as her daughter which is appealing to the part of me that loves a romance story.
One final note with respect to the narration of the audiobook. I liked the narration of James Patrick Cronin very much. However, this is the second part of one big book and I think Audible made a mistake in changing narrators.
Overall, I liked the sound of Cronin's voice more than Almasy's (the narrator for Once a Princess,) but he wasn't as consistent in changing timbre and accent when changing characters.
I really enjoyed this book, the second half, following Once a Princess. This review covers both books, with the only difference being my impressions of the two different narrators. I don't think a person should read Once a Princess or Twice a Prince as a standalone unless they want to be quite disappointed because its really only half of a bigger book.
I must thank Sherwood Smith for giving me the chance to listen to both of these audiobooks by generously offering me Audible codes.
I really liked the female characters in these books. They had guts and integrity as well as ingenuity and loyalty. For most of the story, Sasha and her mom, Sun, each have their own adventure and challenges, even though they are heading in the same direction. The POV varies back and forth between them.
Sasha was an admirable young woman, in that she had taken her self defense lessons in her youth seriously, knowing some day she might really need to use them. But at the same time, she embraced her life in the U.S. and didn't sit around thinking 'oh, one day I'm going to be princess so I am better than everyone else'. When she was sucked back into the realm of her birth, she was everything she needed to be; smart, resourceful, cautious and determined. And she had ample opportunity to put her self defense training to good use. Fun sword fights and swashbuckling ensued. Despite all the action, I liked that she never lost sight of her goal of finding her father.
Sun had a bit of a trickier time pursuing her goals since she was a prisoner for much of the book, however, when the opportunity arose, she found her own way to rouse the kingdom against the bad guys and seek out her lost husband. I had a chuckle at her struggles with hot flashes. Its such an annoying fact of life that half the population deals with yet it rarely gets factored into character development. Hats off to the author for that one.
I really enjoyed Prince Jehan and the pirate Zathdar. Quite a bit of the humor of the story was woven into these characters.
Most of the other main characters in the story were various members of the 'bad guys' but they were painted with enough depth to make them interesting and even sympathetic to some degree. Although I must say that while King Canardan wasn't a solid black villain and he had 'nuances' his war commander was pure evil. You have to have at least one really bad guy right?
This story was a fun adventure that can appeal to young readers as well as adults. The second half had a bit more in the way of romance but it was still very subtle. There is a HEA for Sun as well as her daughter which is appealing to the part of me that loves a romance story.
One final note with respect to the narration of the audiobook. I liked the narration of James Patrick Cronin very much. However, this is the second part of one big book and I think Audible made a mistake in changing narrators.
Overall, I liked the sound of Cronin's voice more than Almasy's (the narrator for Once a Princess,) but he wasn't as consistent in changing timbre and accent when changing characters.
June 3, 2009
I did add a bit of a review with the rating a while ago, but computer froze or something and I forgot to come back to it. (Hunh - Atanial may have hot flushes, but she doesn't forget things this often!)
Very satisfying continuation/conclusion of the story, and I was decidedly pleased not to have to wait usual sequel length time to read it. I liked the way all the very different people's contributions to the cause came together; no one person could have saved the day on his or her own but everyone was needed.
I especially liked the fact that the character who seemed to be THE villain early on became more and more shaded, so that his inevitable (at least, I saw it that way) fate was sad and was allowed to be mourned. The family relationships were all good, unsurprisingly! And the romance(s!) made me happy.
Very satisfying continuation/conclusion of the story, and I was decidedly pleased not to have to wait usual sequel length time to read it. I liked the way all the very different people's contributions to the cause came together; no one person could have saved the day on his or her own but everyone was needed.
I especially liked the fact that the character who seemed to be THE villain early on became more and more shaded, so that his inevitable (at least, I saw it that way) fate was sad and was allowed to be mourned. The family relationships were all good, unsurprisingly! And the romance(s!) made me happy.
May 11, 2013
Basically a day after I finished the first book, the second one arrived and I can see now why Sherwood wrote on her LJ that this was actually one big book. It starts right after the end of the first one (so no explanations for readers who come in later, which I actually prefer in my series books).
Sasha remains cautious and the hero keeps kicking himself (deservedly) for screwing up by keeping too many secrets when he met her. Not being a villain he lets her go (but sets one of his trusted friends to track and help her).
I love the fact that the friend/spy loses her soon after, due to weather and not any special skills by Sasha. I love it when she loses her way out of inexperience, is happy to be rescued from a storm at a military camp of the king and leaves in the morning without ever thinking about the consequences of a report about her showing up (she does use a false name, but her few treasures clearly show the connection to the old royal house). The villainous usurper also does not want to kill the heroine in this one (yay!), he wants her to marry his son and continues to want this (and to try to send his son to find her and woo her, as the prince’s supposedly a real ladies’ man).
The mother, increasingly seeing that the usurper keeps trying to seduce her and showing off to the court how happy she’s living with him in his castle, manages to flee (with the help of resistance members whom she helped to escape capture in the last book) once it is clear that the captured resistance people can’t be killed outright by the usurper (because their supporters manage to make him agree to a public trial, yay for legal technicalities of rule!). And being who she is and from the time she grew up in, she develops a plan of asking all women concerned (which is basically the married half of the country) to come with her in a big protest march to the usurper and ask him not to start a war (which is the second current plan of this guy).
We get great family interaction between the womanizing prince who is definitely not as he seems and his father, attempts at breaching the gap between them which both feel. This book has - as always with Smith - no clear cut evil villain, just people going wrong from various reasons who disregard the chances of turning back (with the vague but looming threat of an attack from Norsunder always at the back).
There was a military game which actually was supposed to show off the prowess of the nephew of the usurper’s right hand man (who really is hoping/wanting to engineer an accident for the “imbecile” prince and make his nephew the next king). It all went wrong and the nephew is now after Sasha with his own corps of cadets, rethinking all the manipulations he has done himself and being done to him by his uncle, especially when he does capture Sasha (who managed to lose track of time in her journey to try and release her father from a spell) and she points out that you don’t send cadets off to capture a princess with the clear order to “not tell anyone” and expect her to survive this.
It’s the hero to the rescue and Sasha goes of on her own AGAIN, all of the major characters finally congregating at the place where Sasha’s father is waiting to be released from his spell. Yes, there is a happy end of a sort, but the threat of Norsunder remains and the hero has to bear a personal loss.
I liked the hero more than Vidanric in Crown Duel when I first read that, because we are allowed into his head this time (we also get into the head of the right hand man and the usurper as well as Sasha’s mum), so we had an impression not just of his deeds but of his feelings (since I’ve read A Stranger to Command, Vidanric remains my favourite Smith hero, apart from Inda). Sasha is more savy in some ways than Meliara was, simply because she grew up always on the look-out for danger and she’s simply older. She’s around 25, I believe.
Sasha remains cautious and the hero keeps kicking himself (deservedly) for screwing up by keeping too many secrets when he met her. Not being a villain he lets her go (but sets one of his trusted friends to track and help her).
I love the fact that the friend/spy loses her soon after, due to weather and not any special skills by Sasha. I love it when she loses her way out of inexperience, is happy to be rescued from a storm at a military camp of the king and leaves in the morning without ever thinking about the consequences of a report about her showing up (she does use a false name, but her few treasures clearly show the connection to the old royal house). The villainous usurper also does not want to kill the heroine in this one (yay!), he wants her to marry his son and continues to want this (and to try to send his son to find her and woo her, as the prince’s supposedly a real ladies’ man).
The mother, increasingly seeing that the usurper keeps trying to seduce her and showing off to the court how happy she’s living with him in his castle, manages to flee (with the help of resistance members whom she helped to escape capture in the last book) once it is clear that the captured resistance people can’t be killed outright by the usurper (because their supporters manage to make him agree to a public trial, yay for legal technicalities of rule!). And being who she is and from the time she grew up in, she develops a plan of asking all women concerned (which is basically the married half of the country) to come with her in a big protest march to the usurper and ask him not to start a war (which is the second current plan of this guy).
We get great family interaction between the womanizing prince who is definitely not as he seems and his father, attempts at breaching the gap between them which both feel. This book has - as always with Smith - no clear cut evil villain, just people going wrong from various reasons who disregard the chances of turning back (with the vague but looming threat of an attack from Norsunder always at the back).
There was a military game which actually was supposed to show off the prowess of the nephew of the usurper’s right hand man (who really is hoping/wanting to engineer an accident for the “imbecile” prince and make his nephew the next king). It all went wrong and the nephew is now after Sasha with his own corps of cadets, rethinking all the manipulations he has done himself and being done to him by his uncle, especially when he does capture Sasha (who managed to lose track of time in her journey to try and release her father from a spell) and she points out that you don’t send cadets off to capture a princess with the clear order to “not tell anyone” and expect her to survive this.
It’s the hero to the rescue and Sasha goes of on her own AGAIN, all of the major characters finally congregating at the place where Sasha’s father is waiting to be released from his spell. Yes, there is a happy end of a sort, but the threat of Norsunder remains and the hero has to bear a personal loss.
I liked the hero more than Vidanric in Crown Duel when I first read that, because we are allowed into his head this time (we also get into the head of the right hand man and the usurper as well as Sasha’s mum), so we had an impression not just of his deeds but of his feelings (since I’ve read A Stranger to Command, Vidanric remains my favourite Smith hero, apart from Inda). Sasha is more savy in some ways than Meliara was, simply because she grew up always on the look-out for danger and she’s simply older. She’s around 25, I believe.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 27, 2017
Who chose the cover art for this duo? With Twice a Prince plus
Once a Princess,
what are readers supposed to think, judging by the covers? Teeny bopper bodice-rippers, no thank you!
But seriously. These are good. They make me think of The Princess Bride But with a LOT LESS KISSING. These are not kissing books. I mean, we see a few obligatory kisses between swashbuckling and martial artiness, but nothing gross. (and no, I'm not obsessed with kissing, why do you ask?) Great for all ages!
However, it irks me how the whole plot revolves around a search for a missing father. I mean, honestly, is he all that essential? The three main characters of Sasha, swoony colorblind Jehan, and Queen Sun could get a great triumvirate going on. Forget about missing King Harpo.
But seriously. These are good. They make me think of The Princess Bride But with a LOT LESS KISSING. These are not kissing books. I mean, we see a few obligatory kisses between swashbuckling and martial artiness, but nothing gross. (and no, I'm not obsessed with kissing, why do you ask?) Great for all ages!
However, it irks me how the whole plot revolves around a search for a missing father. I mean, honestly, is he all that essential? The three main characters of Sasha, swoony colorblind Jehan, and Queen Sun could get a great triumvirate going on. Forget about missing King Harpo.
March 19, 2010
I liked this book, but the repetitive formula used in half of Sherwood Smith's books thus far, of the prince/hero having pretended to be a fool/ dandy for years and years but ultimately being good and awesome and very intelligent and having a good sense of humor, begins to become a little to predictable. Need to change it up. Like SENRID. Cannot wait to hear more on that story front.
Yet I digress. Apart from wanting a great deal more backstory and more relationship time, Twice A Prince picks up right where Once A Princess left off and brings us swiftly along our way to the end, which was a bit rushed but still satisfying. Unlike the The Trouble With Kings which had giant lack of conflict resolution. Some of it does not make a lot of sense and other things are simply underdeveloped, but I love Sasha's voice and the fact that Sun/Atanial still gets to have this major role. I just felt like we lost some of the fun from part one that came from the comparisons between life on Earth and S-D... Hmm.
But Math and Sun get to be together and despite everything Sun was not going to accept Canardan's advances. Speaking of which, they developed him enough that his death was truly sad. And I loved how Jehan and Sasha get their "happily ever after" and Sasha gets to be a pirate before settling down to ruling a kingdom. I can see them being a very unconventional pair of rulers:) Just wish we got to see them together more, bantering. Oh, and we got a cameo from Sven Eric and co.!
Anyways, a lot of fun, if underdeveloped and worth a read.
Yet I digress. Apart from wanting a great deal more backstory and more relationship time, Twice A Prince picks up right where Once A Princess left off and brings us swiftly along our way to the end, which was a bit rushed but still satisfying. Unlike the The Trouble With Kings which had giant lack of conflict resolution. Some of it does not make a lot of sense and other things are simply underdeveloped, but I love Sasha's voice and the fact that Sun/Atanial still gets to have this major role. I just felt like we lost some of the fun from part one that came from the comparisons between life on Earth and S-D... Hmm.
But Math and Sun get to be together and despite everything Sun was not going to accept Canardan's advances. Speaking of which, they developed him enough that his death was truly sad. And I loved how Jehan and Sasha get their "happily ever after" and Sasha gets to be a pirate before settling down to ruling a kingdom. I can see them being a very unconventional pair of rulers:) Just wish we got to see them together more, bantering. Oh, and we got a cameo from Sven Eric and co.!
Anyways, a lot of fun, if underdeveloped and worth a read.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 2, 2010
i just didn't like this series as much as others of hers that i've read. i never engaged properly with the characters and i found the first person pov of Sasharia herself annoying.
May 25, 2011
Not as good as the Court Duel. Not a fan of the main character.
September 17, 2017
Why do bloody events get translated into Great Events in histories? Probably because they force summary change. But here was the real effect of sudden change - the wrenches in the lives of those who would never leave behind records, the people who lived and breathed and hated and loved, feared and fought, the everyday folk whom the balladers inevitably overlooked. They might go home and tell the story, and perhaps the sword Ban Kender gripped would be handed down to a grandson, along with the story of this day. Maybe he would even feature as a hero. Well, if he did, it wasn't like anyone would be hurt by it.
I didn't like that there were more point of view characters - I preferred the close focus in the first book. It did lead to a happy ending, but his uncertainty felt a little off.
Anyway, I love the female relationships - Sun and her army of women! That was great, and even the little things, like how talking and communication works. I liked that women were able to tell each other: "I don't like what you say and I need to think about it" and then actually do that! The men were in positions of power, maybe, (they were the head of the army/kingdom) but it was so female-focused that it felt gender-equal. I liked that Jehan and Sasha were able to give each other space. I just enjoyed how reasonable everyone was! It was really refreshing. Although Damedran's scene - "And he began to sob, the angry, honking sobs of a teen betrayed beyond endurance."
The writing remained breezy - I liked the slight asides that transform it from breezy to funny and engaging. I didn't get a strong sense of how the world worked (semi-generic fantasy, perhaps), but that didn't fault the worldbuilding. Still remains a fun, light book.
This is 3.5 stars, rounded up to 4.
February 2, 2019
This book and its prequel, Once a Princess, are not so much a series as one book split into two parts, so I am going to write one review and double post it. :)
Don't let the amazingly horrible cover fool you. This is not a silly teen drama set in a fantasy world. This is a book with class and wit. Imagine, if you will, a cross between the Scarlet Pimpernel (and other old 1930s swashbuckling movies) and Mark Twain's A Yankee in King Arthur's Court. Add in a focus on sword fighting/fencing and you will begin to understand why I liked it so much. The characters were charming and quirky. The villians were pleasantly three dimensional. The plot well thought out with enough layers to keep things interesting without hopelessly muddling the reader. My one quibble is that I really didn't like the whole modern girl in a fantasy/medieval setting trope. (I never do.) And it says something about the quality of the writing that I was able to overcome this personal pet peeve and still give it such a high rating. In this particular instance, I felt that this trope stopped Smith from fully fleshing out the settting and culture of the story with as much loving detail as she did in the Crown Duel. Nevertheless, this is a fantastic story, that really doesn't deserve such a horrible cover.
Don't let the amazingly horrible cover fool you. This is not a silly teen drama set in a fantasy world. This is a book with class and wit. Imagine, if you will, a cross between the Scarlet Pimpernel (and other old 1930s swashbuckling movies) and Mark Twain's A Yankee in King Arthur's Court. Add in a focus on sword fighting/fencing and you will begin to understand why I liked it so much. The characters were charming and quirky. The villians were pleasantly three dimensional. The plot well thought out with enough layers to keep things interesting without hopelessly muddling the reader. My one quibble is that I really didn't like the whole modern girl in a fantasy/medieval setting trope. (I never do.) And it says something about the quality of the writing that I was able to overcome this personal pet peeve and still give it such a high rating. In this particular instance, I felt that this trope stopped Smith from fully fleshing out the settting and culture of the story with as much loving detail as she did in the Crown Duel. Nevertheless, this is a fantastic story, that really doesn't deserve such a horrible cover.
May 4, 2017
Second book felt more balanced than the first one.
Sasha was actually thinking with her head and that made her less annoying. Jehan was making mistakes other than Sasha-related blunders and that made him more human. There were also balancing thoughts of her mother with her own, much more mature and thought-out adventure. All this as well as things happening without or with minimal involvement from main characters made it a much more enjoyable read.
Sasha was actually thinking with her head and that made her less annoying. Jehan was making mistakes other than Sasha-related blunders and that made him more human. There were also balancing thoughts of her mother with her own, much more mature and thought-out adventure. All this as well as things happening without or with minimal involvement from main characters made it a much more enjoyable read.
October 2, 2019
The Narrator Recasting is a Travesty.
Listening to this book is like watching a movie sequel in which every single part has been recast. The heroine is played by a masculine man. And no attempt has been made to keep the character personalities consistent with the first movie.
The story itself is excellent.
Listening to this book is like watching a movie sequel in which every single part has been recast. The heroine is played by a masculine man. And no attempt has been made to keep the character personalities consistent with the first movie.
The story itself is excellent.
September 27, 2018
4 stars.
March 21, 2019
Considering both volumes as one book (as it was republished later under the title Sasharia en Garde!) I liked this. On its own, it would be a waste of time.
October 10, 2019
A fun read. Slow at first, gets going, and then everything is wrapped up a little too easily.
July 17, 2024
The ending is just *chef's kiss*
April 30, 2012
It pains me to only award this book 3 stars, but I have to be honest in my rating. Twice a Prince continues the adventures of Sasha, Jehan and company, introduce in Once a Princess. The book is sprawling in scope, covering multiple POVs and grand schemes that hold interest throughout. And impressively enough, Sherwood Smith neatly addresses a previous criticism I had, with the mix of first and third person voices - there's an explanation that kind of makes sense!
BUT, the book didn't stir me in the way that I have come to expect from Ms Smith's books. Crucially, I swept through the final pages of the book without much of an emotional reaction - extremely unusual for me when reading books by Sherwood Smith, as I typically go back and re-read my favourite parts and sigh over how very much I love the book.
It seems a little unfair to lay all the blame at Sasha's feet, but for whatever reason I didn't feel like I got under skin and subsequently the perils she faced, the search for her father and the path to true love all underwhelmed me. Jehan had all the hallmarks of a great Smith hero, but again, I wasn't anxiously pacing through the book, awaiting his next appearance.
The Sasharia en Garde! series was enjoyable, and perhaps it's unfair to judge it based on what other books I have read (and ADORED) by this author, but it's not a series I am likely to revisit in the immediate future. Maybe I'll just re-read the Trouble with Kings again...
BUT, the book didn't stir me in the way that I have come to expect from Ms Smith's books. Crucially, I swept through the final pages of the book without much of an emotional reaction - extremely unusual for me when reading books by Sherwood Smith, as I typically go back and re-read my favourite parts and sigh over how very much I love the book.
It seems a little unfair to lay all the blame at Sasha's feet, but for whatever reason I didn't feel like I got under skin and subsequently the perils she faced, the search for her father and the path to true love all underwhelmed me. Jehan had all the hallmarks of a great Smith hero, but again, I wasn't anxiously pacing through the book, awaiting his next appearance.
The Sasharia en Garde! series was enjoyable, and perhaps it's unfair to judge it based on what other books I have read (and ADORED) by this author, but it's not a series I am likely to revisit in the immediate future. Maybe I'll just re-read the Trouble with Kings again...
June 17, 2012
This second half of the one-book-split-into-two contains all the payoffs earned in book one. Without any preamble or story-so-far the second book picks up exactly where 'Once a Princess' left off. Sasha - after a brief but pyrotechnic clinch with Prince Jehan departs to find her father, Prince Math. Jehan plays his double game a la Scarlet Pimpernel, running with the hare and hunting with the hounds until at last all the separate plot strands (Sasha, her mother, King Canary, Prince Math, the power hungry Randart and his nephew, Damedran) come together in a satisfying big finish.
If there are some things not addressed - the forthcoming problem with Norsunder, for instance - which has plenty of foreshadowing but no development - it's obviously because all Sherwood Smith's Sartorias-deles books need to be taken as a whole and foreshadowing in this book will lead to payoff in other books.
What I particularly like about this book is the completeness of the world building with echoes from previous books such as Inda's time at sea and training in the academy. Sherwood Smith is always good value with plenty of story and excellent characters set against a very believable world.
Highly recommended.
If there are some things not addressed - the forthcoming problem with Norsunder, for instance - which has plenty of foreshadowing but no development - it's obviously because all Sherwood Smith's Sartorias-deles books need to be taken as a whole and foreshadowing in this book will lead to payoff in other books.
What I particularly like about this book is the completeness of the world building with echoes from previous books such as Inda's time at sea and training in the academy. Sherwood Smith is always good value with plenty of story and excellent characters set against a very believable world.
Highly recommended.
April 8, 2013
3.5 I'm reviewing this with 'Once a Princess,' its' prequel. Smith does a great job writing a complicated fantasy-based war story. She shows the rational behind the choices of her characters. I like watching them really think before they act and doubt their value even as the brave forward to the best of their ability. There are quite a few gems of good advice tucked into these books. It's also interesting to see the nuanced motivations of each character. Sometimes, even bad guys have the potential to be good or possess good qualities.
However, it's a stretch to become invested in the large number of characters introduced in this book. I would have preferred to know key characters better. I never felt like Sasha and Jehan's realtionship was properly developed. Sherwood tells us they have this 'attraction' but we never really see it or get to watch it grow. I'm baffled as to why he's second guessing his choices and she's so angry with him.
Sasha's 'LA lingo' drove me nuts. People just don't really talk that way. Even in LA.
Over-all, this was a great story, it just lacked the magic of the Court Duel series.
However, it's a stretch to become invested in the large number of characters introduced in this book. I would have preferred to know key characters better. I never felt like Sasha and Jehan's realtionship was properly developed. Sherwood tells us they have this 'attraction' but we never really see it or get to watch it grow. I'm baffled as to why he's second guessing his choices and she's so angry with him.
Sasha's 'LA lingo' drove me nuts. People just don't really talk that way. Even in LA.
Over-all, this was a great story, it just lacked the magic of the Court Duel series.
November 29, 2011
This is the sequel to Once a Princess, and it picks up right where the first one left off, with Sasha on her way to find her father, Sun in the custody of the king, and Jehan trying to hold things together without revealing his secret identity. I had hoped this book would be better than it was. The story was solid, but the writing style just killed me. It was such a juvenile way of writing, very simplistic, and with lots of child like Earth expressions like kissy face. It just broke the flow because I kept thinking no one talks like that. It also gave Sasha a very young feel, she talked so much younger than she actually was. Then there was a big hole in the plot. When Sasha gets stuck at the border, she chooses to stay and make some extra cash. This allowed all the people following her to catch up to them. I just found it really strange that up until that point she was relentlessly trying to find her father, and then all of a sudden she was fine with taking a few week layover. It really seemed like a clunky device to allow everyone to arrive to the big show down at the same time. All in all I was very disappointed with this series.
February 14, 2011
I love how this story including Once a Princess of which is the first book to this sequel, is almost similar to the Graceling series. :) I forgot how good pirate related novels are (especially ones that also include magic and modern world portals) since I always read novels about the fae, or vampires, or werewolves and the like. This book is a must read, after you've read 'Once a Princess' of course! I was satisfied with the ending, but wish there were a bit more romance throughout the story, especially in this one!
I also love that there was Mother/Daughter kick-a** combo throughout both books and Jehan is to die for. I have a thing for white/silver long-haired guys especially ones with his type of personality! ;)
I also love that there was Mother/Daughter kick-a** combo throughout both books and Jehan is to die for. I have a thing for white/silver long-haired guys especially ones with his type of personality! ;)
August 28, 2010
I finally got a hold of my sister's Kindle to finish this story. I was glad to finally see the end of Jehan and Sasha's story. Once a Princess was a little more interesting to me in that the characters were new and being developed, and much of Twice a Prince cruised on the character development that took place in the prequel, focusing instead on wrapping up the story line instead. That was a little disappointing to me.
Sherwood Smith creates very fascinating characters... but sometimes the stories themselves don't feel like they are as fascinating as the characters rate. :) I imagine that I am still an avid reader based on my love of good characterization, but that Ms. Smith may lose a couple readers who aren't as devoted character-readers as I am.
Sherwood Smith creates very fascinating characters... but sometimes the stories themselves don't feel like they are as fascinating as the characters rate. :) I imagine that I am still an avid reader based on my love of good characterization, but that Ms. Smith may lose a couple readers who aren't as devoted character-readers as I am.
November 8, 2008
Genre: Swashbuckling Fantasy
Rollicking fun tale filled with Kings, Queens, Princes, Princesses, Pirates, and Dastardly Plans! I had a bit of trouble believing the hero fooled everyone into believing all his diseprate disguises for years at a time and from such a young age... but the heroine's voice (which was first-person point-of-view for most of the story) was so entrancing that I overlooked the ludicrous-ness of the situation, and enjoyed it thoroughly.
The duology reminds me a bit of the Princess Bride movie :-D.
Rollicking fun tale filled with Kings, Queens, Princes, Princesses, Pirates, and Dastardly Plans! I had a bit of trouble believing the hero fooled everyone into believing all his diseprate disguises for years at a time and from such a young age... but the heroine's voice (which was first-person point-of-view for most of the story) was so entrancing that I overlooked the ludicrous-ness of the situation, and enjoyed it thoroughly.
The duology reminds me a bit of the Princess Bride movie :-D.
March 9, 2025
I like this one even better than the first (not sure if it's being published as one book now? It definitely feels like the second half to the same story.) But this is where it all comes together and you see the intrigue, with different characters trying to make their own plans and ambitions come true while deciding what to reveal to other characters. I've always loved this type of plot so I enjoyed it quite a bit. I also enjoy that some of the antagonists are not completely bad, but are doing potentially bad things for various reasons.
January 6, 2012
I really liked most of this book. The series is not my favorite by this author (I'm a huge fan!), and it all comes back to the main protagonists being from current-day LA. I found the slang to be overused and distracting in most places, although it also made the main protagonist's narrative more distinctive.
I loved the plot and liked its resolution; I loved the world.
Verdict: Definitely recommended for fantasy readers and Sherwood Smith fans. However, I probably won't revisit this series like I have Crown Duel.
I loved the plot and liked its resolution; I loved the world.
Verdict: Definitely recommended for fantasy readers and Sherwood Smith fans. However, I probably won't revisit this series like I have Crown Duel.
August 16, 2016
Since none of this volume took place in our modern world, it does not have the "urban fantasy" frame that the first volume had. Instead, this is high adventure fantasy, with lots of swashbuckling.
I enjoyed the character development in this book, and almost all of the plot elements finally paid off, with the possible exception of the "kid" character from the competitions in the first volume. Thus, by the end of the story the main plot elements are resolved, but the world remains open for further use, if the author ever runs out of other projects to work on. [HAH!]
I enjoyed the character development in this book, and almost all of the plot elements finally paid off, with the possible exception of the "kid" character from the competitions in the first volume. Thus, by the end of the story the main plot elements are resolved, but the world remains open for further use, if the author ever runs out of other projects to work on. [HAH!]
January 15, 2011
OK do not look at the cover! These are great books and the cover is horrible! They are clean and fun to read. I would recomend them to any teen girl who wants a little action and romance. Very fun to read! If I had to start over again I would read all her books in order of publication. She has the same world over and over again in many different books and I am all mixed up about a lot of the history that gets mentioned in every book. Just say-en.
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