The Trouble With Kings by Sherwood Smith Read Online
Description
"With music you tin tell the truth nearly human experience."
In this romantic fantasy set in the aforementioned earth as Crown Duel, Flian is an ordinary princess who would rather be left with her music, but gets abducted not once, not twice—three times.
What is a civilized princess to do? Especially when she can't tell which prince is the hero and which the villain!
Re-released through Book View Cafe
About the writer
Sherwood Smith is the author of a number of science fiction and fantasy novels, including the Wren serial for Young Adults, the Exordium novels (with Dave Trowbridge), the recent Atlantis Endgame, a novel of the Time Traders serial (with Andre Norton), Solar Queen novels (also with Andre Norton), and many others. She lives due south of Los Angeles.
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Reviews
What people think nearly The Problem with Kings
4.3
Reader reviews
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Belongings me to my ereader until 01:xv in the morning volition get you lot five stars, maybe. If the plot is that intriguing (break to admire word choice), the globe-edifice that understatedly cute, if the characters are that fascinating and the play of relationships that complex and yet easy to follow, if I'm actually dying to find out whether they do gather in the end. And, of course, they are all just that superb. Even the castles have individual graphic symbol. Exemplary fantasy romance with a quietly stiff female pb written from the first person point of view, and worth every tinklet.
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Flian is rich and a princess, but she takes no pleasure in the sycophants or courtroom politics she's known all her life. Being kidnapped past 3 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. Bellyaching at the numerous kidnappings, Flian takes up self-defense lessons (but in a twist on the trope, she doesn't become a super-ninja, just 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 accept charge and practise it herself. In ane of her escape attempts, Flian spends fourth dimension 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 only 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, virtually what it ways to exist a good and but ruler. Meanwhile, Flian begins to realize that at to the lowest degree i 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 not-white people don't be (or, as in the case of CS Lewis, are merely nowadays in order to be a villanous contrast). Reading stories set in a slightly fantastical version of the dominant culture and epitome is fun! But information technology does get old, especially when "realism" is used as an alibi for why the author didn't bother to exercise much in the fashion of world-edifice. If readers can take dragons and wizards without disbelief, surely we can deal with the occassional non-patriarchal, non-heterosexist society? Is information technology 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 merely 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'southward female lover helps run the state and the most jock-like man at court is the one to capture the eye of a handsome visiting prince. It's all and then casually accepted that it feels beleivable. Her piece of work is unpretentious proof that medievalish fantasy world doesn't have to have sexism to exist realistic.
Which is non 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 take their ups and downs nevertheless. There are fight scenes and strategy, internecine courtroom politics and off-handed talk most countries left under centuries of enchanted isolation. But though the fantasy is practiced, the romance is not. I rooted for the couple to get together, but the periodic insertion of romance novel tropes felt unnatural and forced. Too, the names feel off: Flian and Maxl don't trip off the tongue, merely at least they're improve than "Male monarch Jason" or (worst of all) "Princess Jewel". That aside, I really liked this book, and am feeling disheartened at the fact that information technology's over and I have to read something else.
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I liked this book but I didn't love it. Sherwood Smith reminds me of Eva Ibotson in a way. Her characters usually score meliorate than the story by the end. They fifty-fifty 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 Beneath 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 flying overseas to Berlin. I read most of information technology during layovers in Atlanta and Amsterdam. It'southward a betoken in its favour that I could continue 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'thou sick of the principal swordsman/healer/awesome/half fae/half witch/half demon beauty heroine. Filan spends a chunk of the fourth dimension 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 ane another.Garian was a charismatic villain. He did plant a good seed of incertitude in her listen about Jason.Other fantasy/midevil books could take a leaf from Smith. You don't have to be sexist or like the existent worlds midevil days. [here's looking at yous Game of Thrones.]The minuses-That people demand royalty and kings. Afterward Garian abused his power how could Filan come up to that conclusion?I shouldn't take 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. ;)
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Princess is Flian is apparently and tranquility. She knows that she is courted only for her wealth. Only now she is being abducted and counter-abducted past neighboring princes and kings. Who can she trust?A good, romantic, slightly immature-adultish fantasy.
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Flian Elandersi is a wealthy princess often courted for her money. She falls off of a equus caballus and loses her memory giving the malicious Garian Herlester the perfect opportunity to convince her that she was well-nigh to marry his friend Jason Szinzar, the rex of a neighboring monarchy in need of money. On the eve of the "wedding" Flian is kidnapped past Jason'due south younger brother Jaim. Jaim is the leader of a group of bandits who steal from Jason's potent holds equally revenge for the handling Jaim endured under Jason when he was young. While staying with Jaim, Flian meets the third Szinzar sibling named Gem. The girls become immediate friends even though they are polar opposites in both appearance and personality. Flian's memory soon returns and she realizes that she must escape from the bandits' camp. She and Precious stone embark on a journeying to Flian'due south house simply are not in that location for long before Jason reappears. The Problem with Kings is one of my elevation five favorite books. The time period is non an exact era because information technology is a fantasy but it has a medieval undertone considering of the patriarchal governments, wardrobes, and technology even though magic is included. This is one of my favorite time periods to read about because information technology is and so different from today's social club.Instead of a high school scenario, the characters nourish court where the roughshod Gillian Zarda and her power-seeking begetter are introduced along with Flian's older blood brother Maxl. Characters can truly captivate a reader and the characters in this story are no exception. Each individual is so unique which makes the book enjoyable. In add-on, almost every grapheme has an opposite in attempt to further label. For example, while Jewel is depicted equally a free spirit who is comfortable in whatever social situation, Flian is conservative and frequently described as awkward and lonely. Jason is the book's most circuitous and equivocal character. Although the author continuously describes him as 'sardonic' and having 'as much emotion as a stone' information technology is articulate that he has many more unseen personalities making his is deportment an intriguing part of the story. Jason is the reason that sardonic is my favorite discussion. Flian is an entertaining protagonist. While in her own home she is often reserved, when she is placed in unsafe situations her sharp natural language and determination protect her. Having such a strong primary grapheme intensifies the book to an even greater extent. The catastrophe of the book was slightly predictable to the vigilant reader simply information technology may have been a pleasing surprise to many. Using a masquerade ball to bring characters together prepare the curious mood of the story.An adventurous fantasy with a potent female person leader such as Flian and a mysterious family such as the Szinzars is my favorite blazon of story. Although the diction was slightly repetitive and wordy, the story's creativity will exceed even a harsh critic'southward expectations.
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Plot: Princess Flian wakes up with no memory and a nasty bump on her head. She is told that she has run away from a father she does not get on with to marry her love Rex Jason. Their haste makes her suspicious and she feels zip for the unemotional human she is to marry simply she goes along with information technology. But the roguish prince Jaim crashes her wedding and carries her off, saving her from his villainous brother, he says. Slowly her memories return and she struggles to discover her way home in spite of political machinations and several more abductions. Earlier the novel is upward Flian must find love, her strength and her place in the political world she was born into.And then I finally bought my very ain Sony due east-book reader (for those of you who are interested, Sony has dropped the toll of their touch on model by $50CAN) and the kickoff thing I did was buy some other of Smith's fantasy romances that I was having trouble getting my easily on in print. I should have known better. I didn't become a flash of sleep final dark. The action is exciting and doesn't slow downwards until the final chapters. Flian isn't your typical heroine. She is no swooning bloom but neither is she a swashbuckling warrior woman. She is intelligent, observant and passionate about her music. Though she may non be exceptionally strong, she has the courage to uphold her convictions and protect what is love to her. I could well imagine that some of the most powerful men in her world would be vying for her, even if she isn't a slap-up beauty. The romance was a little predictable; Smith does seem to similar her villainous-seeming, misunderstood heroes. And I plant the explanation of everyone'southward motives at the finish a petty bully and heavy handed. But that doesn't modify the fact that I was completely swept upwards into the world and the story. I couldn't put it down.
The Trouble With Kings by Sherwood Smith Read Online
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