Crown Duel by Sherwood Smith

So, have you ever had an ALL-TIME FAVORITE BOOK THAT YOU READ WHENEVER YOU WANT B/C IT'S JUST THAT GOOD AND YOU HAVE READ IT ANYTIME AND EVERYTIME AND ALL THE TIME!
Well, this is my book for all that up there that I just said.  I love Crown Duel (which is actually two books put into one publishing and as an added bonus, they published an extra short story and several excerpts telling different parts in the novel from the male's point of view). 
I got this book from the library and at first I thought "I don't get it" but I kept reading and now, it seriously is one of my all time favorite books.  There is an evil king, a fierce yet clueless heroine with a sweet sidekick brother, an intriguing marquis who you can't decide if you love him or hate him, sword fights, a little bit of subtle magic, all sorts of misunderstandings and some good little sarcastic quips to share between characters.  There is no foul language, it is set in a time when modesty is the height of courtly fashion and it is just a different kind of tale but shows some parallels to Pride and Prejudice.  I also love that the heroine is a hapless, slightly ignorant, runt of a woman who has enough spunk to make up for her short stature...reminds me of---me!  I will include the amazon description of the book below but really, read this book! Then call me and let's discuss!

Amazon description:

Over their father’s deathbed, young Meliara Astiar and her brother Branaric promise to lead their people against the evil King. The impoverished count and countess discover that even when the cause is right, leading a war is much tougher than it appears. When Meliara falls into the hands of the elegant Marquis of Shevraeth, the enemy commander, she knows she has to either escape or die. After a desperate chase across country, she discovers that she and Bran are not alone—but the alliance is offered by the person she hates the most.
Once the king is gone, she faces a new type of battlefield: not muddy fields and sharpened steel, but marble palaces. The weapons now are fashion, manners, and the subtle and secret language of fans. Finally, there is the toughest challenge of all, courtship. For how do you defend yourself when the one who draws your eye, and your heart, is your worst enemy?
Crown Duel, once published as Crown Duel and Court Duel, was put together with an added story by Firebird in 2003.

 

Of Sea and Stone (Secrets of Itlantis) by Kate Avery Ellison

Fresh off of another series by Ellison, I decided to give this new series a shot.  I say new series but as of today, she's only done the first book.  I mentioned in an earlier post that I like Ellison's work.  I've read one series of hers and two independent novels and loved them all.  There is a limited amount of language in her books and by limited, I mean in one book there were FOUR words.  Otherwise, no bad language, no sexually explicit scenes.  They are good, clean cut, fun books with a hint of mythical or fantastical elements.  I like that.  So let's get underway with this book.

Amazon description:
If only we'd known how many secrets the sea held...
All her life, clever Aemi has been a slave in the Village of the Rocks, a place where the sea and sky meet. She’s heard the stories about the fabled People of the Sea, a people who possess unimaginable technology who live below the waves in the dark, secret places of the ocean. But she never dreamed those stories were true.
When a ship emerges from the ocean and men burn her village, Aemi is captured, and enslaved below the waves in Itlantis, a world filled with ancient cities of glass and metal, floating gardens, and wondrous devices that seem to work magic. To make matters worse, her village nemesis, the stuck-up mayor’s son Nol, was captured with her, and they are made servants in the same household beneath the sea.
Desperate to be free, Aemi plots her escape, even going so far as to work with Nol. But the sea holds more secrets than she realizes, and escape might not be as simple as leaving...

 

 My opinion:
I like this book alot.  She manages to make an interesting character in Aemi.  I do think she introduces alot of side characters, even some just briefly.  I'm sure that some of them will reappear in later books and perhaps that is why we glimpse them in the first book.  It will obviously take some rereading by the time the next book is introduced.  There is no bad language, no sex, not even real violence.  There is a kiss!  One kiss!  So enjoy it when you get to it!  The romance in this book is subtle, you have to go a long ways to find it but I think that makes the book more appealing in a way.

Aeralis (The Frost Chronicles) by Kate Avery Ellison

SPOILER ALERT: THIS IS THE 5TH AND FINAL BOOK OF THE FROST CHRONICLES. DO NOT READ REVIEW UNLESS YOU HAVE READ FROST, THORNS, WEAVERS, AND BLUEWING OF THE FROST CHRONICLES!!!!

Amazon description:

~BOOK 5 IN THE FROST CHRONICLES~
Safety is never certain...
Every family has secrets...
Even your own can turn against you.
Lia Weaver and her ragtag band of fugitives and renegades have finally driven the Farther soldiers from the Frost, but turmoil continues in the wake of the occupation. Lia uncovers a letter that hints at yet another family secret, one that will change everything she's ever known. Ann Mayor and her father have found themselves the target of violence for their fraternization with the Farthers. The villagers are fighting amongst themselves, making accusations and threats. Meanwhile, Jonn’s life hangs in the balance.
When an unexpected enemy surfaces in the Frost and endangers Ivy's life, Lia faces a terrible choice. Defying Thorns orders, she sets out to to save her family and find answers in Aeralis.

My opinion:

I won't say much b/c this is the final book. I am happy with the way the author ended the series and I'm happy with the direction she took it.  I think sometimes authors can lose a group of fans simply on how they end the series.  If they don't go the way you want or end up with the person you want or the author kills off your favorite character then you are done, just that easily they lose a fan of the series.  Some people complain the JK Rowling did not put enough information in her epilogue to the Harry Potter series.  If anything, I feel that Ellison put too much info into her epilogue.  I like how she ended the series and then with one little paragraph in the epilogue she kinda took away the happiness I was experiencing.  I can't tell you specifics; it would spoil, spoil, spoil.  BUT I'm curious to see how you feel after you've finished the book?  Btw, there is no language or sexual content in this book!

I should add that Ellison does 3 short stories (novellettes) to this series.  One is Brewer, a short story told by Adam's point of view.  Fugitive is Gabe's point of view and Survival Lessons: A Frost Short Story is a short story that has no correlation to Lia's tale and is just a side story that I enjoyed.  They are all short and could be read in 30 minutes.  And I may be biased (okay, I'm totally biased) but Brewer is my fave of the three!

Thorns, Weavers, and Bluewing by Kate Avery Ellison

SPOILER ALERT: THESE BOOKS ARE BOOKS 2, 3, AND 4 OF A SERIES!  PLEASE DO NOT READ UNLESS YOU HAVE READ THE FIRST BOOK IN THE SERIES "FROST".

Thorns
Description from Amazon:
BOOK 2 IN THE FROST CHRONICLES~
Lia Weaver went against everything she’d ever known when she risked her life to help a Farther fugitive named Gabe escape from the Aeralian soldiers, and her life changed forever. And the Frost changed, too—the Farthers have taken over her village, a new group of vigilantes calling themselves the Blackcoats are making plans to overthrow the Farther occupiers, and the Thorns are seeking for her to join them.
Lia seeks to fight back against the evil and injustice that has swallowed up her home, but danger lurks at every turn. The monsters that dwell in the deepest regions of the Frost are growing bolder and more dangerous every day, a Farther noble takes up residence in the village on a mysterious mission, and Lia discovers even more secrets embedded in her past.
As the frozen world of the Frost grows even more perilous, can Lia survive?

 

My opinion:  I love this one more than the first!  I love where the author takes Lia and Adam.  I'm not a big fan of Gabe; I'm just not.  This is a great time where Lia starts to become tougher.  She still tries to micro-manage everyone else in her life and I get annoyed with that but I love that she realizes that she's going to go for it in this strange adventure that has been thrust upon her.

 

Weavers

Description from Amazon:

~BOOK 3 IN THE FROST CHRONICLES~
Every day, life in the Frost grows increasingly perilous for its inhabitants. The Farther occupation continues, and food is becoming scarce. Lia Weaver’s family is facing increasing perils, too—Jonn pushes his health to the brink as he works to uncover the mysteries of Echlos, Ivy risks everything to get food for the family, and for the second time, the Weaver family is harboring a fugitive, but Lia doesn’t trust her.
Lia has personally braved many struggles—a Farther occupation, family secrets, a heart torn between two men, and Watcher attacks—as she struggles to keep her family safe. Now, she will face her greatest challenge and uncover the Frost’s deepest secrets as she completes her most dangerous mission yet for the Thorns.

 

My opinion: Okay, so in this book, things get weird.  Now the author brings alot of things to light and you find yourself just trying to keep everything straight.  Keep reading!  She does explain stuff and she's going somewhere with the weirdness.  She does have a method to her madness, you just have to be willing to stick to the journey.  Now, this isn't one of my faves...Adam is barely in it.  BUT it is more of a self-discovery book for Lia in this book....keep going....Book 4 is better!

 

Bluewing

Description from Amazon:

~BOOK 4 IN THE FROST CHRONICLES~
Lia Weaver is a fugitive. Her family's farm has been confiscated by Farther soldiers, her sister has been reassigned to a new family in the village, and her official status is "missing." Now, she and a band of fugitive followers must make their home in the harsh wilderness of the Frost. Food is scarce, and hope is scarcer still as Lia tries to find information about the whereabouts of her missing friends. She is determined to rescue them, but when a surprising ally steps forth with a offer that will both return her friends and expel the Farthers from the Frost in exchange for something very precious, Lia must make a choice.

 

 My  opinion: I won't say much about this one except I love it!  Love where she went with it, love how the characters are getting put into their own perspective places.  Love, love, love!  THERE ARE 4 BAD WORDS  IN THIS BOOK!  The first time I've noticed cursing in her books and I counted them--4!  So you have been warned...but it's still a good book!

Frost by Kate Avery Ellison

So I kinda realized that as I review these books, I tell you what I think (which is good) but I might not be so good at describing what the book is about so here's my new and improved version.  I'm going to share the amazon book description first and then tell you my opinion!

Frost by Kate Avery Ellison
Book Description:

In the icy, monster-plagued world of the Frost, one wrong move and a person could end up dead—and Lia Weaver knows this better than anyone. After monsters kill her parents, she must keep the family farm running despite the freezing cold and threat of monster attacks or risk losing her siblings to reassignment by the village Elders. With dangers on all sides and failure just one wrong step away, she can’t afford to let her emotions lead her astray. So when her sister finds a fugitive bleeding to death in the forest—a young stranger named Gabe—Lia surprises herself and does the unthinkable.

She saves his life.

Giving shelter to the fugitive could get her in trouble. The Elders have always described the advanced society of people beyond the Frost, the “Farthers,” as ruthless and cruel. But Lia is startled to find that Gabe is empathetic and intelligent…and handsome. She might even be falling in love with him.

But time is running out. The monsters from the forest circle the farm at night. The village leader is starting to ask questions. Farther soldiers are searching for Gabe. Lia must locate a secret organization called the Thorns to help Gabe escape to safety, but every move she makes puts her in more danger.

Is compassion—and love—worth the risk?

 

Greta's opinion:

Alright, so I love this book.  I find this author to be one of my go to gals.  I'm reading this series of hers as well as having read two separate novels that she has written (I'll review them later).  I enjoy her writing.  There is no bad language.  So far in the series there hasn't been any sexual suggestions or otherwise.  It's a good clean book.

Now, I'm not a "doom's day" kinda reader.  I loved Hunger Games up until book 3 and then the author sent me over the edge.  But this book sometimes gets me a little down.  I may be the only person who feels that way.  I love this book.  I love where she is going with it.  And I've enjoyed book 2 and 3 so far.  Books 4 and 5 are waiting for me to get to them. But I will admit that while reading, I get a little bogged down in the atrocities and just sheer obstacles that Lia must face.  And she kinda faces them alone b/c as much as her sibs want to help, they really can't.  Or maybe she feels so much responsibility that she doesn't allow them to help. I think that's the crux of it: she feels like she has to save everyone and I find that overwhelming (maybe b/c I feel the same way in real life).  So my personal "hero issues" aside, the story is a good one.  Lia is a fighter (love that), she refuses to give up despite fear (again, love) and I kinda have a fictional crush on one of the fellas in her life (as a side note, if the author doesn't put Lia with this fella by the end, I will be heartbroked and may retract all  my previous postings).  But I say read this book.  I think you'll like it. It's certainly got a deep storyline going and I'm curious to see where she takes it.

Dryad-Born (Whispers from Mirrowen book #2) by Jeff Wheeler

SPOILER ALERT!!  DO NOT READ UNLESS YOU'VE READ "FIREBLOOD" BY JEFF WHEELER.  THIS IS THE SECOND BOOK IN A SERIES!

I have to give Jeff Wheeler credit, he is a good author. I love this one even more than the first one.  He finally gives Hettie and Paedrin some closure and manages to bring in 3 new characters that have me on the edge of my seat.  Again, no bad language, no sexuality, a good clean book.  And it is almost too complex!  I'm kinda good at telling where the author is going.  Usually I can figure out how the story is going to resolve itself.  That is not the case in this book.  Wheeler manages to twist the plot so many ways that I had to tell myself to slow down and focus so that I could remember details later. 
The only downside of the book is that he almost has too many characters. Don't get me wrong, I enjoy meeting Tyrus' daughter in this book and he brings in two fellas that will kill to protect her.  I like where he is taking that story line.  But we also have a new Rike and another new bodyguard.  So that's at least 5 supporting characters and he only kills 2 off so we're suddenly overloaded with people to follow and there are about 4 storylines going on at the same time. 
He does manage to bring them all together toward the end so that he can leave it as a cliffhanger!  Kinda bummed about that.  But he does say that he's a 3 books in a series kinda guy so I can wait for the last one.  It will be a nice fantasy read.

Fireblood (Whispers from Mirrowen) by Jeff Wheeler

I'll start off with saying that this book has no bad language and sexual innuendos.  It is a great book for a young adult.  Good, clean book.  I will also say that I tend to not read books by male authors.  I know, forgive me...it's sexist.  But the truth is that sometimes male authors are horrible at writing about female characters and they tend to bog me down in details.  But I enjoyed this book so much that I'm looking forward to reading the sequel.  His writing reminds me a little of Tolkien in the details and the "nature" aspect.  This book has dryads and nature spirits (good and bad ones).  It has a male main character but the entourage of characters include a few gals as well.  So the synopsis:
Annon is a Druidecht, a person who can speak to the nature spirits.  A mediator between man (who can't see the spirits) and the spirits (who are only mean when they have to be).  Think "nature-loving Merlin", who discovers at age 18 that he has a twin sister. She was stolen at birth by the Romani (think gypsies) and starting on her 8th birthday she was sold into service.  Every 10 yrs, she is resold but as her 18th birthday approaches, she is hoping to buy her freedom from service.  Now that Annon knows she exists, he'll do everything he can to help her.  But he, Hettie (his sister) and their protector (Phaedrin) find out that the journey is far more complex and twisted than they imagined. 
The fun thing about this book is that right about the time you think it should end or the author is coming to a conclusion, he adds a twist and extends the story.  Another great thing is that he tells the story from various points of view....Annon, Hettie, Phaedrin, Tyrus, even the bad guys sometimes.  He gives you a little bit of insight into everyone's thoughts, motives, and secret ambitions.  This is particularly fun when he plays Hettie off of Phaedrin.  Everyone can see that the arguing behind the two is built-up attraction, except of course for the two involved.  I also like Annon developing a crush toward the end of the book.  He is sweet and awkward and you totally want to play matchmaker for the dear boy.
The sequel is now out and I'm looking forward to reading it soon.  I really recommend this book, esp for fantasy lovers who want some adventure and magic with only a hint of romance (it is written by a man).  It is also a good book for high school, maybe even jr. high.  Pretty fantasical read.