Crown Duel (Crown and Court #1) by Sherwood Smith About: A deathbed promise to their father sends a daring

girl and her brother off to wa r. Filled with intrigue, romance, and magic, this spellbinding novel is a dramat ic coming-of-age story about a girl who rises from impoverished beginnings to ta ke command of her own fate. Booklist Says: Smith tells a fast-moving tale of adventure, intrigue, and honor, with Mel a lika ble heroine and a lively narrator. Details: -Hardcover, 224 Pages -Published April 1st 1997 by HmH Books for Young Readers -ISBN 0152016082 (ISBN13: 9780152016081) -Series What a Reader Said About this Book "I enjoyed this fun, lighthearted read! A few of my favorite elements were: the book's fast-moving plot, the fun, individual, quirky characters, the way that th e reader could watch the main character grow, learn, and develop as the book mov ed along, and the extras in the back that retell some of the major scenes from V idanric's point of view. The only qualm I think one could have with this book is that the secret in "Cour t Duel" was rather predictable. The predictability of the secret did not ruin th e book for me, though, and I thought that it was still fun to read. I thought that the plot was reminiscent of Pride and Prejudice, and Much Ado Abo ut Nothing, in a way, although there was enough behind-the-scenes-at-the-Court w orked in (which I thought was very cool, by the way), that the book didn't seem like a copy of either of those books. All in all, I thoroughly enjoyed this book, and I recommend it to anyone looking for a strong heroine, good adventure, and a satisfying, happy ending."