The release date for the English version of 'Crown Duel' by
Sherwood Smith is Jun 2002. If you enjoy this novel, it is available for buy as a paperback from Barnes & Noble or Indigo, as an ebook on the Amazon Kindle store, or as an audiobook on Audible.
Fight with a sword and fan, with strength and etiquette, both on and off the field...
The story starts in a chilly, run-down tower chamber when a young Countess named Meliara makes a dying father promise that she and her brother would protect their people from the king's escalating greed. That pledge pushes them into an unprepared battle that puts the lives and homes of the very people they are attempting to defend in jeopardy.
However, war is nothing like what happens when the brutal combat is over and a tenuous peace is about to emerge. Meliara is called to the royal palace even though she wishes to reject politics and the throne. She quickly learns that there, intrigue permeates the drawing rooms and dancing halls, and friends and foes alike appear. Meliara has to pick up a completely new combat style that involves wit, language, and covert relationships if she is to live. At least she knew who to trust in wartime. She can no longer trust anybody.
The Firebird edition of Crown Duel combines the hardcover editions of Crown Duel and Court Duel-and features a never-before-published story by Sherwood Smith!