Crown Duel (Originally Published As The Two Books Crown Duel And Court Duel) (Firebird), Sherwood Smith; Puffin

“To fulfill their father’s dying wish, teenage Countess Meliara and her brother Branaric organize a revolution against a greedy king.”

Robin’s Note: This fantasy tale, originally published as two separate novels Court Duel and Crown Duel, is a wit-driven romance combined with a struggle for control of a kingdom.  Our heroine, opinionated and clever (and a bit naive), is a country royal driven to try to save her own kingdom by confronting the court and ruler in the distant capital city.  The combination of funny dialog, building romance, and an action-packed plot make for a speedy read with great charm and spirit.  This is another teen title, essentially, but one that shares a lot with Austen in terms of the set up of the romance and the highlight of intelligence and clever conversation.