Firebirds

The Baby in the Night Deposite Box by Nancy Whalen Turner

This is a story about baby Penny, who one night is dropped into a bank's night deposite box. When the bank manager/owner comes into work the next morning he finds the baby in with the rest of the deposites and decided that it is the banks responsibility to raise her. In this short story we watch as Penny grows from a young baby to a young adult. It didn't have much fantasy in it until the very end. For me it ended right when it was getting good, again I felt this was a great set-up for a full-length novel, but it was an enjoyable story.

Beauty by Sherwood Smith

I was pleasantly surprised to find that this story takes place in the same world of Crown Duel. It follows the daughter of Mel and Danric, who I loved, in the earlier books. Elestra is far from beautiful and is upset one evening and runs to the thrown room to get away, as soon as she enters the evil Flauvic (who had been imprisioned in a tree) takes her captive so he can make his escape. The curse that was placed on Flauvic in Court Duel has been lifted and although twenty years have passed he has hardly aged. All his family, friends and connections are long gone and he is all alone. As they travel toward the border a friendship grows between Elestra and Flauvic and before anything can really happen between them the story ends. I have mixed feelings about this one. Flauvic was such a "bad guy" in the Court Duel book it was hard for me to see him as a good guy in this one. I suppose living twenty years in a tree, losing everyone you know, and knowing that no one cared to rescue you is a pretty good punishment. Maybe he has learned a lesson and will strive to live a better life. The story ended a bit too quickly and I'm left wondering more about him then I ever was with the original story. It was fun revisiting and finding out how Mel and Danric are doing, although it didn't have the same magic from the other stories, it was still a fun read.

Court Duel by Sherwood Smith

"The teenage Countess Meliara finds herself compelled for political reasons to leave her small castle in county Tlanth to stay at the royal palace Athanarel in the capital city, Remalna. She is completely unprepared for court life, preferring to run barefoot over the hills rather than learning how to hold her fan correctly, but luckily her brother's new fiancee takes Meliara under her wing and teaches her the nuances of court etiquette. Mel soon finds herself swept up in a dizzying whirl of flirtation and political intrigue, and she remains confused about both until a plot to take over the throne brings many secrets to light."

Fantastic! I was sad when I finished the first book and didn't have the second one on hand to beging reading right away. So, I immediately went out and bought the "duet" version, where books one and two are combined (with a fun bonus short story at the end). I really enjoyed this version, I think its best to read it all as one book instead of two seperate books. I loved Court Duel! Mel really grows a lot in this installment. I read this on our recent roadtrip and it really made the time fly by. Her relationship with Vidanric is perfect. I won't give anything away, but I loved the direction the author went with their storyline and I was on pins and needles the whole time wondering if they would or would not end up together. I totally recommend this book to anyone would loves a nice, clean romantic fantasy! (Jess, this means you! I think you'd love these books!)

Crown Duel by Sherwood Smith

“In a cold and shabby tower room, in a cold and shabby castle, young Countess Meliara and her brother, Branaric, swear to their dying father that they will defend their people from the growing greed of the king. But that promise may cost them everything they cherish. It leads them into a war for which they are ill-prepared, a war that threatens the homes and lives of the very people they are trying to protect. Worse still, it lands one of the pair in a torture chamber and leaves the other with an arrow in the back.”

Okay, I think the first thing I can say is that you really should have the second book on hand before reading the first. I unfortunately only had book one checked out and now I am impatiently waiting for the second. Book one follows Meliara, the countess of a very poor area. The king has continued to raise taxes to the point where even the upper-class are struggling. When he threatens to overtake all their land and their people, not to mention breaking a sacred covenant with the wood people, Meliara and her brother Branaric are furious and decide they must fight. Mel, is soon captured by the enemy camp and then the real adventure begins. We follow Mel as she is captured, imprisoned, escapes, on the run, still on the run, captured again, escapes again, on the run again, and so on. I did enjoy the story and the hint of a romantic relationship with one of her captures. However, the book kind of just ends and there isn’t much resolution. I look forward to reading the second book.