Crown Duel

By: Sherwood Smith

Narrated by: Samantha Norbury, Connor Brannigan

Sherwood Smith's most popular young adult fantasy begins with Meliara and her brother vowing to free Remalna from an evil king. War is tougher than it seemed. When Meliara is caught by the enemy commander, the elegant Marquis of Shevraeth, it's escape or die. Afterward, Meliara faces a tougher challenge: the battlefield is no longer mud and steel, but palaces, the weapons manners and fans. Toughest of all is courtship, when the one who catches her heart is her personal enemy—the new king. This beloved romantic fantasy has been in continuous print for over twenty years. The definitive edition is corrected, with additional material in six much-requested inserts from the hero’s point of view.

©2013, 2021, 2024 Sherwood Smith (P)2024 Sherwood Smith

Enjoyable!

I really enjoyed this story. I loved the strong heroine, the protective hero, and the intriguing storyline. This book was different from books I normally read, but still very enjoyable.

I enjoyed the narration by Samantha Norbury and Connor Brannigan. Both are relatively new to me narrators and I really enjoyed how Samantha brought the female and male characters to life as the book was predominantly narrated by her with the exception of the six inserts told from the hero's point of view. Both of the narrators were captivating and brought a lot to the characters they voiced.

Rating: 4/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Fantastic Romantic Fantasy with Outstanding Narration!

Romantic fantasy is fast becoming one of my favorite genres! And Crown Duel is an excellent example of the PG-rated version of this genre. I absolutely adored this story, which was new to me despite being in continuous print for over twenty years. With a strong, resourceful heroine and a righteous and protective hero amid a story jam-packed with fantasy and intrigue, it’s no small wonder why this story remains so loved to this day. I’m glad I got to experience it in audiobook format, because the narrators truly brought it to life, further elevating this popular and enduring story.

Although there are two narrators listed for this title, the main story is entirely performed by Samantha Norbury while Connor Brannigan performs six additional inserts told from the hero’s POV. Both of these narrators were new voices for me, but I was extremely impressed with both of them. Samantha Norbury carries the main story beautifully, flawlessly voicing a wide range of characters—both male and female—with passion and true emotion. Connor Brannigan did an outstanding job of voicing the hero in a way that was profoundly captivating, bringing us to love this character just that much more. Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed this audiobook. With a fantastic story and inspired narrative performances, this is an audio title you won’t want to miss!

So Good!

Crown Duel is book #1 in the Crown and Court Duet. This romantic fantasy audiobook was the Definitive Edition which contains additional material in six inserts from the hero’s POV.

Meliara is a revolutionary fighting a wicked King. She's captured, tortured, and eventually escapes, but is captured again by the Marquis of Shevraeth. She and her brother join forces with Shevraeth to defeat the King and afterward flees to her home and becomes somewhat of a recluse. She reluctantly decides to go to Court for her brother's wedding. With no formal schooling, she feels ignorant and is embarrassed but wins the hearts of everyone. Treachery is rising and Meliara must prove her loyalty to Shevraeth who has also captured her heart.

The narrator was fantastic. Samantha Norbury perfectly voiced all the characters in the story.
Connor Brannigan narrated the six inserts from Shevraeth's POV. These are both new narrators for me, but are now on my watch list! 5 brilliant stars!!!

Intrigue and Adventure

Samantha Norbury and Connor Brannigan narrate this audiobook and immerse you in the tale of Countess Meliara, who vows to protect her people from a greedy king. As war erupts, Meliara and her brother face challenges they never anticipated. But the true battle begins after the fighting ends, when Meliara is thrust into the treacherous world of court politics. Navigating deceit and intrigue, she learns that survival in the palace requires cunning and alliances. The narration beautifully captures the story's rich character development and the tension of a world where trust is scarce. This audiobook is a captivating blend of adventure, romance, and political intrigue.

Childhood favorite excellently performed

This book is a great favorite of mine. I loved hearing the story come to like through audio. Shevraeth’s drawl was wonderful to hear and even better than I had imagined. I loved the inserts from his point of view at the end. The narrator did an excellent job with distinct voices for the many characters. The two stories are imaginative and the world of Remalna quite a fun place. If you’re looking for a creative fantasy story that can be enjoyed by the whole family I highly recommend this one!

Favorite comfort book!

I was surprised at the accent at first, but the voice actress did a wonderful job at carrying the narrative throughout the story. When I saw that there was a male actor, I was expecting his voice to appear for Shevraeth so I was a bit disappointed it was not in the audiobook but in the bonus chapters. Overall, I’m happy with the audiobook and it was great to hear how the story sounded vs reading.

Crown Duel

What a ride! The first half was filled with all the action and kept the reader on their toes. The second half brought in the lies and deceit that came with court life. I enjoyed the narration from the audiobook. The cast was amazing, and you were truly intrigued by the plot of the story. I am definitely adding this book to my reread list.

Absolute Trash

The Audible version of this title is 1000% better. The accent of the voice actor completely butchers names. The accent is misplaced. Don’t waste your time.