false 0 2 false false Wed Apr 01 00:00:00 -0700 2009 Wed Apr 22 05:35:35 -0700 2009 Wed Apr 22 05:35:46 -0700 2009
Sasha and her mother fled Sartorias-deles when Canardan Merindar usurped the throne from Sasha's father. Sasha is living in LA when men from her world come looking for her. She soon returns to Sartorias-deles and is swept up in the resistance as the ally? prisoner? of sexy but fashion-challenged pirate Zathdar. Sun follows, looking for her daughter, and ends up in the hands of Merindar. Politics, intrigue, fighting, and romance all ensue.

Sherwood Smith's books blow my mind for the sheer world-building that goes into them. I'm awed by the time and work Smith has spent developing this world and its history, the races and the individual characters, the magic and the cosmology.

This has advantages and disadvantages. On the one hand, there were times I felt like I was missing some of the larger picture. On the other, Smith has created a world you can dive into as deeply as you choose, and stay there as long as you'd like. The story works wonderfully on its own, but it feels more ... solid than most. (As opposed to some books, where you see the Hollywood-style facade if you stop to look at anything too closely.)

The book is a fun read. Sasha and Zathdar were my favorites, with plenty of good banter and tension between them. Prince Jehan is a fun character as well, once you start to learn more about him. I didn't get as much of a sense as Sun, but she's as strong and determined as her daughter, just in a different arena. (Politics and intrigue as opposed to fighting and running about.) Actually, there's a nice range of strong female characters in this one.

A final warning - if you're going to read Once a Princess, you'll probably want to pick up Twice a Prince as well, since the end of book one leaves a fair amount unresolved. (It was originally one story, split into two books by the publisher.)]]>