In the second book of the Sasharia En Garde series, Twice a Prince by Sherwood Smith, Sasha continues her hunt to find her father, the rightful king, so he can bring peace and right the wrongs in the kingdom of Khanerenth. Sasha finds that she is unable to trust Jehan, the man she thought was a simple pirate, when she discovers he is not who she thought he was. So Sasha sets off on her own to find her father. Jehan is finding it even more difficult to maintain the duel roles of the fool prince and the intrepid pirate that he has undertaken to try to keep his father and the war commander off balance. And Sasha’s mother must find a way out of her gilded cage so she too can find a way to enact a civil revolt throughout the kingdom before the current king embroils them all in a war. And what about the common people, the soldiers, the sailors, and the mages, what do they want for the kingdom?

The tale really gets complicated with all of the major players headed off in their own direction and pursuing their own plans for the kingdom but it is still an entertaining read. Sasha and Jehan have an undeniable attraction towards one another but you can’t have a relationship without trust, so they must go their own way. Although there are still sword fights and pirate raids featuring Sasha and Jehan, this time the story focuses more on the treachery of the current king and his war commander. But I also enjoyed the side antics of Sasha’s mother who tends to be underestimated and overlooked. And finally the story does come to a satisfying conclusion although I wouldn’t mind more adventures in this unique fantasy world and there are plenty of interesting secondary characters to build on.

Personally, I would have preferred the two books, Once a Princess and Twice a Prince, to have been combined into one book. Neither book is complete by itself and they cannot stand alone, but as long as your read both books you will find a fascinating fantasy world of pirates, magic, and romance, a classic saga of good verses evil, and a tale worthy of the time you will spend reading.

Reviewed by: Stephanie B.