REVIEW: Summers at Castle Auburn by Sharon Shinn

ISBN 0-441-00928-X

Genre: Fantasy

(c) 2001, Ace Book, Berkley Publishing Group

Sharon Shinn's website

Rating: 2 stars

Buy Link: Book Depository

"Good story but with flaws"

Corie is the illegitimate child of a dead nobleman with the daughter of a village witch/wise woman. When she was six, her uncle Jaxon came at the behest of her dead father and bargained with her grandmother for her to live her summers at Castle Auburn with her half-sister Elisandra. Corie lives for her summers at Castle Auburn, but as she grows older, she realizes deeper and darker things are afoot at the castle.

Sharon Shinn writes a wonderful story that both entrances you and makes you stop and think at the same time. In this book, she touches on the subjects of slavery and abuse, but more than that, it's about growing up and seeing the world through different eyes, learning that the world isn't quite the way you thought it was. It's about coming into your own principles and beliefs and acting according to what you know is right, even if it is against the way of the world. It's about Corie and her growth from a young girl into a woman.

I have said before that Sharon Shinn is very good at characterization and character development, and it is true again here, especially in the person of Corie, whom I like very much as a heroine. At 14, she was charming and engaging, despite being forthright and liable to say anything she thinks. She could wrap Bryan (or any man) around her finger if she so wants.

She was infatuated with Bryan (as did many girls), blinded by his handsome features. Still, she possessed a fierce loyalty to her sister, to whom Bryan was betrothed, in that even as she enjoyed Bryan's attention, she was aware he was her sister's and didn't think of fighting with her over him, and later on, her intense need to save Elisandra.

As Corie grew older and the veil of innocence was taken away, she became aware of Bryan's true nature--that he was handsome, yes, but he was cruel and selfish and may not make the realm a good king nor her sister a good husband. Her moral compass was also being challenged with regard to the aliora, fairy-like creatures who became the humans' slaves when captured.

Possible spoilers below, so be warned.

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I've always liked a Sharon Shinn story and this is no exception. However, I have some complaints:

1. Maybe because I'm a romance reader, I wish there were more romantic moments (more development of the romance) between Corie and her future husband (not telling who, so as not to spoil your reading pleasure). Corie's thoughts regarding her feelings for him also came across as...not strong enough. (Actually, I'm tempted to write, "What feelings?", but there were hints, like not wanting to read news about him dancing with another girl, etc.)

I'm not convinced she loved him because her reaction to him was rather bland. She even wanted him to marry her sister (to save her), even after he told her that he didn't love her sister that way. So, I'm a bit disappointed here. However, that said, I realize this is a fantasy novel and I'm content with what I can get. The consolation is that the guy is more forthcoming and we really see that he likes her through his actions (though how she couldn't see this is a mystery, and instead she was always attributing it to something else) and his declaration of love toward the end more than makes up for Corie's lackluster emotions.

(I want to quote some of his lines but they're very revealing as to who he is, so...sorry. Read the book if you want to know.)

2. I think Jaxon's "romance" with Rowena, the Queen of Alora, is more exciting. However, so much about them happened in the background. I wish we could've seen more about what had happened between them before that shocking entrance into Castle Auburn, proclaiming that they had married along the way. I'm very interested to know how their bargain was struck and if there were feelings on Rowena's side for him, or if she was doing it merely for her people.

3. Elisandra's actions at the end. This is the only point that truly disturbed me. I know why she did what she did, and I empathize with her situation and I really believe she only did it as a last resort to a very difficult situation. I now know why she is portrayed as so cool and calm all the time, because only a person of such..."cold-bloodedness", I should say, could have done what she did.

Despite the justification, I'm not sure I agree with her method. Granted, Bryan is an evil man and his eventually being king and her husband would spell doom for the realm and for her. He is very cruel, as shown in his callous disregard for his illegitimate child and the way he punished Andrew. Perhaps Elisandra is merely delivering her own brand of justice. Perhaps she agonized over her decision before finally being resigned to the fact that there's no other way. However, I just...don't...quite...agree with the method of his downfall. As I was reading, I thought this book could also be classified as YA, but when I came to this part, I think not. Or perhaps, it can be read but with parental guidance.

Perhaps this was balanced in Corie's and her future husband's "condemnation" of Elisandra's actions later on, but the fact that Elisandra got away with it, that she wasn't punished but moreover was "rewarded" with possession of Jaxon Halsing's estate plus the love of a good man, well, that may send the wrong impression to a young mind.

So, much as I love this story, I couldn't give it the rating I wanted. Since I believed that the third point is a very important one, I have to give the story a rating of 2.

REVIEW: Reader and Raelynx by Sharon Shinn

Series: Twelve Houses
(c) 2007, ACE Books, Penguin Group
449 pages, Mass-Market Edition
Author's Website

Summary:

Book 4 in the series

The Princess Amalie is to choose from among her suitors, in a bid to quell the rebellious uprising brewing in the kingdom. Cammon, who is able to read the emotions of people, is assigned to help her weed out suitors who aren't sincere. In the process, both of them start to fall in love with each other, despite rules and conventions that forbid the match between a princess and a commoner.

Review:

Sharon Shinn's writing style is easy to read, and the words and the story flows smoothly along. Again, it was nice to meet up with old friends--the characters from the previous books--and to know what had happened to them after their individual romances/books.

The story picks up from where Justin's story ended, about a year later, with war imminent on Gillengaria's doorstep. The entire series has one big story arc, and this is the 4th book in the series. Per the author's website, she believed readers would have a hard time following the story when they start with this book. In my opinion, however, if you're the type to be satisfied with hints and highlights that had happened in the previous books, it would be perfectly okay to read this without reading the others. But you would've missed out on the developing relationship of the six main characters of the series that had happened in the previous books, which I believe forms the very foundation of their deep friendship. Especially for Cammon, the hero in this book, whose character is wrapped up in his relationship with the other five.

Amalie is a bright young woman who takes such delight in the things around her, as though she is seeing everything for the first time. And a lot of times, she is. Cammon, on the other hand, is a powerful mystic who can read minds and do lots of other wonderful, strange and powerful things. One of the first thoughts that entered my mind regarding Cammon is, how could the author make him so powerful? Heroes usually have flaws, despite the immense strength or power they wield, and Cammon seems to be...flawless, perfect. Yet, we find later on that his weakness is Amalie and the friends he had accumulated along life's journey, and that his powers cannot penetrate/doesn't work on people not from Gillengaria.

Cammon and Amalie are said to be good for each other, despite their stations in life, as both experienced loneliness and being friendless while growing up due to different reasons. However, I couldn't get much into the feel of their romance. There seems to be something lacking, though I couldn't pinpoint what. Of all the romances, I feel Justin's and Ellynor's (Dark Moon Defender) is the best, the sweetest, and one whom I don't mind to read again sometime down the road.

One thing that jarred me out of my suspension of disbelief is the scene where Amalie wanted to know what her husband would expect of her after they marry. In short, what the marriage bed is about (in theory) and how a man is different from a woman. Granted, it is winter, and they were outside in the garden on a bench, she and Cammon are friends, but still, when a man strips all his clothes in front of a girl...it is a bit inconceivable that nothing--absolutely nothing--would happen, especially when they were having more than friendly thoughts toward the other, even if these thoughts weren't that fully formed yet. Or perhaps, the romances I've been reading are affecting my thinking as to how a couple would react to each other when one of them is naked.

This story in effect wraps up all the loose threads and brought several pairs of lovers together. Despite the negative comments above, generally, I enjoyed this story, as I have enjoyed any story by Sharon Shinn for the "feel good" sentiments.

The fifth book, Fortune and Fate, relates the events that happened two years later after the end of this 4th book. The protagonist here is the Rider Wen, who left the palace after a grievous mistake she'd committed during the war. Though some of the six primary characters will also make cameo appearances, however, I'm not sure I want to read it since Wen didn't exactly endear herself to me during her brief appearances in Reader and Raelynx.

Book Rating: 3.5

REVIEW: Dark Moon Defender by Sharon Shinn

Series: Twelve Houses series

Author's Website

Summary:

Justin is sent on an assignment to spy on the Lumanen Convent. There, he meets and befriends Ellynor, a novice at the convent, and unexpectedly, love blossoms between them. Underlying this romance is the trouble that continues to brew in Gillengaria.

Comments:

Sharon Shinn's male characters are fascinating and varied. We have dangerous and taciturn Tayse in the Mystic and Rider, flirty and silver-tongued Romar Brendyn (not the hero though) in The Thirteenth House, and here, we have Justin--inexperienced in the ways of romance and love, yet simple and charming in his emotions. And honest.

(Because sometimes, I find myself wondering at Romar Brendyn, whether he truly loved Kirra or was merely making lip service to his "love" because he was fascinated by her and wanted to possess her. Certainly, at times, I find him selfish in his actions.)

From the first page, reading this book was like visiting with old friends and looking forward to a new adventure with them. After the storm that was The Thirteenth House, reading this book was both comforting and exciting.

I was tickled thrilled by the way Justin and Ellynor strike up an easy friendship, then fell headlong into love. Their early scenes together count for some of my favorite passages in this book. Like Justin who looked forward to Ellynor's every appearance, as soon as I finished reading one of their scenes, I looked forward to reading the next. The delight these two characters find in each other was so palpable that they jumped off the page, and they were charming in a way that Tayse and Senneth were not.

Yet, Tayse's proposal of marriage was moving and romantic, easily one of my favorite scenes in this book. And we also see the tight bond of friendship among the original six characters: Senneth, Tayse, Kirra, Donnal, Justin and Cammon become even tighter, and how, through the things they have gone through together, they have become family to each other. Especially Senneth, who had the wisdom and the foresight to try and smooth things for Justin. We should all have a Senneth in our lives!

We also see here what happened between Kirra and Donnal after the end of The Thirteenth House. That is, we have Kirra's version of things, as she narrated to Justin, and well...it's satisfactory, to a certain extent. I guess the class divide between them is really very hard to surmount.

And in the backdrop, we have the continuous machinations of Halchon Giseltess and his sister Coralinda to overthrow the current king and claim the throne for themselves.

I am looking forward to Cammon's story in Reader and Raelynx.

Book Rating: 4.0

REVIEW: The Thirteenth House by Sharon Shinn

Series: The Twelve Houses

Author's Website 

Summary:

The Thirteenth House is Book 2 of The Twelve Houses series, the first of which is Mystic and Rider. Here, we have the story of Kirra Danalustrous, who together with her companions, rescued the Regent Lord Romar Brendyn from his kidnappers. In the process, she and the married lord fell in love and conducted a tumultuous affair while the world fell into chaos around them.

Comments:

Sharon Shinn is a good writer. Almost against my will (more on that later), I was drawn into the adventure and I couldn't stop reading. Her characters took on a life of their own, and here, Kirra has her own personality and she was depicted quite convincingly different from Senneth (from Book 1). In fact, I quite like Kirra, when she wasn't mooning over Romar Brendyn.

In Book 1, we see Kirra as the flirtatious serramarra and happy-go-lucky shiftling. In Book 2, we realize she's restless by nature, and yet, she can be serious and responsible when the situation calls for it. In the end, she has to make a hard choice, and I admire her strength in being able to do so. She does not see only what's good for Kirra Danalustrous, but for the whole country, and she can act on it.

That said, I don't like one point in this story: the adulterous nature of Kirra's liaison with Romar Brendyn. I've been a long time reader of romance (interspersed with other genre), and because of that, it was hard for me to swallow the idea of an adulterous heroine. That, more than anything, made me reluctant to start this book, but because I wanted to know more about Senneth's and Tayse's developing relationship, I plucked up the courage to read this book.

However, Kirra did try to do the right thing at the start by rebuffing Romar's flirtatious attempts. I could even label her as honorable. But her yearnings for her own romance, coupled with her attraction for Romar and his "courtship" made her cross the line into a forbidden passion. It made me wonder though, is this usually how people fall into affairs in real life? Perhaps there was resistance on the part of one party, a conscious act not to betray one's code of honor, but the other party's persistence eventually wore his/her resistance down and made him/her succumb.

And succumb she did, even toward the end, until something woke her up. A hard slap to reality that she needed.

I wish we could've read more about Kirra's real happy-ever-after romance, but perhaps her adulterous liaison mirrors the unrest boiling in the country and how often we seek for love and acceptance in the wrong places. On the other hand, I admire the author in tackling this subject that isn't often seen in either romance or fantasy, and Kirra's emotional journey and her ultimate choice.

Another thing I noticed is how Romar is portrayed so very differently from Tayse. Though Tayse has feelings for Senneth over the course of Book 1, we don't see him actually "courting" Senneth. He was even denying his feelings for her and suffering from insecurity. However, here we see Romar Brendyn, "courting" Kirra with words and actions. Which would have been romantic had he not been married. I actually liked him for a time, until I remembered he was married and quite consciously deciding on cheating on his wife.

Like Senneth's story, I think we will see more of Kirra in the next books. I hope so. I want to know what happened to her and Donnal.

Speaking of Donnal, I don't like the way Kirra took him for granted. But perhaps, we tend to do that to friends who have been at our side for a long time, and it is only when said friend is gone that we come to value him and his friendship. What I like best about this entire book was the scene of Donnal's leaving. I almost cried.

On the whole, I think the gods dealt harshly with Kirra in this book. She went through hard trials and difficulties, betrayals and abandonment. Though Romar professed to love her, I think he's very selfish. He didn't want to leave his wife, yet he wanted to have Kirra as well. Where does that leave Kirra? What kind of life is he subjecting her to? He's like a man who wants to have his cake and his pastries and eat them. Then again, this book is about choices--Kirra's choices--and we also see her growth and development as a character. 

Book Rating: 3.0

REVIEW: Mystic and Rider by Sharon Shinn

Series: The Twelve Houses

Author Website

My first Sharon Shinn book. Mainly, I tried this book because I heard good things about this author on blogs, and because as a romantic at heart, I want to read Tayse's declaration of lurve to Senneth, which one blogger had said was the most romantic she'd ever read.

Summary:

Senneth, a mystic, was sent by the king to check if there was trouble in the south of the kingdom. She was accompanied by the King's Riders (elite soldiers), Tayse and Justin, and three other mystics.

Comments:

Basically, the adventure is to seek information and then report back to the king. I was afraid there would be no plot at all, just a linear telling of events, but thank goodness there's a little bit of plot--in the romance arc of Senneth and Tayse.

The author's writing is easy to read and get into, and the worldbuilding of the series is not complex, which is good, because I don't have to remember too many new names nor do I need to keep different subplots in mind.

What I don't like is there are some sections which contain info dump. I realize the author needed to explain the workings of the different Houses, as well as the history of each of the characters, but I believe it could be written in a better manner. She used the device of having a new character join the group, which entailed that the group needed to explain things to this person, and in effect, informing the reader as well. It's not a bad technique, but there are better ones that could be employed.

With regard to the declaration, it's romantic in the context of the story and with Tayse's character, but as compared to other romances I've read, it's not that romantic. If you were inspired to read this story in order to read about Tayse's declaration, don't. I wouldn't recommend it. You'll just be sorely disappointed.

However, the lack of things happening in this book is due to the fact that this first book is just the starting point of things in the overall picture. Here, we are made aware of evil plans brewing, even threats made by the villains against the king, but there's no action at all by these villains on their evil plans. As I understand it, there's an overall arc that spans the entire series (all five books). In the light of this context, the series has a good beginning in this first book, in that the background of the social order and the problem was shown and explained.

In case you're wondering, yes, I will read the next books, because I want to know how the series panned out.

Book Rating: 3.0