Retro Firday Review: Summers at Castle Auburn by Sharon Shinn

Retro Friday Review is a weekly meme hosted by Angieville. This focuses on classics, out of print books or just old favorites that don’t get the attention they deserve. This Friday’s review is:

Summers at Castle Auburn by Sharon Shinn
Genre: Fantasy
Publication Date: April 2002

First Line: “…when I learned who my traveling companions were to be, I stopped complaining and began dreaming.”

GoodReads Synopsis: As a child, Coriel Halsing spent many glorious summers at Castle Auburn with her half-sister-and fell in love with a handsome prince who could never be hers. But now that she is a young woman, she begins to see the dark side of this magical place...

Kathy’s Review: It has been way too long since I’ve done a Retro Friday Review so I decided what better way to get back into the swing of things than choosing my favorite Sharon Shinn novel. Summers at Castle Auburn was actually the first book review I did for BWN, almost two years ago. I was still new to the whole book blogging world and my review was pretty bland. I re-read Summers this week and thought it would fit in perfectly for today’s post.

Before I write my review, I just want to clarify that the “first line” above is actually just a first line from the first page, I just really liked it. Anyway, as I said before, this is my favorite Shinn book. I love our heroine Corie (Coriel), she starts off as a young naïve fourteen year-old, but is also very kind and adventurous. As she grows older she starts to see her world in a different light, seeing people she’s known her whole life for who they really are. She spends the majority of the year with her grandmother in a small village learning “witchcraft” (just medicine really) and her summers at Castle Auburn, with her half sister Elisandra. I loved the relationship between the two sisters. Regardless of their backgrounds they deeply cared for one another. I also really liked Corie’s love interest (LI) and my only complaint was that I wanted MORE time between them, especially near the very end. Her LI was very likable, for me from the beginning. He was a great friend to Corie throughout the book, and you could tell that he was totally crazy about her. I was on the edge of my seat wondering if they would ever end up together.

Aside from the main characters, the story was also very entertaining. I liked the plot and you never really know what was going to happen next. There were some twists near the end that were exciting and while I was very happy with how everything ended up, I wasn’t ready for the story to end. The story ends well, but I would love it if Shinn set a new novel in Auburn.

Sharon Shinn is definitely one of my favorite authors. I am always surprised by how creative she is, each book is so unique and she is able to create some amazing new places. Below is a list of all her books.

SAMARIA SERIES
Book One: Archangle
Book Two: Jovah’s Angel
Book Three: Alleluia Files
Book Four: Angelica
Book Five: Angel Seeker

TWELVE HOUSES SERIES
Book One: Mystic & Rider
Book Two: Thirteenth House
Book Three: Dark Moon Defender
Book Four: Reader & Raelynx
Book Five: Fortune & Fate

STANDALONE NOVELS
Heart of Gold
Jenna Starborn
Summers at Castle Auburn
Wrapt in Crystal
Shape-Changers Wife
Quatrain

YA NOVELS
Safe-Keeper’s Secret
Truth-Teller’s Tale
Dream-Makers Magic
General Winston’s Daughter
Gateway

ANTHOLOGY
To Weave a Web of Magic (Set in world of Archangle)
The Queen in Winter (Set in world of Twelve Houses)
Firebirds Rising
Elemental Magic
Powers of Detection
Never After
Elemental
Unusual Suspects

Unusual Suspects

Title: The House of Seven Spirits by Sharon Shinn

Genre: Mystery/Anthology

Author Site: www.sharonshinn.net

First Line: “I had thought it would bother me to live in a haunted house, but in fact I grew fond of the ghosts in an amazingly short time.”

One Word Review: Spooky

My Review: This was a fun short story. Erica has rented a haunted house for the summer while she goes through a nasty divorce, living with seven ghost’s sounds a lot more inviting then dealing with her soon-to-be ex. As she settles in she realizes that not everything is as it seems and soon discovers a mystery that needs to be solved in order to release the seven ghosts from their eternal prison. I really enjoyed this story, although it was mainly about murdered ghosts, it wasn’t scary or depressing. Once again, I could easily see this story being a full novel and a part of me wishes it was. It was a nice quick read and I can’t say how much I enjoy Sharon Shinn’s work.

I only read Sharon Shinn’s story, so I can’t say if the other stories are as good.

Firebirds Rising

Wintermoon Wish by Sharon Shinn
This lovely short story takes place in the same world as Shinn’s Safe-Keeper trilogy. I’ve read one of the books ages ago, and when I started reading I soon remembered the wonderful world of Merendon. Lirril is our main heroine, and a bit of a snob. She arrives at her grandparent’s inn heartbroken that her crush in town has fallen in love with another girl. So when Jake arrives on the night of Wintermoon (a mix of Christmas and New Years Eve), she is not the most pleasant company. As the evening goes on Lirril soon lets her guard down and realizes there is more to Jake than what she originally thought. It is a rather short story, and I was disappointed when I turned the last page and realized the story was over. For me it was just beginning and I wanted to read more. I guess that is the problem with short stories, they are never long enough.

Fortune and Fate by Sharon Shinn

"For the Rider Wen, peace in Gillengaria has only brought despair. Plagued by guilt for failing to protect her king, Wen has fled the royal city and given herself the penance of a life of wandering, helping strangers in need, making sure they remain just that: strangers. Until the day she helps a terrified young woman abducted by an overeager suitor. The girl, she discovers, is the daughter of one of those who rose against the dead king, and is now heir to the great estate known as Fortune. Once she has delivered her safely home, Wen wants nothing further to do with the girl or her family. But fate has other plans...For behind the walls of Fortune, Wen will find her future - and she will finally confront the ghosts of her past.

Sigh. I guess I went into Fortune and Fate with high expectations, and was kind of disappointed. While I was reading Reader and Raelynx I knew that Wen would be the main character of Fortune and Fate, so I tried to pay a little more attention to her in R&R, and was kind of curious to see what her story would hold. This story picks up two years after the final war in R&R, following Wen on her journey of self-discovery. She has passed her time saving anyone she comes across on her aimless travels. That is how she meets up with Karryn, a serramarra who has been kidnapped. Once Wen saves the day she soon takes up a job working as Karryn’s professional guard.

Wen’s character just didn’t do anything for me. She was too manish, and had no famine qualities at all. She was all business all the time and for me was a bit too harsh. Senneth, Kirra, Amalie and Ellynor all are powerful, strong women and still they are women. You can see that they each have their own charm and still maintain a certain amount of femininity. Wen is just too much a tomboy for my taste. I just couldn’t relate to her. And as for her relationship with Jasper, I have only one word…yawn. I didn’t feel any chemistry between the two, and frankly I don’t really see what he sees in her.

I love the Twelve House series and will probably consider R&R the final book in the series and this more of a companion novel. I just didn’t really see the point of this book. Maybe if she had placed the story way in the future with all new characters it would have been different, but for me it was missing the magic of the other books.

The Queen in Winter

This is another book which consists of four short stories. I had originally checked the book out for the Sharon Shinn story, but then saw Lynn Kurland wrote one of the stories as well, so I was excited to read both.

When Winter Comes by Sharon Shinn
This is the story of Sosie, a character found in Mystic & Rider. Sosie and her sister Annie are forced to leave their childhood home when Annie gives birth to a mystic baby. Annie is unwell and not entirely herself and soon the responsibility falls to Sosie to get them to safety. They face different challenges as they travel and at one point are rescued by a nobleman, Darryn Rappengrass. I loved reading this side-story; it was fun to see what happened with Sosie and Annie after they were exiled from their home. After reading Reader and Raelynx, it was fun to see just how Darryn and Sosie met and fell in love. It was a great short story, and I loved seeing Gillengaria from a fresh perspective.

I wonder if people would like this story if they haven’t read any of the books in the Twelve House series. It seems like it would be taken out of context and the ending would leave you wanting more. Even though I know what happens, I was still left wanting more. I really enjoyed getting to know Sosie, as well as her relationship with Darryn.

A Whisper of Spring by Lynn Kurland
Once I started reading, I realized that “A Whisper in Spring” takes place in Neroche, a place I came to love in the Nine Kingdoms Trilogy (Star of the Morning, Mage’s Daughter and Princess of the Sword). This story takes place long before Miach and Morgan. Its focus is on Symon the mage king of Neroche and Iolaire, the elf princess of Ainneamh. Once again Lothar is the villain in this story. Lothar kidnaps Iolaire from her home and holds her prisoner until she accepts his marriage proposal. Symon comes to her rescue and attempts to free her from Lothar’s dungeons. I thoroughly enjoyed this story, I loved the opportunity to travel back to Neroche and learn a little more about its history. It made me want to re-read the Nine Kingdoms trilogy again. Kurland has created a wonderful new world to escape to. Although it was short, it was very satisfying. Anyone who loves the trilogy will love this story as well.

Reader and Raelynx by Sharon Shinn

“The young mystic Cammon, a reader capable of seeing the truth in the hearts of others, has been summoned to the palace to read all of the suitors vying for the hand of the Princess Amalie. Cam soon begins to suspect that Amalie herself is a mystic. Her thoughts are opaque to him, and she has an intuitive control over the fearsome raelynx that is kept caged in the palace. And he also begins to fall in love with her, and she with him—a relationship that is, as they both know, doomed. Amalie is royalty. Cam most definitely is not. But their personal concerns are swept aside as the long-brewing rebellion against the king comes to fruition. In the fearsome battle that ensues, Cam and his friends are tested in body and spirit, as they bring to bear all of their skills, magical and otherwise, in defense of their king and his heir, Princess Amalie—the woman Cammon loves, the woman whose secret he must keep, no matter the cost.”

This is the fourth book in the Twelve House series, and it is one of my favorites. It is written almost as the last in the series but I know there is one more left, although that one is from a totally different point of view. Cammon and Senneth are really the main characters in this book, I was once again delighted to hear more from Senneth. The relationship with Amalie and Cammon is no great surprise (although, for me it was lacking some of the passion or intensity of Senneth-Tayse or Kirra-Romar), it is still fun to see how they slowly grow to trust, depend on and love one another. Amalie is a fun character and I was happy to learn more about her and just how powerful she really is. Shinn really ties all the previous stories together and I am continually impressed with her imagination. Justin and Ellynor are present enough, as well as Kirra and Donnal. Though Donnal still remains a mystery to me, I don’t know him as well as the other characters, which is a shame because I think I could really like him. I still haven’t gotten any closure on the Kirra-Romar-Donnal situation, and wish that Kirra would have been put in a position where she really had to chose between the two men and then move on. I’m still left feeling like Donnal is second place, or that she just settled for him, and I think he deserves better. Maybe the next book will clear it up, but I doubt it. Anyway, it was a fun read and I had a hard time putting it down. I’m sad this series is coming to a close; it has definitely been one of my favorite series in a long time.

Book One: Mystic & Rider
Book Two: Thirteenth House
Book Three: Dark Moon Defender
Book Four: Reader & Raelynx
Book Five: Fortune & Fate
Queen in Winter

Dark Moon Defender by Sharon Shinn

“The King’s Rider Justin has been dispatched to the small town of Neft where he can easily watch any suspicious activity at the nearby Lumanen Convent. Under the rule of Coralinda Gisseltess, the convent houses the fanatical Daughters of the Pale Mother, who worship the moon goddess and believe all magic-wielding mystics are evil. Assuming the guise of a stable-hand, Justine befriends Ellynor, a young novice from the convent. Although her order forbids her to associate with men, Ellynor gladly disobeys. Born in the Lirrenlands, Ellynor has always worshiped the Dark Watcher, the goddess of the night. It is the Dark Watcher’s blessing that has bestowed Ellynor with the gift of healing and the ability to move through the night unobserved. As love blossoms between Justin and Ellynor, he discovers her magical talents. Fearing that her convent sisters may mark her as a mystic, she swears Justin to secrecy. When Ellynor finds herself unable to escape the convent, it falls to Justin to risk everything—his own secret, the trust of his friends, even his very life—in order to save her.”

I enjoyed this third book quite a bit. It was very interesting to see things from Justin and Ellynor’s perspective. The majority of the story takes place in Neft, where Justin is working undercover trying to determine what exactly Coralinda is up to. He comes to the rescue of young Ellynor on the streets of Neft and the two quickly become captivated with one another. Up until now, I had a certain image of Justin in my mind, so it was somewhat odd to see things from his perspective, because he now comes across totally different than the character I had pictured. This is the first time he is completely on his own and he doesn’t like it much. That is one reason why he bonds so quickly with Ellynor. It also gives him a chance to really become independent from Tayse and build his confidence and make his own decisions. I thought Ellynor was a welcome character to the story, she is a bit naive and inexperienced, but has a strength, savvy and kindness about her that makes her very likable. I was happiest when all six characters were together again, the story is at its best when we can see them all interact and it’s nice to see how much they have come to love and respect one another. I can’t wait to read book four.

Has anyone else noticed that Justin kind of got ripped off in the name department? Everyone else has these really cool unique names: Senneth, Tayse, Donnal, Cammon, Kirra and then Justin. I like the name Justin but it seems so plain compared to everyone else’s.

Powers of Detection

This is another collection of short stories from a variety of authors. I only read the one by Sharon Shinn entitled "The Sorcerer's Assassin". This story takes place at the Norwitch Academy of Magic and Sorcery, where a recent murder of one of the senior wizards has just taken place and the headmistresses, Camalyn, must try and figure out which of her four remaining peers has committed the assassination. For only being sixteen pages it was still a fun read, although over a bit too quickly for my liking. A lot is packed into this story in a short amount of time and I would probably enjoy a full novel about these different characters and the Norwitch Academy.

Thirteenth House by Sharon Shinn

“After joining an unlikely band of soldiers and sorcerers to rescue the regent Romar Brendyn from a cabal of rebellious minor lords, the shiftling Kirra returns to her home of Danalustrous—and learns that her half sister, Casserah, has been proclaimed heir to the land. Though Casserah is obligated to attend a circuit of social events held by the great Houses of Gillengaria, she obstinately refuses to go. So Kirra shape-shifts in to her sisters form and makes the rounds for her. In the royal city of Ghosenhall, she unexpectedly joins up with her steadfast compatriots from her previous adventures, and together they embark on a tour of the Twelve Houses, acting as guardians for the enigmatic queen of Gillengaria and her alluring daughter. The motley group of mystics and warriors faces many dangers in their travels. But Kirra places herself willingly in peril when she falls in love with the irresistible—but already married—Lord Romar. Revealing her true identity to him, Kirra begins a tempestuous affair that places them both in mortal danger and leads them both into the stronghold of the devious lords of the Thirteenth House.”

Book Two in the Twelve House series was pretty enjoyable…for the most part. This book has a similar format, in that the six main characters (and a few extras) are again traveling through Gillengaria. Only this time they are escorting the Princess to some of the Twelve Houses to attend the summer balls. It did get a little old as they traveled from house to house, but it was still entertaining and the political intrigue kept my attention. Kirra takes on the appearance of her sister, Casserah, for the majority of the book. This got a little old after awhile, it would have been a good idea for a shorter time period, but I felt it was drawn out a little too long. The other six weren’t really present that much and I missed the “magic” that comes when they are all together. I’m a bit upset about the direction Kirra’s character took and am debating about reading the next books….okay, I’ll still read them because Justin is next and I’m excited to see things from his perspective. I’ve always liked Justin and if it wasn’t for Donnal, I’d want Kirra to be with him. Anyway, overall a good second book, I’d have rated it higher if it weren’t for stupid, womanizer Romar.

Spoilers & Disappointments
Kirra is one of my favorite characters, in book one I just loved Kirra’s character and was so excited to find out book two would be from her perspective. So, I was completely disappointed in her falling in love with Romar…or as I like to call him “roamer” (since he tends to roam away from his loving wife to shack up with Kirra). It was frustrating to read about their growing relationship, which to me was based more on lust than love. What they had was not love and it was unpleasant to read about. It really tainted my opinion of Kirra and I really couldn’t stand Romar. I felt so sad for Donnal, and wanted to shout at Kirra for her double standard. Claiming she couldn’t be with Donnal because he was poor and yet she could be with a married man? Duh. The last thing I’ll say is that they both got off too easy, especially Romar. He felt no guilt, remorse or anything. He got off way too easy. As for Kirra, she also got off to easy, and I don’t feel she really learned her lesson or the seriousness of her behavior. She doesn’t deserve Donnal.

Book One: Mystic & Rider
Book Two: Thirteenth House
Book Three: Dark Moon Defender
Book Four: Reader & Raelynx
Book Five: Fortune & Fate
Queen in Winter

Elemental Magic by Sharon Shinn

“From wizards to weathermen, everyone has always known the powers of the four elements—natural forces that can direct the fates, change destiny, and unite lovers in the most unexpected ways. Now, those magical elements come together in perfect balance in new stories from four charmed authors.”

I only ended up reading one of the four stories, Bargain with the Wind by Sharon Shinn. It is a retelling of the Cinderella story, although I didn’t know that going into it. It is told from the perspective of Nettie, an old housekeeper at Grey Moraine. The Lord of the manor, Duncan quickly marries Charis, a strange girl passing through town. Nettie is cautious about the new mistress but soon becomes her confidante. I enjoyed the story, and am constantly surprised with Sharon Shinn’s work. She has quite the imagination and is constantly able to come up with brand new worlds filled with great characters.

Mystic & Rider by Sharon Shinn

“Clouds of unrest are darkening the land of Gillengaria. In the southern region, ill feeling toward magic and those who use it has risen to a dangerous level, though King Baryn has ordered that such men and women are to be tolerated. Whispers abound that he issued the decree because his new young wife is herself a mystic, who has used her powers to ensnare him. The king knows this—and he knows that he now sits uneasy on the throne. There are those barons of the Twelve Houses, who, out of their own ambition, might well use this growing dissent to overthrow him. So he dispatches the mystic woman Senneth on a journey to see firsthand how dire the situation might be. Accompanying her are Justin, a young Rider who distrusts the magical arts; Kirra, a healer and shape-changer born of the Twelve Houses; her servant, and lowborn Donnal, also a shape-shifter; and Tayse, the first among the King’s Riders. He too, holds a hard view of mystic in general—and Senneth in particular.”

If you enjoy a good fantasy novel, then this book is for you. It is the first in the Twelve Houses series and so there is a lot of background information and set-up for the rest of the series. It was distracting having to keep track of twelve different houses, and all the names of people that went along with them. It was a bit much, but luckily there are only a few of the houses that were the focus of the story.

Senneth is a wonderful character, she is super powerful and yet relies on her friends to help her get through her trials. I loved the scene when Senneth has to confront Coralinda (one of the villains in the novel). I also really loved Kirra’s character. She was also strong, yet carefree and playful. She played her role well and I look forward to having her as our main heroin in the next novel (although I will really miss hearing from Senneth and Tayse). Tayse is a great character, who is truly conflicted between his growing feelings for Senneth and his duty to the King. It isn’t a main part of the story, but it is nice to watch their relationship slowly grow. The rest of the cast was equally fun, I love all six of the main characters and seeing how they all interact together.

It’s a great book, and I really look forward to learning more about this wonderful world of Gillengaria. I recommend this to anyone who enjoys Fantasy novels. I do warn you to not judge it by its cover; I really hated the cover and put off reading it for a long time because of that.

Book One: Mystic & Rider
Book Two: Thirteenth House
Book Three: Dark Moon Defender
Book Four: Reader & Raelynx
Book Five: Fortune & Fate
Queen in Winter

General Winston's Daughter by Sharon Shinn

Eighteen-year-old Averie Winston travels to Chiarrian (a distant country) to visit her father, who is a commanding General, and her fiancée Morgan. Her father has invaded the country and is working to overthrow local government and rebel forces. As she learns more about the situation and herself she realizes that Morgan is not the man that she thought he was; and slowly falls in love with Lt. Ket Du’Kai, who himself comes from a conquered society. Averie delves into the culture, wanting to learn everything she can, and forms a friendship with a local Chiarizzi girl Jalessa, who teaches her about their culture. Political resistance continues and rebels threaten colonial rule, security is heightened and tension rises.

Hmm, it is hard to say what I thought of this book. I had recently read “Summers at Castle Auburn” also by Sharon Shinn, which I loved so I thought this book sounded somewhat similar and the plot interesting, but was somewhat disappointed. I thought Averie was very childish and naive, and was hoping that her character would grow throughout the book, but she did not. It seemed like the focus of the book was more about the country of Chiarrian and their traditions/beliefs, and not on an actual story.

***Possible Spoilers***

The love story was a disappointment, it seemed like there was more interaction with Averie and Morgan than with Averie and Ket. Morgan actually seemed like a pretty decent guy who was truly in love with her, and other than his love for war, he was hard not to like. I found the relationship between Averie and Ket hard to believe because they were never together, so how could they really have fallen in love. They had nothing in common and really didn’t know each other. The romance part of it was lacking, and I think she picked the wrong guy, only for the fact that the character of Ket was underused. If she had built up their relationship I probably would have enjoyed it more and not minded her choice.

The main twist at the end was predictable and I knew from the beginning what would happen. I was still disappointed since even though Averie was immature, she was sincere in her new love for the people and country, so her betrayal was very sad.

If you like a book about politics, war and make-believe places then you will probably enjoy this story.
Reviewed by: Kathy

Summers at Castle Auburn by Sharon Shinn

Lowborn Corie, the impressionable young heroine, spends her summers with her highborn sister, Elisandra, at Castle Auburn and the rest of the year in a village apprenticed to a "wise woman" witch/herbalist called Grandmother. Corie accompanies her Uncle Jaxon on a hunt for the Aliora, faerielike creatures who serve as unwilling slaves to the humans inhabiting this quasi-medieval world. Also along for the ride is Elisandra's future husband, Prince Bryan of Auburn, a vain 16-year-old adored by most girls (including Corie) and loathed by most men. As Corie ages, she gets over her crush on the increasingly narcissistic and self-indulgent young prince. The relationship between the sisters deepens along with the plot lines revolving around Jaxon's obsession with the Aliora and their queen, Rowena. (Publishers Weekly)

Although the story was somewhat predictable, I thought it was a nice "fairytale" and would easily give it five stars. If you enjoyed The Goose Girl or Seer and the Sword then you will like this book.