Customer Reviews

General Winston's Daughter

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(5)
2 star:		(4)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I quite enjoyed this YA novel by Sharon Shinn, though I kept feeling like it was a cross between Robin McKinley's "The Blue Sword" with its premise of a young girl going to live in a colonized country and her interactions with the natives, and Shinn's own "Summers at Castle Auburn." That said, she put a different (and charming) spin on the tale and a twist at the end that makes this story a change from both of those. I really enjoy Ms. Shinn's books because the worlds that she creates are so well-fleshed out and this is no exception--her characters are very believable, even when their actions shock and dismay the reader. As usual, she crafted a story very well and peopled it with interesting characters and situations. How could you not be drawn in?

I was so excited to read this book, and although I enjoyed it, it didn't quite live up to what I have come to expect from Sharon Shinn. The main character, Averie Winston, grew throughout the book from a mostly shallow girl to a more thoughtful, but still passionate, young woman. Her transformation was interesting to watch, but it seemed pretty obvious to me how that growth would play out. Some of the supporting characters were drawn with pretty broad strokes and never really ended up having distinct personalities. The ending was telegraphed pretty much from the get go, but I liked the subtle way that Shinn used symbols and colors to enhance her storytelling. I liked this book though, and will definitely recommend it to my YA patrons.

I had great hopes for this novel, but was sadly disappointed. General Winston's Daughter did not live up to my expectations, and doesn't have the depth and detailed characterization of Shinn's other novels. I loved her Samaria and Thirteen Houses series and thought this would be along similar lines, but it wasn't. The main character Averie Winston, is extremely naive and at times just down right stupid. I understand she's just turned eighteen and has been gently raised in a noble family, but still...I find that no excuse for some of her thoughtless and stupid decisions that ultimately resulted in complete and total disaster. I rather thought she should have been more politically astute having been raised in and around politics and as the daughter of a general. I just cannot get over how stupid she was, and the author's excuse for this, that she was "young and passionate", just didn't work for me. I couldn't relate to Averie at all and that was a real turn off.
Also, by the end of the first chapter I knew exactly where this novel was going and the plot was no surprise. What WAS a surprise (after reading Shinn's other series) was the fact that her characters in this novel were pretty much two-dimensional with not a lot of depth. The lack of characterization combined with the heroine's thoughtless stupidity just completely ruined this book for me. For other fans of Shinn, I recommend skipping this novel or you'll find yourself disappointed as I was.

A new YA book by a author I love. The description scans as similar to Robin McKinley's "The Blue Sword," but after the first chapter, they couldn't be more different. Averie has come to visit her father and fiance in the very hot country of Chiarrin, where she immediately embraces as much of its culture as she reasonably can. The dress, the codes of colors, the exotic foods, but all is not well, because there are rebels fighting for their country's freedom, and in one of the attacks, Averie becomes friends with Jalessa, a young fabric seller. This was very good, with a big twist at the end. I saw some of it coming, but not the degree of it, and am still thinking about it, which I consider to be a good sign.

...than reading this book. The story centers around Averie Winston and her travel to foreign-occupied Chiarrin, where her father and fiance Morgan are stationed. Despite her engagement, she finds herself drawn to Ket Du'kai, another soldier in the conquering army. The plot centers mostly around Chiarrin and the evils of attempting to conquer another society.

While Shinn's writing is not bad, her character development is seriously lacking. None of the characters were really clear, nor did they seem to progress in any way, and Averie most of all. She came across as mostly a flighty airhead who cared about nothing more than having the best parties and wearing the best looking clothes in town. At first she was a character I tolerated, but as the story progressed I definitely began to hope an anvil would fall on her.

A good portion of the book is taken up discussing the politics of occupying another country militarily, which seemed unnecessary and gratuitous -- mostly Shinn's indulgent attempt at working her political views into a story than anything else. It was boring at best, irksome at worst, and frankly rendered an otherwise interesting story irrelevant. I read fiction to get away from the problems in the world, not to be preached to about them. It was a healthy dose of political commentary I could have done without.

All in all, "General Winston's Daughter" was not worth the time I spent reading it.

Although General Winston's Daughter has been getting many negative reviews, I must say I enjoyed it. True, it could have been better, but it was a fun, fast read. Everyone needs one of those once in a while, and this is a good candidate for such needs.
I will not go over the plot summary, as many others have. Averie is a very unlikable character; I wanted someone to hit her on the head and say "WAKE UP!" She is very spoiled and naïve, and no one except her chaperone seems to care. Many of the characters, like Morgan, are two dimensional. I wanted to know more about Du'Kai and what made Morgan tick, but obviously that didn't happen. The only reason I really kept on reading the story is because of the portrait Sharon Shinn painted of the foreign country. It was so magical to me, the colors of their headdresses, and the marketplace....I think that was beautifully done. If it had the proper depth to characters it would've been a better book overall.
I think the plot was unpredictable too. The romance wasn't, as most fantasy romances are, but the part about how the whole city played a part in the deception...I didn't see that coming.
Read this if you have nothing else to read. The characters are going to leave my mind in like two seconds but it is enjoyable for a rainy (or snowy) day.

Another perfectly pleasant offering from Sharon Shinn. This imperialist nation attempts to invade and conquer pacifist nation story kept giving me flashes from the opening scenes of The Blue Sword as I read about Averie and her life in Chiarrin--the land her general father is busy colonizing. The young girl who travels from her homeland to visit the far reaches of the empire. Her attempts to immerse herself in the culture and her growing fascination with said culture. That was, in fact, my favorite part of the book--the descriptions of the Chiarrin people and their land, the broken gods they worshiped, and the heavily symbolic colors of their clothing. Growing up in the military, moving around the world every two years or so, I resonated with Averie's experience. I was suffused in memories. I understood her fascination and her desire to fit in seamlessly. I was devastated along with her in the face of betrayal from unexpected corners. And I felt courageous as, in the end, she shunned the easy choice in favor of another new horizon with its accompanying challenges, heartache, and joy.

I've read all the (adult) books that Shinn's had to offer, and this one's the low man on the totem pole. Not that it's horrible or anything, but on the engagement scale compared to every other novel she's done, this is one of the two worst. Go for the 13th House or the Samaria novels.

General Winston's Daughter is a fantasy story set in a world similar to that of the 19th Century British Empire. Averie is a sheltered, wealthy daughter of a general of the Aeberelle (England) army who goes to live with her father in war-torn Chiarrin (North Africa perhaps?). The book shows the affects of war on the people and Averie. It both explains and ultimately criticizes the conquering/colonial mindset of Aeberelle, however I did not feel like it went to far. Everything said fit with the story and with the development of Averie.

The heart of the story is Averie's slow-moving, but satisfying romance with Ket Du'Kai of Xan'tia (India?), her friendship with a native woman, and her interest and ultimate understanding of the people of Chiarrin.

I really enjoyed every aspect of this book. It was fun and romantic. I liked Averie and loved Ket Du'Kai. It is definitely worth a read.

Starting off I liked the book. Averie was a passionate, interesting character. She and Du'kai's romance was well developed if a little rushed at the end, but everything seemed rushed at the end. I thought the whole ending the book was wrapped up too quickly. I also was confused by the setting which I assume was suppose to be like nineteenth century India with British colonizers. I kept thinking that I needed to read a book before this one to get filled in on all the things that were happening. I also would have liked to learn more about Averie's courtship with Morgan. I just felt like I was missing something throughtout the entire book.