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19 of 20 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Beautifully written collection of novellas, October 7, 2009
This review is from: Quatrain (Hardcover)
Quatrain is a collection of four novellas, each one set in a different one of Sharon Shinn's worlds. Ranging from fantasy to science fiction, the stories take place in radically different societies, but each novella is a different look at a person trying to find their own place in a world that is not to their liking. Each main character ends up examining their own priorities and their desire to find love and happiness in less than ideal situations. The varied responses to those dilemmas are as different as the characters and the worlds they are set in.
In Quatrain, Sharon Shinn deals sensitively with topics of religion, abuse, intolerance and ethnicity while never letting the issues overwhelm the stories. Shinn is a master wordsmith, evoking lush full-blown characters and fantastical landscapes with a spare prose that is breathtaking in its simplicity. The only story that falters is Gold, a fairly standard fairy tale which falls flat. While beautifully written, the story lacks originality and the characters are two-dimensional. It failed to elicit any emotional connection, instead feeling like a retread of every damsel in distress Disney fairy tale I've ever read. It was insipid, rather than inspired.
However, the other stories all sing with life. I was particularly intrigued by the varied worlds in the other novellas. Flight is set in the world of Sharon Shinn's Samaria novels, populated and ruled by very non-angelic angels that can intercede with deity to protect the people they rule over. However, when very powerful beings with unnaturally high charisma and amazing singing voices need human girls to reproduce, the help with deity comes at a cost. Blood is set in the same world as her novel Heart of Gold, a world that is starting to be racked by cultural conflicts between two very different societies, one matriarchal and one patriarchal. Shinn avoids the overdone themes of gender stereotypes and the evils of patriarchy, and instead delicately explores the differences of the people within a culture, as well as the differences between cultures. The final story in the volume is Flame, a tale of a mystical firestarter who is ostracized by her people even as they call on her for aid. Set in the same world as Shinn's Twelve Houses novels, it is a well-imagined tale of loneliness and belonging.
I highly recommend Quatrain to all young adult and adult readers who like sensitive, beautiful writing with a touch of romance. I know that I will be seeking out more of Sharon Shinn's novels, especially Heart of Gold and those set in her Samaria world after being introduced to them here in such a beautiful manner.
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14 of 15 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Four unforgettable chances to revisit old favorites, October 9, 2009
This review is from: Quatrain (Hardcover)
Sharon Shinn has written four delightful stories set in her own wonderful worlds. They give us a chance to go back to the settings of our favorite books.
From Castle Autumn we get to visit Alora, and finally learn why it is so wonderful to those who are lucky enough to find it.
We also visit Gillengaria where we have a visit with Senneth. The Twelve Houses are a delight and I enjoyed another chance to visit.
We have a story of the Gulden, the Indigo and the Albino. A gulden boy searches for his mother. One of the women who escaped the marriage that held her to an abuser.
The archangels have not changed and we have a short story of Raphel's excesses being exposed. The story is short and sweet, of love lost and found.
Four stories and four wonderful adventures in our favorite worlds. Very good, I read it at one sitting, and was sorry when it ended.
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4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
A mixed bag of goodies, October 28, 2009
This review is from: Quatrain (Hardcover)
First, I should mention that I'm not exactly an unbiased reviewer. I have read every book by Sharon Shinn and loved most all of them. With that said, I was delighted to hear that four new stories, each set in one of her amazing worlds, were to be released. It was an absolute pleasure to be immersed in her writing again, but not all four stories were on par with her novels.
1. FLIGHT is set in her Samarian universe. A tale of betrayal and long-lost romance. Believable characters and a twist ending will leave every reader satisfied.
2. BLOOD (from the Heart of Gold world) was my favorite short story, even though I didn't much like the corresponding novel itself. Kerk, a young man from a patriarchal society, arrives at a foreign city in search of a mother who abandoned him as a child.
3. GOLD (Summers at Castle Auburn) surprisingly disappointed. This story was bland and unoriginal. The characters had all the originality of cardboard cut-outs. Princess Zara is the stereotypical lovely, headstrong princess with an impossible low-class love. Yawn.
4. FLAME (from the Gillengaria series) was merely pleasant. An entertaining read about the mishaps of the fire-mystic Senneth.
Overall, this collection is well worth your money if you're a dedicated Sharon Shinn fan. If not, I'd recommend her novels instead of these short stories. These stories can stand alone, but without the rich context provided by her novels, they could be hard to understand, let alone appreciate.
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