Summers At Castle Auburn [Paperback]

Sharon Shinn (Author)

Product Details

• Paperback
• Publisher: Ace Books (2001)
• ISBN-10: 0786518529
• ISBN-13: 978-0786518524
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (85 customer reviews)

More About the Author

Sharon Shinn is a journalist who works for a trade magazine. Her first novel, The Shapechanger's Wife, was selected by Locus as the best first fantasy novel of 1995. She has won the William C. Crawford Award for Outstanding New Fantasy Writer, and was twice nominated for the John W. Campbell Award for Best New Writer. A graduate of Northwestern University, she has lived in the Midwest most of her life.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

43 of 45 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Lighten up, people!, July 18, 2001

By 

E. A Solinas "ea_solinas" (MD USA) - See all my reviews
(HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)    (VINE VOICE)    (TOP 100 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Summers at Castle Auburn (Mass Market Paperback)

An adult fairy-tale is hard to come by, but Sharon Shinn manages a beautiful one in rare style. It's hard to find the collection of magic, castles, princes and princesses, alongside a hard-hitting plot and strong characters; however, this book fulfils them.

Coriel is the ... daughter of a nobleman and a wise woman (who seduced him with magic) who spends nine months out of every year with her healer grandmother, learning how to be a wise woman as well. But every summer she travels to beautiful Castle Auburn, to be with her uncle Jaxom and lovely half-sister Elisandra. She rapidly falls in crush with the handsome Prince Bryan, unable to yet see what a self-absorbed bratling he is.

A few years pass, and as Cory ages and matures, she sees that all is not sweet and peaceful at Castle Auburn. The elven aliora (who are sweet, gentle, kind, etc) are enslaved by the noblemen as servants, tied to the human world rather than their unspeakably beautiful otherworld. And Bryan is not the wonderful prince she was infatuated with — he is cruel, irresponsible, narcissistic, arrogant, and sires at least one illegitimate baby over the course of the book.

Surrounding Bryan are more mature noblemen who don't want to be ruled by a brat prince, but are not ready to do anything. Jaxom takes sudden and unexpected actions. Elisandra must choose between happiness and duty, and Cory must consult her heart and morals after Bryan takes horrifying action against an aliora servant. Love, death, treachery and political intrigue lace the beautiful prose and entrancing background of "Castle Auburn."

I liked Coriel. Rarely do books have genuinely human heroines, and her overwrought teen thoughts (such as her melodramatic statement when Bryan kisses her forehead) are in tune with infatuation. However, I felt her awakening to the aliora's plight was a bit too quick, and her siding with them a bit too complete (her willingness to see Jaxom as a monster, etc). I wish Jaxom had been a bit more explored, given the mysterious actions going on. Elisandra's rigid road of duty -- and the results -- were pretty emotionally jerky but made sense later on.

Though billed as an adult fantasy, this is perfectly all right to let a teen read. There is some tasteful discussion of sex (in terms of illegitimate offspring and a wedding), not much violence, and no profanity worse than "damn." There is some talk of suicide/murder and moral debates on enslavement, however.

Nevertheless, flaws or not, this book has a magical atmosphere that is worthy of an aliora.

19 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A dreamy fairy tale for all ages..., November 24, 2001

By 

Dawn Smoker (Mechanicsburg, PA USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Summers at Castle Auburn (Mass Market Paperback)

A beautiful story with a fairy tale feel and a bit of romance, this has become one of my favorite books. This tale tells the story of a young woman, Coriel, the bastard child of a now dead nobleman, who is torn between the world of riches and power in the Regent's court and a simple life as the trainee of her grandmother, a small village healer. Every summer she lives as a noble at Castle Auburn with her beautiful and loving half sister, Elisandra, who is affianced to Prince Bryan, the most adored young men in the Kingdom. Bryan, the young orphan prince, is just getting his first tastes of power, and likes it very much.

The story opens with most of the main characters embarking on a hunt for Aliora, a kind of very gentle and kind fairy folk who are used as slaves by the nobles. Coriel is a young 14-year old tomboy suffering from her first hopeless crush--on Bryan, the reckless and dashing young prince. The Prince's cousin, slim and serious Kent, keeps a watchful eye on Corie, and tries to curb his cousin's recklessness. Corie's Uncle Jaxon, the greatest Aliora hunter in the kingdom, herds the youngsters along, and Roderick, a young, handsome guardsman provides security. Only beautiful Elisandra is kept at home by her mother Greta, in order to avoid scandal.

The story follows these innocent children as they change and grow into adults. Some learn wisdom, some fall in love, one learns evil, and one will die, before the tale is told. And we see all this through Corie's eyes, overshadowed by her innocence until the blinders are removed and she finally grows up and sees the reality of life in Castle Auburn.

12 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Gentle romantic fantasy, April 25, 2001

By 

Liyet - See all my reviews

This review is from: Summers at Castle Auburn (Mass Market Paperback)

Shinn moves no mountains with this tale; don't expect an exotically original setting, as her science fiction novels tend toward, or even especially nontraditional characters. Coriel, the protagonist, is the illegitimate child of a nobleman, and consequently is always seeking a firm foothold in both the court (where she spends her summers) and her village. Shinn no doubt knows that the latter would hold little interest--even though it is there that Coriel has an active role as healer and herbalist--and the story concentrates on Coriel's life with the nobility.

She begins as a girl on a hunt for fey-like creatures: aliora, who are utterly benign even when captured and forced to serve humans. Although the tragedy of their slavery is addressed, it is the men with whom she rides that _Summers at Castle Auburn_ is truly about. She adores Prince Bryan, although he is betrothed to her beloved half-sister, but comes to realize ugly truths about him later on. But her relationships with Kent, the son of the regent, and Roderick, a guardsman, only grow with time.

The story moves fairly predictably toward a satisfactory but uninspiring happy ending. At heart, this book is a court romance, and those who need something more, like the mystery in _Wrapt in Crystal_ or the world-shaking tensions of the Samaria trilogy probably shouldn't seek this one out. It is, however, more complex than _The Shape-changer's Wife_.

Shinn captures the voice of Coriel both as a girl and a woman with her usual deft writing, which is this book's strongest recommendation. I did enjoy reading the rich prose, but those expecting the depth of her other books may be somewhat disappointed. Pick it up in a serene mood, and you'll end in the same.