Summers at Castle Auburn Mass Market Paperback – April 30, 2002

Summers at Castle Auburn has been on my reading list for a long time now, and I recently had the pleasure of, well, actually reading it. I was surprised to read that other reviewers thought this to be a light read and had breezed through it in one day. It took me about four days to read and I, personally, felt the book had a lot to offer in thought, emotion, and description. The images the words conveyed were oftentimes so enchanting and ethereal, I had to stop to savor the effect. I finished Summers at Castle Auburn a few days ago, and it left me with many emotions... It was the sort of book I really didn't want to let go of and after I had finished, I felt a hollowness in my stomach. Just as a warning, my review will contain many spoilers. You have been forewarned!I was hooked from the moment the story began. The main character, Corie, is going with her Uncle Jaxon on a trip to hunt aliora, a type of mystical and ethereal being that lives past the Faelyn River. Corie and her Uncle Jaxon are accompanied by Prince Bryan (Corie's crush), Kent (the prince's cousin), Damien (the prince's food taster), and Roderick (a guardsman). Together, the six members of the hunting expedition travel to the Faelyn river, where Corie happens to catch her Uncle Jaxon conversing with the queen of the aliora from across the river. When she returns to the castle, she questions the aliora's presence there for the first time. At this point, Corie is thirteen years old and doesn't quite want to acknowledge the dark side of life at Castle Auburn. Throughout the story, she comes to realize the horrors that involve the capturing of aliora and how they are then sold into slavery to serve the wealthy peoples of humankind.Corie faces a lot of disillusionment in her sixteenth summer at Castle Auburn. Not only is she troubled by the truth behind the aliora's presence, she begins to see the cruel, selfish nature of her beloved Prince Bryan, with whom she silently worshiped and envied her older half-sister for being betrothed to. She realizes for the first time that Elisandra, her sister, is not at all excited about the prospect of marrying Prince Bryan and is, in fact, dreading it. Corie's relationship with her Uncle Jaxon, the most successful aliora hunter, splinters as she pulls herself further away in an effort to make sense of how someone with so much love to give could be so cruel and heartless to another, specially after her Uncle Jaxon captures a young aliora girl.I thought the story was very suspenseful and tense. The book is divided into three parts: In the first, Corie is thirteen; in the second, Corie is sixteen; and in the third, she is nineteen. Each section of the book has an increasingly older feel. The first part is very lighthearted and joyous, whereas the latter two are considerably darker and more mature. I enjoyed that the author was able to convey changes in Corie through tone rather than 'telling-and-not-showing'. I found all of the characters three-dimensional and realistic; the author was able to portray a character accurately and quickly with a few succinct descriptions. The portrayal of castle and village life was extensive and very intriguing. It's obvious that the author is well-researched, and she is able to portray historical truths in a way that is natural and treatable, almost as if taking you back to that time and place.The one thing that bothered me about the book was the ending. You see, throughout the entire book, the relationship between Corie and Kent, the prince's cousin, is explored and elaborated. I knew from the moment Kent stepped inside the stable in preparation for the hunting expedition that he would play a large part in the story -- and I wasn't disappointed! Quickly after the story began, the author began establishing their relationship and his character. There is a lot of romantic tension between the two, and it is pretty obvious that Kent harbors deeper feelings for Corie. There were times where my faith in this area was shaken because Corie begins to suspect that Kent is in love with Elisandra, despite his claims that he is not.Also, there are times in the story where it seems that Corie is developing feelings for Roderick, the guardsman, so I had a hard time gauging who would end up with who until the story started to wrap up. The fact that Roderick and Elisandra ended up together was a very nice, sweet surprise that had me jumping up and down and squealing like one of Justin Bieber's fan girls. Corie and Kent do end up getting married, which I was very happy about, but I wish the author would have paid more attention to the wrapping up of their story.I'm very picky about romance, and the romantic tension between Corie and Kent affected me in a way that I can't even describe. My heart was fluttering and my stomach was writhing throughout the entire book, culminating in a rather exhausting reading experience. All of the little exchanges between Corie and Kent are magnetic, realistic, deep, and sweet. I absolutely adored Kent's character, and I was so upset when I was briefly fooled into believing that he was in love with Elisandra. Everything was going really, really well, and then Kent suddenly dropped off the face of the earth and it seemed to me that the author was being deliberately vague about him to make the reader wonder if he would ever come around and admit his feelings. Corie and Kent's relationship isn't resolved until, like, the last ten pages of the book and when he does propose, it's so random and straightforward.On top of that, there is no description of their wedding or married life. There is no first kiss. Even though Corie does notice Kent and does gradually fall in love with him, the progression of her feelings aren't discussed all that much. I would have liked to know more about Corie in her role as queen because I had thought earlier in the book, before I ever knew how the story would end, that Corie would make a great queen with her warm, generous personality and knowledge of herbs and medicine.Don't get me wrong, the ending wasn't disappointing enough that it detracted from my liking of the book. It's just... I thought Corie and Kent were each very solid characters and I thought their relationship was the best thing since sliced bread, so I felt the ending didn't fully measure up to how they had been earlier portrayed. And because there is so much tension and uncertainty revolving them, I couldn't help feeling jipped when the author waited until the last possible second to throw her readers a crumb.I will definitely be reading Summers at Castle Auburn again. It's honestly one of my favorite fairy-tales, and has been one of the best and most exciting reading experiences of my life.

This review courtesy of Squeaky Clean Reads ([...])Overall Review: "Summers at Castle Auburn" is as delightfully predictable as your grandmother's homemade chicken noodle soup! In other words, serious comfort food! The lovely sedate pace keeps you interested, which is a nice change from some of the rushed `shove-as-much-information-at-you-as-quickly-as-possible' reads that we so often see. It is ponderous and regal without being trite or repetitive. Sharon Shinn is a fine storyteller. Everything I wanted to have happen, happened. I felt a contented satisfaction upon finishing. This is a book you can curl up with on a long winter's night when you need something comfortable, happy and satisfying. A fun fantasy with sweet romance mixed in. Overall rating is 4 out of 5 stars.Content Review:PROFANITY: Some mild instancesSEXUAL CONTENT: Few mild instancesVIOLENCE: Few mild instancesMATURE THEMES: ModerateRECOMMENDED AGE GROUP: 16+There are a handful of mild swear words, but above all, there is the usage of the coarser word for illegitimate children. This is used fairly often, as I suppose in a kingdom there are quite a few? (It is always in reference to the illegitimate children, not as an expletive, though.) As for violence, there is death by poison and by falling. One character is pretty ruthless when he is crossed and kills another character in a not so pretty way. It's not graphic, but it's sad. There are some sexual innuendos. There are illegitimate births and affairs also mentioned. Nothing is sensually or illicitly described though. As far as mature themes, there is slavery and the discussion of whether it is right or not. There is also a lot of discussion of political maneuvering in regards to marriage--`strategical positioning'. Sometimes this became very intense and ruthless. There is `witch craft' and herbal lore mixed in. Even with all of these things I've mentioned, I really never felt uncomfortable or offended while reading this book. Well done and a fun, clean read for ages 16+.This review was written by EmilyA Squeaky Clean Reads Book Reviewer

The romance is too weak. The main character is not relatable at all. The whole slavery thing makes no sense. Honestly her sister is a much more interesting character I'd love to see her point of view as a main character. Also this book is super predictable, I guessed the ending by the firsts chapters and I was right.

Another wonderful fantasy from Sharon Shinn, a master of her craft. I highly recommend her novels.

I could not help but love the heroine, and loved the gentle storytelling with some great twists and surprises, and the subtle romance. Not a fantasy book full of end-of-the-world-doom, or slaying, adventures or even magic, but very real characters in a realistic setting.

I did order this because I liked Archangel a lot. In fact those two are among my top favorites now and possibly forever (the other two are Ender and Ender's Shadow).I liked Summers in Auburn a lot, because it has deep characters, a detailed, creative world with new ideas. The main person is just lovely - a strong female with an own will, still likable (and liked by all around here). Nice and easy read, positive, happy end.Some might consider the story too predictable. I like it, when some of my guesses come true. There are some unexpected twists as well. A superb happy end, even though there were hints so one could guess it ("but it just doesn't feel likely that would happen", and still I consider it plausible and nice).To me this book will forever remain special, because (besides, that it made me order all the other ones) one of the scenes (when she, and _why_, she accepts his proposal) made me see things in my life in new, different way, helping me out of a deadlock of despair and hopelessness in my relationship. Thanks, Sharon!After I had read this, I ordered more... and yet more... and more. I think now I have all existing books (or books with stories) of her ordered or already received, and only a handful waiting to read. 10 days, so to speak.None of them which I now ordered/read disappointed me yet. Sad that there's only 4-5 left yet... what then?( I will have to re-read the Archangel sequels (#2+#3), and Shapeshifter's wife - I didn't remember them as "so great" (like all the others now) when I did read them years and years ago. Perhaps my taste has changed.)

A feelgood book .. coming of age, romance. Intrigue and Power Games. Between all This manoevres a young herb woman and learn to See life from all sides. Very Enjoyable.