Originally reviewed here.I discovered Sharon Shinn through the fabulous Archangel--the first book in her Samaria series. I was instantly smitten and plowed my way through that series quick like a bunny. I'm pretty sure I picked up SUMMERS AT CASTLE AUBURN while waiting for the fifth Samaria book to come out. I knew it was YA and much more traditional fantasy (also no sci fi), but honestly I was just sort of making time, if you will. I wasn't expecting that much. You know how you find a new author via a series that just steals your heart, and after devouring it in its entirety you're simultaneously dying for more but so afraid the author's other books won't hold the same shine that those first ones do? Sometimes your fears bear out. But sometimes you end up eating humble pie, quite happily and deservedly so. That was the case here. That is to say nothing, of course, of the prejudice I am occasionally guilty of when it comes to one of my favorite adult authors crossing over and writing YA. So often I feel like they come off as just lite versions of themselves, and I'm left longing for the depth and emotional intensity of their adult titles. Thankfully, SUMMERS AT CASTLE AUBURN is a gem of an exception--a beautifully told coming of age tale set in a deceptively idyllic fantasy realm.Corie inhabits a fairly unorthodox space in her world. The illegitimate daughter of a deceased lord, she spends the majority of the year learning how to be a village healer with her grandmother. But she spends summers at Castle Auburn. Her father's brother, Lord Jaxon, convinced her grandmother to let him foster Corie at Auburn just for the summers, so that she can get to know her half sister Elisandra and learn to be a lady in the hopes that she might make a good marriage one day and rise from the obscurity her father's dying left her in. Jaxon is hearty and hale and full of life and fourteen-year-old Corie loves her summers at his home. She also loves her beautiful half sister Elisandra who is betrothed to the debonair Prince Bryan. Corie harbors something of a crush on Prince Bryan, secretly hoping he will notice her one of these summers, even though she knows he will eventually wed Elisandra. As Corie grows up, however, she begins to understand the darker machinations at work behind these lovely facades. Bryan is more than he appears to be. Elisandra is not as calm and quiescent as she seems. And the fabled Aliora, the fey creatures who are hunted and forced into slavery to the nobility, are far more complex than Corie has been led to believe. She must decide who she will be and what she will do with her new-found knowledge.Corie is very much an impressionable young girl at the novel's start. Her goals and crushes and ambitions are small ones, shaped by her limited experience and perception of the world and the people that surround her. Initially, I wondered how far Ms. Shinn would take her as such. But this is one of those wonderful stories where the characters evolve and reveal their depth--all of them--and the reader is privileged to witness their various and sundry transformations. The fascinating bit is that the world undergoes the same unveiling process. At first glance, it's prettily medieval, full of charming hunts, dashing young men, and mystical faery beings. But the gloves come off, so to speak, as the scales fall from Corie's eyes. Even Uncle Jaxon has things he'd rather keep hidden. Themes of despair, doubt, and disillusionment run like ribbons throughout the story. But they are balanced by a cautiously and skillfully written love story, which even I didn't see coming and which isn't fully revealed until Corie has accepted herself and made her decisions about her world and her place in it. I love how her voice changes as she matures. I love how several characters managed to surprise me. And I love where things end. Always retaining that fairy tale feel, SUMMERS AT CASTLE AUBURN reminds me of the novels of the wonderful Patricia McKillip, especially The Book of Atrix Wolfe. When you find yourself in need of something new, I suggest tracking down a copy of SUMMERS AT CASTLE AUBURN. It's sweet and comfortable, with a surprisingly dark and gooey center. In other words, one of the ones I can (and do) hand anyone.
This is a wonderful story of a girl named Corie. Corie is the illegitimate daughter of a lord. After he passes away her uncle Jaxon decides to take care of her. He works out an agreement with her grandmother that she will spend the summer at Castle Auburn and the rest of the year with her grandmother learning “witchcraft” (really, she is just a healer). Most of the story takes place at the castle though, where her “grooming” takes place in hopes that she will have a politically placed marriage. It almost has a feel of The Bachelorette, at the beginning of the story there are a few different men that might end up being “the one”. The book was beautifully written and very easy to get into. The story was great and I was happy to have found it. If you enjoyed The Goose Girl or Seer and the Sword then you will like this book.Updated 04/30/10I 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.
What do You think about Summers At Castle Auburn (2002)?
It took me a while to get into this book. I wasn't too sure I really wanted to read it and my prejudice against fantasy almost made me quit. But I persevered and I have to say that the more I read it the more I loved it and wanted to know more. Now that I've finished I can safely say it found a place among my favourites.So what did I like so much about it? Well she creates a world with medieval reflections that is a sort of fairy-tale land, and then this is a coming of age story and I just love those.Corrie, our heroine, is the daughter of a nobleman and a village girld who seduce him. As a result she spends most of the time in the village but every year she goes to live in the castle for 3 months. There she stays with her half - sister Elisandra, her uncle Jaxon and meets Prince Bryan, Elisandra's intended and the future ruler. As the years go by and she keeps returning to the castle her vision of the people and situations will change.Among the secondary characters are the Aliora, some sort of elfs that Corrie's uncle chases and captures to sell as slaves. Her vision of the Aliora will also change in time and they become more real to her and she more concerned with their plight. I found myself wishing Shinn had developed the Aliora world a bit more.Not only Corrie will be faced with difficult choices as she grows up but also Elisandra will have to choose between duty and happiness. As both sisters ultimately make their choices the story resembles even more of a fairy tale by reaching it's happy ending. But a good one! Shinn portrays vivid characters, with believable feeling and I really enjoyed the world building. I might just have to reconsider how much I might enjoy fantasy after this one.Grade: A
—Ana T.
I really enjoyed this book. It has some good tension and sadness, but also good deeds and happiness.Corie was born out of wedlock to a local witch (more specifically a herb healer) after an affair with a married lord. After the death of her father, who she never met, her uncle shows up at her grandmother's, where she has lived all her life. Then begins her summers at Castle Auburn, where the royalty live and where court is held. More importantly, that is where her half-sister, Elisandra, and Elisandra's mother, Greta, reside. Immediately Corie is accepted and loved by Elisandra while also being scorned by Greta. She also develops a strong, loving relationship with her uncle, Jaxon. While carefree in her youth working as her grandmother's apprentice during most of the year and visiting the castle during the summer, soon life changes and every year becomes more stressful and plagued with choices that Corie must make. Her life finally comes to a crossroad. Her sister will soon marry the prince; she doesn't agree with her uncle's profession; and she is unsure of love. She is facing a bittersweet ending.
—Tressa (Wishful Endings)
With all of the series that I constantly fight to keep up with, this was a nice change with an all-in-one plot. The story is told entirely from Coriel Halsing's point of view, so the reader only gets to know things when she learns of them. Sometimes first person P.O.V. is limiting and somewhat claustrophobic, but in this case it simplified the story line and helped me to better get inside the mind of Coriel.I grew to love Coriel as her story progressed and she matured into a strong, independent young woman. I love that she is not just a pretty face, but possesses both intelligence and wit. In many ways, this book is her coming-of-age story with a fantasy background that could have easily been traded for some other setting without compromising the character of Coriel Halsing.I also love that Coriel is not the center of royal attention - like her sister, Elisandra - and the "handsome prince" is neither meant for her nor remotely appealing to me, the reader. It was quite entertaining for me to be constantly guessing as to whom Coriel would eventually wind up with. When the man was finally revealed, I was very happy with the results, though I would have enjoyed a bit more wooing on his part.All of the different characters are well-developed and unique, from the narcissistic handsome prince Bryan, to the always-composed Elisandra, to the many aliora that populate the book. The aliora are quite fascinating, comparable to fairies or elves in description, but still unique to Sharon Shinn's design. In many ways, the aliora act as catalysts for political intrigue within Castle Auburn, as well as Coriel's personal development and maturation.As an adult fairy-tale, this book can easily appeal to both teens and adults, as the romance is tastefully done and the risque topics, such as slavery, suicide, and illigitimacy, are handled with care and respect. Personally, I loved this book as much as I have loved everything else I have read from Sharon Shinn.
—Rachel
