First, a big thank you to all fantasy and YA writers who still bother with stand-alone novels!
Summers at Castle Auburn continues to be my ultimate comfort-book even this third time around. It’s everything a fantasy YA with a touch of romance should be, and a sure fix for a reading slump.
Coriel is the illegitimate child of a powerful lord and a humble herbal healer. Her mother dies when she’s a child, so she’s raised by her grandmother, who teachers her the family’s medical traditions. When the father she never met also dies, her uncle shows up at her village with a proposal: Coriel can continue to live with her grandmother, but must spend her summers at Court with her father’s family. In particular she should learn the ways of nobility with her step-mother and sister Elisandra, who’s engaged to the future King. So start Coriel’s summers at Castle Aurburn.
The story begins the summer Coriel’s 14 and follows her coming of age tale. It’s a gentle story about not-so gentle topics. As she grows up, our heroine gradually removes the proverbial pink glasses and starts seeing the people around her in a different light. Coriel’s court is not all about sun and silks and she soon wakes up to harsh realities, like the truth about a faery people called the aliora, prized as slaves for their unfailing kindness even in captivity.
There are several very well integrated sub-plots and at no point did I think (as I often do with romantic stories), “Get on with it and show me the next scene where they’re together!” There’s character development to balance the world building and political intrigue to cut the sugary parts. It’s also fun to see how Coriel lives between such different realities without ever really belonging to any. In many occasions Coriel’s innocence borders on the annoying, but it’s impossible not to like her after seeing her use her “commoner” side to successfully live at the Court.
But what IMO really distinguishes Summers at Castle Auburn from others of its type is Shinn’s different take on established fantasy/romance stereotypes. For instance, Elisandra could have easily been the naïve-but-annoying type (à la Guinevere or Sansa), or the jealous half-sister who wants all the spotlight. Instead, Elisandra is incredibly loyal to Coriel and her gentleness doesn’t conflict with her moral determination.
I’m still surprised this book is not more popular. Maybe as a stand-alone it was eclipsed by Shinn’s more popular series? I’ve never read anything else by her – should I?
8 comments
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October 5, 2011 at 12:16 am
Claire (The Captive Reader)
I’ve never heard of this author or this book, but I am certainly intrigued. I don’t usually try a lot of YA fiction but I might try to track this one down!
October 5, 2011 at 12:58 am
Teresa
I second your thanks to YA fantasy authors who still write standalone books. I love a good YA or MG fantasy now and then, but not enough to take on a whole series, so I’m always happy to hear of a possible good read for me that isn’t a series.
October 5, 2011 at 2:16 am
Kailana
I really want to read this book. I have had it on my TBR pile for quite a while.
October 5, 2011 at 2:21 am
Mrs.B
I have never heard of this book or author but I’m having a reading slump right now so I’ll try anything. I just downloaded a sample on my Kindle. Thanks for the review.
October 5, 2011 at 2:55 pm
Teresa
Some of her other books are pretty interesting BUT IMO this is her most interesting and best loved work. So yeah, do try some of her things if you are in the mood, but keep in mind, this one is pretty special and unreplicated so far.
December 30, 2011 at 11:59 pm
Best of 2011 « The Sleepless Reader
[…] Summers at Castle Auburn by Sharon Shinn […]
February 1, 2012 at 9:01 am
Library Loot: February 1 – 7 « The Captive Reader
[…] at Castle Auburn by Sharon Shinn – this is Alex’s ‘ultimate comfort-book’ and her enthusiasm for it convinced me to overlook my general disinterest in YA and place a hold. Now that it’s here and […]
July 20, 2012 at 9:58 pm
Rachel
This is my ultimate comfort read, too. Unfortunately everything else by Shinn has fallen a little flat for me — probably because this one is so perfect. I’ve always wished it had more popularity and exposure. When I worked at a bookstore it was often my staff recommend but no one ever bought it. Sigh. Now I want to go back and read it again … 🙂