Summers at Castle Auburn

ive read everything ranging from the virgin suicides,literture,teen novels,romance to harry potter and this is the best book. Its about illegimate daughter of a dead court noble,Coriel(also known as corie).Shes in love with a prince who is engaged to her older sister Ellisandra but neverthless he has sex with maids,servents and everything in between .he has a illegimate son who was killed when his mother tianza committed suicide.But her sister still marries him but not for long cause............

After becoming an avowed Shinn fan with Archangel and continuing my fandom through the Samaria trilogy (now quadrology), Wrapt in Crystal, Heart of Gold, and Shape-Changer's Wife, I have to admit my disappointment in this book.
Shinn still surpasses most writers in talent and craft, and this is definitely a book worth reading when compared to the pool of general fantasy released every year. However, there is no comparison between this novel and her others. It is an entertaining read (though hardly light) but doesn't prompt any thought about our deeper assumptions as a culture, which is one of Shinn's greatest strengths as a writer.

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.

This book made an awsome first impression on me. It was the first book by Sharon Shin i had read and i loved it
There was suspense but only a minute part of it was mystery. I'm one of those people who by the 2nd page is trying to predict what will happen in the end. and at first i thought it was going to really easy and predictable. NOTHING happened the way i thought it would and NOTHING was what it originaly seemed.
A great book for anyone who loves fantasy. i found sharon shinn's writting was a lot like Robin McKinley and Tamora Pierce so if you like them this is the book for you@

I can not understand why only three people before me have given this 5 stars, and not more. I just got the book today, and read it in one sitting. The plot is original, the story line imaginitive, and the charecters well thought out. Corie is a believibe girl, as are her friends. Most people have typed that "this is not the regular Sharon Shinn style." Who cares? I've never read any books by the author, but this book was a wonderful story for any fantesy/romance fan. So if your looking for a good read, read this book.

While enduring the LONG wait for the next Harry Potter book to come out, I went on my bi-weekly trip to the book store to pick out more books to read. After perusing the fantasy sections as I usually did, I hesitantly asked the assistant for help. This book was what she gave me.

In the beginning I was cursing the assistant to all the worst places, however in my determination to finish the book, as I read on I started to get sucked into the plot.

Although a bit shallow in some places, this book changed my life forever after I read it. I recommend this book to anyone who appreciates fiction. And think its an amazing story. I wont give a plot summary because Im sure the other reviewers already did, however I will leave you with this thought . . . this book is a must have on any shelf.

I really liked this book. The author did a great job gradually making the main character, Corrie, grow up. The gradual maturation was really believable, and I grew to really like Corrie and the rest (and really despise the prince). The aliora were very interesting as well, and I would've liked to learn a little more about them, besides what they're like in captivity.

Sharon Shinn has definitely succeeded in creating the funny, playful character of Corie. Though Corie does seem a bit naive (in the views of some people), she takes away the story completely. It was definitely a can't-seem-to-put-down book. The ending was throughly satisfying and the plot quite clear. Read this book, and you will not be disappointed.

I loved this book! It combines everything that makes a story great, plot, characters, romance, and a dash of faerie. I tells the absorbing story of Corie, the daughter of a dead nobleman of Castle Auburn. She visits her sister, Elisandra every summer there. Corie goes through a remarkable journey through this book, realizing that Castle Auburn is not the utopia she once thought it was. Shinn demonstrates some very great writing, moving the plot along well, and developing her characters seamlessly. It is really a teen fantasy, I don't think I would have enjoyed it as much if I was older, but its perfect for teenage girls, like me, who have a flair for good fantasy.

This has quickly become one of my favorite books to reread. Shinn does a masterful job of bringing the reader INTO the worlds she creates -- be it the humble witch-woman's hut or the elegant castle auburn. It is so easy to read this book and let yourself enter this magical world. With spells and sorcery, the elf-like aliora, and the intricacies of court life playing out around you, the result is pure magic. So pick up this book, a cup of herbal tea, and let yourself be taken to another world ... where fairy-tale dreams come true, but the road to the end is infinitely more satisfying!

I had not previously thought of Shinn as an author of Young Adult fantasy, but this belongs in the children's section. I was sorry when I finished it because I wanted there to be more. I wanted more depth in the characters, and more complication in the plot. It was like hoping for a meal and being served only dessert.
It was very pleasant, but it was not enough.

Corie enjoys the priveledge of spending her summers at Castle Auburn with the nobility while spending the rest of the years learning to become a wise woman. This story tells of her awakening to the world's unpleasantries and discovering love.

The characters were interesting and the romance enjoyable although predictable. It was nicely wrapped up with feel good ending that made you feel as though the book was worth it. Unfortunately, Sharon Shinn's creation takes place in a world that somehow seems incomplete. Instead of using the creative world, it felt as though aspects were unexplained and had they been fully explored would have created an immensely setting for the simple plot.

Overall, this made for an enjoyable if not riveting read that leaves the reader feeling pleased.

Having adored the Mystic and Rider series, I was eager to try another Sharon Shinn--only to wish I hadn't wasted my time or money. Shallow and juvenile, with a predictable, hackneyed plot, neither the world nor the characters got any development; by the time I got to the plot "twist," I really just didn't care any more. It seemed that she paid no attention to minor details--couldn't even come up with a name for the local currency but referred to it as dollars. Very disappointing.

This review contains spoilers.

A latter day Young Adult fairy-tale that tries to tackle darker themes.

The protagonist is built up as a guileless girl who gets to visit the royal palace of a colourful fairytale kingdom each summer. There is some light romance, but from the beginning there are darker topics. The aristocracy enslave an innocent, endearing, (though sketchily rendered) fairy folk called the Aliora. The theme of slavery as being an unacceptable evil whatever one's social conditioning is well handled.

However, an unusual aspect to the backstory is that the protagonist was conceived when her mother - a country witch, raped her father (a noble) using magic. The protagonist's grandmother tells the other characters about this early on, but even despite this, on page 190, the protagonist not only blames and vilifies her father for being the victim, but even goes so far as to compare him to the villain of the latter half of the story...! The villain in question was an evil prince who sexually exploited a servant girl, conceiving a baby with her this way and then murdered her and the baby!

Truly this level of contempt for a victim goes beyond ordinary victim blaming. It's like comparing a female rape victim to Annie in Misery. Even so, the other characters do not challenge this and all of them, including her father's legitimate daughter, agree with her. Victim blaming is a dark topic just like slavery and if it is brought up, it absolutely must be handled well. But the heroine's coldness and contempt for her father and by implication, male rape victims as a whole is treated as part of her enlightenment as she is growing up and starting to see what is wrong with the kingdom.

This book was fairly good in pacing and keeping the reader entertained.
The plot reminded me of Robin Hood and Cinderella.
There was some parts where I felt more information was needed to give backstory.
There was fairly good character development. Good interpersonal relationships between friends and family and foes.