Summers at Castle Autumn

Summers at Castle Auburn (2001) Sharon Shinn

I picked up Summers at Castle Auburn because I’d read another Sharon Shinn book and thoroughly enjoyed it. So when I came across Summers at Castle Auburn used I snatched it up, since I hadn’t seen it before.

Corie is the bastard daughter of a bastard lord. After her father dies, her Uncle Jaxon–who had abdicated his position in favor of his bastard brother–brings her into the family. Although she lives most of the year with her grandmother the herb-witch, she spends her summers at the castle with her sister (the legitimate daughter of the lord). Uncle Jaxon brought Corie to Castle Auburn because Elisandra needed a sister and a friend, and despite their difference in ages, Corie turns out to be just that.

The book is written in three parts, the first is the summer she was fourteen. We learn about Corie and her family, as well as the future king, Prince Bryan, his cousin Kent, and members of the castle. We also learn about the aliora, which become a major point through the story.

I really liked both the story and the characters. I have to admit that initially I was annoyed with Corie’s infatuation with Prince Bryan, but she was only fourteen, so it was kind of to be expected. Also the progression of her feelings towards Bryan do a good job of showing how she grows and matures with age. The more she learns of life the more she changes her views on the world and the people around her. I thought that part was incredibly well done.

The story was also extremely well done. Not only do we have Corie’s growth and maturity as a story arc, but there is a story arc about Bryan’s growth towards the kingship and his engagement with Elisandra, Corie’s sister, and a story arc about the aliora. Although I guessed some of the places the story was going, there were many places where I guessed incorrectly, which is always a pleasant surprise.

And the writing was also excellent.

The summer I was fourteen, my uncle Jaxon took me with him on an expedition to hunt for aliora. I had only seen the delicate fey creatures in captivity, and then only when I was visiting castle Auburn. I was as excited about the trip to Faelyn River as I had been about anything in my life.

There was a strong romantic element to the story–not only do we have Elisandra and Bryan’s engagement, and Corie’s infatuation with Bryan, but life at a royal court involves marriage alliances and secret romances, as well as the love that develops between the “working class’ individuals of the castle. Because Corie is an herb witch, she gets involved in many of these intrigues as she makes friends with the castle guards. Surprisingly, I enjoyed this element of the story. We see the full range of romantic possibilities, from the cad to the romantic who wants to marry for love–and that’s just within the members of the castle guard.

If you’re looking for a well-written fantasy with a complex story-arc that is contained in a single book, then I highly recommend Summers at Castle Auburn.
Rating: 9/10

• Browse the archives:
  
• The Repentant » »
• « « The Wood Wife