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    Summers at Castle Auburn
    Summers at Castle Auburn
    Summers at Castle Auburn
    Audiobook14 hours

    Summers at Castle Auburn

    Written by Sharon Shinn

    Narrated by Gabrielle Baker

    4/5

    ()

    About this audiobook

    As a child, Coriel Halsing spent many glorious summers at Castle Auburn with her half-sister-and fell in love with a handsome prince who could never be hers. But now that she is a young woman, she begins to see the dark side of this magical place . . .
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherTantor Media, Inc
    Release dateMar 27, 2018
    ISBN9781541487703
    Summers at Castle Auburn

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    Reviews for Summers at Castle Auburn

    4/5

    446 ratings19 reviews

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    • 4/5
      I almost wish I had read this when I was younger, because I think I would have been absolutely enchanted with this story. Coriel is an illegitimate daughter of a high-ranking noble, spending nine months out of the year learning herblore and healing with her grandmother, and spending the three months of summer in a castle with her half-sister and the other nobles of the realm. Summers at Castle Auburn is a story about Coriel growing up and realizing what she wants out of life, while at the same time making realizations about the people she has known since she was a child. While she loved castle life at the beginning of the story, she comes to see the horrific things that go on around her.The story starts off with a hunt. Coriel's uncle takes her and a group of boys to hunt for the aliora, who are magical creatures that live in the forest and live in a peaceful, harmonious society. Using base metals, nobles trap them to turn them into slaves. Even after they are made slaves, however, the aliora are peaceful and even loving. Coriel often marvels at how Cressida, her aliora servant at the castle, can care for her so much even though Cressida is an unwilling slave.I was a little annoyed with Coriel at the beginning. She was just too much of an airhead, I felt. Too obsessed with boys and too clueless about some things. A little way into the novel, she grows up and stops being this way, thank goodness, so I didn't mind it so much. I think it's actually needed to show how much she grows as a person by the end of a novel. In fact, Shinn does a great job with the development of all the characters, even the minor ends. By the end, all of them have changed and grown, which is something I really love to see in a story.The best part about Summers at Castle Auburn is how Shinn adds in a great deal of darkness without completely horrifying the reader. She definitely does not go for shock value; instead, the bad stuff is subtly weaved into story. Like much of what she writes, there are a lot of topics covered for something that is incredibly entertaining and hopeful. Slavery, women's rights, and issues of responsibility are all main subjects. And like I said, the reader isn't beat over the head with the message. The message isn't directly stated; rather, the reader is left to themselves as to what they want to get out of it.Aside from all that, however, this is simply a good story. There is a good balance of everything in here. It has suspense, humor, mystery, romance, and generally everything I want in a story. The characters surprised me sometimes, and I find myself growing along with Coriel, opening my eyes to the real events taking place in the castle. The romance is perfect. As is usual with Shinn's books, the couplings are a bit predictable, but they're predictable in a satisfying way (if that makes sense), so it's all good. Lovers of young adult fantasy will love Summers at Castle Auburn. It's yet another of Shinn's brilliant novels.
    • 3/5
      This was a more interesting book than what the back cover suggested. I was hooked from the beginning and tossed along for a wonderful ride on horseback. I was amazed when I felt sad to see the book end, I hadn't realized just how much the story of Lady Coriel, illegitimate child of the late Lord of Halsing, had gripped me. Coriel is funny, innocent, strong, resilient. And to read of the Aliora! No wonder this book has won contests, its just that good.
    • 4/5
      Good story and the writing is excellent. It isn’t a sappy love story.
    • 3/5
      Corie is the illegitimate half-sister of the heir-to-the-throne's fiance, and as such she spends every summer at Castle Auburn. The rest of the year, she trains as an herbalist with her demanding grandmother. The story follows Corie and her sister, Elisandra, as they grow up and prepare to take the places the world has assigned them. I was impressed with the insight into the girls' minds--they really came alive for me. The plot is not intricately crafted, but it is still a more realistic, darker take on fairy tale romances. I would not recommend this for younger kids.
    • 4/5
      Series Info/Source: This is a stand alone book. I got this on audiobook from audible.com.Audiobook Quality (4/5): This was a good quality audiobook. The narration was pleasant to listen to and did a decent job with character voices. No complaints.Story (4/5): This was a bit slow moving and much more of a traditional YA fantasy. This book slowly unravels as more and more secrets behind Castle Auburn's politics are revealed. It was well put together but definitely more of a deliberately paced book. The target audience is teen girls and this definitely has a "princess book" kind of vibe to it. However it deals with more serious themes too, such as slavery and finding ones own path through life. A lot of the story also focuses on Coriel’s obsession with the Prince and then the unveiling of the Prince’s true character.Characters (4/5): I didn’t enjoy Coriel (our main character) all that much; she just comes across as very naive and oblivious. This lack of observation of the things around her makes her seem a bit selfish as well. Then as the story continues some of the things she does doesn’t match up with her character. I thought her half-sister, Elisandra, and the Prince’s friend, Kent, as well as some of the other side characters were much more intriguing. These side characters were well done and very complex and I enjoyed trying to figure out their motives.Setting (4/5): This was a classic fantasy type of setting. It’s made slightly more complex because Castle Auburn is located on the border of the kingdom of Aliora. The Aliora are fey-like creatures that the humans have been capturing and enslaving. This whole unlying theme of slavery adds an interesting tone to the book. Outside of a brief glimpse of Aliora, we spend most of our time either in Castle Auburn or in the village that Coriel spends her spring/fall/winter time in.Writing Style (4/5): This is beautifully written with amazing descriptions and well done dialogue. It has a very classic YA fantasy style to it. It moves slower and very deliberately builds the plot around the Alioran race, Coriel’s coming of age, and the Prince’s evil deeds. The story takes place over the span of many years. This will probably appeal more to a MG or YA audience because it has that “princess” type of plot to it and Corie comes across as very young for her age at times. As I said it is beautifully written and the plot is intricately woven, making it a very solid fantasy. It just feels kind of dated, like a fantasy written in the 80’s or 90’s to me.My Summary (4/5): Overall I am glad I listened to this and ended up enjoying it. I almost stopped reading it because the beginning is very slow and the main protagonist is very naive. However, as the story continues I grew very intrigued by the secrets of this castle and got very attached to some of the side characters. The writing style is absolutely beautiful and the intricate plot also comes together in a very well done way. I would recommend to middle grade and YA readers who are interested in a princess-type story that involves a lot of intrigue and mystery in a fantasy castle setting.
    • 5/5
      This was so lovely. The beginning was sweet, funny, and delightful, the middle was upsetting, and the ending was perfect. An absolutely wonderful read.
    • 4/5
      This is the second time I've read the book and I must say that I liked it a lot better the second time around. Shinn's writing style really pulls you into the world even though the writing isn't as polished and effortless as, say, Archangel. I liked the way pretty much everything was handled. I can totally believe that the bits that required luck were possible. I really liked Corie. She was never too much. Even when she did and said ridiculous things, I could imagine myself or a friend doing that when emotional. Really glad I read it again. It's a pretty nice combination or romance and intrigue, but not too stressful.
    • 5/5
      (Stand alone. Fantasy)(Re-read)A sweet, light-hearted story that evokes the halcyon days of your childhood summers. This book is easy to read as well as compelling (I sat up all night with it) and is about Corie, a village girl with a noble father who grows up with her grandmother, learning to be a wood witch and wise woman (a respected profession). When she was eight, her father having died, her uncle arranged with her grandmother to take her to spend every summer with her half sister Elisandra, who has been betrothed for almost all her life to prince Bryan. We first meet Corie during the summer that she is fourteen, while Bryan is a couple of years older and Elisandra three years older than her, as well as some of their other constant companions.However, when I learned who my traveling companions were to be, I stopped complaining and began dreaming. Bryan of Auburn was everything a young prince should be: handsome, fiery, reckless, and barely sixteen. Not destined to take the crown for another four years, he still had the charisma, panache, and arrogance of royalty, and not a girl within a hundred miles of the castle did not love him with all her heart. I did, even though I knew he was not for me: He was betrothed to my sister Elisandra, whom he would wed the year he turned twenty. But when we meet Bryan a couple of pages later, he seems spoiled and arrogant, though Corie still thinks he's wonderful.Although it is written in the first person - so the reader automatically empathises with the narrator - Corie (Lady Coriel) is a very likeable character. She makes friends easily (unless she perceives a rival either to herself or her sister) with everyone, be they from her home village or guardsmen at the castle; though she finds nobles with their political machinations harder to get along with. It is fun watching her grow up over the three or four years of the book and seeing the sisters' deep love for each other. She, like every other girl at Castle Auburn, is infatuated with Bryan but she gets jealous for her sister if he seems to find other ladies attractive. And though she thinks her sister is the most beautiful of the ladies and people tell her she looks more like Elisandra every time she returns to the castle, she never thinks of her own looks.The story focusses on Corie growing up and because we see things through her eyes, they have a more innocent cast. There are not many parents in evidence, thought there are authority figures, mainly Greta, Elisandra's mother, and the Lord Regent Matthew, Bryan's uncle. I do feel a bit sorry for Greta, having to attempt to turn her husband's illegitimate tomboy into a highly marriageable lady in the face of Corie's disinclination but Corie does mature as she gets older. But it's not just about Corie growing up and having adventurous, pampered summers. There is a dark note introduced with the captivity of aliora, a humanoid fey race, but Corie's youth and naiveté keep it from being too dark. And as she gets older she perforce moves in more political circles, at the castle which holds the governance of the kingdom.I first borrowed this from the library many years ago and bought it for myself when I spotted it in a bookshop because I enjoyed it so much. But it was sealed in plastic, so I have been saving it to re-read until now.A light fantasy adventure romance, similar to Sherwood Smith's Crown Duel duology. But I do have to say that the blurb on the back of my ACE edition has got completely the wrong spin on things.4.5 stars
    • 4/5
      Aww... it made me cry. It did. (In the happy way.) A completely sweet fairytale romance with castles and royalty and wise healer women and brave guards and good-natured tavern keepers and villagers and all that good stuff, along with a dosage of politics, intrigue, injustice, cruelty and illegitimacy. Oh, and "elves". And themes of personal freedom and justice and love....
      No great quests or saving the world, but more of a focus on a young woman's growing up and coming to terms with the world.
    • 4/5
      I had to bump this up another star because I really did enjoy it enough to reread it. And still love it the second time.
    • 5/5
      Summers at Castle Auburn is a delightful book. The characters are well-rounded, the story is fresh and easy to read, and the setting is fully realized with such strong grounding that the touch of fantasy is easily accepted. The story is told by Corie, the bastard daughter of a very important noble family of Auburn. Her father died when she was young, but once her uncle learned of her existence, he tracked her down and introduced her to the other side of her family. Until her Uncle Jaxon found her, she was living with her grandmother, the witch woman of a small village. After her royal introduction, Corie continues to live with her grandmother, but spends every summer at Castle Auburn with her half-sister Elisandra and Greta, Elisandra's angry mother.The story begins when Corie is fourteen, during her yearly summer sojourn to Auburn. She is on a hunt for Aliora with Uncle Jaxon, one of the preeminent hunters in the realm. The author cleverly introduces the characters, the complicated family lines, and the main character in these initial chapters, as well as bringing in the fantasy element with the Aliora, mystical beings that seem nothing but grace and nature and beauty, She is half Halsing, and the Halsing family always provides a bride for the king of the kingdom. Her birthright makes her unsuitable for the role, but fortunately, her half-sister Elisandra is pure blood, and betrothed to Bryan, Prince of Auburn. That doesn't prevent Corie, and all of the other females of the kingdom, from being infatuated with the dashing prince. Corie, though, loves her sister deeply, and knows that her crush will always be only that.
    • 5/5
      There’s a special shelf in my mental/virtual bookcase. Until now, only Crown Duel resided there, a little proud in being the only one to make it onto that shelf but getting kind of lonely.AND THEN! ANOTHER BOOK TEARS THROUGH THE LONELINESS AND SPREADS ITS SUNSHINE ON THE SHELF/MY LIFE! It’s SUMMERS AT CASTLE AUBURN! It, too, contains that rare phenomenon where the characters and the romance make me squeak with glee while not skimping on the fantasy world-building!HURRAH!I did think about writing a more official review but I think I about covered all I have to say about this book. Squeeeeee.
    • 5/5
      This book was a splash of cool water on a hot day. Words can't express its' awesomeness. It has romance without being trashy (at ALL!). It has drama without being obnoxious. It doesn't swamp the reader in what the main character is thinking, almost aggravatingly so. I don't think I got any stupid questions asked by the narrator, which I've been getting really tired of in other books. This book is perfect.
    • 4/5
      Corie, the illegitimate daughter of a deceased nobleman, spends her winters with her grandmother, learning to be a wise-woman, and her summers at the royal castle with her father's family. Her older sister is loving and kind, her stepmother despises her, and her uncle is kindly but distant. In the years between fourteen and eighteen, Corie becomes aware of her precarious position between two worlds, and of the injustices and dangers of the court.Friendship, intrigue, maturation, and a little romance. Not quite the typical fantasy that it seems at first glance.
    • 5/5
      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.
    • 4/5
      Oct10:Characters: Well written. Not super deep, but likable and followable.Plot: It was there. It was plenty good enough. Things moved along.Style: Pure enjoyable escapism. This is why I read her books. This one in particular was just fun to escape into a romantic fantasy.
    • 5/5
      One of the best "coming of age" novels I ever read. Romance and fantasy form a beautiful backdrop to the moral, emotional, intellectual and mental growth and development of Corie, who learns to enjoy life and make judgments based on her own reasoning and understanding of the world around her while straddling the difficult but cliched role of a half-royal and half-commoner. Shinn's style is simple and straight forward. It is an easy read but highly enjoyable all throughout without a moment's falter.
    • 4/5
      This is one of my comfort reads, like many of Shinn's books. The story is about a noble's bastard daughter and the relationships she forms when she spends her summers with her half-sister. It's about the innocence of being a child and the harder truths we learn as we get older.And it's well-written fantasy with enough romance to make my softy heart sing.
    • 3/5
      This was an enjoyable coming of age story. The main character is compelling despite flaws. The story is a good fantasy with some romance and keeps you turning the pages.