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General Winston's Daughter
When eighteen-year-old heiress Averie Winston travels to faraway Chiarrin, she looks forward to the reunion with her father and her handsome fiancé, Morgan. What she finds is entirely different from what she expected. She realizes that Morgan is not the man she thought he was; and she finds herself inexplicably drawn to another. Handsome Lieutenant Ket Du'kai is like no one Averie has ever met, and she enjoys every moment she spends with him, every delicious flirtation. Averie knows she's still engaged to another man, but she can't help but think about Lieutenant Du'kai, and she wonders if he feels the same.
342 pages, Hardcover
First published October 18, 2007
About the author
Sharon Shinn
59books2,217followersI’ve been writing stories and poems since I was eight years old. My first poem was about Halloween: "What is tonight? What is tonight?/Try to guess and you’ll guess right." Perhaps this inauspicious beginning explains why it took me till I was in my thirties to sell a novel. It occurred to me early on that it might take some time and a lot of tries before I was able to publish any of my creative writing, so I pursued a degree in journalism at Northwestern University so I’d be able to support myself while I figured out how to write fiction.
I’ve spent most of my journalism career at three trade and association magazines—The Professional Photographer (which, as you might guess, went to studio and industrial photographers), DECOR (which went to frame shop and art gallery owners), and BizEd (which is directed at deans and professors at business schools). My longest stint, seventeen years, was at DECOR. Many people don’t know this, but I’m a CPF (Certified Picture Framer), having passed a very long, technical test to prove I understood the tenets of conservation framing. Now I write about management education and interview some really cool, really smart people from all over the world.
I mostly write my fiction in the evenings and on weekends. It requires a pretty obsessive-compulsive personality to be as prolific as I’ve been in the past ten years and hold down a full-time job. But I do manage to tear myself away from the computer now and then to do something fun. I read as often as I can, across all genres, though I’m most often holding a book that’s fantasy or romance, with the occasional western thrown in. I’m a fan of Cardinals baseball and try to be at the ballpark on opening day. If I had the time, I’d see a movie every day of my life. I love certain TV shows so much that knowing a new episode is going to air that night will make me happy all day. (I’m a huge Joss Whedon fan, but in the past I’ve given my heart to shows all over the map in terms of quality: "Knight Rider," "Remington Steele," "Blake’s 7," "Moonlighting," "The Young Riders," "Cheers," "Hill Street Blues," "X-Files," "Lost," "Battlestar Galactica"...you can probably fill in the gaps. And let’s not forget my very first loves, "The Partridge Family," "Here Come the Brides" and "Alias Smith & Jones." )
I don’t have kids, I don’t want pets, and all my plants die, so I’m really only forced to provide ongoing care for my menagerie of stuffed animals. All my friends are animal lovers, though, and someone once theorized that I keep friends as pets. I’m still trying to decide if that’s true.
I’ve spent most of my journalism career at three trade and association magazines—The Professional Photographer (which, as you might guess, went to studio and industrial photographers), DECOR (which went to frame shop and art gallery owners), and BizEd (which is directed at deans and professors at business schools). My longest stint, seventeen years, was at DECOR. Many people don’t know this, but I’m a CPF (Certified Picture Framer), having passed a very long, technical test to prove I understood the tenets of conservation framing. Now I write about management education and interview some really cool, really smart people from all over the world.
I mostly write my fiction in the evenings and on weekends. It requires a pretty obsessive-compulsive personality to be as prolific as I’ve been in the past ten years and hold down a full-time job. But I do manage to tear myself away from the computer now and then to do something fun. I read as often as I can, across all genres, though I’m most often holding a book that’s fantasy or romance, with the occasional western thrown in. I’m a fan of Cardinals baseball and try to be at the ballpark on opening day. If I had the time, I’d see a movie every day of my life. I love certain TV shows so much that knowing a new episode is going to air that night will make me happy all day. (I’m a huge Joss Whedon fan, but in the past I’ve given my heart to shows all over the map in terms of quality: "Knight Rider," "Remington Steele," "Blake’s 7," "Moonlighting," "The Young Riders," "Cheers," "Hill Street Blues," "X-Files," "Lost," "Battlestar Galactica"...you can probably fill in the gaps. And let’s not forget my very first loves, "The Partridge Family," "Here Come the Brides" and "Alias Smith & Jones." )
I don’t have kids, I don’t want pets, and all my plants die, so I’m really only forced to provide ongoing care for my menagerie of stuffed animals. All my friends are animal lovers, though, and someone once theorized that I keep friends as pets. I’m still trying to decide if that’s true.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 197 reviews
October 17, 2018
I picked this up when I realized there was a Sharon Shinn stand-alone I hadn't read, yet. And I'm glad I did, as it's a powerful story. I was a little concerned when I realized how deliberately it had been setup as a critique of imperialism (though with the labels rubbed off). Averie's country is an obvious stand-in for Great Britain though I wouldn't spend too much time looking for exact analogs from there.
Anyway, Shinn is wise enough not to paint the imperialist Aebrians as any more evil than was reasonable. Indeed, she stuck to a relatively benign depiction with Averie's father, the eponymous general, as the mostly-benevolent governor of Chiarrin who is happy to leave the natives to live their own lives so long as his country gets the resources they came for (mostly an open port strategically placed to oppose the Continental European analogs). So Chiarrin was stomped on for strategic reasons and the natives left mostly alone. So most of the book is Averie getting to know the Chiarrizi culture and learning to love it in her own way. And along the way she learns about life and love and other things that make this story a multi-layered feast, including a very charming romance that I enjoyed very much, indeed.
In the end, I think Shinn did a good job, though I quibble with some of the details of how she put the story together. Unfortunately, these aregreat, huge, honking spoilersso only go there if you have zero interest in experiencing this story the way it is meant to be enjoyed. I groaned when.And I don't think
So the spoiler stuff drags this down to four stars, for me. Still, this is an outstandingly subtle romance, a delightful heroine who is genuine and kind and courageous, and very deft (and mature) handling of some tricky personal interactions in the relationships we're shown.
A note about Chaste:Being Regency-era Great Britain, the social norms are very much geared towards chaste relationships, so Averie and her paramour engage in some kissing, but nothing more. Which worked very well, I think.
Anyway, Shinn is wise enough not to paint the imperialist Aebrians as any more evil than was reasonable. Indeed, she stuck to a relatively benign depiction with Averie's father, the eponymous general, as the mostly-benevolent governor of Chiarrin who is happy to leave the natives to live their own lives so long as his country gets the resources they came for (mostly an open port strategically placed to oppose the Continental European analogs). So Chiarrin was stomped on for strategic reasons and the natives left mostly alone. So most of the book is Averie getting to know the Chiarrizi culture and learning to love it in her own way. And along the way she learns about life and love and other things that make this story a multi-layered feast, including a very charming romance that I enjoyed very much, indeed.
In the end, I think Shinn did a good job, though I quibble with some of the details of how she put the story together. Unfortunately, these aregreat, huge, honking spoilersso only go there if you have zero interest in experiencing this story the way it is meant to be enjoyed. I groaned when.And I don't think
So the spoiler stuff drags this down to four stars, for me. Still, this is an outstandingly subtle romance, a delightful heroine who is genuine and kind and courageous, and very deft (and mature) handling of some tricky personal interactions in the relationships we're shown.
A note about Chaste:Being Regency-era Great Britain, the social norms are very much geared towards chaste relationships, so Averie and her paramour engage in some kissing, but nothing more. Which worked very well, I think.
May 13, 2009
Averie, daughter of Aeberelle's military leader, goes by ship with her chaperone, Lady Selkirk, to dry, dusty Chiarrin, the latest conquest of Aeberelle's empire, to be with her father and her fiancé, Colonel Morgan Stode. She's a happy, enthusiastic, curious eighteen-year-old, and her travelling companion, the Xantish lieutenant Ket Du'kai, intrigues her with his stories of his homeland, Xan'tai, long since invaded by Aeberelle and absorbed into its empire. At the same time, he unsettles her by making her rethink certain assumptions.
Averie is immediately captivated by Chiarrin and its capital, the port city of Chesza. While Lady Selkirk complains about the heat and the uncivilised ways of the locals, Averie embraces the culture, starts wearing the clothes of the region, and befriends a local girl and cloth trader, Jalessa, who teaches her about the ways of the city and its broken gods.
Things are strained between her and Morgan, though, as they start to realise how different their perspectives are. Averie can empathise with the Chiarrizi rebels who are causing problems for the Aeberelle army, even when they bomb the marketplace. She constantly questions the right for Aeberelle to be there, to invade and take over merely because the country is in an excellent spot for trading with and invading other countries. Morgan is more serious and pragmatic, and is invested whole-heartedly in the army. The role of military wife is beginning to look much less desirable to Averie.
Meanwhile, there is the very different and fascinating Ket Du'kai, to whom Averie feels increasingly drawn. As the city appears to settle down and accept its foreign rulers, Averie's life becomes more troubled - until everything culminates in one terrible night that will see her grow from silly girl to level-headed woman, and take charge of her own destiny.
I love the colours on this cover, the green and blue, and the hint of exotic. Perhaps it's the wallpaper in the background, but I'm reminded of peacocks and the British in India. Which is very apt, actually. Perhaps the most eye-catching thing, though, is the author's name - I love the books by Shinn I've read, so when I saw this I just had to have it. I wasn't disappointed either.
General Winston's Daughterjoins a popular trend in books to identify women by their relationship to more successful or interesting men -The Time Traveler's Wife, The Pilot's Wife, The Shape-changer's Wife, The Abortionist's Daughter, The Memory-Keeper's Daughterare the ones that immediately spring to mind. They're slightly misleading, because we make those mental associations of woman + time traveller = woman is time traveller. Certainly sells well.
Of those, I've only readThe Time Traveler's WifeandThe Shape-changer's Wife,so I'm not sure about the others, but in those both the time traveller and his wife and the shape-changer and his wife are equally important to the story. InGeneral Winston's Daughter,the General is a very minor character.
Shinn has shown before, with novels likeAngel-seeker,how adept she is at incorporating our own history and current troubling events, as well as cultural and racial hatred, into her stories, making them timeless and perceptive. WhileGeneral Winston's Daughteris easily linked to the old British Empire's colonialist expansion, it can just as easily refer to any other empire: French, Spanish, Roman, American. It is especially relevant as a critique against the still-persistent American desire for an empire and its invasion of countries like Iraq simply for their usefulness.
The beautiful thing aboutGeneral Winston's Daughteris how it portrays both sides, how through Averie's open-minded and understanding perspective we can sympathise with the Chiarizzi who only want to be free and defend themselves against invaders. Since we are the dominant cultures in our own world, the Aebrians are familiar and accessible, their motivations clear and understandable. There is no easy solution to the clash of agendas, but the simple act of exploring the situation, its impact and consequences, is possibly more important than the resolution.
While the story is as confined as Averie, you get as much access and information about the land and its people as Averie does, which draws you closer to her. The tantalising glimpses of the culture and city are fascinating, with the meanings behind colour (blue and green mean you are engaged), the broken gods and the fierce, determined people.
Written in a style similar to books like Shinn'sThe Shape-changer's Wifeand Patricia McKillop'sAlphabet of Thorn,both intimate and distant, not omniscient nor directly the voice of the main character,General Winston's Daughterhas that gentle touch of observing without disturbing. A vague story-teller is our medium, one that controls the story and how much is revealed, lending it an almost old-fashioned feel and adds to that colonial atmosphere.
Superbly written,General Winston's Daughteris an absolute gem. Well worth using in schools for the provoking issues it raises, incorporated so vividly with Averie's dying innocence and burgeoning maturity.
Averie is immediately captivated by Chiarrin and its capital, the port city of Chesza. While Lady Selkirk complains about the heat and the uncivilised ways of the locals, Averie embraces the culture, starts wearing the clothes of the region, and befriends a local girl and cloth trader, Jalessa, who teaches her about the ways of the city and its broken gods.
Things are strained between her and Morgan, though, as they start to realise how different their perspectives are. Averie can empathise with the Chiarrizi rebels who are causing problems for the Aeberelle army, even when they bomb the marketplace. She constantly questions the right for Aeberelle to be there, to invade and take over merely because the country is in an excellent spot for trading with and invading other countries. Morgan is more serious and pragmatic, and is invested whole-heartedly in the army. The role of military wife is beginning to look much less desirable to Averie.
Meanwhile, there is the very different and fascinating Ket Du'kai, to whom Averie feels increasingly drawn. As the city appears to settle down and accept its foreign rulers, Averie's life becomes more troubled - until everything culminates in one terrible night that will see her grow from silly girl to level-headed woman, and take charge of her own destiny.
I love the colours on this cover, the green and blue, and the hint of exotic. Perhaps it's the wallpaper in the background, but I'm reminded of peacocks and the British in India. Which is very apt, actually. Perhaps the most eye-catching thing, though, is the author's name - I love the books by Shinn I've read, so when I saw this I just had to have it. I wasn't disappointed either.
General Winston's Daughterjoins a popular trend in books to identify women by their relationship to more successful or interesting men -The Time Traveler's Wife, The Pilot's Wife, The Shape-changer's Wife, The Abortionist's Daughter, The Memory-Keeper's Daughterare the ones that immediately spring to mind. They're slightly misleading, because we make those mental associations of woman + time traveller = woman is time traveller. Certainly sells well.
Of those, I've only readThe Time Traveler's WifeandThe Shape-changer's Wife,so I'm not sure about the others, but in those both the time traveller and his wife and the shape-changer and his wife are equally important to the story. InGeneral Winston's Daughter,the General is a very minor character.
Shinn has shown before, with novels likeAngel-seeker,how adept she is at incorporating our own history and current troubling events, as well as cultural and racial hatred, into her stories, making them timeless and perceptive. WhileGeneral Winston's Daughteris easily linked to the old British Empire's colonialist expansion, it can just as easily refer to any other empire: French, Spanish, Roman, American. It is especially relevant as a critique against the still-persistent American desire for an empire and its invasion of countries like Iraq simply for their usefulness.
The beautiful thing aboutGeneral Winston's Daughteris how it portrays both sides, how through Averie's open-minded and understanding perspective we can sympathise with the Chiarizzi who only want to be free and defend themselves against invaders. Since we are the dominant cultures in our own world, the Aebrians are familiar and accessible, their motivations clear and understandable. There is no easy solution to the clash of agendas, but the simple act of exploring the situation, its impact and consequences, is possibly more important than the resolution.
While the story is as confined as Averie, you get as much access and information about the land and its people as Averie does, which draws you closer to her. The tantalising glimpses of the culture and city are fascinating, with the meanings behind colour (blue and green mean you are engaged), the broken gods and the fierce, determined people.
Written in a style similar to books like Shinn'sThe Shape-changer's Wifeand Patricia McKillop'sAlphabet of Thorn,both intimate and distant, not omniscient nor directly the voice of the main character,General Winston's Daughterhas that gentle touch of observing without disturbing. A vague story-teller is our medium, one that controls the story and how much is revealed, lending it an almost old-fashioned feel and adds to that colonial atmosphere.
Superbly written,General Winston's Daughteris an absolute gem. Well worth using in schools for the provoking issues it raises, incorporated so vividly with Averie's dying innocence and burgeoning maturity.
April 2, 2014
Sharon Shinn amazes me. Her worldbuilding is always intriguing; her imagery and her plot hooks are often well-worn to the point of being a little hokey, but the things she does with them are just incredible.General Winston's Daughterreally surprised me. All the way through, it feels like just another spunky-heroine-comes-of-age book -- the kind of book I really enjoy, but not a standout in that class -- and then, right near the end, the plot twists in a way that actually changed how I think about the world.
Read May 1, 2009; reread April 2, 2014.
Read May 1, 2009; reread April 2, 2014.
July 15, 2013
My least favorite book that I’ve read from Shinn so far. ¬I’ve read quite a few of her books, both ‘adult’ and YA, and while she sometimes comes dangerously close to stepping off that romance cliff, and plunging into sentimentality, usually she hovers [happily] on the brink. However, here the romance was at the annoying level (even if the love triangle functioned more as a symbol of rejecting one culture and embracing the Oppressed, than an actual romance), and I also felt something I haven’t felt in any of Shinn’s other books: that it was written ‘down’ to a younger (teen girl) audience.
I felt like the author said: “Hey! I’m gonna sucker the tweens in with the promise of a romance, and then I’m gonna hammer in some Important Points: Colonialism is BAD! Imperialism: AWFUL! Racism: NO GOOD! Oh yeah, and girls should stick up for themselves! GO GIRL!”
Don’t get me wrong, I have nothing against books which show the conflicts and harm inherent in the maintenance of an empire. There’s near-infinite potential for powerful stories there. But this story simplifies to the point of absurdity. The characters are all one-dimensional (which also makes Our Heroine, Averie’s main romantic decision conflict-less and unsurprising), and Averie is naive to a degree that beggars belief. (But of course, once her eyes are opened, she instantly sees her way to Righteousness and Saviourdom! [Good thing she’s insanely wealthy.])
About three-quarters of the way through, I was really fed-up with the whole thing. Then the ‘twist’ happened (), and I have to admit that I was pleasantly surprised. But the chance to explore some moral ambiguity was passed up completely.
I did however, appreciate thatBut even that wasn’t quite enough to redeem this book from its clunky and ham-handed politics.
I felt like the author said: “Hey! I’m gonna sucker the tweens in with the promise of a romance, and then I’m gonna hammer in some Important Points: Colonialism is BAD! Imperialism: AWFUL! Racism: NO GOOD! Oh yeah, and girls should stick up for themselves! GO GIRL!”
Don’t get me wrong, I have nothing against books which show the conflicts and harm inherent in the maintenance of an empire. There’s near-infinite potential for powerful stories there. But this story simplifies to the point of absurdity. The characters are all one-dimensional (which also makes Our Heroine, Averie’s main romantic decision conflict-less and unsurprising), and Averie is naive to a degree that beggars belief. (But of course, once her eyes are opened, she instantly sees her way to Righteousness and Saviourdom! [Good thing she’s insanely wealthy.])
About three-quarters of the way through, I was really fed-up with the whole thing. Then the ‘twist’ happened (), and I have to admit that I was pleasantly surprised. But the chance to explore some moral ambiguity was passed up completely.
I did however, appreciate thatBut even that wasn’t quite enough to redeem this book from its clunky and ham-handed politics.
August 13, 2020
"'You have to be the person you become, no matter what events change you,' she said. 'The heart grows and stretches, just as the body does, and you cannot stop either of them. But you have some choice, with the heart. You can hold on to some things - you can throw others away. But it is very hard. Very hard to be who you wish you were instead of who you are.'"(271-272), Jalessa to Averie
(For anyone wondering about the unusual garb on the cover art, it is an accurate representation of clothes the characters wear! Always a lovely bonus.)
Although officially YA, this is a book for every age! It's hard to say much about this story without giving too much away - but it has a clever and important twist that reveals hidden depths running under what seems at first to be a light, charming romance.
Set in a fantasy world, the tone deliberately mimics that of a Regency Romance (complete with the phrases "she dimpled", and "a galleon under full sail", two of my favourites!). The heroine's home country of Aeberelle is roughly analogous to "civilized" England and far away Chiarrin to early post-colonization India.
Lovely and lively blonde Averie Winston is the title General's daughter. At 18, she is soon to marry her longtime sweetheart, Morgan - an ambitious career soldier who serves under her father.
Averie is incurably curious and stubborn, so she insists on visiting her father and fiancé during their six-month deployment to quell civil unrest in Chiarrin.
Accompanied by her sharp-tongued, primly proper and easily scandalized Chaperone, Lady Selkirk, the two join a small company of other army relatives, living a sheltered ex-pat lifestyle in the hot and colourful foreign country.
But Averie is not content to stay in the circle and journeys farther afield, "going native" - adopting local dress, language, customs, and eventually a native housemaid (Jalessa) who quickly becomes her confidant and friend.
Averie's new-found happiness and feeling of belonging in Chiarrin is severely shaken as she discovers some unpleasant truths about colonization and the role of the army. She begins to question everything she's known, including her relationship with Morgan.
Thought-provoking and moving, this is an excellent read and I highly recommend it, especially to fans of Shinn's other excellent YA bookGateway!
One minor quibble:
(Thanks very much to the lovely friend who gave me this as a birthday gift!)
(For anyone wondering about the unusual garb on the cover art, it is an accurate representation of clothes the characters wear! Always a lovely bonus.)
Although officially YA, this is a book for every age! It's hard to say much about this story without giving too much away - but it has a clever and important twist that reveals hidden depths running under what seems at first to be a light, charming romance.
Set in a fantasy world, the tone deliberately mimics that of a Regency Romance (complete with the phrases "she dimpled", and "a galleon under full sail", two of my favourites!). The heroine's home country of Aeberelle is roughly analogous to "civilized" England and far away Chiarrin to early post-colonization India.
Lovely and lively blonde Averie Winston is the title General's daughter. At 18, she is soon to marry her longtime sweetheart, Morgan - an ambitious career soldier who serves under her father.
Averie is incurably curious and stubborn, so she insists on visiting her father and fiancé during their six-month deployment to quell civil unrest in Chiarrin.
Accompanied by her sharp-tongued, primly proper and easily scandalized Chaperone, Lady Selkirk, the two join a small company of other army relatives, living a sheltered ex-pat lifestyle in the hot and colourful foreign country.
But Averie is not content to stay in the circle and journeys farther afield, "going native" - adopting local dress, language, customs, and eventually a native housemaid (Jalessa) who quickly becomes her confidant and friend.
Averie's new-found happiness and feeling of belonging in Chiarrin is severely shaken as she discovers some unpleasant truths about colonization and the role of the army. She begins to question everything she's known, including her relationship with Morgan.
Thought-provoking and moving, this is an excellent read and I highly recommend it, especially to fans of Shinn's other excellent YA bookGateway!
One minor quibble:
(Thanks very much to the lovely friend who gave me this as a birthday gift!)
January 12, 2009
This is fantasy that is almost historical fiction. No magic to speak of, but it's not our own world - rather, a very Earth-like place with different countries and cultures. There are strong parallels to England's invasion and colonization of so-called "primitive" countries, with events that may even remind young readers more of the U.S.'s invasion of Iraq than England's conquering of India and other countries. The main focus is a young woman, engaged to be married, whose irrepresible energy, joy, and curiousity about her new land leads her to embrace the culture and its people as whole-heartedly as she can. However, she finds at the end that no matter how much she herself may love this fascinating country, it does not necessarily love her back - because it hates the people who have conquered it and must throw them off at all costs. There is romance and fashion - and a good hard lesson at the end. A fine YA read.
July 16, 2009
Utterly predictable from the beginning, where a general's daughter is on board a ship to a newly annexed land to join her father and fiancé. She is, of course, willful and yet easily persuaded to see the perspective of the conquered people.
I was never convinced by the culture, nor did I find the main character particularly endearing.
I was never convinced by the culture, nor did I find the main character particularly endearing.
July 10, 2020
Original 2015 rating: 3 stars, no review. (I didn't start reviewing every book I read until 2016.)
I've lowered this to two upon rereading. Whatever charm I saw it in the first time around has mostly vanished under the weight of the Imperialism for Dummies layout of the story. Sheltered and wealthy girl travels to a foreign country occupied by her nation's army, learns that colonizing places is bad and of course the natives don't want them there, falls out of love with her pro-empire army officer fiance and then in love with another officer who's only in the military because he's a foreigner from another subjugated nation and it's basically the only decent career path open to him. Think England and India, because I sure did, though this is all fantasy; you could make a compelling argument that Aeberelle is a hybrid of Victorian England and 1940's wartime USA, which I got a strong vibe of from the constant parties thrown for young women to flirt with all those handsome officers. Xan'tai isn't culturally like India (in fact very little is said about its culture to draw any sort of real-world parallel with) but fits the pattern of older colony whose people becomesomewhataccepted into the home society, though never regarded as anything but second-class citizens.
The nation where the story actually takes place, Chiarrin, doesn't closely resemble any culture I know about at all, but that doesn't detract from the story.
So, as a work of fantasy, this feels thin, probably because it spends most of its runtime inside Averie's head dealing with her teenage flights of emotional fancy and the growing pains of realizing her country is a racist bully. As a romance, it's even thinner, because she has to spend half the book falling out of love with her fiance before she can "realize" she's in love with other man, and he's just not well-developed enough for me to believe that. Do I like Ket personally and would I want to get to know him better? Sure, the few personality traits he has are ones that appeal to my tastes. But most of his actual screen time is being politely stoic about all the racism around him, including the unintentional stuff from the heroine, and then saving her occasionally from scrapes she gets into.
If you feel like I've been writing a one-star review for this book so far, I can't blame you. Centering a YA fantasy-romance on a white girl starting to unlearn her racist ideas and fall for the "exotic" hero who rescues her from danger...it's pretty bad. (And yes, the text does call him "exotic and appealing" once.)
But there are a few good points as well, mostly in isolated plot moments that stand out as unusual compared to my other reading. The breakup scene between the heroine and her fiance was actually kind of brilliant for being a mutual decision portrayed as sad and full of regret for what could have been; even if the fiance is a pro-colonizing moral trashfire, it's clear that he's emotionally invested and really heart-broken--he would have been a good husband who cared about the heroine. There's a serious plot twist late in the book that I won't spoil, but knowing about it for this reread, I was looking for the foreshadowing I missed originally and I'm impressed with how it's present, but it can all be adequately explained in context, so the surprise really is surprising. And the heroine's characterization carries her right through to her happy ending; she's compassionate and impulsive through and through, and that informs how she decides to move forward with her life at the end, when events have freed her from what would have been her life if she had married as originally planned, and she pursues her foreign lover. It's clear she's changed over the course of the story, but the axis of that change is intellectual, not emotional--she hasn't had her personality beaten out of her by the events of the book. She's just trying to be a better person now.
(I could write probably another five hundred words on whether or not her choices in the ending qualify her as a white savior or not, but at this point, does it matter? It's clear I'm not recommending this book to anyone, despite my general love for Sharon Shinn. This one's not even close to her best work, and though I haven't read everything of hers--yet--I'd say it's probably in the running for worst.)
I've lowered this to two upon rereading. Whatever charm I saw it in the first time around has mostly vanished under the weight of the Imperialism for Dummies layout of the story. Sheltered and wealthy girl travels to a foreign country occupied by her nation's army, learns that colonizing places is bad and of course the natives don't want them there, falls out of love with her pro-empire army officer fiance and then in love with another officer who's only in the military because he's a foreigner from another subjugated nation and it's basically the only decent career path open to him. Think England and India, because I sure did, though this is all fantasy; you could make a compelling argument that Aeberelle is a hybrid of Victorian England and 1940's wartime USA, which I got a strong vibe of from the constant parties thrown for young women to flirt with all those handsome officers. Xan'tai isn't culturally like India (in fact very little is said about its culture to draw any sort of real-world parallel with) but fits the pattern of older colony whose people becomesomewhataccepted into the home society, though never regarded as anything but second-class citizens.
The nation where the story actually takes place, Chiarrin, doesn't closely resemble any culture I know about at all, but that doesn't detract from the story.
So, as a work of fantasy, this feels thin, probably because it spends most of its runtime inside Averie's head dealing with her teenage flights of emotional fancy and the growing pains of realizing her country is a racist bully. As a romance, it's even thinner, because she has to spend half the book falling out of love with her fiance before she can "realize" she's in love with other man, and he's just not well-developed enough for me to believe that. Do I like Ket personally and would I want to get to know him better? Sure, the few personality traits he has are ones that appeal to my tastes. But most of his actual screen time is being politely stoic about all the racism around him, including the unintentional stuff from the heroine, and then saving her occasionally from scrapes she gets into.
If you feel like I've been writing a one-star review for this book so far, I can't blame you. Centering a YA fantasy-romance on a white girl starting to unlearn her racist ideas and fall for the "exotic" hero who rescues her from danger...it's pretty bad. (And yes, the text does call him "exotic and appealing" once.)
But there are a few good points as well, mostly in isolated plot moments that stand out as unusual compared to my other reading. The breakup scene between the heroine and her fiance was actually kind of brilliant for being a mutual decision portrayed as sad and full of regret for what could have been; even if the fiance is a pro-colonizing moral trashfire, it's clear that he's emotionally invested and really heart-broken--he would have been a good husband who cared about the heroine. There's a serious plot twist late in the book that I won't spoil, but knowing about it for this reread, I was looking for the foreshadowing I missed originally and I'm impressed with how it's present, but it can all be adequately explained in context, so the surprise really is surprising. And the heroine's characterization carries her right through to her happy ending; she's compassionate and impulsive through and through, and that informs how she decides to move forward with her life at the end, when events have freed her from what would have been her life if she had married as originally planned, and she pursues her foreign lover. It's clear she's changed over the course of the story, but the axis of that change is intellectual, not emotional--she hasn't had her personality beaten out of her by the events of the book. She's just trying to be a better person now.
(I could write probably another five hundred words on whether or not her choices in the ending qualify her as a white savior or not, but at this point, does it matter? It's clear I'm not recommending this book to anyone, despite my general love for Sharon Shinn. This one's not even close to her best work, and though I haven't read everything of hers--yet--I'd say it's probably in the running for worst.)
March 21, 2010
Summary: Averie Winston is a rebellious, reluctant heiress in the manner of all rebellious ladies of privilege in the literary world (only one that comes to mind at the moment is Gemma Doyle and co.). She may live in an invented world, but her character and customs calls to mind the past when girls had to have a waist as big around as their age in years and (God forbid!) if they showed the world an ankle whilst crossing the street, they were ruined.
Averie's country is an imperial giant, and the beginning of the book sees her travelling overseas to the colony where her father and fiance are stationed. When she arrives in the new land, Averie is eager to see it from the citizen's perspective, if only her father and chaperone would let her! Not to worry though, for they soon relent. On Averie's travels through the city, she meets a merchant girl named Jalessa. When a rebel bomb goes off and Jalessa's wares are ruined, Averie generously offers for the woman to be her maid.
Opinions: I thought the idea behind this book was wonderful. It shows imperialism in a non-blaming point of view (after all, the countries present are fictitious). Through the different characters, the readers get ideas from both sides of imperialism (those that benefit, those that are overcome). I thought that idea, as well as Averie's gradual realization that imperialism isn't a one-sided, all-benefit situation was really well presented to the reader. I enjoy studying history, and I appreciate how a book like this can maybe make those who aren't history buffs aware of a critical issue from world history.
On another note, the book was marketed as a romance (at least in the jacket flap), but I really didn't see that as much. I didn't even mention it in my summary. I enjoyed the romance, but I thought it was much more of a subplot that the jacket blurb made it out to be. To me it was far more of a social commentary than a romance. That being said, the romance aspect was well-written and not at all forced, even if it did take a back seat to the action.
Now, as to why I gave this book 3 1/2 stars, the ending was a bit disappointing to me, particularly where a certain character was concerned (you'll have to read it to see what I mean). It was a very enjoyable book, but I have read better. I have a habit of over-rating things, so when I read a book that's really a 5 and I see how much better it is than those I rated 4 1/2, I'm kind of stuck. So, I figured 3 1/2 was a safe rating. It probably would have been a 4 if it had ended the way I wanted (where certain characters are concerned), but then again it may have been disappointing for that very reason. Like I said before, this is a very enjoyable book. If you enjoy fantasy that is heavier on culture than magic or historical fiction, I think you would enjoy this book, as it is essentially (IMO) a delightful fusion of the two genres.
(Review taken from my seldom-updated blog)
Averie's country is an imperial giant, and the beginning of the book sees her travelling overseas to the colony where her father and fiance are stationed. When she arrives in the new land, Averie is eager to see it from the citizen's perspective, if only her father and chaperone would let her! Not to worry though, for they soon relent. On Averie's travels through the city, she meets a merchant girl named Jalessa. When a rebel bomb goes off and Jalessa's wares are ruined, Averie generously offers for the woman to be her maid.
Opinions: I thought the idea behind this book was wonderful. It shows imperialism in a non-blaming point of view (after all, the countries present are fictitious). Through the different characters, the readers get ideas from both sides of imperialism (those that benefit, those that are overcome). I thought that idea, as well as Averie's gradual realization that imperialism isn't a one-sided, all-benefit situation was really well presented to the reader. I enjoy studying history, and I appreciate how a book like this can maybe make those who aren't history buffs aware of a critical issue from world history.
On another note, the book was marketed as a romance (at least in the jacket flap), but I really didn't see that as much. I didn't even mention it in my summary. I enjoyed the romance, but I thought it was much more of a subplot that the jacket blurb made it out to be. To me it was far more of a social commentary than a romance. That being said, the romance aspect was well-written and not at all forced, even if it did take a back seat to the action.
Now, as to why I gave this book 3 1/2 stars, the ending was a bit disappointing to me, particularly where a certain character was concerned (you'll have to read it to see what I mean). It was a very enjoyable book, but I have read better. I have a habit of over-rating things, so when I read a book that's really a 5 and I see how much better it is than those I rated 4 1/2, I'm kind of stuck. So, I figured 3 1/2 was a safe rating. It probably would have been a 4 if it had ended the way I wanted (where certain characters are concerned), but then again it may have been disappointing for that very reason. Like I said before, this is a very enjoyable book. If you enjoy fantasy that is heavier on culture than magic or historical fiction, I think you would enjoy this book, as it is essentially (IMO) a delightful fusion of the two genres.
(Review taken from my seldom-updated blog)
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 9, 2014
What threw me about General Winston’s Daughter was that I had no idea it was a young adult until after I picked it up. That might sound unusual, but when I need a new book to read, and have no certain book in mind, I’ll simply look for an author I like and pick up whichever book of theirs I haven’t read yet. As this wasn’t shelved in the YA section I figured it was of a similar vein as her Twelve Houses series. In that respect, at least, I wasn’t disappointed. Much like her Twelve Houses books, General Winston’s Daughter combines politics with a fantasy setting.
The story is a fairly simple one on the outset–Averie Winston is traveling with her chaperon to the foreign country of Chiarrin to meet with her father, the General, and her fiance, an up and coming soldier under her father’s supervision. Things become muddled the further that I progressed in the tale, however. For instance, though Averie has loved Morgan for countless years and recognizes that he is an ambitious fellow, she doesn’t feel a need to be the wife he needs. Her thought process seems to be that he loves her the way she is and will tolerate the fact she hasn’t become any more sophisticated or ladylike since he last saw her. While ordinarily I would have applauded her for wishing to stick to her principles and not knuckle under to pressure, it didn’t feel as if she wanted to be a strong independent support for his political career, but rather that she expected him to learn to live with her careless ways.
There was something almost childish and petty about the way that Averie viewed criticisms or attempts to make her more ladylike. The harder anyone pushed, the more she fought back, but with no real cause. It was in her best interests to want to be more ladylike so she could help the man she claimed to have loved all these years.
Much of the book is spent on the foreign invasion and conquering of the land of Chiarrin. Her father expounds on the subject quite often, as does her fiance and much of the rest of the cast. Everyone has an opinion on the matter, actually. In a longer book, or even a series, this may have made more sense so we could see the full weight of what the occupation caused, but in a YA novel it seemed out of place and jarring.
In the end I was disappointed by the book, having become so accustomed to the level of depth and intrigue Shinn’s other books exhibit. While I wouldn’t say this is unreadable, I think it’s best for those who just want a light read on some random afternoon. For Shinn fans, however, this book will only lead to confusion and comparisons to her lengthier and more interesting novels.
The story is a fairly simple one on the outset–Averie Winston is traveling with her chaperon to the foreign country of Chiarrin to meet with her father, the General, and her fiance, an up and coming soldier under her father’s supervision. Things become muddled the further that I progressed in the tale, however. For instance, though Averie has loved Morgan for countless years and recognizes that he is an ambitious fellow, she doesn’t feel a need to be the wife he needs. Her thought process seems to be that he loves her the way she is and will tolerate the fact she hasn’t become any more sophisticated or ladylike since he last saw her. While ordinarily I would have applauded her for wishing to stick to her principles and not knuckle under to pressure, it didn’t feel as if she wanted to be a strong independent support for his political career, but rather that she expected him to learn to live with her careless ways.
There was something almost childish and petty about the way that Averie viewed criticisms or attempts to make her more ladylike. The harder anyone pushed, the more she fought back, but with no real cause. It was in her best interests to want to be more ladylike so she could help the man she claimed to have loved all these years.
Much of the book is spent on the foreign invasion and conquering of the land of Chiarrin. Her father expounds on the subject quite often, as does her fiance and much of the rest of the cast. Everyone has an opinion on the matter, actually. In a longer book, or even a series, this may have made more sense so we could see the full weight of what the occupation caused, but in a YA novel it seemed out of place and jarring.
In the end I was disappointed by the book, having become so accustomed to the level of depth and intrigue Shinn’s other books exhibit. While I wouldn’t say this is unreadable, I think it’s best for those who just want a light read on some random afternoon. For Shinn fans, however, this book will only lead to confusion and comparisons to her lengthier and more interesting novels.
March 2, 2017
Compared to the other books by Sharon Shinn I must say this one didn't really deliver. I think Shinn is a master at fantasy. She is a guru at creating complex characters that pull the reader in and don't let go until the last word on the last page is read. I love her writing style. It flows, it's effortless and just really pleasant to read.
However, this book didn't capture me as others have and the main reason is because I think the plot is too easy somehow.
However, this book didn't capture me as others have and the main reason is because I think the plot is too easy somehow.
January 26, 2016
I loved this story. I loved how light and airy General Winston's Daughter was, and I loved that it maintained that easy-reading, anti-angst tone while it dealt with such devastating themes: colonialism, imperialism, and the racism born from those ventures.
To be honest, however, the first chapter put me off the main character. She's flighty and giggly and *annoying.* She's young and immature.
But even by chapter two, she'd begun to mature. I was more than happy to follow her through the story's journey, even when she misstepped.
Furthermore--and this is one of my favorite aspects--the climax and resolution were SO satisfying. The sense of unease that's been building explodes, and all the encroaching invaders are forced to see just how much they're not wanted. Throughout the story, there are polite attempts to bring to the imperialists' attention that perhaps their presence isn't wanted despite any good they can do. Those attempts are, of course, condescended to and brushed aside. In the story's climax, there are no parleys or rational negotiation, and the imperialists' violence is matched and exceeded in ferocity.
Also (lastly), nobody rushed into ill-advised romantic entanglements, either. I LOVED that--the main character and her love interest treat each other as equals and come to a compromise regarding the speed of their relationship. The relationship was real and would never have worked without the main character's maturation throughout the course of the story, and the romance gained strength rather like the incoming tide--inexorably, but so slowly it was almost difficult to see.
Overall: beautiful, deceptively deep, and WELL worth whatever you paid for it. (Mine was a Christmas gift.:) )
To be honest, however, the first chapter put me off the main character. She's flighty and giggly and *annoying.* She's young and immature.
But even by chapter two, she'd begun to mature. I was more than happy to follow her through the story's journey, even when she misstepped.
Furthermore--and this is one of my favorite aspects--the climax and resolution were SO satisfying. The sense of unease that's been building explodes, and all the encroaching invaders are forced to see just how much they're not wanted. Throughout the story, there are polite attempts to bring to the imperialists' attention that perhaps their presence isn't wanted despite any good they can do. Those attempts are, of course, condescended to and brushed aside. In the story's climax, there are no parleys or rational negotiation, and the imperialists' violence is matched and exceeded in ferocity.
Also (lastly), nobody rushed into ill-advised romantic entanglements, either. I LOVED that--the main character and her love interest treat each other as equals and come to a compromise regarding the speed of their relationship. The relationship was real and would never have worked without the main character's maturation throughout the course of the story, and the romance gained strength rather like the incoming tide--inexorably, but so slowly it was almost difficult to see.
Overall: beautiful, deceptively deep, and WELL worth whatever you paid for it. (Mine was a Christmas gift.:) )
February 26, 2013
I generally like Sharon Shinn books, but I can't recommend this one.
I found the central character, Averie, very annoying. Her adventures in the borderlands reminded me of the beginning of Robin McKinley's far superior,The Blue Sword.Averie comes to a colonial outpost to visit her father and her fiance. There are tensions between the newcomers and the native folk, whom she learns about in much the way a British colonial might learn about Indians a hundred years ago.
Her disenchantment with her fiance is derigeur for this type of book, as is her interest in a native soldier. The supposedly surprise ending is predictable. There are a few instances where the psychology was no convincing. However, there were aspects of the world-building that were captivating, so it wasn't a total waste of my time.
I've enjoyed every other Sharon Shinn book, so if you don't like this one, don't let it discourage you from reading another.
I found the central character, Averie, very annoying. Her adventures in the borderlands reminded me of the beginning of Robin McKinley's far superior,The Blue Sword.Averie comes to a colonial outpost to visit her father and her fiance. There are tensions between the newcomers and the native folk, whom she learns about in much the way a British colonial might learn about Indians a hundred years ago.
Her disenchantment with her fiance is derigeur for this type of book, as is her interest in a native soldier. The supposedly surprise ending is predictable. There are a few instances where the psychology was no convincing. However, there were aspects of the world-building that were captivating, so it wasn't a total waste of my time.
I've enjoyed every other Sharon Shinn book, so if you don't like this one, don't let it discourage you from reading another.
October 12, 2012
For the first, oh, 3/4 of this book I was enjoying this book and tearing through it, and being a little sad when I had to put it down to go to dinner. Then... I'm not quite sure what happened. I mean, what happened is great for the country that got invaded. But as a critique of colonialism and imperialism (the clear authorial intent) it kind of failed. Probably because, at the end, the plan of the young white heiress is to
October 13, 2011
I normally love Sharon Shinn's work but this one was a sad exception for me. I appreciate the political statement she makes about invading a country and it's national heritage versus being a conquered people but I really disliked the naivety of the main character and the ultimate betrayal which felt forced and fake.
A bit too simplistic for me and just not enough real depth. A pass.
A bit too simplistic for me and just not enough real depth. A pass.
January 16, 2011
I liked this book but not one of my favorite Shinn's. She focuses so much on the set up and I felt I lost some of the characters in there. I needed more with the main characters and their realationship.
May 20, 2017
This was incredibly well written, and it blew me away. It is a bit of a departure from Shinn's normal work, as it is fantasy in a sense, but there is no magic and only perhaps a hint of the numinous. It takes place in a different world, but the main character would fit very well in Victorian England. Averie is eighteen and implicitly believes in the right of Aebria to conquer the world, and the novel teases apart her beliefs and makes her question them as she lives in a country that is undergoing conquest (and would ultimately) and begins to fall in love with Ket Du'kai, who is from an Aebrian colony.
General Winston's Daughter is a novel about imperialism and colonialism, but told from the point of view of a young, carefree girl towards the top of the social structure of the conquering nation. It is her slow realization that some people would rather die than live under the Aebrians.
This alone would make me love the book, but the romance subplot is also brilliant. Aeverie and her fiance realize that
I would highly recommend this book.
General Winston's Daughter is a novel about imperialism and colonialism, but told from the point of view of a young, carefree girl towards the top of the social structure of the conquering nation. It is her slow realization that some people would rather die than live under the Aebrians.
This alone would make me love the book, but the romance subplot is also brilliant. Aeverie and her fiance realize that
I would highly recommend this book.
July 20, 2018
This was different for Shinn, as other reviewers noted. The world-building was interesting, as always, and the world itself seemed to borrow quite a bit from The Blue Sword, by McKinley. But, as I love that book, it served to draw me into the story.
I appreciated the discussion of imperialism and colonialism, and especially that there was no element of "white savior" throughout the main conflict. Though, there was a hint towards the end. Damn. We were so close.
The book is enjoyable, if a little predictable. One plot twist is well-done and relatively unexpected. Not to mention, rarely portrayed. I'd recommend this book just for this element.
The main misstep here for me is that the love interest is flat, bland, and simply a metaphor for turning away from the colonialist agenda. There was certainly no Corlath intensity. In addition, the book seems to be "dumbed-down" or shortened when more nuance really would have been appreciated.
I appreciated the discussion of imperialism and colonialism, and especially that there was no element of "white savior" throughout the main conflict. Though, there was a hint towards the end. Damn. We were so close.
The book is enjoyable, if a little predictable. One plot twist is well-done and relatively unexpected. Not to mention, rarely portrayed. I'd recommend this book just for this element.
The main misstep here for me is that the love interest is flat, bland, and simply a metaphor for turning away from the colonialist agenda. There was certainly no Corlath intensity. In addition, the book seems to be "dumbed-down" or shortened when more nuance really would have been appreciated.
April 29, 2022
A little over 3 stars. And just for reference, I’ve not read anything else by this author.
I liked that this book was informative with a clear perspective, but wasn’t overly preachy. And I also liked that the author didn’t have to vilify any suitors in order to make the story work. I also appreciated that the story wasn’t just a tool for the romance. It went deeper than many romance novels do. I also appreciated that it was a clean romance.
I appreciate stories with strong women with their own thoughts and opinions, but this one seemed almost petulant at times. She was a little too perfect and things went too much her way for most of the book. The ending seemed abrupt and some events seemed simply glossed over to get to the end.
But overall, I enjoyed it and would recommend it to some of my friends who might also find some enjoyment from it.
I liked that this book was informative with a clear perspective, but wasn’t overly preachy. And I also liked that the author didn’t have to vilify any suitors in order to make the story work. I also appreciated that the story wasn’t just a tool for the romance. It went deeper than many romance novels do. I also appreciated that it was a clean romance.
I appreciate stories with strong women with their own thoughts and opinions, but this one seemed almost petulant at times. She was a little too perfect and things went too much her way for most of the book. The ending seemed abrupt and some events seemed simply glossed over to get to the end.
But overall, I enjoyed it and would recommend it to some of my friends who might also find some enjoyment from it.
March 8, 2018
This book asks interesting questions about things like spheres of influence, colonization, and home rule in a make believe world that reminds one of the 18th and 19th centuries when the sun didn't set on the British Empire. Once again I laud the power of fiction to tell a difficult and thought provoking story in an engaging way. Through the eyes of Averie, we encounter a new country which is different from her own and yet intriguing and beautiful. She questions the right of her countrymen to be ruling this place and at the same time we see the rationale for maintaining power through her father's eyes.
January 20, 2022
What an enjoyable read! Didn't expect that ending. Lady Selkirk greatly reminded me of Aunt Prudence from Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries, and come to think of it, Averie is very similar to the free spirited Phryne. No wonder I liked this book. It was the first I've read of Sharon Shinn's work, and I must say, the lady knows how to write a story.
July 23, 2023
The same beautiful writing I have previously enjoyed from Shinn. I didn't feel particularly strongly about the characters. The moral about the dangers of imperialism was about as subtle as a sledgehammer. A pretty big shift in the plot towards the end - half of which seemed very obvious to me, the other half of which was not at all obvious, even after explanation.
So.
Enjoyable, but definitely mixed feelings on this one.
So.
Enjoyable, but definitely mixed feelings on this one.
November 5, 2019
General's daughter sails to newly occupied territory to be with her father and fiance, both part of the military presence. She bucks traditions, embraces the culture and country, and befriends locals, much to the chagrin of her chaperone. As she starts to form her own opinions about being an occupier, all of her relationships change.
October 6, 2019
Sharon Shinn is by far one of my favorite authors. She has this knack for weaving a story that I just cannot put down. This book was no different for me. I was truly enthralled with the story and just couldn't put it down.
December 18, 2017
This reminded me of Heart of Gold by Sharon Shinn. I was thinking about the characters long after i closed the final pages.
May 28, 2023
cute & pretty fast-paced read! the plot twist at the very end was so twisty too🤭
October 21, 2010
It's been a long time since I've done a simple pros and cons list. Think I'll do that here.
But some important things to mention beforehand- this is a third person-perspective book. YA with a pinch of romance. If you go into it wanting a sprawling romance you'll be disappointed. This book was poorly marketed and its biggest qualities are not well-clarified in the blurbs and promotion.
I enjoyed this book a lot but there is more that could have been. The ending however impressed me enough that I almost feel tempted to tick the "this review contains spoilers" box and just babble endlessly about it and the conflicting emotions it aroused.
Pros: Many little details about the unique world (traditions in clothing and religion) were interesting to read about. The romance is less than I expected but Ket Du'Kai, Morgan, and Averie make for a good love triangle. I loved the interactions between Averie and Ket- people coming from such different backgrounds- people who ought to be enemies but have too much fundamental chemistry and fill in each other's blanks charmingly.
I liked Avery. A bright, positive, endlessly curious and open-minded heroine. Naive but grows by book's end.
The biggest pro though is that I found the book so readable and happen to identify with Shinn's viewpoint when it comes to the social commentaries of the book.
I almost forgot to mention Jelessa! A best friend and devoted companion of the main character. She has a few of the best lines in the book. I worried that things were going into the "noble savage" stereotype territory but that isn't so.
As already established, I liked Ket a lot. He is in an interesting position, left with no advantageous options but to work for the people who took over his country and are expanding occupation. He feels conflicted emotions at his choice, and even more conflict as he falls for the least convenient person, Averie. I wish there were more delving into his character. (slight con there)
Cons: Both Avery and the story at large are hampered by the limitations of she being a girl of "gentle breeding" at a time when girls of her station had little agency.
A good portion of the novel feels small in scope (trapped, really) by her lack of options. It's a true and understandable state of affairs but leaves the book as a whole.. quiet, except at certain impressive intervals that explode with excitement. But that approach is not entirely a failure and for me, made the ending and more poignant parts of the book more impressive.
But there are things that could have made it more consistently exciting (portions of the book told from Ket's angle? Avery finding herself in more dangerous positions instead of staying sheltered for so much of the duration of the book?)
I would love to read a sequel if there was one, especially if it strayed from YA. But I doubt there will be one.
Random funny note - I kept trying to picture Ket as actor Sendhil Ramamurthy but images of another actor, Naveen Andrews, kept popping to mind. Later I visited the author's site.. she had envisioned Naveen as Ket the whole time!
But some important things to mention beforehand- this is a third person-perspective book. YA with a pinch of romance. If you go into it wanting a sprawling romance you'll be disappointed. This book was poorly marketed and its biggest qualities are not well-clarified in the blurbs and promotion.
I enjoyed this book a lot but there is more that could have been. The ending however impressed me enough that I almost feel tempted to tick the "this review contains spoilers" box and just babble endlessly about it and the conflicting emotions it aroused.
Pros: Many little details about the unique world (traditions in clothing and religion) were interesting to read about. The romance is less than I expected but Ket Du'Kai, Morgan, and Averie make for a good love triangle. I loved the interactions between Averie and Ket- people coming from such different backgrounds- people who ought to be enemies but have too much fundamental chemistry and fill in each other's blanks charmingly.
I liked Avery. A bright, positive, endlessly curious and open-minded heroine. Naive but grows by book's end.
The biggest pro though is that I found the book so readable and happen to identify with Shinn's viewpoint when it comes to the social commentaries of the book.
I almost forgot to mention Jelessa! A best friend and devoted companion of the main character. She has a few of the best lines in the book. I worried that things were going into the "noble savage" stereotype territory but that isn't so.
As already established, I liked Ket a lot. He is in an interesting position, left with no advantageous options but to work for the people who took over his country and are expanding occupation. He feels conflicted emotions at his choice, and even more conflict as he falls for the least convenient person, Averie. I wish there were more delving into his character. (slight con there)
Cons: Both Avery and the story at large are hampered by the limitations of she being a girl of "gentle breeding" at a time when girls of her station had little agency.
A good portion of the novel feels small in scope (trapped, really) by her lack of options. It's a true and understandable state of affairs but leaves the book as a whole.. quiet, except at certain impressive intervals that explode with excitement. But that approach is not entirely a failure and for me, made the ending and more poignant parts of the book more impressive.
But there are things that could have made it more consistently exciting (portions of the book told from Ket's angle? Avery finding herself in more dangerous positions instead of staying sheltered for so much of the duration of the book?)
I would love to read a sequel if there was one, especially if it strayed from YA. But I doubt there will be one.
Random funny note - I kept trying to picture Ket as actor Sendhil Ramamurthy but images of another actor, Naveen Andrews, kept popping to mind. Later I visited the author's site.. she had envisioned Naveen as Ket the whole time!
August 15, 2008
Eighteen-year-old Averie Winston travels to Chiarrian (a distant country) to visit her father, who is a commanding General, and her fiancée Morgan. Her father has invaded the country and is working to overthrow local government and rebel forces. As she learns more about the situation and herself she realizes that Morgan is not the man that she thought he was; and slowly falls in love with Lt. Ket Du’Kai, who himself comes from a conquered society. Averie delves into the culture, wanting to learn everything she can, and forms a friendship with a local Chiarizzi girl Jalessa, who teaches her about their culture. Political resistance continues and rebels threaten colonial rule, security is heightened and tension rises.
Hmm, it is hard to say what I thought of this book. I had recently read “Summers at Castle Auburn” also by Sharon Shinn, which I loved so I thought this book sounded somewhat similar and the plot interesting, but was somewhat disappointed. I thought Averie was very childish and naive, and was hoping that her character would grow throughout the book, but she did not. It seemed like the focus of the book was more about the country of Chiarrian and their traditions/beliefs, and not on an actual story.
***Possible Spoilers***
The love story was a disappointment, it seemed like there was more interaction with Averie and Morgan than with Averie and Ket. Morgan actually seemed like a pretty decent guy who was truly in love with her, and other than his love for war, he was hard not to like. I found the relationship between Averie and Ket hard to believe because they were never together, so how could they really have fallen in love. They had nothing in common and really didn’t know each other. The romance part of it was lacking, and I think she picked the wrong guy, only for the fact that the character of Ket was underused. If she had built up their relationship I probably would have enjoyed it more and not minded her choice.
The main twist at the end was predictable and I knew from the beginning what would happen. I was still disappointed since even though Averie was immature, she was sincere in her new love for the people and country, so her betrayal was very sad.
If you like a book about politics, war and make-believe places then you will probably enjoy this story.
Hmm, it is hard to say what I thought of this book. I had recently read “Summers at Castle Auburn” also by Sharon Shinn, which I loved so I thought this book sounded somewhat similar and the plot interesting, but was somewhat disappointed. I thought Averie was very childish and naive, and was hoping that her character would grow throughout the book, but she did not. It seemed like the focus of the book was more about the country of Chiarrian and their traditions/beliefs, and not on an actual story.
***Possible Spoilers***
The love story was a disappointment, it seemed like there was more interaction with Averie and Morgan than with Averie and Ket. Morgan actually seemed like a pretty decent guy who was truly in love with her, and other than his love for war, he was hard not to like. I found the relationship between Averie and Ket hard to believe because they were never together, so how could they really have fallen in love. They had nothing in common and really didn’t know each other. The romance part of it was lacking, and I think she picked the wrong guy, only for the fact that the character of Ket was underused. If she had built up their relationship I probably would have enjoyed it more and not minded her choice.
The main twist at the end was predictable and I knew from the beginning what would happen. I was still disappointed since even though Averie was immature, she was sincere in her new love for the people and country, so her betrayal was very sad.
If you like a book about politics, war and make-believe places then you will probably enjoy this story.
August 6, 2009
I'm definitely a fan ofSharon Shinn,but for some reason it's taken me forever to get around to this book. Well...actually if I'm honest I have to admit had a terrible case of cover snob with this book (Angie has a great discussion about this phenomena in thispostat her blog,Angieville).
I really didn't understand the cover, especially with a title likeGeneral Winston's Daugher,I thought it was about the Civil War (forget actually reading the synopsis, pshaw!;-P). Once again I can kick myself for not reading a story by one of my fav authors because of something as silly as the cover (and also since I thought it was about the Civil War, which I wasn't particularly in the mood for, but I digress...).
Averie, as the title suggests, is General Winston's daughter. We join her story during her voyage to Chiarrin a faraway, foreign country that is the lastest to be invaded by the Aeberelle army (something akin to imperialist Britain). She is on her way to visit her father and fiancee.
Averie is an intelligent, sensitive, and lively character. She looks at everything new in Chiarrin with wonder instead of xenophobic disdain. Her discussions with Lieutenant Ket Du'kai during the trip open her eyes to some of the less tasteful issues involved and inseparable from invading another country, since Du'kai himself is from Xan'tai which has been under Aeberellian control for over two generations.
While it's true that this story's focus is Averie's coming of age, I also enjoyed Shinn's thoughtful portrayal of the fictitious cultures and peoples, even if the plot was very predictable. It bothered me that Aeberelle's military excellence and superiority is extolled at every moment, yet her father misses so many things that would be common sense to anyone, especially for someone with a military background.
After I finished I realized that I actually liked Jalessa, the Chiarrin maid, much more than General Winston's daughter. Definitely recommended for this story's sense of adventure and poignant issues.
I really didn't understand the cover, especially with a title likeGeneral Winston's Daugher,I thought it was about the Civil War (forget actually reading the synopsis, pshaw!;-P). Once again I can kick myself for not reading a story by one of my fav authors because of something as silly as the cover (and also since I thought it was about the Civil War, which I wasn't particularly in the mood for, but I digress...).
Averie, as the title suggests, is General Winston's daughter. We join her story during her voyage to Chiarrin a faraway, foreign country that is the lastest to be invaded by the Aeberelle army (something akin to imperialist Britain). She is on her way to visit her father and fiancee.
Averie is an intelligent, sensitive, and lively character. She looks at everything new in Chiarrin with wonder instead of xenophobic disdain. Her discussions with Lieutenant Ket Du'kai during the trip open her eyes to some of the less tasteful issues involved and inseparable from invading another country, since Du'kai himself is from Xan'tai which has been under Aeberellian control for over two generations.
While it's true that this story's focus is Averie's coming of age, I also enjoyed Shinn's thoughtful portrayal of the fictitious cultures and peoples, even if the plot was very predictable. It bothered me that Aeberelle's military excellence and superiority is extolled at every moment, yet her father misses so many things that would be common sense to anyone, especially for someone with a military background.
After I finished I realized that I actually liked Jalessa, the Chiarrin maid, much more than General Winston's daughter. Definitely recommended for this story's sense of adventure and poignant issues.
November 10, 2008
Randomly picked this up at the library because the cover was cute and it sounded halfway decent - a girl travels to a faraway (fictional) territory, newly under her empire's control, to be with her father and her fiance, then falls in love with someone else and starts thinking about life in general as well.
When I opened the book, I was amazed by the long list of books the author has penned. Then I started reading and discovered how she'd found enough time to do so - there wasn't much to the book.
The first problem was at the very beginning. Talk about lazy writing - instead of introducing characters in a clever way, this guy Ket tells Averie (the main character) about the territory he comes from, saying that there people usually introduce themselves by telling you all about their background. Averie then "practices" this introduction and tells Ket (and the reader) all about herself, from her age, to her status, to her parents professions, to her siblings, etc. Good grief, it was painful! But I kept reading, mainly because I was in the bathtub and had no other material at my disposal. Not a promising start for the book.
There were a few things I liked in this book, like the description of the marketplace and Averie's friendship with another girl her age who's also visiting the territory. But there were far too many things I didn't like, such as the way the author almost "forced" Averie and her fiance apart (her fiance, for what it's worth, seemed to be a decent guy and Averie's constant spouting about political issues she knew nothing about were irritating), to the "love story" between Averie and Ket (even though they barely saw each other), to the "twist" at the end of the book. I say "twist" in quotation marks because I was expecting it from the moment the character it involved was introduced. Not very subtle foreshadowing.
There are better books out there. I will make sure to bring a stack of them with me next time I want to read in the bath!
When I opened the book, I was amazed by the long list of books the author has penned. Then I started reading and discovered how she'd found enough time to do so - there wasn't much to the book.
The first problem was at the very beginning. Talk about lazy writing - instead of introducing characters in a clever way, this guy Ket tells Averie (the main character) about the territory he comes from, saying that there people usually introduce themselves by telling you all about their background. Averie then "practices" this introduction and tells Ket (and the reader) all about herself, from her age, to her status, to her parents professions, to her siblings, etc. Good grief, it was painful! But I kept reading, mainly because I was in the bathtub and had no other material at my disposal. Not a promising start for the book.
There were a few things I liked in this book, like the description of the marketplace and Averie's friendship with another girl her age who's also visiting the territory. But there were far too many things I didn't like, such as the way the author almost "forced" Averie and her fiance apart (her fiance, for what it's worth, seemed to be a decent guy and Averie's constant spouting about political issues she knew nothing about were irritating), to the "love story" between Averie and Ket (even though they barely saw each other), to the "twist" at the end of the book. I say "twist" in quotation marks because I was expecting it from the moment the character it involved was introduced. Not very subtle foreshadowing.
There are better books out there. I will make sure to bring a stack of them with me next time I want to read in the bath!
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