General Winston's Daughter

by Sharon Shinn

Book Overview

When seventeen-year-old heiress Averie Winston travels with her guardian to faraway Chiarrin, she looks forward to a reunion with her father, who is a commanding general, seeing her handsome fianc... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0670062480
• ISBN13: 9780670062485
• Release Date: October 2007
• Publisher: Viking Children's Books
• Length: 342 Pages
• Weight: 1.45 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.2" x 5.8" x 8.6"
• Age Range: 12 years and up
• Grade Range: Grade 7 and higher

Customer Reviews

Not as good as I had hoped

First book by Shinn that I didn’t like. It started slow and stayed slow. It just wasn’t at all like the authors usual style. I have always loved Shinn for her people driven plots. This book just felt flat and not as thought out. Maybe it was a try at a young adult level. Anyway, I’m going to toss my copy. I don’t even want to read it again. I much prefer “mystic and rider” and “wrapt in crystal”! Those are two of my all-time favorites!

Awesome!

I started reading Sharon Shinn with her Archangel books and was hooked, and for a year I could read almost nothing but her books. This book was no exception. It had everything I love about her books: fantasy, romance, and a great story. It was awesome exploring a new culture with the main character, which is part of what I like about fantasy. Just a fabulous book :D

Love it!

General Winston's Daughter is a fantasy story set in a world similar to that of the 19th Century British Empire. Averie is a sheltered, wealthy daughter of a general of the Aeberelle (England) army who goes to live with her father in war-torn Chiarrin (North Africa perhaps?). The book shows the affects of war on the people and Averie. It both explains and ultimately criticizes the conquering/colonial mindset of Aeberelle, however I did not feel like it went to far. Everything said fit with the story and with the development of Averie. The heart of the story is Averie's slow-moving, but satisfying romance with Ket Du'Kai of Xan'tia (India?), her friendship with a native woman, and her interest and ultimate understanding of the people of Chiarrin. I really enjoyed every aspect of this book. It was fun and romantic. I liked Averie and loved Ket Du'Kai. It is definitely worth a read.

Another Good One from Sharon

Sharon Shinn has earned a place as one of my favorite authors. Her plot outcomes are unexpected, her characters both interesting and entertaining. Not to give away the ending of this one, it was a complete surprise. For creation of different cultures and different mores, she has no equal. For depiction of the human condition and individual heroism, no peer. I am waiting for the development of these into a view of how cultures change when they interact, and this gave a good beginning.

Romance and Rebellion in the City of Broken Gods

The irrepressibly enthusiastic Averie Winston is delighted to travel to the distant, sweltering land of Chiarrin to be with her father, General Winston, and her handsome fiancée, Colonel Morgan Stode. It is only when she meets the intriguing Lieutenant Du'Kai, himself a product of one of her country's colonies, does she begin to realize that the conquest of Chiarrin may not be welcomed by the country's natives. Although Averie embraces her new home's food and dress and does her best to understand an alien culture, she must also deal with rebel attacks threatening those she loves and her own life and the growing realization that she may not be as perfect a match for Colonel Morgan as she had always thought. Upon reading this book, my thoughts immediately jumped to Summers at Castle Auburn, my favorite Shinn book. It deals with a similar theme of a young girl growing up and realizing the social injustice in her world, passionately arguing against it and being disappointed that those she loves don't always hold her same high ideals. While Castle Auburn dealt with slavery, General Winston's Daughter tackles colonialism and feels like a darker book due to the ruthlessness with which the rebels fight back. Although General Winston's Daughter covers a weighty topic, Averie's genuine enthusiasm for everything and the blossoming romance between her and Lieutenant Du'Kai help keep things from getting too dark. Averie is an appealing heroine, and her natural tendency to treat everyone as an equal--despite her social station as a wealthy heiress--helps to make her even more likeable.

Sharon Shinn is outstanding

This lyric, fast-paced novel proved to me that Ms. Shinn is one of the top authors publishing today, regardless of genre. I liked her angel novels, fell in love with the Safekeeper/Truthteller/Dreammaker series, and this novel despite no explict fantasy or scifi background just proved to me that I will read anything she cares to publish. Great book!