I loved the broken gods too, but I also thought some of the other cultural details like the information communicated by the scarves, and Du’kai’s dancing, were wonderful as well.

I do wish the hero had been developed more, but if anything felt incomplete to me, it was just the romantic relationship. I didn’t feel the need for more closure about Jalessa, her husband or Chiarrin. I liked the open-ended way that was left, especially with regard to Chiarrin, because such political conflicts can sometimes take generations to be resolved.

I actually felt that the Chiarrin story ended was given more closure than I expected would be possible, and I was impressed that Shinn was able to do that in such a believable way. I don’t want to give away the ending but it took me by surprise.

It seems like you read it more as a romance (or romantic fantasy), whereas I read it as just another YA book, and that's probably why I was more bothered by the didacticism.

I generally do approach Shinn’s books as romances, probably because I started reading her with her adult books, which often have full-fledged romances. For me, the Samaria books, Heart of Gold, and Dark Moon Defender were extraordinarily romantic books . I think “romantic fantasy” is probably a better description of General Winston’s Daughter, though. I would have preferred a stronger focus on the romance, but I still enjoyed the romantic stoyline and many other things about the book. I also love Shinn’s writing style, and that is always a big factor in my enjoyment of her books.

For readers who didn't agree with that stance, it could interfere with the romantic storyline. In a fantasy, that's less likely to happen.

Very true. Maybe this is why our reactions to General Winston’s Daughter were so different. It seems like you read it more as a romance (or romantic fantasy), whereas I read it as just another YA book, and that’s probably why I was more bothered by the didacticism.

On second thought, love is too strong a word. But I'd still prefer reading something actually set in Iraq than a fantasy based on it but not it in.

Well, I might be interested in such a book too, but I think a lot of readers might not be so keen on a romantic story in that setting, particularly if the author took a strong political stance and made it clear that she saw one side as right and the other as wrong. For readers who didn’t agree with that stance, it could interfere with the romantic storyline. In a fantasy, that’s less likely to happen.

Janine, Jalessa’s story probably wouldn’t be YA, though I wouldn’t rule it completely out. I think it would be interesting nonetheless.

I think it was The Safe-Keeper's Secret that left Reed's storyline hanging.

You’re right. I got the titles confused.

That’s interesting, Trisha (I’m using quotation marks because my quoting buttons are missing). I thought Chiarrin could be India but it reminded me even more of the Middle East, which was also under British rule for a few decades. I was more thinking of Lieutenant Du’kai’s country, Xan’tai, as the India counterpart.

“Another librarian said she would have enjoyed it more if it was actually set in India, and I agree with her.”

I expect that’s true but also because 19th century India is far enough away from our world. But what would you think of a YA book with a social message angle if it were set in Iraq today? I expect it would be much more controversial / uncomfortable to some readers then, and seem preachy to anyone whose political views were different from the author’s.

“I also think I would have found a Jalessa book more fascinating, the parallels less bothersome, if only because in this type of alternate universe/mostly magic-less fantasy, I need more intrigue and/or moral ambiguity.”

Yes, a Jalessa book would have been interesting, but then it would not be a YA book.

“I've only read two other Sharon Shinn books, The Truth-Teller's Tale, which I didn't care for because I felt like I was left hanging with Reed's storyline, and Summers at Castle Auburn, which is my favorite of the three. Which, now that I think about it, has another rather naive protagonist, but, as I seem to recall, more intrigue.”

I think it was The Safe-Keeper’s Secret that left Reed’s storyline hanging. I was a little sorry about that, but I loved that book regardless. It’s funny, but General Winston’s Daughter actually reminded me more of Summers at Castle Auburn than of any other Shinn book. They are both coming of age stories about older teens that deal with social issues — slavery in SACA and colonialism in GWD.

If you like morally ambiguous heroines, I really want to recommend Shinn’s books for adults to you. I don’t think any of her YA books have ambiguous heroines, but Rachel in Archangel and Tamar in The Alleluia files are somewhat ambiguous, and the heroines of several secondary romances in the later Samaria books are ambiguous too — Delilah in Jovah’s Angel, Miriam in Angelica, and Elizabeth in Angel-Seeker. The Samaria series is not heavy handed except for Angel-Seeker, and I would say that all of them are worth reading.

In General Winston's Daughter I did feel that Aeberelle was similar enough to 19th century England that I couldn't *not* think about that at times. But I suppose it could also stand in for another European colonial power like France.

Yes, 19th c. England is what I was comparing it to, in particular India. It was the combination of the invading country’s history of colonization, (the stereotype of) a rather tropical locale, and that colonization was more for commercial reasons than spiritual. I’m not a historian, but this is my impression of the British Empire.

books and movies and television shows can take on a lot of social or political issues and remain entertaining rather than preachy if the setting is far enough from our own that there are no direct parallels.

I need to think longer about what makes this kind of commentary work for me or not work. The flap copy of General Winston’s Daughter actually mentions the social commentary bit, which made me wary even before I started the book. Another librarian said she would have enjoyed it more if it was actually set in India, and I agree with her. I also think I would have found a Jalessa book more fascinating, the parallels less bothersome, if only because in this type of alternate universe/mostly magic-less fantasy, I need more intrigue and/or moral ambiguity. As likeable and engaging as Averie was, she wasn’t a compelling enough character to get me past the “all this didacticism is making me uncomfortable” feeling I had while reading.

I’ve only read two other Sharon Shinn books, The Truth-Teller’s Tale, which I didn’t care for because I felt like I was left hanging with Reed’s storyline, and Summers at Castle Auburn, which is my favorite of the three. Which, now that I think about it, has another rather naive protagonist, but, as I seem to recall, more intrigue.

This book (General Winston’s Daughter) is also thought provoking, though it doesn’t have the same degree of complexity. Of course, it’s aimed at a younger audience, but I think adults could also enjoy it.

I think I liked Wrapt in Crystal a bit better than Heart of Gold, though. I can’t remember whether most people felt that way, or if I’m an exception.

Heart of Gold, which I also loved, has a world where people have blue or gold skin. The hero and heroine are both blue-skinned and live in a matriarchal society. In the beginning of the book they are both involved with other people. The hero is engaged to an aristocratic woman. He has a career as a biological researcher specializing in viruses, but his fiancee expects him to give up his career when they marry and retire to the country to be more subservient to her needs. This is how things are done in that society. The heroine is in love with a gold-skinned prince from a patriarchal society who doesn’t treat her that well. She is almost killed in a terrorist incident at one point. I don’t want to say more because of spoilers, but does this ring a bell?

I adored Heart of Gold. I thought it was a particularly intriguing mix of police procedural, fantasy and romance. I look to her as one of the pioneers who made it possible to combine such things in a new and beautiful way.

Regarding the heavy-handedness: I think it’s interesting that books and movies and television shows can take on a lot of social or political issues and remain entertaining rather than preachy if the setting is far enough from our own that there are no direct parallels.

I’m thinking in particular of my favorite current TV show, the Sci Fi channel remake of “Battlestar Galactica,” which sort of takes a lot of post-9/11 issues and twists and turns them so many different ways that I’m never sure what represents what. It’s still a kind of metaphor for the anxiety we now have live with every day, but it’s entertaining as hell because the parallels are not direct. Do the humans represent Americans and the cylons terrorists? It may seems that way at first but it’s not that simple.

In General Winston’s Daughter I did feel that Aeberelle was similar enough to 19th century England that I couldn’t *not* think about that at times. But I suppose it could also stand in for another European colonial power like France.

However, when it came to Chairrin and Xan’tai, the parallels seemed less direct to me. The scene where the mortar shells exploded in the marketplace reminded me of some of the bombings that plague the Middle East these days, and I wondered if the Chiarrizi were in some ways influenced or inspired by the Palestinians? I wasn’t sure, though. Xan’tai could have been a country like India under the British.

What parallels were you reminded of, Trisha?

For me, Shinn’s world was different enough from our own that the book didn’t seem nearly as heavy-handed to me as it would have if she had written something like that which was set here on 21st century Earth.

Still, it was definitely an issue-driven book with a message, and though at times the message felt a bit heavy-handed to me, I also liked the fact that Shinn was taking on the issue of colonialism. I did wish though, that there the romance had been as central to the story as Averie’s friendship with Jalessa was. The latter in some ways felt to me like the most important relationship in the book.

I’m curious, Trisha, which of Shinn’s other books have you read and how did you like them? I’m thinking particularly of some of her more issue-driven books like Heart of Gold, Angel-Seeker and Summers at Castle Auburn, but I’d be interested in hearing how you liked any of her books.

sometimes the parallels to our own world are so close that the book feels just slightly heavy-handed in its message.

This was my biggest problem with the book; I found it more heavy-handed and hence more problematic than you did. While I also liked Shinn’s prose and the fact that Morgan is not a bad guy (if only more romances were like this!), my discomfort with it left me with very mixed feelings about this book.