Heart of Gold

Rating:
Summary: Lyrical
Review: Next to her Samaria series (Archangel, Jovah's Angel, The Alleluia Files), this is my favorite Sharon Shinn novel. Her writing is beautiful, and I love the depth of this story. Unlike some others, I thought this was one of her finest works. It ranked as my #1 book last year (out of about 280 read). I didn't think the story was forced or predictable at all--unlike her Castle Auburn book. She's an amazing author. Don't miss out on her angel books, but once you've read those, give this one a try.

Rating:
Summary: A real disappointment
Review: Sharon Shin can write wonderful books. This is not one of them. It's not a bad book, it's just a very weak book. The characters lack the texture and depth of the people in her previous novels. The plot is not very original or clever. The world building is incomplete. This reads like a first draft, not a finished book.

Rating:
Summary: A real disappointment
Review: Sharon Shin can write wonderful books. This is not one of them. It's not a bad book, it's just a very weak book. The characters lack the texture and depth of the people in her previous novels. The plot is not very original or clever. The world building is incomplete. This reads like a first draft, not a finished book.

Rating:
Summary: Engaging and thought provoking
Review: Sharon Shinn has produced another first rate, character driven science fiction novel in Heart of Gold. Her carefully constructed races of matriarchal blueskins and macho gulden give her the opportunity to explore prejudice from many angles.

But for me, it's the characters that make a story worth reading, and Shinn never disappoints. Kit, with her aristocratic indigo heritage and gulden upbringing, is a rebellious, rather tragic figure, but it is Nolan that really captures the story. A quiet researcher who'd been resigned to his future as a non-essential spouse, he attains true heroism through his compassion and commitment to doing the right thing, no matter what the cost to himself. Shinn makes all of the relationships convincing, and her secondary characters are vivid and contribute greatly to the story. A great read for anyone who likes their science fiction about people and society rather than hardware. (And romance readers might enjoy it also.)

Rating:
Summary: Good, but certainly not Great
Review: Sharon Shinn is an excellent writer, and as such her novels are always really good reads. However, after reading the lyrical beauty of 'The Shape-Changer's Wife' and the absolute brilliance that is her 'Samaria Trilogy' ('Archangel', 'Jovah's Angel', and 'The Alleluia Files'), 'Heart of Gold' simply pales. I enjoyed reading it, but unlike the books I list above, I know I'll never re-read it.

The characters were interesting, and the racial prejudice of the indigo and gulden peoples well realized. I felt like I was reading a spy thriller or novel of intrigue, though, more than I was reading a Shinn novel. The love story seems very forced and almost tacked on. The ending of the novel just fizzles out. And it seems that Nolan and Kit, while destroying their reputations within indigo society to help the guldens, gain little personally. They help the races co-exist, preventing genocide along the way, but fail to be accepted by either society. Ultimately, what 'saves' them is the fact that Kit is highly ranked within the indigo society that she despises, and that despises her. There are no easy answers.

And just *why* Nolan falls in love with Kit isn't clear - it seems a case of pure infatuation. And why would someone as intelligent as Kit fall for the machinations of a controlling personality like Jex? He was cruel, and bigoted, and Kit followed him blindly. Why? I didn't buy it throughout the novel. I wanted to just shake her for being such an idiot!

Like eagalewski and 'a reader from Cleveland' I found this book to not be Sharon Shinn's best by any means. If it was written by another author I'd probably give it four stars, but since I know what Shinn is capable of, only three. It, sadly, does not live up to her potential. Go read 'The Samaria Trilogy' to see a better treatment of a similar theme.

Rating:
Summary: Good mixing of Shin's romantic style and feminist SFF
Review: Shin has yet to disappoint me with a book. They are all worth the read (and the price) even if Wrapt in Crystal and Heart of Gold lean away from the beautiful ethereal style of the Archangel trilogy and the simplicity of Shapechangers Wife.

This book, in particular, is Shin's foray into feminist SFF. She's not just writing to write, she's writing to discuss feminist issues. Issues of power, violence and gender roles.

A good read, but hard to get into. :)

Rating:
Summary: the Fantasy equivalent of West Side Story, with a twist
Review: Shinn has a talent for crossing genre lines with her writing, while staying firmly rooted in the realm of fantasy. In Heart of Gold she does not disappoint the fantasy lovers, but also brings her significant romance and suspense talents to bear.

At first, it seems that the story will be a bit cliche, focusing on slowly bringing together Kit and Nolan in typical romance novel fashion. You learn about their families and the incompatibility of the cultures in which they grew up - both "indigo" but having wildly different experience, just to simplify. However, you soon discover that there is something more at stake in this story, and a larger theme to address. Shinn paints the cultures of the indigo and the gulden with broad strokes, but you still get the feeling of two very disparate cultures in silent war with one another. As the romance subplot begins to fuel the pace of the larger theme, you can't help but hold your breath until you find out what ends up happening, and Shinn does not disappoint. Nolan's final act is shocking and extreme, but Shinn takes you along his logic in a manner that allows you to see how he came to that action. She does this wonderful compassionate description for all the characters, too: you get very attached to Melina and Chay Zanlan, while still understanding their flaws. As usual, Shinn brings a unique group of people to life, and the world she has created is lush with detail.

If you liked Archangel, you will enjoy Heart of Gold.

Rating:
Summary: Wonderful
Review: So I admit to being a raging Sharon Shinn fan, awaiting her new books with practiced anticipation and loving every minute spent devouring the pages. Disclaimer noted, I also must say this this is one of the most enjoyable reading experiences I've had in a long while. It captured my attention from the minute I sat down and held it until the very last sentence (which I adore, by the way) nonwithstanding the many hours that I had to wait inbetween the reading sessions.

Perhaps what is so fascinating about this book is the racial explorations coming from such an accomplished writer. I felt every time her protagonist, Nolan, explained something about his society and his struggles with his own ingrained prejudice, my eyes were opened to a new understanding of my own unconscious actions and opinions. In that sense, this science-fiction/fantasy novel reached far above its class to become a well-balanced treatise upon many important social issues.

I also fell in love with the couple, Kitrini and Nolan. I have to say that it was the most entrancing pseudo-romance I've had the pleasure to read, especially because of the fantastic prose that Shinn uses throughout her book. The way she crafts her work is simply breathtaking--I find with her writing taking notes on phrases which are so beautiful I have to record them. This book was no exception, and I reccommend it to every fan of beautiful writing.

So I suppose you're wondering why I gave this book only four stars. Well, even loving the characters, I have to admit that the romance was a little farfetched and in some parts a bit forced. And some things, as other reviewers mentioned, didn't quite add up--why would Kitrini stay with the manipulations of Jex? She seemed so intelligent otherwise. In any case, despite these small problems, the book soars as a whole, and I highly reccommend it to all comers.

Rating:
Summary: You can't get any better
Review: There's no way to lose with one of Sharon Shinn's books. She is simply the best fantasy author out there. Her worlds are fully realized and her characters are always complicated, three-dimensional people - never cardboard cutouts that talk.

I highly recommend this book, and every single one of Sharon's other books, too. You can't beat a sure thing!

Rating:
Summary: An Excellent Read!
Review: This is a magnificent work by Sharon Shinn. The characters are very easy to identify with because they are fully fleshed out and quite human. The City was a fully fleshed environment, but i would have liked to have experienced a little more of eh world of the Guldens (maybe in another book! ) This is a very easy book to read b/c Shinn is a master at drawing the reader into a convincing story, but it is also very thought provoking as well. I also recomend another one of her works, Archangel, which is a great book as well.