I picked this book up in the library one day by accident, never having heard of either it or the author before. Since it has become my favorite book, and Sharon Shinn my favorite author. She is a talented writer, and her words shine with an amazing brilliance that make her characters come alive. After reading this book, I couldn't stop thinking "what's happened between Gabriel (whom I adore) and Rachel?" It is the first book I have encountered that attempts to combine The wonderful world of Sci-Fi with the sweetest aspects of romance, adding a slight touch of morality. Through all three books in the series, the suspense of finding out WHAT HAPPENS is too great to ignore. It left me turning pages for hours. This is seriously the best book I've read in ages. It was a breath of fresh air after sampling a multitude of stale stories and dull plotlines. I recommend this highly.

I usually avoid romance novels like the plague. Their too-predictable plots, stock characters, and particularly the overly explicit sex scenes leave me cold. Innuendo is far more erotic than anatomically precise detail, imo. But this one was filed under science fiction/fantasy, so it slipped by my romance censor, and I'm glad it did. In "Archangel," the angel Gabriel discovers on the verge of his accession to the position of Archangel that the bride chosen for him by the god is a slave-girl from the wandering, disenfranchised Edori people. His horror at the unsuitability of the match is exceeded only by his devotion to the commands of the god, so he unwillingly seeks her out. In Rachel, he meets his match, and the story of their tempestuous marriage and eventual cautious détente is a romance par excellence (minus the explicit sex scenes, thank goodness). The characters are intelligent turns on the usual romantic cast; the plot is entirely predictable, but so well written that you're glad to go along for the ride; and there is just enough political intrigue, philosophy, and religious debate thrown in to make your mind work a bit. A perfect vacation read. My only disappointment is not with the novel itself, but with the sequels, which (according to their annotations at Amazon) pick up quite a bit into the future with a new cast of characters--it would have been nice to know what happened to a number of the characters in "Archangel" (did Maga and Nathan have angel children? Did Rachel move back to the Eyrie? How did she solve the problem of wanting to make a difference? What happened to her school?)

When I read Sharon Shinn's "Summers At Castle Auburn" I was hooked and began reading some of her other books. "Archangel" is by far my favorite. When angel Gabriel learns that his future wife is a hill farmers daughter he is shocked and displeased. He is even more upset when he learns his betrothed is now a slave. When Gabriel and Rachel meet they instantly clash. But over time they fall in love. But will their differences become too much?
This is an amazing story about love and the long road that that two predestined lovers take. While you might find yourself screaming and pulling your hair out in frustration during some parts (as I was), this book will leave you begging for more!
Sharon Shinn creates a beliavable world with beliavable people and customs. I especially loved the angels and their way of life. The characters are interesting and well developed. If you like a love story than you must read this book!

At first I found the jump of 150 years from the time of Archangel difficult to adjust to. Once into the book I did enjoy the return to Samaria & learning of the changes that had occurred. While I did find this book good-I can't help but wish for a return to the lives of Rachael & Gabriel. Perhaps Ms. Shinn will decide to take us back in an upcoming novel & allow us once again to share in the lives of the characters' lives we became a part of in Archangel. I'm looking forward to reading The Alleluia Files. Ms. Shinn has a great talent with words!

Having read (and loved) Shinn's first book about the planet Samaria, I was thrilled to find a sequel. Back to a world where angels fly and their song fills the skies, many years after the exciting and romantic events of Archangel. In Jovah's Angel, the weather patterns on meteorologically-unstable Samaria are deteriorating, and the only voice that seems to be hearable by Jovah, the overseeing "deity" of the planet, is that of shy, scholarly Alleluia, now forced by circumstance to play the role of Archangel, taking the place of a brilliant, injured predecessor. And political brilliance is sorely needed on Samaria, as the different factions jockey for top position, as technological advances are made (and resisted), and the weather worsens (and worsens), as knowledge is lost (and regained). Shinn is, as always, excellent in her society-building---she postulates a set of circumstances and characters and then rings the changes, inviting us along to see what happens...and it's a wonderful trip, really an engaging and wonderful book. Not dissimilar to Anne McCaffrey's Pern books, in its basic premise, but rather stronger in its depiction of a social-religious- political cultural matrix. And her depictions of the glories of human song are amazing and original. Very well done!

This novel, like its prequel "Archangel," combines, angels, biblical lore, science fiction-fantasy and romance. I knew it wasn't going to be a disaster simply because this combination worked in that earlier book. Author Sharon Shinn has a terrific imagination. This one is perhaps not quite as romantic as the equally 5 star "Archangel" but it is even more thought provoking. The hero, Caleb, has the best mind for tinkering and inventing in this world. The archangel Allelulia, the heroine, needs to use Caleb's talents when her music machines start breaking in her stronghold. Then the God, Jovah, sends messages to her that he/it needs help. She needs to take Caleb with her to see what the God needs in addition to trying to solve all of the problems on her world, which now seems to be falling apart because the God no longer is answering their prayers. What they find when they meet the God will bring about a profound crisis for the archangel. I'm looking forward now to reading the third book in the trilogy, "The Alleluia Files." It seems that quite a few women writers, who perhaps found the formula too confining in the romance genre, can be now be found in the sci-fi-fantasy genre where there is more room for combining other elements with a love story and emotion. In fact, there seems to be no formula in the sci-fi-fantasy genre other than setting the story within what is referred to as an alternate reality.

Although I bought this novel eagerly, and whiled away a few hours in a fairly entertaining fashion, in the end I came away disappointed. Shinn's previous novels had such vividly drawn characters; their plots were driven forward as the characters searched for answers to important questions about themseles and their world. Shinn may be trying to create a YA version in this coming-of-age tale, but for me (a Not So Young Adult) she did not succeed. I found it impossible to enjoy Coriel's (our protagonist's) learning journey, because what she has to learn is so blindingly obvious to every other character (and underlined so often by the author). Enslaving the feys is indeed wrong. Yes, the young king is a spoiled lout. Every other character knows this on page 2, so we spend the next 300+ passing the time listening to other characters say things like, oh Coriel, you'll understand when you grow up. I enjoy Shinn's writing, and will look forward to her next book -- but this one, pass along to your 13 year old daughter or niece.

Shinn moves no mountains with this tale; don't expect an exotically original setting, as her science fiction novels tend toward, or even especially nontraditional characters. Coriel, the protagonist, is the illegitimate child of a nobleman, and consequently is always seeking a firm foothold in both the court (where she spends her summers) and her village. Shinn no doubt knows that the latter would hold little interest--even though it is there that Coriel has an active role as healer and herbalist--and the story concentrates on Coriel's life with the nobility.

She begins as a girl on a hunt for fey-like creatures: aliora, who are utterly benign even when captured and forced to serve humans. Although the tragedy of their slavery is addressed, it is the men with whom she rides that _Summers at Castle Auburn_ is truly about. She adores Prince Bryan, although he is betrothed to her beloved half-sister, but comes to realize ugly truths about him later on. But her relationships with Kent, the son of the regent, and Roderick, a guardsman, only grow with time.

The story moves fairly predictably toward a satisfactory but uninspiring happy ending. At heart, this book is a court romance, and those who need something more, like the mystery in _Wrapt in Crystal_ or the world-shaking tensions of the Samaria trilogy probably shouldn't seek this one out. It is, however, more complex than _The Shape-changer's Wife_.

Shinn captures the voice of Coriel both as a girl and a woman with her usual deft writing, which is this book's strongest recommendation. I did enjoy reading the rich prose, but those expecting the depth of her other books may be somewhat disappointed. Pick it up in a serene mood, and you'll end in the same.

An adult fairy-tale is hard to come by, but Sharon Shinn manages a beautiful one in rare style. It's hard to find the collection of magic, castles, princes and princesses, alongside a hard-hitting plot and strong characters; however, this book fulfils them.

Coriel is the ... daughter of a nobleman and a wise woman (who seduced him with magic) who spends nine months out of every year with her healer grandmother, learning how to be a wise woman as well. But every summer she travels to beautiful Castle Auburn, to be with her uncle Jaxom and lovely half-sister Elisandra. She rapidly falls in crush with the handsome Prince Bryan, unable to yet see what a self-absorbed bratling he is.

A few years pass, and as Cory ages and matures, she sees that all is not sweet and peaceful at Castle Auburn. The elven aliora (who are sweet, gentle, kind, etc) are enslaved by the noblemen as servants, tied to the human world rather than their unspeakably beautiful otherworld. And Bryan is not the wonderful prince she was infatuated with — he is cruel, irresponsible, narcissistic, arrogant, and sires at least one illegitimate baby over the course of the book.

Surrounding Bryan are more mature noblemen who don't want to be ruled by a brat prince, but are not ready to do anything. Jaxom takes sudden and unexpected actions. Elisandra must choose between happiness and duty, and Cory must consult her heart and morals after Bryan takes horrifying action against an aliora servant. Love, death, treachery and political intrigue lace the beautiful prose and entrancing background of "Castle Auburn."

I liked Coriel. Rarely do books have genuinely human heroines, and her overwrought teen thoughts (such as her melodramatic statement when Bryan kisses her forehead) are in tune with infatuation. However, I felt her awakening to the aliora's plight was a bit too quick, and her siding with them a bit too complete (her willingness to see Jaxom as a monster, etc). I wish Jaxom had been a bit more explored, given the mysterious actions going on. Elisandra's rigid road of duty -- and the results -- were pretty emotionally jerky but made sense later on.

Though billed as an adult fantasy, this is perfectly all right to let a teen read. There is some tasteful discussion of sex (in terms of illegitimate offspring and a wedding), not much violence, and no profanity worse than "damn." There is some talk of suicide/murder and moral debates on enslavement, however.

Nevertheless, flaws or not, this book has a magical atmosphere that is worthy of an aliora.

I have to admit, I'm biased. I've read all of Sharon Shinn's books, and I always find myself comparing them to her first Samaria novel, "Archangel"... and they inevitably fall flat in comparison. Still, "Angelica" is a decent read (if a bit heavier on romance than on the discussion of serious themes or plot development).

In a nutshell, "Angelica" tells the story of how Archangel Gaaron and the Edori Susannah fall in love. There are two subplots as well --the mysterious black-clad strangers that are destroying cities, and Gaaron's struggles to deal with his young, headstrong sister (and his guilt over not being able to protect her from domestic abuse when she was younger) -- but the story's main focus is on the developing relationship between Gaaron and Susannah.

The strength of the story lies in Shinn's characterization, and in the way she develops the world of Samaria and its diverse peoples (the Edori, the Jansai, the Manadavvi, etc). You'll find yourself liking the characters, and reading on to see how they resolve their conflicts.

How highly do I recommend it? Well, if you've read and enjoyed other Shinn novels, it's a safe bet you'll like this one too. Still, if this is your first experience with Shinn, I would suggest you first read "Archangel" (in my opinion, the best of the Samaria novels) or "Summers at Castle Auburn" and then decide if you're up for this one.

After reading Archangel a few years ago I fell in love with Samaria and its Angels. I couldn't wait to read book two and then I had to wait for book three to come out. I loved all three of the books and have read them all a few times. When I heard that Angelica was coming out, I couldn't have been happier. I was hoping for years that Sharon would write another Samaria novel. Once I finally got my paws on this book, I couldn't put it down. I was hoping to take a long time to read it, since I had been waiting for it for so long, but that didn't happen.

Although Gaaron does not have the looks that Gabriel (from Archangel) has, you still liked him for his great love and devotion to his duty, people, and his Angelica. It was also hard not to love Susannah, especially when Rachel was stubborn and Susannah was loving. Also Miriam and Jossis were one a kind and I always looked forward to hearing about their adventures.

Furthermore, I would recommend to anyone to read the first three Samaria books, just so they could read Angelica. If you have already read the first three (Archangel, Jovah's Angel, and The Alleluia Files), then I have no idea what you are waiting for. This book is too good to wait for paperback! I just can't wait until I can read it again! I hope to see another Samaria book after this one :)

Return to the planet Samaria, where a secretive god watches over the land, where winged angels sing prayers to control the weather, and where opposites meet and find true love...Once again, the talented Ms. Shinn had created one of her fascinating melanges of fine world-building, music, and excellent characterization. ANGELICA takes place only a few hundred years after the founding of Samaria by interstellar colonists fleeing seeking peace and harmony, and at first glance, the plot may seem to echo that of ARCHANGEL, Shinn's first book in this series: Susannah, a woman of the wandering Edori tribes, has been selected by the overseeing "god" to marry Gaaron, the archangel-to-be. But as the story takes place much earlier in the history of the culture, and with mysterious violent invaders threatening lives and stability, the fascination with these people and this planet is woven anew, and differently, and engagingly. What is not different is Shinn's marvellous ability to evoke the glories of song, whether in formal prayers in an angel hold, or around an Edori campfire, along with her talent for creating the most memorable of characters and a truly unique socio-cultural matrix. Shinn is one of my favorite writers working today, and as I applaud her for this novel, I am impatiently awaiting the next.

Although I love good fantasy, I personally am very tired of the genre. It's fixated on long stories and complicated worlds that typically span trilogies or more. The enemy is always evil and extremely powerful.

Sharon Shinn has restored my faith that fantasy can do more than regurgitate the same old story over and over.

"The Shape-Changer's Wife" is simple, personal and to the point. The protagonist, Aubrey is really struggling with himself, not the antagonist. Aubrey's real victory and true character is revealed after the antagonist is gone.

Sharon Shinn's prose at times is wonderful and seductive.

There are times when Aubrey is a little on the slow side, but it's not too anoying. And there were times when he seemed to forget thahe was in a world where magic existed and he himself could do miraculous things. But these things are easy to over look in a story as great as this one.

This is no ordinary fantasy, or romance. Shinn skillfully combines elements of both, plus a subtle sense of horror, in the casual yet progressive plot. I had to be strongly persuaded by a friend to begin reading it, but I really enjoyed it once I started. The writing is similar to the styles of some of my favorite authors--not as graceful and surreal as Patricia McKillip, or as complex and masterful as Gene Wolfe, but nearly as good. Overall this book is both seductive and sinister, and very wonderful to read.

This is truthfully how fantasy writing was meant to be. "The Shape-Changer's Wife" is a beatiful, short tale with all the elements of the genre and wonderfully written. Most fantasy books try too hard to have complicated plots, and yet don't focus on the characters and the story itself. In this book, the tale is simple, but enriched and perfectly written.

I would definetly recommend this to all Fantasy readers. Sharon Shinn is a master at storytelling.

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.

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.

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.)

Concluding a trilogy which began with the beautiful Archangel, Sharon Shinn brings us the final story of Alleluia, an angel conscripted into duty as the head of the Host. In the second book Alleluia learns some disturbing information about the god of Samaria, Jovah, and, as we learn in this text, records her findings for future generations to discover when they are ready. That time is now. Tamar, a self-proclaimed member of the Jacobites, a group of people who believe that Alleluia's description of the god is true and accurate, is on a mission to find the missing files. Twarted by the existing archangel's attempt to slaughter others like her, Tamar is rescued by another angel, one who is willing to believe her. Forming an uneasy alliance, the pair begin to search for the truth, and discover much more than they ever bargained for. As much as I loved the first two books in Shinn's trilogy, this one, unfortunately, was a disappointment. Rich in description, as always, the book had a major problem with time compression -- specifically, there was far too much to be effective. Spanning the course of months, the story also fell short with the development of some characters and their relationships who might have been incredibly intriguing had they been given some more attention. Instead, Shinn chose to focus on the development of the society itself, which wouldn't be a problem if the characters hadn't suffered as a result. I found all of the sociological advances to be intriguing, but I was spoiled by the wonderful characters in the first two books to miss them here in Files. Still, it was a decent read as Shinn's style is consistently fluid and graceful, with just a touch of fantasy that makes this book memorable enough to keep in my library. :)

I discovered Sharon Shinn's writing when I first read The Archangel - her first book dealing with the people and angles of Samaria. With that book I was truly amazed and enraptured with the world and particularly the characters which she created. The love of Gabriel and Rachel is quite honestly one of the best written stories I have ever read. Since then I have always kept an eyes out for following books by Ms. Shinn. Sadly, after staying up late to finish it, I recognize "The Alleluia Files" following more in the steps of "Jovah's Angel", the second book in this series, with it's formula of more plot action than romance and far less compelling writing of both. Ms. Shinn has chosen to concentrate of the development of the land and it's society as opposed to the things which determine whether we too care what happens - the characters. I was not convinved of Tamar or Jared's personalities as they both to severe breaks out of character late in the book with sudden, wimpish, femeninity and bold cries of love and devotion without having had any real interaction yet! She also uses a gross amount of the author's trick of jumping from storyline to storyline just at a moment of high action. This effect may be achieved with style or perhaps twice but after the third and even fourth time I was more annoyed that overjoyed at having to wait fifty more pages to find out about the characters I had been cajoled into being interested in. I above anyone wanted this book to be worthy of a good reception and to be admired and loved in the same way as Archangel, but more do I want for readers of Sharon Shinn's work to know what they will be reading. For anyone who likes this author I would still recommend this book - there are some humorous referrals to "Archangel" and the plot is written with a sure hand which makes you interested in what happens to these people even if you are not interested in themselves. And the character handling is not all bad, there are moments when you see a sparkle of the same which made "archangel" so wonderful. If anything I would ask Ms. Shinn to remember the kind of characters she created in Archangel and the tension, action, and emotion they achieved through her hand. Any book that was written with those wonderful characters in mind would be well worth the reading. If anyone would like to discuss this book further I invite them to E-Mail me. I will be happy to talk, particularly with anyone who has similar high regards for "Archangel".

This book is a must read after Jovah's Angel. It gives you a great sense of what the characters in Jovah's Angel did after the book ended, and how they shaped the time that world this book is set in. This book is a great look in to the future of the world of Samaria that I came to love. I find that Sharon Shinn writes often about the struggles of division, from all sides. From Rachel's slavery in Archangel, to the Aliora in Summers at Castle Auburn to the racial issues in Heart of Gold. And she does it well, giving you a feel for how all sides feel, and gets you emotionally involved, so that you can not stop reading. Her world is original, and her characters have wills of their own. Great book!

Six gory murders, five ceremonial occasions, four Moonchildren, three lovers, two religious sects at odds, and one desert planet clinging to traditional ways make for lovely way to spend a few hours. I throughly enjoyed WRAPT IN CRYSTAL: Sharon Shinn is improving with each book she writes. Who wouldn't fall for her angst-ridden detective, Cowan Drake? Although this is better SciFi than mystery, it works well either way. A little more attention to plot twists and a little less attention to simplistic religious debate would have made this a five star book.

This is the first Sharon Shinn book I've ever read, but I've heard good things about her other books (Archangel, Jovah's Angel) so I decided to give it a try.

I liked the setting, but I do wish some things had been explained in a bit more detail, like the Moonchildren. I especially liked the use of words from "our" languages, altered to reflect the passage of time. It's a detail many "colony of earth" sci-fi writers ignore or bungle.

I can't say the mystery enthralled me, I figured the second biggest mystery about half-way through the book. The "whodunnit" part was weak, but this book is worth reading purely for the philosophy of the Triumphantes.

It's a believable world, and the characters are well-drawn. I don't regret buying it.

I stayed up all night to finish this book. Not only does she do action and romance well, but she manages to portray people with very different viewpoints in a sympathetic way. I usually don't like romance much, and I usually like more poetic prose -- but this author makes me feel comfortable and warm, using simple, readable prose to portray likeable characters. The only way I can describe the story is to say it is a science fiction space opera detective romance action novel with strong religious overtones. How's that for a combo?

Our hero is Drake, a pretty standard stereotypical "private dick" character who is the perfect leading man for a romance novel or action story. He's sort of a gentleman space marine with a keen mind and unearthly competence - the kind of guy that doesn't really exist, but that women dream of. Fortunately the women in the book and the plot are interesting enough that rather than be distracted by the uber-detective you will be constantly wondering which of the ladies he's going to end up with, and whodunnit. The book is fun and suprisingly intelligent while seeming very down-to-earth and accessible.

If like her angel stories, you'll like this book, too.

..Honestly...after ploughing through this travesty of a book, the above is the only rationale I could imagine for its creation. I was really disappointed because I greatly enjoyed Ms. Shinn's Angel trilogy, and I was looking for more books by her to read. But "Jenna Starborn"...as a long-time Bronte fancier as well, the kindest thing I can say about Shinn's book is that it just doesn't work on any level.

This book is a romance with slight sci-fi overtones. It's predictable with only a very few unexpected turns. The dialog is dry and unbelievable. Some of the sci-fi ideas are fun but unless you are looking for a run of the mill romance I would not recommend it. Try Sheri Tepper's "The Gate To Women's Country or "Six Moon Dance" or "The Fresco".

As a huge fan of Shinn's books "Archangel" and "Summers at Castle Auburn," I was really looking forward to "Jenna Starborn." I usually like the way Shinn mixes sci-fi/fantasy with romance, and the way she portrays her heroines -- strong and compelling, but imperfect enough to be believable. However, while "Jenna Starborn" contained all of these elements, the story didn't really grip me. Towards the end, I had to struggle to keep reading it.
Part of it was simply the lack of freshness. "Jenna Starborn" followed "Jane Eyre" a little bit too closely. The names of the characters and places were often identical (do the names Harriet, Beatrice, Bianca, and Ms. Ingersoll sound familiar?). Shinn even mimicked Bronte's style with phrases like 'Dear Reeder' (as opposed to 'Dear Reader'). If Shinn introduced plot twists or altered aspects of the character's personality this wouldn't have been a problem--but she didn't. Nor did Shinn offer a really compelling 'backdrop' to the story. Part of what made Shinn's "Angel" series (Archangel, Jovah's Angel, and Alleluia Files)so successful was her skillful rendering of Samaria. Unfortunately, the sci-fi scenario in "Jenna Starborn" was not at all original. The intergalactic space-travel world and colonization system is stale (particularly because Shinn doesn't spend enough time on world development), and Shinn's themes of democracy and social justice(in the form of the PanEquist religion and the hierarchical citizenship ladder) were delivered very poorly and inconsistently.
Still, I admit I am biased by high expectations and prior knowledge of Bronte's 'Jane Eyre.' While "Jenna Starborn" is not Shinn's best work (about as good as "Heart of Gold"), it's still a decent read. Amelette as Mr. Ravenbeck's sweet but lonely child ward is well-characterized, and Jenna comes across as highly intelligent and principled, if socially awkward.
If you haven't read Bronte's novel before, you might enjoy "Jenna Starborn" more than I did. Or if all you're looking for is a moderately well-written but fluffy sci-fi romance, you won't be disappointed.