McKinley, Robin

Average customer rating:

Blood and caramel
Run, run as fast as you can!
vampires and cinnamon rolls
Too much paper wasted on the back story
Best of the best

Sunshine
Robin McKinley
Manufacturer: Jove
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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Deerskin

ASIN: 0515138819

Book Description

There hadn't been any trouble out at the lake for years, and Sunshine just needed a spot where she could be alone with her thoughts. Vampires never entered her mind. Until they found her.

Customer Reviews:

Blood and caramel.......2007-06-24

I don't generally read books that are festering with vampires, but "Sunshine" is by Robin McKinley, one of my favorite fantasy authors. Plus I've just finished a couple of books about parasites, and if vampires existed I suppose they could be classified as parasites on humanity--resembling gigantic bed bugs (Cimex lectularius) or kissing bugs (Triatoma protracta) in regards to their unclean habits. Even though McKinley presents the idea of human-vampire sexuality as well as any author who has tackled this subject, I still can't get the idea of gigantic blood-sucking insects out of my mind.

Human Leeches are not a sexual turn-on.

Even if you agree with me about vampires, you should still read "Sunshine" for its feisty heroine, and for Charlie's Coffeehouse--the bakery of every sugar-holic's dreams. As I was reading this book, I had to fight off an overwhelming urge to bake up a pan of cinnamon buns and gorge on them. Of course, Sunshine (Ignore the name. This heroine is NOT Pollyanna.) doesn't get fat because she has to get up at 4 A.M. to bake all of those Cinnamon Rolls as Big as Your Head. Not to mention walnut sticky buns, pear gingerbread, honey cake, and assorted gooey deaths-by-chocolate.

(At least I now know how the vampire felt when one of those toothsome young Hammer Films virgins leaned out of her bedroom window, clad (if that's the right word) in lacy décolleté.)

The hero, Con, is a little harder to like, especially when the reader first meets him, deep in the shadows of a ruined mansion. It appeared as though Sunshine was going to suffer a fate worse than death (a lot worse than death) at his hands, before she could even make it back to the bakery to start the dough rising.

In fact, Part I (the first 86 pages) of this book is absolutely riveting--the darkest, most terrifying fantasy sequence I've read for a long time, right up there with some of the best work by Neil Gaiman or Garth Nix.

The rest of this novel does slow down a bit, the better to develop the main characters and their sometimes prickly relationships. We also need time to learn the geography and mores of Sunshine's dark, post-apocalyptic world, where Evil is on track to defeat Good within the next century. It won't be pretty, unless you savor the color and taste of blood.

I'm positive this fantasy is going to have a sequel just because of the multiple loose plot-ends that Robin McKinley dangles before her readers, not to mention demons, ghouls, the goddess of pain (whose side is she on, anyway?), a certain unrequited love affair, and hints about Sunshine's sorcerous family connections.

The author needn't have worried about my interest in a sequel. I was hooked on the pumpkin muffins way back in Part I.

Run, run as fast as you can!.......2007-06-20

Away from this book! Please, Madam McKinley, don't think that I hate your books. No! In fact I normally LOVE your books. This one I couldn't actually get through, which was very sad for me. I was so looking forward to it. Ladies and gents, go out and buy Robin McKinley books, just steer clear of this one. I can barely hear about cinnamon pastries now without twitching and wanting to smack to main character. Sorry, folks, look elsewhere for a good vampire novel.

vampires and cinnamon rolls.......2007-06-09

All in all, this was a very good book. the vampires were sexy in a new way that I had never read of before, and the exciting parts were pretty exciting. my only problem with Sunshine was the narrotors constant referrel to baking cinnamon rolls. after being mentioned about three or fours times, i never wanted to hear about or eat a cinnamon rolls again. also, in other parts of the book, there was definatly too much detail during boring parts. but other than that, i'm glad i read it.

Too much paper wasted on the back story.......2007-06-09

Interesting idea, good characters.. But it took eighteen pages to give the reader the set up for the story, which for me, is way to long. Then once the action gets going, which is the only thing that moves the story, there's more and more and more back story. Maybe it's just McKinley's style as I writer that I find fault with. I want to be thrust into the action, and then have to figure it out along the way as the story unfolds, giving the reader a little back story as it moves along. Otherwise, I feel to bogged down, and plain bored. So, I skimmed a lot of it, just to get to the stuff that didn't bore me.

Best of the best.......2007-06-07

I have read (and enjoyed) all of Robin McKinley's work and consider her one of a select group of authors who writes consistently excellent, high quality fantasy - and this book is my favorite of hers. Thank you, Robin McKinley, for writing "Sunshine" - it has become part of an elite group of books, comfort food for the inner me, that I find myself reading again and again (and please, please write a sequel!!!). I love the first person narrative (my personal favorite), the background exposition (depths that are sweet, rich and dark; wonderful characters with such interesting stories that you ache to know more) and the fact that Sunshine is NOT perfect - her occasional bitchiness, periods of absolute denial (not just a river in Egypt), irrational behavior and "why me" angst ring true to the bone and are part of what makes this book so terrific - I am UP TO HERE with perfect heroines/heroes! Additionally, I rate this book as top of the heap in the vampire genre to date (neck and neck with Charlaine Harris's Sookie Stackhouse series) - and that is saying something as I have read just about every decent (or even half-way decent) vampire book and/or series available, from Bram Stoker's Dracula to Laurell Hamilton's Anita Blake series and Charlaine Harris's Stookie Stackhouse series. A+++ for originality, a unique vision and a fresh and delightful twist on the vampire theme.

P.S. I noticed some reviewers did not like this book because they thought it was derivative of Charlaine Harris's work - I thought that was extremely funny since Ms. Harris's books have been reviewed by some readers as being derivative of Ms. Hamilton's books, and Ms. Hamilton's books were criticized by some readers as being derivative of Ms. Rice's books, and Ms. Rice's books - well, you get the idea. I think of the criticism "derivative" as meaning a work that is a low-rent version of the original, copied without any spark of originality or creativity - having read "Sunshine" and almost all of the books written by both Ms. Harris and Ms. Hamilton, I can say with some authority that although certain elements are shared, each of these writers has brought her own unique and disparate vision to bear and I feel "derivative" is not valid as a negative criticism for any of them. How many versions of the Cinderella story are there? How many series and books are based on an unknown hero fighting a dark force, a la Tolkien (can you say "Star Wars"?), and weren't Tolkien's works derived from existing myths? Are the plays of William Shakespeare no good because he lifted plots and story lines from the works of other authors (for example, "The Enamored Diana" by Gaspar Gil Polo (1564), an acknowledged source for "The Two Gentlemen of Verona")? My point being that it is not just the material, it is what you do with it. Authors, painters, songwriters, story tellers and other creative people have been sharing concepts and story ideas and stealing from one another since as far back as the human race can remember - and I'm all for it.

Beauty: A Retelling of the Story of Beauty and the Beast

Average customer rating:

MIGHT Have Been Wonderful, Except...
Another reason to like retellings!
Great Spin on an Old Tale
My Favorite Book of All Time...
A magical fable that's stayed with me for 10+ years

Beauty: A Retelling of the Story of Beauty and the Beast
Robin McKinley
Manufacturer: Eos
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0060753102
Release Date: 2005-07-26

Amazon.com

This much-loved retelling of the classic French tale Beauty and the Beast elicits the familiar magical charm, but is more believable and complex than the traditional story. In this version, Beauty is not as beautiful as her older sisters, who are both lovely and kind. Here, in fact, Beauty has no confidence in her appearance but takes pride in her own intelligence, her love of learning and books, and her talent in riding. She is the most competent of the three sisters, which proves essential when they are forced to retire to the country because of their father's financial ruin.

The plot follows that of the renowned legend: Beauty selflessly agrees to inhabit the Beast's castle to spare her father's life. Beauty's gradual acceptance of the Beast and the couple's deepening trust and affection are amplified in novel form. Robin McKinley's writing has the flavor of another century, and Beauty heightens the authenticity as a reliable and competent narrator.

This was McKinley's first book, written almost 20 years ago. Since that time she has been awarded the Newbery Medal for The Hero and the Crown and has delighted her fans with another retelling of the Beauty and the Beast fable, Rose Daughter. Still, McKinley's first novel has a special place in the hearts of her devoted readers, many of whom attest to relishing Beauty time and again. (Ages 11 to Adult)

Book Description

A strange imprisonment</p>

Beauty has never liked her nickname. She is thin and awkward; it is her two sisters who are the beautiful ones. But what she lacks in looks, she can perhaps make up for in courage.</p>

When her father comes home with the tale of an enchanted castle in the forest and the terrible promise he had to make to the Beast who lives there, Beauty knows she must go to the castle, a prisoner of her own free will. Her father protests that he will not let her go, but she answers, "Cannot a Beast be tamed?"</p>

Robin McKinley's beloved telling illuminates the unusual love story of a most unlikely couple: Beauty and the Beast.</p>

Customer Reviews:

MIGHT Have Been Wonderful, Except..........2007-06-05

BEAUTY is an elegant, simplistic retelling of this favorite fairy tale of McKinley's, and it might have impressed me significantly more if I had not read ROSE DAUGHTER first. I find ROSE DAUGHTER to be the far superior rendition of this classic---less elementary, definitely more mature! I have never understood this fairy tale which makes a crystal-clear statement about learning to appreciate the depth of a person's character rather than just his/her pretty face, then ends with the pretty girl getting the pretty boy anyway...sort of a retraction of the theme, in my view. In this BEAUTY, our heroine isn't "storybook pretty", or at least we are led to believe this: that her beauty grows with maturity & from her attachment to her Beast---but his eventual physical "beauty" comes from nothing more than the demise of the evil spell placed upon him. How conveniently lucky for them! McKinley doesn't mess with the classic ending too broadly in BEAUTY---to me, not broadly enough at all.

In ROSE DAUGHTER, our also-plain-but-growing-into-beauty heroine is given a choice which she has to make not only for HERSELF, but for her Beast as well. Her choice--take the handsome prince or stick with the Beast forever (tho you still get his brilliance, his intellect, and his kind heart either way)--then hinges not only on what SHE may prefer, but what she believes her beloved Beast may prefer for himself, clearly a more grown-up proposition. This adds back the marrow stripped gracelessly by the shiny ending of the original fairy tale, and BEAUTY as well.

I like to think that as Robin herself grew more comfortable over the years with her evocative story of Beauty, she envisioned the more mature Beauty/Beast relationship and ending presented in ROSE DAUGHTER, and thus created her second version, and second vision. BEAUTY is well worth reading, is written sumtuously and evocatively, and expands on a great classic tale. But read BOTH books if you can!

Another reason to like retellings!.......2007-03-09

This was a great book; I literally couldn't put it down! Not at all like the Disney version, yet it still had the same elements in it of the original story. And there's a few interesting plot twists to boot! Don't miss this one!

Great Spin on an Old Tale.......2007-02-24

This book takes you into a world of its own, a few pages in and you completely forget that it's a retelling of another story. Written in a very basic style, this book makes good for those who love a fairy tale. When in need of a different storyline than the norm, this book also makes an excellent change. The tomboy Beauty is much easier to relate too than the perfect girl we see in other tales. Along with other events in the story, this book was a great change in pace, lined up on my shelf with Gregory Maguire's retellings. ("Confessions of an Ugly Stepsister", "Mirror, Mirror", and "Wicked")

My only complaint on this book is that important events are raced through while the quieter parts went on for chapters as you wait for Beauty to get up the guts to do what she needs to.

My Favorite Book of All Time..........2007-02-03

Beauty by Robin McKinley is a book not only for kids and teens, but for adults also.

I'm sure we all know the story of Beauty and the Beast, but this book has a great twist on that amazing fairy tail.

Beauty is a teenage girl with a nickname that does not suit her. She is very thin, she has large feet and hands that she cannot seem to grow into. She spends most of her time reading and studying things like Latin and Greek. When she is forced to move to the country and to a more humble living, an amazing adventure begins for her.

Beauty's father gets lost in the woods on his way home from a visit to the city. He comes to a mysterious castle where the Beast lives. Beast asks him to return with one of his daughters in a month because Beauty's father had taken one of Beasts precious roses.

Beauty shows much courage by going to live with the Beast and trying to find the good within him.

This book may be difficult for younger readers because of some harder vocabulary, but don't let that turn you down. The book is amazing and Beauty is a character you can easily fall in love with.

A magical fable that's stayed with me for 10+ years.......2007-01-19

The first time I saw Monet's water lillies as a small child, I stood frozen until my mother pulled me out of my awed stupor half an hour later. While there's nothing dark or startling about Monet's water lillies, I felt in my bones the beauty and the grace and the ART. And the first time I read Robin McKinley's Beauty, I felt the same way. Warmth and gentleness and light unfurled as I experienced the story as it was told - softly, richly, deliberately. Others complain of flatness, of one-dimensionality, of a lack of darkness or contrast. But...this is a watercolor. A peaceful, sensitive fable that gently reinforces a message that, these days, is all too rare: beauty is in the eye of the beholder. No matter how many times I'd heard it, it's not often that one FEELS its truth. Especially as an adolescent girl. It's not that the beast must be "tamed" (Disney), but that one must learn to recognize what makes a beast a beast and a beauty a beauty. Thank you, Robin McKinley - I have not forgotten!

Average customer rating:

25 years later this is still my favorite book
A Well-Crafted Fantasy About a Lonely Orphan Girl, A Proud Desert King, and a Very Nasty Demon Menace...
A great fantasy book that pulls you in!
If you prefer books with suspense, action, adventure, and magical mystery, this is NOT the book for you.
If you like books packed with magic, action, and suspense, this is NOT the book for you.

Blue Sword
Robin McKinley
Manufacturer: Ace
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0441068804

Book Description

Harry Crewe is an orphan girl who comes to live in Damar, the desert country shared by the Homelanders and the secretive, magical Hillfolk. Her life is quiet and ordinary-until the night she is kidnapped by Corlath, the Hillfolk King, who takes her deep into the desert. She does not know the Hillfolk language; she does not know why she has been chosen. But Corlath does. Harry is to be trained in the arts of war until she is a match for any of his men. Does she have the courage to accept her true fate?

"McKinley's spare and eloquent prose is sheer delight... a compelling portrait of the vibrant, wryly humorous Harry." -School Library Journal, starred review

"This is a zesty, romantic heroic...." -Booklist, starred review

Awards:

( A 1983 Newbery Honor Book
( An ALA Notable Book
( An ALA Best Book for Young Adults

Customer Reviews:

25 years later this is still my favorite book.......2007-06-24

I first read this book about 25 years ago. My friend and I fought over who got to buy the one copy in the bookstore and who had to order another one. I still re-read this book at least once a year. I'm now 37 years old and this book remains one of my all-time favorites. I still have my original copy, beat-up and worn as it is.

A Well-Crafted Fantasy About a Lonely Orphan Girl, A Proud Desert King, and a Very Nasty Demon Menace..........2007-05-03

...This one is a slow starter-- but once it revs up, you'll be turning the pages all night. After her parents' death, young Harry (her true name is only revealed late in the book) is packed off to live near her brother's military outpost on the edge of a great sandy desert. The book seems to be set in a time of British Colonialism. But this Colony has uncanny locals. When a desert king comes to warn the outpost of a terrible threat, and to obtain aid against it, his concerns are, apparently, dismissed as fanciful. But Harry is oddly transfixed at the sight of the king, and he, too, finds himself thinking of her over and over again. And then the Magic takes over, and Harry is whisked away, to an alien society she never knew existed.

And -- oddly-- she finds that she fits in.

This fantasy does not have a lot of "flash and dazzle" in the first chapters. Instead, the author transitions you away from the "normal" world bit by bit -- Harry leaves her old home, and takes a train to the desert, and adjusts to life at the outpost town before meeting the desert king. I wouldn't think that it would appeal to the young and impatient reader, due to the careful development of the setting, and due to the fact that the author takes the time to offer lot of savory description (you can taste the desert sand and smell the horse sweat). But it rewards the reader who will go along with Harry into the desert world. The writing is graceful and the characters very well drawn and compelling. I come back to this one over and over; I find that it refreshes my spirit a bit every time.

A great fantasy book that pulls you in!.......2007-04-23

The Blue Sword is about a girl named Harry Crewe. She is an orphan that loves the desert where she lives, but she wants more. Corlath, King of the Hillfolk takes Harry and brings her back to his hills. She learns to ride the hill horses, speak their language, and she becomes a warrior. Soon, she becomes one of the King's Riders. She is given Gonturan, the blue sword, which once belonged to Aerin that is in the book 'The Hero And The Crown' which takes place before 'The Blue Sword'. Harry goes on a journey against Corlath's will and on this journey, Gonturan and Corlath help Harry. When she returns from her journey she and Corlath admit their love for each other. This book is a great fantasy that has a lot of adventure, but it happens in a calm way. I would recommend that you start with 'The Hero And The Crown' and if you like that, which I did, then you should like this book, 'The Blue Sword'.

If you prefer books with suspense, action, adventure, and magical mystery, this is NOT the book for you........2007-02-28

I was attracted to this book because of the alluring title, artistic cover, and the image that this story would be filled with magic and adventure. After I read the book, however, I went from being excited and expectant to disappointed and let down.

This story is about Harry Crewe, a Homelander orphan girl, who settles in Damar. She lives a normal life until she is kidnapped by King Corlath of the Free Hillfolk. On the journey to his City, Corlath, driven by a strange force, gives Harry Gonturan, the greatest treasure of his family. With this treasure, she is sent to train for a warrior skills competition.

Eventually, Harry's skills with Gonturan grow and so does her loyalty to the Hillfolk. Out of concern for the Hillfolk and Homelanders, Harry leaves to defend the Northwest Pass against Corlath's orders. This choice, however, leads her and a tiny band of followers into a confrontation with an enemy more powerful than she could ever imagine.

I found this book disappointing because it lacked action, excitement, and the presence of mystical magic. There was too much "sitting in the saddle" and talking and more emphasis on basic travel than action packed situations. I also thought there would be a quest for Gonturan, rather than simply having it handed over. This was a major detraction to the excitement of the story.

Again, I really did not care for the way this book was written. On the other hand, it was not outright terrible. If you prefer books such as the Deltora series, I would not recommend this book. However, if you like the same basic story elements without the "quest" part, this book will probably be quite pleasing. I feel this book is appropriate for ages 11 to 14.

If you like books packed with magic, action, and suspense, this is NOT the book for you........2007-02-28

Average customer rating:

Dragonhaven
Robin McKinley
Manufacturer: Putnam Juvenile
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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Bloodhound: The Legend of Beka Cooper

ASIN: 0399246754
Release Date: 2007-09-20

Book Description

Jake Mendoza lives at the Makepeace Institute of Integrated Dragon Studies in Smokehill National Park. Smokehill is home to about two hundred of the few remaining draco australiensis, which is extinct in the wild. Keeping a preserve for dragons is controversial: detractors say dragons are extremely dangerous and unjustifiably expensive to keep and should be destroyed. Environmentalists and friends say there are no records of them eating humans and they are a unique example of specialist evolution and must be protected. But they are up to eighty feet long and breathe fire.

On his first overnight solo trek, Jake finds a dragon—a dragon dying next to the human she killed. Jake realizes this news could destroy Smokehill— even though the dead man is clearly a poacher who had attacked the dragon first, that fact will be lost in the outcry against dragons.

Book Description

Although she is the daughter of Damar's king, Aerin has never been accepted as full royalty. Both in and out of the royal court, people whisper the story of her mother, the witchwoman, who was said to have enspelled the king into marrying her to get an heir to rule Damar-then died of despair when she found she had borne a daughter instead of a son. But none of them, not even Aerin herself, can predict her future-for she is to be the true hero who will wield the power of the Blue Sword...

"Vibrant, witty, compelling, the story is the stuff of which true dreams are made."-The Horn Book

"Splendid high fantasy... filled with tender moments, good characters, satisfying action and sparkling dialogue... superb!"-School Library Journal, starred review

Awards:
( Winner of the 1985 Newbery Medal
( An ALA Notable Book
( An ALA Best Book for Young Adults

Customer Reviews:

A Masterpiece.......2007-06-17

The Hero and the Crown was my favorite book as a young girl. It tells the story of a princess who is viewed as useless and flawed by her people, but finds her power and saves the kingdom. I have read it once or twice again as an adult and it holds up well. This is an excellent book to buy for your daughter, your niece, your little sister... this book inspired me to become a doctor and I hope will inspire my daughter (who is only six - it will be a few years yet for her:)) to believe she can do the seemingly impossible if she has confidence in herself and is willing to risk the hard work to achieve her dreams. I am now in my thirties and still continue to love and appreciate this story. Highly recommended.

A Masterpiece to last the times.......2007-04-22

McKinley is one of the best in the business of fantasy writing. Though the only book I really didn't favor was Rose Daughter, her other books have vastly made up for that defect. The Hero and the Crown is about a young girl Aerin who wants to be something more than the over-looked daughter of the king of Damar. She wants to be a hero for her people and she goes about it in an unusual way for a girl.

Readers are taken through ancient times in Damar when magic within was the measure of a person's character and when magic was at it's height - save for in the magic-free Aerin-sol. Readers will be shown through the tenders years of Aerin's youth as she follows her unique dream and saves her people from the threats within. And once she finds herself on the journey of becoming a true hero, readers find that life isn't as easy for the revered Aerin, and she must make choices between two loves, two lives and conquering the evil that threatens her life and world.

This is a strong story told through the lyrical prose of Mckinley. Readers of fantasy will enjoy this timeless reprint and new comers ought not hesitate on buying this book for a thoroughly engrossing read

Almost as good as the Blue Sword.......2007-02-24

This is a wonderful book that features a lady hero. It is well written, but doesn't have quite the flow of the Blue Sword. Still, it is a fabulous addition to a fantasy readers' collection. Would be especially good for young girls. It portrays that women can be many things, including strong and heroic. It can also be read out of chronology with the other book and will still make sense.

Hero and the Crown.......2007-01-22

The Hero and the Crown (Book Review)

Aerin isn't considered royalty. Her father was a king and her mother was suspected to be a witch. Little did she know her life was about to change. The story about this mysterious crown starts going around and many people are looking for it. Everyone, until now, thought it was just a legend. So Aerin decides to go to war to find it. As a reward for slaying a couple of dragons Aerin gets the king's sword which he used to fight dragons himself. She kills a whole bunch of dragons with this sword. One dragon called Maur injured Aerin very badly. It takes her a very long time to heal and only a special healer called Luthe can heal her. Luthe tells Aerin about her family history during he healing period. Luthe eventually tells Aerin that she is supposed to face a way more difficult opponent than Maur. His name is Agsed and he is her uncle. He also has the crown which makes him more powerful than he already is. She fights him for a while and she throws these special leaves which are his weakness. That was the fatal blow for Agsed. I recommend this book to people who like fantasy.

The first reason I liked the book was because of the action. The first example would be when Aerin faced her first dragon. Aerin stood in front of the dragon's lair and the dragon didn't come out for a while. Then it lunged out at them. They battled for a while and then Aerin snuck up and killed it. Another time there was action was when Aerin was sent on another mission to slay another dragon. It was the first time Aerin actually got hit by a dragon. When she went up to cut off its head the dragon dug its teeth into her arm. The last example of action is when Aerin fought a dragon called Maur. He was a very big dragon and Aerin had never faced one as big as him. By a simple gust of his wings almost blew her away. Every spear she tried to throw harmlessly bounced off his skin. Maur burned Aerin with fire and she fell to the ground. The dragon tried to eat her so she grabbed its nostrils and plunged a knife into its eye.

The second reason I liked the book was because of the suspense. Like when Maur was trying to eat Aerin. I thought she was dead for sure but she had the presence of mind to take out her knife and stab it in the eye. Next example would be when Aerin was traveling towards Agsed's lair. As she got farther along in her travel things started looking more evil. This was excellent foreshadowing on the author's part. Last example is when Aerin fell while fighting Agsed. The ground gave way beneath her and she fell a very long distance. She surprisingly suffered no injuries from the fall.

Last but not least the final reason I liked the book was because of the storyline. Like when Luthe told Aerin that an evil man named Agsed was her uncle. She knew little about her family history so she didn't even know she had an uncle. Also that her mother actually wasn't a bad person. She was trying to stop Agsed by giving birth to a child that would slay him. She even died just to give birth to Aerin. The final example would be when Aerin poisoned herself so she wouldn't have to go to a wedding. Unfortunately she ended up going anyway so she poisoned herself for nothing.

People who like fantasy and action will love this book. Aerin went through many hardships in this book and she taught me a very important lesson. Fight for what you believe in because it will eventually pay off

D. Bennett

If you read and liked the Blue Sword, give this one a try........2006-08-02

After reading Beauty and The Blue Sword, I was eager for more from Robin McKinley. Of course, since The Hero and The Crown is a prequel to The Blue Sword (niether is exactly a sequel of the other; the Hero and the Crown happens first chronologically, but the Blue Sword was written first. Read them in whatever order you want.) I decided to give this book a try. I enjoyed it, but not as much or in the same way as I did the Blue Sword. If I were writing this review back when I first read this book, it would have been given three or four stars.

But, fortunately, time passes and opinions change, and chances to re-read come along. I am an almost obsessive re-reader; The Blue Sword was re-read countless times, but this book was re-read only twice before it was returned to the shelf to gather dust. A couple days ago, however, I decided to try it again.

It was marvellous.
Definately deserving of the full five stars.

This time around I was better able to appreciate the wonderful characterization and development in this story. When I was younger, I was looking for more action like you can find in the Blue Sword, and, though I wasn't entirely dissappointed (Aerin does take on a few dragons and such--what else would you expect from the legendary Lady Aerin, Dragon Killer?) the scenes of intense action were spread out, and when I was younger I found the in-between stuff tiresome.

However, my opinion has changed, and now I would say: The plot flows fast enough to keep you interested, though doesn't rush you along page after page with drama and excitement (though there is a good amount of both those here and there). Rather refreshing in a fantasy adventure.

I think a key to this book is being able to understand and appreciate what each scene, no matter how un-intense, does for the story. (At least, thats what helped me.) If you liked the Blue Sword or if either of these two books sound interesting, give this book a try; if it seems tiresome, maybe some time on the shelf is all it needs.

Average customer rating:

Worth It for Last Tale, Which Is Incomparable!
Door in the Hedge
Excellent!
Next up
Magical

Door in the Hedge
Robin McKinley
Manufacturer: Puffin
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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Rose Daughter
A Knot in the Grain and Other Stories
Spindle's End
Beauty: A Retelling of the Story of Beauty and the Beast
Deerskin

ASIN: 0698119606

Book Description

Master storyteller Robin McKinley here spins two new fairy tales and retells two cherished classics. All feature princesses touched with or by magic. There is Linadel, who lives in a kingdom next to Faerieland, where princesses are stolen away on their seventeenth birthdays-and Linadel's seventeenth birthday is tomorrow. And Korah, whose brother is bewitched by the magical Golden Hind; now it is up to her to break the spell. Rana must turn to a talking frog to help save her kingdom from the evil Aliyander. And then there are the twelve princesses, enspelled to dance through the soles of their shoes every night. . . . These are tales to read with delight!

Customer Reviews:

Worth It for Last Tale, Which Is Incomparable!.......2007-06-05

While I have become quite a fan of McKinley's, these short tales didn't captivate me as much as I expected, EXCEPT for the last story in the book, about the 12 Dancing Princesses. There is an airy, aching melancholy about the soldier's point of view in this story which is truly affecting! I haven't been able to get it out of my mind for days now, and I have re-read parts of the story over and over. This tale makes the entire book worth your attention, whether you are a McKinley reader or not. The 3 other stories will help you pass a nice spring or summer lunch hour, and cause a wry grin or two (except for the 1st one, which is the weakest of the bunch...I couldn't even eke out a half-smile at the happy, sappy ending myself, & the story overall was too disjointed for me). But the last will have you feeling a more than just a bit bittersweet for a long while, whenever you chance to think about it.
I love it when an author is able to make her readers experience a moment or two of extraordinariness, in an otherwise ordinary day.

Door in the Hedge.......2007-01-12

Well written and fun to read if you like imaginative books.

Excellent!.......2007-01-10

I sincerely enjoyed this collection of short stories. I am a total sap for anthologies of short stories, and Robin McKinley is one of my all-time favorite authors. I must admit, however, that this is not my favorite group of short stories by her, but it was a great read.

Next up.......2006-12-13

Not /quite/ as enthralling as "A Knot in the Grain", the next closest compendium of tales, or "Sunshine", McKinley's current Masterpiece, "The Door in the Hedge" is by no means to be overlooked.

As always, touched with the author's characteristic Fairy Tale style, but written to immerse any but the most casual of readers, each tale in this book stands well on its own, but taken together makes for quite an interesting read!

Filled with interesting, and rather original tales even if two are simply reworked, this book makes a must have addition to any Robin McKinley fan.

See also the listing for the paperback version, for more in-depth reviews.

Magical.......2006-09-12

This collection of re-told and brand new fairy tales is a delight to the senses. The author weaves the fabric of each tale with enchantment and allurement. She creates worlds and stories in which fairies, magic, and spells abound - yet with more depth and richness than your everyday fairytale. (That is, if any fairytale can be called everyday!) This collection of tales will captivate your imagination and fill you with a feeling of satisfaction when you have finished.

Average customer rating:

Not as good as Rose Daughter or Beauty
A beautiful work of art all the way through
Disappointing Stock Heroine
Spindle's End Will NOT Put You to Sleep...But it Might Just Cast its Spell Over You!
Not my style

Spindle's End
Robin McKinley
Manufacturer: Ace
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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Rose Daughter
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Door in the Hedge
Blue Sword
Deerskin

ASIN: 0441008658
Release Date: 2001-06-05

Amazon.com

Renowned fantasy writer Robin McKinley, author of the lush "Beauty and the Beast" retellings Beauty and Rose Daughter, has produced another re-mastered fairy tale, this time about the dreamy Sleeping Beauty. Much like in the original story, the infant princess, here named Rosie, is cursed by an evil fairy to die on her 21st birthday by pricking her finger on a spindle. That same day, Rosie is whisked away into hiding by a peasant fairy who raises her and conceals her royal identity. From that point on, McKinley's plot and characterization become wildly inventive. She imagines Rosie growing up into a strapping young woman who despises her golden hair, prefers leather breeches to ball gowns, and can communicate with animals. And on that fateful birthday, with no help from a prince, Rosie saves herself and her entire sleeping village from destruction, although she pays a realistic price. In a final master stroke, McKinley cleverly takes creative license when the spell-breaking kiss (made famous in "Sleeping Beauty") comes from a surprising source and is bestowed upon the character least expected.

Although the entire novel is well written, McKinley's characterization of Rosie's animal friends is exceptionally fine. Observations such as "...foxes generally wanted to talk about butterflies and grasses and weather for a long time while they sized you up," will spark reader's imaginations. It won't be hard to persuade readers of any age to become lost in this marvelous tale; the difficult part will be convincing them to come back from McKinley's country, where "the magic... was so thick and tenacious that it settled over the land like chalk dust...." Highly recommended. (Ages 12 and older) --Jennifer Hubert

Book Description

In the tradition of Beauty and Rose Daughter, Newbery Award-winning author Robin McKinley "lends a fresh perspective to a classic fairy tale, developing the story of Sleeping Beauty into a richly imagined, vividly depicted novel" (School Library Journal)

BRILLIANT...[a] sumptuous world. (New York Times Book Review)

MYTHIC GRANDEUR...with magical detail and all-too-human feeling. (Publishers Weekly starred review)

Satisfying reading, pleasing in the depth of the weaving and elaboration. (Chicago Tribune)

Rich prose and colorful description...keep readers spellbound. (Rocky Mountain News)

Customer Reviews:

Not as good as Rose Daughter or Beauty.......2007-03-12

I love fairy tales! I was so excited to see the author of Beauty had another retelling. Spindles End has me very confused. I am plugging through it and hope when I am done with it a second time I can give it more stars. I would not recommend it for younger readers.

A beautiful work of art all the way through.......2007-01-31

Spindle's End is not a book for the novice, nor is it a book for light reading at the beach. This is a writer's book: a book that is an experience all in and of itself. In this classic retelling of Sleeping Beauty, it is not the ending that matters, but rather the process it takes to get there.
In this book, Robin McKinley has created a world so dense and so believable that one cannot help but stare in awe at the depth of her imagination. This is not the typical fairytale, where a renaissance world is air-brushed, beautified, and decorated with a bit of Disney magic. Spindle's End is a fully realized but wholly new sort of country, and one reads it with the impression that this must have been fun to write.
The characters, both new and old, have blossomed under McKinley's sure hand, and it's wonderful to have a Sleeping Beauty (she doesn't actually do much sleeping, to be quite honest) who comes off as someone who's much less than perfect.

Disappointing Stock Heroine.......2006-12-07

Although Robin McKinley's stock heroine of "tall awkward ugly girl who loves horses and hates dresses" has worked well in other of her fairytale retellings*, this one is a distinct disappointment because it seems that that's all there is to Princess Briar-Rose. Even being the central character of the tale, she seems to have little personality other than the above attributes, which are emphasised to make sure the readers know Rosie would make an awful princess. Indeed, none of the characters in this book are particularly memorable, except perhaps Katriona who rescues baby Rosie as a teenage fairy agonising over her inability to do magic.

The plot is little better - events seem random and contrived, and the resolution to the problem of the missing princess is more than predictable by the time the reader reaches the second third of the book. Again, this is a let-down because other of McKinley's fantasy novels are well woven together.

One innovation that I did like about this book was "baby-magic" - a phase of uncontrolled, temperamental magic that fairies go through as toddlers - not relevant to the plot at any point, but an amusing distraction from its mediocrity. Note that fairies in this book aren't little people, but simply humans born with magical ability.

*Beauty, The Outlaws of Sherwood, Deerskin, etc.

Spindle's End Will NOT Put You to Sleep...But it Might Just Cast its Spell Over You!.......2006-10-09

I was simultaneously frustrated and enthralled by Spindle's End...overwhelmed by details, yet compelled to keep on reading! I positively loved the character development...come on, in the original most of us heard, Briar Rose has no character, she's literally a sleeping beauty and nothing more. In McKinley's retelling, we get a richly developed and individual character...and this development extends to all the main and secondary characters, including a large cast of animal characters. The fairy-tale locations are all superbly drawn and in reading this, one can slip easily into the story as if it were an old friend...but what is wonderful about this story is also what is frustrating about it. There is such a cacophony of details that at some points in the story it hurts to read, but for me, this is easy to forgive simply because I loved the way McKinley drew the characters giving them life beyond what we'd normally expect based on the bones of the original tale.

Briar Rose is swept away from her name-day celebration when Pernicia (the wicked fairy) places the curse upon the child by Katronia and swept away to the far end of the kingdom where she manages to live in relative safety until close to her 21st birthday...the time when Pernicia's curse is set to take her life. Along with way Katronia is helped by a menagerie of animals who nurse the young princess...from cows and goats to bear and otters...an interesting twist that seems to have a lingering effect on the young princess. As she grows up, she is more of a tomboy that she is a princess, talking to animals and becoming friends with the grizzled smith and ultimately leaning to be a healer of animals, even apprenticed to Narl the smith. In all of this we root for Katronia, Aunt, Narl and Rosie while sympathizing with the King and Queen (who have no idea where their princess is, but maintain the ruse that they have her in hiding), and sharing the same curiosity as to the location of Pernicia and her reasons for cursing the princess...for this is one character that is black and white, she's evil and beyond a sparse few details, we see very little of her and know almost nothing of her, her life/history, or motivations...this was disappointing, because she has the potential to be such a delicious, juicy and evil character and she is not.

The ending was interesting and confusing in some places...and, I think, I little more drawn out than necessary, but I LOVED the twist on the kiss at the end. I thought that was a well done touch that was also a bit of a surprise! Overall, I give it an A-, it's a bit long in the tooth with the details and the ending could have been polished a bit more, but what carries this story is that it's faithful to the original fairy tale feel whiling brining both the land and the characters to life in a way that is unique and fulfilling! McKinley is a master of brining us inside a character (or cast of characters) that were previously only flat and stereotypical, definitely going on the shelf as a keeper!

Not my style.......2006-08-04

This book might be great for some people... I just wasn't one of them. I like Robin Mckinley, I loved "Beauty" by her, and I really really wanted to love this book... but I didn't. I would advise anyone interested in buying it to make sure they read the first few pages of the books first. If the style didn't bother you, and your mind didn't start to go numb then this might be the book for you. And more power to you! But don't just buy the book because it's written by Robin Mckinley... in my humble opinion it's definately not her best work. For me it drug on and on and on, I couldn't even finish it, I got halfway through and decided I couldn't handle the migraines the book was inducing. But that's just me, like I said read a couple of pages and decide for yourself. If you dont like the first couple of pages though... don't except it to get any better... it doesn't.

Average customer rating:

An entrancing dream
A beautiful adult fairy tale
A hauntingly told story that is the best I have read in a long time!
Deerskin by Robin Mckinley
Slow...Slow...Slow........

Deerskin
Robin McKinley
Manufacturer: Ace Trade
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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Rose Daughter
Spindle's End
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Beauty: A Retelling of the Story of Beauty and the Beast
Blue Sword

ASIN: 0441012396

Book Description

As Princess Lissar reaches womanhood, it is clear to all the kingdom that in her breathtaking beauty she is the mirror image of her mother, the queen. But this seeming blessing forces her to flee for safety from her father's wrath. With her loyal dog Ash at her side, Lissar will unlock a door to a world of magic, where she will find the key to her survival-and an adventure beyond her wildest dreams.

Customer Reviews:

An entrancing dream .......2007-05-17

This novel is like a dream: things happen that don't always make sense, it starts very simplistic and turns horrific very quickly, and you find yourself unable to wake up or turn away because you have to know how it ends. I was originally a little put off by the incest and rape aspect of this book (two things I don't like to read about-- who does?) but McKinley is a master and handles this very well. The actual assault scenes are dream-like and not told in painful, exacting detail (thankfully) which make this novel all the more compelling. Lissar is in a sort of dream as well: her dreamy, isolated childhood, her nightmare after being betrayed by her father, and then she finally wakes up. This novel is so powerful and incredible that I suggest it to anyone and everyone. McKinley is one of my favorite writers and this is one of my favorite books from her.
Lissar is not a shrinking violet character, nor is she brash or outwardly strong: she is forgotten about most of her life and lives quietly with her dog. She grows to find strength she never knew she had and becomes an incredible character that I wish I heard more of. The scenes of dog raising add to the humanity of this book. I can't reccomend it enough!

A beautiful adult fairy tale.......2007-02-18

I absolutely love this book. Its one of my favorites and I've reread it several times. Deerskin is such a heartbreakingly tragic character that at times I was moved to tears by her pain. McKinley handles the topic of incest and rape in an appropriate manner that isn't too graphic, but nonetheless conveys the point. The romance that develops between Deerskin and prince Ossin is poignant and heartwarming. When Deerskin reveals her true identity and what happened to her, Ossin isn't disgusted. In fact he's outraged and appalled on her behalf. He wants nothing but her love and to love her in turn. My only problem with this book was the ending. It seemed vaguely unfinished to me. I wish Ms. McKinley had provided an epilogue or something that told us what happened to Deerskin and Ossin. Did they marry? Did Lissla Lissar manage to accept and overcome what happened to her and thereby accept Ossin's love? At the end of the story she does stay with Ossin but she stills seems a bit flighty and I can't help but wonder if she doesn't panic and leave him again. But in spite of that minor flaw this book is an incredible story that I highly recommend to anyone. The plot is original as well as heartbreaking in its sadness and joy.

A hauntingly told story that is the best I have read in a long time!.......2006-11-20

I have to say, this story is the first Robin McKinley that I have ever read and though I picked it up hesitantly, I couldn't put it down! The story is fiercely poetic in it's language of heartbreaking beauty and so can tell a story of unimaginable pain. You cannot help but weep for the wonder of the pain that it weaves, and yet the story has it's moments of humor and happiness that just make you want to laugh.
If all of his books are such, I feel I must read them all!
Five stars, if I could give more, I would!!!!

Deerskin by Robin Mckinley.......2006-07-22

I thought the book Deerskin was good very well written and not the typical book you normally read. It was very different but a good different but then I am partial to Robin Mckinley books. It had a good story line and though confusing in parts very good i loved it!

Slow...Slow...Slow...............2006-07-18

This book had such great reviews so I decided to try it. What I found was a slow story. I just didn't care about the characters and I struggled to get through the first 100 pages. The writing was good, but it did not draw me into the story.

Average customer rating:

Enjoyable, but 'Beauty' was better
Enchanting book
Very Beautifully Written
A Real Beauty
An interesting retelling of Beauty and the Beast

Rose Daughter
Robin McKinley
Manufacturer: Ace
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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Beauty: A Retelling of the Story of Beauty and the Beast
Spindle's End
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ASIN: 0441005837

Book Description

Twenty years ago, Robin McKinley dazzled readers with the power of her novel Beauty. Now this extraordinarily gifted novelist returns to the story of Beauty and the Beast with a fresh perspective, ingenuity, and mature insight. With Rose Daughter, she presents her finest and most deeply felt work--a compelling, richly imagined, and haunting exploration of the transformative power of love.

Customer Reviews:

Enjoyable, but 'Beauty' was better.......2007-06-23

In 'Rose Daughter,' McKinley expands on and enhances 'Beauty,' a book she wrote twenty years earlier. Both are retellings of the classic fairy tale Beauty and the Beast.

I actually liked 'Beauty,' the shorter work of the two, better as I didn't feel that 'Rose Daughter' added anything meaningful that wasn't already there. Part of what's missing for me is the natural progression in Beauty's relationship with The Beast - i.e. from fear to love through trust and compassion. In this book Beauty shows little or no terror at being completely uprooted from her family and forced to cohabitate with a beast-like creature. As a result, her ultimate love for this creature is less satisfying to the reader than it could have been. Still, I recommend it to readers who continue to enjoy the magic of fairy tales, adults included.

Enchanting book.......2007-05-28

I'll preface by stating that I haven't read "Beauty" yet---I just began reading McKinley a couple years ago when someone heartily recommended "Sunshine" (A "Beauty and the Beast" retelling if ever there was one, in my estimation!), and I was so enthralled by that book that I read "Deerskin" and "The Hero and the Crown" shortly thereafter. I am a firm McKinley fan at this point. "Rose Daughter" reminded me, in fact, of "Sunshine" in that the Beast stays true to himself (especially while being keenly aware of his own overblown pride, and what it has cost him), our protagonist Beauty recognizes this, and this enhances the depth of her feeling for him, which is another aspect of the choice she makes for him in the end. At one point in the book, she reminds herself of her own beauty eventually fading, & what will she have then to recommend her, particularly to herself? For all of those whose "inner princess" MUST win the handsome prince in the end, this is not your book.

I must also add that the "flowery" descriptive passages (pun intended) are nothing compared to, say, a book written by Umberto Eco such as "The Name of the Rose", which I cannot recommend. When one is forced to read and reread and triple-read to even glean the sense of a paragraph, it is too much work for me. This book is nothing at all like that, altho I can see where it might bore a younger crowd, who have not the patience for descriptive passages of "Rose Daughter"'s type. But they are certainly no more present in McKinley's book than in an epic such as "Lord of the Rings". If you can wade thru the dense, entangled, and wonderful descriptive passages in "LOTR", this book is a piece of cake baked by Jeweltongue herself!

As for the allegorical names, I can heartily recommend some Charles Dickens to anyone who'd like to brood over them---he was the undisputed master of this technique (could "Uriah Heep" be anything other than a bad guy, judging from name alone?). I actually think McKinley used them to great advantage in this story to suggest that labels may not be everything there is to know about a person---Beauty knows her beauty will eventually fade, Jeweltongue knows she can be a shrew with her words if she so chooses, and Lionheart knows she is fearless only up to a point (she backs down fast enough when she thinks her guise may be penetrated, and harm befall her family). Things are NOT what they appear, people have enormous depth, and if this isn't the point of the fairy tale told here, it ought to be.

I've recently ordered "Outlaws of Sherwood", "Spindle's End" and one of McKinley's short story books as well, but I will surely take the time to read "Beauty" now. I hope I find it equally enchanting.

Very Beautifully Written.......2007-05-15

The story is familiar--
but her prose is absolutely riveting. I love the way she writes, and while she does border on being a little too dense and descriptive, for me it just means that I'll have more to discover in my third, fourth, fifth, sixth read. Beauty's sisters are a lot more passionate and dynamic in this book than in her last, in fact, all of the characters seem a little more well-rounded. I forget if she used first-person narrative in 'Beauty' but this book seemed more fairy-tale-ish, more mystical.

I love the book immensely, although I do understand that people who read it without much enthusiasm won't be as drawn in, and may find it slightly difficult to get through.

A Real Beauty.......2007-04-08

I had a remarkably hard time trying to describe something as complex and hauntingly beautiful as Rose Daughter. It took my breath away with all the beautiful descriptions and prose throughout. This book has continued to stay in my mind a few years after reading it and I still wish there could have been more. Ms. McKinley has really outdone herself here, and there is really only one way to describe a book like this...

Enchanting.

An interesting retelling of Beauty and the Beast.......2007-03-12

My first introduction to Robin McKinley's work was with Beauty. My daughters and I LOVED Beauty. So far 3 of us have read Rose Daughter and while we liked it, we did not LOVE it. The story was fine, but we all found it a bit confusing to follow. I don't regret the purchase and plan to read it again. If I could have I would have given it 3.5 stars.

Average customer rating:

Enjoyable collection of fantasy short stories
Strange and Fascinating
Six short stories (3 by each author)
A Dash of Cold Water on the Face
A humble review

Water
Robin McKinley , and Peter Dickinson
Manufacturer: Ace Trade
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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Similar Items:

A Knot in the Grain and Other Stories
Door in the Hedge
Sunshine
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ASIN: 0441010563
Release Date: 2003-05-06

Book Description

Haunting, captivating, and beautifully rendered, Water explores the magical creatures that inhabit the sea. Some are as almost-familiar as mermaids; others are as strange as the thing glimpsed only as a golden eye in a pool at the edge of Damar's Great Desert Kalarsham. And then there is the unknowable, immense Kraken who lives beyond the darkness of the deepest ocean-a shadowy being who one day will rise and rule the world...

Customer Reviews:

Enjoyable collection of fantasy short stories.......2007-05-16

This book consists of 6 short stories- 3 by Mckinley and 3 by Dickinson; as indicated by the title they all center around water. Mckinley is by far the better author, but Dickinson's contributions are worth reading as well. I always enjoy reading Robin Mckinley's short stories because they are self-contained and provide the reader with a full story. Many authors make the mistake of writing a short story as if it were a single chapter in a novel; Mckinley does not fall into this trap (which is odd, given the multitude of loose ends that exist in some of her more recent novels). This book is definitely worth the price, especially for a Mckinley fan.

Strange and Fascinating.......2006-06-20

I picked up this book because it featured Robin McKinley's stories. She is a highly talented author.

Peter Dickinson's stories are on the most part drier and more brittle than McKinley's smooth, tautly woven prose. He lacks the beauty and mystery of McKinley's writing, but he introduced a fine piece in The Kraken, which is well worth the read.

McKinley, on the other hand, displays three well-turned stories that further her reputation as a writer. She never hesitates to flirt with old myths and legends, drawing on their ancient mystery, and spinning out new tales that combine old stories into her imaginative prose. Her writing is never forced or overdone. Each is seamlessly woven and smooth.

She features three stories, but The Pool in the Desert is definitely the gem of the entire collection. It tells of a girl's longing for a place she can visit only in her dreams. She falls in love with the dark sentinel of the desert, and yet she cannot stay in Damar, but is drawn back each morning to her dull life and her domineering parents. Her longing for Damar overcomes her humdrum life and she finds a way to journey to the place of her dreams. Overall, a strangely wistful but powerful story.

I'd say that the Pool in the Desert is probably the only one that shines. Water is definitely worth the read, if only as an introduction to Robin McKinley's writing.

Six short stories (3 by each author).......2005-12-24

On the whole, I was drawn into RM's stories more quickly than PD's (my favourites are "The Sea King's Son" and "The Water Horse"), although after repeated exposure I've developed some liking for two of his three. McKinley's stories herein seem to me to have more detailed and polished world-building. None of the six, to my knowledge, have been published previously.

"Mermaid Song" (PD) Setting = very like Puritan New England. (I'd have enjoyed it more if PD had simply made it an alternate Puritan history.) While the mundane setting may be off-putting at first, the sea-people's introduction is well handled when it comes. In a way, this is two stories - a family tradition (handed down from mother to daughter) and the story of the protagonist, young Pitiable Nasmith, left with her maternal grandparents upon her mother's death in childbirth.

Near the end of her life, Pitiable's grandmother tells her the story behind the most unusual of her songs - how their ancestress Charity Goodrich really survived shipwreck upon arriving in the new world as a girl. Although the People's culture isn't fleshed out much, the first contact scene between Charity and her sea-children rescuers is realistically detailed. In a neat reversal of some sea-people stories, the air-breathing person was a pet, kept in an undersea cave with no way out.

The present-day story turns grim when the grandfather takes to drink after his wife's death, which seems to have quenched what little of his heart survived his daughter's passing. Eventually he takes to walking along the seashore, and finds something that only Pitiable has learned to recognize, shaping up to a possible reversal of the secret tradition.

"The Sea-King's Son" (RM) Jenny, only child of a well-off farming family, grew into shyness as she grew up, and never let on that she had fallen in love with Robert, a good-looking younger son of another farming family from a village on the far side of the harbour separating the small towns they live in - a harbour under a curse by the king of the sea people, to avenge an injustice inflicted by the land people in the days when the two races had dealings with one another (though only a trade in luxury items, never friendship, each race considering the other too alien to grow close to). But when Jenny's parents make plans to send her away to the city for a season, in the hope that she might shake off her shyness, and perhaps find a good husband, Robert finally makes a move - for love of Jenny's inheritance rather than for her. But late in their courtship, Jenny makes an unannounced visit alone to Robert's family home, and what she learns there is more terrible for her than any ancient tale of sea-curses, and drives her onto the shortest road home - the direct route across the harbour.

"Sea Serpent" (PD) I was disappointed with the initial scene-setting, although the wave-riders eventually won me over a bit. The conflict between the New religion's chief god and the Old's chief goddess comes to a head as the builder of a new temple seeks building stone taken from the goddess' shrine (which seemed unoriginal). The magic-working temple-builder forces the neutral wave-riders, worshippers of the Sea God, to help transport the stones. The details of the minutiae, practical politics, and ethics of the wave-riders' work make the latter portion of the story a decent read.

"Water Horse" (RM) "This island is a strange place...a threshold between land and water; and the boundary between us is striven for, and fought over, and it shifts sometimes this way, and sometimes that...it is over this one island that the war is fought, and if once we yielded, then all those lands behind us - farther from the boundary we protect - would immediately come under threat, and they have no Guardians. We are the Guardians; and here we hold the line." So says Western Mouth to her inland-born apprentice, Tamia, who began her training at fourteen as do all apprentices, and can't help worrying that she's not really suitable for the work. But Western Mouth was a very old woman by the time Tamia came along...When Western Mouth has a stroke five years into Tamia's apprenticeship, the defenses are torn open, allowing a creature of sea-magic to slip through that Tamia must face in her Guardian's stead.

"Kraken" (PD) Somewhat similar to "Mermaid Song", although the two humans swept into the water are saved by more supernatural means and for more complex reasons. The protagonist, a young sea-princess indulging in her last rule-breaking before coming of age, runs serious risks to try to return them to the upper air.

"A Pool in the Desert" (RM) The only Damar story herein - not surprising, for a country bordered by desert in the more recent ages of the world. The protagonist, a present-day Homelander (not unlike our own present), begins dreaming of a time so far in Damar's past that it has become legend, and finds it far more like home than her parents' household, with their stranglehold on their children.

A Dash of Cold Water on the Face.......2005-08-05

This book struck me a blow across the mouth when I first read it, and I've grown in appreciation of it on subsequent readings. These are not pretty stories, but neither are they squalid; they are sometimes slow, sometimes difficult, sometimes piercing, all chilly and wet. These mermaids have sharp fins and keen calls, and it is an extremely refreshing shock to read both authors' contributions to the book. As I have time, I will be reading more of Peter Dickinson, whom I had not read previously. This is a simply good book.

A humble review.......2005-07-24

I've been a fan of McKinley's writing ever since I randomly selected "Spindle's End" off the shelf at the local Borders, and so when I discovered the collection of short stories put together by her and her husband Peter Dickenson (all based around my favorite of the four elements), I was thrilled.

Once again, Robin has not let me down in her production of fantastic tales. From the hopeful, innocent, and adorably naive Sea-King's Son to the continuance of her famous Damarian stories, I was sucked into the worlds that Robin creates once again and came out the other side with a smile on my face.

Peter Dickenson's stories were a delightfully dark contrast to Robin's upbeat and cheerful writing style. I admit that, at first, I found his stories to be slightly dry and slow (though The Kraken was wonderful), and even left off reading Sea Serpent for boredom. However, just this past week, I decided to give the story another go, as it was the only one in the book I hadn't read and I was desperate for new material. It took me but a few pages to realize that he was, in fact, writing about one of my favorite subjects: Arthurian Legend. I'd read in one of the other customer reviews that they felt that the gender-issues presented in this story were never fully explained. They must have, however, not caught the obvious references to Merlin, Stonehenge, the English Channel, and the battle between Christianity and Paganism (the male Church vs. the priestesses of Avalon). After seeing the connection, I paid closer attention to the story and, while it didn't become my favorite, it certainly raised my opinion of Dickenson as a writer.

Overall, the stories were well worth reading and were a great source of entertainment and enjoyment. I can only hope that the pair will release a book for each of the other three elements. Congrats Robin and Peter, you did a great job.

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