Patricia A. McKillip (1948–2022)

This is my second Patricia McKillip book. I loved her prose in this nearly as much as in The Forgotten Beasts of Eld. There was also something in this I've not really come across in sci-fi (and science fantasy, which this probably fits better) before: a focus on music and musicians.

However, I spent most of my time reading this book in some state of confusion. I think that comes down partly to there being quite an ensemble of characters running around on these 252 pages, who are all introduced rather quickly without time to really familiarise and pin down who is who. The musicians all using stage names did not help. By the end I had figured most of them out, but still felt a little baffled. Like the story didn't quite wrap up.

Might revisit with a reread after I've gone through some more of her fantasy works.… (more)

This is my second Patricia McKillip book. I loved her prose in this nearly as much as in The Forgotten Beasts of Eld. There was also something in this I've not really come across in sci-fi (and science fantasy, which this probably fits better) before: a focus on music and musicians.

However, I spent most of my time reading this book in some state of confusion. I think that comes down partly to there being quite an ensemble of characters running around on these 252 pages, who are all introduced rather quickly without time to really familiarise and pin down who is who. The musicians all using stage names did not help. By the end I had figured most of them out, but still felt a little baffled. Like the story didn't quite wrap up.

Might revisit with a reread after I've gone through some more of her fantasy works.… (more)

I read this book a while ago and decided to re-read it. I remember being a bit confused the first time through, remembering only elements like a one-stringed instrument held by the player and a music school where one of the main characters teaches.

And on this re-reading, I'm beginning to see why it was confusing. Don't get me wrong: I love Patricia A. McKillip's writings and her books kept me going through many decades (now). But this one did not, and I think it's a combination of things.

Her writing style is beautifully descriptive and evocative of feelings and place. And she has wonderful women who play prominent roles. But. This book was about the deepest of evils and a ruler whose symbol was a basilisk, and who burned the ruling family out of their home. Which is how this book begins, from the eyes of the heir to this ruling family hiding in the ashes of the hearth.

But all this story is hidden and barely becomes a story until close to the end, and instead one catches glimpses of events that are very hard to piece together. When there is a story that finally unfolds, it is told with McKillip's abilities and images. But there is too much going on with evil and court intrigues and just outright vileness for there to be so little of a story and so much of atmosphere and ponderings and descriptions.

So, sadly, this one got this rating from this reader.… (more)

Even though this is my first Patricia A. McKillip book, I have known her reputation as a writer and I have had her on my to-read list for a long time. This book is one of her best-known ones, and the critical reception was very positive. According to the Wikipedia:

The Forgotten Beasts of Eld has been reviewed by Locus as "a mythical kingdom fantasy with a marvelous heroine, satisfying strange beasts and chilling sorcery". Publishers Weekly wrote "this magical moonlight fantasy has dignity and romance, heartstopping suspense, adventure, richness of concept and language." Lester del Rey praised the novel as "a true fairy tale in its telling and its development," citing the "marvelous subtlety" of McKillip's storytelling and her "inevitable but unexpected" resolution of the story.

Before reading it, my expectation was that it would be well-written, lyrical and fairy-tale-like. And, to tell you the truth, I respect and I can enjoy that kind of books, but I prefer a more straightforward, epic narration. Above all, I enjoy it when I get to care deeply about the characters, and that usually does not happen with lyrical/poetical books.

The book was better than I had expected, and I ended up loving it unreservedly. Yes, it's lyrical and well-written, but it also tells a rich, very human story, beautiful and terrible, and I cared a lot about the main characters. I highly recommend the novel and it certainly will not be the last one I read by this author.… (more)