Helpful Score: 5
In wolf shape, amoung the wolves, he had scented danger sweeping towards the mountains he loved...
So begins the story of a man who lived amoung the wolves, hiding from the mistakes of his past...and the woman who offered him one last chance for redemption.
Good story, lots of detail in description.
So begins the story of a man who lived amoung the wolves, hiding from the mistakes of his past...and the woman who offered him one last chance for redemption.
Good story, lots of detail in description.
Helpful Score: 4
A beautiful fairytale.
Atrix Wolfe is a powerful mage. Years ago, in an attempt to stop a war between two kingdoms, he conjured a terrible Hunter through sorcery... causing more death than, possibly, the war would have. In remorse and shame, he fled to the life of a hermit...
But now, a young prince in mage training has found his spellbook, and old sorceries are stirring.. And, for some reason, the beautiful Faerie Queen of the Wood is sending visions to both a boy and a mage...
Meanwhile, in the castle kitchens, a mute kitchen drudge called Saro labors endlessly over her dirty pots... and sees visions in the washwater...
Remarkable, as always, for the vivid poetics of McKillip's language, and the purity of her vision... Plus, this one has descriptions of the castle feasts that'll have your mouth watering!
I don't think this is McKillip's best book, but it's certainly a very good one.
Atrix Wolfe is a powerful mage. Years ago, in an attempt to stop a war between two kingdoms, he conjured a terrible Hunter through sorcery... causing more death than, possibly, the war would have. In remorse and shame, he fled to the life of a hermit...
But now, a young prince in mage training has found his spellbook, and old sorceries are stirring.. And, for some reason, the beautiful Faerie Queen of the Wood is sending visions to both a boy and a mage...
Meanwhile, in the castle kitchens, a mute kitchen drudge called Saro labors endlessly over her dirty pots... and sees visions in the washwater...
Remarkable, as always, for the vivid poetics of McKillip's language, and the purity of her vision... Plus, this one has descriptions of the castle feasts that'll have your mouth watering!
I don't think this is McKillip's best book, but it's certainly a very good one.
Helpful Score: 3
Loved, loved, loved this book. Is not my favourite Patricia McKillip book, but is still a really great one nonetheless. A great little read, with some philosophical goodness thrown in.
Typical, wonderful McKillip. A little confusing at times, I had to read over some passages again.
I liked how this book started, but I kept waiting for "something more" that the author seemed to hint was coming. When I finished, I found myself still waiting. I felt like the book had something missing from the plot, making me disappointed with the whole book overall.
Before I read Atrix Wolfe, I read some other reviews saying it wasn't Patricia McKillip's best work, so I went ahead with lowered expectations, and at first I thought they were justified. Maybe they are! But for an author like McKillip, "not her best" is still a unique and lovely fantasy written so beautifully I didn't want it to end. Maybe I'm biased, because Patricia McKillip is one of my all time favorite authors, and I think she does this type of dream-like fantasy better than anyone, but I was completely enchanted.
