Patricia A. McKillip
Alphabet of Thorn (2004)
Author: Patricia A. McKillip
Genre: Fantasy
Plot Summary:
Nepenthe, an orphan raised by librarians, has a talent for translating texts written in obscure languages. The floating school of sorcery comes into possession of a book written in the language of thorns that no one in the entire Kingdom of Raine has been able to translate. Nepenthe is sent to retrieve the book in hopes that the librarians would have more success. As soon as she touches the book, Nepenthe feels something magical in it touch her soul. She decides to keep the book for herself and translate the story contained within. The more she translates, the more she becomes obsessed with the story. SPOILER: The book was written by Nepenthe's mother, who is a great sorceress. Her mother plans to lead an army through time to conquer the Kingdom of Raine and make Nepenthe the Queen. Nepenthe must choose between her loyalty to the current Queen of Raine, Tessera, and the mother she has never known.
Geographical Setting: Kingdom of Raine (Fantasy World)
Time Period: irrelevant
Appeal Characteristics:
This book, like most of McKillip's books, is a literary novel with a medieval feel intertwined with mystical elements. It could almost be set in 11th century Britain, if not for the sorcery. The cast of characters is small, but well developed, and they form strong and lasting relationships. The two leading female characters, Nepenthe and Tessera, are young women who struggle to define who they are and how they fit into the adult world. There are some romantic elements, specifically the relationship between Nepenthe and Bourne. There is also political tension when 16 year-old Tessera is crowned queen and neighboring nobles question whether or not she is fit to rule the twelve crowns of Raine.
Read-alikes: Anne Bishop's Black Jewels Trilogy and Disputed Lands Trilogy by Elizabeth Lowell are set in a medieval-like fantasy world similar to the world created by McKillip. A good read-alike that contains political tension with a female ruler is The Burning Land by Victoria Strauss. Politics can also be found in the fantasy book Split Heirs by Lawrence Watt-Evans and Esther Friesner. Also try Piers Anthony's If I Pay Thee Not In Gold because of it's romantic elements, women rulers and vivid medieval-like fantasy land.
Red Flags: Some description of violent acts, such as beheading.
Od Magic (2005)
Author: Patricia McKillip
Genre: Fantasy (Secondary Worlds)/Literary
Plot Summary:
Od's School of Magic is celebrated in the Kingdom of Numis. Every potential wizard must go there for training to serve the king. The rulers seek to control the school, in order to control the power, and punish any wizard who does not follow their rules. Brenden Vetch is asked by the wizard Od to be a gardener at the school. Unknown to him, or anyone else, Brenden has a magical gift stronger than anyone could guess. Princess Sulys keeps secret her knowledge of little magics, which are forbidden in her kingdom. The wizard Tyramin has showed up in the mysterious Twilight Quarter of the city, bringing with him illusions of magic, or perhaps something more. The king is troubled as magical danger seems to swamp his city.SPOILER: Od has disguised herself as a student at the school to observe how things are going. She purposefully brought Brenden to the school to awaken his inner magic and frighten the king, as she sees that he has gotten too controlling of her school and of magic in the kingdom.
Geographical Setting: Fantasy setting, the City of Kelior in the Kingdom of Numis.
Time Period: Fantasy
Appeal Characteristics:
This book started out slow with a lot of world building at the beginning, and the pace sped up through the end when there was a lot of action around the point of the climax. The main actions of the story take place only over the course of about a week. There was more dialog and action than description. The book has many point-of-view characters and story lines which alternate throughout the book, but all come together at the end. Because there are so many point-of-view characters, there doesn't seem to be one main character, and none of them are developed too in depth, though you get the most background information on Brenden, and you learn things about the other main characters. All the characters seemed very interesting and unique, with distinct personalities, despite the story not concentrating on any one for too long of a time. The story was more action oriented, though there was some internal conflict with the characters as well, as we learn of how their thoughts and emotions caused them to act in one way or another. However, people are really important to the storyline, as demonstrated by how many characters are in the story and have their own scenes. The book has a fantasy setting that is essential to the book, as magic is the main cause of conflict in the story. The background of the place and the situation is very important, and it covers the history of Od's school of magic, and the history of the city the story is set in. The writing style had a sort of fairy-tale quality to it, using enough description and background information to push the story forward. The theme of the story is that the government shouldn't be too controlling or over-reactive to every threat or they risk missing out on new things and driving talented and creative people away.
Read-alikes: Daughter of Exile by Isabel Glass. Lady Angarred Hashan journeys to the capital city to seek justice after her father is assassinated. This book features magic, political intrigue, a large cast of characters, and a complex plot with multiple story-lines. When the King Comes Home by Caroline Stevermer. Hail Rosmer, an apprentice artist, meets a mysterious young man who bears a striking resemblance to a portrait of King Julian IV, a ruler who has been dead for 200 years, and the two are led on an adventure. This book has a fantasy setting and magic, has a large cast of characters, a twisting complex plot, and political intrigue. Land of Dreams by James Blaylock. An alternate-universe California coastal town is the scene of wild and unpredictable events, starting with three friends who find a boat-sized shoe washed up on the shore. This novel has magic, a large cast of characters, and a complex, twisting plot. Dark of the Gods by P. C. Hodgett. This is a two book compilation. In the first book, child Jame wakes to find herself a young woman, wandering in the Haunted Lands, wounded and pursued by the undead. In the second book, Jame sets out to find her twin brother, Torisen, who instead of being Jame's age is older, and the Highlord of Kencyrath. This book has magic, a complex plot, a wide and varied cast of characters, and features political intrigue. Mystic and Rider by Sharon Shinn. Senneth, a mystic, and a team of shapeshifters and riders, are sent to Gillengaria to investigate rumors of retaliation against those who practice magic. The story features use of magic and a fantasy setting, has both action and drama, a large cast of characters, political intrigue, and a complex plot.
Red Flags: Death, Magic
Ombria in Shadow (2002)
Author: Patricia A. McKillip
Genre: Fantasy (Secondary World)
Plot Summary:
Prince Royce Greve dies leaving his young son Kyel to become the next ruler. The boy is too young to assume control, so the city falls under the power of his great aunt, the ancient and wicked Domina Pearl. Royce's mistress, a lowly bar maid named Lydea, is immediately forced to leave the palace by Domina Pearl. She is turned out and left to die in the dangerous streets of Ombria. Only, Lydea doesn't die. Instead, she is saved by Mag, a mysterious girl who lives with the Sorceress Faey. Faey has convinced Mag that she is Faey's waxling, that she has no thoughts of her own, and that she must do Faey's bidding. Faey and Mag live in the underworld of Ombria, the forgotten past of the city, a shadow world of ghosts buried beneath the present city. Meanwhile, although banished, Lydea loves Kyel and wants to save him from Domina Pearl. She is not alone in her love of Kyel. Royce Greve had a cousin, Ducon Greve. Ducon can't assume control of the city because he is a bastard. He lives in a state of inertia, obsessively drawing pictures of the shadowy, forgotten places in Ombria. However, he does love Kyel and wishes to save him from Domina Pearl. Other characters are less noble. There are factions who want Ducon to help them lead a rebellion and kill Kyel. When Ducon refuses to help them, he puts his own life in jeopardy. In the past, Faey has used her magic at Domina Pearl's bidding. Now, someone has hired Faey to poison Ducon. All of Ombria is thrown into turmoil as dark and light vie for control and Domina Pearl wields her evil power over the city. SPOILER: Everything comes to a climax in the palace, where all of the main characters have arrived. It turns out that Faey really did not create Mag from wax, but that she had loved and cared for Mag since the time she was a baby. When Mag is captured by Domina Pearl, Faey comes to her rescue. Faey's arrival in the upper world sets off a chain of events, restoring the balance between good and evil. Ducon meets his father--a man from another world who returns Lydea and Kyel safely to him after they had disappeared into the darkness while running from Domina Pearl's guards. Domina Pearl is destroyed. Ducon assumes control of Ombria. Lydea returns to live once again in the palace and continues taking care of Kyel. Mag becomes Kyel's tutor. Everyone (except Mag) forgets about the underworld and the struggles that led to peace.
Geographical Setting: Decaying city of Ombria
Time Period: Not indicated
Appeal Characteristics:
This novel will appeal to readers who like a complex storyline with multiple plot lines. The stories of the four main characters, Lydea, Ducon, Mag, and Faey, weave together in intricate ways. The story takes place on two levels: It is about Ombria and the underworld and what happens when the two worlds collide. It is also thought-provoking, asking questions about the border between past and present and the cyclical nature of things. Storyline is the most important appeal element in Ombria in Shadow, followed closely by frame and tone. The frame of the shadow city affects the tone. The novel is dark, mysterious, dream-like, magical, and full of death and decay. McKillip gives the reader enormous detail about the two cities, down to the furniture and the art on the walls. The dark tone creates a deep sense of foreboding. McKillip's writing style blends nicely with the setting to help flesh out the tone of the book. Her writing is complex and ornate. She spends a great deal of time on description, helping the reader to truly visualize her impressive setting and her creepy characters such as Domina Pearl and Faey, who constantly changes her own appearance. As a result of McKillip's emphasis on description, the book is densely written and has a deliberate pace. The main event, the death of Royce Greve, happens on the first page, but the rest of the book unfolds slowly after that until the final, impressive resolution in the last two chapters. Important characters are introduced slowly and readers do not learn characters' true intentions right away. While characterization is not the most important aspect of the story, the characters are well-described and interesting, mostly because they are so bizarre and mysterious and because of the ways that their lives are intertwined.
Read-alikes: Fantasy readers who enjoyed the thought-provoking storyline and the mysterious frame and tone of Ombria in Shadow may also enjoy Little, Big by John Crowley. In Little, Big Smoky Barnable comes to the mysterious mansion Edgewood to marry Daily Alice Drinkwater and join her extraordinary family. Those who enjoyed the dark tone and the multiple intertwined characters in Ombria in Shadow may also enjoy The Innkeeper's Song by Peter S. Beagle. It is the story of a man who follows three cloaked women to an inn in order to try to find out about his lover who died and was resurrected. Robin McKinley is another fantasy author who creates detailed settings and uses moderate pacing as the details unfold. Readers who enjoy these appeal elements but don't mind a change in setting might enjoy McKinley's novel Sunshine, in which Rae "Sunshine" Seddon must help to overthrow the vampires who are taking control of Earth. Those who enjoyed McKillip's setting of the palace with its many secret and forgotten chambers might also enjoy The High House by James Stoddard. In this book, Carter Anderson returns to Evenmere, a house with many mysterious passageways and magical rooms, only to find that his father, the master of the house, is missing and the Society of Anarchists is trying to seize control both of the house and the power it contains to keep the universe running smoothly. The High House may appeal to readers who enjoyed McKillip's complex story line with the theme of a vast power struggle. Those who want to read another fantasy with a cast of bizarre characters and a dark, mysterious tone but who are looking for something a bit more humorous might enjoy Land of Dreams by James P. Blaylock. In Land of Dreams the twelve-year Solstice comes to an alternative-universe California town, bringing with it a strange and sinister carnival. Thomas, the Rhymer is about a young man that gets captured by the Queen of Elfland and made to be her immortal lover for 7 years. During this time he is challenged by the Queen's brother to rhyme and sing. This book has some of the same qualities as Ombria in Shadow such as, well developed characterization and complex storylines. Another book known for well developed characters and very complex well written storylines is Wild Magic by Jude Fisher. As magic is reawaking in the world of Elda, eight very different key characters shape the fate of their world. Each character discovering what they can do to help their world. If you want a story that is very well written and that develops the characters really well, then check out Dark of the Gods by P.C.Hodgell. She writes fantasy without too much world building and intriguing characters. The story is about a young woman named Jame, who finds herself in serious predicaments such as becoming involved with thieves, rulers, inn-keepers, and divine powers. In The King by David Feintuch, a King trying to save his kingdom and his family finds himself in the midst of a duel of magic. Involving politics and war Feintuch is still able to keep the book smooth and compelling. Those who like the pace and characterization of McKillip's books will probably like this one as well. If you are looking for a quick paced light hearted fantasy, you might like Hero and the Crown by Robin McKinley. The main character has to prove herself worthy of her father's kingdom and along the way she finds magic, friends, and adventure. With its upbeat tone, most readers enjoy this book.
Red Flags: Some Violence
Solstice Wood (2006)
Author: Patricia McKillip
Genre: Fantasy (Mythology)
Plot Summary:
Solstice Wood is the story of Sylvia Lynn, a woman who has spent most of her adult life running away from the small town that she grew up in and the strange stories that fill it. When she returns home for her grandfather's funeral, she discovers that she is the heir to her grandparents' home, Lynn Hall, and the mysterious, fantastical woods behind it. Before Sylvia's grandmother, Iris, can allow possession of the manor to be transferred, however, Sylvia must be taught about the secrets of Lynn Hall, the Lynn family, and of the fiber circle, populated with the town's women, that Iris organizes and hosts each month. Sylvia learns that the women in the fiber circle are actually witches, who, through their various crafts, weave protection spells around Lynn Hall and the surrounding areas. They believe that their spells are necessary to protect the world from the cruel and deceptive fairies who have, even as Sylvia is learning of the existence of this coven, abducted Sylvia's cousin into their realm and replaced him with a changeling. SPOILER: Sylvia has to confront her secret origins as half-fairy in order to travel to the fairy realm and rescue her nephew. She arranges a meeting with the Queen of the Fairies, and the coven's eyes are opened to the possibility that fairies are not necessarily destructive forces. An uneasy truce is stricken between the fairies and the coven, and Sylvia, having accepted the identity of her father, and Iris, having accepted that all things fairy are not absolutely evil, can begin to form a real relationship and Sylvia can accept her place as the owner of Lynn Hall.
Geographical Setting: Lynn Hall and the surrounding village (eastern US); Faerie
Time Period: Present day (2006)
Series: sequel to Winter Rose (1996)
Appeal Characteristics:
There are several very strong characters in this book who contribute their first-person perspectives to the novel and who are developed slowly over time, with their personalities expanding and deepening as they face new situations and new revelations. The characters are undoubtedly an important aspect of this novel, and even beyond the four characters who assist in telling the story, there is a cast of secondary characters who each have distinctive personalities and important roles in the tale. Although I would say that characterization is secondary to the tone of the novel, it is very obviously an important element, and the reader is expected to identify with them and experience the events of the story through their eyes. The book moves slowly, giving the reader time to absorb the emotions of the characters; the plot is revealed gradually, and there is much more description than dialogue. Because the book alternates the point-of-view from which the story is being told every chapter, the book sometimes backtracks to see the same event from two different people's perspective. Additionally, most of the actions of the characters are actually reactions, both to events beyond their own control and to the beliefs and traditions that they, and their families and friends, have been taught to follow. The novel is definitely open-ended; at the end, there is no certainty that the coven's usefulness has ended, or that allowing the fairies into the realm of the humans won't be disastrous. There are only vaguely hopeful sentiments and some seemingly solid relationships. The frame of the novel is very much small town feel to it; it does occur in a tiny village, and the characters all know each other and share the same culture and mythologies; even those things that are supposedly secret are speculated about or hinted at by other characters. The background is extremely detailed; a lot of information is given about the history of the Lynn family, Lynn Hall and the surrounding grounds, as well as the current state of each. There are also key details given about the town surrounding Lynn Hall that affect the feel of the story; certain elements, like the way people mention offhandedly the strangeness of the Rowan family, make it feel as though there are mostly unspoken aspects to the town that everyone knows, nevertheless. While the story does have a contemporary setting in a real (if vague) location, there is definitely a special background frame that the author carefully constructed. The way that the town and the characters are presented, the way that they seem to all accept the existence of fairies, even if they don't talk about it in public, makes the setting feel otherworldly and timeless, unchanging. The frame definitely affects the tone; this special village that the author created helps make the story feel magical, surreal, ancient, and even sacred. The storyline is definitely intended to be serious and dramatic; even through the most fantastical events, there is a sense of sobriety and gravity. It is definitely more focused on the internal than the exterior; there isn't a lot of physical action, and the characters' travails are always focused on overcoming mental and emotional barriers rather than physical ones. The storyline occurs on multiple levels, as well, with different events and emotions that are experienced by different characters combine to create a completely new perspective than is held by each individual. Solstice Wood is written in a literary style, employing a lot of metaphor and containing a lot of long, descriptive passages. It is also elegantly and poetically written, with each word seeming to be carefully chosen to convey the feel and moode that the author intended.
Read-alikes: The Decoy Princess by Dawn Cook is the story of Tess, a street urchin who was raised as the Princess Contessa of Costenopolie in order to lead any aspiring assassins away from the real princess, who is hidden away in a monastery. When the Princess's impatient betrothed, Prince Garrett, arrives unexpectedly to take over Costenopolie, killing the King and Queen and going after the real Princess, Tess escapes and sets out to make her own life and to stop Garrett from hurting any more of the people Tess loves. While this novel is a high fantasy novel, without the contemporary setting of Solstice Wood, the female character who must suddenly confront her own origins and work alone to save her loved ones, will appeal to those who enjoy the trials that Sylvia faces. Additionally, although this book does have more action than Solstice Wood, those who enjoyed the measured pacing of that novel, with its intense attention to detail, its lush description and careful world-building, will appreciate those aspects in The Decoy Princess. In Widdershins by Charles De Lint, Lizzie Mahone is drawn into a magical otherworld, filled with alternatingly benevolent and malicious spirit-folk, when her car breaks down in Newford (the setting of many other books in this series) and she is assaulted by a group of violent spirits, then rescued by a much friendlier one. It is also the story of Jilly and Geordie, residents of Newford whose backstories are written about in other books in the series, and the relationship between the two of them. Those who enjoyed the frame of Solstice Wood, with its real-world setting that is touched by and linked to another, fantastical realm, will also enjoy that here in Widdershins. Those readers who enjoyed the multiple main characters in Solstice Wood and the way that their lives and experiences were separate, but woven together to create a single fabric that formed the village they lived in, will enjoy the same interconnectedness between characters here. Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro, is the story of Kathy H., now 31, who spent her youth at Hailsham, a boarding school in Britain for gifted students. Though the setting is superficially bright and beautiful, the book hints at something darker, and Kathy and two of her friends from Hailsham, with whom she has reconnected, have discovered that none of them quite fit into the ordinary world. They discover that they, and all of the other Hailsham students, are actually clones who have been created and raised to be organ donors. Although darker and ultimately more hopeless than Solstice Wood, those who enjoyed the surreal tone of that novel, its tense mysticism and its hinting at the strange and dangerous things that lay just beyond the surface, will enjoy this same feeling in Never Let Me Go. Those who appreciate the pacing of Solstice Wood, the slow, carefully measured narrative that gradually reveals tiny bits of information in order to effectively create a larger picture, will like that aspect of Never Let Me Go as well. In The Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger, Henry De Tamble has a genetic disorder that causes him to time travel spontaneously into the past and the future. The first time he meets his future wife, Clare, she is in her 20s; the first time Clare meets him, though, Clare is six and Henry has been brought back to her from a time after their marriage. Throughout the novel, Henry and Clare continue to meet at different points in both of their lives, and Henry's sudden appearances and disappearances put him in almost constant danger. Those who were drawn to the tone of Solstice Wood, the mixture of timelessness, surreality, and mysteriousness will also appreciate that in The Time Traveler's Wife. Though the wording is a bit more spare in Niffenegger's book, those that enjoyed writing style of Solstice Wood, with its carefully chosen words and its mixture of the literary and the poetic that make you feel like you're reading in a slow, measured whisper, will appreciate those same elements in The Time Traveler's Wife. In Daughter of the Forest by Juliet Marillier, Sorcha is the youngest child, and only daughter, of the Celtic Lord Colum who's foremost aim in life is to protect his lands against outsiders, including the Saxon and Briton forces who his children have come to view more sympathetically than does Colum. When Colum brings home a new wife who turns Sorcha's brothers into swans to keep them from interfering in her plans, Sorcha must work to break the spell by working her own painful magic, weaving shirts out of nettles. Those who enjoyed the characters in Solstice Wood, including both those mired in tradition and unable to look past the ways in which they were instructed, as well as those who are ready to confront those traditions and find a new way of doing things will enjoy the characters here as well. Sorcha, in particular, who has to defy her family's traditions in order to save those same people, will appeal to those who identified with the character of Sylvia. The writing styles are also similar, with heavily descriptive, literary styles that use a lot of metaphor, and focus as much on creating a realistic scene by expounding on the domestic details as on creating a sense of mysticism by explaining the magical elements. Readers who enjoyed the lush writing style and fairy-tale theme of McKillip's work may be interested in her other works, especially the prequel to Solstice Wood, Winter Rose (1996). This book is the "journal" that Syl reads in Solstice Wood, and retells the story of Tam Lin, who was captured by faeries and saved by the love of a human woman. Those who enjoy this retelling of the Tam Lin story in a modern setting may also enjoy Pamela Dean's Tam Lin, which is set on the campus of a small Midwestern college in the 1970's. Dean's style is every bit as rich and dream-like as McKillip's, and her characters are likewise well developed. For even more reading into stately, character-centric fantasy, try Ellen Kushner's Thomas the Rhymer, which is also based on a famous ballad. Here, Thomas is abducted by the Queen of Faery, and must live with her for seven years. Another popular author with a similar elaborate style and and themes to McKillip is Robin McKinley. Her Rose Daughter retells the story of Beauty and the Beast, set in France. For a more modern setting that still features elements of magic, try the Faerie Tale series by Holly Black. The first book, Tithe, tells the story of a Kaye, a teen who winds up caught in a conflict between two faerie courts. Its sequels are Valiant and Ironside. For a more traditional fantasy novel that still maintains the literary overtones of McKillip's work, try The Dreaming Tree by C. J. Cherryh. Collecting the novels The Dreamstone and The Tree of Swords and Jewels, this moving book follows the relationship between a human man and the last of a fading race of faeries.
Red Flags: Pre- and extra-marital affairs occur, often between humans and fay, but no graphic descriptions of sex are given; the death of Syl's grandfather occurs off-stage, and is dealt with at length throughout the book.
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