The Forgotten Beasts of Eld (Magic Carpet Books)
by Patricia A. McKillip
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Book Summary Information
Author: Patricia A. McKillipEdition: Paperback
Audio: English (Unknown); English (Original Language); English (Published)
Published: 2006-01-01
ISBN: 0152055363
Number of pages: 352
Publisher: Sandpiper
Book Reviews of The Forgotten Beasts of Eld (Magic Carpet Books)
Book Review: A beautifully written fantasy populated with intelligent and thoughtful characters and creatures
Summary: 5 Stars
Upon reading the first page of this excellent young adult fantasy, you know that you are in the hands of a careful writer. Patricia McKillip's style and word choice are reminiscent of old fairy tales, yet they are not stiff and formulaic. McKillip's lyrical language moves wondrously, like a dream floating on the wind, and then settling softly in fresh-powder snow. Because the writing flows so well, one might be tempted to breeze through the book, but I suggest slowing down and savoring a good writer's craft. One thing I particularly enjoy is that although none of the characters could exist in the real world--that is, they feel like they belong in a different time and place--they are easy to recognize and sympathize with. It's refreshing to read such a seamless blend of setting and character. The story is at once a romance, a coming-of-age tale, a magical fantasy, and an adventure. There's just enough of each of those ingredients.
I can imagine some readers thinking the story is dull and moves too slow, but intelligent characters who are emotionally complex tend to hesitate. That's part of the suspense and wonder of the fantasy. Most fantasy novels position good opposite of evil, and so the plot proceeds quickly and surely, but The Forgotten Beasts of Eld is aware that good and evil are often relative, and the result is a rather quiet and haunting tale.
The heroine, Sybel, starts the novel at age sixteen, but she doesn't begin to wrestle with the emotions of love and hate until she's nearly double that age. At first I thought that this flew in the face of young adult literature, which typically has younger characters. But even though Sybel is older than the audience of this book, she has a severe case of arrested development, which makes her seem like a teenager. Thus, she's a woman trying to figure out what that means. And nothing could be more young adult than that.
Summary of The Forgotten Beasts of Eld (Magic Carpet Books)
Sixteen when a baby is brought to her to raise, Sybel has grown up on Eld Mountain. Her only playmates are the creatures of a fantastic menagerie called there by wizardry. Sybel has cared nothing for humans, until the baby awakens emotions previously unknown to her. And when Coren--the man who brought this child--returns, Sybel's world is again turned upside down.
Almost destroyed because of a man's fear and greed, Sybel, a beautiful young sorceress, embarks on a quest for revenge that proves equally destructive. Winner of the World Fantasy award, this exquisitely written story has something for almost every reader: adventure, romance and a resonant mythology that reveals powerful truths about human nature. Locus praised it for its "marvelous heroine... and chilling sorcery" and The New York Times called it "rich and regal."
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