under my hat

I’ve undergone a transformation.  For most of my life I thought of short stories as the second-class citizens of the reading world.  Why read a short story anthology when you could pick a thick book that would keep you reading the same story for hours?  I wanted epic stories, the longer the better.

Things have changed since those days.  I don’t have hours-long blocks of time to spend immersed in a book (unless I want to stay awake all night and then deal with a reading hangover at work the next day).  Instead, I have a twenty-five minute bus commute, a fifteen minute lunch, one hour before bed. In those moments, a brief, vivid story is sometimes all that I can digest. And an anthology, created to collect related short stories or novellas, is the perfect solution.  It is this change in thinking and change in reading habits that led me to list ‘read more short stories’ as one of my goals for 2013.  And I did just that by picking up Under My Hat: Tales from the Cauldron, edited by Jonathan Strahan.

Neil Gaiman, Holly Black, Diana Peterfreund, Margo Lanagan, Peter S. Beagle, and Garth Nix are just a few of the authors who have toiled over their cauldrons and conjured up bewitching new creations inspired by and celebrating the might and mystery of the witch. Assembled by one of the most well-regarded anthologists in the science fiction/fantasy world, this rich, intelligent collection will enchant readers of all ages.

Under My Hat is one of the strongest anthologies I’ve ever read.  Usually there are a couple of excellent entries, a few that register as fair, and one or two that are simply mediocre.  The quality of this anthology was ‘good and/or great’ across the board.  The theme, of course, is magic.  Specifically, magic that requires a hat: witchy magic.  Strahan gave the authors some flexibility within that theme, but all of the stories have a connection to the central motif.  Even within a strong anthology I had my favorites, and the mini-reviews for those stories follow below.

Payment Due by Frances Hardinge – When an unwelcome intruder takes the things that matter to a girl and her grandmother, something must be done – and it may be a bit… unnatural.  I have never, to my knowledge, read Frances Hardinge before.  I will remedy my ignorance posthaste, because this little story was not only about revenge and magic, it also managed funny, tragic, menacing, and heartwarming all in one go. 

A Handful of Ashes by Garth Nix – A school bully awakens old magic that should have remained buried, and it’s up to a few intrepid student witches to protect their lives and outwit the other side.  It doesn’t surprise me that a Garth Nix story should be one of my favorites of the collection.  Nix’s entry highlights the advantages of working hard, overcoming obstacles and paying attention to history – which are life skills too (not just magic).

Which Witch by Patricia A. McKillip – Bandmates may be facing a menace blind if a crow familiar can’t communicate to and protect his chosen witch.  Faceoff at show time.  Though short, this story is packed with detail.  Multiple character perspectives widen the scope, and while the threat is deadly, the focus is light and fun overall.

Great-Grandmother in the Cellar by Peter S. Beagle – When a witch curses his sister and threatens to keep her asleep forever, a young man makes the fateful decision to dig up his great-grandmother’s bones. This story is gruesome, hilarious, (again) revenge-filled awesome.  Just dark and unpredictable enough to make one shiver, while surprising the reader into laughs and an acknowledgement of the author’s skill.

Crow and Caper, Caper and Crow by Margo Lanagan – Even across many miles, Pen knows it’s time for her granddaughter’s birth.  The journey changes her, and her granddaughter will alter her even more.  When I first read Lanagan last year I predicted that I would be coming back to her writing.  Here’s the proof that I was right.  The tale of this woman’s journey and choices is beautiful, haunting, and human.

In all, Under My Hat is a delicious anthology: it combines wonderful work by some of the best fantasists in the business, and brings those stories to the reader in one delightful package. It’s early yet, but I predict that it’ll be in the running for best of the year.

Recommended for: fans of fantasy and the short story form, anyone who imagines magic in the everyday (or would like to), and the uninitiated reader who would like to sample the wares of some of the greatest (living) writers of fantasy.

waiting on wednesday (35)

I’m participating today in "Waiting On" Wednesday. It is a weekly event, hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine, and its purpose is to spotlight eagerly anticipated upcoming releases.

If you’ve been paying attention (pop quiz later! kidding, kidding.), you know I’m a devoted fan of Patricia McKillip.  She of Alphabet of Thorn, The Forgotten Beasts of Eld, The Bell at Sealey Head and The Bards of Bone Plain, to name a few that I’ve reviewed here.  Each of her books has its own charm, but the threads of enchantment and dream-like prose guarantee that I keep coming back for more fantastical writing.  On another note, I’ve also developed a love for the short story form as I’ve gotten older (and have shorter stretches of time free to spend immersed in books).  This upcoming title combines the best of both loves in one package: short stories by Patricia McKillip.  I may die of happiness.  Wonders of the Invisible World will be published by Tachyon Publications, and releases on October 1st, 2012.
 

Stylistically rooted in fairy tale and mythology, imperceptible landscapes are explored in these opulent stories from a beloved fantasy icon. There are princesses dancing with dead suitors, a knight in love with an official of exotic lineage, and fortune’s fool stealing into the present instead of the future. In one mesmerizing tale, a time-traveling angel is forbidden to intervene in Cotton Mather’s religious ravings, while another narrative finds a wizard seduced in his youth by the Faerie Queen and returning the treasure that is rightfully hers. Bewitching, bittersweet, and deeply intoxicating, this collection draws elements from the fables of history and re-creates them in startlingly magical ways.

What books are you waiting on?

retro friday - the forgotten beasts of eld

Retro Friday is a weekly meme hosted at Angieville that focuses on reviewing books from the past. These can be old favorites, under-the-radar treasures that deserve more attention, woefully out-of-print books, and so on. Everyone is welcome to participate!

Do you remember the book that turned you into a fan of an author?  I have many favorite authors (Neil Gaiman, Robin McKinley, Garth Nix, and Patricia McKillip, to name a few), and I vividly recall the books that changed me from casual reader into devoted, ‘no really, I’ll read ANYTHING you write’ fan.  With Gaiman it was Neverwhere; with McKinley, The Blue Sword, and for Nix, Sabriel.  For Patricia McKillip, my go-to high fantasy fix?  The Forgotten Beasts of Eld.

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.

I read Patricia McKillip’s World Fantasy Award-winning The Forgotten Beasts of Eld at age eighteen, during my first year in college.  I found it interesting and strange, but didn’t particularly like it.  However, it did introduce me to Patricia McKillip, and from that moment on I read anything she published (and most of her backlist, too).  Recently while browsing the teen sci-fi and fantasy section at my locally library I came upon it again and thought it worth the re-read.

As an adult re-acquainting myself with this book, I see it with a clarity that I did not before, and perhaps have a greater appreciation for it.  McKillip always writes about the tricky, unknowable intent of the heart.  Well, and magic of course!  In The Forgotten Beasts of Eld she explores themes of independence, power, responsibility, familial duty, deception and forgiveness.  But above all, the book is about knowing oneself.  I rather think that part of the reason I didn’t love it the first time out was that I didn’t yet know myself, and couldn’t see the complex motivations of the characters for what they were – an explanation of truth.

Though Sybel’s story is classified as YA, it would now I think be a little hard to place.  The protagonist starts quite young, but by the end of the book she has raised a child.  In any case, while the issues are deep and the scope broad, the fact that the book is fantasy helps soften the edges a bit and younger readers will likely gloss over things they do not understand (like I did).

Recommended for: an easy entrance into a world of exquisitely written high fantasy, and fans of Robin McKinley, Patricia C. Wrede and Kristin Cashore.

the bards of bone plain

There are a couple of authors on my "auto-buy" list. Patricia McKillip is one of them. She writes marvelous high fantasy that is so painstakingly created and populated that I equate it in my head with delicate embroidery on an enormous, exquisite tapestry.

While McKillip has written middle grade in the past, her recent books have been adult fantasy (with definite YA crossover appeal). Her latest publication is The Bards of Bone Plain, which I requested for Christmas in 2010, received, and read in early of 2011. In fact, I was quite sure I'd reviewed it here. Well, there's no time like the present!

With "her exquisite grasp of the fantasist's craft" (Publishers Weekly) Patricia A. McKillip now invites readers to discover a place that may only exist in the mystical wisdom of poetry and music.

Scholar Phelan Cle is researching Bone Plain – which has been studied for the last 500 years, though no one has been able to locate it as a real place. Archaeologist Jonah Cle, Phelan's father, is also hunting through time, piecing history together from forgotten trinkets. His most eager disciple is Princess Beatrice, the king's youngest daughter. When they unearth a disk marked with ancient runes, Beatrice pursues the secrets of a lost language that she suddenly notices all around her, hidden in plain sight.

McKillip's strength is in her prose. Her intricate descriptions of places, knowledge, and human relationships with story sweep you into the tale, and from there it’s mystery, romance, history and a dash of danger. Her genius creeps up on you as you become enmeshed in the story, and her words take on lives of them own, so that you can see, hear, and understand magic.

However, even the strongest world-building must have some plot, and the story must make you love/hate/feel for its protagonists. While McKillip’s latest offering leads you on a merry chase of history, the ‘plot,’ such as it is, seems rather thin on the ground. The big reveal has been guessed at long before the last page is turned. And the characters themselves are secondary to their discoveries and music. What it comes down to is that McKillip has written other books about the magic of music, and I like them better.

One of the most interesting thematic threads in The Bards of Bone Plain is that of archaeology and history. While Phelan is searching through music, he’s also sifting through written records and historical anecdotes. At the same time, his father is engaged in digging up bits of history, and has taken on Princess Beatrice as his assistant. These practical, physical actions balance the music and folklore fairly well. If you’re a history nerd, this might be the book for you.

Recommended for: Patricia McKillip, Robin McKinley and Sharon Shinn devotees, those who revel in high fantasy, and anyone who has had the thought that music and magic must be one and the same.

the bards of bone plain giveaway

Patricia McKillip’s books are go-to reads for me. She writes elaborate fantasies that stretch the imagination and the boundaries of the heart. Her prose can be painfully lovely and evocative. In my eyes, her writing is on par with that of Robin McKinley and Neil Gaiman (high praise indeed!). Granted, there are some of her books I love more than others – favorite children, if you will.

I requested and received The Bards of Bone Plain for Christmas last year, and enjoyed the reading of it in the days just after the holiday. I’m honestly puzzled that I didn’t write a review for it right away. I’m going to rectify that soon. In the meantime, I’m giving away two copies of the book to celebrate its paperback release this week, and in hopes that one of you will soon fall as much in love with McKillip’s writing as I have.

To enter: fill out the FORM. Giveaway open internationally, will end December 17^th, 2011 at 11:59pm EST.

Scholar Phelan Cle is researching Bone Plain - which has been studied for the last 500 years, though no one has been able to locate it as a real place. Archaeologist Jonah Cle, Phelan's father, is also hunting through time, piecing history together from forgotten trinkets. His most eager disciple is Princess Beatrice, the king's youngest daughter. When they unearth a disk marked with ancient runes, Beatrice pursues the secrets of a lost language that she suddenly notices all around her, hidden in plain sight.

Fine print: one paperback copy of The Bards of Bone Plain was sent to me (and from thence donated to this contest) by Ace Books, and the other I’m donating personally.

someone new will be reading an alphabet of thorn

It’s time to announce the winner of my Alphabet of Thorn giveaway. Patricia McKillip’s novel is a high fantasy told in beautiful prose, and it masterfully contrasts the fantastical with the everyday magic of living. The result is a fairy tale, a dark mystery, and a romance, all swirled together and given a sprinkling of glitter for good measure. Without further ado, the winner is:

Callie

from Handle Like Hendrix

Who answered the question, “What do you (or do you not) like about fairy tales?” with:

“I like fairy tales because I like fairies because they are smallish like me and wear pretty clothes.” Congrats, Callie!

alphabet of thorn + giveaway

Alyce at At Home with Books is doing a weekly feature where she highlights one of her favorite reads from the past and encourages others to do so as well.

My pick this week is Patricia McKillip’s Alphabet of Thorn. McKillip is the author of haunting, beautiful fantasies such as The Forgotten Beasts of Eld (winner of the World Fantasy Award), Od Magic, Ombria in Shadow and The Riddlemaster of Hed, not to mention The Bell at Sealey Head, which I showcased here. Many of these tales are or seem to be reworked and re-imagined fairy tales. They speak with the magic of nature, of humankind, of disturbing and odd and amazing things.

If you’re a fan of fantasy, you MUST pick up McKillip. I can’t say enough good things about her work. There are some books I’ve preferred over others, but her mastery over words and worlds fantastical is seriously wonderful. If you’re NOT usually a fan of fantasy, pick up McKillip anyway, and read it as literary fiction. The prose is gorgeous in its own right, so you’ll be well-rewarded regardless, and just might find yourself as hooked as I am.

Deep inside a palace on the edge of the world, the orphan Nepenthe pores over books in the royal library, translating their languages and learning their secrets. Now sixteen, she knows little of the outside world—except for the documents that traders and travelers bring her to interpret.

Then, during the coronation of the new Queen of Raine, a young mage gives Nepenthe a book that has defied translation. Written in a language of thorns, it speaks to Nepenthe's soul—and becomes her secret obsession. And, as the words escape the brambles and reveal themselves, Nepenthe finds her destiny entwined with that of the young queen's. Sooner than she thinks, she will have to choose between the life she has led and the life she was born to lead...

Alphabet of Thorn is a favorite for many reasons. First off, living in a library sounds like my dream existence. Notice I didn’t say working. I mean living in this fantastical library deep in the bowels of a castle at the edge of a sea... Second, the character has an affinity for languages. I read this book for the first time in college, when I was discovering my own passion for unraveling the meanings of unknown words. It was a perfect fictional accompaniment to my own real life revelations. Third, there’s mystery and magic and the weight of duty (and perhaps the world?) at stake in the novel. And the heroines are themselves: strong, young, silly and wise, but never weak. And finally, the imagery of thorns, of princesses and crossed destinies, of magic and fate beyond control of mere mortals – that is so very reminiscent of my favorite fairy tales. It may be time for another re-read, now that I think about it…

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If you want to own Alphabet of Thorn, I’m giving away one (1) copy here on my blog!

To enter:

Leave a comment on this post answering the question, “What do you (or do you not) like about fairy tales?”

Please include your email address or another method of contact. Giveaway is open internationally - I'll order straight from The Book Depository. Comments will close on November 28 at 11:59pm EST, and I will notify the randomly selected winner via email.

Good luck!

the bell at sealey head + giveaway

The small seaside town of Sealey Head is home to a few families, an inn, and Aislinn House, an old mansion with a special power—its doors sometimes open onto the world of faerie, where princesses like young Ysabo occupy their time with a complex ritual and knights exist to marry the princesses. Each day at sunset, a bell sounds, heard by everyone, yet its whereabouts and the identity of its ringer remain unknown—until a few strangers arrive to unlock an ancient past. McKillip (Alphabet of Thorn; The Forgotten Beasts of Eld) weaves elegant modern fairy tales from simple themes, drawing the mythical and everyday worlds into an enchanted union. Elegant, deceptively spare prose and well-developed characters make this a good choice for adult and YA fantasy collections. – School Library Journal

I anticipated the arrival of The Bell at Sealey Head for months last year. It didn’t disappoint. McKillip always delivers truly lyrical prose. When I say that, I don’t mean romantic and flowery, and I don’t simply mean ‘well-written.’ I mean paragraphs like this:

“The princess stood on top of the highest tower in Aislinn House. Trees, sea, sky sloped dizzyingly around her. Emma could feel the wind blowing the morning scents of salt and earth, wrasse and wrack, newly opened flowers. Ysabo was surrounded by crows, a gathering so thick they covered the tower floor, a living, rustling, muttering pool of dark, consuming what looked like last night’s leftovers, the remains of a great feast, crusts and bloody bones, withering greens, the drying seeds and bright torn peels of exotic fruits.” p. 34

And that’s just a disconnected example, pulled out of a beautiful story that needs the whole, needs the context, to be fully felt and appreciated. Can you tell that I’m enchanted? McKillip’s work isn’t easily classified, either. It’s high fantasy certainly, and her worlds seem to emerge completely out of the ether, strikingly different, and made of another, magical time. Her characters live, laugh and learn to love in the midst of mystical and mysterious activities that only come out clear at the end. Or don’t make themselves clear at all. It’s uncertain, it’s wonderful, and it’s worth reading to the very last. But as to whether it’s YA or adult literature? You must make that discovery for yourself. Enjoy!

…….

If you’d like to win your own copy of The Bell at Sealey Head, I’m holding a giveaway for one (1) copy.

To Enter:

Leave a comment on this post answering the question, “What is the most unusual ‘faerie’ creature you have heard of?”

Please include your email address. Giveaway is open internationally. Comments will close on August 9 at 11:59pm EST, and I will notify the randomly selected winner via email.

Good luck!