Publisher: Putnam Juvenile
Publication date: November 2010
ISBN: 9780399246777
Source: Library
When Princess Sylvi is bound to her pegasus Ebon, she is shocked to discover they can communicate with each other with their thoughts. Through all the years of the alliance between Sylvi's people and the pegasi, there has never been record of such a bond before. And such a close bond makes the wizards, not to mention the general population, nervous. Will their new friendship be able to withstand the difficulties that arise or are they destined to destroy the peace of the alliance?
Things I Liked:
This has much of what I love about a Robin McKinley fantasy. There is so much depth and history associated with the story she's created that you can almost become overwhelmed thinking about it! McKinley spends most of the book developing the characters and relationship between Ebon and Sylvi. Undoubtedly, that is one of the strengths of the book - that complex and deep relationship. The other obvious one being the developed mythos of their world. Reading it, you get the impression there are so many stories populating the past that there is no way we'll ever be able to hear them all. Some favorite parts:
None of them were as beautiful - or as exciting - or as shocking - as this dark-blurred, wing-nicked scene, with the wind streaking past, tangling her hair and chilling her back and her bare feet; but her hands were buried snugly in his mane, and Ebon himself was as warm as a hearth. p 86
Although Ebon was the only black, the pegasi were variously coloured, from white to cream to gold to copper-red to dark, fresh-ploughed-loam brown and deep shadow or silver gray, and the three groups that made the three circles, six or eight spokes around each central boss, seemed to be creating some pattern with some meaning beyond the simple fact of preparation for the flight to come. p 201Things I Didn't Like:
With all that being said in its favor, I have to agree with many that the book lacks action. The whole thing (and it isn't a short thing) is spent on those two characters and how they're friends. They don't do much of anything until the very end and it can be very slow reading up to then. Also, the ending is very abrupt and leaves you really hanging - not knowing what happens next. I certainly was entertained and kept reading, but I can see why many would be frustrated and stop. I'm very interested in what happens next.
Read-alikes:
The Blue Sword and The Hero and the Crown by Robin McKinley
BOOK CONTENT RATINGS:
s-factor: none
that I can remember
mrg-factor: X
maybe some passing references, nothing descriptive at all
v-factor: ->->
a bit here and there with some fighting scenes
Overall rating: ****
What's your favorite McKinley book?
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