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ribcager's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
mysterious
relaxing
slow-paced
- Loveable characters? Yes
5.0
Talented, brilliant, incredible, amazing, show stopping, spectacular
destobie's review against another edition
adventurous
hopeful
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
embereye's review against another edition
5.0
This was lovely as many of Patricia McKillip's books are, however it was not quite as dreamy and distant as is her stories tend to be. This book seemed much more present, aware, and filled with a bit of earthy humor. It may have been that two of the main characters are great book lovers and that made me love the story a little bit more, but I did have definite moments of bursting out in laughter and that means more to me.
laurasullivan's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
relaxing
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
kamisha's review
hopeful
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
vermithraxrose's review against another edition
4.0
I loved this book, it's rare that you get a stand alone fantasy novel that's short but good. I liked the characters, and the mystery in the story. It has kind of a Narnia feel, but instead of kids, you are dealing with adults. I was engaged until the end, will definitely be keeping this on my shelf!
birdwrong's review against another edition
5.0
When reading the final chapter of this book I was struck by how desperately I did not want to say goodbye to Sealey Head, nor the precious friends I found there.
If you love stories that fully capture the sense of a place and the lives within, I really recommend this! I feel like a lot of "cosy" fantasy these days kind of miss the mark and, but The Bell at Sealey Head succeeds at being cosy and enchanting, as well as mysterious and exciting! Oh, I shall miss it greatly.
If you love stories that fully capture the sense of a place and the lives within, I really recommend this! I feel like a lot of "cosy" fantasy these days kind of miss the mark and, but The Bell at Sealey Head succeeds at being cosy and enchanting, as well as mysterious and exciting! Oh, I shall miss it greatly.
amberlinn's review against another edition
2.0
Oh, I’m so disappointed.
My first McKillip was In The Forests of Serre, which was one of my favorite reads of all time. I had high hopes for this one, but nothing ever seemed to happen.
I don’t understand how this particular book is so highly rated. It was dull and slow, and I remained disconnected from the characters the entire time, without even a particularly exciting plot to fall into.
My first McKillip was In The Forests of Serre, which was one of my favorite reads of all time. I had high hopes for this one, but nothing ever seemed to happen.
I don’t understand how this particular book is so highly rated. It was dull and slow, and I remained disconnected from the characters the entire time, without even a particularly exciting plot to fall into.
sarahbringhurstfamilia's review against another edition
4.0
I can never resist Patricia McKillip. Even when her plots are a little sparse, or her characters a bit undeveloped (as both are in this book), there is nothing like her lyrical prose for sheer aesthetic pleasure. Hers is a world in which even cooking is poetic, and seemingly prosaic tasks like translating an arcane text or writing a dissertation become transcendently magical. You really absolutely must read at least one of her books, but this should not be your first. Try Song for the Basilisk, Ombria in Shadow, or my perennial favorite, Winter Rose.
books_and_pups27's review against another edition
5.0
So this is not exactly my first McKillip rodeo. I read her Winter Rose and Solstice Wood a few months ago in my quest for Tam Lin retellings. However this is the first novel I read of hers that was a wholly original concept. McKillip has been writing fantasy for decades and as a result her novels don’t fit in to the traditional tropes most fantasy novels rely on today. Even this book which was written a little over a decade ago has a uniqueness to it.
I really, really, really enjoyed this. I’ve been in a rut recently trying to find something new to read, and this book was the refresher that I needed. It’s nice to remember that not every fantasy in this day and age has to be dark, suspenseful, and basically a take off of GOT. That and finding a book that mixes different aspects of genre and does it’s own thing is really what makes fantasy what it is. The Bell at Sealy Head mixes elements of portal fantasy, historical fiction, fantasy of manners, etc and creates an engaging world of its own.
That said, like Winter Rose, this story is more character driven then anything else. While you get some sense of the immediate surroundings, world building and setting are not important. Heck it could’ve been a town in the real UK coast and it wouldn’t really matter. McKillip is a storyteller in the “once upon a time in a faraway land” sense. You don’t really get much of an idea where or when the story takes place. And that might bother some people if they are really into complex world building and the different lands and customs of a fantasy world, which a lot of people are.
Characters are what really drive the story. Each main character ( and they’res a good four or five) is someone you can relate too and would want to meet in real life. This isn’t to say they’re flawless, but they are more down to earth than what you’d expect in a novel like this. In a lot of fantasy main characters are like Katniss Everdeen, symbols of something bigger than themselves. In this novel the characters represent nothing but themselves. Sure social class and society rules play a part in the book, but they’re just to add to the characters backgrounds. At some points it reminded me of Austen’s work.
If I had to give something negative, it’d be the ambiguity that is a theme in the story. You go in knowing nothing, you come out knowing some things but not everything, and not what you really wanted. There’s no tidy explanation to where certain things came from or why actions were taken. Maybe that’s intentional, the author wants you to interpret it as you will. I personally was scratching my head a tiny bit by the end. A little more backstory too in certain aspects would’ve helped. That said, none of these factors kept me from enjoying it.
So overall I do recommend this to all fantasy lovers. It’s a breath of fresh air from what’s out there now and is entertaining and easily enjoyable. It’s a stand-alone as well, which I personally prefer. It’s also good for all those who enjoy historical fiction and portal fantasy genres.
I really, really, really enjoyed this. I’ve been in a rut recently trying to find something new to read, and this book was the refresher that I needed. It’s nice to remember that not every fantasy in this day and age has to be dark, suspenseful, and basically a take off of GOT. That and finding a book that mixes different aspects of genre and does it’s own thing is really what makes fantasy what it is. The Bell at Sealy Head mixes elements of portal fantasy, historical fiction, fantasy of manners, etc and creates an engaging world of its own.
That said, like Winter Rose, this story is more character driven then anything else. While you get some sense of the immediate surroundings, world building and setting are not important. Heck it could’ve been a town in the real UK coast and it wouldn’t really matter. McKillip is a storyteller in the “once upon a time in a faraway land” sense. You don’t really get much of an idea where or when the story takes place. And that might bother some people if they are really into complex world building and the different lands and customs of a fantasy world, which a lot of people are.
Characters are what really drive the story. Each main character ( and they’res a good four or five) is someone you can relate too and would want to meet in real life. This isn’t to say they’re flawless, but they are more down to earth than what you’d expect in a novel like this. In a lot of fantasy main characters are like Katniss Everdeen, symbols of something bigger than themselves. In this novel the characters represent nothing but themselves. Sure social class and society rules play a part in the book, but they’re just to add to the characters backgrounds. At some points it reminded me of Austen’s work.
If I had to give something negative, it’d be the ambiguity that is a theme in the story. You go in knowing nothing, you come out knowing some things but not everything, and not what you really wanted. There’s no tidy explanation to where certain things came from or why actions were taken. Maybe that’s intentional, the author wants you to interpret it as you will. I personally was scratching my head a tiny bit by the end. A little more backstory too in certain aspects would’ve helped. That said, none of these factors kept me from enjoying it.
So overall I do recommend this to all fantasy lovers. It’s a breath of fresh air from what’s out there now and is entertaining and easily enjoyable. It’s a stand-alone as well, which I personally prefer. It’s also good for all those who enjoy historical fiction and portal fantasy genres.