Scan barcode
duriangray's review
adventurous
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.25
poachedeggs's review
3.0
This doesn't read like YA. The nine stories are dream-like retellings of Arthurian legends and myths, and involve rather strange and wondrous twists. I think the packaging/cover detail threw me off quite a bit - the rather cheesy drawing is quite jarring compared to the density of the tales, and did not quite prepare me for it.
quoththegirl's review
5.0
My husband had picked this up years ago on a whim but hadn't read it. I'm enjoying going through our combined shelves now, reading new-to-me books that I've inherited by marriage. I'm used to knowing my shelves very thoroughly, so it's exciting to stumble upon intriguing tales I didn't know were in the house.
What a gem I stumbled upon here! This book is lovely, both visually and in terms of the storytelling. The artwork is done by the incomparable Alan Lee of Lord of the Rings fame, and they're beautiful.
The stories are even more so. This book is labeled YA for some reason (perhaps because it's illustrated), but the depth of the stories is impressive, and I think adults might appreciate their subtlety even more. Not a dud amongst the collection, all of which are loosely bound together by the theme of Merlin's dreams. Arthurian fans will be in heaven, but you could read and fall in love with this book even if you'd never heard of King Arthur.
I love the author Robin McKinley, and Peter Dickinson was her husband. He passed away last year, and I can't help but think how sad it would be to love and lose the creator of such beautifully spun tales.
What a gem I stumbled upon here! This book is lovely, both visually and in terms of the storytelling. The artwork is done by the incomparable Alan Lee of Lord of the Rings fame, and they're beautiful.
The stories are even more so. This book is labeled YA for some reason (perhaps because it's illustrated), but the depth of the stories is impressive, and I think adults might appreciate their subtlety even more. Not a dud amongst the collection, all of which are loosely bound together by the theme of Merlin's dreams. Arthurian fans will be in heaven, but you could read and fall in love with this book even if you'd never heard of King Arthur.
I love the author Robin McKinley, and Peter Dickinson was her husband. He passed away last year, and I can't help but think how sad it would be to love and lose the creator of such beautifully spun tales.
More...