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3.8 AVERAGE
3.8 AVERAGE
A great twist on the Sleeping Beauty story gets drowned under too much background info on the world of fairies. Though that is more of a taste preference for me rather than an error - I prefer my fantasy more to the point, where those who enjoy more leisurely but well-written ramblings like Tolkein may like the wealth of environment McKinley provides.
Reread, for the first time in over a decade. I deeply love this book, but the pacing is WEIRD AS HELL, and I always want more of the first half of the book about Kat and Aunt raising Rosie. (Also, apparently I spent enough time thinking about that time in their lives as a teenager that I completely made up a favorite scene that appears nowhere in the book--that was a really weird discovery!)
I am also deeply underwhelmed and annoyed by the unnecessary (and HELLA CREEPY) romance being shoe-horned in at the end. (I remember thinking, "This is weird, but okay, I'll go with it!" as a teenager. Noooope. No more. Adult me is way too cranky for that shit.) This was really not a book that needed a romance, particularly not the one that ended up happening.
However, despite those things, I really, really love it. I love Katriona and how kind she is and how that kindness is always presented as a strength. I love how stubbornly herself Rosie is, and the way that all the fairy gifts turn inside out. I love that Peony is the sort of Traditionally Feminine Girl who is almost always a villain in early Robin McKinley, but here she and Rosie are besties, despite their differences. I love all of Rosie's animal friends, and the way they all work together to help her at the end, still in very animal-ish ways. And I love the way that this world's magic has a very catlike personality.
I am also deeply underwhelmed and annoyed by the unnecessary (and HELLA CREEPY) romance being shoe-horned in at the end. (I remember thinking, "This is weird, but okay, I'll go with it!" as a teenager. Noooope. No more. Adult me is way too cranky for that shit.) This was really not a book that needed a romance, particularly not the one that ended up happening.
However, despite those things, I really, really love it. I love Katriona and how kind she is and how that kindness is always presented as a strength. I love how stubbornly herself Rosie is, and the way that all the fairy gifts turn inside out. I love that Peony is the sort of Traditionally Feminine Girl who is almost always a villain in early Robin McKinley, but here she and Rosie are besties, despite their differences. I love all of Rosie's animal friends, and the way they all work together to help her at the end, still in very animal-ish ways. And I love the way that this world's magic has a very catlike personality.
adventurous
dark
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
adventurous
hopeful
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
I adore this fairy tale. Have read it too many times to count and it’s so transporting every time.
I typically love Robin McKinley, and enjoyed parts of this book, but wow was it a slow read. Especially towards the end, I really wanted to just skip to the climax. Alas.
This remains one of my absolute favorite books in the whole world. This is a world I want to live in, and it feels like I can for most of it. I love the slow pace of it that lets me linger there with the characters for a good long time, even though it makes the faster paced ending a little jarring and not quite fast enough. I love the characters, and I love the romances. I will probably read this again a few more times.
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Very nice. Sort of a Briar Rose retelling, but with enough differences that I wondered why she kept her link to the original fairy tale at all.
I liked best the parts about the hazards of living in a country with a large amount of ambient background magic, and other background bits. The book seemed too long; I almost would have liked it better with more background and less plot.
I liked best the parts about the hazards of living in a country with a large amount of ambient background magic, and other background bits. The book seemed too long; I almost would have liked it better with more background and less plot.