A review by dreamreader
Alphabet of Thorn by Patricia A. McKillip

emotional mysterious slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.5

Is this a sign that I actually don't like Patricia A. McKillip? I loved The Forgotten Beasts of Eld and The Changeling Sea so much. Those are perfect books. But the last three McKillip books I've tried to read I've either DNF'd or should have DNF'd. This is a book I should have DNF'd. A classic case for me of the concept being better than the execution, though I think McKillip's writing is as lovely as ever. What doesn't work for me is how dreamy and ephemeral this book is. The rules aren't hard enough. Even if a fantasy is set in a secondary world, as a reader my personal preference is that it feels real, that there are rules grounding this world, and that the characters are tethered in some way to reality. This book is beautiful, but it doesn't feel tethered in any sort of built reality, and so I really struggled with it. I have three more unread McKillip books on my shelves (that's how certain I was that I was going to love everything she's ever written) and now I'm scared that she just isn't my taste, aside from the two books mentioned above.