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flying_monkeys 's review for:
Winter Rose
by Patricia A. McKillip
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
A retelling of the popular ballad Tam Lin, Winter Rose uses lyrical language to distract from the mundane mystery central to its plot.
The scenes in which Rois works her way through the village elders' recollections were the most slow-going. These repetitious conversations read more like info dumps than authentic curiosity/ investigation. I also did not appreciate that the two sisters were vying for the same man's affections. Nor did I like that Rois submitted to her sister, Laurel, without any fight whatsoever. I guess this is meant to show the purity of Rois' love for both Laurel and Corbet Lynn. But, to me, it translated to the beautiful sister deserves the love while the free-spirit (read: plain-looking) sister deserves to be alone. Finally, I was most disappointed by the fact that, in the end, Corbet shows true interest in Rois because she's lost, or at the very least tamed, her non-conformist ways by wearing shoes, riding a horse, etc. Does this mean one can only win their true love by compromising their Self? By caring about such superficial matters as clothes, hair, etc.?
What this book lacked in character and plot, it made up for with vivid imagery and a firm sense of place. These descriptions - from the water at the well to plants that Rois collected to the changing seasons - evoked powerful memories and personal experiences. Without the beautiful prose and fairy-tale premise, I probably wouldn't have finished.
If someone asked me for a good Tam Lin retelling, I'd recommend Roses and Rot by Kat Howard instead of Winter Rose.
3.5 stars
(My first book by McKillip. I'll definitely read another by her, though.)
The scenes in which Rois works her way through the village elders' recollections were the most slow-going. These repetitious conversations read more like info dumps than authentic curiosity/ investigation. I also did not appreciate that the two sisters were vying for the same man's affections. Nor did I like that Rois submitted to her sister, Laurel, without any fight whatsoever. I guess this is meant to show the purity of Rois' love for both Laurel and Corbet Lynn. But, to me, it translated to the beautiful sister deserves the love while the free-spirit (read: plain-looking) sister deserves to be alone. Finally, I was most disappointed by the fact that, in the end, Corbet shows true interest in Rois because she's lost, or at the very least tamed, her non-conformist ways by wearing shoes, riding a horse, etc. Does this mean one can only win their true love by compromising their Self? By caring about such superficial matters as clothes, hair, etc.?
What this book lacked in character and plot, it made up for with vivid imagery and a firm sense of place. These descriptions - from the water at the well to plants that Rois collected to the changing seasons - evoked powerful memories and personal experiences. Without the beautiful prose and fairy-tale premise, I probably wouldn't have finished.
If someone asked me for a good Tam Lin retelling, I'd recommend Roses and Rot by Kat Howard instead of Winter Rose.
3.5 stars
(My first book by McKillip. I'll definitely read another by her, though.)