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A review by clevermird
The Door in the Hedge by Robin McKinley
adventurous
hopeful
lighthearted
relaxing
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
Reading through Sunshine got me thinking about how little of Robin McKinley's other work I've read outside of my perennial favorites of Beauty and The Blue Sword, so I decided to fix that.
The Door in the Hedge is a collection of four fairy tales, two original and two retellings.
"The Stolen Princess" is the longest of the works in the book and deals with the last kingdom before you reach fairyland, where baby boys and teenage girls are occasionally taken by the fae. When the only heir to the throne disappears, her parents decide to see where they all go.
"The Princess and the Frog" retells the classic tale with a slight heroic twist.
"The Hunting of the Golden Hind" tells of a mysterious deer that enchants those who see her and the princess who decides to hunt her down to save her brother's life.
"The Twelve Dancing Princesses" is a retelling of the classic tale of the same name, with an old soldier seeking to figure out why the titular twelve princesses wear out their dancing shoes each night.
There's one thing I have to say about McKinley as a writer. She's pretty darn consistent. Similar to Beauty, the stories in this book all feature lush descriptions of costumes and scenery, a slow, description-heavy pace, and a sweet sincerity that is often lacking in other fairytale retellings. Also similar to her other work, there's bit of a struggle with pacing. In fact, that's probably my biggest issue with this collection. All four stories have a strong setup, but then, just as it seems that things are really getting going the story just. . . ends. It's a disappointing pattern that heavily mars an enjoyable storytelling style and comforting tales.
Of the four stories, "Twelve Dancing Princesses" was probably my favorite. The descriptions and style work especially well there and the ending doesn't feel quite as rushed as some of the others (although I still would have liked a bit more elaboration on what exactly happened there at the climax). My least favorite was "Hunting of the Golden Hind", which simply failed to grab my attention the same way the other three did.
This book is a solid read for fans of Robin McKinley's writing style, or for those who enjoy some warm, relaxing tales, but the pacing and climax issues keep it from being a solid recommendation.
The Door in the Hedge is a collection of four fairy tales, two original and two retellings.
"The Stolen Princess" is the longest of the works in the book and deals with the last kingdom before you reach fairyland, where baby boys and teenage girls are occasionally taken by the fae. When the only heir to the throne disappears, her parents decide to see where they all go.
"The Princess and the Frog" retells the classic tale with a slight heroic twist.
"The Hunting of the Golden Hind" tells of a mysterious deer that enchants those who see her and the princess who decides to hunt her down to save her brother's life.
"The Twelve Dancing Princesses" is a retelling of the classic tale of the same name, with an old soldier seeking to figure out why the titular twelve princesses wear out their dancing shoes each night.
There's one thing I have to say about McKinley as a writer. She's pretty darn consistent. Similar to Beauty, the stories in this book all feature lush descriptions of costumes and scenery, a slow, description-heavy pace, and a sweet sincerity that is often lacking in other fairytale retellings. Also similar to her other work, there's bit of a struggle with pacing. In fact, that's probably my biggest issue with this collection. All four stories have a strong setup, but then, just as it seems that things are really getting going the story just. . . ends. It's a disappointing pattern that heavily mars an enjoyable storytelling style and comforting tales.
Of the four stories, "Twelve Dancing Princesses" was probably my favorite. The descriptions and style work especially well there and the ending doesn't feel quite as rushed as some of the others (although I still would have liked a bit more elaboration on what exactly happened there at the climax). My least favorite was "Hunting of the Golden Hind", which simply failed to grab my attention the same way the other three did.
This book is a solid read for fans of Robin McKinley's writing style, or for those who enjoy some warm, relaxing tales, but the pacing and climax issues keep it from being a solid recommendation.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Confinement, Kidnapping
Minor: Infertility, Toxic friendship