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A review by estel
Water by Robin McKinley, Peter Dickinson
4.0
I couldn't bear to give it any lower than 4. I think it deserves a 3++.
List of stories:
Mermaid Song (Dickinson)
The Sea King's Son (McKinley)
Sea Serpent (Dickinson)
Water Horse (McKinley)
Kraken (Dickinson)
A Pool in the Desert (McKinley)
All the stories were pretty cool. But the last one most of all!
I absolutely fell in love with A Pool in the Desert. My favourite story in this collection, by far. The contrast was spectacular. The writing was masterful. McKinley jolted me out of a grey, tedious, sad, everyday life to one of spice, splendour and suspense. (ooh, alliteration) (okay, maybe not so much the suspense) At any rate, I thought the way she explored reality vs fantasy and how you can step out and into either to be fantastic. Zasharan sounds really (ahem) cool. I loved how it ended.
Coming in second is Water Horse and Kraken, which makes McKinley my preferred author for this book, not that it really matters, but I saw some other reviewers doing it, so...
I felt that the magic in Water Horse wasn't well explained. Yes, i understand that this is a short story, but I really don't get how it works! It kind of messes with me. I like/need to know stuff like that.
For any fan of McKinley/Dickinson, or for any lover of fantasy, or for any person looking for masterful short stories.
Oh, and I realised afterward A Pool in the Desert was set in Damar, which was the same for the Blue Sword. I did read The Blue Sword, but very long ago, and I didn't really enjoy it.
List of stories:
Mermaid Song (Dickinson)
The Sea King's Son (McKinley)
Sea Serpent (Dickinson)
Water Horse (McKinley)
Kraken (Dickinson)
A Pool in the Desert (McKinley)
All the stories were pretty cool. But the last one most of all!
I absolutely fell in love with A Pool in the Desert. My favourite story in this collection, by far. The contrast was spectacular. The writing was masterful. McKinley jolted me out of a grey, tedious, sad, everyday life to one of spice, splendour and suspense. (ooh, alliteration) (okay, maybe not so much the suspense) At any rate, I thought the way she explored reality vs fantasy and how you can step out and into either to be fantastic. Zasharan sounds really (ahem) cool. I loved how it ended.
Coming in second is Water Horse and Kraken, which makes McKinley my preferred author for this book, not that it really matters, but I saw some other reviewers doing it, so...
I felt that the magic in Water Horse wasn't well explained. Yes, i understand that this is a short story, but I really don't get how it works! It kind of messes with me. I like/need to know stuff like that.
For any fan of McKinley/Dickinson, or for any lover of fantasy, or for any person looking for masterful short stories.
Oh, and I realised afterward A Pool in the Desert was set in Damar, which was the same for the Blue Sword. I did read The Blue Sword, but very long ago, and I didn't really enjoy it.