Rating: 
Summary: Can't see the forest for the trees
Review: Occasionally I feel the desire to escape into lyrical fantasy, and, remembering the experience of reading this author's Riddlemaster series as an adolescent, seek out Patricia McKillip's latest book in the library.
Unfortunately I am not finding the magic I used to find in her books. Is it me that's changed or has McKillip's well of inspiration begun to run dry? I suspect a bit of both.
Many have commented on McKillip's use of language. Yes, it is dreamy, fantastical and often achieves lyrical effect. However, I feel that too much focus is now going into the writing (the trees) and not enough into the development of imaginative story (the forest). The tale in this book is fractured and never achieves narrative drive. Indeed there are really only glimmers of story, held together in a kaleidoscopic prose.
And to address the writing itself. McKillip's lexicon is not un-naturally broad. Rather her writing can seem strange and unworldly through odd grammatical effects such as her almost adjectival use of nouns and her occasional use of unusual words. I suspect she is something of a word-raven, seeking in dictionaries and thesauruses for strange words whose color she fancies. Like particular narrative effects, she sometimes repeats her use of an unusual word. An example of this repetition is the word 'sough' (rhymes with bough) in these two sentences:
"Her voice was the hollow sough of windblown reeds." (p 2)
"Finally a restless night wind blew the candle out, stranded them in the soughing dark." (p 120)
I think the first use is much more effective than the second.
Then there is the archaic word 'limn' which basically means illuminate:
"Scars underlined one eye, limned one jaw;" (p 4)
"Staring at the void limned by moonlight into the shape of the wizard's face" (p158)
Here the two applications of this word are different enough to justify the repetition.
One twinned narrative effect I noticed is the description of first the mother's and then the daughter's eyes:
"her eyes were the cold color of dawn at the end of a sleepless night" (p 96)
"...her grave eyes, which, he suddenly saw, were the color of the hour he loved best, when the last haunting moments of day shifted towards the deepest purples of twilight" (p 132)
This repetition can sometimes be powerful but in this story it felt like being lost in a wood where all the trees start to appear the same.
Finally, an example of a word use that simply fails - the use of the word 'riffle' in this sentence - "So did the proctor, riffling at his bald head and looking mystified." (p 17) To my mind, riffling requires something to riffle, such as playing cards or sheaves of wheat and is not possible with a smooth skinned pate.
There is some imaginative naming of the wizards characters in the story, with Unciel recalling the majuscule form "uncial" and Gyre directly conjuring the image of a vortical power. However the characters themselves never really came alive and their motivations were either too simplistic or, in the case of the young wizard Gyre, narratively conflicting.
So in summary, if McKillip is seeking to cast magic with her storytelling, my experience was that while the writing somewhat drugged my senses, the underlying power of the story was in the end insufficient to place me under it's spell.
Rating: 
Summary: supern fantasy
Review: Once upon a time in the kingdom of Serre, the heir to the throne Prince Ronan went to war in the hopes that he would be killed in battle. He lost his wife and child and saw no reason to go on living but fate had something else planned for him. On his return home from battle his horse stepped on a witch's chicken and she cursed him. When he returned home, his father informed him that he arranged for the prince to marry Princess Sidonie of Dacia, a kingdom known for its powerful sorceress.The prince is ensorcelled by a firebird and follows it into the forest where he meets the princess and the Gyre sorcerer who accompanies her from her land. No introductions occur and the princess resumes her journey only to find that her bridegroom is not at the palace awaiting her. Gyre searches for him, but when he encounters the prince he changes him into a firebird and assumes the appearance of Ronan. Gyre intends to take over the prince's role because Roman doesn't want it and the sorcerer does. Patricia A. McKillip weaves her usual magic to create a spellbinding tale of two star-crossed lovers who find that fate is not always unkind. The adventures they partake in change them in subtle ways, making them more aware of the needs of the other and wanting to give that person their heart's desire. Readers will remember the irascible witch in this tale who lives in a house of bones, has big feet and is more and less than she seems. Harriet Klausner
Rating: 
Summary: "I Broke My Heart to Get It for You..."
Review: Patricia A. McKillip once more takes us into her intricate and ornate imagination with "In the Forests of Serre", which has the feeling of an old fairytale that McKillip has discovered in some old book and fleshed-out for us in her unique style of writing. Combining several components from various myths and legends, (predominantly the Firebird and a witch who bears more than a passing resemblance to the Russian Baba Yaga), "In the Forests of Serre" is a book that McKillip's fans will find to their liking.
In the Forests of Serre are many creatures of enchantment, both beautiful and deadly, predominantly the Mother of All Witches: Brume, who lives in a moving house of bones. It is one of her white chickens that Prince Ronan of Serre kills on his way home from the wars and so is cursed. For Ronan however, the threat of bad fortune is meaningless - he's already lost his wife and infant son to death: what could possibly be worse?
As it turns out, an arranged marriage. In his absence, his tyrannical father has organised a marriage to Princess Sidonie of Dacia, attracted to the small kingdom's promise of magic and power. Though Sidonie is a reluctant bride, she realises the threat posed toward her home - if King Ferus cannot have Dacia through marriage, he will take it by force. The court wizard Unciel is sympathetic to her plight, and has arranged his young acquaintance Gyre to accompany the princess to her new home in Serre. But Gyre has his own agenda concerning the magic in Serre, and the hidden past between himself and Unciel has not yet reached its conclusion...
And then Ronan is captivated by the sight of the Firebird, which reveals to him its secret, beautiful face. Without a second thought, Ronan escapes into the forests, which is only the first of many comings and goings into the Forests of Serre, which are traversed by almost all of our characters throughout the course of the novel. Each time something new is discovered, something is lost, something precious switches hands or is left behind. By the time the story ends each of the characters (even the far away Unciel and his new scribe Euan Ash, who is working to piece together his history) have all their secrets revealed.
The characters are not especially vivid, especially when compared to others that appear in McKillip's previous books, but their dilemmas and mysteries are interesting - from Ronan's earth-shattering grief, to Sidonie's entrapment between two countries, to Gyre and Unciel's shadowed past together.
The forest itself is gorgeously written in McKillip's distinctive use of language and imagery, and Kinuko Y. Craft's beautiful cover illustration once more embodies the atmosphere of the book. Filled with meaning and symbolism, this is a treat for any fantasy lover, especially those that are already fans of McKillip's work. Although at times it can be a bit needlessly complicated (I kept loosing track of who was in the forest and why, since there are so many coming and goings), and perhaps not the best McKillip novel out there, it was still an intriguing and fascinating read.
Rating:
Summary: "... where nothing is predictable."
Review: Patricia McKillip has gained a reputation as one of the few truly original fantasy authors out there. With her exquisitely ethereal prose and haunting stories, she is on top form in "In the Forests of Serre." Princes, princesses, witches and wizards, firebirds and black jewels are all spun together by a master. Prince Ronan of Serre lost his wife and child, and now he tries to die by going off to fight in wars for his tyrant father. When returning from a battle, he accidently kills a chicken belonging to the witch Brume; the old woman curses him, but Ronan doesn't take it seriously. Yet when he returns home, his father reveals that he's betrothed Ronan (the only heir) to Princess Sidonie of Dacia, a small but magical kingdom. While Ronan broods about this, he sees a beautiful firebird pass by the castle, and is enspelled by it. Princess Sidonie is no happier about being married off in a barbaric land, but she has to marry Ronan to keep Dacia from being invaded. She travels to Serre with a wizard, and encounters Ronan wandering in the forest without knowing who he is. When she comes to Serre, she finds that her future husband has vanished -- Ronan is searching for the firebird, because he can't find his way home until he gives it to Brume. But things have become more complicated -- because a wizard has taken Ronan's identity... Like all McKillip's books, this novel is deceptively simple and intriguingly written. She uses simple concepts (witch, wizards, scribe, prince, princess, firebird, a country's magic, and talking animals) and spins her unique prose around them. This is not a book for people who like all the usual elements used in the same old way. McKillip's prose is detailed and lush, bringing to mind the best of medieval tapestries and Loreena McKennitt music; when Ronan is in the woods, McKillip describes moths clinging to him, and spiderwebs covering rips in his clothes. The dialogue is more flowing and natural than in some of her other books; the sentences are longer and less flowery. At the same time, her descriptions of things like transformation into a firebird are exquisite. Ronan is a slightly less vivid character at the beginning, compared to his faded mother and half-nuts father; he becomes more interesting as he stops moping and starts obsessing on the firebird. Princess Sidonie is a likable heroine, not gung-ho but very interesting and determined. The wizard Gyre adds an element of mystery to the plot, while the witch Brume will creep you out. Venture into "Forests of Serre," where "nothing is predictable." It's haunting, beautiful and magical, not just for fans of fantasy.
Rating:
Summary: The Firebird and the Crone
Review: Reading "In the Forests of Serre" is like walking into someone else's dream. You enter a rich forest of metaphor, sometimes only partially glimpsed but always beautiful. A standard fairy-tale plot is overgrown with jeweled birds and foxes with little golden crowns--Kinuko Y. Craft's cover art is a perfect match for McKillip's writing--but the story's end might still come as a surprise. The prince and princess both have some growing up to do through the labyrinthine course of the book. I picked the wrong villain, someone very like the villain in McKillip's "Song for a Basilisk" but who is redeemed in this book by his love for the kingdom of Serre. Speaking of villains, see if you can guess whose heart was enclosed in a casket inside the ribcage of a dragon---you also need guess where it went after the wizards Gyre and Unciel opened the casket. Many hearts go missing throughout the story and not all of them are returned to their true owners. The Baba Yaga-like witch, Brume and her walking hovel, and her chickens, and her stewpot full of human bones form a striking counterpoint to the beautiful firebird-woman who flies through the Forest of Serre and steals men's hearts with her song. Are either or both of them evil? Are they two faces of the same wild magic? McKillip doesn't give a direct answer to these questions (at least none that I could discern) so you'll have to decide for yourself as you read her story. Both Prince Ronan and Princess Sidonie have to face their own worst fears in Brume's hut, and they are different people when they finally emerge. The firebird seems to enter and escape the Crone's hut at will--another of McKillip's symbols for death and rebirth, or change? Incidentally, only the men in this story are seduced by the nameless firebird. "In the Forests of Serre" is one of McKillip's loveliest and most mysterious fantasies. Even if you don't care for all of that la-de-da love-lost-and-found stuff, or for the book's dense symbolism, you might still enjoy the goings-on of the Wizard Unciel and his bumbling-but-honest scribe Euan Ash. None of this author's characters do quite what you expect of them. I'm not even sure there was a villain.
Rating:
Summary: The Firebird and the Crone
Review: Reading "In the Forests of Serre" is like walking into someone else's dream. You enter a rich forest of metaphor, sometimes only partially glimpsed but always beautiful. A standard fairy-tale plot is overgrown with jeweled birds and foxes with little golden crowns--Kinuko Y. Craft's cover art is a perfect match for McKillip's writing--but the story's end might still come as a surprise. The prince and princess both have some growing up to do through the labyrinthine course of the book. I picked the wrong villain, someone very like the villain in McKillip's "Song for a Basilisk" but who is redeemed in this book by his love for the kingdom of Serre. Speaking of villains, see if you can guess whose heart was enclosed in a casket inside the ribcage of a dragon---you also need guess where it went after the wizards Gyre and Unciel opened the casket. Many hearts go missing throughout the story and not all of them are returned to their true owners. The Baba Yaga-like witch, Brume and her walking hovel, and her chickens, and her stewpot full of human bones form a striking counterpoint to the beautiful firebird-woman who flies through the Forest of Serre and steals men's hearts with her song. Are either or both of them evil? Are they two faces of the same wild magic? McKillip doesn't give a direct answer to these questions (at least none that I could discern) so you'll have to decide for yourself as you read her story. Both Prince Ronan and Princess Sidonie have to face their own worst fears in Brume's hut, and they are different people when they finally emerge. The firebird seems to enter and escape the Crone's hut at will--another of McKillip's symbols for death and rebirth, or change? Incidentally, only the men in this story are seduced by the nameless firebird. "In the Forests of Serre" is one of McKillip's loveliest and most mysterious fantasies. Even if you don't care for all of that la-de-da love-lost-and-found stuff, or for the book's dense symbolism, you might still enjoy the goings-on of the Wizard Unciel and his bumbling-but-honest scribe Euan Ash. None of this author's characters do quite what you expect of them. I'm not even sure there was a villain.
Rating:
Summary: The Firebird and the Crone
Review: Reading "In the Forests of Serre" is like walking into someone else's dream. You enter a rich forest of metaphor, sometimes only partially glimpsed but always beautiful. A standard fairy-tale plot is overgrown with jeweled birds and foxes with little golden crowns--Kinuko Y. Craft's cover art is a perfect match for McKillip's writing--but the story's end might still come as a surprise. The prince and princess both have some growing up to do through the labyrinthine course of the book. I picked the wrong villain, someone very like the villain in McKillip's "Song for a Basilisk" but who is redeemed in this book by his love for the kingdom of Serre. Speaking of villains, see if you can guess whose heart was enclosed in a casket inside the ribcage of a dragon---you also need guess where it went after the wizards Gyre and Unciel opened the casket. Many hearts go missing throughout the story and not all of them are returned to their true owners. The Baba Yaga-like witch, Brume and her walking hovel, and her chickens, and her stewpot full of human bones form a striking counterpoint to the beautiful firebird-woman who flies through the Forest of Serre and steals men's hearts with her song. Are either or both of them evil? Are they two faces of the same wild magic? McKillip doesn't give a direct answer to these questions (at least none that I could discern) so you'll have to decide for yourself as you read her story. Both Prince Ronan and Princess Sidonie have to face their own worst fears in Brume's hut, and they are different people when they finally emerge. The firebird seems to enter and escape the Crone's hut at will--another of McKillip's symbols for death and rebirth, or change? Incidentally, only the men in this story are seduced by the nameless firebird. "In the Forests of Serre" is one of McKillip's loveliest and most mysterious fantasies. Even if you don't care for all of that la-de-da love-lost-and-found stuff, or for the book's dense symbolism, you might still enjoy the goings-on of the Wizard Unciel and his bumbling-but-honest scribe Euan Ash. None of this author's characters do quite what you expect of them. I'm not even sure there was a villain.
Rating:
Summary: In The Forests of Serre
Review: This book was worth reading. It was extremely creative. The problem with it was that the story seemed to drag on and contridict itself. For about the first sixty or seventy pages I was confused. It would have made a wonderful book for small children if it more stright forward.
Rating:
Summary: Breathtaking.
Review: This is one of a handful of books I've felt compelled to re-read. As with everything by McKillip, the language is pure bliss -luxurious and finely woven, seducing the mind like the best poetry. Yet, beyond even that, is an underlying sense of the wisdom which pervades this novel -wisdom that attends suffering and forebearance, kindness and charity. I think the few complaints about characterisation stem from a failure to appreciate McKillip's deliberate homage to the allegorical nature of the traditional fairy tale. Personally, I found everyone from the scribe to the Queen to be brilliantly unique yet still representative of an archtype. "In the Forests of Serre" is the best novel McKillip has written in the past few years.
Rating:
Summary: Breathtaking.
Review: This is one of a handful of books I've felt compelled to re-read. As with everything by McKillip, the language is pure bliss -luxurious and finely woven, seducing the mind like the best poetry. Yet, beyond even that, is an underlying sense of the wisdom which pervades this novel -wisdom that attends suffering and forebearance, kindness and charity. I think the few complaints about characterisation stem from a failure to appreciate McKillip's deliberate homage to the allegorical nature of the traditional fairy tale. Personally, I found everyone from the scribe to the Queen to be brilliantly unique yet still representative of an archtype. "In the Forests of Serre" is the best novel McKillip has written in the past few years.
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