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The Book of Atrix Wolfe

The Book of Atrix Wolfe

List Price: $6.50
Your Price: $6.50
Product Info Reviews

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Rating: 5 stars
Summary: This book was GREAT!I couldn't put it down
Review: I'm ALWAYS looking for a good book to read, and this was it.I actually stumbled across one of Patricia's books by accident.Winter Rose was on the shelf next to two of my favorites, Robin Mckinly, and Anne McCaffrey, and I just picked it up thinking what the heck.SO,that night I took it home and read it, and it was great.{another title by her you want to check out.}It was such a good read, I had to get more, so I decided on THE BOOK OF ATRIX WOLFE{the other reason I chose it, is it had a little bit of wolflore, and I love books about wolves.}.I only stumbled across that too, because I had to wait in line for 2 hours, to get a book signed by Brian Jacques. Believe me, if you don't like fanasty, or science fiction now, you will when you get done withthis Book.Magnificento!!!! -Kristen-

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: You MUST buy this book!
Review: One morning I began reading this book for the first time, over breakfast, I woke from the dream after 247 enchanting pages and felt like crying because the book was over. Then I realized I had been sitting on the couch for 7 hours without moving! I would recommend this book to anyone that remembers how they got lost in the fairytale as a child, it's beautiful!

Rating: 3 stars
Summary: Not for Me
Review: Patricia A. McKillip, famed author of The Riddle Master Trilogy, comes into her own in this more mature work. In my opinion, the epic style of Riddle Master didn't mesh well with McKillip's dreamy prose. But here, in Atrix Wolfe, it becomes clear that McKillip has found her niche: the short, modern fairytale. But wait!...I never said I liked it.

First, let me say that this book is simply not my type; it didn't capture my interest. But I still feel obliged to give an opinion because there are undoubtedly others out there who share my own interests. I pretty much agree with the review above entitled "Charming but not engaging." The writing here is top notch and the imagery is evocative, but the whole thing seems a little vacuous. I can't seem to get into the story because when I look behind all of McKillip's beautiful prose there really isn't much there. It's a very nice story about mages and princes and enchanted forests, but when all is said and done I didn't feel any real connection with the characters of Talis, Atrix or anyone else.

When I read a book I want my characters to be grounded in some sort of solid reality. In other words I want the reality-the framework and internal logic of the world-to control the characters, not vice versa. The characters should be at the mercy of their environment (even if fanciful, it still has rules!) and they should react and struggle against it. In Atrix Wolfe (as well as in Riddle Master), however, I find myself in scene after scene where the characters themselves are the center of the universe. They possess magical powers far too immense in comparison to their rather puny environment and they control their surroundings seemingly at will. For an example, see the description on page 217 where Atrix Wolfe (via his shape shifting abilities) goes into a pebble and down into the Earth and into an underground stream and pops out of a tree some distance away in order to avoid the enemy. Now I know this is fantasy and fairytale but doesn't that sound a little ridiculous? When characters start popping out of holes in the ground is when I come to the conclusion that an Earth-like setting is a little too small for these guys: there need to be more restrictions. Toward the end of the book I began to think to myself "Well, since apparently ABSOLUTELY ANYTHING can happen in this book, I really don't care what is going to happen."

Overall, I enjoyed this book more than Riddle Master (I have to admit though, not least of all because it is shorter). But its biggest fault is a lack of logical development. There are too many unexplained magical powers and mystical descriptions. When McKillip is given the opportunity in the story to explain certain developments she invariably resorts to a sort of mystical-psycho-babble answer that sounds nice but leaves me feeling empty inside. At least I can say I've given her books a try. Don't get me wrong, I think she is a fine writer. She's just not quite my style.

Rating: 3 stars
Summary: Not for Me
Review: Patricia A. McKillip, famed author of The Riddle Master Trilogy, comes into her own in this more mature work. In my opinion, the epic style of Riddle Master didn't mesh well with McKillip's dreamy prose. But here, in Atrix Wolfe, it becomes clear that McKillip has found her niche: the short, modern fairytale. But wait!...I never said I liked it.

First, let me say that this book is simply not my type; it didn't capture my interest. But I still feel obliged to give an opinion because there are undoubtedly others out there who share my own interests. I pretty much agree with the review above entitled "Charming but not engaging." The writing here is top notch and the imagery is evocative, but the whole thing seems a little vacuous. I can't seem to get into the story because when I look behind all of McKillip's beautiful prose there really isn't much there. It's a very nice story about mages and princes and enchanted forests, but when all is said and done I didn't feel any real connection with the characters of Talis, Atrix or anyone else.

When I read a book I want my characters to be grounded in some sort of solid reality. In other words I want the reality-the framework and internal logic of the world-to control the characters, not vice versa. The characters should be at the mercy of their environment (even if fanciful, it still has rules!) and they should react and struggle against it. In Atrix Wolfe (as well as in Riddle Master), however, I find myself in scene after scene where the characters themselves are the center of the universe. They possess magical powers far too immense in comparison to their rather puny environment and they control their surroundings seemingly at will. For an example, see the description on page 217 where Atrix Wolfe (via his shape shifting abilities) goes into a pebble and down into the Earth and into an underground stream and pops out of a tree some distance away in order to avoid the enemy. Now I know this is fantasy and fairytale but doesn't that sound a little ridiculous? When characters start popping out of holes in the ground is when I come to the conclusion that an Earth-like setting is a little too small for these guys: there need to be more restrictions. Toward the end of the book I began to think to myself "Well, since apparently ABSOLUTELY ANYTHING can happen in this book, I really don't care what is going to happen."

Overall, I enjoyed this book more than Riddle Master (I have to admit though, not least of all because it is shorter). But its biggest fault is a lack of logical development. There are too many unexplained magical powers and mystical descriptions. When McKillip is given the opportunity in the story to explain certain developments she invariably resorts to a sort of mystical-psycho-babble answer that sounds nice but leaves me feeling empty inside. At least I can say I've given her books a try. Don't get me wrong, I think she is a fine writer. She's just not quite my style.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: Excellent tale of Mind and Magic
Review: The book of Atrix Wolfe by Patricia A. McKillip is a wonderful fantasy of Mind and Magic. A welcome relief from the run of the mill, Hack-em-up Sword and Sorcery so common in this genre. Told in Ms. McKillip's unique style, slightly reminiscent of the best of Ursula K. Leguin, with just a hint of the influence of Edgar Rice Burroughs, Atrix Wolfe's quest to confront his own inner darkness is resolved in a typically feminine, everyone wins, there are no losers fashion. The action, which is always present and compelling, is in no way slowed by the conspicuous absence of violence. What violence that is hinted at occurred in the recent past and is described in a fashion that is truly scary, not pointlessly graphic and gross.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: A Whisper on the Wind.
Review: This book is Poetry! A beautiful book that everyone should read. It is one of those books that you can read over and over and over again!

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: Worlds Collide
Review: This book presents a fascinating picture of what happens when worlds in different dimensions or on different planes collide. Sometimes these worlds can only be accessed through dreaming, or by being summoned from within. Psychologically, the book touches on the theme of the alter ego, and spiritually, the book dances around the Manichean theme of power being comprised of a good and an evil force. I think that the strength of the book lies in its vivid imagery, including fabulous descriptions of food! While confusing at times and merely fanciful at others, the book presents us with interesting images and moments of beauty. After all, where else will you read about a window that continually moves around a turret room, jumping from place to place? ---L. Carabello

Rating: 3 stars
Summary: Could have been better and more clear
Review: This book was given to me as a gift by my parents. They had read "The Forgotten Beasts of Eld" and thought that I would really enjoy this book. It wasn't bad, and I like a lot of the writing style. However, I found the ending muddled and confusing. I think this book would have been worlds better if it had been more clearly resolved. I would recommend reading it, but prepare yourself for a final sequence that makes very little sense.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Mythodical and Exilerating!
Review: This book was triumphant! There are no words that I can say to exspress the way I feel about it. Certainly when putting this book down you can not walk away unchanged or not wondering. This book is filled with action, suspence, love, hate, magic, evil and beautiful bits of poetry everywhere. This is not the only Mckillip book I have read and most definatily will not be the last! I recomend this book to everyone!

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: An intelligent, sensitive fantasy.
Review: This is McKillip at her poetic best. Her favorite themes of self-discovery, atonement, and forgiveness are worked out in an ingenious and suspenseful plot written in beautiful, clever, and lyrical language.


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