Rating: 
Summary: Original fantasy of the highest caliber!
Review: It's been many years since I found a new fantasy novel that didn't seem just so much more rehashed Tolkien. With the current fantasy resurgence there are more "good vs. evil/ misfit saves the kingdom with the help of faithful sidekick" type books than ever before. Obviously there is a large fan base for this type of book, but I find it impossible to keep reading about graceful & enigmatic elves/fairies siding with gruff but stouthearted trolls/dwarfs to help a (half)human teenager who has been chosen by mysterious wizard, y'know? I mean, how many times can this story be reworked, anyway?Thank Gandalf, Patricia McKillip has NEVER written that sort of fantasy which is why I decided to pick up "Ombria in Shadow" at all. The last 2 books of hers I had read ("Song for the Basilisk" & "The Book of Atrix Wolf") hadn't seemed up to her early standard, so I had lost interest in following her career. "Ombria in Shadow" returns to the brilliance Ms. McKillip displayed in "The Forgotten Beasts of Eld"; even some of the characters seem reminiscent, without being duplicates. The plot is unique: the City/Kingdom of Ombria exists in the present & in the shadows lies the many-layered past of Ombria. Abandoned buildings standing in present day streets lead to Ombria's past, where dwells the ghosts, memories, buildings, & treasures of history alongside an underground river. The only "living" creatures dwelling in Ombria's past are the faceless sorceress Faey & her "waxling" Mag. Meanwhile, in the Palace, the Prince has just died, killed by the ancient Black Pearl, an evil presence who claims to be the great-aunt of the ruling family. The Prince's mistress, Lydea, is thrown out into the lawless streets to fend for herself, & his 5 year-old son is left alone in the Palace with no allies except the mysterious bastard cousin who does nothing but draw all day. Confused yet? You won't be. Patricia McKillip writes so beautifully, you would swear that a medieval troubadour was singing the story in a banqueting hall. The reader can almost smell the moldering tapestries & dust in the hidden maze of Ombria's Palace. The breadth of her imagination is truly breathtaking. So why only a rating of 4? Personally, I felt the last chapter to be a bit of an easy way out. It wasn't as bad as the infamous "it was all a dream" twist, but it certainly wasn't up to the caliber of what came before. Did the author run out of time? Was there some personal tragedy in her life that caused her to be distracted as she came to the last chapter? I wish Ms. McKillip had a website so I could find out more about her. For now though I just have to recommend to any reader looking for truly unique fantasy, pick up "Ombria in Shadow" or "The Forgotten Beasts of Eld" or "The Riddlemaster Trilogy". I personally believe them to be the best fantasy novels written.
Rating: 
Summary: Intoxicating, intricate prose
Review: It's hard not to fall in love with Patricia McKillip's characters, who try to do right in the face of overwhelming evil. Especially since her characters are embedded like jewels in the cities of Ombria and Shadow Ombria (think of an ancient Italian city like Ravenna, saturated in sorcery, where every shadow may reflect a distant age, a different ruler). Careful reading reveals the intricacies of the plot that twines around the characters of a bastard artist-prince, the former ruler's mistress, the young prince of Ombria, and his evil regent, Domina Pearl. There is also a young girl named Mag, who is not even sure she is human, and a powerful sorceress named Faey, who lives in the shadows and sends Mag on the oddest errands: "She [Mag] bought a lamb's heart at the butcher's. She waited at a familiar doorway for goats' eyes and candles made of goat fat. At a small shop with dusty windows and an ancient apothecary sign, she picked up powdered bone and extractions from strange, fleshy plants that had been diverted from Domina Pearl's pirate ships. For the cook, she bought violets. At the brewer's, she traded silver for quicksilver, and a crock of Faey's favorite ale." Mag ingratiates herself into the plot: small drops of quicksilver against the dark palette of two powerful magicians---Mag's mistress and Domina Pearl---who vie for control of the true Ombria. The story line may well remind readers of "Song for the Basilisk," where the Basilisk's daughter intrudes between her father's magic and that of a musician-sorcerer's. I think 'Ombria' has the edge over 'Basilisk' in that Domina Pearl's motives are easier to understand, and she is more briskly evil than was the Basilisk-prince. As always, Kinuko Craft's cover art is a match for McKillip's intoxicating prose.
Rating:
Summary: "Surely you Expected no Reward for Loving"
Review: Like all of Patricia McKillip's books, "Ombria in Shadow" is a dreamy, intricate tale, made memorable by her distinctive poetic prose. Symbols, circumstances and meanings can be interpreted on any number of deeper levels, making her books ones to be savoured and re-read. If you are a lover of eloquent poetry and subtle imagery, then let "Ombria in Shadow" be the first of McKillip's range of stories to let you drift away on language that must have been meticulously chosen in order to create a sense of faery and dreaming. The royal prince of Ombria is dead, leaving a child-heir, a grieving mistress and a confused bastard nephew at the mercy of Domina Pearl ('The Black Pearl'), the regent of the city, who is seemingly immortal and has her own dark plans for the ruling of the oldest city in the world. Casting the young mistress Lydea onto the streets and poisoning the young prince Kyel into a state of deep depression is just the beginning. The bastard-son Ducon is drawn almost against his will into the designs of the noble conspirators, when all he wishes to do is attempt to fulfil his passion for drawing doorways, windowsills and other openings - searching for something in his pictures that he doesn't understand. Meanwhile, the mysterious sorceress Faey dwells in the shadows beneath the city, doing whatever magical task the highest bidder pays her for, along with her magical "waxling" Mag. A creature of magic is what Mag has been led to believe she is, but after accidentally swallowing a heart-spell of Faey's, she begins to feel rather human emotions that bring her tangled into the conspiracy of the crown, with her own part to play... Perhaps the inclusion of all these characters without a clear protagonist is a slight fault of the novel, but in a way I think that is a technique that McKillip sought to take, in the way of puttin Ombria itself in the title role, with all her characters fitting together like a jig-saw puzzle in order to save it. Certainly out of everything, Ombria is her most fascinating creation. Below the sunny streets lies another Ombria, a shadow Ombria: the city's own past. Ghosts and magic dwell there, and the entrances are through abandoned doors and shadows. It is almost as if time itself runs differently in the city - it runs not horizontally, from left to right, but vertically, with the city's past gradually sinking downwards into the underworld (an idea helped along greatly by the imagery presented in the great underground river, lined with empty houses and its black surface lit by lamps). I was utterly intoxicated by such an idea, and the language with which it was used suited it perfectly. As it is, I wasn't entirely satisfied by the conclusion; it was suitably ambiguous, but still didn't answer all my questions, especially concerning the relationship and the real nature of Faey and the Black Pearl. But nonetheless "Ombria in Shadow" is a wonderful read, and comes complete with another of K. Y. Craft's beautiful title covers, which is well worth the price of any book!
Rating:
Summary: Dark but lovely
Review: McKillip has a gift for surprise & for putting together very inventive plots. The density of the plot & the overwhelming power of the images within the book are so well-crafted & put together. Highly recommended for those who like fantasy.
Rating:
Summary: Another Brilliant Book from a Brilliant Author!
Review: McKillip's books are always a treat to read but she has really outdone herself with her new book. The style remains her distinctive familiar flavor while further developing her own voice. As she has delved into the language of music, of color and of nature in her other books, here she explores the language of light and shadows. The book also covers deeply sypathetic themes of children growing up and parents letting go. The characters are colorful and diverse and she increases her range of character from a couple of main figures to several fully developed personalities. The ending, while surprisingly poignant, is different from all her other "ending types" and displays definite growth and increased comfort in taking risks with the reader's heart to end the story the way it truly should be. McKillip's knack for blending several unconnected threads into one magnificent tapestry really makes the book an immensely satisfying read. Overall, the book will be a delight to McKillip veterans as well as those who are drawn to the beauty of the cover to discover the rich rewards of her writing.
Rating:
Summary: poetic romp
Review: Ombria in Shadow is a great book. Patricia McKillip's true conquest is one of language. It took me two chapters to really find a groove with the reading, but once I did, the book wasn't long enough. I kept wanting the chapters to be longer, I kept wanting to spend more time with the characters. For me, that's a mark of great writing.
For anyone who reads fantasy, here's a chance for something different. For anyone who pointedly doesn't read fantasy, here's a chance for something different. I would definitely say that this is a reader's book.
Rating:
Summary: A small masterpiece--excellent
Review: Ombria is the greatest city in the world, but it has fallen on hard times. The Prince of the city lies dying, his son a young child, his mistress despised by the court, and the evil pirate witch Domina Pearl stands ready to become regent--and to thust Ombria into chaos. The nobles try to unite around Ducon Greve, the Prince's nephew, but Ducon's hands are tied by Domina Pearl's threat to the young prince. Yet Ombria is more than a single city. It's history lies heavy on it, ghosts prowl the streets, and any alley or ruined shop might open the way into another city--a city in shadows. Deep within the city's underworld, a witch child, Mag, follows her witch-mistress's commands, but tries to understand, to think about what she is doing. Although her mistress supports Domina Pearl, Mag knows that she must be opposed. Author Patricia A. McKillip has created a wonderful city of magic. Her descriptions of Ombria ring with truth. Mag, Ducon, and Domina Pearl stand out as complex and motivated characters and their decisions, and the conflict among them, drives the story forward. Even throw-away characters such as the young prince's tutor are fascinating in their own right. OMBRIA IN SHADOW is a superior fantasy novel. On a small canvas, McKillip shows how wonderful fantasy can be.
Rating:
Summary: Beautiful
Review: Patricia McKillip at her worst is far better than usual fantasy writing, and here she is in fine form. Three-dimensional characters, flowing plot, flowery prose all meld together into a satisfying novel. Gloom and shadow fall over the city of Ombria as its ruling prince lies dying, leaving four people in the palace: Kyel, his child-heir who is traumatized by the loss of his family and friends. Lydea, the prince's mistress from a tavern, who genuinely mourns him. Domina Pearl (also called "Black Pearl"), an ancient, hideous, deathless, inhuman woman who seeks to control Kyel for her own power over Ombria. And Ducon Greve, the prince's silver-eyed nephew, whose father is a mystery and who expresses himself through charcoal drawings. When the prince dies, Kyel becomes the new prince -- but not before Domina Pearl throws Lydea out of the palace, and she flees to her father's grimy tavern -- only to find that she longer belongs there, but that she never belonged at the palace either.. Ducon is asked by nobles to try to overthrow the Black Pearl, but his sole concern seems to be for Kyel's safety, and he cannot act if it could hurt his young cousin. And in the "undercity," the sorceress Faey (who is definitely not human) is hired to "undo" Ducon -- except her waxling Mag (a living creature formed from wax) doesn't want Ducon to be killed. But the political strife is only a portent of things to come. It's all linked to strange, ancient events that start with "perilous times, a desperate city, the ruling house in chaos, in danger." It's all linked to Ducon, Domina Pearl, Mag, a locket of blood and rose petals, a children's tale, and the shadow. Like many of her recent books, this book focuses on several individuals whose lives interconnect within the main plot. As for the plot itself, well, expect the unexpected. In some ways it resembles "Song for the Basilisk," a prior book of McKillip's, with its mingling of magic and politics; also, Domina Pearl is in some ways reminiscent of the Basilisk, with her aura of quiet, stifling malevolence. But while the plotline of "Basilisk" was politics fueled by magic, it's the reverse here, magic fueled by politics; also, while the Basilisk was the figure on the throne, Domina Pearl is the power behind the throne. The "shadow city" is freshly created and beautifully explains certain plot points. Like Morgan of the Riddle-Master trilogy, Ducon Greve is a quiet person who doesn't particularly want to get involved in earthshaking events, but has to anyhow. Lydea's growth is also well-done, as she tries to help Ducon and Kyel. Mag is a little more difficult to connect to at first, as she seems to think in a manner entirely differently from Lydea and more like (but not exactly like) Ducon. As the book unfolds, we do see more of her emotions and feelings. Faey is one of the most original characters -- we're never entirely sure what she is or what her motivations are, aside from herself. But that never makes her unsympathetic or hard to connect to. McKillip's writing is, as always, lush and detailed without being smothering. Her dialogue ranges from beautiful and poetic to downright funny in a few places, down to Kyel playing with his little puppets. And we have yet another gorgeous Kinuko Craft cover (look carefully for the black pearls in Lydea's hair). This will probably be one of the best fiction releases all year, a tale of power-seeking, magic, the cycles of history, ghosts, shadows, and underground sorcery. A treasure.
Rating: 
Summary: Beautfiul but Incomplete
Review: Patricia Mckillip has a beautiful way with words, painting beguiling pictures with her unexpected word combinations and powerful simile. Her intense storytelling draws even the most unlikely fantasy readers into her world of fey shadows and inexplicable powers. I've been a fan of hers for years and am rarely disappointed by her offerings. Ombria in Shadow follows the seemingly unrelated lives of five complicated characters as their world shifts and falls to pieces around them. The crown prince of Ombria has died, and now his mistress, Lydea, and his son, Kyel, find themselves at the mercy of the powerful Domina, the Black Pearl, oldest woman in Ombria. She works their lives into a tapestry made to serve her lust for rule, weaving intrigue and despair within the palace walls. Few can stand when confronted with her power; among these is Duncon, the mysterious artist who has no father and whose face betrays the powers to whose ancestry he belongs. He stumbles upon the Undercity, where Faey, the beautiful sorceress, and her daughter, Mag, spin ancient spells for Ombria's living and its dead. All five become embroiled in what seems an unending tangle of intrigue and death, working against time to deflect Domina's designs and save Ombria from the shadows that threaten it. The book is at once intriguing and frustrating: we find ourselves turning each page in hopes that some of the many mysteries will somehow be cleared up in the next paragraph, only to be disappointed. McKillip, ever the crafty author, keeps us waiting until the very end before she reveals truth, but still, we are not satisfied. The book ends with too many threads left unresolved; it is as if, once she had crafted a book about shadows and their possibilities, she left it without even trying to explain to the reader exactly what all those shadows were about. Despite the enchanting prose and luxurious descriptions, in terms of storytelling and plot, McKillip has done much better than this. If you would like the true measure of this amazing author's work, see The Riddle Master: the Complete Trilogy, and then read Winter Rose. Only with this combination will you understand the true power of McKillip's work.
Rating:
Summary: The art of the hidden
Review: Patricia McKillip just keeps getting better. Her characters are fascinating and complex, and their surroundings are magically detailed. The setting of this particular novel is at least as important as the characters. McKillip never states anything outright, and this novel is especially shrouded, which lends it a hallucinatory air and makes you believe that Ombria truly is In Shadow. Don't expect this author to hold your hand, and don't expect explanations. Do expect a haunting, perfectly written experience that you will want to return to again and again. Peter S. Beagle said, "There are no better writers than Patricia McKillip", and this novel proves yet again that he was right.
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