Rating: Summary: COLD!!! Review: Okay, all I have to say is that the main charecter was cold and unfeeling and I didn't like her at all!!! Any writer should know that readers won't care what happens if they don't like the charecters. Coren was way too good for her and the ending was really, really, really messed up. That's all I have to say
Rating: Summary: A quiet, human masterpiece Review: When I was in college, I remember talking to two close friends about the books that we liked the best. There were three works that each of us put in our 'best-ten' list: The Lord of the Rings, Watership Down, and The Forgotten Beasts of Eld. In my opinion, there are three great stengths to this book. The first is the utter beautiful writing itself. The plot is not earth-shaking, the scale is certainly not epic...but this makes the simple beauty of her writing shine all the more, like a magnificent diamond in a simple setting.The second strength is that Patricia McKillip has a true and deep sense of the reality of hatred. Anyone who truly hates another person (and, for many years, I was very much in this category) will recognize EXACTLY how Sybil thinks and feels, and this is brought out in an utterly convincing fashion. The hatred is one of the central pillars of the story, and it is the pivot not merely of Sybil's life, but the life of anyone who hates deeply. The third great strength, which is closely linked to the second, is the way that McKillip portrays the way in which hatred destroys not merely the person who is hated, but the one who hates as well. It eats away at the person, until there is nothing left within, and there is no hope for a cure, for things to be made right again. This is not to say that there IS no hope for salvation...merely that the one who hates reaches a point where he (she) can no longer see it, and this salvation must come from the outside. There is redemption, but only after terrible pain, not merely for Sybil but for all who love her as well. This is truth, and I have recommended this book to people whose lives were being eaten away by hatred. What else can I say? This books succeeds at both an artistic and an existential level. And very few books are so successful at either.
Rating: Summary: Clear and cold Review: Left alone on a mountain with only mythical beasts as companions, a 16 year old girl is suddenly confronted with a request to love a baby (not her own). Patricia McKillip writes in clear, cold, concise language about this girl. Sybel (the girl) has a clear, cold, concise intellect. There is a chilly feeling throughout the book that gradually warms as the character learns to love both the baby and the man who delivered the baby to her. An unforgettable book about forgotten times.
Rating: Summary: One of the best Review: This is a very good book, in fact, it is one of the best I have ever read. I recomend it to any lover of fantasy.
Rating: Summary: Learn loving Review: On page 12, I told my girlfreind: "This is going to be a great book!" Shaking her head, she wanted me to tell her how I could already know. I just knew form the beginning... McKillip is able to draw you into the plot as dreams take possession of you at night. She tells the story of Sybel, a girl with no feelings but exceptional wisdom, pure as ice. As time passes, she learns how to love, and at the same time she experiences the problems which inevitably accompany her when she allows herself to feel emotions. The fearless girl grows up to a mature and wonderful woman with love, passion, and the killing thirst for revendge which threatens her life. At one point Sybel understands that love does not go together with fear and hate... I have finished the book two days ago, and while I am writing this, Sybel still is a part of my thoughts and feelings. What a pity, McKillip did not make an epic saga out of this. "The Forgotten Beasts of Eld" are made of the same stuff as the "The Riddle Master".
Rating: Summary: The cover has worn off (again) Review: I first discovered "The Forgotten Beasts of Eld" when I was in elementary school. I have no idea how many times I have re-read this book. It is a heartbreakingly simple, and yet complex, story. This book is a must for anyone who anthropomorphises their pets (like I do).
Rating: Summary: The Forgotten Beasts will never be forgotten again! Review: I would definitely recommend this book for ages 10 to adult. If you like magic, wizards, and strange creatures this is definitely a book for you. I loved this book and it's up on my top 5 list. The worst part about this book is there isn't a sequel!
Rating: Summary: I get lost Review: Every time I read this book, I get lost in it. It is like entering another world. This was my first McKillip book and really set the stage for my expectations in fantasy work. Very few come close to the dreamlike quality of this one.
Rating: Summary: A Tapestry of Words Review: gorgeous.... a fabulous book I've read again and again (and again). I don't give out a 5 stars often-- McKillip is the best fantasy writer in the world.
Rating: Summary: a great McKillip book Review: This was the first McKillip book that I read and I've now been reading her for over 10 years. This book is full of interesting beasts and is a great introduction to McKillip's writing. I recommend that you read this book if you like fantasy or other McKillip books. If you don't, give it a try. :-) Enjoy!
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