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Alphabet of Thorn
Deep inside a palace on the edge of the world, the orphan Nepenthe pores over books in the royal library, translating their languages and learning their secrets. Now sixteen, she knows little of the outside world — except for the documents that traders and travelers bring her to interpret.
Then, during the coronation of the new Queen of Raine, a young mage gives Nepenthe a book that has defied translation. Written in a language of thorns, it speaks to Nepenthe's soul — and becomes her secret obsession. And, as the words escape the brambles and reveal themselves, Nepenthe finds her destiny entwined with that of the young queen's. Sooner than she thinks, she will have to choose between the life she has led and the life she was born to lead...
Then, during the coronation of the new Queen of Raine, a young mage gives Nepenthe a book that has defied translation. Written in a language of thorns, it speaks to Nepenthe's soul — and becomes her secret obsession. And, as the words escape the brambles and reveal themselves, Nepenthe finds her destiny entwined with that of the young queen's. Sooner than she thinks, she will have to choose between the life she has led and the life she was born to lead...
291 pages, Paperback
First published February 3, 2004
About the author
Patricia A. McKillip
90 books2,715 followersPatricia Anne McKillip was an American author of fantasy and science fiction. She wrote predominantly standalone fantasy novels and has been called "one of the most accomplished prose stylists in the fantasy genre". Her work won many awards, including the World Fantasy Award for Lifetime Achievement in 2008.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 555 reviews
November 22, 2020
is for Awesome! A simple one-word description for this perfectly wonderful book. A is also for Alphabet! An alphabet of thorn is a lure for the novel's heroine, a translator in the royal library. Words and their meanings are her passion, and that passion leads her down a strange path, to a magician in a magical forest, to a new Queen learning her own magic, to a sorceress aiming to protect the kingdom, to her own cloudy past, to another sorceress who lives in that past and plans to take over the future, and all futures.
is for McKillip! Patricia A. McKillip continues her love affair with language in this delightful then eerie then finally transcendent book. M is is also for Me, mark monday! A reader also in love with words and with books that centralize words, books that recognize that it is through language that we define ourselves and the world around us, and books that warn us that language and words can be both challenge and trap, as their meanings and ramifications shift and change throughout cultures and throughout time, as humans use language to love but also to destroy, as language can repel and obsfuscate as often as it can embrace and create clarity.and
is for Ziggurat! A ziggurat is a temple in the form of a pyramidal tower, consisting of a number of stories and having about the outside a broad ascent winding round the structure, presenting the appearance of a series of terraces. I think that's a nice simile for the terraced and winding structure of this complex story, which is many stories within one story, winding around each other, built on top of one another. But that's also a bit of stretch. Better yet: Z is for Zenith! McKillip is the zenith of authors for me. The enchanting prose, the characters, the themes, the clarity and mystery and ambiguity and the music played with words, and best of all the understanding, of people, of life.
April 20, 2020
One of my very favorite Patricia McKillip fantasies! The plot here was particularly original. The chapters alternate between those about an orphaned teenager, Nepenthe, who lives and works at the Royal Library of the country of Raine. One day she's given a strange book by an attractive young mage that she's met. The book's in an unknown language, with letters that look like thorny branches, and Nepenthe is soon obsessed with translating it.
The book of thorns tells the story of a conquering emperor named Axis and his mage Kane, who helps Axis and falls in love with him, even though much of his attention is on finding new lands to conquer. But there's a magic about this book that may be dangerous to Nepenthe's land and the people she cares about.
It's a fascinating plot, and McKillip's writing is so beautiful I can just get lost in it. Highly recommended!
The book of thorns tells the story of a conquering emperor named Axis and his mage Kane, who helps Axis and falls in love with him, even though much of his attention is on finding new lands to conquer. But there's a magic about this book that may be dangerous to Nepenthe's land and the people she cares about.
It's a fascinating plot, and McKillip's writing is so beautiful I can just get lost in it. Highly recommended!
August 24, 2012
[9/10]
How do you put together a book of thorns, a three thousand years old emperor, an orphaned transcriptor, a passage through time, and swaths of ancient poetry into simple language? The answer is to let Patricia McKillip do it, with her deft hand at infusing each phrase with beauty, mystery and meaning. With every new book of her that I start, I get a sense of instant recognition, of a stylistic consistency that permeates from one story to another, regardless of the fact that she writes mostly standalone books and invents new worlds, new myhtologies, new magics and fresh characters for each. After reading so many 5 or 7 or 12 book fantasy series, it feels like a waste for an author to limit herself to one volume epics. I prefer to think of Patricia McKillip as a master craftsman who prefers to spend countless hours adding minute details to a tapestry or a painted vase or a sculpted chair until the object transcends its utilitarian design and becomes a thing of beauty, worthy of a museum. Or in a shorter explanation, I see her as an author who goes for quality over quantity.
Does a book of only 300 pages deserve to be considered epic? For Alphabet of Thorn my answer is yes. The story weaves together the individual struggles of Tessera, the young queen of Raine, of Bourne, an apprentice magician and of Nepenthe, a translator of ancient books, with the larger history of the world, going back thousands of years, to the founders of the greatest empire of Raine: Axis, The Emperor of Night, and Kane, the powerful magician that is always at his side, always hiding behind a mask. I love the way McKillip develops these characters, as well as several secondary ones, keeping things back, inserting silences and secrets, leaving them room to grow, finding once a humorous tone, next a heavy melancholy over things of the past. I can even forgive her for using one of the most abused clichees in fantasy : that of the orphan with a mysterious past and incredible magic powers.
Talking of magic, it plays a major role in the development of the story, from a floating school for wizards hidden in a sentient forest, to a sleeping ghost rumoured to come awake in the event of grave peril for the country, to abilities like mind reading, invisibility, teleportation, and even to some old fashioned fireballs and ligtning bolts, the magical forces are present everywhere, even if they remain mysterious and unpredictable and governed more by the heart than by the intellect. I've picked one passage to showcase both the beautiful prose of Mckillip, and the magic imbued nature of her worldbuilding:
Now the wood in early morning was utterly silent. She walked carefully through damp leaves, around tangles of bramble and vine, trying not to disturb the stillness. She could not see the sky, only green and shadow woven thickly above her, yelding not a scrap of blue. She breathed soundlessly. So did the wood around her, she felt; it seemed a live thing, alert and watching her, trees trailing whisps of morning mist, their faces hidden, their thoughts seeping into the air like scent. It was, she thought, like being surrounded by unspoken words.
The theme of language, communication, and the search for meaning/relevance is repeted through the text as Nepenthe tries to unravel the mystery of the book of thorns. It appears also in a scene with Tessera and an old courtier, one that I will choose as an ending and a conclusion to the book:
- He taught me the difference between everything and nothing.
- Which is?
- Words.
How do you put together a book of thorns, a three thousand years old emperor, an orphaned transcriptor, a passage through time, and swaths of ancient poetry into simple language? The answer is to let Patricia McKillip do it, with her deft hand at infusing each phrase with beauty, mystery and meaning. With every new book of her that I start, I get a sense of instant recognition, of a stylistic consistency that permeates from one story to another, regardless of the fact that she writes mostly standalone books and invents new worlds, new myhtologies, new magics and fresh characters for each. After reading so many 5 or 7 or 12 book fantasy series, it feels like a waste for an author to limit herself to one volume epics. I prefer to think of Patricia McKillip as a master craftsman who prefers to spend countless hours adding minute details to a tapestry or a painted vase or a sculpted chair until the object transcends its utilitarian design and becomes a thing of beauty, worthy of a museum. Or in a shorter explanation, I see her as an author who goes for quality over quantity.
Does a book of only 300 pages deserve to be considered epic? For Alphabet of Thorn my answer is yes. The story weaves together the individual struggles of Tessera, the young queen of Raine, of Bourne, an apprentice magician and of Nepenthe, a translator of ancient books, with the larger history of the world, going back thousands of years, to the founders of the greatest empire of Raine: Axis, The Emperor of Night, and Kane, the powerful magician that is always at his side, always hiding behind a mask. I love the way McKillip develops these characters, as well as several secondary ones, keeping things back, inserting silences and secrets, leaving them room to grow, finding once a humorous tone, next a heavy melancholy over things of the past. I can even forgive her for using one of the most abused clichees in fantasy : that of the orphan with a mysterious past and incredible magic powers.
Talking of magic, it plays a major role in the development of the story, from a floating school for wizards hidden in a sentient forest, to a sleeping ghost rumoured to come awake in the event of grave peril for the country, to abilities like mind reading, invisibility, teleportation, and even to some old fashioned fireballs and ligtning bolts, the magical forces are present everywhere, even if they remain mysterious and unpredictable and governed more by the heart than by the intellect. I've picked one passage to showcase both the beautiful prose of Mckillip, and the magic imbued nature of her worldbuilding:
Now the wood in early morning was utterly silent. She walked carefully through damp leaves, around tangles of bramble and vine, trying not to disturb the stillness. She could not see the sky, only green and shadow woven thickly above her, yelding not a scrap of blue. She breathed soundlessly. So did the wood around her, she felt; it seemed a live thing, alert and watching her, trees trailing whisps of morning mist, their faces hidden, their thoughts seeping into the air like scent. It was, she thought, like being surrounded by unspoken words.
The theme of language, communication, and the search for meaning/relevance is repeted through the text as Nepenthe tries to unravel the mystery of the book of thorns. It appears also in a scene with Tessera and an old courtier, one that I will choose as an ending and a conclusion to the book:
- He taught me the difference between everything and nothing.
- Which is?
- Words.
December 12, 2013
Firstly, I think I've mentioned this before, but oh I love the cover art so much. It's done by Kinuko Craft, who has also illustrated at least some of Juliet Marillier's covers, so that explains why it seemed familiar.
Alphabet of Thorn is beautifully written. It's one of those books where it's less about making things happen, and more about watching them happen -- there is some degree of "stopping things happening", but mostly people fall in love, and do magic, and learn things about themselves, and work in the slow silent world of manuscripts and translation, and... It's not really about the plot, I think, but more about the characters and the world; less about things happening than about people in a situation. I don't know if I can describe it -- but all the same, I hope it's clear that I loved it.
The mythical parts of the story, the floating school of magic, all of it felt -- not real, but true, to me. It all worked seamlessly as a world, as a story. It also felt in some ways like something Ursula Le Guin could write (which is a very high compliment in my world): the Floating School is a cousin to the school on Roke.
If you're not a fan of McKillip's style and plotting, I don't think this one could change your mind. But I do think it's gorgeous.
Alphabet of Thorn is beautifully written. It's one of those books where it's less about making things happen, and more about watching them happen -- there is some degree of "stopping things happening", but mostly people fall in love, and do magic, and learn things about themselves, and work in the slow silent world of manuscripts and translation, and... It's not really about the plot, I think, but more about the characters and the world; less about things happening than about people in a situation. I don't know if I can describe it -- but all the same, I hope it's clear that I loved it.
The mythical parts of the story, the floating school of magic, all of it felt -- not real, but true, to me. It all worked seamlessly as a world, as a story. It also felt in some ways like something Ursula Le Guin could write (which is a very high compliment in my world): the Floating School is a cousin to the school on Roke.
If you're not a fan of McKillip's style and plotting, I don't think this one could change your mind. But I do think it's gorgeous.
June 6, 2019
Alphabet of Thorn is a short, standalone fantasy by Patricia A. McKillip. This was my first time reading any of her work, and I’ve seen comments in a few places that this was not necessarily the best book to start with, but I greatly enjoyed it. I guess I must have even better things to look forward to when I cycle back around to try more of her work.
The story is told from multiple POVs. One of the main POVs is focused on a teenage girl who was abandoned as a baby. She was taken in and raised by librarians in a castle where she works as a translator. A strange book written out of letters shaped like thorns falls into her hands, and she becomes obsessed with translating it. Another POV focuses on another teenage girl who has suddenly found herself the Queen after her father’s unexpected death. She is not what her people expect from a ruler, and nobody is sure if she'll be able to hold onto her crown or if her people will rebel. Most of the other POVs support those two POVs to some extent.
I enjoyed all the POVs. There were more than I expected from a book that’s only about 300 pages, but they were all interesting. I liked how a couple of the characters were so inexplicable to the people around them, and even to the reader at times, yet they were still intelligent and capable characters who just had their own ways of thinking about things and interacting with the world. I enjoyed how everything tied together at the end, and the build-up as the reader slowly starts to understand exactly what’s going on. I did think there were a few niggling logic issues here and there, but nothing too bothersome.
There’s something I can’t quite put my finger on about the style of the story. It somehow had the feel of an older, classic fantasy even though it was somewhat-recently published in 2004. It didn’t feel dated or full of tropes or anything negative like that, it just had a classic feel. In the beginning, I thought this book might end up being a bit too romance-filled for my tastes. There’s a romance of some sort in nearly every POV. However, somehow it didn’t end up getting on my nerves. There was very little of the insecure angsty type stuff that I get so tired of, and it didn’t use any other romance tropes in a way that annoyed me.
I’m rating this at 4.5 stars and rounding down to 4 on Goodreads.
The story is told from multiple POVs. One of the main POVs is focused on a teenage girl who was abandoned as a baby. She was taken in and raised by librarians in a castle where she works as a translator. A strange book written out of letters shaped like thorns falls into her hands, and she becomes obsessed with translating it. Another POV focuses on another teenage girl who has suddenly found herself the Queen after her father’s unexpected death. She is not what her people expect from a ruler, and nobody is sure if she'll be able to hold onto her crown or if her people will rebel. Most of the other POVs support those two POVs to some extent.
I enjoyed all the POVs. There were more than I expected from a book that’s only about 300 pages, but they were all interesting. I liked how a couple of the characters were so inexplicable to the people around them, and even to the reader at times, yet they were still intelligent and capable characters who just had their own ways of thinking about things and interacting with the world. I enjoyed how everything tied together at the end, and the build-up as the reader slowly starts to understand exactly what’s going on. I did think there were a few niggling logic issues here and there, but nothing too bothersome.
There’s something I can’t quite put my finger on about the style of the story. It somehow had the feel of an older, classic fantasy even though it was somewhat-recently published in 2004. It didn’t feel dated or full of tropes or anything negative like that, it just had a classic feel. In the beginning, I thought this book might end up being a bit too romance-filled for my tastes. There’s a romance of some sort in nearly every POV. However, somehow it didn’t end up getting on my nerves. There was very little of the insecure angsty type stuff that I get so tired of, and it didn’t use any other romance tropes in a way that annoyed me.
I’m rating this at 4.5 stars and rounding down to 4 on Goodreads.
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July 5, 2019Note of shallowness: I am sad I do not have this with the original cover which is super ornate and gorgeous.
I burned out on fantasy quite a few years ago, but there was a lot I enjoyed about this. The fact it wasn’t eighty thousand gazillion pages long, for example, and it’s not the first book of a trilogy, which ends on a cliff-hanger, and book two of which is due for release in 2046. Also there are women in it, which fantasy as a genre is still working on—a variety of women and they get to do cool stuff. It’s a multi-viewpoint thing, bringing together a young scribe, left orphaned outside the library, a trainee wizard, a young queen, and a terrifying sorcerer from beyond space and time.
It took me a while to get into this because you don’t really figure out what’s happening until about halfway through. The stories feel disconnected and the characters a little distant (Bourne, in particular, the trainee wizard remains an attractive cipher throughout) … but once the pieces snap into place, it’s fucking awesome. It’s got all the usual fantasy type tropes in here—magic, war, politics!—but in the end they fall away to tell a very personal story about love and language, and the power of both to control people and save them and tear them apart.
I also loved the depth of the world-building here. While the book never bogs down in detailed explanation—there’s a floating school for magicians, a vast library built into a cliff, a warrior-king sleeping in a cave—there’s an intense sense of place, history and myth. This is very much my personal preference because I know some fantasy readers want six thousand years of timeline and a map. But, me, I want a fantasy author to make me believe they know how the magic works, and what happened 543 years ago, without necessarily feeling obliged to tell me about it.
And the writing, oh the writing is incredibly pretty. So this one was a win for me.
I burned out on fantasy quite a few years ago, but there was a lot I enjoyed about this. The fact it wasn’t eighty thousand gazillion pages long, for example, and it’s not the first book of a trilogy, which ends on a cliff-hanger, and book two of which is due for release in 2046. Also there are women in it, which fantasy as a genre is still working on—a variety of women and they get to do cool stuff. It’s a multi-viewpoint thing, bringing together a young scribe, left orphaned outside the library, a trainee wizard, a young queen, and a terrifying sorcerer from beyond space and time.
It took me a while to get into this because you don’t really figure out what’s happening until about halfway through. The stories feel disconnected and the characters a little distant (Bourne, in particular, the trainee wizard remains an attractive cipher throughout) … but once the pieces snap into place, it’s fucking awesome. It’s got all the usual fantasy type tropes in here—magic, war, politics!—but in the end they fall away to tell a very personal story about love and language, and the power of both to control people and save them and tear them apart.
I also loved the depth of the world-building here. While the book never bogs down in detailed explanation—there’s a floating school for magicians, a vast library built into a cliff, a warrior-king sleeping in a cave—there’s an intense sense of place, history and myth. This is very much my personal preference because I know some fantasy readers want six thousand years of timeline and a map. But, me, I want a fantasy author to make me believe they know how the magic works, and what happened 543 years ago, without necessarily feeling obliged to tell me about it.
And the writing, oh the writing is incredibly pretty. So this one was a win for me.
March 26, 2013
This book has many of the hallmarks of epic fantasy: a mysterious orphan, a teenage monarch, a shifting point-of-view among several main characters, an existential threat from an enemy with utterly unsympathetic motives. But unlike most epic fantasy, which comes in multi-book sequences, Alphabet of Thorn comprises only about 300 brief pages. Perhaps for that reason, it's only moderately successful.
Nepenthe, a teenage transcriptor in the palace library, becomes obsessed with a mysterious book whose letters resemble thorns. Bourne, a mage-in-training, falls in love with Nepenthe and discovers magical powers he didn't know he had. Tessera, the reluctant queen, tries to grow into her power, while Vevay, an elderly mage and counselor, works to hold things together. Meanwhile, in Nepenthe's book, an ancient emperor and his mage/lover conquer kingdoms. It's a bit much for such a short book, especially with chapters alternating among five main characters. It's hard to get attached to so many characters so quickly, and Nepenthe is the only one I particularly liked. Bourne and Vevay seem bland, and the others just okay. The love triangle is uninspired, but I can forgive that as it's not the book's focus.
But I did like this book, albeit in a lukewarm sort of way; I actually enjoyed it more than Ombria in Shadow, which I rated 4 stars. Alphabet of Thorn includes much more interesting portrayals of women in power, and the story overall makes more sense (except for Nepenthe's apparently deciphering unknown languages from scratch in a matter of days; there's a reason real-life scholars needed the Rosetta Stone!). McKillip's rather dreamlike writing style suits the story well: we do get little details of the characters' lives, but the world itself is hazily drawn, as there's simply not time for much development in a book of this length. And the ending is rushed; Nepenthe has a frustratingly uncomplicated response to a major revelation and makes a crucial decision far too easily.
In the end, Alphabet of Thorn is a decent fairytale-like story, and if I liked traditional fairytales better*, I might have enjoyed it more. But although it doesn't seem to be specifically targeted at younger readers, this one might be better suited for YA's than for adults.
*As opposed to fairytale retellings with a twist, which I do like. Aside from the presence of so many active female characters, this one feels pretty traditional, and I tend to prefer my retellings rather less dreamy and more subversive.
Nepenthe, a teenage transcriptor in the palace library, becomes obsessed with a mysterious book whose letters resemble thorns. Bourne, a mage-in-training, falls in love with Nepenthe and discovers magical powers he didn't know he had. Tessera, the reluctant queen, tries to grow into her power, while Vevay, an elderly mage and counselor, works to hold things together. Meanwhile, in Nepenthe's book, an ancient emperor and his mage/lover conquer kingdoms. It's a bit much for such a short book, especially with chapters alternating among five main characters. It's hard to get attached to so many characters so quickly, and Nepenthe is the only one I particularly liked. Bourne and Vevay seem bland, and the others just okay. The love triangle is uninspired, but I can forgive that as it's not the book's focus.
But I did like this book, albeit in a lukewarm sort of way; I actually enjoyed it more than Ombria in Shadow, which I rated 4 stars. Alphabet of Thorn includes much more interesting portrayals of women in power, and the story overall makes more sense (except for Nepenthe's apparently deciphering unknown languages from scratch in a matter of days; there's a reason real-life scholars needed the Rosetta Stone!). McKillip's rather dreamlike writing style suits the story well: we do get little details of the characters' lives, but the world itself is hazily drawn, as there's simply not time for much development in a book of this length. And the ending is rushed; Nepenthe has a frustratingly uncomplicated response to a major revelation and makes a crucial decision far too easily.
In the end, Alphabet of Thorn is a decent fairytale-like story, and if I liked traditional fairytales better*, I might have enjoyed it more. But although it doesn't seem to be specifically targeted at younger readers, this one might be better suited for YA's than for adults.
*As opposed to fairytale retellings with a twist, which I do like. Aside from the presence of so many active female characters, this one feels pretty traditional, and I tend to prefer my retellings rather less dreamy and more subversive.
June 19, 2020
Well-loved Sci-Fi/Fantasy author Patricia A. McKillip released this book in 2005. Alphabet of Thorn is a story about the magic of words, about obsession, and about love.
An orphan has been raised by the librarians of a great castle. At sixteen, through her job as translator, the magic of a book tangles her life with that of the young queen and others of the realm. This history written in a language of thorns unveils secrets that will change everything.
The story is reminiscent of Arthurian tales, and Le Guin, with a touch of Harry Potter.
Soon after I began reading, I felt a fondness for the author. Her language is beautiful, but I found the strange word order and her use of pronouns confusing. As this is the first book of McKillip’s I’ve read, I’m not sure if she wrote this way on purpose or not. The story does, after all, center on a brambly language.
I like McKillip’s patterns of thought, and the timing of her plot elements. Plenty of well-paced hints lit the way to the outcome. There are gems among her phrases, and interesting metaphors such as the enormity of night with its eye at the window, spying on comfort and fragile peace.
My favorite line is, “. . .even in the long, tumultuous history of Raine, the rulers had never had to go to war with their librarians.”
The final chapter or two make me feel that the author was already busy in her mind with her next book. The structure is there, but primary characters have oddly melted away and the writing has lost its flow. There is a beautiful resolution, but it was a tricky one that needed a little more care to make someone’s transition believable.
I've blogged about my process in creating this review. https://habyrd.com/ Baby Sees Its Shadow For The First Time, Again.
An orphan has been raised by the librarians of a great castle. At sixteen, through her job as translator, the magic of a book tangles her life with that of the young queen and others of the realm. This history written in a language of thorns unveils secrets that will change everything.
The story is reminiscent of Arthurian tales, and Le Guin, with a touch of Harry Potter.
Soon after I began reading, I felt a fondness for the author. Her language is beautiful, but I found the strange word order and her use of pronouns confusing. As this is the first book of McKillip’s I’ve read, I’m not sure if she wrote this way on purpose or not. The story does, after all, center on a brambly language.
I like McKillip’s patterns of thought, and the timing of her plot elements. Plenty of well-paced hints lit the way to the outcome. There are gems among her phrases, and interesting metaphors such as the enormity of night with its eye at the window, spying on comfort and fragile peace.
My favorite line is, “. . .even in the long, tumultuous history of Raine, the rulers had never had to go to war with their librarians.”
The final chapter or two make me feel that the author was already busy in her mind with her next book. The structure is there, but primary characters have oddly melted away and the writing has lost its flow. There is a beautiful resolution, but it was a tricky one that needed a little more care to make someone’s transition believable.
I've blogged about my process in creating this review. https://habyrd.com/ Baby Sees Its Shadow For The First Time, Again.
April 22, 2018
The story starts slowly and quietly -- not so slow as to encourage giving up, but still, it feels quite leisurely. And mysterious. But it picks up pace to become quite a rich, but compact, fantasy tale of loss, hope and reunion.
SRC Task 20.9; Read All The Books: The Fifth Season; SFFBC TBR 18
Patricia A. McKillip won the World Fantasy Award Life Achievement award in 2008.
SRC Task 20.9; Read All The Books: The Fifth Season; SFFBC TBR 18
Patricia A. McKillip won the World Fantasy Award Life Achievement award in 2008.
March 16, 2024
This one started off slow for me, but I'm glad I stuck with it. I like how the pieces all came together in a way that was unexpected and did not play to typical fantasy or fairy tale outcomes.
July 29, 2015
I can't finish this book. I stopped a while ago and have kept trying but it is too boring. I'll try again later.
August 15, 2024
ִֶָ𓂃࣪⊹✧ 4.0
The thing I praised the most about this book is the writing style. It felt magical, dreamy, and fairy-like, with lyrical words that enchanted in every chapter. It started off very slowly, which initially bored me, but it was worth the wait because the plot became so interesting. The multiple POVs, the intertwined storyline and history, the angsty romance, and the portrayal of books and magic were all quite well done. I liked how everything finally connected, although I felt a bit sad about the bittersweet ending. There were some aspects that bothered me, such as the magic not being fully explored. It was present in a significant amount, but some elements appeared suddenly without explanation of their origins. I understand that the book is short and under 300 pages, but I had hoped for more suspense and drama, which turned out to be lacking. Additionally, the ending should be in jail because Kane deserved better in every way. She should have received an epic ending to match the sacrifices she made. Overall, I enjoyed this book a lot and devoured it for the vibes as well as the engaging plot. I would definitely read another book by the author, as I had received a recommendation for a different title, but starting with this one was the perfect choice.
The thing I praised the most about this book is the writing style. It felt magical, dreamy, and fairy-like, with lyrical words that enchanted in every chapter. It started off very slowly, which initially bored me, but it was worth the wait because the plot became so interesting. The multiple POVs, the intertwined storyline and history, the angsty romance, and the portrayal of books and magic were all quite well done. I liked how everything finally connected, although I felt a bit sad about the bittersweet ending. There were some aspects that bothered me, such as the magic not being fully explored. It was present in a significant amount, but some elements appeared suddenly without explanation of their origins. I understand that the book is short and under 300 pages, but I had hoped for more suspense and drama, which turned out to be lacking. Additionally, the ending should be in jail because Kane deserved better in every way. She should have received an epic ending to match the sacrifices she made. Overall, I enjoyed this book a lot and devoured it for the vibes as well as the engaging plot. I would definitely read another book by the author, as I had received a recommendation for a different title, but starting with this one was the perfect choice.
September 10, 2011
There is a lot to this book that I've come to understand as very characteristic of McKillip: thoughtful, considered characters; a semblance, though not full description, of history as a backdrop for the story; mystical realms where magic is fully integrated into the world though also exist side-by-side and, at times, bound to, the purely non-magical. And, most of all, I appreciated Alphabet of Thorn for what I love about McKillip's writing and books the most: her both lack of attempt to describe things for which words are not enough, that exist in a world where words have no meaning. Indeed this is what, in my mind, is the true goal of fantasy (and possibly, in a way, all fiction as well).
But Alphabet of Thorn also does what I wish McKillip would move away from, something that has characterized, it seems, most to all of the books she has written in the last ten or so years. There are too many voices, too many main characters, leaving the reader (or me, at least) to either choose a favorite and dread seeing the others or to feel disconnected from them all. Or, at times, both. I liked Nepenthe, though I thought Bourne was undeveloped. I enjoyed some aspects of Tessera but I disliked Vevay. Also, McKillip just plain doesn't get into her worlds enough, which is surprising to write, as her worlds are so full and so lively. But I really felt with Alphabet of Thorn how much further she could push her worlds and, through that, how much she could further her characters and her plots. In short, I get the feeling that there's simply so much more story surrounding the characters and their world that McKillip just doesn't get to, either because she's so concerned with writing other voices (an interesting tactic, but not necessary or even good in every book) or because all of her books come to only about 300 pages. And (although I won't spoil it) I really didn't care for her ending in Alphabet of Thorn. Some characters suddenly change, some give up things that they've sought for the entire plot, and with no explanation. I was left very disappointed at the end of this book, which, I think, is why I gave it only three stars.
But, still, I love McKillip's writing. She's gotten at something that is the purpose (again, I think) of all fantasy writing: to describe the indescribable, to journey in a world completely beyond us and our own world, to experience in a story, with developed characters, that which underlies our world and which informs, in the end, all our inspiration. She's there, but I just don't think developing it enough when she gets out of it. Though that's saying a lot. I've never met McKillip and I have no conception of her compositional practices, but she really does seem to me to be on the cusp of some beautiful things. I just wish they were more in her stories and characters and not, in my opinion, resigned to a few amazing passages and side-stories.
But Alphabet of Thorn also does what I wish McKillip would move away from, something that has characterized, it seems, most to all of the books she has written in the last ten or so years. There are too many voices, too many main characters, leaving the reader (or me, at least) to either choose a favorite and dread seeing the others or to feel disconnected from them all. Or, at times, both. I liked Nepenthe, though I thought Bourne was undeveloped. I enjoyed some aspects of Tessera but I disliked Vevay. Also, McKillip just plain doesn't get into her worlds enough, which is surprising to write, as her worlds are so full and so lively. But I really felt with Alphabet of Thorn how much further she could push her worlds and, through that, how much she could further her characters and her plots. In short, I get the feeling that there's simply so much more story surrounding the characters and their world that McKillip just doesn't get to, either because she's so concerned with writing other voices (an interesting tactic, but not necessary or even good in every book) or because all of her books come to only about 300 pages. And (although I won't spoil it) I really didn't care for her ending in Alphabet of Thorn. Some characters suddenly change, some give up things that they've sought for the entire plot, and with no explanation. I was left very disappointed at the end of this book, which, I think, is why I gave it only three stars.
But, still, I love McKillip's writing. She's gotten at something that is the purpose (again, I think) of all fantasy writing: to describe the indescribable, to journey in a world completely beyond us and our own world, to experience in a story, with developed characters, that which underlies our world and which informs, in the end, all our inspiration. She's there, but I just don't think developing it enough when she gets out of it. Though that's saying a lot. I've never met McKillip and I have no conception of her compositional practices, but she really does seem to me to be on the cusp of some beautiful things. I just wish they were more in her stories and characters and not, in my opinion, resigned to a few amazing passages and side-stories.
November 25, 2022
8/10 stars
A pleasant surprise. While the story doesn't make too much sense, and everything seems rushed, the ending particularly, it's still a very readable and enjoyable book.
This time around, I was prepared to be unattached to the characters, and I was not disappointed ;). Still, Tessara in particular seems a little bit intriguing, maybe because we don't get her POV.
The insta-love was a bit of a fail, but fortunately McKillip doesn't spend much time on it - it serves as a plot anchor, so that subsequent choices come more naturally than they would otherwise have.
The decision to entwine the two timelines through the process of translating an ancient book was a great one - bringing results both impressive and highly effective. There was a sense of urgency stemming from the process of reading, closely mimicking the reader's own experiences - and with the overarching mystery surrounding Axis and Kane it lent Alphabet of Thorn a surprising but welcome air of a fantasy thriller.
Not sure if McKillip changed her style or I didn't have much mindspace for poetry, but this one seemed less whimsical and poetic, and filled more with action and adventure instead. The library wasn't fleshed out enough to my liking, but the magic school in the magic wood turned out to be a particularly memorable setting.
All in all, the best of McKillip's books I've read so far!
A pleasant surprise. While the story doesn't make too much sense, and everything seems rushed, the ending particularly, it's still a very readable and enjoyable book.
This time around, I was prepared to be unattached to the characters, and I was not disappointed ;). Still, Tessara in particular seems a little bit intriguing, maybe because we don't get her POV.
The insta-love was a bit of a fail, but fortunately McKillip doesn't spend much time on it - it serves as a plot anchor, so that subsequent choices come more naturally than they would otherwise have.
The decision to entwine the two timelines through the process of translating an ancient book was a great one - bringing results both impressive and highly effective. There was a sense of urgency stemming from the process of reading, closely mimicking the reader's own experiences - and with the overarching mystery surrounding Axis and Kane it lent Alphabet of Thorn a surprising but welcome air of a fantasy thriller.
Not sure if McKillip changed her style or I didn't have much mindspace for poetry, but this one seemed less whimsical and poetic, and filled more with action and adventure instead. The library wasn't fleshed out enough to my liking, but the magic school in the magic wood turned out to be a particularly memorable setting.
All in all, the best of McKillip's books I've read so far!
March 25, 2009
I'll write a full review when I have more time but a quickie review....
When the book first started I was not "captivated". There were no characters I really fell in love with and the plot seemed slow to get going. That being said I thought the writing itself was very lyrical and poetic and there were a number of pasasages that caught my eye.
I stayed with the book because it was a group read - and around 1/2 way my opinion of it changed. By the end of the book I enjoyed it and was glad I had read it. I do think the pacing was a bit off - slow at the beginning and WAY to fast at the end. But the characters grew on me and I became more interested in the plot and as I said when all was said and done I'm glad I was introduced to a book and author I probably would not have read if it weren't for the club.
When the book first started I was not "captivated". There were no characters I really fell in love with and the plot seemed slow to get going. That being said I thought the writing itself was very lyrical and poetic and there were a number of pasasages that caught my eye.
I stayed with the book because it was a group read - and around 1/2 way my opinion of it changed. By the end of the book I enjoyed it and was glad I had read it. I do think the pacing was a bit off - slow at the beginning and WAY to fast at the end. But the characters grew on me and I became more interested in the plot and as I said when all was said and done I'm glad I was introduced to a book and author I probably would not have read if it weren't for the club.
January 6, 2021
I really enjoyed the development of the two threads of story and finding the connections as they were slowly revealed. The writing is just lovely, creating a dreamlike feeling in the world(s). The characters were well presented, with distinct personalities revealed mostly through their actions, rather than excessive exposition or internal monologues. I'm glad I decided to read this now even though I already had too many reading commitments.
August 12, 2021
Brava McKillip, this ish was beautiful.
This isn’t tagged as a fairy tale but it feels like one.
I would have picked a different vibe for the cover art, but I realize that’s a petty comment.
I would recommend this to fans of The Ten Thousand Doors of January & Strange The Dreamer.
4.5/5
This isn’t tagged as a fairy tale but it feels like one.
I would have picked a different vibe for the cover art, but I realize that’s a petty comment.
I would recommend this to fans of The Ten Thousand Doors of January & Strange The Dreamer.
4.5/5
March 17, 2009
This is one of those books I came to reluctantly (for a book club here on Goodreads) and found myself pleasantly surprised by - a bit like the cover, really, which I hated at first and then slowly came to appreciate, especially as you start noticing all the little details in it that correspond so artfully to the story, in particular the city of towers built into the cliff, which you can hopefully see in the background.
Nepenthe is an orphan, found as a baby at the edge of the cliff outside the royal palace and adopted, like many other orphans, by the Royal Librarians. Growing up in the underbelly of the palace amongst books and languages as a gifted transcriber, Nepenthe is content and happy with her life, and wonders little about her heritage. A chance meeting with a handsome young wizard-in-training from the Floating School, Bourne, brings a book written in a language of thorns into her hands - a book that speaks to her and her alone.
As their friendship blossoms into young love, Bourne becomes concerned by how obsessed Nepenthe is with translating the thorns. Yet he does what he can to help her understand the story they tell, a story of Axis and Kane, figures of myth and legend long past. The thorns reveal a version of their story that not only has never been heard of before, but is full of contradictions and misplaced time that discredit its veracity. Still, Nepenthe is possessed of a drive to finish translating it.
When the king of the Twelve Crowns dies and his young and dreamy daughter, Tessera, becomes Queen, the threat of civil war stirs the ancient sorceress Vevay to keep a close watch on the realm. When she receives the cryptic message to beware the thorns, it takes Tessera to explore her newly awakened magical gift to uncover the truth, but it might be too late.
After a slow start, the story picks up and tells a memorable, age-old tale of devotion, war, magic, love and human foible with some new quirks. The story of Axis, the mighty warlord who conquered the known and unknown world, and his cousin, mistress and mighty sorceress, Kane, who ensured success at every conquest, is told as a parallel story, leading inexorably closer to the truth and the climax at the same time as the "present" story - the twist of time is handled deftly and smoothly. I'm not convinced of the logistics of Axis' empire, but it's not really the point of the story.
This is one of those fantasy tales that delves only into the most pertinent details, leaving the edges fuzzy and dreamlike. It certainly adds a mystical, mythical quality, though I'm one of those readers who likes to know, and chafes a bit at being guided through a fantasy world by an author who only lets you see what they want you to see. So at times, the story felt vaguely disappointing, and I wasn't sure for the first few chapters where it was going, but overall it was a pleasure to read.
Nepenthe is an orphan, found as a baby at the edge of the cliff outside the royal palace and adopted, like many other orphans, by the Royal Librarians. Growing up in the underbelly of the palace amongst books and languages as a gifted transcriber, Nepenthe is content and happy with her life, and wonders little about her heritage. A chance meeting with a handsome young wizard-in-training from the Floating School, Bourne, brings a book written in a language of thorns into her hands - a book that speaks to her and her alone.
As their friendship blossoms into young love, Bourne becomes concerned by how obsessed Nepenthe is with translating the thorns. Yet he does what he can to help her understand the story they tell, a story of Axis and Kane, figures of myth and legend long past. The thorns reveal a version of their story that not only has never been heard of before, but is full of contradictions and misplaced time that discredit its veracity. Still, Nepenthe is possessed of a drive to finish translating it.
When the king of the Twelve Crowns dies and his young and dreamy daughter, Tessera, becomes Queen, the threat of civil war stirs the ancient sorceress Vevay to keep a close watch on the realm. When she receives the cryptic message to beware the thorns, it takes Tessera to explore her newly awakened magical gift to uncover the truth, but it might be too late.
After a slow start, the story picks up and tells a memorable, age-old tale of devotion, war, magic, love and human foible with some new quirks. The story of Axis, the mighty warlord who conquered the known and unknown world, and his cousin, mistress and mighty sorceress, Kane, who ensured success at every conquest, is told as a parallel story, leading inexorably closer to the truth and the climax at the same time as the "present" story - the twist of time is handled deftly and smoothly. I'm not convinced of the logistics of Axis' empire, but it's not really the point of the story.
This is one of those fantasy tales that delves only into the most pertinent details, leaving the edges fuzzy and dreamlike. It certainly adds a mystical, mythical quality, though I'm one of those readers who likes to know, and chafes a bit at being guided through a fantasy world by an author who only lets you see what they want you to see. So at times, the story felt vaguely disappointing, and I wasn't sure for the first few chapters where it was going, but overall it was a pleasure to read.
September 14, 2008
Every time I read a McKillip book I know I am in the hands of a master storyteller. Her stories have the weight of history and mythology behind them, even if those histories and mythologies are solely of her own creating. Her writing is very prose-like and works wonderfully for her unique storytelling style. I always feel like I am waking from a dream when I finish one of her novels or coming up for air after being underwater for a long time. It's very disorienting, but I think that's why I love her writing so much. Alphabet of Thorn is one of my favorites from McKillip and a good story to start with if one has never read this author before.
August 4, 2018
Wow. This books packs a slow-building lyrical punch of magic, horror, and emotional revelation. And it is primarily about being a woman.
What does that even mean!
First, it's a story all about magic -- why we care about magic, the forms magic takes in the world, how it changes lives, how much and how little it is understood -- without ever placing magic in a system with clean edges or anything fully under human control. McKillip writes magic in the style of Le Guin's Earthsea books, as an obscure force that sometimes helps its user but more often promotes an unslakable thirst for ambition and control.
Second, the horror. Although it was never exactly scary, the horror emerged from the growing sense of inevitability, of events beyond understanding. McKillip does a great job of only letting readers know what her characters know and connecting their plot threads and motivations into a single purpose. At times these orchestrations felt predictable, but McKillip tells the story with an easy grace that propels everything forward, feeling as it should.
The emotional core of this book surprised me. The characters are not portrayed with tremendous depth, but they are themselves, operating and speaking in ways particular to their personalities and conflicts. Nepenthe's curiosity and her tentative but eager love felt real to me; Tessera's uncertainty and self-doubt were plucked from my daily life; Vevay was essentially a Virginia Woolf character reflecting on a long life with poise, dispassion, and vulnerability; and Kane--Kane! At the climax of the story, I discovered that my emotional investment in these characters was so much greater than expected. It took me completely off guard. I loved it.
Finally, this book is about being a woman. About women living in power structures. About women fulfilling roles and services. About women lost to history because it is convenient to forget. And about women in relation to each other and the choices they make to keep living.
This was a wonderful book, a new addition to my favorites, and certainly not the last McKillip I will read. Highly recommended.
What does that even mean!
First, it's a story all about magic -- why we care about magic, the forms magic takes in the world, how it changes lives, how much and how little it is understood -- without ever placing magic in a system with clean edges or anything fully under human control. McKillip writes magic in the style of Le Guin's Earthsea books, as an obscure force that sometimes helps its user but more often promotes an unslakable thirst for ambition and control.
Second, the horror. Although it was never exactly scary, the horror emerged from the growing sense of inevitability, of events beyond understanding. McKillip does a great job of only letting readers know what her characters know and connecting their plot threads and motivations into a single purpose. At times these orchestrations felt predictable, but McKillip tells the story with an easy grace that propels everything forward, feeling as it should.
The emotional core of this book surprised me. The characters are not portrayed with tremendous depth, but they are themselves, operating and speaking in ways particular to their personalities and conflicts. Nepenthe's curiosity and her tentative but eager love felt real to me; Tessera's uncertainty and self-doubt were plucked from my daily life; Vevay was essentially a Virginia Woolf character reflecting on a long life with poise, dispassion, and vulnerability; and Kane--Kane! At the climax of the story, I discovered that my emotional investment in these characters was so much greater than expected. It took me completely off guard. I loved it.
Finally, this book is about being a woman. About women living in power structures. About women fulfilling roles and services. About women lost to history because it is convenient to forget. And about women in relation to each other and the choices they make to keep living.
This was a wonderful book, a new addition to my favorites, and certainly not the last McKillip I will read. Highly recommended.
January 9, 2011
Ah, if there's one thing you'll take away from this book, it's the writing. Patricia A. McKillip's prose is quite beautiful, with sweeping descriptions that'll have you in awe, and her light touch that gives everything a surreal and ethereal like feel. It's very befitting of the genre she writes in and I love it.
But I wasn't totally captivated by the story. Most of it was due to the characters. I didn't really connect with them. There isn't really anything bad about them per se. They all have their own background stories, distinct personalities, and their own flaws and vices as well. I can't remember their names but I believe the guy's one was Bourne? If I'm wrong, sorry. But he seemed to be the most flat of them. There was nothing really gripping about him other than the fact he's sort of a rebel and has this fantabulous abilities as a magician/wizard/sage what have you. The only real dynamic thing about him is that his uncle is accused of plotting against the crown, but we don't get much of a reaction out of him. There's nothing really that makes him stand out as a whole.
I also disliked the romance between Nepenthe and Bourne. It just didn't have any fire or chemistry for me. They got together entirely too fast for my liking and they didn't leap off the pages when they were together. I found their scenes to be boring and kept wanting thing to go back to the main plot.
Yet, the plot... Oooh, the plot. It's entirely unexpected. You actually have two main plots which come together at the end in a surprising way I didn't see coming. The plot is, for most parts, quite original and refreshing. I didn't see all the little things the author dropped throughout the book which were actually quite obvious hints. It might get confusing with the back and forth action the book does between our main plot and that of the other characters, but it settles itself out in the end.
Although I didn't quite love this book like some of my other friends have, I did enjoy it and I'll probably pick up some of her other stories in the future.
But I wasn't totally captivated by the story. Most of it was due to the characters. I didn't really connect with them. There isn't really anything bad about them per se. They all have their own background stories, distinct personalities, and their own flaws and vices as well. I can't remember their names but I believe the guy's one was Bourne? If I'm wrong, sorry. But he seemed to be the most flat of them. There was nothing really gripping about him other than the fact he's sort of a rebel and has this fantabulous abilities as a magician/wizard/sage what have you. The only real dynamic thing about him is that his uncle is accused of plotting against the crown, but we don't get much of a reaction out of him. There's nothing really that makes him stand out as a whole.
I also disliked the romance between Nepenthe and Bourne. It just didn't have any fire or chemistry for me. They got together entirely too fast for my liking and they didn't leap off the pages when they were together. I found their scenes to be boring and kept wanting thing to go back to the main plot.
Yet, the plot... Oooh, the plot. It's entirely unexpected. You actually have two main plots which come together at the end in a surprising way I didn't see coming. The plot is, for most parts, quite original and refreshing. I didn't see all the little things the author dropped throughout the book which were actually quite obvious hints. It might get confusing with the back and forth action the book does between our main plot and that of the other characters, but it settles itself out in the end.
Although I didn't quite love this book like some of my other friends have, I did enjoy it and I'll probably pick up some of her other stories in the future.
August 21, 2018
This story's main characters are three younger people, Tessara, Bourne and Nepanthe . One is the new Queen of Raine, thrust into a position she has in no way ready for, one is the nephew of a noble. sent to a mage school to get him out of the way, and the last is an orphan librarian/translator. Yet they somehow manage to come together to defeat the greatest threat their country has ever seen.
I think that I the hands of any lesser author, this scenario would seem nonsensical, bit Patricia McKillip has such a command of language, the story just eases out into a beautiful tapestry, with brilliant world-building, three dimensional characters, a complex plot and superb writing.
I think that I the hands of any lesser author, this scenario would seem nonsensical, bit Patricia McKillip has such a command of language, the story just eases out into a beautiful tapestry, with brilliant world-building, three dimensional characters, a complex plot and superb writing.
April 4, 2021
Patricia McKillip is one of my favorite authors and wrote one of my favorite fantasy series of all, so I had high expectations coming into this book. It started out really strong for me--I love the concept of an orphan being taken in by librarians and becoming a book translator, I love the idea of a kingdom whose castle is built into a cliff edge hanging over the sea, and I love the way McKillip integrates magic into this world in the form of a Floating School of scholar mages. The characters are well-developed (Laidley is probably my favorite; oh, poor Laidley), even the very minor ones like Master Croysus, a traveling scholar who brings the main character, Nepenthe, a book written in a language of fish to translate for him. The story builds really well, and then, about halfway through, we start to get two stories in one as the narrator tells us about Axis and Kane, cousins from thousands of years before the Kingdom of Raine existed, who somehow touch this story. Their history is interesting, especially as more is revealed every few chapters or so, and I enjoyed reading about them, but their story was told more like a summary or overview, so when their chapters came up, I wanted to know what happened, but I wanted to get back to Nepenthe's story even more.
Overall, I enjoyed reading this book and found McKillip's creativity really interesting. I just wish she had woven Axis and Kane's story into the main narrative differently, maybe through Nepenthe's discovery of it in the book of thorns rather than making them semi-developed characters. Their story is told like a 3,000-year-old story would be--again, sketched out more than drawn in--so, it's clever, but it just didn't connect with me as well as the main thread, which I really enjoyed.
I also felt like, as the book progressed, there wasn't much conflict. There's an undercurrent of threatening violence, and there's some suspense, but the violence never comes, and the suspense turns into an easy (very easy) resolution. I like the ending of the story, and I appreciate what McKillip does for all the characters because it makes sense and also makes a commentary in a way, but I feel like the ending could have been drawn out more, there could have been more of a threat, a more developed conflict. I like character-driven books, but this wasn't that, really, and it wasn't tightly plotted either, so it just fell a bit flat for me while also being beautifully written and creative.
I really liked the book, and I do recommend it because it's a good story, but it definitely could've been shorter if it wasn't going to have a very clear conflict. I also miss the complex, intricate wording and detail of earlier McKillip books. It's always strange to see a beloved author's style change from earlier books to later ones, and I could definitely feel a lighter, thinned out style of prose in this book compared to Riddle Master and The Forgotten Beasts of Eld. Anyway, it's one of the better three-star books I've read, if that makes sense, and I did enjoy it. I'm still a McKillip fan and will definitely read more of her books!
Overall, I enjoyed reading this book and found McKillip's creativity really interesting. I just wish she had woven Axis and Kane's story into the main narrative differently, maybe through Nepenthe's discovery of it in the book of thorns rather than making them semi-developed characters. Their story is told like a 3,000-year-old story would be--again, sketched out more than drawn in--so, it's clever, but it just didn't connect with me as well as the main thread, which I really enjoyed.
I also felt like, as the book progressed, there wasn't much conflict. There's an undercurrent of threatening violence, and there's some suspense, but the violence never comes, and the suspense turns into an easy (very easy) resolution. I like the ending of the story, and I appreciate what McKillip does for all the characters because it makes sense and also makes a commentary in a way, but I feel like the ending could have been drawn out more, there could have been more of a threat, a more developed conflict. I like character-driven books, but this wasn't that, really, and it wasn't tightly plotted either, so it just fell a bit flat for me while also being beautifully written and creative.
I really liked the book, and I do recommend it because it's a good story, but it definitely could've been shorter if it wasn't going to have a very clear conflict. I also miss the complex, intricate wording and detail of earlier McKillip books. It's always strange to see a beloved author's style change from earlier books to later ones, and I could definitely feel a lighter, thinned out style of prose in this book compared to Riddle Master and The Forgotten Beasts of Eld. Anyway, it's one of the better three-star books I've read, if that makes sense, and I did enjoy it. I'm still a McKillip fan and will definitely read more of her books!
December 20, 2020
Loved it! So so good. A perfect fantasy novel.
March 3, 2009
Alphabet of Thorns is a coming of age story for several different characters. There's a young translator Nepenthe. A young mage, Bourne. The newly crowned queen, Tessera. And a couple from ancient history, Kane and Axis.
The way the characters and the story are presented is interesting. The points of view keep shifting from character to character. One point of view describes historical characters; the conflict of this novel hinges on how the historical characters relate to the cast of modern characters.
An interesting theme is how all of the young adults are slowly getting to know their skills and character. Bourne does not realize the extent of his magic talents; he is also in a difficult situation because his uncle is engaged in a treasonous plot against the Queen. He is also in a budding relationship with Nepenthe. Nepenthe is compelled to translate a book in private, keeping the results to herself as much as possible. Tessera is a young queen and is developing a strong magical talent, unbeknown to her adviser. Her adviser just thinks she is silly and not skilled enough to deal with the political challenges of running a large kingdom. Kane is a young woman very much in love with a powerful king, Axis, but unable to have a normal relationship with him. Instead she becomes a powerful mage and helps him conquer numerous kingdoms.
The repeated use of words, alphabets,text, translation, and language is a very powerful theme throughout this book. Nepenthe is a foundling adopted by a library; her name starts with N because the children found before her were named for the previous letters in the alphabet. Words come to life for Nepenthe, Bourne, and Tessera in their attempts to understand their various parts of the world. The book that Nepenthe is translating is the key that ties the whole story together.
Another thing I liked is the way historical figures assumed to be male are found to be female. Kane, the most powerful magician of all time, and a legend, is found to be female. Mermion, the legendary ruler of Raine, is a woman. And in this story, despite the naked agression of Axis, the most powerful characters are the women - Nepenthe and Tessera.
The descriptions of magic are mystical and mysterious. There doesn't seem to be anything scientific about the magic in this world; the study of magic seems to be more philosophical. The ability to travel through time that Kane discovers is used in a horrific way, to let Axis find an infinite number of kingdoms to conquer.
Nepenthe showed great bravery and loyalty to her friends in rejecting her parents' attempts to conquer her world. And Tessera's use of magic to hide her kingdom also shows promise of her future leadership potential. I was somewhat dissatisfied with the mercy shown to Kane at the end of the story. Although I can have some sympathy because of the impossibility of the life she led, she was basically an enabler of a very immoral, power hungry king. She seemed to be the only one he truly cared about; she could have been a stabilizing influence, but instead she just kept finding new worlds for him to conquer. Although I guess it is pragmatic to want an all powerful mage to be close to you and happy, so you know she's not plotting to try again to conquer your kingdom.
I liked this book. It was a quick read (less than a day) and it had several well-developed characters I'd like to read more about. I recommend it for any adult who likes fantasy. Bourne and Nepenthe are involved in an obvious (to me as an adult) sexual relationship - nothing specific or graphic is mentioned, it was just very much implied. But that's not why I will not give it to my daughter yet. (She's nine but reads Harry Potter, Inkheart, etc.) I think the narrative style is too complex for her to understand. Hopefully she'll be ready for it in a couple of years.
The way the characters and the story are presented is interesting. The points of view keep shifting from character to character. One point of view describes historical characters; the conflict of this novel hinges on how the historical characters relate to the cast of modern characters.
An interesting theme is how all of the young adults are slowly getting to know their skills and character. Bourne does not realize the extent of his magic talents; he is also in a difficult situation because his uncle is engaged in a treasonous plot against the Queen. He is also in a budding relationship with Nepenthe. Nepenthe is compelled to translate a book in private, keeping the results to herself as much as possible. Tessera is a young queen and is developing a strong magical talent, unbeknown to her adviser. Her adviser just thinks she is silly and not skilled enough to deal with the political challenges of running a large kingdom. Kane is a young woman very much in love with a powerful king, Axis, but unable to have a normal relationship with him. Instead she becomes a powerful mage and helps him conquer numerous kingdoms.
The repeated use of words, alphabets,text, translation, and language is a very powerful theme throughout this book. Nepenthe is a foundling adopted by a library; her name starts with N because the children found before her were named for the previous letters in the alphabet. Words come to life for Nepenthe, Bourne, and Tessera in their attempts to understand their various parts of the world. The book that Nepenthe is translating is the key that ties the whole story together.
Another thing I liked is the way historical figures assumed to be male are found to be female. Kane, the most powerful magician of all time, and a legend, is found to be female. Mermion, the legendary ruler of Raine, is a woman. And in this story, despite the naked agression of Axis, the most powerful characters are the women - Nepenthe and Tessera.
The descriptions of magic are mystical and mysterious. There doesn't seem to be anything scientific about the magic in this world; the study of magic seems to be more philosophical. The ability to travel through time that Kane discovers is used in a horrific way, to let Axis find an infinite number of kingdoms to conquer.
Nepenthe showed great bravery and loyalty to her friends in rejecting her parents' attempts to conquer her world. And Tessera's use of magic to hide her kingdom also shows promise of her future leadership potential. I was somewhat dissatisfied with the mercy shown to Kane at the end of the story. Although I can have some sympathy because of the impossibility of the life she led, she was basically an enabler of a very immoral, power hungry king. She seemed to be the only one he truly cared about; she could have been a stabilizing influence, but instead she just kept finding new worlds for him to conquer. Although I guess it is pragmatic to want an all powerful mage to be close to you and happy, so you know she's not plotting to try again to conquer your kingdom.
I liked this book. It was a quick read (less than a day) and it had several well-developed characters I'd like to read more about. I recommend it for any adult who likes fantasy. Bourne and Nepenthe are involved in an obvious (to me as an adult) sexual relationship - nothing specific or graphic is mentioned, it was just very much implied. But that's not why I will not give it to my daughter yet. (She's nine but reads Harry Potter, Inkheart, etc.) I think the narrative style is too complex for her to understand. Hopefully she'll be ready for it in a couple of years.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 19, 2013
Fantasy Review Barn
Young orphan Nepenthe, adopted into the royal library as a child, works as a translator of ancient texts. While working on commission that appears to be nothing more than a traders list a much more interesting text comes in. Written in an alphabet built around thorns, Nepenthe quickly becomes obsessed, hiding the book from others and seeing things in it that no one else can. Meanwhile the land around her has a newly coronated queen who is already facing a possible rebellion in one of her lands and a powerful magical user foresees an external threat to the land but is unable to pinpoint it. Add in a young mage falling in love and learning he is more powerful than anyone thought and you have a whole lot going on in three hundred pages.
And for the most part the book pulls it off. That is a lot of balls to keep in the air, but only a few were dropped by the author. I’ll deal with those first so I can get back to the things the book does right. There is a unnecessary love triangle, which thankfully didn’t get too ‘emo.’ The main love interest I found completely bland; anything he provided to the story could have been handled by a nameless extra just as well in my mind. There are a few logic twisters; I wonder why every made up language is not only phonetic in nature but seems to have direct letter conversions. And the leap of faith that causes Nepenthe to end up with the book in the first place was a bit hard to buy.
But all of this is so easily forgivable because the book was so good in so many ways. Another example of a low action book can still have suspense and keep interest. The highlight came from what is revealed in Nepenthe’s translations, and ancient story involving a couple of legendary figures. I probably figured out the big reveal before I was supposed to but it didn’t upset me, it was a unique journey. The love story that takes place in the past was everything the one in the present wasn’t. Sweet isn’t the right word (in fact it is extremely one sided), but it is lyrical and exciting and passionate.
Did I say lyrical? Something about McKillip’s writing just worked for me. Not as lush in style as some of the masters of prose can be, but lyrical describes it fine. Some simple poems show a writer who knows that she is good but doesn’t feel the need to show off.
A book that is short and sweet deserves a review that is the same. Not for fans of action, and the short length doesn’t allow for the depth fantasy fans often expect. But a well written book is a well written book, no matter the length, and I love a story that dares to try something different (even more so when it finds success in its originality).
4 stars. My first time reading the author, but surely not my last.
Young orphan Nepenthe, adopted into the royal library as a child, works as a translator of ancient texts. While working on commission that appears to be nothing more than a traders list a much more interesting text comes in. Written in an alphabet built around thorns, Nepenthe quickly becomes obsessed, hiding the book from others and seeing things in it that no one else can. Meanwhile the land around her has a newly coronated queen who is already facing a possible rebellion in one of her lands and a powerful magical user foresees an external threat to the land but is unable to pinpoint it. Add in a young mage falling in love and learning he is more powerful than anyone thought and you have a whole lot going on in three hundred pages.
And for the most part the book pulls it off. That is a lot of balls to keep in the air, but only a few were dropped by the author. I’ll deal with those first so I can get back to the things the book does right. There is a unnecessary love triangle, which thankfully didn’t get too ‘emo.’ The main love interest I found completely bland; anything he provided to the story could have been handled by a nameless extra just as well in my mind. There are a few logic twisters; I wonder why every made up language is not only phonetic in nature but seems to have direct letter conversions. And the leap of faith that causes Nepenthe to end up with the book in the first place was a bit hard to buy.
But all of this is so easily forgivable because the book was so good in so many ways. Another example of a low action book can still have suspense and keep interest. The highlight came from what is revealed in Nepenthe’s translations, and ancient story involving a couple of legendary figures. I probably figured out the big reveal before I was supposed to but it didn’t upset me, it was a unique journey. The love story that takes place in the past was everything the one in the present wasn’t. Sweet isn’t the right word (in fact it is extremely one sided), but it is lyrical and exciting and passionate.
Did I say lyrical? Something about McKillip’s writing just worked for me. Not as lush in style as some of the masters of prose can be, but lyrical describes it fine. Some simple poems show a writer who knows that she is good but doesn’t feel the need to show off.
A book that is short and sweet deserves a review that is the same. Not for fans of action, and the short length doesn’t allow for the depth fantasy fans often expect. But a well written book is a well written book, no matter the length, and I love a story that dares to try something different (even more so when it finds success in its originality).
4 stars. My first time reading the author, but surely not my last.
June 29, 2019
it seems genre books about weird languages is a new niche of mine. see Babel-17 and Embassytown. who would have thought those four years studying linguistics would come in handy, huh?
this was a very peculiar book. fantasy novels under 250 pages have not been very usual in my reading experience so far and i'm always intrigued as to how they can accomplish a good sense of world-building in such a short lapse. however, i've also read books over 800 pages who have been utter rubish in their characterisation and world-building (see, Wizard's First Rule) so there are no strict rules in this game.
yes, i do feel the resolution of the conflicts by the end seemed to have been handled too hastily in comparison to the build up--but this did not strike me as the type of story focused on large conclusions or big gestures. in fact, the whole plot appeared to be shown from a very narrow scope and the multiple perspectives behind it, paradoxically, enlarged this idea. by bringing down the conflict into very personal perceptions instead of a more general third-person narrator, the stakes and the twists seemed less consecuential by the end. i suppose this very detail would make this book not for everyone.
the significant cast of female voices was quite refreshing--considering how other fantasy authors do not even bother going beyond the typical patriarchal heteronormative rules of our own society when creating their worlds. still, the scope of the story and the multiplicity of voices did not allow for much room for them to move around and expand. once again, i don't think this was its intention either. in my head it goes like this: if the author had wanted to tell more about it, they would have done so. i can only assume everything here had a higher purpose for it to be so. and, once more, this could either make it or break it with other readers. the only way for one to know this for certain is to pick it up and read it. i do recommend this action myself.
this was a very peculiar book. fantasy novels under 250 pages have not been very usual in my reading experience so far and i'm always intrigued as to how they can accomplish a good sense of world-building in such a short lapse. however, i've also read books over 800 pages who have been utter rubish in their characterisation and world-building (see, Wizard's First Rule) so there are no strict rules in this game.
yes, i do feel the resolution of the conflicts by the end seemed to have been handled too hastily in comparison to the build up--but this did not strike me as the type of story focused on large conclusions or big gestures. in fact, the whole plot appeared to be shown from a very narrow scope and the multiple perspectives behind it, paradoxically, enlarged this idea. by bringing down the conflict into very personal perceptions instead of a more general third-person narrator, the stakes and the twists seemed less consecuential by the end. i suppose this very detail would make this book not for everyone.
the significant cast of female voices was quite refreshing--considering how other fantasy authors do not even bother going beyond the typical patriarchal heteronormative rules of our own society when creating their worlds. still, the scope of the story and the multiplicity of voices did not allow for much room for them to move around and expand. once again, i don't think this was its intention either. in my head it goes like this: if the author had wanted to tell more about it, they would have done so. i can only assume everything here had a higher purpose for it to be so. and, once more, this could either make it or break it with other readers. the only way for one to know this for certain is to pick it up and read it. i do recommend this action myself.
January 5, 2021
In the kingdom of Raine, an abandoned baby is found and raised by the Royal Librarians of Raine. One day the girl, Nepenthe, is given a mysterious book written in a language with an alphabet of letters shaped like thorns. It turns out to be an epic poem documenting the conquests of the emperor Axis and his sorcerer Kane, "the Hooded One," three thousand years earlier. The young queen of Raine and her mage Vevay also come into the story.
I reread this for the SciFi and Fantasy Book Club here on GoodReads and I don't quite know what to say about it. The Axis & Kane story was much more compelling than most of the Nepenthe story. And there are too many points of view in the latter; the female characters were consistently more interesting and maybe McKillip should have kept the focus on them. And the ending seemed a bit rushed. If you have not read McKillip before I would recommend The Forgotten Beasts of Eld instead.
Some bits I liked:
"She could not see the sky, only green and shadow woven thickly above her, yielding not a scrap of blue. She breathed soundlessly. So did the wood around her, she felt; it seemed a live thing, alert and watching her, trees trailing wisps of morning mist, their faces hidden, their thoughts seeping into the air like scent. It was, she thought, like being surrounded by unspoken words."
"Epics are never written about libraries. They exist on whim; it depends on whether the conquering army likes to read."
I reread this for the SciFi and Fantasy Book Club here on GoodReads and I don't quite know what to say about it. The Axis & Kane story was much more compelling than most of the Nepenthe story. And there are too many points of view in the latter; the female characters were consistently more interesting and maybe McKillip should have kept the focus on them. And the ending seemed a bit rushed. If you have not read McKillip before I would recommend The Forgotten Beasts of Eld instead.
Some bits I liked:
"She could not see the sky, only green and shadow woven thickly above her, yielding not a scrap of blue. She breathed soundlessly. So did the wood around her, she felt; it seemed a live thing, alert and watching her, trees trailing wisps of morning mist, their faces hidden, their thoughts seeping into the air like scent. It was, she thought, like being surrounded by unspoken words."
"Epics are never written about libraries. They exist on whim; it depends on whether the conquering army likes to read."
November 9, 2011
This book... this book crept into my heart and tangled itself around it, not like thorns, but like the embrace of a long lost lover. Patricia McKillip is a sorcerer of the written word. She creates worlds and people that feel alive and real even when everything is soaked up in magic. She weaves stories and poetry and magic together with the expertise of a goddess. There is always something about her books that reaches beyond the ordinary life and shakes your soul awake.
Magic and beauty spill out of her pen, leaving me breathless and enthralled.
Is it any wonder she is by far one of my favorite authors?
Even though Alphabet of Thorn isn't perfect (the word rue and its derivations - ruefully, rueful, etc.- were thoroughly abused and the ending felt extremely rushed), it has become my favorite McKillip novel, along with The Changeling Sea. It trapped me from the very first pages just like the young transcriptor Nepenthe was ensnared by the book of thorns in the novel. I fell in love with the characters, the world, the story. Everything. I wasn't expecting that. McKillip caught me off guard, like she always does.
My only complaint is that I didn't want the book to end. It left me wanting more, a lot due to the fact that, like I said, the way things were wrapped up felt rushed, but also because I didn't want to leave that world and its characters just yet. This was one of those times when you actually miss the characters.
All in all, Alphabet of Thorn is one of the best books ever written and will remain forever in my heart.
Magic and beauty spill out of her pen, leaving me breathless and enthralled.
Is it any wonder she is by far one of my favorite authors?
Even though Alphabet of Thorn isn't perfect (the word rue and its derivations - ruefully, rueful, etc.- were thoroughly abused and the ending felt extremely rushed), it has become my favorite McKillip novel, along with The Changeling Sea. It trapped me from the very first pages just like the young transcriptor Nepenthe was ensnared by the book of thorns in the novel. I fell in love with the characters, the world, the story. Everything. I wasn't expecting that. McKillip caught me off guard, like she always does.
My only complaint is that I didn't want the book to end. It left me wanting more, a lot due to the fact that, like I said, the way things were wrapped up felt rushed, but also because I didn't want to leave that world and its characters just yet. This was one of those times when you actually miss the characters.
All in all, Alphabet of Thorn is one of the best books ever written and will remain forever in my heart.
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