Water: Tales of Elemental Spirits (Turtleback)

I felt that this collection was quite good; much better than her aweful "Spindle's End" and the somewhat trying "Door in the Hedge." To me these stories were more true to the nature of her books "Beauty," "Rose Daughter," "The Blue Sword," and "The Hero in the Crown." The book does contain a short story related to the later two. Overall I think that I enjoyed the "Water Horse" story the most. It was about a young girl named Tamia who is apprenticed to a guardian who protects the land from the ocean. She is surrounded by different kinds of horses during her life that impact her in different ways. Her childhood pony was her first friend, the Water Horse is a destructive monster that is flooding the land and killing people, and the mare and foal at the end save her and her people.

I liked the strong female heroines in her stories and am thankful that she is back to her rolicking and not trudging way of telling a story. Overall a good book for a Robin McKInley fan; I can't wait to see the other books in the series when they come out!

If you expect Peter Dickinson's writing to be like McKinley's, you will be disappointed. His voice is very different - a sparer cello & oboe melody compared to her dancing flutes and trumpets. It's not better or worse, but it is different. His stories are more stark. The themes are darker. But they have their own beauty.

I also really enjoyed the one Damarian tale. As McKinley's writing has matured, her female heroines have become less fairy princesses, and more survivors who find it within themselves to meet challenges and endure. Her heroes also have a few more realistic warts. This story is about a survivor. A woman who keeps her soul intact against all odds, and ultimately finds it within herself (with her sister's encouragement) to follow her dreams and change her destiny. I also liked that it was set in the present day. Perhaps there's just to much realism in it for some - we all know creeps like Hetta's parents - but I think that makes it even more satisfying. Who needs dreams more than those whose reality is a prison?

In any case, if you read the book, read it one story at a time, and enjoy the changing voices.