Customer Reviews

Alphabet Of Thorn

5 star:		(11)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

i think that this is one of the better written books i've had an opportunity to come in contact with, her writing style is just amazing. i mean, no offence, but the plot is not the most fascinating i've come across... it's focus is on a librarian who's trying to translate a book written in some foreign language. kind of dry sounding. but the author does a phenomenal job at capturing a sense of passion and obsession that one can't help but get drawn in to.

my one complaint about this author in general is that her books are kind of detached from the reader, distant in a way. it's not so much that i don't care about what happens, but that i'm just not given enough information to be able to assess the situation in depth. on the other hand, this quality gives a lot of her books an air of mystery and unpredictability. like the detachment you feel on a rainy day, where things are kind of surreal and you don't feel quite connected to the world, feeling like you're interacting with the world from another place, not your own body. so while this is a negative, in certain moods i do enjoy it because of that almost dream like approach. unique to be sure.

I have read several of McKillip's books, and while I haven't always understood them completely, I've never disliked them. McKillip's style is vague and dreamy, more apt to give impressions rather than photographic descriptions. If you can appreciate that style, give her books a try; if not, might I suggest you look somewhere else?

As to the Alphabet of Thorn in particular, I found it surprisingly grounded in reality (as real as fantasy gets, anyways!) for one of McKillip's stories. (Never fear, it was still occasionally obtuse and mystifying, but less so than her previous works.) It was an interesting premise, and had me hypothesizing until nearly the end. Once the mystery was revealed, the book quickly drew to a close in a moderately anticlimactic finish. Don't get the wrong impression; this was more of a disaster-averted-at-the-final-moment sort of anticlimax rather than a disappointing conclusion. This is also one of the few of her books I'd be willing to reread at some future date (once I've forgotten the answer to the riddle of thorns). Give it a try.

I always expect the best from McKillip. Here the fascination was in two interwoven stories, coming together in a terrifying climax. McKillip threw out some great red herrings, too, as a major character who I thought was someone else in disguise turned out not to be.

In a rare turn, though, I was disappointed in the ending. A child's fate is in the balance, and nobody thinks to consult the father. He's more than just a sperm donor, you know!

Despite this, McKillip is my all time favorite and I will continue to look forward to new work.

Deby Fredericks, author of THE MAGISTER'S MASK

The Riddle of Stars is my favorite work of fantasy. This comes close to that great work. A wonderful trek through the minds of the main characters. I thoroughly enjoyed it.

You don't just read McKillip's books, you savor them. The way she writes is just beautiful - more so than any other author I've read. This was a wonderfully designed book with two plots that take place in different times. It was beautifully written, and I was really impressed with how the characters developed through the story. I was also delighted with the entire Alphabet concept...it was a lot of fun to visualize it.

I highly recommend it.

For months I wait for a new McKillip novel, checking the revised dates for release, hoping that it will be released sooner rather than later. But, as always, it was worth the wait.

Patricia's simple lyrical style holds as true in this her newest novel as it ever had in the past. Her knowledge of folklore and mythology transcends the obvious name dropping usages of many authors by transforming into a new story with new characters that seem familiar while being something totally different.

Of all her stories of recent years, this one reminds me most strongly of her Riddlemaster series in many ways: From the mysterious school of wizardry floating above the distant forest, to the use of illusion as a defense.

I highly recommend this book for your collection. It is a wonderful read.

The only thing I can truly praise about this book is the dream-like spell it casts over the reader. McKillip's prose flows gently along like water babbling over rocks in a brook - quiet, effortless, and beautiful. Her writing has a certain poetry about it that is memorable, and the book is worth a read if simply for her unique, calm tone that is as enthralling as a spell. As a work of fantasy, the novel acheives an effective air of mysticism and magic, but falls short on plot and characterization. As the first of McKillip's books I have read, I am curious to try some of her previous works in hopes of being more satisfied with the story as a whole.

Patricia A. McKillip has done it AGAIN with this book, Alphabet of Thorn. It's just as good as her other books, but it IS easier to understand-it's much less dreamy than her other books, a lot less confusion. You don't need to be a fan of hers before you pick this up-anyone can can enjoy it.

I would warn you though, because as soon as I started reading it, I got as obsessed with this book as Nepenthe, the 16-year-old translator, got with her book of thorns! Once I picked it up, I wanted to constantly read it. Although I didn't enjoy all of the charactres as much as I enjoyed Nepenthe, Bourne-a mage from a floating school of wizardy, and the characters that Nepenthe reads about, Axis and Kane. In my opinion, Vevay, a very powerful mage, wasn't that interesting to read about. But since every chapter the book changes viewpoints, you're never with someone you don't like to long, and there is a bit of variety.

I also think that a certain romance between two of the characters was much too rushed. Yes, they belonged together, and they had "chemistry", but I think that the author should have slowed it down a bit.

Otherwise, this book is definitley one of my favorites of hers. She is such a good writer; if you're already a fan, you don't need to be worried, and if you're just getting into her, this is a good place to start out. Have fun!

Ms. Mckillip has written a delightful little story weaving into one tapestry magic, love, war and conquest. I say little story because it only took me a couple of hours to read it, but this isn't reflecting on the size of the volume but more on my inability to put it down once I started. I found it impossible to drag myself away from Nepenthe, an orphaned translator in the royal library, Bourne, her magician apprentice lover and the young queen Tessera, for whom the thorns mean the end of her reign and possibly her life.

While not an epic by any means ALPHABET OF THORN is a darn good story, well written and rich in characters and character development. Marvels of marvels it's also a single volume novel so you won't be gritting your teeth waiting for the next installment.

All in all I have to say I liked it, a lot.

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.

Orphan Nepenthe studies books in the royal library but knows little of the world outside its walls, so when a young mage gives her a book which defies her translation skills, it becomes not only her obsession but her key to venturing beyond the library walls. Alphabet Of Thorn is a strong story which once again uses Patricia McKillip's base of fairy tales as its foundation.