How many times must Patricia McKillip blow my mind with her books? And who decides when a certain kind of storystelling is out of date or not? Because, let me tell you, whoever thinks that McKillip's "voice" is old-fashioned and cannot keep up with modern readers, is terribly wrong!

The Forgotten Beasts of Eld is a book filled with the classic storytelling of the woman I consider the mother of fantasy. Sybel, a young girl gifted with the magical powers to call powerful beasts to come to her aid, finds her life turned upside down when a young soldier comes knocking on her door, asking her to take care of a baby - the son of a king. Uknowingly, she gets dragged in the middle of a war between kingdoms, and men fighting for her heart - but the woman with the garden full of legendary creatures, is not a woman with a heart easily won...

I seriously loved this story. Even if Sybel was tough to connect with as a main character, her past was such that it explained a lot about her behavior. Not only that, but what Tam's father did to her was, in my eyes, a great allegory for rape - the total lack of control of her body and willpower, the feeling of being stuck in a place where she would never be able to return from, truly amazing how McKillip phrased it all - and it was only natural for her to turn even colder and seek revenge in a way that would make kingdoms tremble. I loved how she struggled with coming to terms with her feelings for Tam's uncle, and how, in the end, she didn't change her flawed way of thinking, only promised to try and ask for forgiveness - stating, even, that she needed her husband's forgiveness mainly because this way, she might one day forgive herself.

McKillip is a queen when it comes to subtly charging plot twists. She just writes along, telling you a nice story that sounds so wonderfully like a fairy tale - thanks to her voice - and then BAM! The plot twist comes up, shaking you to the core, and you're just faced with the fact that she had it coming your way all along, she just made you focus on other things more to bide her time.

I'm in love with her writing, no matter which book I read, and I can't wait to read more of her work!

***I was given an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. The opinion stated in this review is solely mine, and no compensation was given or taken to alter it.***

Classic high fantasy read! If you're a fan of The Sword of Truth and Wheel of Time series, love wizards, legendary beasts and magical tales, then this is definitely a must read!

In the white mountain palace of Endelweld lives a woman raised by her father alone to speak the silent language of great animals who, to most, are only legend. Her menagerie is incomplete without the mighty bird Liralen, for which she has called many times. What appeared on her doorstep instead was a warrior carrying a small baby boy, heir to the throne, he said, and in danger. The queen of the beasts, Sybel, cares for the boy until he is twelve, when the messenger returns and asks to make the child known to his father. But how can Sybel release one whom she has grown to love, or even leave with the boy and king, to serve a man whose heart is filled with hate and war? The Forgotten Beasts of Eld is an enchanting foray into magic, riddles, and the ambitions of war.

This was a well written and beautiful book. The words in this book is so well thought, and let’s you to sunk in to the story. And you can almost se and believe you are right there. If you want to read a fantastic fantasy story that is so well described and with beautiful words. The this is a book for you.

Love Patricia McKillip! This story doesn't disappoint, I loved the relationship between Sybel and her beasts. I thought the story was superb - learning to love, and forgive, and recover from tragedy are things that hold true to everyone regardless of whether you live in a fantasy world or not.

This isn't the kind of book you skim lightly. It reminds me a little bit of Ursula K. LeGuin, whose work also often seems a bit short and has a poetic simplicity to it but turns out to be dense with meaning. You have to pay more attention in those kinds of books. I don't recommend this as a beach read.

At first glance, the characters seem a bit stiff and cold. If you skim books, it may continue to feel that way all the way through. If you take the time to savor the prose, you'll find it is simply magical.

The book is a bit light on action, but heavy on character development as it wrestles with the meaning of love, betrayal, vengeance, and loss. I imagine this is the kind of book I will reread many times and pick out something new each time to contemplate and savor.

I received this book from NetGalley for my honest review. Thank you for giving me the chance to read such an amazing book!

A truly great read! Couldn't put it down to even sleep, had to power through this one lol. I honestly didn't think I would make it past the first two chapter's. It seemed so dull and I was honestly only in it to read about the beasts. But then all of a sudden it picked up and finally transformed itself into the magical book everyone is raving about! I even shed a couple of tears. This book put me through the ringer, I didn't think we would even come to a happy end. Sure enough it was giftwrapped by the time the book came to a close. I would have liked to have seen more of the ending with what they envisioned (trying not to spoil anything) but I am still pleased on how it ended. The writing was flawlessly done, erything flowed together so well. At first I had such a hard time with the characters but by the 3rd chapter I was all in. I will be looking for more titles by this author in hopes to glimpse another beautiful world. I will definitely reccomend this books to family and friends!

What made this novel really amazing is on how excellent Patricia A. McKillip wrote this. The author used her skill to write majestic words to describe each characters and places, as well as breathtaking prose to narrate the story.

If I'm not mistaken, this book was first published four decades ago and that it also won the World Fantasy Award for Novel on 1975. It wouldn't be winning an award if it's not good, right? McKillip utilized her eloquence that made the story of Sybel, Tam, Coren, and of the beasts, a truly astounding novel that everyone must read.

I am so glad and thankful I got the chance to read this marvel. The main character, Sybel, is one that will stay with me as she is both kind and cruel and goes through a process that is known to most women. Though already published in 1974, it hasn't lost any of its beauty and is a must in every library of fans of Tolkien, Beagle, Lewis etc.

Wow, I have never related more to a character than the main character of this story. The character progression is amazing, and you come to love the unique personality and confidence of the main character.

This is actually the first time that I have read anything from this author and it was such an amazing experience. I am definitely going to get a copy of this book and check out the authors read. I wasn't aware that this book was actually already written and for fantasy to have aged so well (when many don't) and I am just still in awe.

If you have never read anything by this author, this is a great book to start out with. Lovers of fantasy, animals, and just a great tale of love, betrayal, and life itself will find this a gem hidden between its two covers. You will find a dragon, a lion, a falcon, and several other beastly creatures that tend the mysterious woman who lives only in the lives of her animal companions and who doesn't want anything to do with man, yet a child and a soldier might change her way of thinking. I loved this amazing tale!!!

The preface, written by Gail Carriger, a writer of steampunk paranormal romances, tells us that "The Forgotten Beasts of Eld" is her perfect desert island book.

My stomach is not strong enough for this much treacle.

I received a review copy of "The Forgotten Beasts of Eld" by Patricia A. McKillip (Tachyon) through NetGalley.com. It was first published in 1974 by Atheneum.

Even if, as I understand, it is targeted at young adults (?), I think adults are the ones that will truly understand and glean from it, as much is hidden between the lines. It is a story about love, in its basic and simplest form, and loss, about the desire for power, the cost of revenge, foregivness, written in magical and lyrical words. A meaningful work of imense stylistic beauty!

Sybel has grown up with only her father's teachings and the forgotten beasts of eld. When one day a baby is given into her care, she must learn to love and care for him. When Coren returns years later for the boy, Sybel's world is turned around all over again. 

The Forgotten Beasts of Eld has a multitude of wonderful characters. Sybel has her flaws, but these make her seem more human rather than a bad person. I love the love between Tam and Sybel and how Sybel let's him go to be with his father. Coren is a wonderful character although I'm still unsure of the love story aspect of the book. I loved the histories we get of each of the forgotten beasts as it brings a bit more to who they are.

McKillip is wonderful at world building. The mountain of Eld, Sirle and Mondor are all written so differently yet beautifully. Especially the white house on the mountain that, although it doesn't change itself, feels differently as people come and go. The differences between the house and the house in Sirle are also drastically written. I loved how by the end of the book there's a very clear notion of where feels like 'home' for Sybel. 

McKillip's writing style is almost poetical in places. Because of this, in even the longest of sentences you're still hooked. It also resonates a lot with the songs about the beasts within the world. These beasts are ferocious, beautiful, and magical. I loved how they were described throughout the book. The way magic was talked about and how it was explained kept my imagination open. 

I received The Forgotten Beasts of Eld* by Patricia A. McKillip as an e-book from the publisher via Netgalley. This is an unbiased and honest review.

I’ve written about how much I love Patricia A. McKillip’s writing on this blog before and that sentiment only grows stronger with every book of hers I read. The Forgotten Beasts of Eld was originally published in 1974, and though it has been widely available to me for years (I distinctly remember seeing a copy of it in my high school library) this was my first time reading it. Of course, by the time I was done, I was wondering what took me so long?

The powerful young wizard Sybel requires the company of no man. In her exquisite stone abode, she is attended by exotic, magical beasts: Riddle-master Cyrin the boar; the treasure-starved dragon Gyld; Gules the Lyon, tawny master of the Southern Deserts; Ter, the fiercely vengeful falcon; Moriah, feline Lady of the Night. To complete her menagerie, Sybel only desires the mysterious Liralen, which eludes even her strongest enchantments.

Sybel’s solitude is shattered when a desperate soldier arrives with an endangered child. Soon she will discover that the world of men is full of love, deceit, and the temptations of vast power.

People sometimes talk about urgency in a story. The feeling of something imminent that pulls the story along. But this story moves slowly, like a slow winding stream that moves purposefully towards its destination, but doesn’t rush. Some people might prefer the tension that almost automatically comes with urgency, but there is something to be said for the story that moves forward not because it’s being pulled along by the plot, but because it is just moving that way itself.

These words can’t quite describe the tone of this book, but they might give another reader an idea of what to expect. This story moves forward because the characters are moving forward themselves, not because they are being pulled along by the plot.

One thing I noticed about this story is where it started. When I was in college, I took a screenwriting class where the teacher told us that the beginning of a story is right before everything changed. This doesn’t just apply to scripts, and really helped me with my prose writing as well. This starting just before the catalyst as it were, allows that same sense of urgency to help a writer pull a reader in. Obviously this isn’t a hard and fast rule; it’s a guideline that can help writers. This book doesn’t use that rule at all, which helps dispense with the urgency that might be found in other books, and lends itself instead to the previously mentioned slow and easy tone of the story.

In some ways this book seemed less “strange” than her other books. Other books of hers have had some sort of strangeness to them, an otherworldly air, while this book was almost mainstream by comparison. As this book was one of her first books published, it’s easy to imagine that it was also one of the first ones she wrote. I can see how she was still coming into what I, years later, think of as her style. There were also elements of other characters from other books in the characters of this book, parallels that I kept drawing in my head.

None of this should be taken to mean this book isn’t amazing. I loved this book, and read it in one sitting, gulping it down when it absolutely deserved to be savored. In fact, this book will likely make the list of the best books I read in 2017, a lesser honor than the World Fantasy Award it already won after its original publication. It definitely made me want to read some of my favorite McKillip books again—particularly the ones that may have grown out of this one.

The Forgotten Beasts of Eld is written by Patricia A. McKillip and will be published by Tachyon Publications on September 19, 2017.

“I need you to forgive me. And then perhaps I can begin to forgive myself. There is no one but you who can do that either.”

A book like this is intimidating to pick up. Not because it is mundane, nor because it is necessarily daunting (although it is, in a way). No, my friends. This book entails every aspect that fantasy writing is about, and it is truly breathtaking. Being disappointed with other fantasy reads after this book is why it is intimidating.

Compared to the writing of today's YA novels, this book automatically takes the lead in its overall quality. Its writing style, detail to plot and meaningfulness are (in my opinion) so much more when compared to what is out there today.

We are dropped into a new world, that isn't ever fully explained. Because of this, the reader is allowed to be left with a sense of yearning and wonderment to know more. To me, this is the key element to draw in the reader, and to make them thirst for more. Over-explanation of detail only "dumbs down" the writing to be taken at face-value, rather than allowing the readers' imagination to run wild. The tidbits that we are privy to are delicious, whimsical, and truly meaningful.

Now, to the story...

Our main character Sybel, is the daughter of Ogam, a man born from a line of wizards. His special powers allowed him to "call" many spectacular creatures to live among his castle walls, safely nestled in the mountains of Eld. Sybel, growing up in a world separate from the one she lives in, knows little of the outside world. She cares little for the dealings of men, and spends her time tending her beloved creatures, and calling the fabled Lorien, a mythical white bird, to join her.

Her solitude is interrupted when an unbidden man brings a baby to her doorsteps, insisting that she takes the child in and raises him in a place far away from the warring nations outside her walls. She consents, and realizes that she must learn what it means to love another human--something she is not used to doing.

As the child grows into a young man, Sybel develops a strong, motherly connection to him. But as he comes of age, Tamlorn is sought out, and called to rejoin the world of men, and take his rightful place as prince. Sybel calls Tamlorn's father, the king Drede to her to discuss terms for Tamlorn. When Drede meets Sybel, he immediately falls in love with her, and extends the offer for her to join him and Tamlorn.

Because of Sybel's odd upbringing and talents, she has developed a rather cold character. She doesn't know, or care much for the toils of men. That is, until she discovers that she is used by one who desires her for her power.

“It is not a bad thing, itself, but it is a bad thing to be used by men, to have them choose what you must be, and what you must not be, to have little choice in your life.”

Sybel's outlook on mankind transforms into a dark and corrupting thing, causing her to unabashedly use others to cast her revenge. But her desires for revenge do not come without their consequences.

“The giant Grof was hit in one eye by a stone, and that eye turned inward so that it looked into his mind and he died of what he saw there.”

As Sybel experiences life, love, loss, and joy, she must either grow, or forever be locked in the dark shackles of revenge, hurt, and mistrust. Because her character basically starts from zero, the reader gets to watch her "transform" as she learns more about human nature.

There are two different points in this book that I didn't necessarily like, and made me take a half-star off:

#1 Because this is a shorter novel, changes aren't always allowed enough time to happen without feeling a bit forced. An example of this is Sybel's character. She changes so much in such a short amount of time, that it isn't always believable.

#2 I felt that the imaginative expression could be slightly overwhelming at times, and could have used a bit more explanation.

Despite these two things, it is without a doubt that this is a beautiful story of growth, hardship, healing, and forgiveness. I would highly recommend this read to any lover of young adult fantasy.

Random side note: I think that Sybel is the original white-haired, dragon wielding heroine. Not Khaleesi.

Vulgarity: None that I recall.
Sexual content: Some advances are made towards Sybel, but they are stopped before anything happens.
Violence: Minimal.

4.5 stars.

A big thanks to the publisher for providing me with a copy of this book!

What an odd book. In all the best ways.
That's my knee-jerk reaction to it. It's apparently an older fantasy novel being re-released, which surprised me because I'd never read it before. Fantasy is my thing and this book must have originally come out when it was my ONLY thing.

But somehow I missed it, and my life was lacking because of it.

I really enjoyed this book. It hooked me by page three with the oddness of the voice, the story and the characters.

Odd in a good way, I can empathize AND imagine myself as the main character.

The writing is clean, crisp and evocative. The story captivating.

I highly recommend it if you like old-school fantasy. It gives you almost everything you could ask for.

The Forgotten Beasts of Eld is a wonderfully written, richly textured, high fantasy from Patricia A. McKillip. Even though it is quite limited in length, it is still filled with insightful moments and fascinating insights; all of it set in beautifully rendered fairy tale world.

Sybel is a young, powerful sorceress, who has spent her life in isolation, her interaction with humans nonexistent. She knows nothing outside of her mountain home, nor does she really wish to know. Her only companions the magical creatures of her home. So when a baby is brought to her she isn’t quite prepared for the emotions this innocent child will evoke — nor is she ready for the power struggle she will be brought into when someone returns for the child.

What always catches me unprepared whenever I read (or reread) a Patricia A. McKillip novel is her unbelievable prose. It isn’t elaborate or flowery, merely lyrical and purposeful. Every word has its place and its use in her narratives, yet she never feels a need to expound unnecessarily. Important events taking place in pages rather than chapters. Concise, meaningful, and lovely. That is how this author writes, and I only wish more fantasy offerings these days mimicked her style.

As for the story itself, it was poignant, quick, and emotional. Sybel’s life, her choices, and the ones she love caught up in the quagmire she has unknowingly been drawn into. Her words and response to both the child and that which comes later filled with a layer of meaning and depth which will truly touches a reader’s heart strings.

As for any criticisms or complaints, I have none. McKillip has always been a writer I was in awe of, especially her amazing ability to craft an exciting fantasy tale that still finds a place for both dignity and seriousness in its pages, and The Forgotten Beasts of Eld was no exception, making me wonder only why it took me so long to actually read it.

Lyrical, complex, concise, and emotional, this novel is one I will be readily espousing to lovers of high fantasy, fairy tales, and beautifully writing. Patricia A. McKillip isn’t an author spoken of very often these days, but she should be, because her works are treasures of the genre.

I received this book from the publisher in exchange for a fair and honest review. I’d like to thank them for allowing me to receive this review copy and inform everyone that the review you have read is my opinion alone.

Wow. Wow wow wow wow. I could just write 'wow' for this entire review.

Reasons I'm saying wow:
--badass lady wizard extraordinaire
--portrayal of trauma and the healing process that isn't sexist
--lovely lovely prose
--all around beautiful

When it started I thought I was in for something along the lines of Arthurian legend. And certainly I think McKillip is playing with that storyline trope. It's certainly engaging enough in the beginning that I wanted to keep reading even though I'd read similar enough fantasy before, but then about halfway through, something happens which I'm not going to spoil, and I fell in love with the novel. I started highlighting large portions of the text. I wanted to read late into the night.

I want and will read this again. I'll also buy a copy so my daughter can read it, so I can read it to her.

It has similar themes to A Wizard of Earthsea, but is also it's own lovely piece of art.

McKillip is one of those authors I discovered late in life, and I'm relishing the thought of reading her works slowly for the next decade, much like I plan to do with Ursula K. Le Guin.

Thanks to Tachyon Publications and Netgalley for providing me with a free copy in exchange for an honest review.

[Reviewed on Goodreads 09/16/2017]
[Will review on Amazon after pub date]
[Will review on blog early Oct.]