Sunday, March 27, 2011

"Pegasus" by Robin McKinley



I've loved Robin McKinley's work for a long time.  Her Hero and the Crown is one of my all-time favorites.  I have thoroughly enjoyed her takes on Robin Hood, Sleeping Beauty (two different versions!) and vampires.  So, when I saw she had a new one out, I was thrilled beyond belief.

And Pegasus lived up to my internal hype.  Is it her best novel?  Probably not.  Is it worth the price of admission?  Absolutely.

One of the things I love about her stories is her wonderful world-building.  One of the others is the deft way she handles the mental and cultural differences between species.  In Sunshine, it was the differences between humans and vampires, in Dragonhaven, the differences between humans and dragons.  And here, it's between humans and the Pegasi.

McKinley does here what she's done before, and with aplomb.  The world-building is superb, the cultural and mental strangeness of the Pegasi fascinating, and the characters compelling.  Does McKinley ramble at times?  Sure.  But for me, that's always been part of her charm.  I find such interesting gems in her tangents.  Sometimes, especially in genre writing, there is such a focus on linear storytelling.  Occasionally, it's nice to go where the story leads you, no matter how strange that path may look.

So, a full recommendation for Pegasus.  She's written better, but not by much.  And even on a bad day, McKinley's got my vote!  You can purchase Pegasus here.

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