Pegasus by Robin McKinley ‘…and they were haloed in all thee colours of thee rainbow.’

-

A McKinley fan from way back, I’m unsure as to whether I enjoyed Pegasus because I’m a fan or for the story. It could simply be that I realize that I have to wait for the next book to be published and I am in no mood to leave this place.
All the right ingredients are here but things seemed a little wordy to begin.
We have a story filled with feisty and believable heroes, a Magician’s Guild with dastardly mages like Fthoom, ‘whose eyes glittered-like jewels in sunlight, not like human eyes at all’, pegi shamans; indeed a myriad of aspects colliding in the mystery of time and happenstance, of tradition and what is and what could be. Towards the end of the book I had more questions than at the beginning. I found myself fearful of what the future holds for this amazing world—what wicked plots. It seems an unnamed dread overshadows the pegi-human alliance, possibly its very survival. Overtones point to Fthoom as a key player here.
The cross cultural relationships between Pegasus and human, between Princess Sylviianel and Ebon are the stuff of fabulous fantasy whilst reflecting very human interactions. I was always sure Sylvi and Ebon were going to be caught practicing their flying. This would have been a major incident and breach of Alliance protocol.
The story brings into focus many questions. Why can Sylvi and Ebon communicate more than others with Pegasus-human bindings? What is it about the magic of the human magicians? The mystical caves where the pegi sculpt their story appear to be at the heart of the of the pegi culture and hold importance for the world in general. The caves impact leaves the reader as confused and overwhelmed as Sylvi.
Again I admit to being a tad disgruntled about Pegasus and I can’t clarify why. Maybe because it didn’t end with one book, maybe I just don’t like having to wait to continue the adventure.
(Should I be like one acquaintance who doesn’t start to read a series until the whole series has been published—in the case of Jordan’s, Wheel’s of Time series that would have been a very long wait! I first started reading the Eye of the World in 1990. I finally gave up because I couldn’t take it anymore. Interestingly I don’t feel like that about Steven Erikson’s Malazan’s series).
McKinley has created a vivid world. I enjoyed my time here even though this is not the best McKinley novel I’ve ever read (certainly Deerskin and Sunshine are up there at the top of that list). The words Sylvie read about the pegi from the first contact group give voice to their beauty and presence, imparted to us as reader.
‘They are a little like horses, but yet far more fine than any horse, even a queen’s palfrey: they are a little like deer, except deer are rough and clumsy beside them; and their wings are huge, huger than an eagles’, and when thee lowering sunne struck through their primaries, for as they cantered towards us they left their wings unfurled, thee light was broken as if by prisms, and they were haloed in all thee colours of thee rainbow.’

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Things aren’t as they seem!

-
Image
A Murderous Tryst  (Beatrice Hyde-Care Mystery #11) by Lynn Messina    ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Oh my! Bea certainly has a lot to contend with. Bea’s rattled! The Duke has been missing from their bed for a night. When a distraught Bea come downstairs the next morning she finds her beloved husband Damien clasped in the arms of a glamorous female. A female who turns out to be Kesgrave’s first mistress, Mrs. Penelope Taylor! What?! Of course Bea’s heart sinks and she falls back on her painful memories of Aunt Vera’s responses to such a situation. Bea is both shaken and traumatised, but determined not to show it.  It seems Penny has been accused of murder. Actually  Penny’s desperately trying to avoid Newgate.    As a former mistress Penny does the unthinkable thing in society’s eyes. She asks for help from Bea. Bea’s response is just as shocking. She says yes. Kesgrave is as usual inscrutable. Of course this is the beginning of a harebrained chase, complications between Bea  and Amien,  and an investiga
Read more

Women in war—Internment by the Japanese 1942-45.

-
Image
Sisters Under the Rising Sun  by Heather Morris    ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ A fitting tribute to the women interred by the Japanese in Indonesia and Malaya during 1942 until liberation in 1945. Amongst the internees are a group of Australian Army nurses who were not given recognition by the Japanese as members of the armed forces and therefore not prisoners of war according to the Conventions of war.  Sister Vivian Bullwinkle is the only survivor of the massacre of a group of soldiers and nurses on Radji Beach, Bangka Island near Sumatra  in 1942, after the sinking of  HMS Vyner Brooke. There are a number of civilian prisoners in the camps like Norah Chambers and her sister Ena.  Combined, the story of these women interred under terrible conditions, their struggles and achievements are monumental.  Their gifts to their fellows beyond speech. Music plays an important part in uplifting the prisoners’ spirits. It’s truly a privilege to read about their plight, their vows to each other, and their braver
Read more

The Three Muscateers—three widows, three sets of different circumstances

-
Image
The Widows' Wine Club  by Julia Jarman    ⭐️⭐️⭐️ Different enough to be interesting but I kept losing which character was which. I almost feel I need to read it again to follow who’s who. I do know that three women came together to form a support group, going to the pub for lunch etc. Better than the local widow’s group in the church hall.  All three had recently lost their husbands and now had to find a way to face their new lives. Viv Halliday is a knowledgeable gardener. Zelda Fielding is setting herself up with internet dates and searching the web for her unknown father. Janet had a controlling husband who it turned out was having affairs, and their son is just as controlling. How their lives unfold is the new challenge. A Boldwood Books ARC via NetGalley.                                               Many thanks to the author and publisher.
Read more