Status
Available
Call number
Genres
Publication
Avon Books (1975), Edition: 3rd Printing
Description
Raised on Eld mountain with only her father's magical menagerie for company, a young wizard is drawn irrevocably into the human world with all its sorrows and delights when a baby comes into her care.
User reviews
LibraryThing member atimco
Patricia McKillip has long been a favorite fantasy author of mine, and this stand-alone story is a great introduction to her work. Sybel is a daughter and granddaughter of wizards who learned to call mythical creatures and control them, deep in the forest of Eld Mountain. Sybel lives alone with her
Everything changes for Sybel at that point. She learns to love young Tamlorn and Maelga, the old witch who helps her care for him. Tamlorn grows strong and happy on Eld Mountain with Sybel and her animals. But the two countries below, whose war caused the child to be sent up the mountain, are restless. Tam learns that his father is Drede the king. But the House of Sirle, who brought Tam to Sybel, also have plans for the boy. Sybel refuses to be drawn into the politics of war, although both sides woo her for her powers. But when Sybel is hurt by another magician, she descends from her mountain into the wars of men, and begins to plot her revenge.
Like the rest of McKillip's work, this isn't just escapist medieval fantasy with dragons and bards and battles. There is actually something quite profound here. In her studies, Sybel accidentally calls fear itself, which manifests as a horrible bird of prey, the Blammor. The wise Bull Cyrin speaks more than once of a giant whose eye was injured, turning it back into his mind. The legend goes that the giant died of what he saw there in himself. Though it's never explicitly stated, I think the power of the Blammor is self-knowledge. To the good, it is awful but bearable. But the evil do not escape with so much as a single bone unbroken by what they see reflected in the Blammor's moon-pale eyes.
I love the way this is tied together in the end with the Liralen, that beautiful bird with trailing wings. It is only beautiful if you are, inside; self-knowledge holds no terrors if you are pure within. And becoming beautiful inside, after being twisted by hatred, is the journey that Sybel makes in this story. Her horrible revenge on the evil magician and the king who commissioned him comes at the expense of everyone she loves... and in the end the choice to hate or to let go is hers alone.
This shares some elements with Ursula K. Le Guin's Earthsea books, mostly in the importance given to names. Names are power, and can be used to control the being who is named. In Earthsea, wizardry consists of naming things rightly, and it seems to be the source of power for Sybel as well.
I was also reminded forcibly of Robin McKinley's Damar books, The Blue Sword and The Hero and The Crown, because of the taut spare quality of the relationships. The politics are also very like those in McKinley's stories; everyone has a different motive and the players interact carefully, often deceptively. On the romantic side, the relationship between Coren and Sybel reminded me a lot of Aerin and Tor.
I think this might be my favorite of McKillip's books so far — or at least it's near the top of the list. It's a fantastic novel from one of the genre's most intelligent and skilled authors. Highly recommended.
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creatures — Gules Lyon, the Cat Moriah, the Bull Cyrin, the Dragon Gyld, and the Falcon Ter. Her only desire is to call the fabled Liralen bird to her house, but she cannot find it. Sybel does not know what it means to love, until one day a tired soldier appears on her doorstep carrying a baby — her nephew. Everything changes for Sybel at that point. She learns to love young Tamlorn and Maelga, the old witch who helps her care for him. Tamlorn grows strong and happy on Eld Mountain with Sybel and her animals. But the two countries below, whose war caused the child to be sent up the mountain, are restless. Tam learns that his father is Drede the king. But the House of Sirle, who brought Tam to Sybel, also have plans for the boy. Sybel refuses to be drawn into the politics of war, although both sides woo her for her powers. But when Sybel is hurt by another magician, she descends from her mountain into the wars of men, and begins to plot her revenge.
Like the rest of McKillip's work, this isn't just escapist medieval fantasy with dragons and bards and battles. There is actually something quite profound here. In her studies, Sybel accidentally calls fear itself, which manifests as a horrible bird of prey, the Blammor. The wise Bull Cyrin speaks more than once of a giant whose eye was injured, turning it back into his mind. The legend goes that the giant died of what he saw there in himself. Though it's never explicitly stated, I think the power of the Blammor is self-knowledge. To the good, it is awful but bearable. But the evil do not escape with so much as a single bone unbroken by what they see reflected in the Blammor's moon-pale eyes.
I love the way this is tied together in the end with the Liralen, that beautiful bird with trailing wings. It is only beautiful if you are, inside; self-knowledge holds no terrors if you are pure within. And becoming beautiful inside, after being twisted by hatred, is the journey that Sybel makes in this story. Her horrible revenge on the evil magician and the king who commissioned him comes at the expense of everyone she loves... and in the end the choice to hate or to let go is hers alone.
This shares some elements with Ursula K. Le Guin's Earthsea books, mostly in the importance given to names. Names are power, and can be used to control the being who is named. In Earthsea, wizardry consists of naming things rightly, and it seems to be the source of power for Sybel as well.
I was also reminded forcibly of Robin McKinley's Damar books, The Blue Sword and The Hero and The Crown, because of the taut spare quality of the relationships. The politics are also very like those in McKinley's stories; everyone has a different motive and the players interact carefully, often deceptively. On the romantic side, the relationship between Coren and Sybel reminded me a lot of Aerin and Tor.
I think this might be my favorite of McKillip's books so far — or at least it's near the top of the list. It's a fantastic novel from one of the genre's most intelligent and skilled authors. Highly recommended.
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LibraryThing member ncgraham
The Forgotten Beasts of Eld marked Patricia McKillip's first unmitigated success in the fantasy genre. It is the story of Sybel, third in a bloodline of wizards who have settled on Eld Mountain. There she lives, alone but for the fantastical beasts that she and her forefathers have called to serve
Though this book begins rather slowly—it took 100 of the 200-odd pages for the main conflict to emerge—but pretty soon one becomes entangled in a web of hate, fear, and passion. Sybel is a complex, distant, and eventually vengeful heroine, less likable initially than many McKillip protagonists, but all the more fascinating for it. The end contained an unexpected twist, rife with symbolic imagery, and I expect it will all make more sense upon a reread, although I did not feel confused while reading it, as I sometimes do with her books. Most fascinatingly, there are repeated mentions by Cyrin the talking pig of the Riddle Master; obviously McKillip had other ideas boiling in her mind at this point. I'm not sure this book is quite at the level of the Riddle-Master trilogy, but it certainly ranks alongside Ombria in Shadow and Alphabet of Thorn as one of her best stand-alone books.
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them, until one day a baby is brought to her doorstep. With the help of an old healer woman, she raises the child Tamlorn and learns from it how to love, but when Tam is grown the rulers of both Eldwold and Sirle come to claim him. Sybel thinks she has everything under control, when she feels herself being called, and cannot resist....Though this book begins rather slowly—it took 100 of the 200-odd pages for the main conflict to emerge—but pretty soon one becomes entangled in a web of hate, fear, and passion. Sybel is a complex, distant, and eventually vengeful heroine, less likable initially than many McKillip protagonists, but all the more fascinating for it. The end contained an unexpected twist, rife with symbolic imagery, and I expect it will all make more sense upon a reread, although I did not feel confused while reading it, as I sometimes do with her books. Most fascinatingly, there are repeated mentions by Cyrin the talking pig of the Riddle Master; obviously McKillip had other ideas boiling in her mind at this point. I'm not sure this book is quite at the level of the Riddle-Master trilogy, but it certainly ranks alongside Ombria in Shadow and Alphabet of Thorn as one of her best stand-alone books.
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LibraryThing member WolfFish
This book was a gift from a very special friend. When they gave it to me, they said that it had given them strength and inspiration through tough times in their life and they wanted to pass it on.
The Forgotten Beasts of Eld is a story about a young woman who grows up, the daughter of a great man,
The characters are imaginative, from the wise boar who can answer every question save one, to the dragon, to the elusive Liralen. They come alive through the pages and each narrative, dialogue and descriptive draws you further into this amazing, emotive world.
From cover to cover, the story captivates and draws you in, so in the end, you're as in love with the characters as they might be for one another.
The author has a way with words, a deep, wise voice for her narratives and a whimsy to the interactions that the characters have with one another. An excellent story to share with a young loved one going through a hard time, or an old friend who just loves a good book.
The Forgotten Beasts of Eld is a story about a young woman who grows up, the daughter of a great man,
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who has called to him a variety of different fantastical beasts, all of which she cares for after her father's passing.The characters are imaginative, from the wise boar who can answer every question save one, to the dragon, to the elusive Liralen. They come alive through the pages and each narrative, dialogue and descriptive draws you further into this amazing, emotive world.
From cover to cover, the story captivates and draws you in, so in the end, you're as in love with the characters as they might be for one another.
The author has a way with words, a deep, wise voice for her narratives and a whimsy to the interactions that the characters have with one another. An excellent story to share with a young loved one going through a hard time, or an old friend who just loves a good book.
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LibraryThing member RealLifeReading
A leather-bound book. Weathered, yellowed heavy paper. A careful handwritten script.
A fireplace. A glass of wine.
A stiff-backed, heavy, scarlet chair. A rug so thick you can barely see your toes.
Snow falling outside, magicking everything white.
All this. Any of this would have been the perfect way
Because this is such a magical book. An ice queen hidden in the mountains surrounded by mythical creatures kind of magic. Witchcraft and Darkness kind of magic. For she calls them with their true name and they come. How very Ged-like.
It is a fairytale, a love story, a song of strength and power.
Its sense of antiquity begs to be given the proper treatment. To be read under the stars, by candlelight, in a tome that is passed down from generation to generation.
My reread (with many more to come) shall definitely be on the printed page. On a cold mountain. With tendrils of mist caressing each page…
A book to read today, tomorrow and ever after.
A fireplace. A glass of wine.
A stiff-backed, heavy, scarlet chair. A rug so thick you can barely see your toes.
Snow falling outside, magicking everything white.
All this. Any of this would have been the perfect way
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to read The Forgotten Beasts of Eld, and not the way I did, snatched in bits and pieces on my iPhone. Convenient yes but just so so lacking in atmosphere, in texture, in feeling.Because this is such a magical book. An ice queen hidden in the mountains surrounded by mythical creatures kind of magic. Witchcraft and Darkness kind of magic. For she calls them with their true name and they come. How very Ged-like.
It is a fairytale, a love story, a song of strength and power.
Its sense of antiquity begs to be given the proper treatment. To be read under the stars, by candlelight, in a tome that is passed down from generation to generation.
My reread (with many more to come) shall definitely be on the printed page. On a cold mountain. With tendrils of mist caressing each page…
A book to read today, tomorrow and ever after.
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LibraryThing member justchris
The Forgotten Beast of Eld by Patricia McKillip is an old friend. I do not reread it as often as the Riddle-Master of Hed trilogy, but it still has a timeless charm, as do all of her stories.
This is the story of Sybel, a third-generation wizard. She has always lived alone in the mountains with her
It is a straightforward story, filled with evocative imagery and dialogue, very reminiscent of fairy tales and styles of storytelling that are not so common anymore. The exposition is minimal; the prose is good; the characters aren't very deep. In some ways they feel more like archetypes than individuals.
This is the story of Sybel, a third-generation wizard. She has always lived alone in the mountains with her
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magical menagerie in the house her grandfather built until the day that Coren brings her the baby Tamlorn to save him from the power struggles around the throne. And so she learns to love. This is a story of love, fear, desire, need, betrayal, hurt, compulsion, vengeance: Sybel, Tam, his father King Drood, Coren and his brothers, the old witch woman Maelga, and the various talking animals (Tyr the Falcon, Cyrin the Boar, Gyld the Dragon and more).It is a straightforward story, filled with evocative imagery and dialogue, very reminiscent of fairy tales and styles of storytelling that are not so common anymore. The exposition is minimal; the prose is good; the characters aren't very deep. In some ways they feel more like archetypes than individuals.
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LibraryThing member LisCarey
Note: This is a review of the 2011 Audible Studios edition.
Sybel is the daughter and granddaughter of wizards, and a wizard herself, continuing the family tradition of collecting strange and magical animals. She has not mixed with her neighbors much, or at all, and has no children.
Then a local,
But Drede believes,with some reason it must be said, that Tamlorn is in fact the son of one of Coren's older brother, Norrell. Norrell and Rhianna are dead, killed by Drede. Coren asks her to love, protect, and raise Tamlorn.
Twelve years later, Coren comes back, wanting to take Tamlorn away, to help Coren's family overthrow Drede, take revenge for Norrell's death, and place Tamlorn on the throne. Tamlorn doesn't want to go, and Sybel sends Coren away.
But this makes Tamlorn curious about his father. When Drede arrives, having discovered that Tamlorn really is his son, and Rhianna and Norrell never had the chance to be alone together, Tamlorn wants to meet him. Ultimately, he decides he wants to go with Drede.
This is the point from which Sybel's life truly becomes complicated.
Up to this point, she has more or less replicated the lives of her father and grandfather, living in her tower, collecting and caring for her magical animals, studying magic. And raising one child. This is a point of some difference, in that Tamlorn is not a wizardling, and Sybel sought the help of a local witch woman, Maelga, which her father and grandfather never had, and they become, in effect, a family of three, rather than a family of two.
But now Tamlorn is gone to become Drede's heir.
And Coren and his brothers still want their revenge.
They have a plan. Drede also has a plan, based on his fear of having such a powerful wizard close by, and with an interest in his heir. And Sybel is determined not to be used.
When Drede pays another wizard, Mithrin, to eliminate the danger he sees in Sybel, while enabling him to keep her as his meek, contented, but still magically powerful wife, he unleashes something that will disrupt all their lives, as Sybel becomes a third party seeking revenge.
In many ways I'm describing the wrong things about this book. Sybel, Coren, Tamlorn, Maelga, and even Drede are all multilayered and interesting characters. Sybel's magical animals are not just living trophies, but powerful, opinionated, and often wise. The language is beautiful and rich, but never so ornate as to be a distraction. And the three major contenders here, Sybel, Coren, and Drede, all need to confront their fears in the most literal and terrifying way possible, if they are to survive and achieve their goals.
This is a wonderful book, and it's a joy to reread it after many years.
I bought this audiobook.
Sybel is the daughter and granddaughter of wizards, and a wizard herself, continuing the family tradition of collecting strange and magical animals. She has not mixed with her neighbors much, or at all, and has no children.
Then a local,
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lesser lord, Coren, arrives at her gate carrying a baby boy. The baby is Tamlorn, the son of her mother's younger sister, and also of King Drede.But Drede believes,with some reason it must be said, that Tamlorn is in fact the son of one of Coren's older brother, Norrell. Norrell and Rhianna are dead, killed by Drede. Coren asks her to love, protect, and raise Tamlorn.
Twelve years later, Coren comes back, wanting to take Tamlorn away, to help Coren's family overthrow Drede, take revenge for Norrell's death, and place Tamlorn on the throne. Tamlorn doesn't want to go, and Sybel sends Coren away.
But this makes Tamlorn curious about his father. When Drede arrives, having discovered that Tamlorn really is his son, and Rhianna and Norrell never had the chance to be alone together, Tamlorn wants to meet him. Ultimately, he decides he wants to go with Drede.
This is the point from which Sybel's life truly becomes complicated.
Up to this point, she has more or less replicated the lives of her father and grandfather, living in her tower, collecting and caring for her magical animals, studying magic. And raising one child. This is a point of some difference, in that Tamlorn is not a wizardling, and Sybel sought the help of a local witch woman, Maelga, which her father and grandfather never had, and they become, in effect, a family of three, rather than a family of two.
But now Tamlorn is gone to become Drede's heir.
And Coren and his brothers still want their revenge.
They have a plan. Drede also has a plan, based on his fear of having such a powerful wizard close by, and with an interest in his heir. And Sybel is determined not to be used.
When Drede pays another wizard, Mithrin, to eliminate the danger he sees in Sybel, while enabling him to keep her as his meek, contented, but still magically powerful wife, he unleashes something that will disrupt all their lives, as Sybel becomes a third party seeking revenge.
In many ways I'm describing the wrong things about this book. Sybel, Coren, Tamlorn, Maelga, and even Drede are all multilayered and interesting characters. Sybel's magical animals are not just living trophies, but powerful, opinionated, and often wise. The language is beautiful and rich, but never so ornate as to be a distraction. And the three major contenders here, Sybel, Coren, and Drede, all need to confront their fears in the most literal and terrifying way possible, if they are to survive and achieve their goals.
This is a wonderful book, and it's a joy to reread it after many years.
I bought this audiobook.
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LibraryThing member bluesalamanders
A wizard, daughter of wizards, has a menagerie of mythical and powerful beasts. Her otherwise solitary life changes when a man brings her a child to raise.
I picked up this book due to several recommendations and I'm afraid I'm didn't quite get the point. The language is stilted, the characters are
I rather think it might have been as a better short story or several short stories.
I liked the end well enough, but I haven't yet read a book I disliked where the end made up for everything else, and this is no exception. Definitely will not reread.
I picked up this book due to several recommendations and I'm afraid I'm didn't quite get the point. The language is stilted, the characters are
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dull, and the plot is plodding and uninspired. Interesting parts are glossed over and boring parts are greatly elaborated on. Intriguing characters get little or no time, which is instead given to boring conversations that could have been summed up in a few lines instead of a few pages and often appear out of nowhere with no build-up.I rather think it might have been as a better short story or several short stories.
I liked the end well enough, but I haven't yet read a book I disliked where the end made up for everything else, and this is no exception. Definitely will not reread.
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LibraryThing member krau0098
Sybil was raised on Eld mountain by her father. Her only company was the animals that her father called to the mountain. After her father died she maintained the animals and studied magic to become an unparalleled sorceress. She spends days upon days trying to call the one creature that she thinks
This book is a very deliberately paced book. It is beautifully written, in an older style but with lush description and very literature-like language. This is very much a traditional young adult fantasy. To be honest I had trouble getting through the first chapter which details Sybil's lineage and how she comes to live on the mountain; I kept falling asleep. After I got past the first chapter however I found myself intrigued by what would happen to Sybil and Tam as they were drawn further and further into man's conflicts. For such a simple story this book touches on many deep philosophies. It looks at living in isolation, the relationship to your mother and father, revenge, fear, peace, and love. The characters, especially Sybil, go through a tumultuous emotional growth throughout the story. The animals that Sybil "keeps" are delightful and represent aspects of human personalities; such as wisdom, fierceness, grace, direction.
This was a great read for children and adults alike. Despite some violence, it is definitely appropriate for younger children. I am always impressed with the beauty of McKillip's writing. I will say her books always make you think and always end up wandering into some deeper aspects of human philosophy.
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can give her complete freedom, the creature called the Liralen. One day she is interrupted by someone at her gate; Coren wants her to take in and protect a baby named Tam. When Sybil accepts Tam into her mountain home she is drawn into a deadly conflict between two factions. Sybil struggles to remain separate from the world of men, but instead is drawn deep into it as Tam grows to manhood.This book is a very deliberately paced book. It is beautifully written, in an older style but with lush description and very literature-like language. This is very much a traditional young adult fantasy. To be honest I had trouble getting through the first chapter which details Sybil's lineage and how she comes to live on the mountain; I kept falling asleep. After I got past the first chapter however I found myself intrigued by what would happen to Sybil and Tam as they were drawn further and further into man's conflicts. For such a simple story this book touches on many deep philosophies. It looks at living in isolation, the relationship to your mother and father, revenge, fear, peace, and love. The characters, especially Sybil, go through a tumultuous emotional growth throughout the story. The animals that Sybil "keeps" are delightful and represent aspects of human personalities; such as wisdom, fierceness, grace, direction.
This was a great read for children and adults alike. Despite some violence, it is definitely appropriate for younger children. I am always impressed with the beauty of McKillip's writing. I will say her books always make you think and always end up wandering into some deeper aspects of human philosophy.
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LibraryThing member MusicMom41
This was my first McKillip fantasy and I enjoyed it very much. It brought to mind Robin McKinley’s [The Blue Sword] and [The Hero and the Crown] which I read earlier this year. The writing in this was beautiful and she described her people and places vividly so it was easy to envision what was
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happening, which for me made it not only pleasurable but also a fairly quick read. I was a little disappointed in the beginning because I had wanted more told about the development of the relationship between Sybel and Tam. (nb—this is one of my problems with YA literature, they are often skimpy on the development of characters and relationships in order to get to the “action.”) However, the book made up for that as it followed Sybel’s development after she encounters Coren the second tine and in all that follows. The ending is stunning and satisfying, although I had expected one aspect of it. Highly recommended Show Less
LibraryThing member raschneid
Based on this one book, McKillip may well be a Great Stylist of SF. Her writing is fluid, spare, and luminous with imagery. With a strong internal vocabulary, she creates a mood that is atmospheric and at times even gothic.
The Forgotten Beasts of Eld has all the narrative elements of a traditional
Sybel begins as a character drawn starkly in two dimensions, but she slowly gains facets of complexity, creating conflict and discovery that drive the novel. I enjoyed her greatly as a character, but also feel hesitant to give the book five stars until I reread it. Despite an emotionally charged text, Sybel's motivations are often subtextual. There's a disconnect between the emotion on the page and some of her more extreme actions, leading to believability issues. I look forward to rereading it and deciding whether Sybel's actions are supported by the text or if the author was being a little heavy-handed in order to prop up the structure of her plot.
The Forgotten Beasts of Eld has all the narrative elements of a traditional
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fantasy novel - lost heir, warring clans, fantastic beasts, Celtic names, wise magical women. But here, the protagonist is not the lost prince, but his wizard woman guardian. Sybel's emotional life drives the novel; to make the gothic comparison again, her character feels influenced by Jane Eyre, aloof, imaginative, and passionate. Sybel begins as a character drawn starkly in two dimensions, but she slowly gains facets of complexity, creating conflict and discovery that drive the novel. I enjoyed her greatly as a character, but also feel hesitant to give the book five stars until I reread it. Despite an emotionally charged text, Sybel's motivations are often subtextual. There's a disconnect between the emotion on the page and some of her more extreme actions, leading to believability issues. I look forward to rereading it and deciding whether Sybel's actions are supported by the text or if the author was being a little heavy-handed in order to prop up the structure of her plot.
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LibraryThing member questbird
A sorceress lives on a mountain with a menagerie of fantastic creatures. One day, a baby is delivered to her -- her nephew. As she raises him and interacts with the world of men below her mountain she finds love, anger, sorrow, revenge and redemption. The tale moves along with efficiency, almost
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inevitability. The language is clear and evocative. Show Less
LibraryThing member pwaites
Trigger warning: attempted rape
This fantasy novel is beautiful and lyrical, a classic reminiscent of The Last Unicorn. One thing’s for certain: I need to read more books by Patricia A. McKillip.
Sybel has spent her entire life on Eld mountain, mostly in solitude except for the marvelous creatures
The Forgotten Beasts of Eld is one of those books where I probably need to reread it to savor the themes appropriately. Forgiveness, revenge, love, power… there’s a lot of depth to novel, which isn’t the longest fantasy book on the block by any means. It also deals with gender, ideas of women and power, being powerless versus powerful, and men’s desire to possess women. Sybel has magical power, but she never seeks to use it to control or manipulate other humans, and the very idea of possessing other people in that way is new to her. But upon meeting her, powerful men tend to think about how they could own and use her. What path does she take now?
“The man 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 I already mentioned, The Forgotten Beasts of Eld is beautifully written. The language is lovely and lyrical, and there’s somehow a dreamlike quality to it. This story reads like an original fairy tale, and I loved how it focuses on a woman, her agency and inner life included.
The Forgotten Beasts of Eld is a true genre classic, and I wish I’d read it earlier. How can I not have heard more about this book? After all, it won the World Fantasy Award back in 1975. I really should have heard of it more.
Regardless, now I know what a wonderful story this is, and I will be sure to seek out more work from Patricia A. McKillip.
Originally posted on The Illustrated Page.
I received an ARC in exchange for a free and honest review.
This fantasy novel is beautiful and lyrical, a classic reminiscent of The Last Unicorn. One thing’s for certain: I need to read more books by Patricia A. McKillip.
Sybel has spent her entire life on Eld mountain, mostly in solitude except for the marvelous creatures
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called there by her deceased father and grandfather. Then, when she’s sixteen, a man arrives at her gate with a baby he says is her nephew. The child is the son of a king, and if word of him reaches the outside world, he will unwittingly be thrown into the deadly world of politics and the grudge between the king and a noble family. Sybel does her best to keep them both from the outside world, but when the boy is twelve his father hears of him, and Sybel finds herself suddenly involved in the world of men.The Forgotten Beasts of Eld is one of those books where I probably need to reread it to savor the themes appropriately. Forgiveness, revenge, love, power… there’s a lot of depth to novel, which isn’t the longest fantasy book on the block by any means. It also deals with gender, ideas of women and power, being powerless versus powerful, and men’s desire to possess women. Sybel has magical power, but she never seeks to use it to control or manipulate other humans, and the very idea of possessing other people in that way is new to her. But upon meeting her, powerful men tend to think about how they could own and use her. What path does she take now?
“The man 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 I already mentioned, The Forgotten Beasts of Eld is beautifully written. The language is lovely and lyrical, and there’s somehow a dreamlike quality to it. This story reads like an original fairy tale, and I loved how it focuses on a woman, her agency and inner life included.
The Forgotten Beasts of Eld is a true genre classic, and I wish I’d read it earlier. How can I not have heard more about this book? After all, it won the World Fantasy Award back in 1975. I really should have heard of it more.
Regardless, now I know what a wonderful story this is, and I will be sure to seek out more work from Patricia A. McKillip.
Originally posted on The Illustrated Page.
I received an ARC in exchange for a free and honest review.
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LibraryThing member feeroberts64
The Forgotten Beasts of Eld by Patricia A. McKillip is a story about Sybel, a wizard that does not need the outside world. She locks herself behind her gates with her enchanted beasts, but when a soldier beckons at her gates with an infant, she about to find out about love and deceit.
This story is
I received this book from Netgalley in exchange for and honest review.
This story is
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about love, deceit, and revenge, and the toll it can have on one's heart and mind. It was well written with lively characters, and magical beasts. A wonderful story with clean romance.I received this book from Netgalley in exchange for and honest review.
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LibraryThing member Lydia_Perversius
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
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.***
The Forgotten
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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.***
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LibraryThing member electrascaife
Sybel, a young wizard living in the lonely mountain home of her father and grandfather and using her craft to call magical beasts to her, is given a child to look after, unbidden and at first unwilling. This is the beginning of the opening of her heart to others, which brings both happiness and
A solid story with good characters, although it did seem to drag in a few spots, mostly when Sybel tends to go on a bit too long about her (lack of) feelings.
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darkness to her and those around her.A solid story with good characters, although it did seem to drag in a few spots, mostly when Sybel tends to go on a bit too long about her (lack of) feelings.
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LibraryThing member quondame
My favorite Patricia McKillip book, and pretty much my favorite stand alone fantasy book ever.
LibraryThing member Black_samvara
Rich in mythology and wizardry with fabulous beasts and a deceptively simple plot. Sybel is a powerful wizard, content to live apart from the rest of humanity with her menagerie of fantastic beasts. Her solitude is rudely destroyed when a young man delivers a baby, which she learns to love and she
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is slowly drawn into worldly conflicts. Show Less
LibraryThing member TheDivineOomba
I read this book a long time ago when I was just a lowly teenager. I didn't understand it then, and the plot got a bit away from me. o when I found it in a used bookstore, I just had to give it another shot.
The plot has this misty quality about as if viewing from a dream, or a story that is no
The plot has this misty quality about as if viewing from a dream, or a story that is no
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longer a story, but a fairy tale. This made the book hard to read, and I had a hard time following the ac.tion, even if it was straight forward. I've read books of this style before, and had the same problems, but the author actually succeeded where most authors will fail. All the characters are very stylized, meaning that there are no hidden motives, what you read is what you get. Its very much a tale about knights, evil kings, and beautiful sorceress, set in days when men could kill, women could scheme, and right or wrong is easy determine. Show Less
LibraryThing member Krumbs
There was a thread of sadness running through this entire book. Every character seemed lonely and isolated, and none were really living up to their potential, even if it was a conscious choice on their part. The beasts weren't allowed to remain magnificent and the people seemed to disappoint both
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themselves and the people they were surrounded by. There were important and true underlying themes, but I don't know that I truly enjoyed the book; it made me melancholy. Show Less
LibraryThing member Karlstar
I believe I enjoyed this book when I first read it, but I can't remember a thing about it, which is a sign that it wasn't memorable. I'll put it on my re-read list as most of her books are very good.
LibraryThing member Caomhghin
Best forgotten. I read it because it was a prizewinner some time ago and was highly praised. In fact the opening third of the book has a wonderfully atmospheric feel to it. We have strange persons with strange powers, principally a girl who inherits her father’s power to control others. Like him
It’s a broken-backed story which handles some parts where atmosphere is important very well but gets lost on the way back there.
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she uses it to collect the forgotten beasts of Eld (the name of a mountain/place not a reference to the past). This part of the book has a vague, misty, impressionistic feel which is rather fine. We are in the fairy tale wood long, long ago and there is even a local (good) witch. Time seems to pass in a different way. Our heroine has no human connections except the witch and doesn’t know what life is. But then she has an infant left in her reluctant charge and she learns to love him until he is taken back as an adolescent to be the heir to the throne. Then the novel goes downhill. As a result of her adopted son’s return to the world she is connected to it. She is almost mind-raped by the king’s wizard at the king’s behest so that he can control her. However all the wizard does to her is what she has been doing to her ‘forgotten’ beasts for years. In spite of this she gets very cross and rushes off to start a civil war in the interestingly described house and extended family of one of the local noble families. She is going to use the forgotten beasts as part of her war plan. Then at the last moment she has an unlikely change of heart and lets her beasts go free. About time you might think. They then rampage in their various ways, the civil war happens anyhow, the old king dies and her lad becomes king. And she lives back in her old house happy ever after with the man who had originally brought her the infant to look after. I reckon she must be in her forties by this time but better late than never. It’s a broken-backed story which handles some parts where atmosphere is important very well but gets lost on the way back there.
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LibraryThing member CaliSoleil
A lovely little story. Beautifully written in almost poetic, flowing language. It's just not for me. I would have loved it when I was 14... probably would've given it 5 stars, but alas (or thank gawd) it's been a very long time since I've been 14. I'm glad I read it either way.
LibraryThing member Phrim
The Forgotten Beasts of Eld is a story of a secluded wizard-woman, Sybel, who lives isolated from society with a number of legendary animals. The story follows Sybel as she learns about the world of normal people (from whom she considers herself aloof), first learning to feel love, and then
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learning to feel hate and revenge. In this name of this revenge she abuses those she has learned to love, callously using them to get at her enemies. In the end she recants, discarding both love and hate, but her place in the world is rescued by her animal companions. The entire work reads more like a fairy tale than a novel, the characters are very idealized and thus hard to relate to or sympathize with. I appreciate that some people like that sort of thing, but I didn't really find it that appealing. Show Less
LibraryThing member patricia_poland
This was Patricia McKillip's finest (first?) novel -- read it three times! (extremely rare for me) I had never read a book where the female protagonist was so wise, scared, strong, creative, stubborn and I wanted to grow up to be just like her. (didn't but there's still hope)
LibraryThing member Dokfintong
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
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
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(Tachyon) through NetGalley.com. It was first published in 1974 by Atheneum. Show Less
Subjects
Awards
Mythopoeic Awards (Finalist — 1975)
World Fantasy Award (Nominee — Novel — 1975)
Language
Original publication date
1974
Physical description
6.7 inches
ISBN
0380004801 / 9780380004805