Song for the Basilisk by Patricia McKillip
At the beginning of the book, we’re introduced to a young boy who has been burned by fire. Whisked away to Luly, and island of bards, he is there named Rook Caladrius, and spends over thirty years on Luly, marrying and having a son, Hollis. But the bards are drifting away from Luly and to the mainland, including Hollis. So Rook leaves Luly too, and on the mainland, he rediscovers his past as the heir of Tourmalyne, and he and Hollis decide to wage a rebellion against the patriarch of the house of the Basilisk, who destroyed Rooks family 37 years ago. Caught up in this are the Basilisk’s two daughters: the otherworldly sorceress, Luna, and the more mundane Damiet, often overlooked by others in favor of her sister.
I loved the Renaissance-like world, and the less-than-tidy resolution, but mostly, the book reminds me that, while I’ve liked every McKillip I’ve read, my reading experience with her is somewhat uneven. For some reason, this book never quite grabbed me like others have. Bits of it reminded me of Ombria in Shadow and Od Magic, two of my three favorite McKillips so far, but were never as involving as those elements were elsewhere. I think part of it is that it drifts a little closer to the normal fantasy plot than others. It isn’t a “Young Hero Coming of Age” story by any means, but it has a much clearer villain and revenge/overcoming the bad guy aspect than other McKillips I've read have had.
I loved the Renaissance-like world, and the less-than-tidy resolution, but mostly, the book reminds me that, while I’ve liked every McKillip I’ve read, my reading experience with her is somewhat uneven. For some reason, this book never quite grabbed me like others have. Bits of it reminded me of Ombria in Shadow and Od Magic, two of my three favorite McKillips so far, but were never as involving as those elements were elsewhere. I think part of it is that it drifts a little closer to the normal fantasy plot than others. It isn’t a “Young Hero Coming of Age” story by any means, but it has a much clearer villain and revenge/overcoming the bad guy aspect than other McKillips I've read have had.