roseparis's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
ginnikin's review against another edition
4.0
Absolutely lovely, as is to be expected from McKillip. I wasn't as surprised by some of the developments as I often am when reading her books, but others caught me completely off guard. So lovely.
gavinsteyn's review against another edition
emotional
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
hon_ey's review against another edition
5.0
With this book, McKillip executed greatly her strength in topographical descriptions that you’d think the places she’s describing are real, and not just fictional places.
hornsounder's review against another edition
adventurous
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.25
carriejadud's review against another edition
4.0
An absorbing yarn in the classic (and, to me, much-loved) McKillip style, involving an unseen bell that rings every evening at sundown, a house in which doors sometimes open onto another world, and a seaside inn boasting the country's worst cook. Fans of fantasy that is more about subtlety than swordplay should enjoy this.
katieconrad's review
adventurous
hopeful
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
tamunra's review against another edition
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
It's taken me a while to review this book, which seems fair because it took me a while to read it as well.
I haven't read anything by McKillip before, but I've seen her on various lists so I decided to purchase this when I came across it at a used book store. I'm not sure if it's a good entrance to her work; others who have read more of her books would know better.
I found this a bit slow to get into, and so I put it down several times as I had other books become available from the library. I didn't really get into it until probably about halfway through the book.
I label it fantasy, but it's really rather slow to get to anything fantastical, aside from the doors that open into another world. Mainly, the plot was slow and didn't really grab me too much. But still, the writing was good, and I give it a 3.5-to-4. I wonder if I would have enjoyed reading this more at another time.
I haven't read anything by McKillip before, but I've seen her on various lists so I decided to purchase this when I came across it at a used book store. I'm not sure if it's a good entrance to her work; others who have read more of her books would know better.
I found this a bit slow to get into, and so I put it down several times as I had other books become available from the library. I didn't really get into it until probably about halfway through the book.
I label it fantasy, but it's really rather slow to get to anything fantastical, aside from the doors that open into another world. Mainly, the plot was slow and didn't really grab me too much. But still, the writing was good, and I give it a 3.5-to-4. I wonder if I would have enjoyed reading this more at another time.