A review by rachelmac476
In the Forests of Serre by Patricia A. McKillip
5.0
***Dec 2022***
Following the loss of his wife and child, a grief-stricken Prince Ronan goes off to battle in the hopes he will follow them. On his way home, he encounters the ancient witch Brume after accidentally killing her favorite white hen. She predicts that he will have a very bad day. Her prediction comes to pass when Ronan takes off through the strange forests of Serre, chasing a fire bird. Meanwhile, Princess Sidonie of Dacia, accompanied by the wizard Gyre, is sent to marry Prince Ronan in order to secure peace between Dacia and Serre, the latter of which is ruled by King Ferus, a wicked ogre who seeks to conquer as many lands as possible. In Dacia, the aging wizard Unciel, weakened by his last battle, spends his days gardening and recovering while the scribe Euan Ash transcribes Unciel's writing on his adventures.
Of all the Patricia McKillip books I've read so far, this one is my favorite - I do love it a little bit more than the wonderful Forgotten Beasts of Eld. It's such a beautifully intricate tale of magic, grief, and love. All of Patricia McKillip's books are so different from other fantasy novels I've read; these are quiet tales. There are no dramatic love stories or detailed depictions of violent wars. It's just beautifully crafted magical adventures with exquisite writing. I'm not always in the right headspace to appreciate her novels - sometimes all I want to read is some pulse-pounding thriller or high-drama romance - but when I am in the right mood, reading this novel in particular is like slipping into a beautiful dream. Just so lovely.
***July 2021***
Absolutely gorgeous. The worlds Patricia McKillip creates and the stories she writes are magic in and of themselves. At its core this is a metaphor of a man's journey with grief. Reading her novels makes me feel like I'm in some sort of dreamlike trance. I wish I had the words to do this justice, but I don't. I have a whole stack of her books waiting for me on my shelves and I'm excited to dive in.
Following the loss of his wife and child, a grief-stricken Prince Ronan goes off to battle in the hopes he will follow them. On his way home, he encounters the ancient witch Brume after accidentally killing her favorite white hen. She predicts that he will have a very bad day. Her prediction comes to pass when Ronan takes off through the strange forests of Serre, chasing a fire bird. Meanwhile, Princess Sidonie of Dacia, accompanied by the wizard Gyre, is sent to marry Prince Ronan in order to secure peace between Dacia and Serre, the latter of which is ruled by King Ferus, a wicked ogre who seeks to conquer as many lands as possible. In Dacia, the aging wizard Unciel, weakened by his last battle, spends his days gardening and recovering while the scribe Euan Ash transcribes Unciel's writing on his adventures.
Of all the Patricia McKillip books I've read so far, this one is my favorite - I do love it a little bit more than the wonderful Forgotten Beasts of Eld. It's such a beautifully intricate tale of magic, grief, and love. All of Patricia McKillip's books are so different from other fantasy novels I've read; these are quiet tales. There are no dramatic love stories or detailed depictions of violent wars. It's just beautifully crafted magical adventures with exquisite writing. I'm not always in the right headspace to appreciate her novels - sometimes all I want to read is some pulse-pounding thriller or high-drama romance - but when I am in the right mood, reading this novel in particular is like slipping into a beautiful dream. Just so lovely.
"What have you found, pursuing the firebird and contending with Brume? You are not the same man who crept into my firelight, starving, half-mad with love and grief, who would have relinquished his own name to any passing stranger. I was the passing stranger. We both got ourselves tangled in the magic of Serre.
***July 2021***
Absolutely gorgeous. The worlds Patricia McKillip creates and the stories she writes are magic in and of themselves. At its core this is a metaphor of a man's journey with grief. Reading her novels makes me feel like I'm in some sort of dreamlike trance. I wish I had the words to do this justice, but I don't. I have a whole stack of her books waiting for me on my shelves and I'm excited to dive in.