Scan barcode
A review by somewheregirl7
Alphabet of Thorn by Patricia A. McKillip
4.0
Patricia McKillip is a consummate master when it comes to words. Her descriptions are full and flowing and always tailored to the particular tale she is telling. In The Alphabet of Thorn she does nothing to disappoint, once again delivering a wonderful fantasy that is one part mystery and two parts character development.
The story begins with Nepenthe, an orphan raised by the librarians inside the palace of Raine, the first crown of the kingdom. Almost at once however, her story is offset by Tessera, the newly crowned queen, awkward, unwilling and unsure in her new position. At first the two girls' narratives are barely connected, only occasionally straying into common areas. However, as the story progresses their stories begin to overlap in fascinating ways.
Who is Nepenthe? Who is plotting against Raine? What terrible calamity is hanging over the kingdom? And most importantly, how do the answers to each of those questions tie into the ancient story of an emperor and his mage who died more than a thousand years before?
Superbly crafted, the text is anything but predictable and all of the characters are riveting and engaging. McKillip delivers a story within a story and shows how written words can ensnare and recreate us.
The story begins with Nepenthe, an orphan raised by the librarians inside the palace of Raine, the first crown of the kingdom. Almost at once however, her story is offset by Tessera, the newly crowned queen, awkward, unwilling and unsure in her new position. At first the two girls' narratives are barely connected, only occasionally straying into common areas. However, as the story progresses their stories begin to overlap in fascinating ways.
Who is Nepenthe? Who is plotting against Raine? What terrible calamity is hanging over the kingdom? And most importantly, how do the answers to each of those questions tie into the ancient story of an emperor and his mage who died more than a thousand years before?
Superbly crafted, the text is anything but predictable and all of the characters are riveting and engaging. McKillip delivers a story within a story and shows how written words can ensnare and recreate us.