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Title: A Knot in the Grain and Other Stories by Robin McKinley ISBN: 0-06-440604-0 Publisher: HarperTrophy Pub. Date: September, 1995 Format: Paperback Volumes: 1 List Price(USD): $5.99 |
Average Customer Rating: 3.71 (17 reviews)
Rating: 3
Summary: Somewhat disappointing
Comment: McKinley's "The Blue Sword" is one of my favorite books, and I've read almost all her other works, some of which I liked, some of which didn't excite my interest. On a whim, I decided to give this one a try.
The first four short stories in this collection are set in Damar, the same world as "The Hero and the Crown" and "The Blue Sword" -- Luthe even makes an appearance in a couple of the stories. However, they are for the most part nothing special. The best story in this collection is the title story, which is set in modern times. Even though it's well-written and has the quietly magical feeling that McKinley conveys so well, somehow it doesn't really quite capture the heart in the way her best work does.
Overall, I'd give this book a so-so review. If you're a fan of Damar and McKinley, borrow it from the library and read it, but it's not worth purchasing.
Rating: 3
Summary: Good, but ultimately , Depressing?
Comment: I'm not sure what it was about these stories. I love Robin Mickinley stuff, and I've read practically everything she's ever written, and loved it! But these stories were obscure, and even though there was nothing that was very sad about each one they were just depressing. Each story left me feeling that there must have been something more to it. I was dissapointed.
Rating: 4
Summary: Little McKinley snacks
Comment: This is a short story collection containing five stories: The Healer, The Stagman, Touk's House, Buttercups, and A Knot in the Grain. The first four stories are set in McKinley's Damar universe, the first three even feature Luthe. The last is a departure for her because it is set in modern times and doesn't have a very large fantasy element.
The Healer, is the story of a girl named Lilly who has the power to heal but is also mute. She meets a mage who can hear her telepathically and they set off on a journey to restore Lilly's speech. This is a fairly strong story and a great pick to start the book with. The characters are fleshed out well and the love story was enjoyable.
The Stagman, is about a princess named Ruen who is left, by her greedy uncle, as a sacrifice to a human/stag hybrid. Is the Stagman really as bad as people think he is? This is probably my favorite story in the collection. I liked all the characters and the plot was very interesting. It would have worked much better as a novel though. By the time the story was over there were still far to many unanswered questions.
Touk's House, is the story of a girl named Erana who was raised by a witch. As she grows up, she befriends and eventually falls in love with the witch's troll son. This is a fairly decent story. The plot is really interesting but it would have been much better if the characters had been developed a bit more.
Buttercups, is the story of a old farmer named Pos who marries a young girl named Coral. Pos loves his wife very much but has doubts about her affection for him because she spends too much time on buttercup hill. This is a cute story but it's, unfortunately, very boring.
A Knot in the Grain, is about a teenage girl named Annabelle who is forced to move away and leave behind her entire life. She finds little comfort in her new house but one day she discovers a secret compartment in her new bedroom. It was a great idea to make this the last in the collection because the tone is very different from the others. It's not a love story and it's not even really a fantasy story. What makes this story special is how authentic Annabelle's character is. McKinley captures the emotion that goes along with moving to a new place very well.
I'd recommend this book to people who are already fans of McKinley's work. You don't really need to be familiar with the Damar series to enjoy the stories but it certainly helps. I also feel that McKinley is better suited to longer stories. If you are looking to get into McKinley's work it'd be a good idea to start with Beauty or one of the Damar books.
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Title: Water: Tales of Elemental Spirits by Robin McKinley, Peter Dickinson ISBN: 0399237968 Publisher: Putnam Pub Group Juv Pub. Date: June, 2002 List Price(USD): $18.99 |
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Title: Rose Daughter by Robin McKinley ISBN: 0441005837 Publisher: Ace Books Pub. Date: December, 1998 List Price(USD): $6.50 |
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Title: Deerskin by Robin McKinley, Robin McKinley ISBN: 044100069X Publisher: Ace Books Pub. Date: July, 1994 List Price(USD): $6.99 |
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Title: Beauty: A Retelling of the Story of Beauty and the Beast by Robin McKinley ISBN: 0064404773 Publisher: Scott Foresman (Pearson K-12) Pub. Date: June, 1993 List Price(USD): $5.99 |
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Title: The Door in the Hedge by Robin McKinley ISBN: 0698119606 Publisher: Firebird Books Pub. Date: October, 2003 List Price(USD): $6.99 |
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