Today, I'm going to tell you about Chalice, by Robin McKinley.
I just finished reading this book yesterday, and I really enjoyed it. The writing flows very well, and it's quite interesting because Chalice takes place in four parts, and although there are page breaks, there are no chapters. However, the page breaks separate the book into tidy sections, so it's not too much of a problem if you just want to read until a nice break before going to bed, etc.Mirasol, the main character, is a woodskeeper, and her land and bees have been in her family for generations. One day, a neighbor gives her the news: the Master and Chalice have died in a fire. The demesne, which was already strained, is thrown into even more chaos, and a few weeks later, the Circle comes to tell Mirasol she is the new Chalice. Her head spinning, Mirasol must learn the duties of a Chalice, whose main job is to bind all parts of the Circle and the demesne together. At the same time, a new Master is put in place. To make matters even more difficult, the new Master is a Priest of Fire, and is not a normal human anymore. With threats all around her and the demanding task of healing a land that has been hurting too long, Mirasol must do what she can to save her people and her land.
An interesting aspect of this book was it's nonlinear storytelling. At first while I was reading, I kept second-guessing myself, and had to check that I had not accidentally started with the second book in a series. Although you don't get the traditional setup of the story right away, you do eventually get the beginning. The storytelling was unique from most books I have read, but it was unique in a good way.
I love Mirasol. Mirasol keeps bees, and a cottage, and I just love her home. I'm irrationally afraid of bees, but it was so nice to imagine having a bunch of soft, humming, little friends always around. I enjoyed Mirasol's thoughts immensely, which is the primary way we learn information in the novel. It's hard to describe how the book reads without just reading it. :)
Not to mention, there's honey magic. Literally magic with honey. That was pretty awesome. :)
Also, is anyone else sick of reading pretty much any YA book and finding a good bit of romance in it? Because, I don't mind a little bit of romance, but I don't like a lot. And really, can't there just be stories where people don't care nearly as much about dating?
Chalice is such a relief in this sense, too. Although there is the slightest, slightest hint of romance, it's actually an interesting story about someone who does something other than fall in love.
Overall, I really enjoyed Chalice, and hope you do too! What are your favorite fantasy books?
Spruce Nogard
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