Ombria in Shadow

Since "The Book of Atrix Wolfe" left me a little cold, I was leery of reading another McKillip book. I'm so glad I picked up this one, though! I've seldom enjoyed reading a book this much...and while it is a light read, the tale stays with you.This story is *almost* a fairy tale, although which one, I can't put my finger on. There are elements of Cinderella and The Snow Queen, but nothing definate. "Ombria In Shadow" does have all thr makings of a real fairy tale in and of its own right, though--a beautiful damsel in distress, a handsome half-human hero, a plucky heroine, a shapeshifing sorceress, a shadow city, magic toads, shoes made out of sapphires, enchanted artwork, and an evil witch who, for whatever reason, reminded me of Yubaba in "Spirited Away."I would totally recommend this book to anyone who loves fairy tales and who's looking for a luxurious weekend read.

Patricia McKillip just keeps getting better. Her characters are fascinating and complex, and their surroundings are magically detailed. The setting of this particular novel is at least as important as the characters. McKillip never states anything outright, and this novel is especially shrouded, which lends it a hallucinatory air and makes you believe that Ombria truly is In Shadow. Don't expect this author to hold your hand, and don't expect explanations. Do expect a haunting, perfectly written experience that you will want to return to again and again. Peter S. Beagle said, "There are no better writers than Patricia McKillip", and this novel proves yet again that he was right.

It's hard not to fall in love with Patricia McKillip's characters, who try to do right in the face of overwhelming evil. Especially since her characters are embedded like jewels in the cities of Ombria and Shadow Ombria (think of an ancient Italian city like Ravenna, saturated in sorcery, where every shadow may reflect a distant age, a different ruler).Careful reading reveals the intricacies of the plot that twines around the characters of a bastard artist-prince, the former ruler's mistress, the young prince of Ombria, and his evil regent, Domina Pearl. There is also a young girl named Mag, who is not even sure she is human, and a powerful sorceress named Faey, who lives in the shadows and sends Mag on the oddest errands:"She [Mag] bought a lamb's heart at the butcher's. She waited at a familiar doorway for goats' eyes and candles made of goat fat. At a small shop with dusty windows and an ancient apothecary sign, she picked up powdered bone and extractions from strange, fleshy plants that had been diverted from Domina Pearl's pirate ships. For the cook, she bought violets. At the brewer's, she traded silver for quicksilver, and a crock of Faey's favorite ale."Mag ingratiates herself into the plot: small drops of quicksilver against the dark palette of two powerful magicians---Mag's mistress and Domina Pearl---who vie for control of the true Ombria. The story line may well remind readers of "Song for the Basilisk," where the Basilisk's daughter intrudes between her father's magic and that of a musician-sorcerer's. I think `Ombria' has the edge over `Basilisk' in that Domina Pearl's motives are easier to understand, and she is more briskly evil than was the Basilisk-prince.As always, Kinuko Craft's cover art is a match for McKillip's intoxicating prose.

Patricia McKillip at her worst is far better than usual fantasy writing, and here she is in fine form. Three-dimensional characters, flowing plot, flowery prose all meld together into a satisfying novel.Gloom and shadow fall over the city of Ombria as its ruling prince lies dying, leaving four people in the palace: Kyel, his child-heir who is traumatized by the loss of his family and friends. Lydea, the prince's mistress from a tavern, who genuinely mourns him. Domina Pearl (also called "Black Pearl"), an ancient, hideous, deathless, inhuman woman who seeks to control Kyel for her own power over Ombria. And Ducon Greve, the prince's silver-eyed nephew, whose father is a mystery and who expresses himself through charcoal drawings.When the prince dies, Kyel becomes the new prince -- but not before Domina Pearl throws Lydea out of the palace, and she flees to her father's grimy tavern -- only to find that she longer belongs there, but that she never belonged at the palace either.. Ducon is asked by nobles to try to overthrow the Black Pearl, but his sole concern seems to be for Kyel's safety, and he cannot act if it could hurt his young cousin. And in the "undercity," the sorceress Faey (who is definitely not human) is hired to "undo" Ducon -- except her waxling Mag (a living creature formed from wax) doesn't want Ducon to be killed. But the political strife is only a portent of things to come. It's all linked to strange, ancient events that start with "perilous times, a desperate city, the ruling house in chaos, in danger." It's all linked to Ducon, Domina Pearl, Mag, a locket of blood and rose petals, a children's tale, and the shadow.Like many of her recent books, this book focuses on several individuals whose lives interconnect within the main plot. As for the plot itself, well, expect the unexpected. In some ways it resembles "Song for the Basilisk," a prior book of McKillip's, with its mingling of magic and politics; also, Domina Pearl is in some ways reminiscent of the Basilisk, with her aura of quiet, stifling malevolence. But while the plotline of "Basilisk" was politics fueled by magic, it's the reverse here, magic fueled by politics; also, while the Basilisk was the figure on the throne, Domina Pearl is the power behind the throne. The "shadow city" is freshly created and beautifully explains certain plot points.Like Morgan of the Riddle-Master trilogy, Ducon Greve is a quiet person who doesn't particularly want to get involved in earthshaking events, but has to anyhow. Lydea's growth is also well-done, as she tries to help Ducon and Kyel. Mag is a little more difficult to connect to at first, as she seems to think in a manner entirely differently from Lydea and more like (but not exactly like) Ducon. As the book unfolds, we do see more of her emotions and feelings. Faey is one of the most original characters -- we're never entirely sure what she is or what her motivations are, aside from herself. But that never makes her unsympathetic or

McKillip's books are always a treat to read but she has really outdone herself with her new book. The style remains her distinctive familiar flavor while further developing her own voice. As she has delved into the language of music, of color and of nature in her other books, here she explores the language of light and shadows. The book also covers deeply sypathetic themes of children growing up and parents letting go. The characters are colorful and diverse and she increases her range of character from a couple of main figures to several fully developed personalities. The ending, while surprisingly poignant, is different from all her other "ending types" and displays definite growth and increased comfort in taking risks with the reader's heart to end the story the way it truly should be. McKillip's knack for blending several unconnected threads into one magnificent tapestry really makes the book an immensely satisfying read. Overall, the book will be a delight to McKillip veterans as well as those who are drawn to the beauty of the cover to discover the rich rewards of her writing.