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A review by meganac
Alphabet of Thorn by Patricia A. McKillip
4.0
“What are the thorns really telling her? It's why she won't let us see them, why she clings to them--or they cling to her--as though she got herself buried in a bramble thicket and she can't get out and we can't get in to free her."
It took me awhile to finish this one, but I rather liked it. It's told in an old-faerytale sort of way, almost dryly, focusing more on the detail of the world in a poetic way than the story itself, but it isn't boring or slow-paced. It reminded me of Arthurian retellings, and a bit like Lord of the Rings. Plus, fantasy worlds with libraries are my heartthrob.
This is the story of a young woman, called Nepenthe, orphaned and left for librarians to raise. When she is grown, she comes to translate a book written in some strange thorny alphabet that seems to call to her in a way other books have never done. She becomes obsessed with the thorns, much to the consternation of her friends. It is the story of a young student mage, unwittingly a force of change in the world by his interactions with Nepenthe. It is the story of a mage hundreds of years old, seeking to protect the kingdom and guide its royals. It is the story of Tessera, a girl thrust into queenship. And it is the story of Axis and Kane.
I loved the detail in this book, as well as the simultaneously explained backstory of Axis and Kane. This is a book that I would recommend, and I have a feeling Axis and Kane will be in my head for the rest of my life.
It took me awhile to finish this one, but I rather liked it. It's told in an old-faerytale sort of way, almost dryly, focusing more on the detail of the world in a poetic way than the story itself, but it isn't boring or slow-paced. It reminded me of Arthurian retellings, and a bit like Lord of the Rings. Plus, fantasy worlds with libraries are my heartthrob.
This is the story of a young woman, called Nepenthe, orphaned and left for librarians to raise. When she is grown, she comes to translate a book written in some strange thorny alphabet that seems to call to her in a way other books have never done. She becomes obsessed with the thorns, much to the consternation of her friends. It is the story of a young student mage, unwittingly a force of change in the world by his interactions with Nepenthe. It is the story of a mage hundreds of years old, seeking to protect the kingdom and guide its royals. It is the story of Tessera, a girl thrust into queenship. And it is the story of Axis and Kane.
I loved the detail in this book, as well as the simultaneously explained backstory of Axis and Kane. This is a book that I would recommend, and I have a feeling Axis and Kane will be in my head for the rest of my life.