Chalice

You know that one author whose books you reach for when you need the equivalent of a reading hug? Or maybe it’s just one book, but the prose somehow exudes cozy? Yeah. I have a whole shelf of those, and the name on the spine is Robin McKinley. Her books are great for anytime (they’re almost all about girls doing things), but I find my eye catching on that particular shelf most often whenever I’m in a rough patch. I’m in the midst of one right now – first I fractured my face playing hockey, then I got quite ill, right now I’m dealing with pest problems, and as a result my roommates and I have decided to move at the end of the month (whew!). So I picked up a McKinley book to (re)read myself into a better mindset. Chalice is a quietly powerful book, and it’s working like a healing balm for my soul.Mirasol was a modest beekeeper before a terrible tragedy forced her into a position of power. The trouble is that she has had no training, a new Master, and work that must be done, or else everything will fall apart. Mirasol’s struggles are not small and simple as they once were: she is trying to hold together something much bigger than herself, while fighting ignorance (her own and others’), politics, and self-doubt. Chalice is a quiet book, focused on one woman thrust suddenly into a life she could never have imagined. At the same time it is a powerful story about an understated type of heroism – that of an ordinary person, stretching to (and past) their limits to make the world a better place.That’s the story. What about the writing itself? I’m going to tell you what it’s like, and you’re going to give me a look and think, “Cecelia, are you serious?! That sounds boring.” And I’m going to say… just hear me out. McKinley is as her most McKinley-esque in this book: there’s little dialogue, the story is told in the third-person, and there’s a lot of exposition, a lot of time in spent in main character Mirasol’s head. Stay with me. It’s a cozy, warm sort of story for all that. Said coziness comes from: honey, Mirasol’s affinity with animals & bees, her modesty and thirst for knowledge, and the juxtaposition of the physical limits of the human body (small, immediate concerns) with “larger” matters like a land falling apart, loneliness, and the responsibility of power. The writing may not be galloping-along-action, but it’s suited to the size and scope of this story, and it perfectly represents the main character.The first couple of times I read Chalice I simply read it, and was pulled into its calm. This time through I enjoyed it just as well as before, but I kept a somewhat more critical eye out – as I have been doing with all of my reading lately. Conclusion? Although the book’s focus is narrow, room could have been made to explore some interesting themes. I’m talking “issues” like gender stereotypes (inherent in the assigned power roles in this fantasy world, as it turns out), diversity (the Master has black skin that has been burned by magical fire, but otherwise there’s a monochromatic cast of characters), and world-building (what is lost with the hyper-focus on one woman?). As I said, I still enjoyed the book – but I am working on my awareness of diversity. My reading requirements have evolved.In all, Chalice is a warm, genuine sort of fantasy – the type of story that will appeal to readers who don’t usually find themselves in the fantasy section at the bookstore but want the book equivalent of a cup of tea and a fuzzy shawl around the shoulders.Recommended for: readers who prefer quiet, character-driven stories, anyone interested in books light on dialogue and heavy on beekeeping, and fans of Patricia McKillip.

I put off getting this book for two reasons: the price, and the fact that some reviews suggested it was slow-moving. When the first factor shifted, I picked it up, and was very glad I did.As I'd expect from Robin McKinley, it's beautiful, reflective, and original. The setting is an estate in a world where a number of ritual roles, including the Chalice and the Master, work together to protect the land and make it flourish. It's a wonderful extension of the idea of ritual kingship and the king and the land being one, but the Master is not a king; he's minor nobility, at best, and the story's antagonist is his Overlord.This particular Master has been brought back from the priesthood of Fire, where he has passed through three stages of transformation which have made him something other than human. (I was reminded of Max Gladstone's novels.) His brother, a bad Master, died through his own ungoverned wildness; unfortunately, he was the older brother, and sent his younger brother away to the priesthood rather than listen to his advice. People don't generally come back from being priests of Fire, and the new Master has to be careful about touching things (and people) lest he burn them.The estate's Chalice is a young woman who had the role unexpectedly thrust upon her when the previous Master and his Chalice died together. She hasn't been properly trained; she's a beekeeper. She has to pull together what she can out of instinct and old books to keep the estate from falling into chaos, or being taken over by a nominee of the Overlord. The story is told from her (third-person limited) point of view.Especially early on, there is a very high proportion of sequel (the character reflecting on events) to scene (the character acting and responding to events). This is, no doubt, what has sparked the complaints of the book being slow-moving, and I did feel that perhaps the balance had tipped too far occasionally. What kept me reading was the wonderfully original setting, and the compelling challenge that the Chalice faced.Spoilers follow:I saw one piece of plot (the Chalice marrying the Master) coming a long way off, even though the author threw up several obstacles in the way of that outcome. I felt that one of the obstacles (the Master's nonhuman, fiery state) was dealt with rather abruptly, but satisfactorily, while the other (it was against all convention and, almost, law) seemed to end up just getting ignored. I felt that whole arc could have done with more careful development and better resolution. I appreciate that it wasn't the focus of the book, but it still felt a little rushed and neglected.The language is beautiful and fluent, and the only editing issues I saw were some odd cases where full stops have been inserted where they don't belong, plus one repeated word in a sentence.If you enjoyed The Goblin Emperor; Ann Leckie's Ancillary trilogy; or Marie Brennan's Lady Trent, you probably have the patience, and the aesthetic sensibility, to enjoy the gradual and intricate unfolding of this book. If you were bored by those books, this isn't the book for you either.

I don't really understand the negative reviews - this seemed to me to be typical Robin Mckinley, well-written, imaginative and enthralling. I wouldn't argue it's her best (I loved Beauty and the Damar books, and Sunshine was a little unexpected and completely brilliant), but with a writer this good that means it's still a great book.

With its entirely invented world but totally human situations and reactions this is another wonderfully inventive (and wholesome) story from this Newberry Medal winning author. A book to read again.

Great author

I've recently been reading alot of Robin Mckinley books, the idea that I can read fairy tales with out my mother complaining that they're childrens books is very appealing. I bought this book in anticipation, for a long trip home, from uni, however I started to read it the day it came, and by the time I left to take the train down from Scotland, the next day, I had already finished it. Not to worry however, I simply started again. I very much enjoyed this book.It's about Mirasol, a wood keeper who gets thrust unexpectedly into her Fife, or in the words od the book demesne, internal politics. Unusually she has not been apprenteced for her role, a sort of second in comand. Her demesne also gains a new Master at the begining of the book, a younger brother of the old Master who never expected to inherit, and has consiquently joined the priesthood, which makes it rather difficult for him to be excepted by his people. Marisol and her new Master must work together to overcome some political intrigue, and restore order and balance to their lands after the last Master and his Chalice (Marisol's role) exploited it, and died violently. Aided by her unusal bees, and their very special honey.Sorry if that doesn't make an awful lot of sense. Basically I thouroughly enjoyed the book, Robin Mckinley convincingly creates her own world with a nice local political system, that is griping with out having to leave the comforts of the home town as it were, unlike many fantasy books that feel the need for almost excessive traveling. It's beutitfully written and the characters of Mirasol and the Master are well portrayed and loveable, while not being unrealistic.However I would say that it is rather different from her other books, I don't think it's acctually much shorter than her other books, but it take far less time to read, as it lacks the vast purely discriptive passages that are Characteristic of Robin Mckinley. So one doesn't feel the need to wade through it quite as much. I can't quite decide if I prefer it or not to her other books for this reason.This is a horridiously fab book that deffo deserves a read, or at least several, and I am thouroughly glad with my purchase. Well worth the money and time.

I have loved Robin McKinley since I first picked up The Blue Sword as a teenager many moons ago. I'm glad to see her continuing to write. This story is amazing! The world building is spot on and I find myself rooting for Mirasol all the way through!