[.ca] Alphabet Of Thorn (ISBN 0441012434)

amazing writer:
i think that this is one of the better written books i've had an opportunity to come in contact with, her writing style is just amazing. i mean, no offence, but the plot is not the most fascinating i've come across... it's focus is on a librarian who's trying to translate a book written in some foreign language. kind of dry sounding. but the author does a phenomenal job at capturing a sense of passion and obsession that one can't help but get drawn in to. my one complaint about this author in general is that her books are kind of detached from the reader, distant in a way. it's not so much that i don't care about what happens, but that i'm just not given enough information to be able to assess the situation in depth. on the other hand, this quality gives a lot of her books an air of mystery and unpredictability. like the detachment you feel on a rainy day, where things are kind of surreal and you don't feel quite connected to the world, feeling like you're interacting with the world from another place, not your own body. so while this is a negative, in certain moods i do enjoy it because of that almost dream like approach. unique to be sure.

Surprisingly lucid...:
I have read several of McKillip's books, and while I haven't always understood them completely, I've never disliked them. McKillip's style is vague and dreamy, more apt to give impressions rather than photographic descriptions. If you can appreciate that style, give her books a try; if not, might I suggest you look somewhere else? As to the Alphabet of Thorn in particular, I found it surprisingly grounded in reality (as real as fantasy gets, anyways!) for one of McKillip's stories. (Never fear, it was still occasionally obtuse and mystifying, but less so than her previous works.) It was an interesting premise, and had me hypothesizing until nearly the end. Once the mystery was revealed, the book quickly drew to a close in a moderately anticlimactic finish. Don't get the wrong impression; this was more of a disaster-averted-at-the-final-moment sort of anticlimax rather than a disappointing conclusion. This is also one of the few of her books I'd be willing to reread at some future date (once I've forgotten the answer to the riddle of thorns). Give it a try.

Rebirth:
The Riddle of Stars is my favorite work of fantasy. This comes close to that great work. A wonderful trek through the minds of the main characters. I thoroughly enjoyed it.

Fabulous, of course!:
I always expect the best from McKillip. Here the fascination was in two interwoven stories, coming together in a terrifying climax. McKillip threw out some great red herrings, too, as a major character who I thought was someone else in disguise turned out not to be. In a rare turn, though, I was disappointed in the ending. A child's fate is in the balance, and nobody thinks to consult the father. He's more than just a sperm donor, you know! Despite this, McKillip is my all time favorite and I will continue to look forward to new work. Deby Fredericks, author of THE MAGISTER'S MASK

Beautiful:
You don't just read McKillip's books, you savor them. The way she writes is just beautiful - more so than any other author I've read. This was a wonderfully designed book with two plots that take place in different times. It was beautifully written, and I was really impressed with how the characters developed through the story. I was also delighted with the entire Alphabet concept...it was a lot of fun to visualize it. I highly recommend it.