In the Forests of Serre

May 12, 2003
In a twist on the Biblical adage "Where your treasure is, there will your heart be also," McKillip (Ombria in Shadow) presents a mystical, eerie fantasy about the flight from love—and the haphazard progress toward love. The efforts of a kingdom to prevent war by sacrificing its princess, Sidonie, to a loveless marriage are complicated by the refusal of the intended bridegroom, Prince Ronan of Serre, to cooperate. Sidonie obeys to save her country from sure destruction. Ronan flees from his fate with the magical interference of the Forests of Serre, the mysterious witch Brume and a firebird whose song becomes a pied piper–like enchantment. Meetings with Brume exact a dear price, and nearly every character encounters her at some point. To some, Brume can be death itself; others merely have to give her something of great value. Ronan offers "what of all such things he valued least, and would not miss if he did not return for it. 'Take my heart.'" And indeed, Brume does take his heart. Ronan doesn't seem to miss what he felt he lacked to begin with, but Sidonie does, and so do his parents. This novel is similar in style and content to McKillip's World Fantasy Award–winning story, "The Forgotten Beasts of Eld," which is not to say it's a rehash. A skillfully told adult fairy tale, it stands perfectly well on its own.

May 15, 2003
While riding through the forest, Prince Ronan of Serre earns the wrath of the Mother of All Witches when he accidentally kills her favorite hen. Informed by his father that he is to marry a princess he has never met, Ronan instead follows the trail of a magnificent red bird that appears to him in the forest-and begins a journey fraught with peril and tinged with wonder. McKillip's luminous retelling of the Russian legend of "The Firebird" retains its fairy tale feel while exploring the depths of the human heart. Elegant in style, this title belongs in most fantasy collections.

Copyright 2003 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

May 15, 2003
Prince Ronan is in serious trouble. Numb with grief and depression after losing his young wife and baby, he is returning from a border skirmish in which he unsuccessfully tried to get himself killed when his horse accidentally tramples the witch Brume's favorite white hen. Brume curses him, but Ronan doesn't think his life can possibly get any bleaker. Oh, how wrong he is! Upon reaching his home, he discovers that his unfeeling ogre of a father has arranged a marriage for him; moreover, the nuptials are to take place that very month. Standing at a window when his wedding day comes, the shattered prince glimpses a most wondrous creature, a firebird of unearthly beauty. Compelled by forces beyond understanding, Ronan follows the bird into the forest and a realm of twisted magic in which nothing is as it seems, and where a prince could lose himself for eternity. The ever-masterful McKillip weaves yet another powerful spell with this hauntingly beautiful tale.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2003, American Library Association.)