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Ombria in shadow -
Patricia A. McKillip.
New York : Ace Books, 2002.
298 p. ; 19 cm.
Reviews:
- Walter Hogan (VOYA, June 2002 (Vol. 25, No. 2))
Veteran fantasy author McKillip will please her many fans and win new ones with this haunting Gothic fantasy. During the past decade, she has produced half a dozen fantasy novels, each in the same small format with sumptuous jacket illustrations by Kinuko Craft. Here she draws readers into the crumbling, brooding port city of Ombria, whose young prince, Royce Greve, has recently died, leaving his vulnerable young son, Kyel, in the dubious care of the malignant regent Domina Pearl. Kyel's survival becomes the focal point of intrigues in the corrupt and decadent city $ND state. Instead of a single protagonist, readers are given several fascinatingly ambiguous central characters. Lydea, the pretty, bereft mistress of the deceased prince, is immediately thrown out by Domina Pearl. Ducon Greve is a bastard prince who wanders the taverns and alleyways of Ombria with charcoal and sketching pad. Faey is a powerful and unpredictable enchantress from the city's hidden underworld. Mag, whom Faey describes as her waxling, has secrets of her own. As in all of McKillip's novels, a pervasive imagery--here of darkness and mirrors, shadows and dreams--builds up a powerfully sustained atmosphere laden with rich symbolism and fateful portents. It is a terrific read for lovers of strongly atmospheric fantasy tales. McKillip's ability to invent compelling variations on the traditional elements of romantic fantasy is unsurpassed. VOYA CODES: 4Q 4P S A/YA (Better than most, marred only by occasional lapses; Broad general YA appeal; Senior High, defined as grades 10 to 12; Adult-marketed book recommended for Young Adults). 2002, Ace, 298p, $22.95. Ages 15 to Adult. Subjects:
- Fantasy fiction.
| Language | Call Number | LCCN | Dewey Decimal | ISBN/ISSN |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| English (eng) | PS3563.C38 O43 2002 |
2001046388 |
813/.54 |
044100895X (alk. paper) 9780441008957 |