Harrowing the Dragon [Hardcover]

Patricia A. McKillip (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: November 1, 2005

Now, for the first time, Patricia A. McKillip presents a book of previously uncollected short stories-full of beautiful dragons, rueful princesses, and handsome bards, and written in the gorgeous, and often surprisingly funny, prose she is known for. This is her world, wrapped up in the finery of fairy tales.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Starred Review. As shown in this excellent story collection, World Fantasy Award–winner McKillip (Od Magic) can take the most common fantasy elements—dragons and bards, sorcerers and shape-shifters—and reshape them in surprising and resonant ways. In "The Harrowing of the Dragon of Hoarsbreath," a man determined to drive off a fearsome dragon learns that pride can be as cold and monstrous as any beast. "The Snow Queen" and "The Lion and the Lark" (based on Beauty and the Beast) clothe old classics in new magic to examine the price of identity and the value of freedom. The bleak "Star-Crossed" details the official investigation into the deaths of Romeo and Juliet, while "Voyage into the Heart" tells of the heartless hunt to capture a unicorn's horn. "Baba Yaga and the Sorcerer's Son" is full of charm and humor, while the sly "Toad" reveals a frog prince who is far from innocent. Each of these tales is a gem of storytelling, a rich treasure for both fans and those yet to discover McKillip's deceptively simple magic.
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From School Library Journal

Adult/High School–This collection includes 15 tales previously published between 1982 and 1999. The stories range from high fantasy set on other worlds to a first-person account of the investigation into the deaths of Romeo and Juliet. A few (The Lion and the Lark, Toad, The Snow Queen) are retellings of fairy tales. Of special interest is the variety of strong, often young female characters. In The Fellowship of the Dragon, five young women are sent by their queen to rescue her lover, the court harper, with unexpected results. McKillips elegant prose explores the nature of love, friendship, wisdom, and change, often with a touch of humor. Outstanding.–Sandy Freund, Richard Byrd Library, Fairfax County, VA
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 320 pages
• Publisher: Ace Hardcover (November 1, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0441013600
• ISBN-13: 978-0441013609
• Product Dimensions: 8.1 x 5.3 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (11 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #423,517 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

27 of 28 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Not so "Harrowing", November 6, 2005

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E. A Solinas "ea_solinas" (MD USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Harrowing the Dragon (Hardcover)

Some authors are good at full-length books. Some are good at short stories. And then there are a rare few that can actually do both at the same time, with no lag in quality.

"Harrowing the Dragon" demonstrates that Patricia McKillip is one of the third group. These fifteen short stories -- previously published in various anthologies -- demonstrate how lushly textured writing and exquisite plots make McKillip's short stories almost as good as her full-length books.

She starts off the collection with two novella: the long out-of-print "Harrowing of the Dragon of Hoarsbreath," a haunting story about an island kept in perpetual winter by a sleeping dragon, and a proud young man determined to stop it; and then there is "A Matter of Music," where a young bard tries to bring peace and music to the ones around her.

Then there are the smaller stories: A contemporary retelling of "The Snow Queen," where Kay is lured from his loving wife by a sultry woman, rural witches gather, a mysterious stranger changes the sky over a village, four women set out to rescue the Queen's bard, and a troll falls in love with a princess. It ends with a charming brief look at how the "frog prince" (who is actually a toad) sees the whole story.

This collection will be something of a godsend to McKillip's readers -- many of these stories were only available in out-of-print anthologies. So getting ahold of them was annoying, assuming that it was possible to find them at all. And this collection can serve as an introduction to McKillip's writing for new readers, if her lushly-written novels seem intimidating.

So it's nice to have (most of) her stories compiled together. It also displays the range of her abilities -- she can do humour and tragedy, fantasy and realism, and even rework older stories. Not much is added to the "Beauty and the Beast" retelling, except for McKillip's use of the ancient Psyche legend. Instead, it's the beauty of her language.

McKillip's writing is known for its incandescent quality; she fills it with jewels, flames, music, snow, griffins, witches and fantastical creatures. Her writing can be clear and sharp as an icicle, or as rich and soft as aged velvet. Even stories that could have been goofy or gimmicky -- like her recounting of "Romeo and Juliet's" aftermath -- surprisingly beautiful and poignant.

After many years, Patricia McKillip's shorter writings are finally compiled into "Harrowing the Dragon," a charming read full of magic and mystery.

12 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Best of the Year, to Date, November 1, 2005

By 

biblio.phage (Wake Forest, NC) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Harrowing the Dragon (Hardcover)

Patricia A. McKillip's first-ever collection of short fiction is a winner, every bit as rewarding as her fine novels, better in some ways. It's a showcase of small gems from an author obviously just as comfortable and accomplished in the short form as in the long.

As in her best novels--OMBRIA IN SHADOW, SONG FOR THE BASILISK, ALPHABET OF THORN--McKillip's strength lies in creating both strong, attractive characters and a sense of atmosphere that draws the reader in. The beauty of these stories is the economy and pace at which these things are accomplished; while each piece completes it's arc in a completely satisfactory (and author-ly) way, there were several times I found myself wishing I was reading a novel, and that there would be more about these people and places forthcoming.

There was not a story that I didn't like, not a one I thought wasn't among the best fantasy fiction I have read this year. Some are so good, you have to wonder why McKillip doesn't get far more attention than she does, and what this says about the exposure and attention given to short fantasy in the market today.

Highly recommended.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars fabulous fantasy collection, November 1, 2005

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Harriet Klausner - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Harrowing the Dragon (Hardcover)

This compilation of fifteen fantasies written in the 1980s (4) and 1990s (11) by award-winner Patricia A. McKillip are all delightful tales that showcases a wonderful author who is as comfortable with short stories as she is with novels. Few writers can match Ms. McKillip's skills with taking the standard sub-genre rudiments and turning them into the tools of Od Magic that make her such a terrific fantasist. All are superior entries, but this reviewer especially enjoyed the retelling of fairy tales. Each of the contributions is different, but share in common messages involving freedom to choose. Fans will enjoy this strong enticing anthology with tales like the official crime scene investigators looking into the suspicious deaths of Romeo and Juliet that seem so much like a murder-suicide crime of passion. A terrific imagination makes this a fine reading experience.

Harriet Klausner