Review: Chalice

Title: Chalice

Author: Robin McKinley

Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy

Published: September 18, 2008

Mirasol was appointed Chalice whose job was to bind the Circle and the Master to the land and each other. The new Master had been a Priest of Fire and had the ability to burn with just a touch.

Robin McKinley has been kind of a hit or miss author for me. Her The Blue Sword is one of my top ten favorite books. I also loved Beauty. I however did not enjoy Rose Daughter or The Outlaws of Sherwood. This one I really did enjoy. Although I spent a good portion of the book thinking about having a peanut butter and honey sandwich.

I did get a little hung up with some of the vocabulary near the beginning. The use of titles for the circle instead of names was my biggest problem. After awhile I did get used to it. The unusual word choices did help with the world building the author was trying to accomplish. It did lend to the magical air and feeling toward the land the book was about.

I couldn't help but feel emotionally attached to Mirasol. I was sorry for what she had to go through and how she had no real help. She was incredibly alone because her former friends no longer were comfortable in her presence so they avoided her. The circle didn't like her view of things and saw her as inferior to them even though we was above them in station because she was Chalice. She didn't have any training for the things she was expected to do and I think that made it both easier and harder for her. Mirasol fumbled her way around trying to learn everything she was supposed to know, but I think if she had been trained the way she as an apprentice, which she should have been, then she wouldn't have been able to do what needed to be done to help the Master with his trials.

I would have liked to see more scenes between the Master and Mirasol. I think there relationship could have been more fleshed out. They had the same goals and both were isolated. The friendship between them could have been more interesting if we had been given a chance to see it grow.

Overall I did give this book 4 stars out of 5.