Synopses & Reviews
As the newly appointed Chalice, Mirasol is the most important member of the Masters Circle. It is her duty to bind the Circle, the land and its people together with their new Master. But the new Master of Willowlands is a Priest of Fire, only drawn back into the human world by the sudden death of his brother. No one knows if it is even possible for him to live amongst his people. Mirasol wants the Master to have his chance, but her only training is as a beekeeper. How can she help settle their demesne during these troubled times and bind it to a Priest of Fire, the touch of whose hand can burn human flesh to the bone?
Robin McKinley weaves a captivating tale that reveals the healing power of duty and honor, love and honey.
Review
-High fantasy as perfectly shaped and eloquently told as
Beauty and
The Hero and the Crown. A lavish and lasting treat.+ -
Publishers Weekly, starred review
-Readers who long for beautiful phrases and descriptive writing will find themselves drinking in this rich fairy tale as if it were honey trickling down their throats.+ -School Library Journal
Synopsis
The author of the Newbery Medal winner "The Hero and the Crown" is back with a masterful new novel--a captivating tale that reveals the healing power of duty and honor, love and honey.
Synopsis
Mirasol is a beekeeper, a honey-gatherer, with an ability to speak to the ÒearthlinesÓÑthe sentient parts of Willowlands, where she lives. The concerns of Master, Chalice, and Circle, who govern Willowlands, have nothing to do with herÑuntil the current Master and Chalice die in a fire and leave no heirs to take their places. The MasterÕs closest relative has been a priest of Fire for the past seven years; he is not quite human anymore. And then the Circle comes to Marisol and tells her that she is the new Chalice, and it will be up to her to bind the land and its people with a Master, the touch of whose hand can burn human flesh to the bone. . . .
Synopsis
Beekeeper Marisol has been chosen as the new Chalice, destined to stand beside the Master and mix the ceremonial brews that hold the Willowlands together. But the relationship between Chalice and Master has always been tumultuous, and the new Master is unlike any before him.
About the Author
Robin McKinley has won various awards and citations for her writing, including the Newbery Medal for
The Hero and the Crown and a Newbery Honor for
The Blue Sword. Her other books include
Sunshine; the
New York Times bestseller
Spindle's End; two novel-length retellings of the fairy tale
Beauty and the Beast,
Beauty and Rose Daughter; and a retelling of the
Robin Hood legend,
The Outlaws of Sherwood. She lives with her husband, the English writer Peter Dickinson.