Chalice

McKinley has been one of my favorite authors since I was a teenager. I was thrilled to see a new book from her, and in the same mystical vein as some of her earlier works. What a lovely story. I checked this out from the library at first, but after reading it realized I wanted to own it.

Once again Robin McKinley proves that she is one of, if not the best fantasy writers of our time. She has the ability of using her writing in an almost lyrical and rhythmic fashion, weaving the fantastical into the fabric of her extremely relatable stories so that they some how seem to be truths we've always known. Chalice is one of my favorites of hers, and I can't wait to see what she has in store for us next.

In preparation for Chalice I re-read The Blue Sword and The Hero and the Crown, brilliant novels in which every sentence is lyrical. Possibly this exacerbated my disappointment. What do we have in Chalice?

First, The Really Complex Magical World that is Never Fully Explained. Second, the Really Awful Event that Everyone Knows About but the Reader, which is not revealed for 100 pages. Third, the Obsession with a Substance.

You learn more about Aerin in 2 paragraphs than about Mirasol in 2 chapters. Even though there are almost no other active characters in the book, Mirasol still does not develop a complete personality. The Grand Seneschal is predictably a Grumpy Good Guy. The nameless male lead doesn't do much except work on acting human; even his moment of self-sacrifice is artificial because you already know it just won't end that way, a marriage is in the offing.

The Great Magical Fix at the Desperate End is also unbelievable. It literally buzzes in out of nowhere and there is no preshadowing that, in fact, it was even possible.

I did not read the previous McKinley book with the dragons because the reviews suggested that it was really "juvie fiction" rather than juvenile or young adult (ie adults wouldn't like it much). I'm sorry I bought Chalice in hardback and I'm not going to keep it.

In Chalice, McKinley crafts a world in which the ruling class has a deep connection to the land and keeps the kingdom stable by using that connection to calm the land and encourage it to flourish. Mirasol has been appointed as Chalice, second only to the Master himself, and it is her job to keep the Master’s Circle (his team of advisers), the land, and the people united. However, her Master is different, since he has been chosen only since his brother died, and nobody knows if he is quite human anymore since he has been training as the Priest of Fire. Mirasol has to keep everything together, despite the unique challenges and lack of training she has as Chalice.

This is a slow-moving story that is largely interior; the reader spends a lot of time in Mirasol’s head as she attempts to learn everything she can about being Chalice while also soothing the land within the kingdom. With all the worldbuilding and only 265 pages, there’s a lot of information to cover, and I would have liked to learn more about the world and about the characters, but there simply wasn’t enough page space for McKinley to do that. Because of that, everything is a bit more superficial than I would have liked: characterization, plot, and worldbuilding alike. While the information is enough to understand what’s going on, it’s not quite enough to make everything a satisfying, thrilling read.

I did appreciate all the conflicts that happen between different groups, so that Mirasol really has a large puzzle to fit together. The people are distrustful of the Master, the Overlord wants to put in a lackey as Master so that he has more control of the kingdom, which creates more tension, and then some of the Circle are distrustful of her, a girl with no training and who is second-most in status in the entire kingdom. The intrigue of it all was what got me through the story. That, and Mirasol’s sweet nature and the fun stories of her bees and her making different honeys as different remedies for people.

Overall, it’s a decent fantasy, but it’s not as exciting or interesting as I was hoping it’d be. If you’re looking for something simple that has an interesting world concept, you may enjoy this, but it’s not something I would suggest you go out of your way to read.

I agree with other reviewers, that this reads like a short story that was stretched to novel length, but without anything added to support the change except wearying repetition. I wholly agree - it appears poorly edited, and as if the author's heart wasn't really in it, or she was forced to meet a deadline and sacrifice quality.

That makes me so sad, and frankly worried for Ms. McKinley, that something was wrong when she wrote this one. Where is the *adventure* that is the hallmark of so many of her books? Where are the rich vocabulary and detailed imagery that she used to share with us? (I always learned some great new words in her books!) Where is the humor? The spark in the dialogue? Where is the thorough character development that made us really love or dislike the ones we were *supposed* to love or dislike? There isn't so much dialogue here, but when it does occur, it drags on in a terrible tone of despair. The main characters, when they speak to each other, lament for pages about how inadequate they feel and how hopeless the situation is. And the gait of the speech is less natural and believable than it should be - she has always used long rambly sentences, but this time it seems characters launch into more long speeches after their points have been made and they should be taking leave, ... or else they stop too abruptly, which is jarring.

And - a few spoilers next:

My goodness, a heroine who *cannot* leave her own land, and who seriously considers marriage could be her inescapable duty, even to someone she hates?? What a sense of imprisonment, and what an about-face from the earlier spirited McKinley women! They may have had plenty of self-doubt, but their own actions and words and adventures convinced *us* not to doubt them! I hung on through this novel, hoping for the redemption of the Thoroughly-Happy-Ending, that also used to be a reward of a McKinley novel, but precious little came at the end. What happiness was there, seemed rushed, and tainted by a dark event, and .... likewise, something the author didn't even believe in.

I wish she could do this one over. Treat it as an old thin fairy-tale, and flesh it out properly, give it some light and hope and spunk and personality (even if the darker dread has to hang around to bring suspense) - just make it a success like so many of her other tales.

had purchased Chalice ages ago, seeing it in Barnes and Noble and being intrigued by the cover. But for some reason I didn't pick it up for the longest time. And then finally, one day, I decided to read it, and I really liked it.

This was the first novel of Robin McKinley that I had ever read, so I wasn't really sure what to expect from her. But she really did deliver. I am a huge fan of fantasy, and I haven't read a good fantasy book in a while, so Chalice was a treat for me. It was something different that what's usually out there. It was actually a very subdued book, with not so much action, but still very enjoyable. I actually read it all in one day, just sitting snuggled up in a blanket on a rainy day in. (Pfft. How cliché of me.)

Chalice, at first, didn't make much sense to me. I was trying to figure out what was going on, and how the whole world worked. The concept of Mirasol being the Chalice was a little fuzzy to me, and I'm not quite sure I ever understood it, but it was easy enough to look past that.

One of my favorite aspects of this novel was the romance that didn't really build up to much, and wasn't there practically at all until the end... but it was there. I felt it, between Mirasol and the Master. And in the end, McKinley tied it together quite nicely without outright going "THEYLOVEEACHOTHER,THEYARESOULMATES,THEYAREMEANTOTBETOGETHERNOMATTERWHAT.KTHXBAI."

I really loved the whole concept, the atmosphere, the writing, the cover... well, basically everything. This was genuinely just a good book. I don't come across books like this often.
My favorite characters? THE BEES. They were just awesome in a weird way. I have no idea why I like them so much, I just do. I mean, really, huge bees the size of your fist that make the world's best honey and just buzz around all day? COOLNESS. Bzzzzz.

Do I recommend this novel: Yes

Plot: 3.5/5
Characters: 6/5! (FOR THE BEES!)
Uniqueness\Creativity: 5/5
Writing: 5/5
Cover: 5/5

Mckinley can raise the bar so high, she creates a new modern fairy tale with wonderful descriptive characterization and emotional vibrancy. Not this book. The opening is great, but the book suffers from too much internal monologue which repeats the same thoughts. The main character is a beekeeper with unusually large and smart bees (and as McKinley could not stop mentioning this, I knew which stingers would be deciding the final conflict) who has taken up the position of "Chalice" which is essentially an Earth-witch with a prominent connection to the local lands.

Chalice Mirasol must break-in a working relationship with the new master, a former Fire-Priest, and that's the story. Well, there's an usurper, but both wannabe master and real master lacked emotional depth. The story centers around a determined and slightly neurotic main character, who has an "I'm unsure what to do" problem yet works insane hours. If you like reading about honey and feudal political ceremonies, this is a great book for you.

Reading Chalice was a lot like sinking into a warm bed with a cup of tea, comforting and simple. Chalice marks my first McKinley novel, who, from what I have been hearing around from other authors, is a classic in fairytale retellings. Of course Chalice is not a fairytale retelling but its own book but I did enjoy it quite the same.

The beginning felt a bit rough, the timeline jumps all over the place, but once you get settled into the book it is easy to follow. It is a lot like a meandering river, getting to the places when it needs to and feeling no need to hurry the plot.

The book is simple and short, feeling more like a novella than a novel and made up of four parts and no chapters. The true problem for the characters to overcome doesn't pop up until the fourth part, but the exposition about the characters and world they live in that fills up the first three are very important so that the fourth part flows nicely.

What surprises me is that, when I was beginning the book I wasn't sure I was liking it all that much, but after finishing it I have a sense of comforting happiness about it. I have a feeling that this is a book I'll reread when I need something just to distract myself from the world, that doesn't deal with serious real world problems when I need to escape.

I recommend this book to lovers of McKinley, I do think that possibly other books she has written might be a better introduction to her, but I did enjoy this one enough that I'll pick up other ones.

I love what she did with this book. Robin McKinley has long been a love of mine and the day I read Chalice was one I cherish. I've read it multiple times and I feel that I need to state that, if you are looking for a book with action, or suspense or even a love story , Robin McKinley might not be the author for you.

What she does (and does brilliantly) is paint a beautiful story, with beautifully characterized characters who have to struggle through problems that life thrust upon them. These problems are huge, but I think it's very symbolic for any problem any person has to face out of their comfort zone. She takes the time to delve into the thoughts and struggles within the minds of these characters and this allows the reader to really get to know them and most of all, CARE.

Both the Chalice and the Master (although it does have a hint of romance, it is such an undertone it doesn't really count), struggle with their new roles in their lives and their kingdom and with their limited knowledge and resources do all they can to accomplish the simple task of trying to save their kingdom. I love this book. I love that I felt for all these characters, even the grand seneschal and rooted for them with all my heart.

I have to preface my comments by saying Robin McKinley has been a favorite of mine since I was in the 4th grade which was more than 20 years ago (EEK) and her books continue to be my gold standard when I look for books for myself or plan a bookshelf for my own young daughters. I enjoyed her recent novels but I was thrilled to see her return to a mythic/fantasy past and a young female protagonist in this novel. I was hoping for the transportive experience I remember from my reading (and multiple re-readings) of "The Blue Sword" and "Beauty" and "The Hero and the Crown." While her writing is beautiful, it is much less immediate now, and almost seems too self-conscious at times. Her characters also feel less fleshed out. They aren't as funny or human as I remember Harry, or Aerin, or Luthe being. I wanted to get wrapped up in the central relationship in this book they way I got wrapped up in Corlath and Harry, or even Aerin and Tor, but I didn't. Also, the ending was a bit too neat and derivative for my taste, which I wouldn't have cared about if there was more of an emotional punch to it, but it kind of fizzled. Perhaps her earlier works were not as refined and introspective as her more recent novels have been, but they were GREAT stories. This is a lovely book and I very much enjoyed it, and I will certainly reserve a place for it on my daughters' bookshelves, but it won't be on the top shelf, with some of McKinley's other works.

This was Robin McKinley Style A*, and I enjoyed it a lot. As usual, the protaganist reminded me a lot of The Tale of Custard the Dragon, who is thrust into action even while crying for "a nice safe cage". I find it interesting which details we do and don't get in McKinley's books. This is (very distantly) a Beauty & The Beast story, but we really have NO idea what the protaganist looks like. The beast is described, but our heroine? I don't even know what color her hair is -- and it is TOTALLY IN CHARACTER. The character probably doesn't own a mirror, and doesn't look in mirrors she comes across, because it really doesn't matter to her. What matters to her are duty and resolution, and not the macro world, and not really her own internal life, execpt as it pertains to abovementioned duty.

I thought the magical system was a nice blend of novel and familiar -- landsense is an old trope, but having a woman as a binding agent for all the spells is kinda nice. The bees and honey and mundane details are well done. One of the parts I had trouble with was the distances/worldbuilding. Our heroine sets of on a circumnavigation of the demense. She estimates it will be about 50 leagues (about 173 miles). That makes the area something like 260 miles. Which is pretty good-sized. But later, it is implied that horse travel means that a villian can make a round trip across several parcels this size in a week. I realize it's a nitpicky detail, but I was left wondering where I was at.

Read this if: You liked Beauty: A Retelling of the Story of Beauty and the Beast and Spindle's End (Firebird), you crave 3 hours of a sweet and straightforward world, or you like your myths of redemption crispy.
Avoid if: You actually wanted a romance, you require Deep Thought in your books, action from duty gives you hives.

*Like any other author with enough catalog, McKinley's books fall into style buckets. I do not consider this a drawback. But it's nice to get a briefing on which bucket you are going to end up with.
Style A: Beatifully realized, faintly allegorical fairy-tale retellings.
Style B: Sword & Sorcery
Style C: Experiments that do not conform to expected outcomes. Sunshine is hands-down the best of this category. I haven't read Dragonhaven yet, but it sounds like it belongs in here, too.

I've truly enjoyed Robin McKinley books in the past, and this one turned out to be a good read by the end. However, this book has a some significant structural and stylistic problems initially.

There is a curious lack of dialogue in the first 1/2 of the book, plus a lack of action and interaction between characters in that stretch, which makes things kinda boring. Also, the first scene is not well selected and not written clearly. In fact, the beginning is so incoherently written that I would have been lost without reading the book jacket first. If I had not read her other books, I might have given up, even though the main character is sympathetic.

However, Robin McKinley's strengths are memorable characters (including animal ones) and imaginative depictions of setting. Around halfway through the book, these pick up along with the dialogue. The bees, supporting characters, the feudal dynamics, etc. become mesmerizing. Also, the book was very unpredictable for me at parts, which was unusual for me. Except for the marriage at the end, I really didn't expect what happened next, which made the book great fun.

One last note, McKinley is a mistress of romantic tension. She's invented some of the most captivating male leads in fiction. Who knew a hero made partly of fire could be so mysteriously compelling?

The Chalice is a woodright (like a forester) and beekeeper who has been pushed into a position far above her capabilities. The Master of the land (think of a person who is tied to the land) has been pulled out of his place as a fire master to take back the land that his brother had abused for seven years before dying. Fire is a hard master to leave.

What I really liked about this book is that I got to know the Chalice as she does her best to find her place as the binder while her land is falling apart literally (earthquakes, tremors, etc). She is also very different from previous Chalices because she comes directly from the land and her element is honey.

Recently I have been reading a lot of Dianne Wynne Jones. It is a compliment because I love Jones stories so much to say that this book of McKinley's reminds me of Jones' stories. I will read more.

Chalice feels like McKinley's earlier books, like Beauty or The Blue Sword, rather than her more recent (and modern) ones. The language is beautiful and evocative and the world she creates is fascinating and draws you in, as the story goes along and we learn about it in bits and pieces as Mirasol learns.

The main characters, like all of McKinley's characters, are torn between two worlds: Mirasol was content in her solitary woodskeeper life before she was called to her duty as Chalice, and her mad rush to try and figure out what she is supposed to be doing and how is easy to relate to. And the Master, a Fire Priest who left the priesthood mid-transformation to take up his duty, inspires fear in everyone around him. They are where they are because of their love for the land and their sense of duty, but that doesn't make it easy on them - or the people around them.

While I find the climax of the story unsatisfyingly brief, the book as a whole is such a pleasure to read that that doesn't bother me too much.

Very disappointing. I've been a fan of Robin McKinley for a long time, I reread The Hero and the Crown every few years. Chalice doesn't hold up. The limited description is redundant and the story seems almost absent. It lacks the crucial "show don't tell" aspect of story telling. I gave up about half way through when I found myself barely skimming page after page.

Robin McKinley has created an entirely new world for this tale, one in which the land is close to its magical roots and must be nurtured by a Circle of experts: Master, Chalice, Grand Seneschal, Landsman, Talisman, etc. As the story opens, both the previous Master and Chalice have died unexpectedly without Heir or apprentice, leaving the broken and anguished land in the care of two flawed and completely untrained replacements. The protagonist, Mirasol, is the new Chalice, feeling her way into the leadership of the demesne even as she cares for her bees and the woods that had previously been her responsibility. Because she is so familiar with the art of beekeeping and honey making, honey becomes a key element of her nature-based magic.

McKinley has done what she does so well - thrust the reader into a confusing time in the protagonist's life and revealed things to the reader at the same moment that they are revealed to the main character. This can lead to a confusing reading experience if you're a person who wants a good feel for the setting & problems, as well as a sense of how the problems might be revealed. However, Mirasol is so compassionate and resolute that I wanted to keep reading, to discover how she'd overcome the barriers created by strict feudal roles and strong traditions.

This book is split into 4 parts. After reading the first 2 parts, my husband asked me what it was about. Even though I had read half of the book, I really couldn't tell him what it was about. I'm still having difficulty trying to summarize this book. It's almost like it's not really about anything. Here is what I do know....

Mirasol, a woods keeper and beekeeper, has suddenly been given the responsibility of "Chalice," which is to be the cup bearer, 2nd to the Master of the Land, and one who binds and holds her land together. Having never received and apprenticeship, she is fumbling through her new role. Mirasol and the new Master do what they can to heal the land that had been abused by the previous Master and Chalice. Now, the Overlord sees this as an opportunity to usurp control from the Master and put in his own appointed Master over this land. Mirasol and the Master must find a way to save their land.

McKinley has a few flaws that she regularly shows in her books, and were VERY noticable here.

1. She has the tendency to start a story in the middle and fill you in on the beginning in spurts when she feels like it. So, there are always "flashbacks" happening that sometimes make it difficult to remember if it's happening now or in the past. Sometimes this improves the story because it adds more drama and suspense. In this case, it's just simple things like when Mirasol was first told she would be the next Chalice or how the previous Master and Chalice died. It gets real annoying.
2. She tells this story smoothly and brilliantly and then abruptly saves the day with some random "magical act."
3. Throws you in a world with different language, titles, customs, but never really explains what they are. She just assumes you know. That can be fine, but when it takes you half the book to even understand what a Chalice is and does....that can be a problem.
4. Very little dialogue. Everything was mostly "she did this and that then this and went there and thought this." When there was dialogue, the story actually finally moved forward and got a glimpse of other characters.

I did enjoy the story, but I don't think I will reread it like my favorites.

I really enjoyed this offering of McKinley's and was pleasantly reminded of her earlier works THE BLUE SWORD and THE HERO AND THE CROWN. As in those stories, there is a strong young woman, who must do what she can with what she has been given, to save her land--in this case from unrest caused by a dissolute former Master and the upstart pretensions of an "outblood" Heir. The current Master, a former third-level Fire priest, is literally hot stuff (cue Donna Summer song)--both no longer human and actually physically dangerous to others.

If you're a dialogue lover, there isn't a heck of a lot, and if you thought it was boring in Diana Galbaldon's OUTLANDER when whatshername studied 18th-century herbal remedies, parts of CHALICE will be rough going, but otherwise McKinley's lyrical, dense prose will delight. I could have used a little more romantic denouement, but after the total dropped-romance-ball in SUNSHINE, this one is definitely an improvement.

Robin McKinley debuted with a fleshed-out retelling of "Beauty and the Beast," and later followed it up with ANOTHER retelling.

And after a few books about dragons and vampires, McKinley returns to her old territory -- she spins up a vaguely medieval tale of a woodland beauty and a charred "beast" entirely out of her own imagination. McKinley's sumptuous prose and her depiction of a "living" land add an extra dimension to a straightforward little love story that drips with sweetness.

Some months ago, the decadent Master of Willowlands and his Chalice were killed in a fire. The new Chalice is Mirasol, whose duty is to fill ceremonial cups and help bind the land.

But then the late Master's little brother arrives from the priests of Fire -- charred black and no longer entirely human. Mirasol is determined to do the best job she can for the new Master, when she isn't tending a woodland cottage covered in bees. Unfortunately the land is still unsettled despite her joint efforts with the Master, especially since his strange behavior frightens his people.

In the course of her duty, Mirasol soon gets to know her new Master -- he's quiet, kind, worried about burning people, and confused by the world he had almost forgotten. But as he struggles to keep his land balanced, the Overlord begins to scheme to put a new Master in Willowlands -- one that will do whatever he wishes. With her role as Chalice and her power over bees, Mirasol must find a way to save her beloved Master...

You wouldn't think that such a slender novel could have such a richly imagined world, where metaphysical bonds link the Master and Chalice to the very land itself. Not only does Robin McKinley conjure such a world in "Chalice," but she also wrought an intricate web of politics and tradition around the ritual roles. Poor Mirasol, trying to navigate her new role.

And McKinley's prose is as sweet and thick as Mirasol's honey ("the great windows were still twilight grey..."), but filled with a slightly bittersweet feeling. And she crams the novel with rural splendour -- trees, little cottages, old dusty books -- as well as anything having to do with bees and beekeeping. When Mirasol is with her books in the woodright, McKinley's writing takes on an exquisitely mystical edge (albeit a quieter one than her Chalice duties).

But once the Overlord's little plan comes into play, McKinley also interweaves a sense of dread and foreboding, which gets worse as the story creeps toward the inevitable clash. If there's a flaw in the story, it's that the bees serve a slightly deus-ex-machinesque function for the Master.

However, the heart of this story is the growing love story between two young people who are unsure how to do their jobs, and fear that they are failing. Mirasol and the Master (whose name is only revealed late in the book) are wonderfully realistic characters, and Mirasol's stumbles and struggles make her seem like a totally realistic country girl suddenly given a great task.

"Chalice" is the sort of story that Robin McKinley has penned before, but the land-mysticism and lush prose make it entirely unique. Definitely a must-read..

I guess you could say "Short and sweet" about this. The story is pleasant and a good read but a lot of the goings on are kept hidden from you and most of the suspense is from not knowing what's going on or not knowing what certain words in the context of the setting mean. That's an okay strategy to keep readers engaged but it gets tedious when you reflect that you have no idea what's really going on or why everyone is upset. On the other hand, that's exactly how the main character feels throughout the book so maybe it's on purpose. It has nice fantasy/magical elements and a touch of romance (very downplayed) and is a heartwarming story of how the land helps those who tend it.

Usually whenever I think of Robin McKinley, I think of Patricia McKillip also. This is partially because their last names are similar: first four letters identical, plus the "l" sound, plus three syllables with the emphasis on the second. Their books are on most shelves together, in libraries and bookstores, with Dennis McKiernan's looking over their shoulders, wanting in on the party (justifiably left outside, I believe). But it is also because the projects of both women seem similar. They write novel-length fairy tales, McKillip usually making up her own, McKinley usually retelling old ones. Both often end these fairy tales with an explosive climax of incomprehensible magic that leaves me feeling bewildered.

On a normal day, I would say that McKillip is the better writer. Her language is beautiful. I do not usually think of Robin McKinley when I think of Patricia McKillip, for instance. McKinley's books can feel a bit too politically charged, too "ripped from the headlines" for my taste, dealing directly with issues like child abuse and environmentalism. Not that fairy tales should be irrelevant to current problems, but I prefer them to work more...indirectly. But after reading Chalice I am moved to give McKinley credit, to say that while McKillip's books are beautiful (if a bit emotionally cold), and you pretty much know what you are getting when you pick them up, when McKinley is on (as she was in Deerskin and Spindle's End, as she is in Chalice), she writes better stories, stories that delve deeper into the emotions, that go after the heart harder and further and find it.

Ironically, Chalice reminds me quite a bit of McKillip. The heroine and protagonist of this book, Mirasol, has just become the magical second-in-command of her "demesne," or tiny state, and feels wholly inadequate to the task, because she doesn't know how to do it at all (her predecessor died abruptly and tragically, and Mirasol was just a beekeeper when the magic chose her). Her superior, the Master of the demesne, is similarly fresh on the job, and similarly unqualified, scarcely being human. The magical ties between Mirasol, the Master, and the land--the sense of close and mystical kinship with nature in order to rule it--is strongly reminiscent of McKillip's best book: Riddle-Master. Like McKillip, as far as I can tell McKinley has made up her own fairy-tale this time, and perhaps because of this seems susceptible to influences from McKillip and other writers. We have fanes (and perhaps faneways), as in Greg Keyes. The surprising gift of magical powers to someone too weak and inexperienced to control them is as powerful here as in Robin Hobb's stories of FitzChivalry Farseer.

But Chalice also preserves the very best of Robin McKinley: clear prose with an unadorned beauty, a love of nature and animals which attributes sentient powers to them (this time, bees are surprisingly wise), a simple and confined story with a deeply emotional core. The emotion here is despair at your own weakness, the courage to continue to act even though you know you must fail with disastrous consequences. Not, perhaps, ripped from the headlines, but it's been on the ticker tape of my heart more than once. That the story doesn't turn out as disastrously as everyone had feared feels a little bit like what in another context I might call grace, kindness stepping in from outside to help out people who need help and who deserve to be rooted for.

I read most of Chalice on a winter morning, with a scant lamp fighting off the chill white light coming in through the windows. They were beautiful, luminous hours.

I have always loved Robin McKinley. Her stories made you fall in love with fairy tales again. I found this book while searching for Robin's other books. Since I hadn't read it yet I decided to. This story is like her others in that it has magic but it stands alone. The book could be better if the history or culture of the magic and land was better explained. Maybe since the main character is learning her way it's fitting.

Robin McKinley is one of my favorite authors, so I was excited when I finally got my hands on this book. I wanted to love this book as much as I love Deerskin, but I have to settle for just liking it.

The beginning of Chalice starts with Mirasol and how she became the Chalice to a place that had tragically lost its previous Master and Chalice. The Circle's magical rods pointed to her, and while she began her duties as Chalice, the Circle wrote to the Priests of Fire to bring home the brother of the previous Master.

Throughout the beginning, once the Master has arrived, we're shown flashbacks to before he came, when Mirasol was still just a new Chalice. The way in which these were incorporated into the story confused me some, disrupting the flow somewhat. That made the beginning of the book, the first eighty to one hundred pages a little hard to get into. But once I got past that first hurdle, I devoured the rest of the story eagerly.

I savored what little interaction there was between Chalice and Master, and if I could have changed anything about the novel, it would have been more of them together.

Robin McKinley knows first lines. You read just the first sentence and immediately feel like you've entered a world entirely complete and utterly its own. And you want to sit down and stay awhile. CHALICE is no exception to the rule. The world reminded me a bit of the kingdom in Spindle's End (Firebird), both of them deeply entrenched in a sticky sort of magic with a heritage and weight to it. The characters reminded me a bit of those in Rose Daughter, purposefully a bit vague and left up to your imagination to carve out clearly. All of them living their lives as best they can with a sure but undefinable sense of doom hanging over their heads.

Mirasol occupies a position known simply as Chalice. She is the second-highest ranking individual in the Willowlands and it is her job to bind relationships and ties within her domain, between the people and the land they both live on and belong to. At the opening of the story, a new Master (the highest-ranking individual in the land) is coming home to take control of the Willowlands and try to restore some order and peace after the debaucheries and mistakes of his older brother, the previous Master. Mirasol and the new Master have their work cut out for them as she is brand new to the position with no idea how to do what she must, and he is a third-level priest of Fire who is no longer quite human and must tread with extreme care so as not to burn everything (and everyone) he touches to ash.

Sigh. CHALICE is a bit of the loveliness, to be sure. It is short and as sweet as the honey that pervades the story's every pore. In fact, just as Sunshine left me with a killer craving for cinnamon rolls, CHALICE made me wish I was five years old again and sitting in the kitchen with my Grandpa sucking fresh honey straight off the comb. There are only a few characters in this story and so it seemed that much more important that the ones I had make it through their challenges well and whole. I liked how they seemed to gain additional form and substance as they grew closer and closer to the final test. Until, at the end, they seemed like friends. Full of familiar light and color.

Sweet, vague, unfocused, fantastic. Because of the lack of explicit worldbuilding, it was hard to feel the tension the protagonist clearly felt. I was told repeatedly about the threat to the land because of the new Master, but I never understood exactly what the threat was. What did it mean for a land to 'not survive'? I still have no idea, just this vague idea of the Neverending Story's Nothing devouring it. Otherwise there'd be SOMETHING, right?

Anyhow. I enjoyed it despite the slow wandering narrative, and despite an ending that relied heavily on a barely acknowledged (let alone explained) miracle. It's basically a middling gourmet dessert, the sort where part of the power is how you want more than you can get.

I selected this book on a whim because love Robin McKinley's other books, and I'll tell you, I was not disappointed.

"Chalice" is the story of a young woman, Mirasol, who is elected to a powerful position once her special connection to the earth is revealed. Although she'd prefer to stay at home with her bees and tend her land, she knows that such is not an option, and that the fate of the land is dependent upon her becoming "the Chalice." As Chalice, she must work with and support the Master, who is also newly elected. The new Master is the brother of the old Master (who died), and is also a powerful fire priest. Before coming back, he devoted his entire life to the fire priests, and now has trouble even touching anyone.

I found the descriptions in the book beautiful, and I was especially impressed by how McKinley made such an unorthodox hero so relatable and engaging. In addition, I loved how McKinley used the name "Mirasol" and the word "Chalice" to create and imply so many things for the heroine. I feel that in some parts, she uses the technique to show how Mirasol, who is only a beekeeper, is being swept up and almost lost within "the Chalice." Mirasol is subject to realistic emotions as well, and I was able to relate very well to her because of it.

I have greatly enjoyed other Robin McKinley books - Beauty, The Blue Sword, Sunshine - but I think Chalice must almost be my favorite of them all. I would love to see Robin McKinley write more about these characters, and this universe.

Having just finished CHALICE, my very FIRST McKinley (I'm 64), I decided to read reviews of her other books. So a review that's anything less than glowing is a surprise to me because I LOVED it! Imagination out of nowhere--at least not out of a fairy tale I grew up with that's been updated to modern times and tastes (ugh!). LOVE the beecraft, LOVE the earthlines, LOVE the mystery of priesthood! She's someone I can relate to, and I knew it would be a happy ending, which is what what I'm looking for in entertainment. I want to see beyond the limitations of the culture I live in to how others might deal with the practical, down-to-earth necessities, even if it's anthropolothy 101. I'm not looking for spies and doomsday threats. Chalice gave me everything I wanted!

I think McKinley's writing has improved over the years, in technical terms. I was beginning to notice that some of her characters seemed to have the exact same personalities, just different appearances, but this book (also Sunshine) breaks free of that and creates solid and original protagonists. Here, the heroine Mirasol is never physically described at all--we don't even know if she's pretty or not--which can be a little frustrating but I think shows a lot of skill when the reader manages to sense and imagine her anyhow.

I found this novel very clean and complete in terms of how it's written...still, despite McKinley's marks for "technical skill" going up, for inspired story and artistry they go way down for The Chalice. I didn't get that sense of triumph and satisfaction, that warm feeling that I've read something marvelous and want to read it over again, that I got from McKinley's earlier books--Beauty, The Blue Sword, and most of the The Hero and the Crown. I doubt I'll feel like reading The Chalice again.

As in many other books, McKinley creates a harassed, likable, duty-bound heroine; and uses the well-paced action to show glimpses of her world. It's a lightly sketched world, but the glimpses we get are rich and homey. The land is filled with trees, animals and well-meaning but apprehensive neighbors, with high politics and grand magic in the far--very far--background.

Mirasol the beekeeper is sympathetic and harassed, her quest to calm the magical land serves as a background for the understated growth of her friendship with the equally unready new Master. The magic is familiar but gets fresh treatment in McKinley's hands; and the author's language is clear, streamlined and often beautiful.

This book is a fast, enjoyable read. As with other McKinley books, those who expect detailed, thorough world-building will be disappointed. The world is rich, but only glimpsed through Mirasol's eyes, who is far too busy for expositionary lumps. It's not as gripping or intense as the author's best novels, but still more than worth the time to read.

This had an interesting story, but I found that the writing style was difficult to get through. This author is a fan of long sentences . . . sentences with four commas and a few hyphens thrown in for fun. It got to the point where I felt like I had to diagram each sentence to figure out what she was actually saying. Also, the tense didn't work out so well for this book. It got confusing with the timeline. The ideas were certainly interesting, but a little under developed. The characters were interesting, but underdeveloped. I didn't get a full enough impressions of "the circle" which seems to be such an important part of the book. The romance plot is lacking which is probably why you don't see a tag for it even though the book jacket mentions love. I'd say don't waste your time. There are better books out there.

"Chalice" is a gentle, pastoral fantasy, reminiscent of McKinley's earlier works, particularly in her short story collection "A Knot in the Grain." Those looking for blood and gore and lots of action will not find it here. The story is fairly straightforward, the world-building (always one of McKinley's strengths) is detailed and interesting, and the conflict is resolved in a somewhat unusual way. The ending was a bit open-ended for my taste - it really cries out for a sequel.

Although the story seems fairly simple, the themes of trust-building, unreadiness, lack of confidence, politics and jealousy are not. The antagonists are a bit cardboard for my taste - no one really understands why the previous Master was so neglectful, for instance - but it is still an interesting and engaging fantasy. I will definitely read other stories set in this world, especially with these characters.

Chalice, a young adult novel by noted fantasy author Robin McKinley, is my first experience with this author and sounded promising. Marisol is a young woodskeeper and beekeeper who lives alone on the parcel of land that was allocated to her family many generations ago, making honey and tending her goats. Her life changes when she is chosen to be "Chalice", an important part of the hierarchy of her county and intrinsically tied to the earthlines of the land. Her county is in trouble - the last Master and his Chalice died in a fire and the new Master is coming back from bein

g an elemental priest and has almost forgotten what it is to be human. If the storyline sounds confusing, that's because it is. It's actually a wonderful idea and I really resonate with the storyline. However, McKinley fails her beautiful story in its telling. For some reason she starts the novel not at the beginning of the story where young Marisol discovers she is Chalice, but instead tells that portion of the story through a series of confusing flashbacks. The language in this book is cumbersome and confusing. The sentences are tangled and there is so much exposition that I almost gave up 80 pages in. I wanted to shout "Show don't tell!!!!" constantly as I felt the first third of the novel was all back story. When you have that much back story you should restructure the book. I recently found the same thing with my novel and I had to admit that I needed to tell the story from the beginning and not try and tell it through flashbacks. Annoying? Yes. But ultimately I hope my book is stronger for it.

I wouldn't recommend this book, despite the lovely storyline and those incredible bees! I read some reviews on the store and a lot of people seem to indicate that McKinley's early books are far superior to her later efforts, but for now I think I'll let my experience of this author rest with Chalice.

This book is one giant yawn.

The only interesting bits are scattered so sparingly that it might be two chapters in between, thinking "Oh this could be good," to, "Please, please get to an interesting part. Anything."

It goes on and on and on and skimmers will probably enjoy this, but I'd rather read my book than skim. DNF.

I don't know what McKinley's publishers were thinking with this one, but it is a flop. The repetition is overblown; the romance is nearly non-existent; and the world building is confusing. If the author was trying to make some point, she failed. If she was hoping to entertain her readers, she didn't. Save your money AND your time...skip this one.

McKinley is brilliant at weaving a tale. This one is no exception, although I wasn't as captivated every second as I have been reading some of her others--I found myself skimming parts. Nevertheless, scenes where she held long conversations with the Master or the Seneschal were as fascinating as the best of her work. McKinley has the ability to make her male-female relationships sizzle with only the most subtle implication. This book centers more around political intrigue and would probably not be considered a romance; and yet there was plenty of passion. The plot and characters were predictable, but not in a rolling eyes sort of way. This story has that spark of fairy-tale other-world that McKinley is such a master at creating. Readers who love her work will be satisfied with this new addition to her collection.

But god this one was difficult to muddle through. This book has literally everything going for it; an interesting fantasy environment and promises of honey magic, a king who's mysteriously described as "no longer human", a quest to be fulfilled against all other odds. From the cover art to the concept behind the book, everything screams "buy me!" to fantasy/romance readers. And then you buy it, get a handful of pages in, and suddenly find that you're starting to convince yourself that it'll get better, and that it'll pick up. Well, bad news...

The book starts out moderately strong. It's strong in the sense that you're still willing to excuse minor problems and quirks because it's an author you've never read, so maybe this is just how they write. 20 pages in, you have the sense that it's somehow still in it's "introduction" stage, with extensive background information being crammed into each page. 60 pages in, you slowly begin to realize..it started at a molasses pace, and it's going to continue at a molasses pace. When she meets the new "Master", you get this sense like "Hey this might be okay! If it keeps progressing like this, this'll be a great book!" Suddenly, more flashbacks. And then more flashbacks, and things she has researched, and people who she's met in the past, and you'll find yourself repeatedly falling into this rut as you slosh through this book. (Also, for all the build up written about it, you never get to figure out what makes the Master's cloak around his body move so oddly.)

Some thoughts on sentence structure...authors can have these unique ways to phrase their sentences. Like Stephen King with his use of broken, repetitive sentences that covey a sense of panic, confusion, and subconscious terror all at the same time. With Chalice, we have "I had thought--I had wanted to think I could solve this by myself, but I couldn't in the end, after all--to solve this on my own." There's this crazy over-abundance of the "--" sentence modifier, where when you see them in other literature, they're used sparingly, but more often indicate a stutter, like "I-I didn't know..". Literally, on average 1-2 per page. There's also a MASSIVE use of repetitive words, which isn't effective except to make you feel like you're reading a Little House on the Prairie book. "Because she was Chalice, it was her duty to do whatever, but as Chalice she also had her duties to her desmwhatever. The previous Chalice never got along with the Weatheranger, but the circle had to be bound by the Chalice, etc...". Seriously. Flip through the first 10 pages and see how many times you highlight the word "Chalice", among a few others. 7th grade English teachers would cringe at the sheer amount of these words.

I won't spoil anything for the ending, except to say that it built up like an old person fart; expected, slow, and with about as much fanfare at the end.

I'd say dodge this one.

The book is okay.....McKinley has her usual writing style of run-on sentences (way too many buts and ands) and paragraphs that need to be reread because they aren't very clear as to what she is trying to convey or who is speaking. It's not a bad book, I just think she could have done a better job of it. What irks me the most however is that the "bees" on the cover of the paperback are not bees at all. They are wasps.

I enjoyed this book after I got past the beginning. It was a hard read for me as I could not seem to get into the groove with all of the names of the hierarchy. This is the first book I have read by this author and would not hesitate to pick up more of her work.

The story is something I would compare to a Sleeping Beauty or other such fairytales. It is about a demnse (the best way I can describe that is it is somewhat like the counties we have in states). The demnse loses its two highest ranking officials, the Master and the Chalice. New ones must be chosen. The Chalice happens to be Mirasol. Usually a Chalice has been apprenticed for a number of years before taking up her Chalice-hood, but Mirasol was a simple woodsman/beekeeper. The Master must be someone of blood descent and since the previous master did not leave a blood heir, the position falls to his younger brother who had been sent away to the fire priesthood. He has been burning in fire for the last 7 years.

It is an interesting story that weaves you through Mirasol's life as a bee-keeper, her learning to be the Chalice, the Master learning to no longer be hot like fire, but to be able to interact with the human world without burning them.

There is, of course, a challenge to the Master since he is not a "normal" human anymore and the new "heir" picked by the Overlord. A duel with swords is decided upon. Can Mirasol and the Master find a way, who will give up the most, whose life will be spared and who will give their life for the demnse.....

Towards the end I got very enthralled, captured, hypnotized by this book. So much so that I left the living room because people kept talking to me and locked myself in the bathroom and read it in there.

It gets 4 out of 5 stars because I did have difficulty getting in to it, but it was a very clean, very interesting book and I would most definitely let my daughter read it. Chalice

A fairy tale about breaking traditions. I really liked the concept - and I loved Mirasol and her bees - but parts of the book read slowly, with a repetition of small details.

Still, I enjoyed a quick read about a girl learning to trust her instincts to find her own way through a magical world steeped in traditions.

A dreamy, fascinating, hugely creative story... McKinley is a master when she wants to be. However, I recommend a "wait" on this one. A sequel is surely coming soon, and this book feels more like a "part 1" than a true stand-alone. Gorgeous--can't wait to read the next installment! But other readers may not want to feel the suspense that I do...

I love pretty much everything Robin McKinley writes and Chalice is no exception. It is clearly her story with all the original world building, interesting characters, and unique situations. But it also has her flaw - which is the long, long, long passages on things that don't really move the story forward (in Sunshine this was cinnamon rolls, with Chalice it is beekeeping).

Chalice is the story of a beekeeper that becomes second in command of a `demesne' (I'd liken it to a barony maybe?) and the person responsible for using the magic in the land to hold the land/people together. The Master of the land is only somewhat human - haven been given to the fire priests years before. It is Marisol's duty to save the land from the Overlord, help the Master return to being human, and keep the land from going berserk.

If I am going to be critical of the book, my complaint is thatt too much of the story dealt with other less interesting things, and did so in a repetitive, almost cyclical way. One example of this would be Marisol saying that she'd just spoken to someone and the outcome of the conversation. Then we get several pages of `living' through the experience. But because I already know what happened, I'm not all the interested in reviewing it.

McKinley does this same kind of thing with Marisol and the Master's history. She tells us the same thing over and over again. (That the Master was only part human, that Marisol had been a simple beekeeper, that she'd been overwhelmed with milk and honey.) I felt like McKinley didn't trust me to remember these basic things about the characters the first time that I learned them.

Even with the flaws, I'd recommend Chalice. I'm glad I read it and the story is worth the money I paid for hardcover. Lovers of McKinely won't be disappointed.

This is such a quiet and understated book -- but lovely in a way, and just as imaginative as the best of McKinley's works. I read it for the third or fourth time today, and found that the pace of the book is perfect. While it is slow building, it's not in a way that drags or leaves you bored. I've read some reviews that make analogies to honey - the book's main motif - and honestly, that's a perfect way to describe how reading it feels: slow-acting but soothing and sweet. It really is something I could see myself reading again on a quiet,rainy day, 10 years down the line. Robin McKinley does it again. Such great work.

This is my third McKinley book (Beauty and Deerskin are the others) and now I must have them all. No, Chalice is not incredibly deep, but the two main characters are vivid and likable - and believable. McKinley does a good job of world-building without dragging the plot and pace down; the whole thing seemed quite, quite real. I went right out and bought a jar of honey :)

As a parent, I am always on the look out for books that are intelligent, well-written, and without sex, obscenities, or excessive violence (and no preachiness either!) This is one of those books that I can recommend to readers from nine to ninety. Miles and miles above the Twilight books - buy this for your daughters (and yourself) instead.

Always a pleasure to discover a good author with a backlist!

This is an interesting book. I loved the natural and mystical aspects mixed together. It has a ring of other stories by McKinley. Her primary method of relating information in Chalice is by flashback. Most of the action happens in the main character's reminiscing until the last, final climax. A good read, but the reminiscing is a little hard to follow at times since events are not described in order but a rambling flow. I still liked it very much and recommend it.

Mirasol is a beekeeper who recently became the Chalice of her demesne. She and the rest of the Circle must deal with each other and the new Master of the demesne as he returns from exile to the elemental priesthood of Fire. Mirasol must deal with her new role and the interference of the Overlord. The story is told through Mirasol's point of view some information provided in flashbacks. Through most of the book there is not a big driving conflict but is mostly just how Mirasol deals with the other members of the Circle and learning about being Chalice. Her relationship with the Master develops as she gets to know him.

Robin McKinley is one of my favorite authors and I expected to like this book quite a bit. I did like the book, but the reading level was a bit lower than I am used to as it is a young adult book. The characters could have been fleshed out a bit more and I would have like a more straightforward timeline instead of starting in the middle and using flashbacks. It was a quick read for me but I enjoyed it.

This was a very interesting novella. The characters came to life and I was fully engrossed for the half a day it took to finish the book. While the book was great, it felt more like a short story than an actual novel. There were time skips and interactions glossed over that I was interested in seeing. All in all a fun book to read, but it could have been more.

Mirasol the beekeeper has unexpectedly become Chalice to a land in turmoil. Somehow she must hold her world together, and convince others to accept a Fire Priest as Master. McKinley creates for us an alternative medieval manor house, with Master and Circle tied to their demiese through magical earthlines.

This is a beautifully written almost poetical story, but if one is expecting the Robin McKinley of Spindle's End or The Blue Sword expect disappointment. The story moves gradually and repetitively. A skimmer will find this comforting, but the careful reader is left wondering if this book was sufficiently edited, or if the author was perhaps forced to expand from novella to novel length. There is little dialogue and a much of the McKinley wit we have all grown to expect and love is missing. Reading Chalice, it felt as though McKinley was getting in touch with her inner Patricia McKillip. Much is described, and most of it exquisitely and richly, but not very much actually happens. Please don't misconstrue, I adore McKillip, but it was a bit jarring to find her style coloring a McKinley novel.

However, one puts all expectations aside, Chalice provides a truly magical journey, leaving the reader satiated with imagery that lingers long after setting the book down. One's mind savors the flavor as one's mouth would the honey from Mirasol's chalice.

This book could've had so much potential. The characters had interesting starts, but you never really got to know them. I found myself struggling to keep turning the pages, and about half way through, I gave up and skimmed through the rest. There is an over abundance of detail, not enough dialogue, and a boring story line.

This is a beautiful story for young girls and not so young girls alike. McKinley's prose has a lush, dreamy quality to it. Be warned, the pace is slow. Pages are devoted to bees and descriptions so the plot moves slow. A book to be savoured rather than devoured. Both you and your daughter will enjoy.

Somewhat difficult to follow and without overly much dialogue, like much of McKinley's other works. It puts the reader in a very odd frame of mind to read, and tbe writing style is frequently confusing. For all that, it's a decently fascinating book. I kept finding myself oddly drawn back to it when I tried to put it down. Definitely worth a shot.

That was frustratingly--almost painfully--boring, repetitive, and just stupid. Whole months glance by, and absolutely nothing really happens. After "Sunshine" I had higher expectations, but perhaps that one was a fluke.

One of my chief complaints with some of Ms. McKinley's other works, like Spindles End, has been the deus ex machina endings. I found the story enjoyable, playing on a theme of "The Lord is the Land, and the Land is the Lord," and the ending in keeping with the rest of the story. I usually find Ms. McKinley's stories hard to sum up without spoiling key elements. So let me just say I borrowed Chalice from the library and enjoyed it enough to purchase my own copy, even given my limited living space.

As a lifelong McKinley fan, I have been eagerly awaiting Chalice - and I was not disappointed. The world McKinley creates is rich, lush, detailed. It lives and breathes; you can almost hear the bees humming and taste Mirasol's honey.

This is a beautifully written fairy tale, although it's not a retelling of a specific tale. But it belongs on the same shelf as Beauty, Rose Daughter, and Spindle's End. If you enjoyed those books you most certainly will love Chalice. It is the kind of story you can read over and over again. An instant favorite. Highly recommended for any lover of fantasy.