Pegasus

Review courtesy of Dark Faerie Tales.

Quick & Dirty: The ultimate vibrant escape into a fantastical world makes you question what exactly is human nature. Pegasus is quite complex, which makes it a more challenging but more thoughtful and worthwhile novel than one that is simply storyline. Reading the novel’s summary, it is easy to put it in a preteen or teen category, but the intricate vocabulary and political undertones make it a more compelling read for adults and even university English fantasy courses.

Opening Sentence: Because she was a princess she had a pegasus.

The Review:

Robin McKinley is certainly a talented author. She was able to take some common elements of fantasy and use them to recreate an entirely new multifaceted world, but one that is still familiar enough to make sense to the reader. She uses a language barrier to set up one of the most pronounced dilemmas for the characters, but then shows how much of our language is not spoken. She shows how powerful people have to be humble to do what’s right, and how people who want to be powerful often do it for the wrong reasons. There is so much you can take from this book and apply to our modern world.

The most surprising part of this novel is that it is not part of a series, which it should be. Perhaps the author felt strongly that the ambiguous ending added mystery or intrigue to the book, but it is frustrating to never find out the political consequences of the characters’ actions. There is just so much that is never resolved. It isn’t that the book isn’t wonderful, it’s just that the author does so much to make this all happen, there is so much history and background explained, and so much of it promises this huge impending climax, but we never find out what the end really is, at all, even a little bit.

This book takes place in an imaginary land, which the author does an amazing job of describing and a main portion of the book is based on invented creatures. Most of us are familiar with a pegasus, but not as much which rocs, ladons, wyverns, taralians, and norindours. Since a real description is never given of these creatures, it is hard to really picture any battles happening with them. Every time you come to one of these words, or a number of other made up words throughout the book, of which there are several, your mind basically goes blank, and you have to recoup to keep reading, which, although the storyline is wonderful and keeps the reader occupied, it becomes quite tedious to read over these words that in most cases never have a real explanation. I now understand why many fantasy books have a dictionary of terms to describe meanings, however, the author could easily have explained within the text, as she does with other elements.

As stated earlier, there is so much background and character development in this book that it is worth the somewhat laborious journey to delve straight into it and keep going. The princess is not a regular princess, which makes her just absolutely lovable. Her parents are actually hard-working, which would be true of real kings and queens but is not how they are normally portrayed, which makes them lovable, and the whole group is just rebellious enough to actually make things happen. You are definitely just rooting for them the entire time. There are two types of villains in this book, both human and beast, and it is interesting to find out how beastly the humans can actually be, just to keep a little power and control. This book is just beautifully written and there is so much imagination and thought put into it, I just feel like the author fell a little short in some odd areas. It is absolutely still worth reading just to get your mind really working and a different view of the world.

Notable Scene:

“Only you were invited to see the Caves,” he said. “I’m only here at all because I wouldn’t send you all alone to this place where almost no human has ever been—and certainly no one specifically bound by the Alliance has ever set foot. Lrrianay understood that I could not let you come alone, and so agreed to bring me too—for a day, two days, before your real visit begins, I imagine. And I agreed to that because I trust Lrrianay even more that I trust my own right hand.

She stared up at him. “You didn’t tell me that,” she said.

He raised his shoulders. “I wasn’t planning on telling you at all,” he said. “There is something about the air of this place. Or maybe it’s just the pegasi.”

She looked around. Even in their turning-away the pegasi had made a pattern; the smaller smooth arches of their bent necks and bodies provided counter-curves like a scalloped hem, around the edge of the circle she and her father stood in. “I thinking it’s the pegasi.”

“So do I, “ said her father, and bent and kissed her again.

FTC Advisory: G.P. Putnam’s Sons/Penguin provided me with a copy of Pegasus. No goody bags, sponsorships, “material connections,” or bribes were exchanged for my review.

Robin McKinley is an EXPERT at creating worlds. She can even take our world and make it new (think Shadows and Sunshine) - she creates new "inside jokes" and a new way of seeing the world. Pegasus is so detailed and well written. I've read it over and over, loving every page. I think one of the best things is how long it is because it helps me to feel so involved in this new world!

When I first read it (2009, I think), it was on my e-reader (not a Kindle, so I won't say it!) and I just kept clicking to the next page without being able to feel how many pages were left (ignoring the page count, my fault!), and suddenly it was over. I thought the file was corrupt! I went online to find out what the heck was going on and read all about the hullaballoo about it being the first in a two-part book (much like Lord of the Rings) and has no resolution. Very unlike Robin McKinley, but when it's this good, why complain? The world keeps going! The thing I hate about her books is that there is a last page!!!! However this has been a very very long wait. Originally it was supposed to come out in 2012, and now it's 2014 and still no Pegasus 2. I'm not complaining, I'm just waiting excited for the next installment. And you know what, if it's now a trilogy, I'm even more happy that the story goes on and on. I just hope it's not 4 more years later when part three comes out!

Any update on when P2 will be available? I'll preorder it as soon as I can!

First of all...Robin McKinley is one of my favorite authors. Pegasus was an engaging read for me, and I enjoyed it. However, I had not realized upon buying it that it was supposed to be part of a series. Things were left in somewhat of a cliff hanger, and after waiting for more than four years for a sequel to come out, I have pretty much given up on that.
I don't think that Robin McKinley is ever going to finish the story. There is nothing more frustrating than investing time and energy into characters, and then never seeing the completion of their story. My advice is, don't pick this one up. Yes, she is a great writer, but what is the point when you are never going to see the story resolved?

I haven't read Robin McKinley before. This one sounded interesting and the cover really drew me in. But sadly, I didn't enjoy this book nearly half as much as I had hoped. And I was sadly disappointed in the ending.

I wasn't sure what to think of the human characters. I liked Sylvi for the most part. I think it's because she's a princess that she acts way older than her age. I really enjoyed her relationship with Ebon. I wish we got more of it. I also like Ebon because he was different in so many ways from the other Pegasi. But, I also liked all the other Pegasi that we get to know in this story. Their history and differences were really fascinating. I really liked Sylvi's father. He's regal and displays all the attributes necessary to running a kingdom, but I also liked the love he shows to his family.

So were did the story fall for me? It was in all the details. I was bored beyond belief for the first 100 pages or so. There was too much information on the alliance and the history between the Pegasi and humans. There wasn't enough interaction between the two. I wanted a story about the relationship between humans and Pegasi, and not the reasons behind it. The last half of the book was better, but I still felt like the story was too complex.

My last problem was the ending. I was just getting into the story around 300 pages or so and realized, I don't think this problem is going get resolved. And spoiler or not, I wish I had known before had that it doesn't. The book ends in such dramatic fashion that I flipped through the pages again just to make sure I wasn't missing something. I was not happy. Less happier still when I go online and realize that the author doesn't always write sequels to her story. I am happy to say though that a Pegasus II is slated for 2012 (according to the author's website). I'll read the [...]thing because the author left me hanging so badly.

Pegasus by Robin McKinley
G.P. Putnam's Sons, 2010
404 pages
YA; Fantasy
3/5 stars

Source: Library

Because of a thousand-year-old alliance between humans and pegasi, Princess Sylviianel is ceremonially bound to Ebon, her own Pegasus, on her twelfth birthday. The two species coexist peacefully, despite the language barriers separating them. Humans and pegasi both rely on specially-trained Speaker magicians as the only means of real communication. But it's different for Sylvi and Ebon. They can understand each other. They quickly grow close-so close that their bond becomes a threat to the status quo-and possibly to the future safety of their two nations. Summary from Goodreads.

Thoughts: I am so glad that I read Allie at A Literary Odyssey's review which warns that the plot moves slowly because I would probably have dropped it. It is so slow-I kept waiting for something to happen but there are only sporadic action sections and a lot more building a world through description.

A problem with those descriptions is when the pegasi attempt to describe things to Sylvi such as the caves which are really only understood through seeing and experiencing them. I found the description useless in those cases and it only added to my boredom. Then there was my confusion as the beginning of the story is Sylvi reading the history of her land before a sudden shift to the story proper. Frequently the setting shifts between when she is 12 to when she is almost 16 without a clear delineation leaving me confused.

Some parts were great though. I was very intrigued by the political manipulations; I enjoyed scenes with Sylvi's father King Corone and how he was negotiating against his opponents. The parts between Sylvi and her pegasus Ebon were interesting as they share a special relationship.

But there wasn't enough suspense to sustain the story; just a lot of talking. Ordinarily I do like "talky" novels but this did not do it for me.

Overall: So slow until the rapid cliffhanger that prepares the reader for a sequel.

Cover: Gorgeous-pegasi are magnificent and the landscape is lovely.

Nearly a thousand years ago, Balsin the warrior led a group of weary men and women through the Dravalu Pass and first beheld the sweet green plain that would become the heart of Balsinland. The awe these first humans to cross that border felt when they saw the beauty spread before them was magnified many times over when they caught their first glimpse of those who called this part of the world home - the magnificent, unknowable pegasi. Like small horses or perhaps deer and also unlike either, the pegasi were both so glorious and so alien to the band of humans that many were inclined to believe them gods.

It transpired, of course, that the pegasi were not gods, merely a very different sentient race that, like Balsin's company of soldiers, found themselves facing nearly insurmountable odds. The lands the pegasi called home were being overrun by taralians, norindours, ladons, wyverns and rocs and, for all their undeniable grace and their gift of flight, the pegasi also had small feather-hands, much too weak to wield the weapons needed to beat back these fierce beasts. And so a great Alliance was formed between the pegasi and the humans which provided protection for the former and a home for the latter.

That such an Alliance was possible at all was due only to the great skill of the human magicians, for the languages of these two peoples are so alien to one another that only those possessed of the strongest magic could translate between the two groups. As a part of this great Alliance, and perhaps as an attempt to overcome the gulf of their differences, children of the human king (or queen), as well as other important human families, are bonded to a pegasus at the age of twelve. Each bonded pair is assigned a Speaker magician, though in practice little real communication takes place. The bondings are largely ceremonial, but also quite real and the serve to keep the Alliance a living, breathing thing.

Now, nearly ten centuries later, the day of Princess Sylviianel's own bonding is fast approaching. Insofar as it is possible for a child of the reigning monarch, Sylvi is generally considered inconsequential to the realm, although she is much beloved by her family. For one thing, Sylvi is quite small, so she is easily overlooked, and then too she is the fourth child, with three strong, intelligent older brothers to take on the burdens of heir and next-heirs. So Sylvi's bonidng is expected to be little more than a rite-of-passage and festive occasion, yet it turns out to be something far more historic.

Sylvi and her bond-mate Ebon, son of the pegasus King, share an ability that, so far as anyone knows, no other bonded pair has ever shared. They can mind-speak with one another - true, clear communication with no need for a translating Speaker. This ability brings them both great joy as they share the closest possible friendship, but it also carries great danger, for their unique relationship is seen as a threat by the most powerful magician at the court, a threat that could tear the Alliance apart.

I've read several reviews of this book that claim 'not much happens' or 'this was just a set-up for the sequel.' Yes, it's obvious that a major clash is coming in the sequel, but that doesn't mean that nothing of consequence happens in this volume. As always, Ms. McKinley's world-building is exquisite and the rich historical details provide a story worth reading all on its own. Pegasus also traces the strengthening of the bond between Sylvi and Ebon through several key events over the four years that the book covers. As Sylvi and Ebon mature we see the ways in which their unique bond either threatens the Alliance or offers it salvation. I love Robin McKinley and the way her novels swallow you up whole, making you as much a part of the worlds she imagines as the characters themselves.

Robin McKinley's Pegasus is beautiful coming-of-age story about a young girl and the pegasus who becomes her dearest friend. In Sylvi's world, it is customary for every member of the royal family to be ceremonially bound to a pegasus of comparable rank upon his or her twelfth birthday. The pegasus generally serves as an ambassador-like companion, and the pair will attend most formal functions together for the rest of their lives as a symbol of the longstanding alliance between their cultures. Each pair is assigned a Speaker, a specially trained magician, who serves as a translator and interpreter. But even with the Speakers' aid, actual communication beyond formal pleasantries and rudimentary smalltalk has long been understood to be impossible between humans and pegasi.

So when Sylvi, the fourth child of the reigning human king, meets her pegasus, they are both shocked to find that they are able to hear one another's thoughts. Sylvi and Ebon's unique ability to communicate helps them form a friendship that could change the way humans and pegasi view one another forever. But will their friendship make the alliance stronger or tear their cultures apart? Pegasus is the type of richly-imagined fantasy novel that you can't help immersing yourself in, and I found myself thinking about it long after turning the final page. The characters are well-developed, the setting is intriguing, and the story is thoroughly engaging. I really enjoyed it and can't wait to read the second book!

What I Liked:
- The world-building is top-notch. I loved the way the differences between the human and pegasi cultures were revealed and explored. Although the two races have lived side by side for hundreds of years, the seemingly insurmountable communication barrier has kept humans from truly understanding the pegasi. I really liked seeing the details of both cultures revealed through Sylvi and Ebon's increasing understanding of one another.
- There may be magic and flying monsters in this book, but the characters all feel grounded and genuine. At the heart of this story is a sixteen year old on the cusp of adulthood who finds herself caught in a difficult and pivotal place between two worlds. Sylvi is shy, somewhat self-conscious, and frequently seems to find herself making mistakes in front of large crowds. She is also compassionate and observant, and she has a strong sense of justice. I found her easy to sympathize with, whether she was nervous about her first big journey away from home or baffled by how much the world can change in a single moment. I am eager to see what the second book has in store for her.
- I loved Ebon and Sylvi's relationship. Their personalities are remarkably suited to one another. Both are curious and observant, and neither is afraid to question ideas their societies have accepted for centuries. The more they learn about one another, the more they begin to examine their own cultural histories. Sylvi is fascinated by the pegasi culture and some aspects of the book reminded me of a colonial love story between a European immigrant and a Native American.
- Even the minor characters in this book are memorable, and their relationships are all believably complex. I found myself growing attached to several minor characters, like Hirishy, Ahathin, and Hibeehea, and I hope to see more of each of them in the second book.

What I Wished:
- I wished the final pages of this book were less torturous. This book ends in the midst of a fairly traumatic development and almost feels as though it cuts off mid-chapter. The abrupt and unsatisfying ending is really my only complaint about this book, so I definitely look forward to reading the second half of the story in the sequel (which I believe is set for publication in 2012).

Pegasus is sure to please fans of Robin McKinley's previous novels. This book made me want to re-read a few of my old favorites, like Beauty and Spindle's End. If you enjoy young adult (or middle grade) fantasy novels like Shannon Hale's or Tamora Pierce's books, you will want to pick up Robin McKinley's Pegasus. I also think this book will appeal to Anne McCaffrey fans. I can't wait to read the second book!

This book contains Robin McKinley's usual exquisite prose and fantastic world-building. It also contains her usual rambling style of writing, with lots of digressions - sometimes in the middle of the conversation, necessitating the reader to go back several paragraphs in order to pick up the thread of the dialogue. If this doesn't drive you nuts, the book is well worth reading.

However, it ends abruptly, right in the middle of the most climactic event in the book (and McKinley's books are not known for being "action-packed" in the first place). I wasn't aware that a sequel was planned until I checked the other reviews here - frankly, it would have been nice if that information had been included in the book, since Ms McKinley isn't known for writing sequels.

My advice is to wait to read this book until the sequel comes out, so you can read both books together. Otherwise, you'll come to the end of "Pegasus" and find yourself irritated and disappointed - particularly when you find out you'll have to wait until 2014 for the sequel. Neither Ms McKinley nor her publisher do themselves any favors by not being upfront about the fact that this is only the first part of the story.

LOVE this book! Robin McKinley is my favourite author. What a master she is! I read this book and lent it to a workmate, and when she's finished with it, I'm reading it again. The sequel had better come out soon!! It really did end on a cliffhanger that really was much too abrupt. I actually cried because the scene was so heart-wrenching. The character "Ebon" is, of course, my favourite. How could anyone not love him. The only reason I gave this book 4 stars instead of 5 is because I wish Robin McKinley had continued on to a much more satisfying resolution, or at least a more satisfying partial resolution. Pegasus is such joy to read that I really didn't want the story to end. And I got rather nervous near the end and thought to myself that there is no way everything will get wrapped up by the end. Unfortunately, I was right. So hurry up Robin McKinley!!! Finish the sequel!!!

I just finished reading this book. In my humble opinion, it is not one of McKinley's better novels, and I have read all but maybe one or two. She is one of my favorite authors. But it seems like some of her later novels are a bit tedious. I trudged through Chalice. I am reading Dragonhaven and having a hard time getting through that one- I may not even finish it, and I very rarely not finish a book. Pegasus is better than those two, but still not NEARLY as wonderful as her other books: Hero, Sword, both Beauty books, Spindle, Sunshine, Sherwood, etc.

Whilst reading the book I... I don't know, I just kept expecting something big to happen. The whole book was one big build up to the end, where it climaxed, and then -! It just cuts off. There was really no ending whatsoever. It's like someone ripped the last few pages from the book. But so looking forward to the sequel!!

So the book is a little slow, but still engrossing. Worthwhile reading for a true McKinley fan or any fantasy fan, but maybe not for others.

I loved McKinley's writing, these characters, and this world! It felt totally new... So different from other fantasy books with pegasi. Her writing style in this book was odd in that she wandered in time within the same chapter. It was more structured by theme or idea and not exactly chronological. Lots of past or future experiences written alongside the chronological narrative. Interesting and lovely when you got used to it.

This story is gorgeous. There's the expected amazing prose, and the way she immerses you completely into the world. I felt like I was there. (The return to reality was kind of disappointing. Where's my pegasus??) There were so many perfect details about Sylvi's life, her family and the kingdom, and the pegasi were just...incredible. The pegasi were so. wonderful. You've never seen anything like these.

I loved how the humans and pegasi were so different -- the impossible language barrier is only the beginning -- and yet they worked together and had an alliance that was almost a thousand years old. I loved how different Sylvi and Ebon were from everyone else, and the strength of their bond even before it's official.

There is, of course, magic in this story. And court intrigue. And lots of magical creatures in addition to the pegasi.

Really, there are so many things I wish I could talk about, but it's still seven months until this releases, so I'm going to try really hard not to ruin it for anyone. But I will tell you this: The end had me in tears. It took me quite a while to recover, which is why you need to know this is only the first half.

I can't wait until the second half comes out. I'm dying of needing to know what happens.

Shocked and appalled by the abrupt ending, not at all the author's usual style. There IS a sequal due out in 2 years (2012). If I'd known that, I would have just waited and bought the pair, because this book's 'ending' was a HORRIBLE way to pause the narrative. I don't know what the writer and her editing/publishing team were thinking. Boo.

Otherwise, an intricate coming-of-age story with bits of culture shock/adaptation and political intrigue thrown in for good measure. The heroine is a sympathetic character for readers who are young, shy, and/or a younger sibling. Slow story development and sudden shifts in chronological narration may bother some readers, but everything is braided together in an interesting way. The cliffhanger will probably make you throw the book across the room. Good luck with that.

What the heck kind of ending was that???? The world building is interesting; the upcoming war has potential; but nothing much actually happens in this tome. It is supposedly going to take until 2015 until book TWO is published. I may just be finished with McKinley as an author after this disappointing book. Though the writing was grand at times, it is just a disgrace to have a book that looks like a singleton be the FIRST in an unfinished trilogy. BAD FORM!!!

Why I bought it:
This book was recommended on teenreads, so my friend recommended it to me from there (she hadn't read it yet)
Plot:
Cute plot about a girl and her "pegausus. There were many things that din't make perfect sense to me but as an aspiring writer who likes to create fantasy worlds I understand how hard it is to describe worlds.
Ending(No spoilers):
Confusing, but I'm excited for the next book!
Writing:
Not the best, but I could understand it.

So, for my overall review (and I'm sorry it's so short but I haven't read this book for a little while and don't remember all of the details :0)

5 Stars maximum- 1 for beginning, 1 for Ending, 1 for plot, 1 for writing style, and 1 for overall enjoyment

Beginning: .5
Ending: .5
Plot:1
Writing: .5
Overall enjoyment: 1

Total: 3.5 (I couldn't write that so I just put it as a 4)

Pegasus by Robin McKinley was one of my most highly anticipated books of 2010. I've mentioned before that I love Robin McKinley. She is the author I credit with teaching me that fantasy can be a great genre to read. I was so excited when I noticed a new McKinley book that I'm pretty sure I made those embarrassing 'sqeeish' noises.

When the book came in the mail, I was beyond excited. And then, I started reading... End of excitement. The entire book was a struggle for me to get through. The beginning of the book is really vague, with the readers jumping into the middle of our 12 year old princess' history lesson and the narration doesn't really clear up much after that. I felt like I was reading the story told many years later by someone who kept forgetting the order things happened. It was full of flashbacks and flashforwards that would go on for pages, before the narration would pick up again in the present. I'm normally okay with this in books, but I like a little warning first. These flashes would just happen, and I'd find myself wondering where we were, and when we left the present tense.

I also regularly found myself bored with all the description. McKinley is a fantastic world builder and has a great imagination. I am amazed that she is able to come up with such beautiful and vivid descriptions for this magical world, but I got tired of hearing about them over and over again. It felt too much like a really boring teacher's desperate attempt to make a history lesson interesting to a group of students who couldn't care less. (ie: fail).

The story does definitely pick up once Ebon enters the picture and the story is no longer solely about Sylvi. Ebon was a fun character and I found myself truly enjoying his blunt and honest interior commentary. But this too was over used.

I must also admit that I was seriously upset, disappointed and annoyed when I realized that this book was actually going to have a sequel. I thought that McKinley could easily have cut the book down by 100 or so pages, removing the repetitious and redundant descriptions, and smoothing out the timeline, and then I find out she's going to follow it up with a second book?! Sigh. That was a bit of a bummer. And, of course I need to read the sequel because this book has one of the worst endings I've ever read. It ends, quite literally, in the middle of a scene. Nothing is resolved, everyone seems doomed, and all we have to go on are questions, assumptions and vague references to history.

I know that this review is predominantly negative, which makes me sad, and is not entirely what I was going for. The writing is, as always, beautiful and very well done. Sylvi and Ebon were a great character team, and their friendship is almost palpable. Their connection has enriched their lives, and I'm very interested to see what they will be able to accomplish in the future.

And although I was quite annoyed that this story ends in the middle of the scene, I must admit that I am incredibly interested in watching what Sylvi's father does with this new information, and how it will change their lives.

Overall, this is a beautiful story that just happens to be a little difficult to get through. But, I'd still recommend it for McKinley fans. Just, don't get your hopes too high.

McKinley has a number of excellent books including Beauty, Chalice, and Dragonhaven...
McKinley also has a number of terrible books which include Rose Daughter, Fire: Tales of Elemental Spirits, and now Pegasus.

Oh how excited I was to find this book at my local library. Oh how happy I was to read it... until I discovered it was unnecessarily wordy and the shifts in time setting were impossible to follow. She is here....and then suddenly she is somewhere else...but then you discover 4 unnecessary pages later that she is still there and the plot progresses (albeit slowly) once again. This book did not need to be 404 pages long.

Also, the ending is rubbish and makes the time it took one to sort through it and read it seem absolutely wasted. McKinley even gives the main character quest items as though her fate can change and then ends it abruptly. Even an epilogue would have made it somewhat better.
Epilogue - they run away
Epilogue - she lives a short life and dies young
Maybe a little something about how the war ends in any case?
Alas, there is nothing at the end of this book. I wonder what the author and publishers were thinking.
This book is rubbish.

I have read and reread McKinley's books since "Beauty" first came out. I doubt that I'll reread "Pegasus" or bother with the sequel--which I knew nothing about. Count me among those shocked and disappointed at the ending. As the pages thinned at the end I wondered how she could possibly wrap up the story, to find she didn't bother--or maybe doesn't know how. Clearly the relationship between Prncess Silvi and the pegasus Ebon is more than brotherly or best friends; apart from the telepathic attunement, she loves being near him physically--where does McKinley think she's going with that? There's no clue in the book that magic can turn her into a pegasus also, but her longing to stay in the pegasus land and increasing dislike of her human body suggest perhaps in part 2 she will become one--so much for her learning to deal with the world. The other problem with the book is McKinley's increasingly didactic style; other reviewers mention her world-building, and I'm getting the impression, from "Sunshine" and "Chalice" also, that she would rather create the world, imagine all the details--and tell us every one of them--than tell the story. She doesn't weave the details in, she lays them out in sometimes repetitive lengths of exposition. "Pegasus" is 400 pages long; there should have been room for the story. At least "Sunshine" ended with a battle won, even though the war wasn't over and the relationships between Sunshine, Mel, and Con were unresolved; McKinley didn't do a sequel to that book and it makes me wonder if she will bother this time either.

There is a horse-drawn carriage rolling through a scenic meadow. The sun is shining; there are delightful fragrances in the air. The only catch is the you are the sweaty and straining horse, and the carriage you were pulling happened to be occupied by three rather large sombrero-wearing rainbow-colored elephants.

I admit, the sombreros and colors were unnecessary, but you have a vivid mental image now, yes...?

OK, so you're struggling to haul three elephants behind you. But you keep going, because there might just be something satisfying greeting you at the end of the path. maybe some water, a nice cool shade, or a huge pile of oats and other delectable munchies. Instead, what greets you is the edge of a cliff. Apparently, the scenic route has suddenly decided to stop existing. Poof. Gone, just like that.

Thus was my experience while flipping through the pages of Pegasus. Robin McKinley is undeniably one of the best fantasy world-builders I have ever had the honor to read; but the pacing -- it was horrendously slow. I could not read more than two chapters without feeling the urge to bang my head against something hard. This had to be stomached in small doses, which is why it took me a staggering total of 15 days to read. I had to stop periodically and read other, more frivolous books before plunging back into the story of a princess and her pegasus. This book is truly a test of patience.

"Pegasus" does redeem itself and earn an extra star for its setting and background history, and the writing style fits nicely with the type of story it is describing. The novel would be a great source for artists trying to paint a fantasy scene. But for readers who are looking for a plot? Not so much...

The ending makes the sequel (exp. publication date: 2012) almost mandatory. There was a slight build-up, and then the book just ended. The expression on my face would probably have scared a few children if I were reading this in public.

....unless it's a plodding, laborious, overly-long story without an ending.

Let me start by saying that I am a BIG Robin McKinley fan. I think highly of many of her stories (Spindle's End, The Blue Sword, Hero & the Crown, Beauty, Rose Daughter). But I'm beginning to see that many of her recent works (Chalice, Sunshine, that fire elements collection, and THIS) just plain-out STINK.

Detail, description and character are McKinley's forte. Plot is not. I get that. And the endings of her stories --more often than not-- are whirlwinds of impossibility and magic, leaving me thinking "What just happened?" or "Now how did she manage that?!" But they've worked because there has been something about those worlds and characters that drew me in.

This story is lacking that spark, that draw of her earlier works.

After reading 1/3 of the book, I started skimming the first 1-2 sentences of each paragraph, just to get through it...and I doubt I missed a thing. And then, at the end, just when the story was picking up -- war with evil creatures coming to the country, deepening of the relationship b/t Pegasus and girl, conflict with evil magician coming to a climax -- nothing. That's it, the end. The magician brings terrible news that girl & Pegasus cannot remain bonded, she cries, Pegasus leaves room. The end.

Wha....?!?

What about the roc sighting in the kingdom, the relationship with Pegasi, the *EVERYTHING* we've been reading about for the past 400 pages?!

I checked R.M.'s website and it said that a sequel was due out in 2014. TWO-THOUSAND AND FOURTEEN!? I am so terribly sorry for those fans that read this when it was released in 2010. Sheesh. It's one thing to wait for a much-anticipated sequel to an awesome story, but to wait four years for a sequel to a mediocre and plodding tale? Unpardonable.

Robin McKinley has done another wonderful story (no surprise there). Other people have summed up the plot, so I won't go into any depth...The style of Pegasus is somewhat similar to her 'Sunshine' novel, which was why I was so surprised it was a 'YA' book. It has no swear words, or sex scenes, or things like that, I promise! It does, however, jump from one thought to the next, assumes the reader will figure things out as the book progresses, and the 'timeline' so to speak, can be very vague in places. There isn't anything in the writing or the way the book was printed to indicate when the princess is in the middle of a memory, and when it's something really happening. Most of the YA books I read spell things out a good bit clearer. Pegasus was rather confusing at times, but I managed to keep up by not letting it bother me and bog me down trying to figure it out. Go with the flow. It was that confusing writing that dropped the book down 1/2 star. Using phrases and made-up words without explaining them is par for the course as far as McKinley's writing goes. In it's own way, it draws the reader in, makes the world feel more real, because there aren't so many EXPLANATIONS about what something means. But she used a lot of made up words. A lot. And rarely explained any of them. Even so, it didn't detract from the novel as a whole. It was an excellent story, even if the cliff hanger ending made me want to pull my hair out. I even KNEW about the suspenseful ending, and read the book anyway. I should have waited until closer until the release of the 2nd pegasus book, which isn't scheduled to come out until sometime in 2012!!!! That's forever away! You get so attached the the two main characters and McKinley cuts the book at the most heart-wrenching moment for both of them. My own foolishness aside, I recommend this book highly, but you might want to wait until closer to 2012, for your own sanity's sake if nothing else. It's a little difficult to wade through, and sometimes you're not very sure what's going on, but it's still worth it. Great book!

Among the stack of unread books I have dubbed "random stuff that people have more or less tossed at me" was Pegasus by Robin McKinley. It promptly got shifted to the "next in queue" when one of my friends recommended it to me.

The story centers around Sylvie, fourth child of the king and Ebon, her bonded pegasus. Pegasai are intelligent. Actually it comes about that they aren't the only non humanoids that are intelligent in this narrative universe. Most of the book focuses on the differences between pegasai and human culture and how Ebon and Sylvie pass through the borders between them. There is a bit of a subtext through the book about how the elders in both the pegasus and the human communities react very differently to Sylvie and Ebon's way of understanding each other, but there really isn't any fuss about it until the very end of the book.

This might turn into something of a "OMG me likey!" sort of review, so I think I'll get the gripes out of the way. I hated the ending. There's very little lead in for it and I didn't get why it was there in the first place at all. I ended up left with the impression that the entire first portion of the book had suddenly become an extended prologue and now more fast paced action would be forthcoming. That is not what I like to find in a book that was up til that point been reading like a nice soft, fuzzy tale with no edges on it. It was like finding a pit in one's peach tart.

Ending aside, I sometimes like nice soft, fuzzy, slower paced stories without edges. If pressed I would have to say that this is a book nearly entirely about friendship and creating understanding where there was incomprehension before. Far more focus is spent navigating cultural differences than any other external conflict. I really really liked how Sylvie and Ebon would find differences and fill in gaps in the histories that their peoples shared. I liked the contrast and culture shock Sylvie went through when she returns from visiting Ebon's family in their homelands.

Other details I liked were that the pegasai and the humans focused on different things in their legends about each other. I thought it helped make them seem simultaneously more personable and more "other" at the same time. The "wings versus strong hands" trope was also kind of fun and it was neat to see how Sylvie's and Ebon's views on the subject were aired.

If you are looking for an action filled fantasy, do not bother with this book. If you find yourself hankering for a book with an interesting culture interaction tale going on, Pegasus will certainly fit the bill.

Pegasus (2010) is a standalone Fantasy novel. It is set in the kingdom of Balsinland, which was bestowed to humans eight centuries ago by the native pegasi. The humans and pegasi have troubles communicating with each other. Pegasi communicate among themselves with mental speech, but no human in history has been able to hear pegasi mind speak.

Human magicians and pegasi shamans managed to work out an imprecise noverbal jargon for use between the two species. Using this pidgin and their magic, the magicians and shamans produced a treaty between humans and pegasi. This treaty established the human kingdom and created an alliance to combat and drive away the many predators within the pegasi homelands.

Since the signing of the treaty, important humans are magically bound with pegasi to improve interspecies relationships. Such bindings are usually performed on the human's twelth birthday. Each bound pair is assigned a human magician as a Speaker to mediate between the two. Some bindings are closer than others.

In this novel, Sylviianel is the fourth child of the king and queen of Baslinland. Sylvi is almost twelve years old and would rather be out with her hounds or hawks than studying within the castle.

Corone is the sixth King of Balsinland and the fourth of that name. He is married to Eliona and is Sylvi's father.

Ahathin is a magician. He is also Sylvi's tutor and a Speaker.

Fthoom is a magician. All magicians are officially equal, but he is the unofficial head of the magician's guild.

Lrrianay is a pegasus and is bound to Corone. He is King of the pegasi and is also the father of Ebon.

Hirishy is a pegasus and is bound to Eliona. She is also timid, but has a rather maternal interest in Sylvi.

Ebon is a pegasus. He is the fourth son of Lrrianay and Aliaalia.

In this story, Sylvi studies the history of the treaty that created the alliance between the Pegasi and the humans. Ahathin arranges for her to read an old text written by a witness to the first contact between the two species. The pegasi were hard pressed by predators prior to that meeting and were pleased to ally with the humans.

On her twelth birthday, Sylvi is first sworn to the King on the Sword. Sylvi doesn't hear much of the ceremony. She is too fascinated by the Sword, which is staring back at her.

Sylvi doesn't much like magicians, except for Ahathin and one other. The binding ceremony is conducted by FIVE magicians. Since she is a royal, Fthoom officiates over the binding.

Sylvi meets Ebon for the first time during the binding ceremony. They discover that they can mind speak with each other. He tells her his name and she mentions the name to the crowd. Unfortunately, Fthoom has not yet told her Ebon's name. This causes a great uproar.

Fthoom is very upset. First he accuses her of meeting Ebon prior to the ceremony. When she tells him that Ebon has just told her his name, he is even more irritated. He has problems with them being able to mind speak.

Fthoom becomes hostile toward Sylvi. After one incident within the court, Carone assigns Fthoom to search for other bound pairs that can use mind speech. This assignment takes Fthoom away from Sylvi and may even find other instances of such mental communications. The king also assigns observers to watch Fthoom.

Even though Sylvi and Ebon can mind speak with eath other, they are assigned a Speaker. Luckily, Carone applies pressure on the Speaker's Guild and Ahathin is designated as Sylvi's Speaker. He will remain her tutor until she reaches the age of maturity -- sixteen years -- and then continue as her Speaker.

Sylvi notices that some bound pairs can communicate somewhat without Speakers. Her father and Lrrianay can work out some ideas with great deal of effort. Hirishy can understand simple human speech and act out some simple ideas. But no others can mind speak.

After the binding, Sylvi and Ebon travel throughout the countryside meeting the populace. They visit towns and villages within the kingdom and make friends everywhere they go. Although it is against tradition to touch pegasi, they allow small children to touch Ebon and even sit on his back.

Of course, Sylvi wonders what riding Ebon into the sky would be like. It is Ebon who brings up the matter. They fly only at night to keep their impudent activities from others. The takeoffs are not bad, but Sylvi gains many bruises during the landings.

This tale takes Sylvi on a visit to the pegasi heartlands. No other humans have done so. Her father travels to the border with her, but she travels with only her pegasi escort to the Caves of Rememberance.

This story ends with Sylvi and Ebon separated. The conclusion is rapid and leaves too many open issues. There has to be a sequel, but none has been announced as yet. Keep an eye out for more about Sylvi and Ebon in Balsinland.

Highly recommended for McKinley fans and for anyone else who enjoys tales of flying creatures, cultural conflicts, and stubborn youngsters. Read and enjoy!

-Arthur W. Jordin

As always, the worldbuilding that Robin McKinley does is pure magic. All of it feels real- the well-told history of the treaty and the way that parts of the story were lost over time. The tiny details, like the small and deft hands of the pegasi. Every bit was engrossing. Sylvi and Ebon were perfectly drawn as the fourth children of their respective fathers. A princess and her pegasus, Excellent Friends, and true friends.

There is little I can say that hasn't been said more eloquently than I can manage, so I will close with the only negative. As other reviewers have mentioned, the novel ends in the middle- no warning other than the sudden lack of extra pages. I can only hope that the next book is released soon, because I find myself needing to know how it ends.

No one can deny that Robin McKinley really knows how to write a fairytale novel. This one has plenty of action, a bit of angst, love and romance and loyalties and betrayals.

I was surprised though that it started out so slow for me. Maybe I've become a spoiled reader, expecting books to just get right into the story. With Pegasus we get a build up, with some history and glimpses into the past before the story really takes off. However, this book is very well written. Robin McKinley is one of those writers that have a way with words. The story always feels polished and finished, never awkward. When I say it started out slow for me, it's the pace - the almost leisurely beginning. The plot is excellent and the storytelling is superb.

The main character is a princess, Sylvi whose family has been ruling within a land that used to be ruled by Pegasi. Hundreds of years ago, the two races came into an accord, a treaty. However, I don't think the two sides look at the treaty quite the same way...

Every royal member of the family gets bonded with a pegasus. The pegasi and the humans need a speaker, a magician to help them translate, since even with sign language meanings don't usually translate well between the two races. But when Sylvi gets bonded with her pegasus, she discovers that she can communicate with her pegasus without a speaker, and not only with her pegasus, but others.....and things become complicated from then on. Sylvi and Ebon, her pegasus, become real friends and do things together that haven't been done for hundreds of years, if ever.

A wonderfully written book - and yet I didn't like the ending. It was a rather sad ending. That's okay - it's not the authors job to write endings that I'll like, but an ending that rings true to the novel. And this ending makes me wonder if there are going to be other novels in the same world..... It's written well, the words and pages flow along.

Get the book - it would make a great Christmas gift for teens and adults - especially those who have a soft spot for pegasus and fairytales that don't always have a happy ending.

Unlike some other reviewers, I fortunately borrowed this from the library.

Find this in paper first and read the last 5 pages. The book ends on a cliffhanger with zero resolution at all. Five years later, I think the sequel is still yet to appear.

I normally love Robin Mckinley but was extremely disappointed with this novel. There is no indication on the cover or blurb on the back, but this is only half a story, and ends extremely abruptly in the middle of the action, with no resolution and no hint of any further novels. While it features the usual Mckinley-style of heroine, who seems uncertain of herself, her skills and her place in society, there is little character development or growth, and I was left frustrated and wanting far more.

I wouldn't recommend reading this until or unless robin Mckinley finishes the series, because it's just too unsatisfactory as a stand-alone story that may never be completed.

On her twelfth birthday, Sylviianel, like all the members of the royal family, is to be bonded to a royal pegasus. Not that they'll be able to be close friends - communication between humans and pegasi is extremely difficult, and complex ideas require the aid of a magician Speaker. Except Sylvi and her pegasus, Ebon, can communicate directly: they can hear each other's thoughts. It's great for them, but some of the magicians are less than pleased with this development, and Sylvi and Ebon have to hide some of their capabilities, like flying together. Meanwhile, the pegasi's ancient enemies harry the human kingdom's borders, and the resistance of the magicians threatens the eight-hundred-year-old Alliance between pegasi and humans.

First let me say that I really like Robin McKinley. Her books are fairly similar in style, so if you like McKinley, you'll probably like this book, and if not, don't buy it. Pegasus certainly isn't McKinley's best work, but it's not a bad read. The relationship between pegasi and humans is different from the usual inter-species interaction, and McKinley does her usual excellent work making the world feel real. I liked Sylvi and Ebon, and the king and queen. The plot was a standard sort of "enemies from without and within" fare.

Pegasus was a decent book, but there wasn't really anything special about it. As I said, it was mostly your basic Robin McKinley story. There will be a sequel, but not a whole lot happened, plotwise, in this book. I did find the pegasi interesting, but mostly it was pretty average, neither spectacularly good nor terribly bad.

Robin McKinley is famous for her stunning writing whether in lush fantasy titles like BEAUTY or my favorite (and much in need of a sequel), her urban fantasy SUNSHINE. Her writing paints pictures so vivid that you experience her worlds on every possible level. Nowhere is that more beautifully true then in PEGASUS.

I always love stories that invite readers in to a special bond between humans and animals. Anne McCaffery's Pern series pioneered that type of relationship and the humans are always in complete awe of the creatures, but in PEGASUS, the slight twist is that the pegasi are as much in awe of us as we are of them. We admire/envy their grace and beauty and wings. They admire/envy our strength and dexterity and hands.

There are moments of thrilling adventure, breathless danger, and touching friendship so tender that it speaks to the child in all of us. The pacing of PEGASUS is gradual and calm, never rushing or hurrying through. We're meant to admire each sentence and drink in each scene even when it doesn't really advance the story. The result is a delicate and exquisite fairy tale.

Reminiscent of C.S. Lewis's THE HORSE AND HIS BOY, PEGASUS is a lovely quiet story, beautifully written and gracefully told. The ending is a cliffhanger, so we'll all have to wait for the unnamed sequel to PEGASUS is coming in 2012.

On Princess Sylvi's twelfth birthday, she is bound to her pegasus. For the past thousand years, an alliance has existed between humans and pegasi. Communication between species is difficult, so magicians are needed as interpreters. But as soon as Sylvi meets Ebon her bonded pegasus, the two are able to speak telepathically. Their bond is immediate and a strong friendship soon develops. But not everyone is happy about the bond that the two share. Some see Sylvi as a threat to relations with the pegasi and their entire way of life.

Sylvi and Ebon are like-minded adolescents who share an incredible friendship. Their worlds are wrapped up in each other. McKincley's characters have immense depth, both humans and pegasi alike. Her world-building is flawless, where pegasi are completely sentient, but their society has developed in a different way from humans. Scenes where Sylvi and Ebon take nightly, forbidden flights together are magical. The prose is beautiful and completely engaging. The drama and mystery are completely riveting. Fantastic events lead to an abrupt ending cut much too short. But thankfully, the story will continue in a sequel releasing in 2012. Fantasy fans of all ages will love this captivating story of friendship and duty.

You can get the plot line elsewhere.
I delayed reading this book because I knew it was the first half of the story, the second half coming later. Yes, it ends in just as startling a cliffhanger as I had been warned in McKinley's blog. Even forewarned, it was a shock.
I rather wish I'd waited a little longer so the amount of time until book 2 would be less. I want to know what happens NOW!
The characters are well defined and distinct. The world(s) clear and unique. I care about the characters and want the best for their world(s).
There are some tempting hints dropped here and there of things that I suspect will show up in book 2.

Pegasus is a lovely story. Robin McKinley does an amazing job of developing the pegasus/human societies and customs, which make the growing bond between Sylvi and her pegasus, Ebon, all the more poignant. Every scene featuring those two is captivating, whether they're flying together or simply mind-speaking. Ebon is hilarious, and Sylvi is smart, capable and likable.

I wanted to like the side characters more than I did; some, like Ebon's little sister, are funny and memorable, but too many fade into the jumble of once-or-twice mentioned foreign names. The Big Bad is physically absent from most of the book, but his presence lingers over the main characters. I actually didn't mind this, since it allows the ignorance perpetuated by the two species, human and pegasus, to be highlighted as the real "evil."

The exposition-heavy introduction (archaic spellings and formal wording abound!) is unnecessarily tedious. The narrative is also choppy at times, with Sylvi's memories interrupting the progression of the central plot. Fortunately, McKinley's writing is so beautiful that even the most disorienting time-switch is worth reading. One final issue: Sylvi is described as a proficient swordswoman, but she's never actually shown wielding a sword. Hopefully a battle scene or two will be featured in the sequel.

I've heard a lot of amazing things about Pegasus, and while I agree that it is a beautifully written book, it just wasn't the book for me.

Admittedly, it confused me. A lot. This book kind of goes all over the place. One minute Sylvi is talking to somebody, the next she's wrapped up in a memory of when she was a child. Had it been just a few times, it would've been easy for me to just read and get over, but the continuous flashbacks are so consistent that I was left dizzy trying to figure out where they started, stopped, what was going on now and what wasn't just a memory. And at times, I felt like it was just telling me information instead of telling me a story. Almost like a textbook.

I did continue to read for the relationship of Sylvi and Ebon though. Even though I spent the majority of the book confused, their friendship leaped off the pages. From the second they became bound, their entire relationship seemed doomed from the start, but their care and desperation for each other was so gorgeously crafted. I couldn't stop reading, if only to find out the outcome of their frowned-upon friendship.

Overall, Pegasus was a gorgeously written book and it's definitely a classic in the making, but it's not one that I enjoyed very much. If a sequel is released, I will give it a chance because Ebon and Sylvi are two characters that did manage to captivate me, even if the story didn't. But I recommend this to historical fans and fans of the classics; I think this is better suited for you guys.

Like many other reviewers, I am entranced by the worlds Robin McKinley creates. She teleports you to another place and time with seemingly very little effort on her part, and that is true for "Pegasus." The story is layered, however, and there is more to the story than the conflict over the unusually tight bond Sylvi and Ebon share. I think this is why so many reviewers have trouble with this book. It is not a simple tale, as so many of her other stories are.

If two peoples no longer need an intermediary to communicate, what truths will be revealed that others wish concealed? What is the fault at the core of the Alliance? Why does human magic prohibit clear thought and interferes with understanding Pegasi language? What is the force that prevents Pegasi shamans from infrequently visiting the Balsinland castle? What is the true story behind the incursion of powerful mythical creatures, especially the Rocs?

I cannot wait for Ms. McKinley's conclusion of this tale....

Sylvani, king's daughter, is preparing to be magically bonded to a son of the king of the Pegasi, as is required by the treaty between their kingdoms. To everyone's shock, at the ceremony it turns out that Sylvani can mindspeak with her bonded pegasus. Which is impossible. Except it isn't.

I was concerned about how McKinley would be able to put the pegasus - froo-froo fantastical creature to the extreme - into a serious novel. There was no need to worry, though; McKinley's nonhuman characters have always been at least as well developed as the humans. The Pegasi are amazing.

I read this knowing that it was Part 1 of an as-yet-unfinished tale, and McKinley mentioned on her blog that the ending is unsatisfying, so I knew what was coming. But I was still surprised and upset at the cliffhanger where the story stops. I loved the book, but I expect the next time I read it will be right before Part 2 is released, whenever that will be. I can't wait.

I think that Robin McKinley needs a change of editor. This book is too long and took too many turns that should have been nipped in the bud before coming to print.

I really looked forward to reading this book, as I have greatly enjoyed most of Ms. McKinley's other books. The rocky start of _Chalice_ was salvaged in the end, and I kept hoping _Pegasus_' inauspicious beginning would be, too. It wasn't.

First of all, the relationship between Sylvi and Ebon(as at least one other reviewer mentioned) is downright creepy. There's something more than friendship going on here. I think it's particularly EW! because pegasi look like horses...we're not talking aliens, elves, fairies or even dragons, but something that largely looks like a real-life animal. The flying sequences almost seem like a metaphor for something else. More yuck. Moreover, Ebon is way too annoying. He won't shut up and comes off way too cocky to be likeable.

McKinley also spends too much time on insignificant details and description and too little on what would actually be compelling. McKinley makes a big deal about how Sylvi doesn't want to reveal what happened when she visited the land of the pegasi (particularly about the portrayal of the treaty-signing in the Caves and the revelation that Redfora and her pegasus were also truly bonded), but we never understand why. You'd think the first thing Sylvi would do is go to the library and find out more about Redfora...but she never does. It's confusing rather than tension-building, and Sylvi comes off as stupid, or at least immature.

The magic and what magicians do is poorly explained, and because of this, what they do looses drama. The central villian disappears for most of the book, and when he reappears, we don't care what he's going to say...and when he says it, it doesn't make much sense.

There are other potentially interesting characters--Sylvi's family members, Galfin, the pegasus shaman, and Sylvi's Speaker--but none of them are used enough in a plot that revolves too much around the two central characters that are basically annoying teenagers.

I almost abandoned this book multiple times. I kept thinking, "It'll get better." It never did. I don't recommend the book and can't imagine reading its sequel unless the reviews are truly outstanding.

In novels like BEAUTY, THE HERO AND THE CROWN and SPINDLE'S END, accomplished author Robin McKinley has proven time and again that not only can she shape established fairy tale and folkloric material into something innovative and modern, she can also construct her own intricately imagined fantasy worlds. Her imaginative realms are, in addition to being thoroughly realized, peopled with recognizable, authentic, fully human characters. Her new book, PEGASUS, is no exception. Here McKinley takes a mythical creature everyone recognizes --- the winged horse Pegasus --- and around this figure creates a whole new mythology that's entirely her own.

"Because she was a princess she had a pegasus" opens the novel, and that one sentence encapsulates a thousand years of treaties and complicated relationships between human and pegasi royalty. In a land most often called "the beautiful green country," human royals are bound at the age of 12 to their pegasi counterparts in an elaborate, time-honored ritual. From then on, the pairs are expected to attempt communication through a series of half-understood hand gestures and the mediation of Speakers, or magicians who can supposedly translate between the two noble races.

That is, until Sylvi turns 12 and is bound to a beautiful black pegasus named Ebon. Even though it's strictly forbidden, she knows Ebon's name before it's revealed to her at the proper moment in the binding ceremony. That's because Ebon tells her his name himself; the two have an instant, unspoken connection and can understand each other perfectly, telepathically. This nearly unprecedented communication threatens and angers the royal magicians and mystifies the other royals.

Sylvi's new relationship with Ebon delights both of them, however, as they come to understand each other's worlds. Sylvi even flies on Ebon's back, a joyous experience that is strictly forbidden but proves exhilarating both to the small girl and her large, hollow-boned pegasus. Soon, Sylvi is granted insights and privileges virtually unheard of in her world, privileges that lead her to the pegasi's distant caves but also further attract the attention and resentment of their enemies.

Unlike most of McKinley's novels, PEGASUS is set up to be the first installment of a two-part saga. Despite its expansive scope and length, it may surprise those who are looking for a resolution to Sylvi and Ebon's stories. Readers need time and space to settle into this heavily historicized and ritualized world, with its annals and customs, menacing beasts and political intrigues. The longer two-part structure also allows McKinley to develop Sylvi as a character, from an unsure young girl to a fully-fledged royal on the brink of womanhood. Ebon, too, is a well-developed character; his snarky internal dialogue with Sylvi provides much of the novel's humor even as he himself grows into his maturity.

Some may dismiss PEGASUS as just a twist on the classic girl-meets-horse novel popular with the equine set, but it's so much more. A gorgeously realized fantasy world with a strong history and sense of place, a fascinating relationship, and a terrific meditation on the changing expectations and understanding of history: all these elements come together as Robin McKinley crafts another firmly grounded, loftily imaginative fantasy world.

--- Reviewed by Norah Piehl

This book was pretty good. Unique plot, defined characters, and a good background history. The plot was interesting,and well described. Mansebey just a little too much description. The book gong on for 400pgs was a little drawn out. The author starts it out while syli is 11 turning 12. The book describes the bonding, and a few days after that. Then the book skips about 3 years of friendship between her and ebony. The book then goes on to syli visiting the Pegasus at their home in which she Lear's things about herself she never knew. The ending is very abrupt, but happens at a very suspenseful point. The next book should apperentally be commingled out in '12.
My only dislikes of the book was the names, the sudden changes of setting, and how it is drawn out. The names in the book were hard for me to memories, because they just kept shooting more at you. Some of them even sounded a lot alike. In the book I found that many times the setting changed without me realizing it. On minute they are outside, the next they're all in the kings office. At those points I reread and rereread it and I still didn't get it. This book was also drawn out a whole lot. Me, I like adventurous books always keeping you in suspense. This book rarely had any good action in it.
All in all though I liked it. I would recomend this book to anyone who likes fairy tales and mythical creature, all in one.

This book was OK.It was imaginative and the basic plot has possibilities. The book's problem was that nothing was finished. The publishers should have waited until the sequels were written and then combined them into one or two books. This book was just a scene setting story, introducing characters and conflicts. I strongly recommend that you wait to buy this book until the sequel comes out. If that book has a "cliffhanger" ending, then wait some more or give up. The story is really too simple to be stretched out.

Gorgeous, lush, and intense, with an intricately worked-out magical world, deep emotional resonance, and really fabulous characters all throughout, not just the main characters but also the smaller secondary ones, who are all rich and true (and, in some cases, very funny, too).

This is only half of the story - Pegasus II will be published separately, in 2012 - and when I came to the end of this volume, I could have screamed with frustration...but based on this first part, the final combination may well turn out to be one of my very favorite fantasies EVER. It's already one of my very favorite Robin McKinley novels, which is saying a HUGE amount - she's been one of my favorite authors for about 20 years now.

As I read this tail I kept thinking 'finally something as good as Sunshine', Which it was until page 404...where the book ends like a slap in the face. Frankly all the building in Pegasus lead strait to a non-ending and the reader being left hanging. This, like Chalice, is a half told tail and that is the greatest tragedy. In all honesty, I doubt her last two books would have ever made it past the editors desk if not for having an established name. I have come to the conclusion that Ms. MiKinley has lost her story telling abilities and perhaps she should stop writing and stick to bell ringing and gardening - her other passions. She builds up a good idea and then just fails to execute if fully; like someone who starts a project and never finishes.

This novel just stops. Like the story teller was shot dead in mid sentence. If you like loos ends go ahead and read, but frankly I'd recommend not picking it up (wish I could return it and get my lost reading time back).

I will never again buy a book by her - sad considering Sunshine is a favorite book.

I really like the way Robin McKinley writes but I never would have read this book if I had known it was one of what I'm led to believe is a two book story. I swear, there should be a law about writers publishing the first book in a multi-book saga until ALL the books are written!

If I had to do it again, I would not read this until the second book was finished.

Having said that, it is a very compelling story which makes it all the more frustrating that it ends so abruptly. And what if she never finishes the next book? I'd have given it more stars if it was the full story.

Fraudulent: unjustifiably claiming or being credited with particular accomplishments or qualities.

This is not a book. This "book" ends mid thought, as the author has no idea how to resolve the conflict she has written. After reader backlash, the author stated this was the first in a two part series, then a three part series, but this book was released in 2010 and it still remains unfinished. This is not the first time this author has sold an item, delayed for years and not delivered. At least with other fan specific items she offered a refund.

The author had this to say on her blog (I did not change the spelling):
____

Also I realise that my readers don’t know as much about a story I’ve written as I do—ahem—but I assumed, which was stupid of me, that it would be OBVIOUS the end of PEGASUS is not the end of the story, and I apologise for not having an ‘end of part one’ or some such on the last page. I also apologise for not frelling getting on with the story sooner, but that’s not under my control SIIIIIIIGH

___

There you have it. It was stupid of her to assume that we, the readers, would not know it was OBVIOUS that this was not a complete book. I mean after we had purchased it and read it, it should be clear to us that she would never publish something like this as a full story. Of course, this wouldn't be clear until after purchase as there, even eight years later, is *still* nothing to indicate that this is part one of a serial on the book itself, product page, or description. If you want that little bit of information, you have to start looking at the reviews.

I love this author's writing style and other books, but after deerskin you can see her writing style get more disjointed and unfinished until you reach something like this.

Her publishing company and editor should never have allowed this book to be released, and it is shameful that they are charging full price for an unfinished work, without letting readers know that this book is not complete.

I loved it, even with the cliff-hanger ending. I think it's very well-written, but you do have to be willing not to understand everything up front. I assume she'll clear up a bunch of questions in the sequel, if it ever comes out. It's a complicated story; I hope she is not having trouble finishing it…!

I love Robin McKinley, she has great ideas but it can get kind of boring and this book ends pretty much mid sentence. It wasn't wrapped up, it was an extreme let down and I don't know what the sequel is so I can't go find it. I would recommend getting this from the library unless your a McKinley fan in which case it is kind of your usual book. Heroine finds herself after struggling to know who she is, gets kind of boring, and this time it doesn't wrap up. She makes an amazing world though but this was really a let down.

Big disappointment for a Robin Mckinley fan. They don't tell you the book is just the first of a series, not a good start either, the book can not stand alone, does not come to any kind of satisfying climax or conclusion. The whole book read like a prologue. Nothing much happens that couldn't have been put in a regular size prologue and then get on with the story please!!!

I loved her earlier books, especially 'Chalice' and 'Sunshine' but the quality has really declined the last few books. 'Pegasus' desperately needed an editor to cut all the extra verbage. It was obviously written to set up the sequel and practically ended in the middle of a sentence. I hate to be so negative about an author I've loved, but from now on I'll try her books in the library and won't buy any more.

I was very disappointed with this book and it has nothing to do with the cliff hanger ending. It was so long and drawn out with vary little action. I got so tired of her stressing how "beautiful" the Pegasus are and how its so awful how they can not speak with the humans. I mean half the book was spent on these 2 topics. The book was slow! It took me a week and a half to read it where her books usually take me a night or two. Not worth the read and that is hard to say. I am glad I just rented it and didn't buy it.

This book is tediously writen, but i plowed through it because it had a good idea burried under the pages of "cultural history" about the peoples in the book. The most disapointing thing was the ending - there was not one!! It drops off after a HORRIBLE turn of events and leaves you there upset and pissed that you spent (roughly) 360 pages for that kind of an ending, and the journy was not even that good!! DO Not Recommend -but if you must get from library because no one else will be reading this rag