Sonderbooks Book Review of Water

Reviewed July 8, 2002.
A Sonderbooks' Best Book of 2002 (#3, Young Adult and Children's Fantasy and Science Fiction)
G. P. Putnam’s Sons, 2002. 266 pages.

Robin McKinley is probably my favorite living author. I thought that maybe she was slipping out of that slot, since I wasn’t crazy about her last book, Spindle’s End. (It was good, but not as good as her others.) However, this collection of short stories is helping keep her position secure. I’ve ordered a signed copy from Books of Wonder--That’s how much I like her work.

There are six stories in this collection, with three written by Robin McKinley, and three written by her husband, Peter Dickinson. It does turn out that my favorites were those by Robin McKinley, but the others are excellent as well. Every story involves a water spirit, but they go beyond your typcal mermaid or selkie.

My favorite of all was the last story by Robin McKinley, which involves Damar. I hope that this means she will go back to Damar with another full-length novel! It’s definitely put me in the mood to reread The Blue Sword and The Hero and the Crown.

Review of another book by Robin McKinley and Peter Dickinson:
Fire: Tales of Elemental Spirits

Reviews of other books by Robin McKinley:
The Blue Sword
The Hero and the Crown
Chalice
Pegasus
Sunshine
Shadows

Reviews of other books by Peter Dickinson:
The Ropemaker
The Tears of the Salamander

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Book Reviews by Sondra Eklund

******Water*

Tales of Elemental Spirits

by Robin McKinley and Peter Dickinson