The Book Of Atrix Wolfe

Patricia McKillip is one of the most eloquent fantasy writers in modern fantasy. She combines great characters with epic adventures to create books imbued with mystery. Why it's on this list It's fortunate that McKillip is as eloquent as she is because it allows her to create whole worlds in small volumes. Creating something that feels epic in such a concise way is one of the reasons why her work is a pleasure to read. In contrast to the gritty realism of many fantasy books written post-Red Wedding, The Book of Atrix Wolfe has a fairy-tale feel to it. There are some great themes underpinning this work – the power of words and language, like the quest to find understanding and acceptance and the destructive nature of war– but McKillip isn't heavy-handed about exposing them. The narrative mystery provides the reader with just enough thematic content to draw personal conclusions. Read this book for the descriptions of food alone. While each one is full of symbolism, they're so vividly described that it doesn't overwhelm the images conjured in your imagination. The characters she's created here are nothing unfamiliar – they fit standard fantasy tropes – but they're true individuals. The tropes fade in the face of such strong personalities. For anyone looking for something that is still recognizable as part of the fantasy genre while giving providing you with something fresh and interesting, then The Book of Atrix Wolfe is ideal.