Reviews

Chalice by Robin McKinley

k_noodlesoup's review against another edition

adventurous emotional hopeful medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character

3.75

This was such a fun read. I'm in love with the prose.

kurumipanda's review against another edition

hopeful mysterious reflective slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Fire/Fire injury

Minor: Death, Animal death, and Body horror

timna_wyckoff's review against another edition

4.0

I basically like everything she writes :) I LOVED "Sunshine", her only adult novel. This is back to being more juvenile fiction, like her previous books. I didn't think it was on par with The Hero and the Crown, but I still thought it was a solid, well written, enjoyable fantasy story with a strong heroine. And, cool stuff with bees...... :)

lyrangalia's review against another edition

hopeful mysterious reflective slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

Slow moving but not ponderous, Chalice reveals its plot like honey falling from a spoon: in slow dribbles and sweet dollops. This is a novel about small folks caught up in big changes and the ways in which small actions can bind a land together.

Chalice’s pleasure is in its unfolding. Chapters pass where you muddle through titles and uncertain roles but so is Marisol. The clarity of the world reveals itself in small bites and the reveal of its climax is heady and sweet.  

kangokaren's review against another edition

5.0

Love it sooo much. Another great story from my favorite storyteller.

kitdunsmore's review against another edition

4.0

I loved the main character and her challenge -- to be someone she never planned or trained to be, and yet to care so much about being successful for the sake of the land and the people she loved made her story compelling. The set-up was medieval in a away, with a master over the land and a hierarchy of people who help and support him, but the strong magical ties the entire Circle had to the land itself was intriguing. It's a book full of magic that almost never uses the word, because the magic is so integral to the setting and the story.

cqqq17's review against another edition

emotional mysterious medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

embereye's review against another edition

4.0

Ok... well, I did really like this book, however it could have used some editing and reorganizing and perhaps the tiniest bit more background story stuffed in for context a bit earlier on. There are also moments where the main character just talked to herself for a bit too long in a rather circular way and other parts where you just want to know more about what was going on, and those are parts where I think a good editor would have tightened things up more or pulled more out of the author.

This book is also short. It could easily have been a longer book with so much more story put in there. It is also being marketed as Young Adult although I don't know that it is particularly a young adult novel. It might only be that because there is no real raciness to it that's fully laid out, and the writing is (mostly) straight forward.

Other than my small complaints, this turned out to be a fun read.

hktul's review against another edition

hopeful lighthearted medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix

3.0

A beautiful premise and definitely a cozy fantasy read but I could not get a grasp on the world. I think a lot was left for the reader to fill in the gaps but I couldn't understand the structure of the society. I think I would have liked this book when I was younger.

smjcrownedbee's review against another edition

mysterious reflective slow-paced

4.0

Slow and don’t expect to get a full understanding of the magic. Vibes and sweet endgame, as always, are fully present.