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heidi_mcj's review
4.0
Beautifully written. I didn't know this book existed. I loved goin back to Damar, even for a short while.
wkmcconnell's review
4.0
I glanced at some of the other reviews that said they found the book in the children's section of their library. Mine had it in the young adult section, but it certainly looks like a kids book based on the size and illustrations.
The artwork was beautiful, and I think it helped me to get into the mood of the book. It's really more of an illustrated short story; I read it in less than an hour.
If you are unfamiliar with this style of fantastical, otherworldly writing then the story might be hard to jump into. The references to flora and fauna are a mix of familiar (sheep and sheepdogs) and strange (folstza and yerig). The premise of an ordinary girl being drawn away from her ordinary life by a mystical creature might be hard to buy into. But I typically enjoy that kind of thing, and I was pleased at the ending. The illustrations and McKinley's writing style make this a really beautiful book.
The artwork was beautiful, and I think it helped me to get into the mood of the book. It's really more of an illustrated short story; I read it in less than an hour.
If you are unfamiliar with this style of fantastical, otherworldly writing then the story might be hard to jump into. The references to flora and fauna are a mix of familiar (sheep and sheepdogs) and strange (folstza and yerig). The premise of an ordinary girl being drawn away from her ordinary life by a mystical creature might be hard to buy into. But I typically enjoy that kind of thing, and I was pleased at the ending. The illustrations and McKinley's writing style make this a really beautiful book.
lisawreading's review
3.0
Robin McKinley's fans will want to read this, if for no other than reason than to have read as much of her writing as possible. This short tale was okay but not spectacular -- and we know that McKinley's best works truly do rise to the level of spectacular. "The Stone Fey" is set in Damar, but that's largely irrelevant. Don't read this expecting to reconnect with the beloved worlds of The Blue Sword or Hero & The Crown.
menshevixen's review
4.0
How did I not know there was a delightful short illustrated story about Damar?
ireliajellycomb's review
adventurous
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
A short and lightly hopeful entry among the Damar short stories. It's mysterious and nothing is ever really explained, but makes for a good short about the apprehension that comes with big life changes. Maddy is approaching a new life when she encounters the strange creature. But whether it signals temptation or transformation is up in the air...
marpesea's review
2.0
The world building was interesting and I really liked where it was going, but the narrative could have used some fleshing out and the main conflict... never really seemed to amount to much of anything. There was a thing, slowly it proved to be a problem, things got interesting, but then it wasn’t a problem because it was fixed. I would have loved more insight into Maddy’s struggle, instead a bad dream and avoiding the hills seemed to solve everything.
The most well-rounded character in this is our main character’s sheep dog, followed closely by her scholar brother.
I hoped for another story about Damar, but these don’t feel like the hills from either The Hero and the Crown or The Blue Sword (seems to be somewhere between the two, chronologically). I don’t remember any mention of fey in the previous books and it felt like a very different world, aside from a few nods to her other books (Aerin is mentioned by name and someone mentions that farmers are beginning to plant orange groves in the south). The art is lovely, but doesn’t add enough to make up for what I found to be an unsatisfying story.
The most well-rounded character in this is our main character’s sheep dog, followed closely by her scholar brother.
I hoped for another story about Damar, but these don’t feel like the hills from either The Hero and the Crown or The Blue Sword (seems to be somewhere between the two, chronologically). I don’t remember any mention of fey in the previous books and it felt like a very different world, aside from a few nods to her other books (Aerin is mentioned by name and someone mentions that farmers are beginning to plant orange groves in the south). The art is lovely, but doesn’t add enough to make up for what I found to be an unsatisfying story.
tigermuffin's review
5.0
Although it's been a few years since reading it last, I have read it several times. Not a long story and yes, minimalist (appropriate term?). We were talking about this book at work the other day and I recommended it as a fine example of Robin McKinley's writing without being very long. I couldn't help but notice several other reviewers did not like this book. Harumph.
Beautifully written; yes it is not really a children's story although it can be read aloud to children. Like the best tales often are, Stone Fey will be a different story for each person who reads it. This has got to be cleanest version of longing, destructive; obsession and resolution. Dreamy and pragmatic. Get your little ones' neural systems primed for emotional capacity, complexity, reality, with this little gem. Heck, do it for yourself.
Beautifully written; yes it is not really a children's story although it can be read aloud to children. Like the best tales often are, Stone Fey will be a different story for each person who reads it. This has got to be cleanest version of longing, destructive; obsession and resolution. Dreamy and pragmatic. Get your little ones' neural systems primed for emotional capacity, complexity, reality, with this little gem. Heck, do it for yourself.
felinity's review
4.0
A standalone story set in Damar, where you'll find family, love, magic, and sheep, all illustrated wonderfully.
sangloup's review
4.0
Extreme Book Nerd Challenge 2021 - Category #31
Challenge Topic: Published in the 1900's
This was a short story about Maddy, a sheep herder. She loves to take the sheep out and travel the hills around her home and she has no worries about the stories of the Fey that she has heard. One day a lamb is lost and in her search she comes face to face with a Stone Fey.
The story was an interesting little love story and human love and what the Fey can do to disrupt that. I loved the descriptions the author gave and the art work was very well done.
Challenge Topic: Published in the 1900's
This was a short story about Maddy, a sheep herder. She loves to take the sheep out and travel the hills around her home and she has no worries about the stories of the Fey that she has heard. One day a lamb is lost and in her search she comes face to face with a Stone Fey.
The story was an interesting little love story and human love and what the Fey can do to disrupt that. I loved the descriptions the author gave and the art work was very well done.