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eletricjb's review against another edition
4.0
The four stars are entirely for First Flight. And maybe for Phoenix. The other stories, I have already forgotten.
sturmykins's review against another edition
4.0
I really enjoyed this book. I liked some stories more than others, but that's sort of the way of it. The last was probably my favorite. I wish there was a book about those characters/world!
cimorene1558's review against another edition
5.0
Excellent stories by two of my favorite authors--3 by Dickinson, 2 by McKinley. McKinley's "Hellhound" is one of the scariest things I've read in awhile.
lunaseassecondaccount's review
3.0
This is a companion booked to [b:Water: Tales of Elemental Spirits|8085|Water Tales of Elemental Spirits|Robin McKinley|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1311648741s/8085.jpg|2321290]- a book I loved to bits because it contains one of my favourite fantasy elements: mermaids. Fire isn't really my go-to fantasy element, but hey, I'm not one to turn down a new prospect.
My favourite story in this collection would be Hellhound, a story of a horse farm and the spooky graveyard just beyond. I felt far more connected to the characters in this story, and it had a clear cut beginning, middle and end- something I felt got a bit muddled in other stories.
Next up would be Phoenix- a Benjamin Button type story. The ending here got a little bit muddled, and, I feel, rushed. It's like they got a call from their editor, saying, 'aha, hey, guys, book needs to be under three hundred pages. Think ya' can do it?' and so they snipped out a vital part of the story. It didn't end badly- it just ended. Blah.
Fireworm was also a nice story, and very mythological. I felt the writing in this one got a touch convoluted, though.
Salamander Man and First Flight both tie for last place. Neither of them are awful- they're actually very nice- but it's more to do with length. Salamander Man was too short and First Flight was too long. Also, Salamander Man just didn't make any sense. I couldn't quite figure out what was meant to be happening.
Anyway.
I hope they release an Earth and Air series- that would be super neat!
My favourite story in this collection would be Hellhound, a story of a horse farm and the spooky graveyard just beyond. I felt far more connected to the characters in this story, and it had a clear cut beginning, middle and end- something I felt got a bit muddled in other stories.
Next up would be Phoenix- a Benjamin Button type story. The ending here got a little bit muddled, and, I feel, rushed. It's like they got a call from their editor, saying, 'aha, hey, guys, book needs to be under three hundred pages. Think ya' can do it?' and so they snipped out a vital part of the story. It didn't end badly- it just ended. Blah.
Fireworm was also a nice story, and very mythological. I felt the writing in this one got a touch convoluted, though.
Salamander Man and First Flight both tie for last place. Neither of them are awful- they're actually very nice- but it's more to do with length. Salamander Man was too short and First Flight was too long. Also, Salamander Man just didn't make any sense. I couldn't quite figure out what was meant to be happening.
Anyway.
I hope they release an Earth and Air series- that would be super neat!
linneahedvig's review against another edition
3.0
This was a collection of five stories--three by Peter Dickinson, two by Robin McKinley. I mainly like the McKinley stories, but she and Dickinson are working through the elements together (they've already done water) and I try to read the Dickinson stories, too, to be polite and all. Robin McKinley's two stories were "Hellhound" and "First Flight."
"Hellhound"
I liked this one because it was very homey, but just a little creepy so that reading it in a dark house at night was kind of fun and kind of scary. It had a lot of the same feel as Sunshine--a heroine who knows what she wants to do and is good at it, a cozy, supportive family, the Supernatural. It was a little too short, but the best stories are.
"First Flight"
This one had a male protagonist and was about dragon-riding, which are two strikes against it from the start. It was also really long and had an extremely self-deprecating hero. It just didn't have many elements that really caught my imagination. I liked it because it had the McKinley feel, but it took me a long time to get through it.
"Hellhound"
I liked this one because it was very homey, but just a little creepy so that reading it in a dark house at night was kind of fun and kind of scary. It had a lot of the same feel as Sunshine--a heroine who knows what she wants to do and is good at it, a cozy, supportive family, the Supernatural. It was a little too short, but the best stories are.
"First Flight"
This one had a male protagonist and was about dragon-riding, which are two strikes against it from the start. It was also really long and had an extremely self-deprecating hero. It just didn't have many elements that really caught my imagination. I liked it because it had the McKinley feel, but it took me a long time to get through it.
goblyn's review against another edition
3.0
Not my favorite Robin McKinley, but still well written and enjoyable.
belleoftheb00ks's review against another edition
adventurous
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
4.0
bellatora's review against another edition
4.0
This collection is really solid. All the stories were good to great and felt like whole stories. It’s hard to find short stories that are this good, especially fantasy.
Phoenix (Dickinson) – A story of immortality. It made me want to keep a baby phoenix in my fireplace a la the fire-demon in Howl’s Moving Castle. I did think the love story is a bit creepy – like in The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, the lovers age in opposite directions. Isn’t it a bit gross that your husband becomes a child and then a baby? Is she still attracted? Does her love change to non-romantic? Weird.
Hellhound (McKinley) – I liked this one a lot. The weird dog with the red eyes adopted at the pound is actually a hellhound! The whole evil-creature-in-cemetery was terribly rushed, but the rest of it was good!
Fireworm (Dickinson) – Probably my least favorite by far. Cavemen fight actual fireworms (I thought they were metaphors for carbon monoxide poisoning for a while. But, no, they are actually fireworms who sadly hunt in pairs to provide for their eggs or something and it is saaaad that one was killed by the cavemen). Didn’t like it, and it ended with weird pretend-to-be-bear-sex to get over a curse or something.
Salamander Man (Dickinson) – Began well and ended quickly and weirdly; this story needed to be a full book to flesh it out. There's a clever slave boy and evil magicians and endangered salamanders and a twist.
First Flight (McKinley) – My very favorite in the collection! I want McKinley to turn this into a book or series because it was wonderful. The main kid is a healer of great talent in a society that doesn’t respect healers. He also feels worthless and does his best to not get noticed and to downplay his skill/talents. He also has a weird lizard dog that is pivotal to helping his brother’s one-eyed dragon. Okay, it doesn’t sound sensical when you write out the plot but this story was charming and heartfelt and I would love to spend more time in this world with this narrator.
Phoenix (Dickinson) – A story of immortality. It made me want to keep a baby phoenix in my fireplace a la the fire-demon in Howl’s Moving Castle. I did think the love story is a bit creepy – like in The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, the lovers age in opposite directions. Isn’t it a bit gross that your husband becomes a child and then a baby? Is she still attracted? Does her love change to non-romantic? Weird.
Hellhound (McKinley) – I liked this one a lot. The weird dog with the red eyes adopted at the pound is actually a hellhound! The whole evil-creature-in-cemetery was terribly rushed, but the rest of it was good!
Fireworm (Dickinson) – Probably my least favorite by far. Cavemen fight actual fireworms (I thought they were metaphors for carbon monoxide poisoning for a while. But, no, they are actually fireworms who sadly hunt in pairs to provide for their eggs or something and it is saaaad that one was killed by the cavemen). Didn’t like it, and it ended with weird pretend-to-be-bear-sex to get over a curse or something.
Salamander Man (Dickinson) – Began well and ended quickly and weirdly; this story needed to be a full book to flesh it out. There's a clever slave boy and evil magicians and endangered salamanders and a twist.
First Flight (McKinley) – My very favorite in the collection! I want McKinley to turn this into a book or series because it was wonderful. The main kid is a healer of great talent in a society that doesn’t respect healers. He also feels worthless and does his best to not get noticed and to downplay his skill/talents. He also has a weird lizard dog that is pivotal to helping his brother’s one-eyed dragon. Okay, it doesn’t sound sensical when you write out the plot but this story was charming and heartfelt and I would love to spend more time in this world with this narrator.
valhecka's review against another edition
4.0
I based my original five-star off the last story alone, which is incredible, but now I'm thinking about it like naaaaaaah.
But First Flight is seriously incredible.
But First Flight is seriously incredible.