Pegasus
Grade : A

I have read almost every single word that Robin McKinley has published, and I used to feel guilty that I didn’t enjoy all her books. I stopped worrying about this transgression when I understood that I have the right to dislike, even as it is her right to write whatever she so chooses. Having now established how moderate, calm, and objective I can be (truly), I can say without fear of hyperbole that if there is any justice in the world, Pegasus will become a classic.

Of course, I only make such an assertion based on my own preferences, despite how objective I would like to be. I love history, and I admire any author able to create cohesive worlds and fascinating cultures from nothing. I love epic fantasies, but only if they justify their length with quality and refrain from jerking our chains. I am also very familiar with Ms. McKinley’s winding, convoluted phrases that effectively rein in any inclination to stampede through her books.

But I have to admit, Pegasus exceeded all my expectations. Where, for starters, does the author find the imagination to create such a world as the pegasi inhabit? I recognize the coming of Viktur and Balsin, leaders of the human invaders eight hundred years ago (smacks of Nordic sagas). The Alliance between the humans and the pegasi, created to stave off the imminent threat of norindours and rocs, reminds me very much of the Treaty of Waitangi (signed between the British and the Maori in New Zealand). The binding between pegasus and princess, eight hundred years later, that changes their world - a timely and frequent theme in novels. But together - what feast for the imagination.

Pegasus is actually the first book of two, and in a way should be read as such. There is a climax at the end, but the rest of the 399 pages slowly and beautifully weaves a tapestry of two cultures a world apart, despite the centuries-old Alliance that binds them. On the one side we have the curious Princess Sylvi, a human who is bound at age twelve to her own pegasus. And on the other side, Ebon, the fourth son of the pegasus king, and who is mischievous, snarky, and a pleasure to read. We learn about the pegasi – their language, culture, mannerisms – and gradually, through their unlikely friendship, Sylvi and Ebon challenge perceptions and (mis)understandings formed centuries ago, a challenge that remains unresolved until the next book is published in 2012.

Which, reading back, sounds very boring, or at the very least, unoriginal. A recent New York Times series on the value of criticism had one essayist saying that the best thing a critic could do is to write well. Easier said than done, and I have laboured over this review for two months, trying to do this book justice. I’ve resigned myself that I never will, or at least, not in the space of time that my review is due. So I will simply say this: For narrative power, imagination, and storytelling at its best, Pegasus is one of the best books I have ever read. Read it.

Reviewed by Enya Young
Grade : A
Book Type: Young Adult

Sensuality: Kisses

Review Date : February 2, 2011

Publication Date: 2010/11

Review Tags: Fairy Tale horses royalty

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Enya Young

I live in Seattle, Washington and work as a legal assistant. I remember learning to read (comic strips) at a young age and nowadays try to read about 5-6 books a week. I love to travel, especially to Europe, and enjoy exploring smaller towns off the tourist track though London is my favorite city in the world.
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