Chalice Book

I always rather suspected I'd reread this book, and now seemed like a good time, when I'm doing a lot of revisiting of other books. It stuck in my mind for a long time, in a way not many books do. I found myself still wondering how Mirasol would deal with certain situations, how she and the Master would get on.

I found the worldbuilding fascinating. The idea of a Chalice, the idea of the earthlines, all the roles of the Circle... I still think it would be fascinating to see the Circle functioning properly, to see the results of Mirasol and the Master's work. And then, on the other hand, I do like it the way it is. (Not enough fantasy stands alone, in my opinion; this does so admirably well.)

I think the appeal (to me) is that it's quite an ordinary kind of magic. Honey, and water, and bees. Talking to the earth. And it's also fun because while it is sort of familiar as being basically medieval Europe with magic, the magic isn't pastede on yay. The magic is absolutely integral to the world McKinley's created, and feels natural.

I remember being not sure what to think of it, the first time I read it, and initially giving it three stars. Then I upgraded the rating to four stars, because of how it stuck in my head. This time, I'm going to have to give it five stars, even though I still can't pinpoint exactly what I loved so much about it, even though I know other people found it disappointing. It just felt, in an odd way, like home. Like a place for my heart to rest for a while.