Pegaus: a book review
Nov. 24th, 2010 10:14 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
bonny_kateWell, the short (and spoiler free) version of the book review must start with a little explanation. Pegasus is half a book. The second half is supposed to be released in 2012. It is hard to review a book that I've only read half of. (That said, I shall talk about it a bit anyway.) Pegasus was not my cup of tea. Robin McKinley is rather hit and miss for me (something I finally realized), and I wasn't particularly impressed by the book. It is the story of a princess who is bound to a pegasus, and the two of them have a special bond that no other human/pegasus pairing has. It is quite possible that they will save the world. The book veered too much into what I was afraid from the summary; wish fulfillment. I will wait for the second half until I completely form my opinion.
Lot's of the book is spent talking about the pegasi (am I the only one who is annoyed by "pegasus/pegasi" as a designation for winged horses? Pegasus is, in my mind, the proper name of a certain winged horse, not a species designation). I found it interesting, but it didn't really help the book. (And I should mention that I like long descriptions, and I read Dickens and Thackerey and Russian novels for fun, but I want the long descriptions to be setting the scene or giving character descriptions or setting up important things for later.) It felt like a short story that was too long. So much of it seemed interesting, but not crucial to the story. So far, there is no reason that it is important that I know how the pegasi grow crops. It didn't seem to have anything to do with plot or character development or help me understand them.
Part of the reason I didn't care for the book was the characters. The princess is short, and feels that she is overlooked, but she didn't seem to particularly struggle about anything (she gets along well with her family, she is happy being a princess, and she is bound to the most wonderful pegasus ever). Most of the books is spent talking about her wonderful new discoveries about pegasi (which come across as nearly perfect, except for being more peaceful than humans and not being very good at keeping the evil nasty things away). It felt rather like some of Anne McCaffrey's not so great work (I think you know the sort - where someone previously overlooked suddenly is bonded to a dragon, can speak telepathically (of course), and saves the world). I don't look for angsty heroines in a book, but I do want interesting heroines who are facing some kind of challenge.
It wasn't a very satisfying sort of book. I liked Dragonhaven more, because it really seemed to cost the main character. It hurts him (literally and otherwise) to raise a dragon, and it is hard to speak telepathically. I am hopeful that perhaps the second part of Pegasus will be better, though, as it ends on a dreadful sort of cliffhanger and just when things are starting to actually get interesting.
Lot's of the book is spent talking about the pegasi (am I the only one who is annoyed by "pegasus/pegasi" as a designation for winged horses? Pegasus is, in my mind, the proper name of a certain winged horse, not a species designation). I found it interesting, but it didn't really help the book. (And I should mention that I like long descriptions, and I read Dickens and Thackerey and Russian novels for fun, but I want the long descriptions to be setting the scene or giving character descriptions or setting up important things for later.) It felt like a short story that was too long. So much of it seemed interesting, but not crucial to the story. So far, there is no reason that it is important that I know how the pegasi grow crops. It didn't seem to have anything to do with plot or character development or help me understand them.
Part of the reason I didn't care for the book was the characters. The princess is short, and feels that she is overlooked, but she didn't seem to particularly struggle about anything (she gets along well with her family, she is happy being a princess, and she is bound to the most wonderful pegasus ever). Most of the books is spent talking about her wonderful new discoveries about pegasi (which come across as nearly perfect, except for being more peaceful than humans and not being very good at keeping the evil nasty things away). It felt rather like some of Anne McCaffrey's not so great work (I think you know the sort - where someone previously overlooked suddenly is bonded to a dragon, can speak telepathically (of course), and saves the world). I don't look for angsty heroines in a book, but I do want interesting heroines who are facing some kind of challenge.
It wasn't a very satisfying sort of book. I liked Dragonhaven more, because it really seemed to cost the main character. It hurts him (literally and otherwise) to raise a dragon, and it is hard to speak telepathically. I am hopeful that perhaps the second part of Pegasus will be better, though, as it ends on a dreadful sort of cliffhanger and just when things are starting to actually get interesting.