I used to really really like Patricia McKillip's books. Not all of them, but I adored Fool's Run, Sorceress and Cygnet, Winter Rose, the Riddlemaster books, even Atrix Wolf. And Stepping Out from the Shadows was incredible. But the last three or four have left me quite utterly cold.Including, alas, this one. Perhaps I'll reread, though I feel no great desire to; I reread Basilisk, the first to disappoint, and found it slight but charming. That was a year or so after first read, though.I don't know if I've changed, or if the books have. They don't seem to have enough substance to them, and all the twists and character types are vaguely familiar from other books. I think the substance in her books has always been mostly in what she doesn't say, what is alluded to and implied. And I'm not picking up on that any more.The cover suggested it was a sequel to Tower, but I didn't notice any connection. ( )

Patricia McKillip opens Ombria in Shadow with a startling visual picture, of the prince's mistress and young son playing with hand puppets, while awaiting news of their lord's demise. Soon it comes, and with it the rise of the evil Domina Pearl to power, for though Kyle is rightful heir to the throne, she must act as regent until he comes to age. The mistress is cast out on the street, and Domina (nicknamed the Black Pearl by the frightened masses) begins to enact her terrible plan to oppress the people of Ombria and rob them of all hope. A cast of colorful characters unites to circumvent her schemes. There is Lydea, the dead prince's lover, who finds herself in a city and a life she no longer knows, with a father who has forgotten how to love. There is Kyel's bastard cousin, the silver-eyed and white-haired Ducon Greve, whose days are filled with chalk and paper, as he uses art in an attempt to discover the secret of his past, and Ombria's future. And there is Mag, a local sorceress' waxling, who one day discovers she has a human heart after she swallows a golden one. Ready to meet them all is Domina Pearl, a woman of uncharted past, neither living nor dead, whose very villainy is dusty and stifling.

These fascinating characters, along with the city itself with its intermingling of dark and light and hints of other things, made me love this book. The plot itself is not quite as tight as those of Alphabet of Thorn or the Riddle-Master series, and there are a few sections that drag, but overall the characters and setting more than make up for these faults. Like many reviewers, I found the last chapter disappointing, but it was not because of unanswered questions. I simply found it a cheap way of solving the characters' troubles, not to mention unnecessary.

(May I add that Kinuko Y. Craft has outdone herself with this cover? Wonderful as the content is, this book would be worth owning just for that.) ( )

I really enjoyed this book, but for some reason it's been really hard to write this review.

Ombria in Shadow is not the typical fantasy that I normally read. There is not much action or traditional fantasy elements present here, but McKillip creates a fascinating story with rich characters and an intriguing plot. I found it very hard to put down from beginning to end.

This is a novel filled with much political intrigue. There are attempted assassinations, power coups, witches with spells for hire and even pirates (although more of just the mention of pirates!) The pacing of the story is fast and the tensions run pretty high throughout. There is a strong feeling of hope and a fight against the oppressive rule of tyranny. We also see that we actually see of the world with our eyes does not represent the whole. There is a world of shadow beneath Ombria, but not necessarily one of darkness that the word shadow brings to mind.

Overall, I would recommend this book to fans of fantasy who would like to expand their horizons beyond the traditional Sword and Sorcery-type tale. It is truly magical and I will be looking into McKillip's other works in the future. ( )

Any book by Patricia A. McKillip I have read is refreshingly original and beautifully written, almost like poetry in motion. This author has a way of unravelling a story and fleshing out her characters that is a pleasure to read and her writing is always so very lush and detailed, keeping you interested and wanting to read just a bit more, just another chapter, until you realize it's 4am in the morning.

Ombria in Shadow is a tale of power-seeking, magic, the cycles of history, ghosts, shadows, and underground sorcery. The story mixes a bit of magic, mythos and political intrigue, focusing on the several individuals whose lives interconnect, changing themselves and the world they live in. Of the books by this author I have read, this one ranks very highly. I recommend it heartily. ( )

Ombria in Shadow, the first of McKillip's books translated in Finnish, tells of Ombria, a city that's facing problems when its prince dies. The new prince is just five years old and the city is ruled by mysterious and frightening Domina Pearl. Pearl doesn't seem to have the city's best interests in her mind, she has her own motives.

Lydea, the prince's mistress is driven out of the palace to die in the streets. She doesn't, thanks to the interventions of Mag, a "waxling" servant of Faye, a strange witch inhabiting the shadowy underworld of Ombria. There's also the prince's bastard Ducon, who seems destined to power, but reluctant to accept his fate.

It's a wonderful story, quite unlike any other. I can easily recommend this to anybody who hates the standard fantasy dreck: Ombria in Shadow is something else. It's a hazy story, full of dreamy elements and interesting twists. It's certainly one of the better fantasy novels I've read in a while. (Review based on the Finnish translation.)

(Original review at my review blog) ( )