A magically-inclined gardener comes to work a school of magic.

I find myself in an odd (ha!) position here. I have nothing bad to say about this book. It's a beautiful, detailed, well-written story with a fairy tale feel to it. And yet, it did very little for me.

I'm stymied. The writing is elegant. It's sparse and evocative and all that jazz. The world is detailed and easy to visualize, and it has a lot to offer the reader.

The plot is composed of lots of little bits and pieces that McKillip weaves together to create a complex, meaningful story with a satisfying ending. The politics of magic play a key role as they serve as a metaphor for power, responsibility and flexible leadership. What's more, McKillip delves into such themes as grief, loss and the need to communicate. It's the sort of book I normally like very much. I should've been all over it.

And then we've got the characters, who are well-limned and interesting. There are an awful lot of them, but I never felt that McKillip gave anyone short shrift. They're fully-realized people with very human concerns. Again, I should've been all over them.

And yet... none of it was enough. I couldn't connect with these people. I couldn't lose myself in their world. I wasn't exactly bored, but I was most definitely disappointed. Last year, I read one of McKinley's novellas. It was elegant and heart-felt, and it drew me in right away. I was expecting something in a similar vein, and I did get it... but without the oomph.

Sigh. It's like I always say: you love what you love, and you just rather like what you just rather like. I rather liked this. That's all.

(A slightly different version of this review originally appeared on my blog, Stella Matutina). ( )

Again, McKillip is an indulgence along the lines of eating a full pound of Godiva chocolate in one sitting. This book, and the Bell at Sealy Head are by far the less flowery of her works, and I like them even more for it. Her descriptions are so vibrant and her language so rich, McKillip is one of my favorite authors even though I can't ready her as often. Like you can't eat Godiva chocolates that often. ( )

This was a good book..have to agree with other reviewers about the ending..but what I did like about the ending is she didn't tie it up in a little bow..I thought I'd guessed the ending and was wrong so to me thats a good book. ( )

Beautiful and enchanting as always, but a little on the thin side. Distinctly anticlimactic ending. ( )

Having thoroughly disliked the previous book I'd read I was in the mood for something nice, and I'd been saving this for about a year so it seemed as good a time as any. It's not the most plot-driven of McKillip's works by a long chalk – there isn't even really an antagonist; people are foolish, blinkered, misguided, but not actually bad – but it was, as one expects from this author, a lovely, enchanting read, lyrically written and peopled with characters one would not at all mind spending one's life with. (By the way, although I can figure out most of what's going on in the cover art, I am at a loss to account for the man in what appears to be a diver's helmet in the upper left-hand corner.) ( )

I generally love Patricia McKillip's books and the plot of this one sounded interesting, so I picked it up from the library. Unfortunately, the ongoing reading funk got it and I found myself grinding to a half about a third of the way into it. I put it down to start something else and didn't have the urge to go back to it (I guess this should teach me to stick with a book rather than being tempted by something else, as I often don't go back to them). I think there were just too many characters and plot-threads the story was following for me to keep up. If McKillip had just stuck with the main plotline that was in the blurb I'd had enjoyed it more. But we just kept on getting more and more characters.

Knowing McKillip, I'm sure it all came together at the end, but sadly I didn't make it that far.

I've ordered her new book, The Bell at Sealey Head, in hardcover so I hope this isn't an indication of my current ability to read McKillip books.

Od Magic
Patricia A. McKillip
Did Not Finish

One of McKillip's best so far--

I liked it and it had gorgeous imagery but it fell a little flat. A lot happens in this book without actually having stuff happen, and in the end everything is tied up in a neat little bow. And there are time when McKillip actually overdoes it with the imagery. Alphabet of Thorn was a much better read. ( )

http://www.refracted-light.net/odmagi... ( )

Patricia A. McKillip's Od Magic had the same sort of feeling about it that all her work does. If you've read a lot of her stuff, you'll know what I'm talking about... It's a good read, however, once the story comes together. ( )

Od Magic deals with the politics of a nation that doesn't allow magic that it can't control in to its borders. It explores this through very rich, very compelling, very human characters. There's the jaded teacher, the travelling magician looking to settle down, the gardener stung by loss and many more just as wonderful minor characters.

The only phrase I can think to describe this book is 'no expense spared'. It has beautiful characters, a beautiful setting, and a beautiful story. McKillip writes with a great understanding of loss, love, and the need we all have to be our own person.

The one down point was the ending which, while believable enough, seemed slightly forced and hurried. Especially given how much was going on before. Ambiguity isn't a bad thing, it's the suddenness that detracts. ( )