There isn't any one thing I can put my finger on that makes this book so good, but I have reread it probably a dozen times and it's satisfying every time. A true classic of fantasy writing. I only wish it were being published in hardback! It's the kind of book you want to have in the most permanent possible format.

There are some books that you read when you are young and idealistic and you love those books and then you read them again when you are an adult, or (worse yet) "middle-aged," and you find out they haven't lasted... they haven't passed the test of time. This book is NOT one of those. This is a book you can read as an idealistic adolescent, as a newly-minted "out on her own," and then, again, when you want a book to share with your children or grandchildren, and The Forgotten Beasts of Eld will still be there for you.

The prose is beautiful. It is clear and resonant. The protagonist is Important... Sybel's astonishment and naivete when presented first with a baby and then with lust and friendship is a welcome, no, *critical* anodyne in a world that too often assumes that these are the only things for which a young woman lives. And then the story of Sybel's fury, her revenge and her repentance is, well, much more illustrative of the self-destructiveness of hate and the redemptive power of love than most Scripture manages to be.

As is the case with all the truly great "fantasy" books, The Forgotten Beasts of Eld delivers education about enduring truths in an entertaining and diverting parable format. McKillip is a Master and everybody should read this book. A few times.

The Forgotten Beasts of Eld was my first book by author Patricia McKillip, and I am wondering how this young woman has slipped past me in a list of my authors I have to read. I absolutely LOVED this story.
This is the story of Sybel a young sorceress, and her rare magical powers and how she interacts with men after having lived in seclusion. It's also about the choices she makes with those powers. The author paints beautiful pictures of the magnificent isolation of the wizard woman's mountain, and the equally magnificent isolation of her soul.
If you like fantasy, this book is very perfect for you. What makes the Forgotten Beasts of Eld even better than the usual tales is the characters, including the beasts who are wistful and sarcastic. Great read for lovers of fantasy and mythical lore., very much enjoy this story. Looking forward to reading more works by this author.

At first this read like the highest of fantasy, somewhere between Eddison, Dunsany and Flight of Dragons - so rarefied as to make the War of the Ring read like grubby sword and sorcery. Atop a mountain lives the enchantress Sybel with a menagerie of fantastic beasts she's called to her, doing her best to stay out of the petty squabbles of humankind, content in the companionship of these majestic creatures. Until, inevitably, the world intrudes. But even then the story remains melancholy, idyllic, light on event...until suddenly it doesn't. And with one unspeakable act, we're tipped into a much darker book about consent, and the cycle of violence, and how you can never be wholly certain you won't lose those you love unless you're prepared to make yourself unloveable in the process. And in both modes, the story is equally spellbinding, and equally beautiful in its ornate Pre-Raphaelite prose. With one galling exception: the names. I know they're one of the sticking points some people have with fantasy as a whole; here they're enough to test even a fantasy fan. Drede. Rok and his brother Eorth - the latter's son is of course Eorthling. Hell, the most fearsome of all the beasts is called Blammor, which sounds like a rejected Transformer. But that aside, gorgeous.

The Forgotten Beasts of Eld is a dazzling example of McKillip's dreamlike prose and attention to detail and to character that makes her one of the grandmasters of fantasy today. On its surface, it's an enjoyable and magical quest story. Underneath, however, are layers of thought on gender roles, class and society that are deftly woven in throughout the tale, but never in a way that feels out-of-place with the world she has created.

It's been almost 20 years since I read The Forgotten Beasts of Eld, and I'm pleased to say it remains just as relevant and enjoyable as ever. Mckillip's craftsmanship and faerie tale aesthetic is beautifully displayed throughout, with a strong and capable, sympathetic heroine and an engaging, if traditional storyline. While the fact a baby is unceremoniously given to her to raise without prior consent is a bit irksome, that thankfully doesn't detract from how inviting, exciting and fun the rest of the story is. There's no doubt this is a fantasy classic, and I hope this new edition will help a new generation of readers discover this delightful tale.

This is one of those classic fantasy novels people are always recommending to me, but it was never available in a digital format so I was kind of like eh. But now it is being reissued--with an intro by Gail Carriger!--and will finally be available digitally. It's the story of a young wizard girl, from a line of wizards who care for fantastic creatures of legend, and what happens when a young warrior brings her an infant prince to care for. I will say that it is somewhat rapey (and the protagonist is threatened with even worse things, it is all very upsetting, should we blame it on a 1974 publication date or nah?) but it is beautifully written and well-plotted and moving and etc. Lessons are learned and hugs are given. Good times. A-/B+.