Ace. 2009.
ISBN 9780441018741
$7.99. Paperback. 272 pages.
Readers Annotation
Beekeeper Marisol has become the new Chalice of the Willowlands. She must join the land with its new Master even though he is an Elemental Priest of Fire in order to save them all from the Overlord.
Plot Summary
Orphaned Marisol is called to become the new Chalice of her people when the decadent old Master and his Chalice are killed in a fire. As Chalice, Marisol holds the honorary cup, which is instrumental in healing the broken land. Marisol struggles to learn her new position before the new Master arrives. The new Master shall be the brother of the old, the only problem is that he is now an Elemental Priest of Fire whose touch can burn skin to the bone. Marisol is determined to save her land from the Overlord who waits at the border ready to take over her homeland, but the new Master frightens his subjects. With the help of her bees and their honey, Marisol weaves her magic to help her people overcome their fear. She discovers that her personal power is a part of the land just as she is part of all the people. It is through her bees that the Master is transformed back into the man he once was so that they might rule and save the Willowlands from harm.
Critical Evaluation
McKinley’s favorite fairytale, Beauty and the Beast comes to life again in this book. Marisol, thin, small and unsure of herself is given a position of power as Chalice. The Master has become a beast through fire. The greatest difference in this book is setting. The Willowlands are sentient, and suffering from a lack of care. McKinley carefully weaves this story about a beekeeper trying to save her country through careful plotting. The story is intriguing – how many beekeepers have ever been hero’s? McKinley does a fine job of bringing Marisol to life, and uncovering her hidden strengths. Like many of her previous novels McKinley likes girl characters that do things. The story of the love blossoming between the two young people is tender. My only criticism is that the book ends abruptly. I had to read it several times to figure out what happened. I simply couldn’t believe that the story was over in a few short pages.
Information about the author
Born on November 16, 1952, Jennifer Carolyn Robin Turrell McKinley spent much of her early life traveling the world as a Navy brat. She currently resides in England. McKinley won the Newbury Medal for The Hero and the Crown. You can follow her at: http://robinmckinleysblog.com or www.robinmckinley.com.
Genre
Fantasy
Curriculum ties
None
Challenge Issues
None
Challenge defense ideas
There are no apparent challenge issues associated with this book. In the case that a challenge comes up, there are some things that you can do to start. You could read the book and become familiar with the content. Refer to the library collection development policy, and get reviews from reputable sources and teens that have read the book. You can find out more about this book on Amazon.com at http://www.amazon.com/Chalice-Robin-McKinley/dp/0441018742/ref=ntt_at_ep_dpi_1
Booktalking Ideas
1. Discuss the job of the Chalice
2. Talk about what beekeeping means to Marisol
Reading Level/Age
Young adult, ages 14 and up
Why I included this title
This book was part of my author study on Robin McKinley.
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