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FIRE-TALES-OF-ELEMENTAL-SPIRITS-FIREBIRD-FANTASY

FIRE-TALES-OF-ELEMENTAL-SPIRITS-FIREBIRD-FANTASY

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FIRE-TALES-OF-ELEMENTAL-SPIRITS-FIREBIRD-FANTASY

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  1. [Library ebook] Fire: Tales of Elemental Spirits (Firebird Fantasy) Fire: Tales of Elemental Spirits (Firebird Fantasy) Robin Mckinley, Peter Dickinson audiobook | *ebooks | Download PDF | ePub | DOC #394548 in Books 2011-10-13 2011-10-13Original language:EnglishPDF # 1 7.70 x .80 x 5.10l, .45 #File Name: 0142419451320 pages | File size: 38.Mb Robin Mckinley, Peter Dickinson : Fire: Tales of Elemental Spirits (Firebird Fantasy) before purchasing it in order to gage whether or not it would be worth my time, and all praised Fire: Tales of Elemental Spirits (Firebird Fantasy): 0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. Excellent, as Ms. McKinley usually isBy C.HootenI like short stories, but I rarely find them satisfying. That is mostly because short stories nearly always seem like they should have been novels and the author just never got around to filling them out. That is not the case with (most of) these.

  2. "Phoenix," "Hellhound," and "First Flight" are all written (imo) to their satisfactory conclusions, and while I would love to see more of their characters, I thoroughly enjoyed them. In fact they are each long enough that I never felt cheated of the detail I cherish. I rarely read short stories because I do love that detail, but I highly recommend these even so.1 of 1 people found the following review helpful. Not their best, but still superbBy S. K. LambirisI've admired both these writers for decades, for very different reasons. That they should be married to each other, and work together on projects like this, is a near-miraculous gift of fate. Dickenson, in my opinion, is one of the best writers at communicating unexpected and strange ideas in a way that makes them understandable and exciting, while McKinley has an ability to create characters and societies that ring true at every turn. Both skills are on display in this collection.In my opinion the strongest stories are the first and the last--each dominated by a fire-creature which is so much a part of mythical tradition it might seem nothing new could be said about either. Yet Dickenson's phoenix, and the people who serve it, are not like any other phoenix-legend I know. The story is perhaps most notable for having no real antagonist, except the natural consequences of time and death. This is very appropriate, since the legend of the phoenix has always been about time, death and renewal. If you're looking for blood and thunder, you won't find much of that here--but a quieter, more inquiring mind will find much to consider. And if the world seems a little too good and beautiful to be real--well, the phoenix has that effect on ordinary mortals, and time and death become more terrible when what they destroy is loved and loveable.McKinley's dragon story is less original--dragonriding is a well- worn trope of fantasy--but it is no less charming, and in many ways much more gritty. Again, there is no real antagonist; the struggle is against circumstance and disability, and the natural human reluctance to admit weaknesses. McKinley brings a large number of people to life and gives us a good understanding of the society in which they live-- hinting at much more than she ever needs to show us. I wanted to learn more about this world; my main criticism of the story is that its abrupt ending leaves so many questions needing answers.Of the remaining three stories, two are fairly conventional fantasies (one set in modern times, the other in a timeless premodern land about which we learn surprisingly little) with more conventional sources of conflict. Their strength lies in the excellent characterization. The third story--another one by Dickenson--is noteworthy for being set in prehistoric times, where spirit-walkers and story- tellers help tribes of hunter-gatherers to survive in a harsh environment. Much of the fascination of this story is in seeing the interaction between "real" and spirit-world, and the way in which a shaman's individual heroics in the spirit- world are translated by a group of men working together into similar success in the physical world. Anyone who has been fascinated by Dickenson's other stories exploring how hominids developed into modern man will enjoy this short, unsparing tale as well.None of these stories is among either writer's very finest work--several of them have an air of incompleteness and all of them could have been expanded into longer pieces. For admirers of either author, however, there is much to enjoy and treasure, and I recommend this collection warmly.0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. Five StarsBy BoatdaveGood Product After Water comes Fire - five stories from Robin McKinley and Peter Dickinson about the necessary yet dangerous element. In these tales, a boy and his dog are unexpected guests on a dragonrider's first flight. A slave saves his village with a fiery magic spell. A girl's new friend, the guardian of a mystical bird, is much older than he appears. A young man walks the spirit world to defeat a fireworm. A mysterious dog is a key player in an eerie graveyard showdown. These five short stories are full of magic, mystery, and wonder."This collection of beautifully crafted tales will find a warm welcome from fans of either author, as well as from fantasy readers in general." - School Library Journal From School Library JournalGrade 8 UpIn this companion to Water (Putnam, 2002), McKinley and Dickinson explore the range of their storytelling abilities. The settings of these five tales range from ancient to modern, but they are all united by encounters with magical creatures with an affinity for fire. In "Phoenix," Ellie's love for forests leads her to Dave and Welly, caretakers of the ancient Phoenix, displaced from its Egyptian home to damp, chilly Britain. "Hellhound" features animal-loving Miri, whose choice of a red-eyed shelter dog proves providential when she must face a malevolent spirit. In "Fireworm," Tandin spirit-walks to defeat the fireworm that threatens his clan, though in doing so he develops empathy for the creature and its mate and distances himself from his people. "Salamander Man" finds orphaned Tib caught up in a bewildering chain of events, which results in him taking the form of a flaming giant to free the salamanders and rid his city of corrupt magicians. "First Flight," the longest piece, deals with Ern, who helps a dragon with a missing eye find its way back into the Flame Space, which dragons use to travel quickly through time and space. All of these individuals learn something about themselves in their encounters with the fire beasts, and all are the better for it in the end. This collection of beautifully crafted tales will find a warm welcome from fans of either author, as well as from fantasy readers in general.Misti Tidman, Boyd County Public Library, Ashland, KY END "This collection of beautifully crafted tales will find a warm welcome from fans of either author, as well as from fantasy readers in general." --School Library Journal"McKinley's fans can only hope that she will return to this world in a future novel." --Kirkus"The two writers' talents are well matched, creating a volume that's even in tone and quality while introducing novelty with every story opening." --Horn BookAbout the AuthorRobin McKinley has won various awards and citations for her writing, including the Newbery Medal for The Hero and the Crown and a Newbery Honor

  3. for The Blue Sword. Her other books include Sunshine; the New York Times bestseller Spindle's End; two novel- length retellings of the fairy tale Beauty and the Beast, Beauty and Rose Daughter; and a retelling of the Robin Hood legend, The Outlaws of Sherwood. She lives with her husband, the English writer Peter Dickinson.In 1927, Peter Dickinson was born in Africa, within earshot of Victoria Falls. When he was seven, his family moved to England, where he graduated from Eton and later Cambridge. After working on the editorial staff of the humor magazine Punch for seventeen years, Peter finally started on his career as a writer, which he knew he was meant for since he was five years old. His first book was published in 1968, and since then he has written almost fifty novels, for adults and young readers. His children's books have won great acclaim here as well as in Great Britain, where he has received both the Carnegie Medal and the Whitbread Award. Peter lives in Hampshire, England, with his wife, Newbery Medalist Robin McKinley.

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