Those of us who 'gobble' books will know what I mean, I am pretty sure. They turned out to be uniformly beautifully (though never 'preciously') written and plotted fantasy tales, each as different from the other as Sun from Moon, except for one series and the aforementioned kind-of-sequel of course, with fresh, creative situations and characters so lovingly treated that they seem as real as characters can be. From older paperbacks to trade paperbacks to first edition hard bounds, these fabulous books poured into my house for a couple of weeks, and I read them as fast as I could one might say I 'gobbled' them. The book I mentioned above ^ was so good (and there's a kind-of-sequel to it, too!) that I decided to buy many more of McKillip's works, which I did, on eBay of course. Haven't you ever bought a book because you liked its cover? I'm betting that you have. I bought the book 'A Winter Rose' (though I have the feeling that may not be exactly the correct title, it's close enough that one can't mistake it for any other of her books) because the blurb sounded good, and because the covers of McKillip's books mostly feature the artwork of Kinuko Craft, whom I revere (to a point )). I discovered Patricia McKillip fairly recently, and quite by happy accident. Not as 'Magical' as McKillip's Other Books The queen's destiny, however, is intertwined with Nepenthe's ability to unravel the mystery of the thorns. The newly crowned queen, a mousy 14-year old girl named Tessera who wants nothing to do with matters of state, hides in the woods as regents plot revolution. As she works tirelessly transcribing the book - which turns out to be about the historical figures of Axis, the Emperor of Night, and Kane, his masked sorcerer - the kingdom of Raine is teetering on the brink of chaos. The book calls out to Nepenthe's very soul, and she is soon privately translating its contents.

Years later, the girl - named Nepenthe - comes in contact with a mysterious book written in a language of thorns that no one, not even the wizards at Raine's famous Floating School for mages, can decipher.

In the kingdom of Raine, a vast realm at the edge of the world, an orphaned baby girl is found by a palace librarian and raised to become a translator. Alphabet of Thorn is yet another timeless fable suitable for children and adults alike. McKillip, the 21st century's response to Hans Christian Andersen, has mastered the art of writing fairy tales - as evidenced by previous works like The Tower at Stony Wood, Ombria in Shadow, and In the Forests of Serre.

Alphabet of thorn by patricia mckillip