Wertzone Classics: The Forgotten Beasts of Eld by Patricia McKillip

Sybel is the latest in a line of keepers of a group of fantastic beasts dwelling on Eld Mountain. She cares nothing for the outside world until the warrior Coren brings into her care a baby boy, Tamlorn. Tamlorn is the son of the king, but Sybel cares nothing for his heritage. A dozen years later, the outside world returns to intrude on their peaceful lives, and Sybel and Tamlorn must choose their fate.

The Forgotten Beasts of Eld was originally published in 1974 and has since become regarded as a classic, foundational volume of modern fantasy. It mixes elements of epic fantasy - armies readying for battle, politics - with elements of fairy tales, particularly the magical beasts who live with Sybel and the way that the magic works, with sorcerers gaining power over one another through the knowledge of names and stories.

McKillip's writing discipline is awesome to behold. In just 200 pages she packs in more story and more ideas than most entire trilogies. The writing is elegant and stylish for all of its tremendous pace, and the character development of Sybel, Tamlorn and Coren is superb. Particularly powerful is the discussion of the intersection of power and morality: just because you can do something does not mean you should. Sybel's grasping of how to wield great power responsibly, unlike some of her opponents who just don't care, is explored well.

The superb prose and excellent pacing does sometimes come at the expense of other elements. McKillip provides just enough worldbuilding to support the story and no more; some may feel this hurts immersion, but I never saw it as a problem (and even something of a relief). The characterisation of secondary figures aside from the big three is also more limited, due to a lack of page time. King Drede is presented intriguingly as a complex antagonist with mixed motivations, but we don't really get to know him in depth.

These complaints are slight. McKillip's writing is compelling, her storytelling is phenomenal and the way the book balances different elements is superb. It is unsurprising to learn that the novel won the inaugural World Fantasy Award in 1975, and has since become regarded as a classic of the genre. The Forgotten Beasts of Eld (*****) is available now in the UK and USA.

Thank you for reading The Wertzone. To help me provide better content, please consider contributing to my Patreon page and other funding methods.

RIP Patricia McKillip

News has sadly broken that the hugely influential fantasy author Patricia McKillip has passed away at the age of 74. McKillip is best-known for her novels The Forgotten Beasts of Eld (1974) and The Riddle-Master of Hed (1976), which were two hugely important works of fantasy in the post-Tolkien, pre-mass-commercialisation of the genre period.

McKillip was born in Salem, Oregon in 1948 and was raised in the USA, UK and Germany. She attended San Jose State University and received a Master of Arts in English in 1973. She started writing whilst in college and published her first book, The Throme of the Erril of Sherill, a novella for children, in 1973.

The Forgotten Beasts of Eld was published in 1974 and immediately put McKillip, then 26, on the map. The book won the 1975 World Fantasy Award and was a nominee for both the Mythopoeic Fantasy Award and the Locus Award. The book tells the story of Sybel, who lives on a mountain, alone apart from a group of mythical creatures summoned by her late father. Sybel is then given the care of a young baby who holds the future of the kingdom in her hands.

The book attracted a rapturous critical reception and sold well. In 1976 McKillip repeated the feat ith The Riddle-Master of Hed, the first in her Riddle-Master Trilogy (which continued with Heir of Sea and Flame and the Hugo-nominated Harpist in the Wind). The trilogy was declared by The Encyclopedia of Science Fiction as a work of "classic stature." The trilogy tells the story of Morgon, the Prince of Hed, who is also the Riddle-Master of his world, and Raederle of An, the heir of sea and fire. The work was hugely successful.

McKillip's later work includes the Cygnet Duology, Kyreol Series and the Winter Rose Duology. She later worked exclusively in standalone novels, including Something Rich and Strange (winner of the 1995 Mythopoeic Fantasy Award), Ombria in Shadow (winner of the 2003 World Fantasy Award), and her last novel, Kingfisher (2016) and her final story collection, Dreams of Distant Shores (2016).

McKillip won a Locus Award, two World Fantasy Awards and two Mythopoeic Fantasy Awards. She was also nominated for the Nebula and Hugo.

A hugely important and influential author modern fantasy, with remarkable prose and character skills, she will be missed.