Deerskin by Robin Mckinley
As Princess Lissar reaches womanhood, it is clear to all the kingdom that in her breathtaking beauty she is the mirror image of her mother, the queen. But this seeming blessing image of her mother forces her to flee for safety from her father's wrath. With her loyal dog, Ash, at her side, Lissar unlocks a door to a world of magic, where she finds the key to her survival-and an adventure beyond her wildest dreams...
This book was a really really good read. I thought I'd grown out of fairytales when Disney Movies became depressing and unrealistic to my cynical mind, a shame really. But after reading Robin Mckinley's Beauty (a retelling of the story Beauty and the Beast, which she is retelling again in a different book, soon to be out called the Rose Daughter) I decided maybe I could read more of her retold fairytales for adults. Deerskin didn't let me down. It is her own fairytale, created in her mind and it is amazing.
Lissar is such a strong character and it amazes me how, after all she goes through with her father, she can still stand and fight for her place in the world with her dog Ash.
Unfortunately I knew the ending, as most fairytales are ridicuously predictable to me, and this one was no exception, but I still enjoyed seeing how Lissar and Ash got from the mess of the beginning, to their happy ending!
Mckinley is such a fabulous writer as well, with descriptions so rich I could feel myself sucked into the book and stood right next to Lissar and Ash, shivering with the cold, enthralled by civillisation and warmed by Lilac's friendship.
I was gutted that a friend at the beginning was never heard of again once Lissar got in trouble. I wanted to find her and shake her, listen to her explain why she stayed away, why she couldn't help her friend... but it never happened.
I really do recommend this for an escapism read, and a great one at that!
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Keep reading!
JB xx
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