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Cygnet Duology #1
The Sorceress and the Cygnet
From the World Fantasy Award-winning author of The Bards of Bone Plain.
The Wayfolk are a dark-haired, wandering people who shun doors and walls. Corleu is Wayfolk, albeit with hair the color of the moon. But when his companions and his own true love become trapped in an unearthly swamp beyond the reach of time, he dares to cross a forbidden and forbidding threshold, to enter a dark house that should not exist, to meet with a tinker who is also a king, and to embark on a quest for the one long-lost treasure that may free his the heart of the Cygnet.
The Cygnet is a figure of myth and legend, like the Gold King, the Blind Lady, the Dancer, and the Warlock. Once Corleu had thought these beings to live only in the stars and in children's rhymes. Now he knows that they are as real as himself, and that it is the Cygnet that holds the others at bay.
To find the heart, he must walk paths he never apprentice himself to a beautiful sorceress of...
The Wayfolk are a dark-haired, wandering people who shun doors and walls. Corleu is Wayfolk, albeit with hair the color of the moon. But when his companions and his own true love become trapped in an unearthly swamp beyond the reach of time, he dares to cross a forbidden and forbidding threshold, to enter a dark house that should not exist, to meet with a tinker who is also a king, and to embark on a quest for the one long-lost treasure that may free his the heart of the Cygnet.
The Cygnet is a figure of myth and legend, like the Gold King, the Blind Lady, the Dancer, and the Warlock. Once Corleu had thought these beings to live only in the stars and in children's rhymes. Now he knows that they are as real as himself, and that it is the Cygnet that holds the others at bay.
To find the heart, he must walk paths he never apprentice himself to a beautiful sorceress of...
235 pages, Kindle Edition
First published May 1, 1990
48 people are currently reading
1738 people want to read
About the author
Patricia A. McKillip
94 books2,909 followersPatricia Anne McKillip was an American author of fantasy and science fiction. She wrote predominantly standalone fantasy novels and has been called "one of the most accomplished prose stylists in the fantasy genre". Her work won many awards, including the World Fantasy Award for Lifetime Achievement in 2008.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 83 reviews
July 17, 2016
They're just tales, how could there be danger? Just stars our eyes picked out and made into patterns so the night would be less lonely with faces looking back at us. But because of stars and smallfolk rhyme, I've lost everything I ever knew.
Corleu, the hero of this early fairytale from the pen of Patricia McKillip, is an insignificant speck on the landscape in the eyes of most of the Hold people who consider his nomadic tribe as wild, dirty and uncouth. He is a target of ridicule and bullying even within the ranks of his gypsies, because his hair is silver-white while the rest of the people are raven haired. Corleu takes refuge in the stories told by his grandmother in in the books left behind by his father. He even invents his own adventures to tell at night around the campfire.
She danced on a hill, she danced in a rill,
She danced on a moonbeam, danced in a dream,
Danced on a star, danced very far,
Danced in a bear's den, danced home again.
What Corleu didn't expect is for the tales passed down in childhood rhymes and old folk songs to come alive in his lifetime and to plunge him in the middle of a power struggle between ancient magical entities. Just as the young man manages to finally confess his love to his childhood sweetheart, he is pulled into a different universe where the constellations up in the night sky become ordinary people walking the earth and searching for a secret artefact to restore their celestial superpowers.
The Gold King hides inside the Dark House and plots to shine again like an Apollonian God; The Old Lady eternally weaves the threads of fate and dreams of recovering her lost sight from the tail feathers of the Peacock; The Dancer sleeps on top of the world in a prison of ice, guarded by the Fire Bear; the Blood Fox hides in the middle of the marshlands waiting for her Guardian Mage to reignite the flames of eternal war. All of these constellations have been defeated centuries ago and locked into their earthbound frames through spells cast by the ruling star sign of the Cygnet (I imagine this swan as a sort of Mily Way cutting across the Zodiac constellations). The avatars represent universal concepts of magic and power like Fire, Time, Dreams, Violence and, in their human form, they send Corleu the Gipsy on a quest for the key to their ultimate emancipation from under the banner of the Cygnet, now represented by the human rulers of Ro Holding.
Corleu needs more than his quick thinking and his smallfolk lore to get to the bottom of this mystery, and help comes from Nyx - a daughter of Ro Holding who left home years ago to become a sorceress. Nyx plays with dark forces and unsavoury spells imvolving the killing of small birds and the harvest of dead things, but Corleu has little choice in the matter of allies. Time is running against him, as the Holding of Ro sends its own guardian, a woman warrior named Meguet, to put a stop to his attacks against the power of the Cygnet. But is Nyx a person to be trusted in this quest of Corleu? Or does she have her own agenda against the Ro Holding?
Power is power. It's neither good nor evil, it's simply there to be used, either way. It's like fire. If you feed it silver it will shine like a summer's day and speak to you fairly, and if you feed it gall wood, it will turn black and stink like the dead, and prophesy sickness, storm, misfortune. All that matters is what you put into it.
>><<>><<>><<
I have taken some liberties in summarizing the plot, a complex weave of mysteries and almost forgotten legends, of secret ambitions and unexpected kindnesses that lure the reader into a labyrinth of mists and shadows that enchant more than explain. It's a dance of allusions and allegories that Patricia McKillip is so adept at in all of her novels, where she often makes the journey more interesting than the destination. The patient reader is rewarded hyere with a resolution of sorts, one that comes closer to the spirit of ancient fairytales than to the tenets of modern epic fantasy. Best of all, this tale is not the usual stand-alone fable that the author prefers, and there is a sequel that is already waiting its turn by my bedtable.
... whatever sun touches, whatever dreams, whatever works magic, whatever flies ... When the heart casts a shadow instead of dancing light, there story begins.
June 2, 2022
I tend to appreciate the McKillips where she uses her lyricism in service of story. This is not one of those books. But this is classic McKillip: it’s dreamy and beautiful, and it’s about constellations and myths made real, and the writing is lyrical and brilliant - and I’m not actually sure I followed the story. I certainly don’t remember much of it beyond “myth” and “magic” and “maze”, and I think the average McKillips are characterized by that haziness.
There’s one writing slip up, a shift in point of view which is pretty abrupt - I was surprised out of the dream, and it took a while to adjust.
This is not your typical average book, because of the overall quality of the writing, but it’s average for McKillip. Not one of her great ones.
There’s one writing slip up, a shift in point of view which is pretty abrupt - I was surprised out of the dream, and it took a while to adjust.
This is not your typical average book, because of the overall quality of the writing, but it’s average for McKillip. Not one of her great ones.
May 15, 2012
The Sorceress and the Cygnet is two plots intertwined: Corleu, a member of a wandering tribe, realizes they have wandered off the map into mythology; Meguet, niece of the Holder (ruler) of Ro Holding, stumbles into a heritage she never suspected. The link between the two is the titular sorceress Nyx, daughter to the Holder of Ro Holding and so-called bog witch, who has spent nine years traveling the holding to learn magic from any source, including some that appear disgusting and cruel. Corleu stumbles into Nyx's swamp with an impossible task, and ever-curious Nyx decides to help him. Since Corleu can't (and Nyx doesn't want to) tell anyone what he's searching for, he and Nyx butt heads with Meguet and the rest of Nyx's family, who see (correctly) Corleu's quest as a threat to Ro Holding itself.
Patricia McKillip's books are as much about language and poetry as they are about story. She has this unique way of describing ordinary things that makes them seem like magic, and describing magical things that make them seem unfathomable. I sometimes think that the point of reading her books is not the plot, but the way she lays it out--something about her language makes me see things differently, and phrases from her stories sometimes rise up in my memory for no reason. I liked The Sorceress and the Cygnet for the vivid descriptions and for the way McKillip describes Nyx's magic, as well as how close-knit the Ro family is. I could do without the stupid cover, though.
Patricia McKillip's books are as much about language and poetry as they are about story. She has this unique way of describing ordinary things that makes them seem like magic, and describing magical things that make them seem unfathomable. I sometimes think that the point of reading her books is not the plot, but the way she lays it out--something about her language makes me see things differently, and phrases from her stories sometimes rise up in my memory for no reason. I liked The Sorceress and the Cygnet for the vivid descriptions and for the way McKillip describes Nyx's magic, as well as how close-knit the Ro family is. I could do without the stupid cover, though.
January 22, 2012
Mckillip has a way of taking me right out of the waking state logical mind, and into a realm of dreamlike fantasy, with a subtle undercurrent of menace. This is really the point of fantasy for me. I remember spending most of my time being confused when reading this novel, and at the same time, it kept me totally enthralled. Mckillip has made no attempt to make this novel, or its characters relatable, in the normal sense. These are fantasy characters, and like magical people, somewhat ineffable in terms of their motivations. The story is riddled with obscure, arcane archetypes, (but not recognizable ones), and the story unfolds like a dream. In spite of the fact that fantasy has the ability to be boundless in terms of imagination, much of it follows a very set pattern: Unlikely boy hero, prophesied to save the realm, finds sword, goes on quest to defete dark lord, at some point dragon appears, flailing maiden needs to be rescued. Mckillip takes us far beyond the confines of this model, and leaves us almost giddy with the sensation of falling in a realm of baffling supernatural wilderness. I wish more fantasy writers had this kind of vision.
August 27, 2014
Mid-range McKillip, I'd say.
The first chapter features some of the author's most poetic writing, as she introduces Corleu, a young man out of place among the restless Wayfolk who, his great-grandmother tells him, long ago wandered out of the stars. Corleu is a "child of the horned moon," white-haired where all of the other Wayfolk are dark. He gets it from his grandfather, and his great-grandfather, a stranger whom his great-grandmother once coupled with among the corn one summer day. Who was he? A lord? A commoner? A sorcerer? One of his great-gran's dreams and stories? No one knows for certain.
I love the culture, the lore, and the world of the Wayfolk, and in this chapter McKillip provides one of the most beautiful descriptions of falling in love I've ever read:
"Venn's younger sister, Tiel, crossed the camp one day carrying a bucket of water from the stream, and Corleu, chopping wood, glanced up to find that in the interim between her going to the stream and returning, the world had transformed itself under his nose. The wooden ax handle was of a finer grain; the ground her bare feet touched had never been walked on before. Even the air was different: too shallow to breathe...."
When the Wayfolk choose to go south to the Delta for winter rather than the usual Hunter Hold, Corleu's father and mother see danger in this departure from custom, but Corleu follows the rest on account of Tiel. As they journey along through the hazy south, Corleu starts to notice that they aren't making any real progress, that time isn't passing, that they are trapped in some kind of enchantment. He finds a doorway out himself, but in order to free his people and his love, he must find the heart of the Cygnet for the Gold King, whom Corleu previously thought was a story, a constellation in the sky, the sign of one of Ro Holding's four Holds.
But this isn't only Corleu's story. It's also the story of Nyx Ro, a mysterious sorceress who lives in a swamp, and whom he goes to for help in finding the Cygnet. And it's the story of Meguet Vervaine, Nyx's cousin, who serves the Holder and is sworn to protect the country and royal family.
I like Meguet; she's got grit. I like her relationship with the Gatekeeper, one of the most grounded and mature romances I've written in a fantasy book. And I do like the royal family in general. There's one particularly wonderful scene where Iris, the daughter who seems the least magical of the lot, is the only one who is able to perform an important spell. It's a great character moment. And there's a great sense of tension as figures out of legend begin to appear in Ro Holding, although I still missed the Wayfolk after the first few chapters.
The structure bothered me a bit: Part One was from Corleu's point of view, Part Two from Meguet's, and Part Three switched between the two. One sad casualty of this set-up is Nyx. By the time you get to the end of the book, you come to realize that Nyx is in reality the most important character to the story, and it's she who changes the most in the course of it. But we are never able to see that change from the inside. Heck, we barely see it through Corleu's and Meguet's eyes. We have to be told about it. Weak.
I'm finding more and more that my enjoyment of McKillip novels varies depending on their endings. All of her books feature beautiful prose, complex and inimitably human characters, and a wonderful air of mystery. In the best of her novels, all of the mysteries come together and are explained in startling but entirely logical ways (well, logical for fantasy novels that place such a high value on symbolism and illusion). My least favorite of her novels are those that build up a great threat and then reveal it to be no threat at all, merely some kind of ploy by the universe to teach the characters a lesson. The Tower at Stony Wood and Solstice Wood fit this category. So does The Sorceress and the Cygnet. So despite the beautiful poetry of the writing, despite the Wayfolk, despite Meguet and her Gatekeeper, I can't say that it's a favorite.
The first chapter features some of the author's most poetic writing, as she introduces Corleu, a young man out of place among the restless Wayfolk who, his great-grandmother tells him, long ago wandered out of the stars. Corleu is a "child of the horned moon," white-haired where all of the other Wayfolk are dark. He gets it from his grandfather, and his great-grandfather, a stranger whom his great-grandmother once coupled with among the corn one summer day. Who was he? A lord? A commoner? A sorcerer? One of his great-gran's dreams and stories? No one knows for certain.
I love the culture, the lore, and the world of the Wayfolk, and in this chapter McKillip provides one of the most beautiful descriptions of falling in love I've ever read:
"Venn's younger sister, Tiel, crossed the camp one day carrying a bucket of water from the stream, and Corleu, chopping wood, glanced up to find that in the interim between her going to the stream and returning, the world had transformed itself under his nose. The wooden ax handle was of a finer grain; the ground her bare feet touched had never been walked on before. Even the air was different: too shallow to breathe...."
When the Wayfolk choose to go south to the Delta for winter rather than the usual Hunter Hold, Corleu's father and mother see danger in this departure from custom, but Corleu follows the rest on account of Tiel. As they journey along through the hazy south, Corleu starts to notice that they aren't making any real progress, that time isn't passing, that they are trapped in some kind of enchantment. He finds a doorway out himself, but in order to free his people and his love, he must find the heart of the Cygnet for the Gold King, whom Corleu previously thought was a story, a constellation in the sky, the sign of one of Ro Holding's four Holds.
But this isn't only Corleu's story. It's also the story of Nyx Ro, a mysterious sorceress who lives in a swamp, and whom he goes to for help in finding the Cygnet. And it's the story of Meguet Vervaine, Nyx's cousin, who serves the Holder and is sworn to protect the country and royal family.
I like Meguet; she's got grit. I like her relationship with the Gatekeeper, one of the most grounded and mature romances I've written in a fantasy book. And I do like the royal family in general. There's one particularly wonderful scene where Iris, the daughter who seems the least magical of the lot, is the only one who is able to perform an important spell. It's a great character moment. And there's a great sense of tension as figures out of legend begin to appear in Ro Holding, although I still missed the Wayfolk after the first few chapters.
The structure bothered me a bit: Part One was from Corleu's point of view, Part Two from Meguet's, and Part Three switched between the two. One sad casualty of this set-up is Nyx. By the time you get to the end of the book, you come to realize that Nyx is in reality the most important character to the story, and it's she who changes the most in the course of it. But we are never able to see that change from the inside. Heck, we barely see it through Corleu's and Meguet's eyes. We have to be told about it. Weak.
I'm finding more and more that my enjoyment of McKillip novels varies depending on their endings. All of her books feature beautiful prose, complex and inimitably human characters, and a wonderful air of mystery. In the best of her novels, all of the mysteries come together and are explained in startling but entirely logical ways (well, logical for fantasy novels that place such a high value on symbolism and illusion). My least favorite of her novels are those that build up a great threat and then reveal it to be no threat at all, merely some kind of ploy by the universe to teach the characters a lesson. The Tower at Stony Wood and Solstice Wood fit this category. So does The Sorceress and the Cygnet. So despite the beautiful poetry of the writing, despite the Wayfolk, despite Meguet and her Gatekeeper, I can't say that it's a favorite.
July 17, 2011
In Patricia McKillip's The Sorceress and the Cygnet, song and story literally come to life. Constellations fall from the sky and become breathing, dangerous beings. A sorceress cooks spells with impossible ingredients. A fighter wields the spirit, knowledge, and time of the thousand come before her.
At least, I think that’s what happened.
Here’s how it goes: Corleau leads a wandering gypsy-life, until he gets stuck in a timeless place. The only way to free himself—and the woman he loves—is to find something for a tinker who seems to be an incarnation from tales. The sorceress Nyx, hungry for knowledge and power, agrees to help him. Their foil is Meguet with her ancient sword, quirky extended family, and determination to save her house. None of them fully know what they’re getting themselves into. Neither does the reader.
This novel reads like poetry. For people who enjoy poetry, you’ll love the bends and twists of McKillip’s prose. The text is laced with whimsical and multi-faceted imagery. Characters do not have conversations; they dance around each other. The reader only gets a sense of seeing what they see, be it through half-bleared eyes or mysterious mirrors.
I, however, am not one for poetry. I get snagged in the details. I absolutely adore fantasy, but I like my fantastical worlds to make sense. I like my unicorns to have one horn, my basilisks to kill with a single glance, and my Spidermans to soar on Tarzan-like webbing according to the laws of physics.
I found myself confused. I could not always follow the fanciful storyline or the action described in flashes. Too often I was left with what does that mean, why’d he do that, why’d she say what? My basic questions prevented me from getting fully wrapped up in the story.
Prose and poetry aside, the characters are three dimensional. They are full people with strengths, foibles, and intelligence. The history and mythology are well-defined, even if it takes a while to figure it out. And in what other novel do characters research? In-between spells and swordplay, they sat down to sift through books. Definitely fantasy.
There are two ways to read this book. You can stay on your toes with laser-like attention and reconstruct clues half-explained. Or you can go with the flow. You can tolerate the confusion and relax into the eddying streams, murky depths, and waves crystallized with sunlight. And don’t be startled when Pisces appears and water starts flowing upstream.
At least, I think that’s what happened.
Here’s how it goes: Corleau leads a wandering gypsy-life, until he gets stuck in a timeless place. The only way to free himself—and the woman he loves—is to find something for a tinker who seems to be an incarnation from tales. The sorceress Nyx, hungry for knowledge and power, agrees to help him. Their foil is Meguet with her ancient sword, quirky extended family, and determination to save her house. None of them fully know what they’re getting themselves into. Neither does the reader.
This novel reads like poetry. For people who enjoy poetry, you’ll love the bends and twists of McKillip’s prose. The text is laced with whimsical and multi-faceted imagery. Characters do not have conversations; they dance around each other. The reader only gets a sense of seeing what they see, be it through half-bleared eyes or mysterious mirrors.
I, however, am not one for poetry. I get snagged in the details. I absolutely adore fantasy, but I like my fantastical worlds to make sense. I like my unicorns to have one horn, my basilisks to kill with a single glance, and my Spidermans to soar on Tarzan-like webbing according to the laws of physics.
I found myself confused. I could not always follow the fanciful storyline or the action described in flashes. Too often I was left with what does that mean, why’d he do that, why’d she say what? My basic questions prevented me from getting fully wrapped up in the story.
Prose and poetry aside, the characters are three dimensional. They are full people with strengths, foibles, and intelligence. The history and mythology are well-defined, even if it takes a while to figure it out. And in what other novel do characters research? In-between spells and swordplay, they sat down to sift through books. Definitely fantasy.
There are two ways to read this book. You can stay on your toes with laser-like attention and reconstruct clues half-explained. Or you can go with the flow. You can tolerate the confusion and relax into the eddying streams, murky depths, and waves crystallized with sunlight. And don’t be startled when Pisces appears and water starts flowing upstream.
August 1, 2020
I was really rooting for this book—finally a swords-and-magic fantasy quest that follows almost none of the typical tropes. Constellation-magic, bog ghosts, and ancient town traditions, all told in dreamy, misty prose that suits the swamps and midnight town gates. But, alas, McKillip's dreamy language runs away with the book, until at times it's difficult to understand what she's even describing. Not in a good way. Not like, say, Faulkner. More in a "I literally can't understand what's happening" sort of way. I couldn't begin to tell you what exactly happened in the surreal climax, or, more importantly, why. I'm not sure the characters could, either. Each of them is asked, in the final pages of the book, to describe what exactly went on, and each of them politely declines.
did-not-finish
August 19, 2025This is not an especially long book and I've gotten about two thirds of the way into it, but I've been wavering on giving up or reading on for a while and I kept trying to push on. The writing is oh so lovely, numinous and lyrical and lush, and I like what it's doing with constellations coming to life and myth and story shimmering into reality. I want to like this so much, and yet I can't find any traction on it. I think the characters ought to be interesting and at the same time I don't really want to read about them. I can't figure out what's causing me to be so disconnected to this book and that's why I kept trying to push myself to read on, and it's not as if it's a long book, but I am finally confessing that this just isn't working for me.
November 26, 2025
(reading the first book after the sequel, let's go)
Ehhrrrgggggh. Three stars or two? McKillip's writing is sensory and intelligent and wields at moments rare emotional power. I love Meguet; I love her herself as much as I love the concept of her, which is as much as I love the powers behind the constellations and the organic-ness of the magic (it's the way you should write it). I like Nyx a lot too and enjoyed her development.
But...I could not care less about Corleu. And Really???!???!?
Ehhrrrgggggh. Three stars or two? McKillip's writing is sensory and intelligent and wields at moments rare emotional power. I love Meguet; I love her herself as much as I love the concept of her, which is as much as I love the powers behind the constellations and the organic-ness of the magic (it's the way you should write it). I like Nyx a lot too and enjoyed her development.
But...I could not care less about Corleu. And Really???!???!?
July 31, 2019
I'm not sure how to feel about this book. I enjoyed it, but it was very vague. What was good was really good, and it gave me quite a lot of Dark Souls vibes...but it's a bit misty, truth be told. 🤷♀️
August 20, 2012
Although I didn't understand everything and had to read the first few chapters again a couple of times to make sure everything was clear, the prose was gorgeous and the imagery stunning.
The story doesn't move forward using definite events, but rather evolving symbolism and imagery. Little by little, the stories-within-the-story become real, functionning as riddles that unlock each other one by one. The physical journey of Corleu, the protagonist, who asks the help of a sorceress to save his people and the woman he loves, is intertwinned in his symbolic journey from story to story, which is itself intertwined in the politics of the various countries of the world, politics of which the hero, as a member of a wandering folk that doesn't care about boundaries or governance, is completely unaware.
The multiple levels of symbolism in this book thus mix the temporal and the mythical, the material and the symbolic, the personal and the collective. The results are arresting. I didn't understand everything, but I'm not sure that the plot is meant to be "understood", one event after another, in a conventional way. This is the kind of book that should be approached like poetry: I think it's best to read it several time, paying attention to the way the images and symbols echo through the story. Even if you only have time to read it once, though, it's a lovely read.
The story doesn't move forward using definite events, but rather evolving symbolism and imagery. Little by little, the stories-within-the-story become real, functionning as riddles that unlock each other one by one. The physical journey of Corleu, the protagonist, who asks the help of a sorceress to save his people and the woman he loves, is intertwinned in his symbolic journey from story to story, which is itself intertwined in the politics of the various countries of the world, politics of which the hero, as a member of a wandering folk that doesn't care about boundaries or governance, is completely unaware.
The multiple levels of symbolism in this book thus mix the temporal and the mythical, the material and the symbolic, the personal and the collective. The results are arresting. I didn't understand everything, but I'm not sure that the plot is meant to be "understood", one event after another, in a conventional way. This is the kind of book that should be approached like poetry: I think it's best to read it several time, paying attention to the way the images and symbols echo through the story. Even if you only have time to read it once, though, it's a lovely read.
April 17, 2025
Still working my way through McKillip’s backlist. When Corleu and his caravan are trapped in a never-ending summer, he impulsively plunges through a strange doorway– and into a world of myths and stars. He’ll have to complete a strange bargain and work with a mysterious sorceress if he ever wants to rescue the rest of his group.
McKillip is one of those authors, like Valente, where the line-by-line prose and imagery is gorgeous, nearly poetry, but sometimes the overall plot and characters fail to cohere. This is one of those books. The characters are flat, and the plot wanders through a series of unfamiliar and opaque myths that are never really explained. And it’s also particularly long for a McKillip novel.
Beautiful in small pieces, but disappointing as a whole.
McKillip is one of those authors, like Valente, where the line-by-line prose and imagery is gorgeous, nearly poetry, but sometimes the overall plot and characters fail to cohere. This is one of those books. The characters are flat, and the plot wanders through a series of unfamiliar and opaque myths that are never really explained. And it’s also particularly long for a McKillip novel.
Beautiful in small pieces, but disappointing as a whole.
April 11, 2024
FIRST REVIEW, 2021:
It took me a much longer time to read this than I was expecting. It's one of McKillip's most complex works, as well as one of her most poetic, filled with all kinds of allegories and mysteries. I couldn't always follow the storyline or the action, but I just went with the flow.
SECOND REVIEW, 2024:
Well, I'll be damned. Read it all practically in one sitting this time on a long train trip, but I had zero recollection of this book. It was only when I wanted to log it that I discovered I'd read this before. It's still a very abstract work, especially near the end.
It took me a much longer time to read this than I was expecting. It's one of McKillip's most complex works, as well as one of her most poetic, filled with all kinds of allegories and mysteries. I couldn't always follow the storyline or the action, but I just went with the flow.
SECOND REVIEW, 2024:
Well, I'll be damned. Read it all practically in one sitting this time on a long train trip, but I had zero recollection of this book. It was only when I wanted to log it that I discovered I'd read this before. It's still a very abstract work, especially near the end.
August 10, 2016
Not my favorite McKillip, but still rich and entertaining.
January 13, 2021
C’est la curiosité qui m’a mis ce livre dans les mains. J’avais entendu parler de l’autrice mais n’avais encore rien lu d’elle. Le titre, la couverture, le résumé… j’étais interpellée.
Nous suivons Corleu. Corleu est un Errant aux cheveux blancs, en dépit de son âge (c’est un jeune homme). Une chevelure héritée d’un ancêtre, selon l’histoire de son arrière-grand-mère qui raconte à qui veut l’entendre comment elle fut séduite par un cavalier étranger, dans un champ de maïs. Une chevelure qui accompagne certains dons, paraît-il, mais Corleu ne sait que lire et conter des histoires, ce qui n’est, à ses yeux, pas un don en soi, au contraire de sa mère, capable de lire l’avenir dans des pétales de fleurs. Lorsque la troupe d’Errants se met en route pour changer de Tenure, la saison se terminant, ils se rendent au Delta, une région marécageuse. Mais Corleu se rend compte, seul, que la caravane tourne en rond dans une contrée étrange, où rien ne meurt. Et quand il découvre une maison noire, comme celle décrite dans les comptines, comme celle formant une constellation bien connue, il se pourrait que ce soit le début des ennuis.
Voilà pour le point de départ de cet excellent roman de fantasy qui cache bien son jeu ! Car, durant les premières pages, j’étais plus que dubitative. Mais tout change quand Corleu entre dans cette maison noire. Petit à petit, je me suis retrouvée ensorcelée par cette histoire où constellations comme comptines prennent vie, où une forteresse est dirigée par une femme et ses filles (malgré l’ouverture du roman qui suit Corleu, le roman est aussi narré par un personnage féminin, Meguet, que j’ai beaucoup apprécié !), où l’héritage n’est pas qu’un mot vain mais bien une chose encore très vivante dans les vies des descendants.
Original, doté d’un univers passionnant (des constellations vivantes ! J’ai adoré !) et de personnages attachants (dont de nombreux personnages féminins, ce qui m’a fait plaisir), sachant doser son suspense (jusqu’au bout, je me suis demandé ce que ce serait le fameux objet qui suscitait tant de convoitises), une plume fluide et poétique, le tout saupoudré de romance (Meguet et Hew ❤), la recette réussie d’un très bon roman de fantasy qui, s’il n’est pas tout jeune, m’a enchantée !
Nous suivons Corleu. Corleu est un Errant aux cheveux blancs, en dépit de son âge (c’est un jeune homme). Une chevelure héritée d’un ancêtre, selon l’histoire de son arrière-grand-mère qui raconte à qui veut l’entendre comment elle fut séduite par un cavalier étranger, dans un champ de maïs. Une chevelure qui accompagne certains dons, paraît-il, mais Corleu ne sait que lire et conter des histoires, ce qui n’est, à ses yeux, pas un don en soi, au contraire de sa mère, capable de lire l’avenir dans des pétales de fleurs. Lorsque la troupe d’Errants se met en route pour changer de Tenure, la saison se terminant, ils se rendent au Delta, une région marécageuse. Mais Corleu se rend compte, seul, que la caravane tourne en rond dans une contrée étrange, où rien ne meurt. Et quand il découvre une maison noire, comme celle décrite dans les comptines, comme celle formant une constellation bien connue, il se pourrait que ce soit le début des ennuis.
Voilà pour le point de départ de cet excellent roman de fantasy qui cache bien son jeu ! Car, durant les premières pages, j’étais plus que dubitative. Mais tout change quand Corleu entre dans cette maison noire. Petit à petit, je me suis retrouvée ensorcelée par cette histoire où constellations comme comptines prennent vie, où une forteresse est dirigée par une femme et ses filles (malgré l’ouverture du roman qui suit Corleu, le roman est aussi narré par un personnage féminin, Meguet, que j’ai beaucoup apprécié !), où l’héritage n’est pas qu’un mot vain mais bien une chose encore très vivante dans les vies des descendants.
Original, doté d’un univers passionnant (des constellations vivantes ! J’ai adoré !) et de personnages attachants (dont de nombreux personnages féminins, ce qui m’a fait plaisir), sachant doser son suspense (jusqu’au bout, je me suis demandé ce que ce serait le fameux objet qui suscitait tant de convoitises), une plume fluide et poétique, le tout saupoudré de romance (Meguet et Hew ❤), la recette réussie d’un très bon roman de fantasy qui, s’il n’est pas tout jeune, m’a enchantée !
June 14, 2019
This novel revolves around the intertwining stories of Corleu of the Wayfolk (akin to the real-world Roma or Travellers) and Nyx Ro and her family. Corleu and his band of Wayfolk find themselves trapped in an endless swamp, and his attempt at escape brings him face to face with figures of legend and folklore in their attempt to manipulate their stories. This in turn leads Corleu to the house of Nyx Ro, a sorceress and one of the daughters of the Holder of Ro. As she helps him in his quest to free his people, she and her family become entwined in the stories that are unfolding and the dangers they hold.
The Sorceress and the Cygnet is a very subtle and finely wrought novel. The language is as beautiful as ever. McKillip is able to weave a lot into a relatively short book, without anything feeling rushed or glossed over. However, there are a lot more mysteries and allusions than in her other books. Much like the ancient tales, folklore, and legends it evokes, there is a lot that is only hinted at, a lot that remains shrouded in mystery and metaphor. Yet it is not at all unsatisfying. All of this reminded me a lot of Little, Big, which I also enjoyed a lot.
The Sorceress and the Cygnet is a very subtle and finely wrought novel. The language is as beautiful as ever. McKillip is able to weave a lot into a relatively short book, without anything feeling rushed or glossed over. However, there are a lot more mysteries and allusions than in her other books. Much like the ancient tales, folklore, and legends it evokes, there is a lot that is only hinted at, a lot that remains shrouded in mystery and metaphor. Yet it is not at all unsatisfying. All of this reminded me a lot of Little, Big, which I also enjoyed a lot.
February 2, 2022
This book is very quiet. It's not a grab you by the throat novel, and even if there are swords and sorcery, those swords and spells don't accomplish as much as conversation. I've noticed the words 'poetic' and 'rich' cropping up around McKillip's writing style, and that's accurate. She is one of those authors who will use seven well-chosen words where one would suffice for others. The result is a deeply textured novel with an astonishing amount of world building, and a dreamy tale that spools out leisurely. And I liked it.
The basic story is your typical hero's quest of fairy tale, taking the main story arc from East of the Sun, West of the Moon, which is apt given that this is a world of living children's tales and songs. There is value added by framing the hero's quest in the redemption of a family who are more closely tied to this galaxy of myths than they understood. The characterizations can be a trifle flat for a high concept fantasy, but then again, this is a fairy tale and fairy stories are entirely populated with archetypes. What was most refreshing was how unexpected, yet entirely fitting the conclusion was. A very lovely book with an unusual degree of intelligence.
The basic story is your typical hero's quest of fairy tale, taking the main story arc from East of the Sun, West of the Moon, which is apt given that this is a world of living children's tales and songs. There is value added by framing the hero's quest in the redemption of a family who are more closely tied to this galaxy of myths than they understood. The characterizations can be a trifle flat for a high concept fantasy, but then again, this is a fairy tale and fairy stories are entirely populated with archetypes. What was most refreshing was how unexpected, yet entirely fitting the conclusion was. A very lovely book with an unusual degree of intelligence.
June 2, 2024
While I enjoyed some of the imagery and feel of this book, it didn't really grab me with the story or writing style. I got a bit lost in some of the symbolism and the myths that felt like they were trying to get at some inaccessible deeper meaning. The description was too prescriptive for me while the world-building was too vague, with too much detail on small parts of background/scenery but then skimming over huge swathes of culture, expecting you to absorb that through the course of the story. I haven't minded this too much in other books that have similar approaches, but there was something about the style or particular approach here that didn't do it for me.
I've liked other McKillip novels, so I'll continue to read her stuff but this one left me unsatisfied despite being an enjoyable read for the most part.
I've liked other McKillip novels, so I'll continue to read her stuff but this one left me unsatisfied despite being an enjoyable read for the most part.
January 29, 2021
A fantasy mystery from renowned author Patricia McKillip. A mysterious wanderer named Corleau, with blonde hair among dark-haired wandering people falls in love and his girl is held by the powerful Sun King. All he wants from this white-haired young man is the heart of the Cygnet.
What is it? Where is it? He doesn't know, nor does anyone else. Not even the Sun King.
Corleau awakes in a swamp and then is taken to the home of a swamp sorceress, Nyx. She too is wrapped in unknown power. She becomes interested in his mission--only he is bound to not tell her what he searches for.
How do all these mysteries resolve? It is a story of great and subtle power stretching across the world and time.
Read it if you love mysteries, if you love fantasy.
What is it? Where is it? He doesn't know, nor does anyone else. Not even the Sun King.
Corleau awakes in a swamp and then is taken to the home of a swamp sorceress, Nyx. She too is wrapped in unknown power. She becomes interested in his mission--only he is bound to not tell her what he searches for.
How do all these mysteries resolve? It is a story of great and subtle power stretching across the world and time.
Read it if you love mysteries, if you love fantasy.
February 23, 2024
I picked up the Cygnet duology at the Half Price Book years ago because the cover was a bright yellow with lots of dragons. I kept it in my collection for so long without giving it a try that I became determined this year to finally read it. I wanted to enjoy it. The writing is lyrical and relaxing; however, I struggled to stay focused on the plot and had to reread sentences throughout. I love fairy tale type stories, so I kept going for the fable style writing. I didn't feel the urgency behind the characters motivations. I appreciated the romantic relationship between the Gatekeeper and the swan girl, but I couldn't understand the significance of the gate's power or the symbolism in the swans. This one went over my head.
October 10, 2022
https://wordnerdy.blogspot.com/2022/1...
This was on the slower/weirder side of McKillip's stuff, but I came around to liking it by the end (I did almost give up on it several times during the first third though). It’s about a young man given a quest to complete or his people will be lost in a misty dreamland forever, the sorceress who helps him, and eventually her family (things get much more interesting once they come into play). Good stuff here about families and stories and magic. But slow as hell. B+.
This was on the slower/weirder side of McKillip's stuff, but I came around to liking it by the end (I did almost give up on it several times during the first third though). It’s about a young man given a quest to complete or his people will be lost in a misty dreamland forever, the sorceress who helps him, and eventually her family (things get much more interesting once they come into play). Good stuff here about families and stories and magic. But slow as hell. B+.
September 21, 2022
Human lives get upturned when myths come to life
To honor Patricia McKillip, who passed away this year, I have been rereading her classics, and looking for stories I missed from her long career as a master storyteller. "The Sorceress and the Cygnet," is one of the classics. The characters are likable, and the story sweet. If you are in the mood for a story that isn't bitter and jaded, give this title a try!
To honor Patricia McKillip, who passed away this year, I have been rereading her classics, and looking for stories I missed from her long career as a master storyteller. "The Sorceress and the Cygnet," is one of the classics. The characters are likable, and the story sweet. If you are in the mood for a story that isn't bitter and jaded, give this title a try!
June 19, 2023
Like all of this author's books, this one was surprising, fascinating and beautifully written. My favourite thing about her is the seeming lack of world-building while all the time she builds amazing and believable yet utterly fantastical worlds with subtle strokes and hints. Her imagination is unparalleled. Excited that there is a second book in this particular reality.
April 18, 2019
Definitely at the top of my classics list
July 6, 2020
I liked Corleu; Nyx was interesting; Meguet was tedious. Not going to bother with the sequel.
September 23, 2020
I'm not certain I understood exactly what happened at the climax, but it was good overall.
December 28, 2020
I like the story told in this book, but it was hard for me to follow at times.
January 28, 2021
3.75 stars
April 6, 2022
I. Am. So. Confused. Who saved the cygnet??!
February 8, 2024
Definitely not one of McKillip's best works. The ending was confusing. Good main characters.
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