Harrowing the Dragon

by Patricia A McKillip

Ace Books; $23.95; 310 pp

This is a selection of 15 short stories by renowned fantasy author Patricia McKillip. They span the years from 1982 to 1999.

The title story is a nifty beginning to this collection, being an unusual tale of a huge dragon holding an island in thrall with eternal winter and of course, the brave soul who frees the island.

The tales in this collection run from really great to okay—like most story collections. McKillip’s strongest asset is her writing style and use of words which really quite carries you along. She describes things beautifully; i.e.: “She had no names for the trees, only pictures in her head that each wood scent conjured: some were dark and bristled, green all year; others stood pale and slender, wore leaves like lace and rustled with secrets at every breeze.” This is a simple description of a character’s ability to smell trees in the story “Ash, Wood, Fire.”

A couple of her tales are derivative: “The Lion and the Lark” is an interesting version of “Beauty and the Beast.” And “Star Crossed” is what might have followed the end of “Romeo and Juliet.” McKillip tells the story of a soldier engaged by the Prince of Verona to uncover the cause of the unusual murders in the Capulet’s vault. And though I am sure it is just coincidence, as I read “The Witches of Junket,” all I could think of was “The Witches of Eastwick.”

My favorite story was a basic love triangle between a man and two women: Plain Gerda who is married to gorgeous Kay, who then meets with the scintillating Neva, all icy, sharp corners who entices the foolish Kay away. Called “The Snow Queen,” it also is derivative (obviously), but I found the characters and the plot interesting and piquant nevertheless.

The one thing that I find frustrating, and it is not just with McKillip’s stories, but a great many short stories, is that they are such little candies: Sweet at the beginning, a quick taste of the middle, and then, they’re gone. And some of the endings in this collection are just sort of a smoke screen of lovely vague verbiage hiding an unexceptional finish.

But if you are a fan of fantasy short stories, I am sure this will be just your book. Otherwise, I’d stick to McKillip’s novels. - Sue Martin