I received this book for free from the library in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
Source: the library
Song for the Basilisk
by
Patricia A. McKillip
fantasy in Paperback edition that was published by Ace Books on December 1, 1999 and has 320 pages.
Explore it on Goodreads or Amazon
Other books by this author which I have reviewed include Solstice Wood, In the Forests of Serre, The Bards of Bone Plain, Ombria in Shadow, Alphabet of Thorn, Od Magic, Harrowing the Dragon, Wonders of the Invisible World, Kingfisher, Winter Rose
A fairy tale for adults…and, no! I don’t mean sex.
In 2009, Song for the Basilisk was nominated for the Tähtifantasia Award, and in 1999, it was nominated for the Mythopoeic Fantasy Award for Adult Literature.
My Take
A typical McKillip with its lilting, poetic, jewel-like phrases richly packed with tension and description. My one issue with this story is that McKillip keeps skipping chunks. I spent more time than I wanted trying to figure out what was happening in various parts of the story.
I was also irritated with how stupid Hexel was in his final opera. He already hates the prince and he knows the story. Um, but it’s just dawned on me that I had insider knowledge…oops… So, actually it was perfectly reasonable for Hexel to create a story that so perfectly parallels Caladrius’ adventures.
There were a number of elements within Song for the Basilisk that seemed lifted from other of McKillip’s stories: Quest of the Riddlemaster, Alphabet of Thorn, Od Magic, and Bards of Bone Plain. Not a complaint really, just a feel of the same ‘ol, same ‘ol.
I did appreciate Giulia’s frustration with Damiet’s obsession with colors. What serious musician actually worries about what color a song is or that she wants to wear a yellow gown and what song would match it? The secret workroom of the prince and his daughter sounded rather interesting. Impractical too as I didn’t get the impression that it was all that large to be so very well equipped but definitely interesting.
The Story
There is a survivor of the night that the Basilisk destroyed the Tormalyne family and their palace. Loyal family retainers escape with the boy into the north, the hinterlands to Luly, the island school of bards where Rook Caladrius grows to manhood, learning music and instruments. He is content to live out his life on the island, teaching music until the night that the Prince of Berylon reaches out and slaughters everyone he can find at Luly.
A slaughter that sends Caladrius on his quest of revenge against House Pellior. It’s convenient for Caladrius that he arrives when Master Legere is in need of someone to catalog the contents of the music library the prince stole from Tormalyne House; it gains him an in to the house and the attention of the dim-witted Damiet. A very dangerous attention which Caladrius keeps trying to avoid while Giulia attempts to train the Lady Damiet in the use of her voice, for Damiet insists on singing a principal role in the opera Hexel is creating to celebrate the prince’s birthday.
Just to make things interesting, Nicol Beres is leading a band of surviving Tormalynes, and they are using the old Tormalyne Palace as a meeting place to plot the prince’s overthrow timed for his birthday celebration. The day the prince celebrates as the end of strife amongst the houses…yeah, right. It’s amazing how little continuing strife there is when most of its participants have been murdered or subdued.
Now, Caladrius has sent his son to his mother in the north to keep him safe from retaliation but Hollis is slowly figuring the truth out and has come to Berylon, thus setting in motion a series of incidents and murders.
The Characters
There are four Houses in Berylon: Tormalyne, Pellior, Iridia, and Marcasia.
Caladrius, a.k.a., Griffin Tormalyne, somehow survives the night that the Basilisk destroyed his family and their palace. He and Sirina have a son at Luly, Hollis.
Arioso Pellior, Duke of Pellior House and Prince of Berylon (because he destroyed the other Houses) is obsessed with killing any who might possibly get in his way. His daughter and a more likely heir, Luna, who has learned the making of potions and poisons at her father’s knee; his actual heir is Taur; and, his third daughter Damiet who is obsessed with clothing and color, so obsessed there isn’t room for much else in her head. Master Veris Legere is the prince’s Master of Music. Brio Hood is a cousin of the prince, a twig-like man whom most never noticed, functioning as a spy and assassin for his prince.
Tormalyne School is a center of musical learning in Berylon. Some of its adherents include Giulia Dulcet who plays the picochet in a tavern, the Griffin’s Egg, and the more classic instruments in Pellior Palace; Hexel is the operatic composer who insists on Giulia’s presence as his muse; Justin is a minor member of Tormalyne House, plays a bass pipe, and loves Giulia; Yacinthe plays drums and Ionia the flute with Justin and Giulia at the Griffin’s Egg; Nicol is cousin to Justin and plays the lute; Reve Iridia is an old music teacher of Caladrius’ who aids him with instruments and a place to hide.
The Cover and Title
McKillip’s covers always make me think of fairy tales and this one doesn’t disappoint. It’s absolutely gorgeous in the style of a Russian lacquer box with an elaborately costumed young woman with an even more elaborate hairstyle of crossing braids and jewels playing a picochet amongst the flowers and trees framed by intricately embroidered bands inset with jewels. The back cover reminds me of medieval tapestries with its griffin tucked in amongst the other animals in the woods.
The title is accurate enough as it is a Song for the Basilisk that begins the end for the story’s tyrant.
