Chalice

Written by Robin McKinley

Narrated by Rachael Beresford

The earthlines speak to Mirasol, but her family has lived in the demesne for centuries, and many of the old families can hear the land. She knows that the violent deaths of the last Master and Chalice have thrown Willowlands into turmoil; but she is only a beekeeper, and the problems of the Circle that govern Willowlands have nothing to do with her-although she wonders what will become of her demesne, because the Master and Chalice left no heirs to carry on their crucial duties.

And then the Circle come to Mirasol, to tell her that she has been chosen to be the new Chalice; and the Master she must learn to work with is a Priest of Fire, a man no longer quite human, whose touch can burn human flesh to the bone.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Tantor Media, Inc
• Release date: Aug 30, 2019
• ISBN: 9781977349453

Robin McKinley

Robin McKinley has won various awards and citations for her writing, including the Newbery Medal for The Hero and the Crown, a Newbery Honor for The Blue Sword, and the Mythopoeic Fantasy Award for Adult Literature for Sunshine. Her other books include the New York Times bestseller Spindle’s End; two novel-length retellings of the fairy tale Beauty and the Beast, Beauty and Rose Daughter; Deerskin, another novel-length fairy-tale retelling, of Charles Perrault’s Donkeyskin; and a retelling of the Robin Hood legend, The Outlaws of Sherwood. She lives with her husband, the English writer Peter Dickinson; three dogs (two hellhounds and one hell terror); an 1897 Steinway upright; and far too many rosebushes.

Reviews for Chalice

[Jess · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I grew up reading McKinley's books, and somehow never came across Chalice until recently. I'm quite glad I did.
While I agree with those reviews saying it's slow to start, and that the narration's weaving back into memory is occasionally disorienting for an audio or e-reader, I did not find either quality burdensome here. Many of McKinley's books have a dreamlike quality, and Chalice falls more firmly into that category than most. It's a simple and quiet story, with much of the action being internal and personal to the protagonist, but powerful in it's own way.
I do wish that we had seen more of the other roles of the Circle, more world building, as it was a fascinating structure.... though I suspect most of them are ancient roles that one might find in a medieval holding, given more magical weight. This is, however, also in keeping with McKinley's style, to have a world lightly sketched as a watercolor backdrop to a more vivid main character. I found it a thoroughly enjoyable read, and will likely reread it as I do many of McKinley's other works

[shanaqui_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I was quite doubtful about Robin McKinley's Chalice, initially. It took a while to really get going, and while it did, there was a lot of skipping around between time periods, which I found a little confusing. I read it on my ereader, which made it a little more difficult to just turn back a few pages and reread stuff to connect up the dots and sort out my confusion, which might have helped -- but at the same time, I should've been able to read the story linearly.

I did enjoy it quite a lot, though, especially when it got to the last half of the book or so. I found the whole concept of the world, as it slowly unfolded -- the demesnes and the Circle and the different roles within the Circle -- intensely interesting, and kind of wish we'd seen more of the other roles, and actually seen the Circle in action. I wish we knew more about the Master, both his role in the Circle and the actual Master that the story follows, what he was like when he was a Fire priest, etc. At the same time, I liked the way we see glimpses of the world while not really knowing the rules, like Mirasol herself. I liked the symbolism of the Chalice, I liked the way she found power and found the ways to make things work again. I liked both Mirasol and the Master, and I also liked the even vaguer figure of the Seneschal.

I don't feel as if the characters were all that fleshed out, other than Mirasol. I almost could've wished the book was twice or three times as long, to show me more of all the things I was interested in. I liked the ending, and I'd been hoping for it all along, but I didn't really want it to end. This book could have got five stars from me, no question, if it had done a bit more somehow. Still, I enjoyed it very much as it is.

Edit: Almost a year later, I'm still thinking about and feeling affectionate about this book. I think I'm going to give it an extra star, to reflect that, and perhaps reread it soon.

[wealhtheowwylfing · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Mirasol is a happy beekeeper in a little cottage in the Willowlands--until the Chalice and her Master die. First, her goats suddenly must be milked thrice a day and her bee hives are literally overflowing with honey. Then, the Circle tells Mirasol that *she* is the new Chalice, even though she had no apprenticeship or training, an unheard of disaster. And *then*, the new Master arrives--and he is no longer human. He has trained for seven years to become an Elemental priest of Fire, and returning to the moral realm is hard for him. Between his weakness and Mirasol's ignorance, will the Willowlands survive?

Of course they will. Unlike McKinley's other novels, there is no darkness here, and thus, little tension. The pace and writing are good--so good I could hardly put the book down--but I never doubted the outcome. Mirasol has a common-sense, good-hearted approach that I admired immediately. She is understandably increasingly worried and desperate to find a way out of disaster for the Willowlands. For her, McKinley perfectly captures the confused circling of a mind searching for a solution. Mirasol's spiraling thought processes provide a narrative energy that the antagonists of the story lack.

This is a sweet little book, but there are moments of depth to it. Mirasol is a peasant who has abruptly come to power, and her difficulty at her new class is both obvious and subtle. She cannot make herself sleep on new sheets, or reprimand the Heir even though she outranks him. Her friendships are damaged by her new power--the other peasants are uncomfortable with her. She thinks paper is a wild extravagence. I was pleased that Mirasol's diffculty being Chalice does not just lie in the magical portion of the role, but also the social/political. I would recommend this book to anyone looking for good-willed fantasy.

A quote I particularly liked:
"'We are all only mortal,' said the Master, even more slowly. 'We do only what we can do. All the Elemental priests have certain teachings in common: one of them is that everyone, every human, every bird, badger and salamander, every blade of grass and every acorn, is doing the best it can. This is the priests' definition of mortality: the circumstance of doing what one can is that of doing one's best. Only the immortals have the luxury of furlough. Doing one's best is hard work; we rely on our surroundings because we must; when our surroundings change, we stumble. If you are running as fast as you can, only a tiny roughness of the ground may make you fall.'"

[Christa Elizabeth Wessel · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

As always, Robin McKinley gives us satisfyingly, spellbinding, and smooth story telling!

[cornerdemon · Rating: 1 out of 5 stars]

Giving this book one star is tragic for me. I love McKinley, and have read all her books faithfully, even if they weren't my style. But her last few books have been real let-downs, and I'm sad to say that I couldn't make it through Chalice. So before you read my review, let it be known, I didn't make past 80 or so pages. The thing keeping Chalice down the most is the fact that McKinley sets up this complex magical-political blend of a system, and then doesn't slow down enough for you to figure out who does what. Fifty pages in, I'm still not sure what the heck a "Chalice" does, or why I should care, in particular. And if I don't know what the main character's job is, how the heck am I supposed to be figuring out what the others are supposed to add.Chalice starts out in the middle. You don't get to see Mirasol get plucked from her calm little life to become this big political mucky-muck, which hobbles the story immensely. Mostly because you don't feel connected with Mirasol at all. As I said, I was 80 pages in, and still didn't have a good feel for the back story.

[Victoria Edelsbrunner · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Lovely story. Will appeal to fans of Naomi Novik. I wasn't crazy about the narrator, but the story was good enough to make up for her shortcomings.

[Janice Lemier · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Such a unique story.
Best as an audiobook since the narration is perfect.
I was spellbound form beginning to end wanting more of the story and the journey of the Chalice and her land.
Never given a book and narration a full 5 Stars before.
What a rare find.

[kassilem · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I forget how slow McKinley's books can be until I start reading one of her books. But generally they are pretty good. Rated on it's own, it was a good story. Rated in relation to McKinley's other books, it's not my favorite. I feel that the book could have benefited from more back story. I never felt close to any of the characters because there wasn't much time dedicated to them. Also there was a style of writing in the book that caused a lack of flow for me. There was a lot of looking backwards. If you want to start reading McKinley, don't start with this one.

[mialro_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Lovely, lovely book. Much like her other books, from what I remember, everything is written and told in a rather calm, slow-moving way but everything that you read is of the utmost urgency and importance. You must keep reading to know what will happen. Mirasol is a beekeeper who is chosen to be the Chalice, the second-most powerful and important member of the Circle, who rule and ensure the demesne's unity and wholeness. The most powerful and important member is the Master, but he had been sent to the priests of Fire long ago to learn their ways, and is no longer quite human... What can be done to repair the hysterical land when the Master is feared and inhuman, the Circle members do not trust each other, and the Chalice is inexperienced and has no idea what to do? Mirasol does her best with the help of honey, her bees, and lots of reading, but the members of the Circle must come together and trust the Master.The story is, of course, more complex than this; the above blurb does not do it justice. The only not-great thing about this book is that it can be somewhat confusing. It's not told in a straightforward way, jumping forward and back in time, and it can be kind of hard to figure out what is going on and why things are important somehow. Overall, however, this is a wonderful book, an original fantasy story with imperfect, complex characters and its own world and magic. Very much recommended.

[jean_sexton-1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This gentle fantasy was exactly what I needed. It has hints of Beauty and the Beast, but the Beauty doesn't realize she is Beauty and the Beast has a long, long way to go before reclaiming his humanity. As is so typical of McKinley's books, we slowly learn more about the world until we can immerse ourselves in a land, history, and traditions that are rich and deep. Each revelation brought an "of course that is the way it is" reaction from me. This book was a real page-turner for me as I deeply cared about the characters and their fate.I would highly recommend this book for anyone who enjoys fantasy, especially with a hint of fairy tales.

[cindywho-1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I really liked the originality of this story of bees and honey and magic. McKinley does not waste much time on exposition - which is good, I like finding things out as I go along - though I would have liked to know more of the history of this tiny land that must be held together by a circle of people attuned to it. Why was it like that? I had a hard time feeling connected to the story and its characters - maybe it was the lack of history - they felt a little thin.

[rosa.mill · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

An interesting world that takes a little while to get the hang of. McKinley never directly explains how The Circle works but it can be gleaned as you go along. The language is beautiful and the concept interesting but it definitely would have benefited from a little more explaining.

[carlyrose · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I feel so torn about this book. There were bits that I loved, like Mirasol telling the earth to fix itself like darning a sock. And the Master's interaction with the bee. But I felt so confused through the whole book--it was the opposite of info-dumps, and didn't feel like the end really was the end because it was so abrupt.

[mephistia · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This is just sweet. McKinley has such a way with words -- her world's always seemed suffused with a dreamy golden light, places where you always know that ill will become good. I love her writing.

[krumbs_1 · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

Not her best effort. When I read books from this author, I expect a rather gentle build-up, moving quite slowly and ending in a satisfying climax. The build-up was simply too long in this case--no conversations happen in the first 60 pages of the book! It's all internal monologue and setting up the magic of the world. Even after that, it's still stuck on exposition. The ending was quite predictable, which is also startling from this author. I enjoyed it, but not as much as I was hoping.

[amaraduende · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This is classic McKinley, strong, brave, down-to-earth people put in difficult situations and relying on love and inner courage to help them through. Charming descriptions of animals and clear good and evil are here, too. It's a nice read, but it's not the same caliber as Rose Daughter, Spindle's End, or Dragonhaven. It's like it was slightly watered down. But still, McKinley's less-than-best is definitely worth reading. It was nice to have a new one from her.

[pamelamanasco · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Color me disappointed. This world had so much potential, and I wanted to like Mirasol so badly--but the entire time I was reading this book, I felt as though the author wanted me to be held at arm's length. The story was uneven in so many ways. The story read like it wanted to be a new fairytale, which was fine, and for that I was willing to forgive the awkward dialogue (which was sometimes over long). But to have one character finish his/her dialogue, and then have the main character have maybe two pages of inner thoughts before answering--it just came across as sort of odd. In the end, I finished this book because I was close to the end, not because I wanted to know what was going to happen. This book just wasn't for me; I suppose it wasn't what I was looking for, or what I was expecting. It's gorgeously lyrical, make no mistake about it. There were times when the language absolutely popped, and there were sparks of that ephemeral something that kept me wanting to read on. I just couldn't make them last.

[hopingforchange · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Robin McKinley is dependable above all things. This story features some of her hallmarks. We have a strong and independent yet confused female lead, in this case, Mirasol, working to bind together an old kingdom, in this case, the demesne of Willowlands. Then, of course, we have the male lead. He rules the kingdom (what else?), and this time is simply known as the Master for 99 percent of the text. Predictably (if you've read any McKinley at all), he ends up with Mirasol through her power and agency, yet we somehow feel that he was in charge of the relationship all along. He saved Mirasol from death on more than one occasion, and he is portrayed throughout the novel as intrinsically (if not always physically) strong, perhaps this is why we see him as having more agency than is objectively possible... Again, this is typical for McKinley. We also cannot forget the horses, which are (and must be) critical to the tale's resolution.

I am sure the above paragraph doesn't make it seem this way, but I LOVE Robin McKinley. I think that Chalice is just as lyrical and beautiful as The Blue Sword and The Hero and the Crown (my reigning favorites). McKinley's prose, as I have said before, is so like poetry that its absolutely intoxicating. However, this story has been repackaged one too many times for me. I wish McKinley would have turned her hand to a new tale, a new progression. I saw this end coming, and it sapped some of the magic from the work. Nonetheless, the clarity of the story and the prettiness of the writing left Chalice with three stars. It's definitely worth a read, though readers new to McKinley should start with the stronger, earlier works.

[the1butterfly · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This one took a little getting into because the story isn't chronological and things are explained very slowly (like the purpose of chalice and master). It takes a while to figure out what's going on and where things came from and I suppose what you as a reader are hoping for (because isn't that part of how we interact with what we read?) I was happy with the story, including the surprises.

[les121 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

If you’re looking for a sweet, graceful fairy tale that will leave you with a warm, cozy feeling inside, then Chalice is the book for you. The story is quiet and somewhat meandering with understated yet charming characters. Although the dialogue is long-winded and I wish that there had been a brief epilogue, I still think Chalice is one of Robin McKinley’s most enchanting works.

[junipersun · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

SPOILER ALERT! I loved this book, but I think I did because I loved Chalice's role of keeping the demesne in balance & harmony. She fumbled with her intuitive knowledge, but her willingness to try, & her sense of responsibility, impressed me. One sentence stuck with me afterwards, as being out of place "I think I had better marry you anyway." Why did McKinley put that in? Did she think readers wouldn't accept that a man & woman could be friends & supportive & even maybe love each other without needing to get into a sexual relationship? I would rather see a sequel in which the Chalice & Master find partners who are not each other.

[mortumi_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I LOVED this story. Its so unique and well written. One of my favorite works by Robin McKinley. I intend to read it again, when I can find a copy. I liked the characters, liked the world, and liked the plot.

[foggidawn · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Mirasol is Chalice, a member of the ruling Circle of the Willowlands demesne, second in importance only to the Master. All is not well in her demesne, though -- the previous Master and Chalice died in tragic and somewhat shocking circumstances, so Mirasol never had the chance to apprentice and learn the work of the Chalice. The Master's younger brother has been called home from the Elemental Priesthood to take his place as the new Master of the demesne, but it's rumored that he went so far into the Elemental Priesthood that he is somehow no longer human. Moreover, there are those, both with and outside of the demesne, who would like to see the new Master fail, and Mirasol with him. Can an inexperienced Chalice and Master work together to save the demesne -- or did their respective positions come to them too soon, or too late?There's not a lot of action in this book, and while there's definitely conflict, it's generally interpersonal and running under the surface. The world-building is really interesting, though it can also be just a little bit confusing at times. This was my second time reading this book, and I enjoyed it just a much this time as last time. McKinley's writing has its flaws (it tends to wander a bit) but for me, her books stand up well to rereading. I wouldn't necessarily recommend this as a point of access to McKinley's works, but for fans of hers, it is certainly a worthwhile read.

[thelorelei_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

What a lovely, unique tale with which Robin McKinley has blessed her readers. Instead of adapting an existing fairytale, she built this tale from the earth up, and the result is an utterly believable, living, humming story of the struggle to heal and redeem a scarred and frightened land. Mirasol is the new Chalice, second only to the Master in the Circle which holds together their home, the Willowlands. However, the Master has only lately been recalled from the priesthood of Fire to replace his late brother, who nearly destroyed their demesne through his careless and destructive ways. No one has ever returned from the Elemental priesthood successfully; the new Master wills himself to try anyway, but his people fear him and what he has become, for he no longer looks or indeed IS quite human and his touch burns.Bees and honey play a central, nearly religious role, and they lend themselves to an intensely vibrant atmosphere. McKinley is always a superb storyteller, and this book is no exception. Mirasol is a wonderfully empathic protagonist and the reader struggles along with her to support the new Master against those who would take the delicate situation to their advantage.I highly recommend "Chalice;" it is such a pleasure to delve into McKinley's creations, and this book is so beautifully constructed and imagined that I cannot help wanting to immediately re-read it.

[jjmcgaffey · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Nice. An interesting world, a very interesting magic system, and a good story to hang it all on. The story was rather confusing at the start - the back cover blurb was a bit of a spoiler, or necessary data, or something. I understood what was going on in the first few scenes mostly because of the blurb - while the book presented a vivid scene, I had no clue of what or why or time sequence for a while. The flashbacks and flash-forwards got seriously confusing. But I did finally settle into the book, and Mirasol's problems became both understandable and interesting. Ditto for the Master. Though I still don't understand why he gave up near the end - he kept being able to do things and saying it was because Fire helped him, but we never really saw him fail at anything so his surrender didn't ring true. And partly because of that, the end felt like a cop-out - he'd been improving and succeeding and managing, and suddenly all his work was unnecessary. Not bad (though the rules about Master and Chalice marrying may make for problems - and why is it necessary, anyway?) but not a wonderful ending. And did all her special big bees die, or only most? I'd be interested in reading another book set in the Domains, but not a sequel - someone who's heard the story and can refer to it, but has their own concerns, would be great. The next set of problems for them seem to be a lot of small, niggling ones - what will the Overlord do, does Liapnir (boy, that sounds Damarian) regret losing the Fire, the rules about marrying, finish patching their Domain…like that.

[shadowseer_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Very good. I really enjoyed it, and I got through it fairly quickly. I'm not 100% certain how I feel about the ending, except that it's not at all surprising for Robin McKinley.

[ninjapenguin_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I am a huge fan of Robin McKinley's fairy tales, so it's no surprise that I loved this book. It was a bit shorter than I would like, however. Chalice mixes together the Beauty and the Beast story along with land-rule and a few of her own touches of magic. In this country, the health of the land and its people depends on the magic and strength of the land-ruler and his Chalice. Chalices mix together liquids (usually water) with various herbs, stones, and prayers to bind the people and land together. Unfortunately, our titular chalice hasn't had any training in her role, and is the only known honey chalice. Even worse, the new lord had been sent off to the Fire Priests by his wicked brother years ago, and now everyone, including him, fear that he is not fully human again. The feeling may be a bit YA for some, and, as to be expected from a story based off of Beauty and the Beast, there is a healthy dollop of romance, but primarily this is a story about gaining courage and believing in yourself. It's cute and sweet; the perfect little fairytale concoction to leave you with a smile.

[bluesalamanders · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Chalice feels more like McKinley's earlier books, like Beauty or The Blue Sword, rather than her more recent (and modern) ones. I am fascinated by the world she creates and by the way we learn about it as the story goes along, in bits and pieces as the characters learn. I like the main characters; Mirasol, who was content in her solitary woodskeeper life before she was called to her duty as Chalice, and the Master, a former Fire Priest who left his priesthood to take up his duty. They are where they are because of their love for the land and their sense of duty, but that doesn't make it easy on them (or the people around them).I was a little disappointed by the end, though. It seems like they get off too easy somehow. I prefer McKinley's books when the end is more subtle and ambiguous.

[little_prof · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This is a beautiful book. The story opens with Marisol, who is a beekeeper and woods-woman who has recently had to take on the weighty responsibility of being Chalice, responsible for witnessing ceremonies and binding her demesne together. The new Master of Willowlands is a fire priest who has taken so much fire into himself that he can no longer touch anything without burning them. How can such a Master help the land heal from the damage inflicted by the previous aster? How can such an untried Chalice soothe that hurt? But Marisol is strong. She refuses to give up her bees or her cottage. She finds it in herself to embrace her new Master and do her best to bind him to the land and to the people despite their own fears and external pressure

[sunnysd_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

New Chalice Mirasol knows bees and she knows her small holding. What she doesn't know is nearly enough about her duties as Chalice. He position is made more difficult by a new Master no longer quite human, whose years of study to become a fire priest have left him less than suited to hold the demesne of Willowlands secure. Somehow the two of them will need to learn to work together if the land itself is not to rip asunder.Slowly paced and gracefully told. The shifts between past and present are occasionally disconcerting, but ultimately don't detract at all. I stayed up much too late to finish this one.