Pegasus/Robin McKinley

Pegasus by Robin McKinley; young adult, fantasy; 404 pages

Wow. I'm biased about this book, because I love Robin McKinley. That said, this is definitely one of my more favorite books by her. Like many of her recent books (Dragonhaven comes to mind), this is the story of a character who can communicate with a mysterious, non-human race--in this case, the Pegasi, a group of winged, horse-like beings who long ago allied themselves with humans, despite the fact that they can't talk with one another. Until now. Princess Sylvi and her pegasus, Ebon, are the first in recorded history to be able to speak to each other, but some members of the king's court see this as a threat. If that's not enough, ancient enemies of both the humans and the pegasi are starting to reappear, threatening both peoples. Sylvi is a more timid character than many of McKinley's other heroines, but she definitely grows on you. It's Ebon that really got me roped me in, though, and I often found myself forgetting that he's not human. It's not a fast-paced book, or one with sweeping romance, but it is a compelling story, and I was sad to see it end (although "end" is a poor word here--this is part one of a two-part story, so there will be more to come!).