2003: Ombria In Shadow

Ombria is an ancient city. Its history lies buried underground among layers of buildings and previous manifestations of a town cloaked in darkness. Aboveground, the city is in trouble. The prince is dead, which means that his five-year-old son, Kyel Greve, under the control of Domina Pearl. This on its own wouldn't be a problem, except it seems like Domina is deliberately ruining Ombria for her own purposes. Doing their best to stop her is a team of different heroes; The Princes mistress, his illegitimate nephew, an artist and a mere servant. Throw in the host of nobles who have no idea about the magical forces within Ombria, and you have a Political story that is perfectly woven b the myths and legends of this fantastical city.Why it's on the listMcKillip's has actually surpassed her previous works with this book. The book covers deeply sympathetic themes of parents letting go as their children grow up. The characters are vibrant, lifelike, and diverse and the book grows from a few leading figures to several fully developed personalities. McKillip's talent for blending numerous unconnected threads into one superlative tapestry makes the book an immensely satisfying read.Magic is something that characters in her novel deal with every day, and is the breath and life of her characters and her world. Mckillip doesn't fail to instill wonder and beauty into this facet of the beautiful story. The characters are all very dissimilar, and, as you read more about them, you come to care about them. The city of Ombria is, of course, a character all on its own.Read if you likeRecommended to fans of fantasy who would like to expand their horizons beyond the traditional Sword and Sorcery type tale. It is truly magical.