The Innkeeper's Song

Wow.

Wow wow wow. I truly loved this.

I usually have a dislike for novels that shift from one character to another, but in this case, these switches were incredibly seamless.

The stories were delightfully interwoven, creating a rich and engaging tapestry.

The characters were so vivid that they seemed to come alive right before my eyes.

My only complaint here is that

SPOILER

there is a character who almost could have been transgender but ultimately, in my opinion, is not, and that really saddens me.

Anyway,

I would most definitely recommend this book to anyone who has a passion for a good fantasy.

It offers a unique and captivating reading experience that is sure to satisfy even the most discerning fantasy lovers.

The seamless character switches and the interwoven stories add depth and complexity to the plot, making it a truly immersive adventure.

Despite my disappointment regarding the one character, the overall quality of the book is outstanding and I cannot wait to see what else the author has in store for us.

Honestly, I'm truly at a loss when it comes to expressing my exact feelings for this book. Or perhaps I should say, I struggle to put into words anything specific about it. I simply found it to be truly awesome. However, I'm also well aware that many people might view it as dreadfully dull. In a strange way, I can sort of understand that perspective, yet I still firmly believe it's an amazing piece of work.

So, what is it about? Well, there's a boy who embarks on a journey to save his true love, only to discover that she doesn't actually want to be rescued. Then there are two extremely beautiful and highly mysterious women. One of them has a name that seems as if someone had a rather strange encounter over a Scrabble board (it gets abbreviated to 'Lal' most of the time). The other is called Nyateneri, which is a bit more appealing. One-third of the way through the book, there's a not overly explicit but still rather gratifying foursome sex scene. And it's only after this that the plot truly begins to unfold. It involves an old, mysterious, wise, and powerful wizard, and another who is even more powerful but perhaps not as wise. There's also the danger of the world being destroyed.

Oh, and let's not forget the shapechanging fox of somewhat mediocre importance.

All of this might sound like a random jumble of typical fantasy clichés mashed together, but it's so much more than that. It's incredibly difficult to precisely describe why (and I'm very tempted to just say 'Well because it's Peter S. Beagle'). I think it's because all of those elements I mentioned earlier aren't the most crucial part of the story. It's really about love, friendship, relationships, running away from one's past, trusting people, and so much more. Saying that might sound extremely pretentious, but it's the absolute truth.

Another wonderful aspect of this book is the way it's told. Different characters narrate the story from their own unique points of view. Not all of them are directly involved in the events. There's a traveling actress and various other people who work in the inn where most of the action takes place. They all tell the story, even though they have very little or no influence on it. But still, each character has a distinct voice (except perhaps for Nyateneri and Lal, who sometimes sound quite similar) that makes them instantly recognizable.

It's important to note that this is not a book for everyone. I wouldn't even guarantee that you'll like The Innkeeper's Song if you've enjoyed The Last Unicorn. Because in a sense, TLU is still a more traditional fantasy story compared to this one. Now, there should probably be a 'but' here, but I can only repeat: you might find it truly awesome. Or, if you're expecting a more conventional fantasy, you might find it boring. The only way to know for sure is to go and discover it for yourself.

I needed some time to truly engage with it. At first, it seemed to me that there were an overwhelming number of point of view characters. However, as I got to know each one, I found myself equally invested in every perspective.

There are even certain scenes where having all these viewpoints and seamlessly switching between them truly enhanced the narrative and was executed flawlessly.

Nevertheless, I was still irritated at times by the way the fox's perspective was presented.

I believe the story and the characters were effectively developed through some brief yet charming emotional moments.

While I didn't have much interest in Tikat for the majority of the time (in fact, I felt he was merely a lovesick fool), I do completely understand his actions. It's just that reading about his story wasn't as captivating as that of the other characters.

Overall, despite a few minor drawbacks, the book managed to draw me in and keep me engaged with its diverse cast of characters and their intertwined stories.

"The Innkeeper's Song" is an outstanding addition to Peter S. Beagle's remarkable collection of fantastical stories. It truly merits being remembered alongside his classic works like "The Last Unicorn" and "A Fine and Private Place."

The story commences with death. Lukassa and Tikat are deeply in love. They grew up together in their small fishing village, sharing all the joys and sorrows throughout their young lives. However, by a cruel twist of fate, Lukassa falls into the river. Despite Tikat's valiant efforts, he ultimately fails to save her, and she drowns. Normally, this would be the end, not the beginning of a love story. But a mysterious woman, using a ring, resurrects Lukassa days after she fell into the water. Together, they ride off with a third woman, and Tikat follows. Eventually, they end up at the Gaff and Slasher, an inn run by Fat Karsh and a small cast of characters, including the stableboy, kitchen girl, cook, and others. The mystery of who the women are and why they are at the inn gradually unfolds.

We discover that Lal and Nyateneri, the two women, are each powerful warriors. They are both seeking to assist someone who, long ago, helped them in turn. A powerful mage is being hunted by someone or something that aims to destroy not only his body but also his mind. But first, they have to find him.

Beagle skillfully weaves a captivating and beautiful tale, employing his masterful command of poetic language while never losing sight of the narrative. He creates a world that extends far beyond the pages of this single book. He does so in a deceptively simple manner, never fully explaining everything, yet never becoming tedious. Everything feels vivid, genuine, and beautiful. And the fact that he makes it all seem so effortless is a testament to his considerable skill as a storyteller.

The story unfolds through the accounts of various narrators, each revealing different aspects of the story through their tellings. It is, at times, humorous and heartbreaking, and always beautiful. If you have overlooked this stand-alone piece of Beagle's work, you should definitely pick it up. You won't be disappointed.

This is objectively a good book; a summary is provided below. Beagle is truly a master storyteller, and I am penning this review while still in the throes of my “book hangover.” The overarching narrative can be a tad challenging to follow, as the book is written from the first-person point of view, with each chapter presenting a different person's perspective. This was a remarkably bold writing choice and an interesting style. It is a magical tale, and I will endeavor to summarize it below. I will disclose no spoilers except one, which I will clearly mark. Overall, I didn't have an overwhelming affection for the book. It lost my interest in the middle, but by the conclusion, I did have a certain degree of liking for it…basically. It is a collection of stories intricately woven together. There is love, loss, and a bittersweet flavor, and somehow, a great deal of humanity is interwoven into the magic and the eventual cosmic climax. There are indeed some strange elements here, and many aspects are rather vague, leaving many of my “whys” unanswered. However, it was a fun quest, or rather, fun quests, overall.

A summary is no easy feat, but it could be thus: The book commences with a wedding; alas, it occurs on an old, rickety bridge, and the white bride plummets to her death. One night, a black sorceress (presumably a magic user of some sort) arrives and seemingly resurrects the girl and departs with her. The groom witnesses this and gives chase. As the two women embark on their journey, they encounter a brown woman, another apparent sorceress, and she is in pursuit of the same thing as the black woman—they are seeking a mighty wizard who was their teacher. He is apparently in peril and embroiled in a war with another wizard, his student, who has turned to darkness and enlisted evil forces. The aforementioned groom meets a man being attacked by bandits on his quest to follow his once-again-alive bride and saves his life. But this is no ordinary man; this is a fox who can transform into a man (we assume), and is the apparent familiar of the brown woman. All of this converges at an inn, where we encounter a lovable stable boy, a crotchety innkeeper, and all manner of workers and townspeople. Two men have trailed the brown woman and attempt to kill her, annoyingly while she is taking a bath, which I found exploitative and unnecessary, but whatever floats the male gaze's boat. The groom eventually catches up, the wizard—worse for wear—also eventually shows up, and the brown and black women must go and attempt to battle their master's foe; everything leads back to the inn, even after that.

It should be noted that a threesome (actually, a foursome, I believe) takes place, but I didn't relish reading that, so I skipped ahead. The ending turns quite cosmic and is a bit perplexing, yet enjoyable to read.

Spoiler below.

The only spoiler, as it was so very strange and added nothing to the story, in my opinion: The brown woman is actually a man. He simply chooses to don a woman's body (perhaps as a disguise?). He utilizes his male form during the book and assumes it permanently at the end.

Like several million people, I read 'The Last Unicorn' when it was a huge sensation. It was probably around the time the movie came out, not when it was first published. After all, I'm not that old. Still, it was many years ago, and I don't remember it very clearly. For some reason, it just didn't really make a deep impression on me. Since then, Beagle's writing has not really been on my radar. However, I'm going to have to change that.

I got this book after reading Beagle's short story 'Chandail' in the anthology 'Salon Fantastique' and absolutely loving it. I was overjoyed to discover that there was more set in the same world. One of the main characters in this book is the woman from 'Chandail', and it was wonderful to learn a bit more about her background and history.

As a novel on its own, there is absolutely nothing wrong with this book at all. I have no criticism. It does what the best fantasy novels do: it creates a story of real people with real emotions, believable conflict, and drama, while tying it in to myth and mythology. It uses symbolism and classic tropes to tell something entirely new. I'm truly impressed and will definitely be seeking out more of Beagle's work.

Three women ride into town. There's the dark warrior Lal, the nut-brown Nyateneri, cloaked in religious robes, and the pale and resurrected Lukassa. They are pursued by a lover and by assassins. In turn, they pursue a lost friend and a powerful wizard. The inn where they take rooms will never be the same, and especially, life will never be the same for the innkeeper's boy, Rosseth.

Story time: My high school library had this particular book. I began reading it during my lunch breaks. However, approximately a third of the way through, I had to stop due to some rather unexpected and rather inappropriate content such as group sex and gender reveals. Poor me!

Anyways, this is indeed a very strange novel. I'm grateful to the Goodreads giveaway for providing me with the Kindle edition, which has given me the opportunity to give it a second chance.

I'm curious to see if my initial impression will change upon rereading. Maybe there are some redeeming qualities that I missed the first time around.

Despite the oddness, I'm willing to approach it with an open mind and see where this literary journey takes me.

Who knows, perhaps this second encounter with the book will lead to a newfound appreciation or a deeper understanding of its themes and plot.

Only time will tell, but for now, I'm ready to dive back into the pages and see what awaits.

This wasn't a book that I was truly well-suited for. Its pacing is slow, and it is written in a lyrical style. "Sedate" could be an apt word to describe it. I had to make a great effort to keep up with it.

Three strange women arrive at an inn, in search of a wizard that two of them once knew. The story is told from numerous different perspectives. The women, the innkeeper, the stable boy, a boy who is searching for his deceased fiancee, and a shape-shifting fox are the main point-of-view characters. Although, there are a few others like the barmaid or the pot boy. Some of them have very distinct voices. The chapters of the fox and the innkeeper were always interesting because of this. Others tend to blend together.

My appreciation of the book varies from scene to scene. There was one truly outstanding sequence where Lal, one of the women, utilized the power of storytelling to win a fight. However, the ending was extremely mystical and vague, somewhat like a Robin McKinley book. Then, there were approximately twenty pages dedicated to a (non-graphic) multi-person sex scene that felt largely unnecessary.

It is very well-written. If there is one thing about Peter S. Beagle, it is that he has the ability to write. But I constantly found myself drifting away whenever I was attempting to read it. It was difficult for me to remain focused on the text. There is probably a great deal of thematic material that is going over my head, and to understand it, I would likely have to read it again, which I won't be doing.

There are definitely people out there who would enjoy this book. I'm just not certain who they are. Are they people seeking a strange, dreamlike fantasy novel? Or are they people who prefer books that focus on characters rather than plots?

Originally posted on The Illustrated Page.