Quite an ambiguous, but really pleasant read.

For sure, P. S. Beagle knows how to write and he does it well.

I'm not a fan of PoV books, but it didn't bother me at all.

Loved the plot twists and the descriptions.

However, I have to admit that what the author tried to balance his weak side (action scenes) with descriptions that were impressive but rather flat.

Nonetheless, you get to like the characters and the setting.

The story has a certain charm that keeps you engaged from start to finish.

The ambiguous nature of some of the events adds an element of mystery and intrigue.

The author's writing style is smooth and flowing, making it easy to get lost in the story.

The plot twists are unexpected and add excitement to the narrative.

The descriptions of the setting and the characters are detailed and vivid, allowing you to picture everything in your mind.

Despite the weakness in the action scenes, the overall quality of the book is high.

If you're looking for a pleasant read with an interesting plot and engaging characters, this book is definitely worth checking out.

DNF @ ~50%.

Labai stipriai prasidėjusi ir gan smarkiai mane užkabinusi knyga pradžioje buvo tikrai puiki. Ji buvo tokia įdomi ir įtikinanti, kad aš labai linkėjau ją visiškai išsiaiškinti ir užbaigti. tačiau, vėliau, kai aš jau buvo maždaug pusę knygos perskaityję, ji pradėjo mažėti savo patrauklį. Ji vis blėso ir blėso, kol galiausiai man pasidarė nuobodi ir nebekabinanti. Manau, kad nors aš galiu būti labai stengiamasis, tačiau ši knyga man nebuvo tokios pat patrauklios kaip pradžioje. Manau, norėdamas nesunkiai ją pabaigčiau ir greičiausiai netgi patiktų. Bėda tik ta, kad... nenoriu. :) 2*, nes nebuvo visiškai klaiki ir bloga, o pradžia netgi labai gera. Tačiau, dėl to, kad aš negalėjau ją visiškai užbaigti, manau, kad ji nėra tokia puiki, kaip aš pradžioje maniau.

AAAAAA QUÉ BUENO ES Y QUÉ BIEN ESTÁ ESCRITO

As a philologist, I have to say that this piece is truly remarkable. The way it is written is not only engaging but also showcases a high level of skill and creativity. The use of language is precise and effective, conveying the intended message with clarity and impact.

The author has a great sense of rhythm and flow, making the text a pleasure to read. Each sentence seems to build upon the previous one, leading the reader on a journey of discovery and enlightenment.

MA GUSTAO FUERTE, this review sums up my thoughts perfectly. I am truly impressed by the quality of this writing and look forward to seeing more from the author in the future.

4.75 stars
I absolutely adored this book! It was truly a remarkable read that left a lasting impression on me. I firmly believe that I would enjoy it even more upon a reread. As a die-hard fan of both The Last Unicorn and The Name of the Wind, I was able to clearly observe that this work continues the complex and captivating beauty of Beagle's world building. It is evident that his writing style has had a significant influence on Rothfuss as well. The story was filled with rich and detailed descriptions that brought the world to life in my imagination. The characters were well-developed and engaging, making it easy for me to become emotionally invested in their journey. Overall, this is a book that I would highly recommend to anyone who enjoys fantasy literature. It is a must-read for fans of Beagle and Rothfuss alike.

Peter S. Beagle's work takes a step closer to a standard fantasy book with this particular one.

However, it still stands out miles ahead of the majority within the genre. His unique approach of writing each chapter from the first-person perspective of a distinct character and alternating between his central characters as the story progresses is truly a great deal of fun.

He is meticulous enough to fully develop each character, endowing them with their own individual personalities. To such an extent that eventually, it becomes possible to discern who is speaking without having to be explicitly informed.

And in the final analysis, it is Karsh the Innkeeper, perhaps the most ordinary person in the book, who turns out to be the most fascinating.

His ordinariness makes his story all the more engaging and his character stands out in a crowd of more fantastical figures.

This aspect of the book adds an extra layer of depth and interest, making it a truly remarkable read within the fantasy genre.

Well, I'm really at a loss as to how I can review this book.

It's truly extraordinary, with an extraordinarily skillful writing style. I don't think it could even be published in today's literary landscape.

It took me quite a long time to get into the story, as it shifts chapter by chapter from one character to the next. Just because of this, it's extremely hard to determine what the plot is actually about. Is it about young Tikat's pursuit to reclaim his deceased love, Lukassa? Or is it about something entirely different? And what connection does the innkeeper of the title have with all of this?

As it transpires, 18-year-old Tikat's quest intersects with two others. There are the quests of two mysterious women to assist their teacher, a wizard, and the longing of 16-year-old Rosseth to figure out who he truly is and find his place in the world. All three stories converge when a malevolent wizard attacks the inn where Rosseth works as a stableboy and where the three women (Lal, Nyateneri, and Lukassa, whom Lal has seemingly brought back from the dead) are staying with their master.

So, it turns out that the story delves into some profound themes - love, death, and whether love can endure beyond death, for instance. And there's some beautiful writing - and a really excellent portrayal of a fox too. I thoroughly enjoyed the chapters told from his perspective.

Note: It occurs to me that Beagle was a hippie, and thus there's a four-way sex scene. It's not overly graphic, but I'm not sure if it was really necessary either.

Second note: When I discovered the reason why the book is titled The Innkeeper's Song, I shed a few tears.

One of those truly amazing experiences that come along every now and again was hearing Peter Beagle read from scraps of this book before it was published.

It was like catching a glimpse of a hidden treasure chest before it was fully opened.

And when it was finally published, what a remarkable novel it turned out to be!

Nobody has ever managed to keep so many point of view characters dancing in such an elaborate and intricate tale.

Each character had their own unique voice and perspective, adding depth and richness to the story.

And the best part was that it all ended as it should, with a satisfying conclusion that tied up all the loose ends.

This is something only a true master of the art could pull off.

Peter Beagle's talent and skill as a writer are truly evident in this wonderful book.

It is a must-read for anyone who loves a good story with complex characters and a captivating plot.

The Tavern Song is sometimes regarded as Beagle's best work. Although the story is not overly complex, it is incredibly intricate, well-developed, and has everything a reader expects from a good book. There isn't a lot of action, yet the novel is dynamic. The heroes mainly struggle with their own demons and pasts, but there is no shortage of tension and twists. The fact that a relatively large number of characters appear and the author decides to tell each perspective in the first person also contributes to a deep experience. This way, the heroes gain the sympathy of the readers, as they understand their actions and motives and form a comprehensive and detailed picture of all the events.

Peter S. Beagle completely captivates readers with his storytelling art and style. His choice of words is like painting on the canvas of your imagination and strikes the melancholic chords within every person. Reading his text (in the translation of Petra Diestlerová) means enjoying the slow flow of crafted sentences, where each has its precisely defined place and shapes the overall atmosphere. Beagle entices readers with charming descriptions only to then wrench them from the pleasant passages with the rawness of emotions, as he reveals human fears and longings seemingly nonchalantly between the lines.

The heroes of The Tavern Song don't have an easy life – they have a lot behind them and it's difficult for them to open up to others or even to themselves. However, the author mercilessly peels away one layer after another during the narration until only the bare core of each character remains – without embellishments and protective masks. The depth of the author's understanding of people and their essence has an almost disturbing effect – as if he could see into the bottom of everyone's soul and was able to brilliantly transfer it to paper.

Peter S. Beagle has once again charmed with an incredibly lovely and at the same time pleasantly hopeful combination of lyrical, poetic narration and unadorned portrayal of human failings and successes. He has once again combined a certain fairytale-like dreaminess with emotional rawness and shown that a good story mainly needs great characters, which Beagle masters perfectly. So let yourself be charmed by The Tavern Song, beneath whose surface lie beauties and hide another magical story of love and redemption, but also of hatred, fear, and pangs of conscience.

I've been a devoted fan of The Last Unicorn for a long time, but until now, I haven't delved into another book by Peter S. Beagle. I found this story enjoyable, yet it's markedly different from The Last Unicorn, despite both featuring wizards, magic, and quests.

The Innkeeper's Song centers around the intersection of numerous lives and quests. There's a young boy who witnesses his lover drown in a river, only to be miraculously resurrected by a mysterious woman. That mysterious woman and her traveling companion are both former students of a powerful wizard. Then there are the staff and residents of an inn where all these individuals end up staying. There's also a fox that can transform into the shape of a man, the wizard himself, and his even more powerful former student.

The story is told through the narrations of many of these characters, gradually piecing together as each one's history and intentions are disclosed. They are all, in some way, haunted by their pasts and striving to create a better future for themselves.

While the rotating cast of narrators maintained a fast pace (with many chapters being just a few pages long and mysteries in one chapter sometimes being explained through a new viewpoint in the next), I wasn't entirely convinced by this as a storytelling device. The absence of an omniscient narrator meant that some mysteries remained only partially resolved. I'm deducting a star mainly for this reason. Nevertheless, Beagle is a talented storyteller, and I'm eagerly anticipating reading more of his works in the future.

Surprisingly, I read it with pleasure.

Despite the chaotic and unclear plot, rather flat characters with pretensions, and for some reason, absolutely unnecessary pederasty that leads nowhere (well, a little bit of it).

Therefore, I give it a three. It's engaging, but generally about nothing and not very understandable what it's leading to.

However, there were still some aspects that managed to hold my attention.

The writing style had a certain charm, and although the story lacked coherence, it had moments of intrigue.

The characters, while not particularly well-developed, had their own quirks that made them somewhat interesting.

Overall, it was an okay read, but it definitely had its flaws.

Maybe with some improvements in the plot and character development, it could have been a better story.

Nonetheless, I still found some enjoyment in it, and it passed the time.

You can always read this book quickly and just as quickly judge that it's not for you.

With "The Song of Achilles," one shouldn't rush. But neither should you do as I did, starting three books simultaneously and stretching out the reading over more than three months. Discovering the balance is one of the things that requires practice.

A boy sets off after his resurrected beloved and gets caught up among magicians, killers, and new friends.

Three women will risk a lot to save the magician and give him a new life. An orphan will discover the truth about himself and the world.

A werewolf will discover how he can love a human again.

And Achilles of the song... ah, he too will not remain unchanged.

The multiple points of view allow you to recognize each of the heroes, to see and feel the world through their eyes. Eternal gratitude for that, because I don't like the all-seeing /and all-knowing/ narrator.

This is a calm text, flowing like a river, like a melody, like, :) a song. And just like a song, it may appeal to you, or it may not.

Whenever I thought the action was too entertaining, a passage, a moment, a description would come that would blow my mind and make me want to continue. I felt it most strongly during the duel between Lale and the last killer, when, just like the killer, I was captivated by the rhythm and the story told by Lale/Bigel.

Whether you like or don't like Bigel, whether you prefer the more action-packed or the more introverted stories, give this book a chance. Unravel the Song. Feel the rhythm. And listen to yourself.

I truly relished the ever-shifting perspectives within this book. For some inexplicable reason, I craved every chapter to be presented from a fresh person's vantage point.

Perhaps it was because the initial revelation of each character's unique personality through a first-person lens was so thrilling and captivating that I simply desired that experience to persist.

Once I adapted to this and grasped all that was transpiring in terms of the plot, it transformed into a somewhat more introspective, and at times almost mystical, fantasy. I dare to assert that it is more creative than the majority (after all, this is Beagle). The characters are unfailingly engaging.

And, of course, I am a pushover for shrewd, tough-as-nails heroines (and this story boasts two of them!). Without a doubt, my favorite scene is when one of them vanquishes the opponent she encounters, who is her martial superior and has already soundly defeated her... by regaling him with a story. A female warrior, mage, storyteller, trickster – how could I not be enamored with such a character?