I've loved mermaids since I saw The Little Mermaid for the first time when I was four. Since then I've read the original version of the fairy tale and anything else mermaid-related, even (oops) a weird mermaid romance book. I was excited Robin Mckinley did a book that contained a story or two about them with her husband.

I loved these newly contrived fairytales. They fit firmly into the greater compendium of folktales of the past, but there is a subtle presence of respect for women, be it one that exists within past concepts of patriarchal society. Learning that the stories were written by a husband and wife made me love them more as love is valued above all else in the built worlds of the authors.

As with most short story collections, some were very good, some didn't resonate with me. Overall a very enjoyable collection though.

This six-story anthology focuses mainly on waterways, water creatures (such as mer-folk), and the people who interact with them. But the last story was different. Remember The Blue Sword? Did you dream of finding your own way to Damar, and having a hill pony and a wild life of formality and feudalism all your own? Well, in "A Pool in the Desert," Hetta starts dreaming her way out of the drudgery of her life, and finds out that maybe, with hard work and hard belief, she could win the dream as reality.

I picked up this book because I loved the anthology Fire. While Water does not have the same strength in its stories, they are still good, interesting, entertaining, and sometimes even haunting. I recommend it to people who enjoy McKinley's wandering words and spiral stories.

I don't much like short stories but Miss Mckinley write them so they were pretty great.

The stories by Robin McKinley were great, just like most of her stories are. However THe sotire by Peter Dickinson tended to be a bit dull, or slow, or hard to understand. The stories themselves were quite good. The last one was a bit off topic-it's main element was mostly sand, not water- but I loved its connection to Damar, My favorite book of Robin McKinley's being The hero and the Crown. I would have given this book a 4 star, but the stories by Dickinson can't be ignored, so it was demoted a star

Mermaid Song is the sad story of Pitiable and her relationships, The Sea-King's Son gives a different spin on the interaction between humans and mer-people. Sea Serpent is very mystical and chronicles the end and beginning of a reign. Water Horse follows a Guardian's apprentice learning her way. Kraken is told from the mer-people's point of view. A Pool in the Desert reaches across space and time. All water tales but very different ways of looking at water and its power and the chance at changing lives and geography.

Ok, McKinley rant coming on. Holy crap!!! I am SO TIRED of the lily livered female character who is trapped in her life and literally dreams of something better. And WHAT is with her weird obsession with DESERT of all God forsaken things? It's SAND. It's DRY. It's DEADLY. It's NOT an amazing wonderland of romance and mystique.
Whew! Ok, done with my rant. Onto a proper review. My apologies.
This book is a collaboration between McKinley and her husband Peter Dickinson. His stories are much better than hers. But I digress.
"Mermaid Song" was very good. It really captured, for me, the life of a Puritan community. Pitiable was definitely pitiable, but she was a child at the mercy of a guardian who flipped his lid due to loss. It was realistic and the ending of the story fit.
"The Sea-King's Son" was good, but unsurprisingly predictable. Nothing wrong with that. It was a gentle, non-annoying read.
"Sea Serpent" was actually rather sad. The old yielding to the new. While the reader roots for Iril, you kind of hope he does it and that Mel will fall flat on his face. Or at least gets punched in it. Definitely an interesting juxtaposition between the characters.
"Water Horse" was ok. Tamia's five years went by very quickly, with little to show of what she had learned in those years. Meh.
"Kraken" was the best in the bunch. The sense of forboding and the build up of suspense was masterful and the ending was fantastic. It leaves the reader wanting more, but not in a bad way.
"A Pool in the Desert". Return to Damar, nuff said. If I never read about that dammed desert again, it'll be too soon. I skipped this one, but it still left a bad taste in my mouth, making this a four star book, solely on Dickinson's contributions, as I don't think I can read another word by McKinley, at least not soon, without wanting to hurl the book with extreme violence across the room. I will not attempt to re-read "Beauty" or "A Knot in the Grain" for a very long time, just in case those get ruined by my apparent anti-McKinley mood.

Some very fine fantasy fiction here, with a lovely variety to the short stories, written by Robin McKinley and Peter Dickinson.
My favourite was the last: A Pool in the desert, by Robin McKinley...it captured the magic feel of fairy tales so well!

3.5 stars
Overall enjoyed the McKinley stories more

The only story I disliked was Sea Serpent. It felt too tribal to me and it didn't make very much sense. Typical McKinley. Hits the nail on the head 5 times out of 6, but fumbles one.

But that's typical anyone. I don't mean anything demeaning about McKinley, but I've heard a lot of people talking about how McKinley has spectacular masterpieces and epic flails. (Yeah, so fail it's not even fail anymore.)

4.5/5 Stars. In this compilation of fantastical short stories most I thoroughly enjoyed but there was one that I didn't like as much as the others keeping this book from getting 5 stars.