Ombria in Shadow

By: Patricia A. McKillip

Narrated by: Dina Pearlman

Ombria. It is a city that echoes with the footfalls of sapphire-heeled shoes...that holds its breath as a straw-haired apparition glides through its streets...that sees its dreams-and nightmares-take shape in the drawings of a bastard-heir. It is an enchanted time and place envisioned by World Fantasy Award winner Patricia A. McKillip, acclaimed author of The Tower at Stony Wood....

©2002 Patricia A. McKillip (P)2011 Audible, Inc.

Critic reviews

World Fantasy Award, Best Novel, 2003

A lovely listen

Brilliantly beautiful! The weaving of story and words. So lovely to listen to. Great narration.

All McKillip's books are great

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

Ombria in Shadow was an excellent story, narrated well and kept your interest. All McKillip's books are excellent. Some readers want more action, but action is too easy -- characters are what makes the story.

What was one of the most memorable moments of Ombria in Shadow?

The witch's coming to really love another person and care what happened to her: her waxling.

Which character – as performed by Dina Pearlman – was your favorite?

The ancient witch.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

I enjoyed taking time to listen and think about the next evenings sitting.

Any additional comments?

Great author!

Slow, meditative, but very creative!

This has a plot like a typical fantasy: court intrigue, evil courtiers plotting to overthrow the rightful ruler, a strange and mysterious witch, and an evil “witch” trying to rule the kingdom. But the world itself is quite different from the usual. The real world abuts a shadow world, and there’s a mysterious underworld, as well. Some people seem to inhabit both the real world and the shadow world. But the entire thing is very mysterious and unclear. The overall mood of the book is one of strangeness and shadows. Really quite unlike any other fantasy I’ve read. It takes a while for the various plots to weave together, and the reader has to be patient. If you don’t like not knowing what’s going on, you will not enjoy this book! But the ending is quite dramatic, and fulfilling. Overall, I think I need to sit a bit with my feelings about this book, to get a true sense of my opinion. But in general, I recommend this to anyone looking for something less straightforward than the usual “sword and sorcery” books.

The narrator was perfect!

Classic McKillip

McKillip is a uniquely good author. Her books are difficult to understand at parts, even for a fan like myself. Her writing style is sheer beauty, but she can occasionally be difficult to understand.

Very fairy tale :)

This story is very much in an adult fairy tale style (not "adult" as in: porn, XXX, etc. but rather thought/scope). LOL. Similiar to "Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell" in style/desired effect ...but THIS author manages to pull off the delicate fairy tale atmosphere (in my opinion) without surrendering logic. The story is not quite as simple as it seems on the surface. I am going to have to go back, reread it and pay a tad bit MORE attention to a few details here and there. There is no attempt to explain how the magic works and none is needed (for the true fairy tale atmosphere) ...but there IS an underlying logic to the bones of the tale. Nice.