As the next Chalice, Mirasol SHOULD have been apprenticed to the last one, but it didn't happen. And she doesn't have an experienced Master to help her, either, due to the fire that killed him and his Chalice together. Instead, the new master is a former Priest of Fire, and well.... there are issues. The new master can burn something by the touch of a hand if he isn't careful. The problem is made worse by the fact that nobody except Mirasol trusts the new Master. Mirasol has to take on the difficult task of bringing unity to the demesne. Will she succeed, or will she make the problem worse? Like all of Robin McKinley's books, the world building is excellent. In my opinion, Spindle's End has better worldbuilding, but this book really incorporates it into the plot. I liked this book better than Spindle's end overall, though.
Chalice
By Robin McKinley
As the newly appointed Chalice, Mirasol is the most important member of the Master’s Circle. It is her duty to bind the Circle, the land and its people together with their new Master. But the new Master of Willowlands is a Priest of Fire, only drawn back into the human world by the sudden death of his brother. No one knows if it is even possible for him to live amongst his people. Mirasol wants the Master to have his chance, but her only training is as a beekeeper. How can she help settle their demesne during these troubled times and bind it to a Priest of Fire, the touch of whose hand can burn human flesh to the bone?
Robin McKinley weaves a captivating tale that reveals the healing power of duty and honor, love and honey.
Publisher: Firebird
Published on 9/16/2010
Binding: Paperback
Number of pages: 272