The Gift - Hardcover

Patrick O'Leary

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0312864027 ISBN 13: 9780312864026

Synopsis

Science FictionLarge Print EditionOLeary displays his mastery of fantasy and social motifs, weaving familiar themes into a heartwarming, enchanting story. starred, Publishers Weekly A story within a story, The Gift is a story of innocence betrayed and magic rejected. Tim is robbed of his childhood, and Simon is tormented by hearing made too acute. Both are victims of The User of the Night, once a boy like them, now pathetically twisted by his own ambition and by Tomen, a malevolent creature of magic. Together Simon and Tim must rid their land of the magic that has been misused by Tomen and The User.

About this title

Review

""The Gift deftly exploits the trappings of fanatsy without falling into the traps. Ever the alchemist, Patrick o'Leary has transformed his word processor into a kind of magic flute, using it to play haunting fictive melodies of strange frogs, numinousdragons, and the hidden mysteries of humanness. the final result is a hymn to the terrible and beautiful boon of storytelling, from one who knows how to give us that gift."--James Morrow
"O'Leary's voice rarely wavers as he again displays his mastery of fantasy and social motifs, weaving familiar themes into a heartwarming, enchanting story."
-Publishers Weekly (starred review)
"A complex and moving meditation on the nature of storytelling. . . . Utterly unlike "Door Number Three in style and substance, the new book acheives the same high level of accomplishment. It is beautifully written, elegantly structured, and highly perceptive in its observations about the importance of imagination."-"-San Francisco Chronicle
"O'leary has his own gift with prose: teh words flow with the natural lilt and lift of a storyteller's voice of old, of true tales told around a camfire, or in a great hall at the end of the evening, when the feasting is done...."The Gift turns out to be just as wonderful a reading experience as was the author's first novel."--"The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction

""The Gift "deftly exploits the trappings of fanatsy without falling into the traps. Ever the alchemist, Patrick o'Leary has transformed his word processor into a kind of magic flute, using it to play haunting fictive melodies of strange frogs, numinousdragons, and the hidden mysteries of humanness. the final result is a hymn to the terrible and beautiful boon of storytelling, from one who knows how to give us that gift."--James Morrow
"O'Leary's voice rarely wavers as he again displays his mastery of fantasy and social motifs, weaving familiar themes into a heartwarming, enchanting story."
-Publishers Weekly (starred review)
"A complex and moving meditation on the nature of storytelling. . . . Utterly unlike "Door Number Three" in style and substance, the new book acheives the same high level of accomplishment. It is beautifully written, elegantly structured, and highly perceptive in its observations about the importance of imagination."-"-San Francisco Chronicle"
"O'leary has his own gift with prose: teh words flow with the natural lilt and lift of a storyteller's voice of old, of true tales told around a camfire, or in a great hall at the end of the evening, when the feasting is done...."The Gift" turns out to be just as wonderful a reading experience as was the author's first novel."--"The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction"

"The Gift "deftly exploits the trappings of fanatsy without falling into the traps. Ever the alchemist, Patrick o'Leary has transformed his word processor into a kind of magic flute, using it to play haunting fictive melodies of strange frogs, numinousdragons, and the hidden mysteries of humanness. the final result is a hymn to the terrible and beautiful boon of storytelling, from one who knows how to give us that gift. "James Morrow"

O'Leary's voice rarely wavers as he again displays his mastery of fantasy and social motifs, weaving familiar themes into a heartwarming, enchanting story. "Publishers Weekly (starred review)"

A complex and moving meditation on the nature of storytelling. . . . Utterly unlike "Door Number Three" in style and substance, the new book acheives the same high level of accomplishment. It is beautifully written, elegantly structured, and highly perceptive in its observations about the importance of imagination. "San Francisco Chronicle"

O'leary has his own gift with prose: teh words flow with the natural lilt and lift of a storyteller's voice of old, of true tales told around a camfire, or in a great hall at the end of the evening, when the feasting is done...."The Gift" turns out to be just as wonderful a reading experience as was the author's first novel. "The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction""

The Gift deftly exploits the trappings of fanatsy without falling into the traps. Ever the alchemist, Patrick o'Leary has transformed his word processor into a kind of magic flute, using it to play haunting fictive melodies of strange frogs, numinousdragons, and the hidden mysteries of humanness. the final result is a hymn to the terrible and beautiful boon of storytelling, from one who knows how to give us that gift. James Morrow

O'Leary's voice rarely wavers as he again displays his mastery of fantasy and social motifs, weaving familiar themes into a heartwarming, enchanting story. Publishers Weekly (starred review)

A complex and moving meditation on the nature of storytelling. . . . Utterly unlike Door Number Three in style and substance, the new book acheives the same high level of accomplishment. It is beautifully written, elegantly structured, and highly perceptive in its observations about the importance of imagination. San Francisco Chronicle

O'leary has his own gift with prose: teh words flow with the natural lilt and lift of a storyteller's voice of old, of true tales told around a camfire, or in a great hall at the end of the evening, when the feasting is done....The Gift turns out to be just as wonderful a reading experience as was the author's first novel. The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction

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"The Gift deftly exploits the trappings of fanatsy without falling into the traps. Ever the alchemist, Patrick o'Leary has transformed his word processor into a kind of magic flute, using it to play haunting fictive melodies of strange frogs, numinousdragons, and the hidden mysteries of humanness. the final result is a hymn to the terrible and beautiful boon of storytelling, from one who knows how to give us that gift." --James Morrow

"O'Leary's voice rarely wavers as he again displays his mastery of fantasy and social motifs, weaving familiar themes into a heartwarming, enchanting story." --Publishers Weekly (starred review)

"A complex and moving meditation on the nature of storytelling. . . . Utterly unlike Door Number Three in style and substance, the new book acheives the same high level of accomplishment. It is beautifully written, elegantly structured, and highly perceptive in its observations about the importance of imagination." --San Francisco Chronicle

"O'leary has his own gift with prose: teh words flow with the natural lilt and lift of a storyteller's voice of old, of true tales told around a camfire, or in a great hall at the end of the evening, when the feasting is done....The Gift turns out to be just as wonderful a reading experience as was the author's first novel." --The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction

From the Author

THE GIFT is a Science Fantasy about the last magic makers.

"THE GIFT turns out to be just as wonderful a reading experience as was the author's first novel (DOOR NUMBER THREE)."

--Charles De Lint, The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction

"The GIFT recalls works like Gene Wolfe's PEACE, Patricia Mckillip's THE BOOK OF ATRIX WOLFE, and even LeGuin's TEHANU. It is a mature, thoughtful, provocative, and exceptionally beautifully written fantasy, and O'Leary makes it resonate. There are books you read once, and cast aside forever, and then there are books that call you back again and again.THE GIFT is such a book."

--Jonathan Strahan, LOCUS

"O'Leary's voice rarely wavers as he again displays his mastery of fantasy andsocial motifs, weaving familiar themes into a heartwarming, enchanting story."

--Publisher's Weekly, "Starred Review"

"THE GIFT" HOMEPAGE:

Secrets, Reviews, Confessions, Nudity, Maps:

http://users.aol.com/patri10629/gift.html

Edition details

• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0312864027
• ISBN 13: 9780312864026
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 286