The
best thing about this story is the music.
You could almost see yourself in the halls of the kings and nobles, in
the gardens and fountains, and in the magical realm of Elfland, immersed in the
powerful music and magic of minstrelsy.
Seldom have I encountered a book with so much music and sound in
it. You will hear the susurration of
silks, the rustling of leaves, the baa-ing of sheep, stories of tragic loves
and heroic rescues, and music, music, music. It’s wonderful to hear music from
your own imagination, brought to you by the power of words on a page.
The
book gives us the life of Thomas, a minstrel.
We meet him first when, as a young travelling harper trying to find
escape from the consequences of his youthful indiscretions, he finds himself in
the care of a farmer and his wife deep in the quiet countryside. He sings them his songs, new and old, and
shares with them the gift of his music. The couple takes him in and is soon as
fond of him as if he was their own child. There among the hills, ranges, meadows, and
music he meets Elspeth. Their love is
young and innocent, playful and easy.
But Thomas’ fate takes a drastic turn when one day while taking a stroll
through the trees, he encounters the wondrous Queen of Elfland, who strikes a
bargain with him and takes him from Earth and into her magical realm to be her
lover and servant for seven years.
In
Elfland Thomas meets many strange and wonderful characters. Hunter, the queen’s brother, tries to
challenge him at every turn. Thomas’
invisible servant sees to his needs but also hides a grim and sad story of her
own. There is the dove that weeps tears
of blood when it hears Thomas’ music – bespelled by Hunter. There is the King Who Waits, who calls Thomas “brother”
and with whom Thomas feels a strange bond.
And then of course, the Queen. He
serves as her harper and singer in the halls and as the lover in her bed. Thomas’ time in Elfland is full of magical stories,
mysteries and riddles that he must solve, as well as innocents he feels
compelled to save from cruel fates. His
true mettle as a minstrel is tested there, and he learns more about himself and
about life and death from his incredible experiences. At the end of seven years, and as a reward
for solving a riddle and making a noble sacrifice, the Queen returns him to
Earth with the gift of “a tongue that cannot lie.”
I
will leave the rest of the story for you to discover. It is filled with magic and music. If you enjoy a good, colorful fantasy
enhanced by lyrical and imaginative storytelling, then you will appreciate this
book. It is a winner of the World
Fantasy Award and Mythopoeic Fantasy Award.
It also strongly reminded me of the tale of “Tam Lin” (I think it might
be based loosely on this folk tale because of the many similarities and direct
references.) and “Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell” which I also enjoyed
immensely and consider as one of the most memorable books I ever read. In any case, I believe "Thomas the Rhymer" is definitely worth reading. Enjoy!
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