A prince is cursed by a witch until he repays her for her white hen he killed, a princess is sent to marry the prince so her kingdom will not be overtaken by his father, a wizard is sent to protect the princess, and a beautiful firebird binds them all. These threads intertwine in a story about accepting what life brings and love. Ronan, the prince, grieves for his dead wife and child, earns the curse from the witch on his way home from war. Arriving at his father's castle, his father informs him that a new wife is on her way and that he will marry her. Later he follows a beautiful firebird and loses himself in a world where his father's palace and wishes no longer exist.
Sidonie, his bride to be, travels from her country to Ronan's father's palace, a sacrifice on the alter of politics, and to a marriage that she does not want and knows will be a loveless one. With her is Gyre, a wizard sent in the stead of another who has been weakened in a battle of wills and magic. When they meet with Ronan, who still follows the firebird, the future intended for them all is both changed and made the same. Gyre tries to gain the princess and Ronan's inheritance for himself, and Sidonie tries to save Ronan from the witch's curse, and all three end in the same place but with far different purposes than what they started out with.
Impression:In the Forests of Serre was an interesting novel, though I wouldn’t call it one of my favorites of McKillip's. The language used is less poetic, although she still uses some very clever and beautiful imagery, and the story itself is interesting enough. It just didn't hold my interest as well as most of the novels of hers that I had read before. As always in her books, nothing is what it appears to be and everything intertwines in unusual ways, but, in a rare thing for her, the ending is almost predictable. While I can't say I would not recommend this book, there are other novels of hers that I would definitely recommend more - Ombria in Shadow, The Tower At Stony Wood, The Changeling Sea, and The Book of Atrix Wolfe.
