Fabulous, as usual.

@battlepoet Why is this author ringing a bell? 🤔

@battlepoet Do you have a favourite amongst the ones you've read? Maybe I'll start with that one!

@gersande oh shiiiit tough question. I'm rather partial to the first one I ever read, which was "The Sorceress and the Cygnet". It includes a bog witch! I own it, should you wish to read it.

One thing I'll mention that McKillip does well, is that she often includes love in her books, but it's not overwhelming and adds to the story, rather than detracts. Love is a motivation for her characters, be it romantic, familial, or platonic. Like, yes there is plot, but I find the characters themselves are the deep roots of the tales.

@battlepoet Hmmm, okay. I am kind of tired of love as the primary motivation in books (...that sounds wild when I write it down but I think it's true?) but I'm definitely down to try reading The Sorceress and the Cygnet. Adding it to my... far-too-tall TBR.

@gersande I agree that love gets hackneyed after awhile, but... man it sounds dumb to say it, but McKillip is different? She makes it interesting. It's not like "ah yes and then the characters made out". She really shows how complex love can get, between lovers, parent/child, friends, etc. And the characters have their own motivations too.

@gersande also the bog witch loves being a witch and her motivation is to learn weird magic shit for the rest of her life. so there's definitely plot beyond romance.