Robin McKinley remains an excellent storyteller in her latest book, Chalice. Though it has hints of fairy tales throughout, most notably the story of Beauty and the Beast, this is an incredibly original story and beautifully told. McKinley has a gift for immersing her reader in the world she creates without ever giving the impression that she's doing so. She does not go out of her way to explain what is going on, but as the narrative flows on, you begin to piece together how her world works and marvel at it.
My one complaint about this book was that it was a bit too short. I felt as though I was left hanging at the end and I think a little more information about our main characters would have made me a bit less upset at needing to put down the book.