A Publishers Weekly best book of 1997 The Gift is an exploration of the art of storytelling and a coming-of-age tale in a place and time when magic is not a ring to be grasped but poison to be shunned. This Gift is one that will be opened, read, and treasured for a long time to come.
"The Gift deftly exploits the trappings of fantasy 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, numinous dragons, 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."
PUBLISHER'S WEEKLY "STARRED REVIEW"
"A compelling, complex and stunning work."
STEPHEN P. BROWN, EDITOR, SF EYE
"Fulfilling the promise of his debut novel Door Number Three, O'Leary's follow-up is an unusually adept enchantment that takes classic fantasy elements--sorcery, a demon, a woodcutter's son, a young king--and a feminist undertheme and weaves them into a genuinely magical tale."
PUBLISHER'S WEEKLY. "ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF 1997."
"The Gift recalls works like Gene Wolfe's Peace, Patricia Mckillip's The Book of Atrix Wolfe, and even Le Guin's Tehanu. In it, O'Leary creates a small but memorable cast of characters, which he uses to examine the implications of death, duty, and the meaning of magic in our lives. 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 ther
