Mary Brown (1) (1929–1999)

A long time ago, when I first read this (I was 9 or so) a lot went over my head. Mostly the sex stuff (there's quite a bit, all things considered, about sex in here), but also I remember how fiercely I sobbed because Thing lost all her friends.

Not to death, this book had surprisingly little death in it (I say surprisingly because most of my fantasy books of that time involved heroic sacrificial death as a means to winning), though it wasn't completely absent. No, she lost them to life. And I sobbed because it didn't seem fair to me--the me who had really no close friends at that time and had the vaguest of memories of what it was like to have a friend who I shared everything with--that Thing had to lose her friends.

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More of a 2.5...okay so read this years ago, probably about 12 or so, and had fallen. in love with everything about it. Not enough to add it to my annual reread list, but well enough to keep it for possible reread in the near future.

I quite forget what I loved about this, though I can speculate based on what I do know of 20something Lexie's preferences.

It was a quest, with magic and folklore and a girl who had troubles with her mother but always found the right answer to save the day. Except...that's not true upon rereading as a full adult. Summer rarely finds the solution---if she does she nearly kills them all by bungling it.

Trusts the wrong people. Says the wrong thing. Hardly listens...

It's Whimperling (the eponymous flying pig of the title) who almost ALWAYS saves the day. Contrast that with THE UNLIKELY ONES wherein Thing did make mistakes but had many clever solutions and her companions by in large were useful much of the time.

Meanwhile I find it interesting that unlike TUO that Summer's companions here all settle or compromise on their greatest wish for life. I wonder if it's because Thing's friends were far better creatures? Though to be truthful Summer is nowhere near as close to her friends as Thing was.

All in all I'm disappointed...even in Jasper...hopefully the next 2 books are better and I didn't misremember.… (meer)

I enjoyed the first two books in this omnibus (Pigs don't Fly and Master of Many Treasures) much more then the last book (Dragonne's Egg). Following the prequel, The Unlikely Ones, The Unexpected Dragon trilogy is quite exciting.

I can understand how others might view it with discontent since there is no definite ending to the romance of the first two books (an ambiguious ending where the characters may or may not have survived) and the third book comes out of left field (though with a definite ending for the romance element).
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Good lord, I finally found this book! I read this so many years ago--my first pet cat I had when I first lived on my own, I named Moglet because of this book. I can't believe I forgot it--but as I saw this on my recommended pages here on Good Reads and saw the image of the girl in the mask--I thought it seemed familiar some how. Clicking on the link and reading the description, all of my memories of this book flooded back--especially the bitter sweet of its ending. This is an amazing book; while memory dimmed it occasionally, it's now 2014 and I can recall the story (after being reminded) and all the emotions it called forth when reading it. I highly, highly recommend this book--and I wish it will someday be counted as a "classic!"… (meer)