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Damar
The Stone Fey
Maddy has been roaming the hills of Damar with her sheep since she was a girl. The Hills hold everything she desires: her family; her beloved dog, Aerlich - and soon, her fiancé, Donal, who has been away for a year. But one evening a lamb is lost. And when Maddy returns to the Hills to find it, she discovers something else the Hills possess - something that will change her forever...
Originally published in Imaginary Lands
Originally published in Imaginary Lands
52 pages, Hardcover
First published September 1, 1998
3 people are currently reading
2,298 people want to read
About the author
Robin McKinley
47Ìýbooks7,156ÌýfollowersBorn in her mother's hometown of Warren, Ohio, Robin McKinley grew up an only child with a father in the United States Navy. She moved around frequently as a child and read copiously; she credits this background with the inspiration for her stories.
Her passion for reading was one of the most constant things in her childhood, so she began to remember events, places, and time periods by what books she read where. For example, she read Andrew Lang's Blue Fairy Book for the first time in California; The Chronicles of Narnia for the first time in New York; The Lord of the Rings for the first time in Japan; The Once and Future King for the first time in Maine. She still uses books to keep track of her life.
McKinley attended Gould Academy, a preparatory school in Bethel, Maine, and Dickinson College in 1970-1972. In 1975, she was graduated summa cum laude from Bowdoin College. In 1978, her first novel, Beauty, was accepted by the first publisher she sent it to, and she began her writing career, at age 26. At the time she was living in Brunswick, Maine. Since then she has lived in Boston, on a horse farm in Eastern Massachusetts, in New York City, in Blue Hill, Maine, and now in Hampshire, England, with her husband (also a writer, and with whom she co-wrote Water: Tales of Elemental Spirits in 2001) and two lurchers (crossbred sighthounds).
Over the years she has worked as an editor and transcriber (1972-73), research assistant (1976-77), bookstore clerk (1978), teacher and counselor (1978-79), editorial assistant (1979-81), barn manager (1981-82), free-lance editor (1982-85), and full-time writer. Other than writing and reading books, she divides her time mainly between walking her "hellhounds," gardening, cooking, playing the piano, homeopathy, change ringing, and keeping her blog.
Her passion for reading was one of the most constant things in her childhood, so she began to remember events, places, and time periods by what books she read where. For example, she read Andrew Lang's Blue Fairy Book for the first time in California; The Chronicles of Narnia for the first time in New York; The Lord of the Rings for the first time in Japan; The Once and Future King for the first time in Maine. She still uses books to keep track of her life.
McKinley attended Gould Academy, a preparatory school in Bethel, Maine, and Dickinson College in 1970-1972. In 1975, she was graduated summa cum laude from Bowdoin College. In 1978, her first novel, Beauty, was accepted by the first publisher she sent it to, and she began her writing career, at age 26. At the time she was living in Brunswick, Maine. Since then she has lived in Boston, on a horse farm in Eastern Massachusetts, in New York City, in Blue Hill, Maine, and now in Hampshire, England, with her husband (also a writer, and with whom she co-wrote Water: Tales of Elemental Spirits in 2001) and two lurchers (crossbred sighthounds).
Over the years she has worked as an editor and transcriber (1972-73), research assistant (1976-77), bookstore clerk (1978), teacher and counselor (1978-79), editorial assistant (1979-81), barn manager (1981-82), free-lance editor (1982-85), and full-time writer. Other than writing and reading books, she divides her time mainly between walking her "hellhounds," gardening, cooking, playing the piano, homeopathy, change ringing, and keeping her blog.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 89 reviews
December 1, 2009
I have no idea who decided to make this a picture book. It is a perfectly fine short story in McKinley's usual style; i.e. not decipherable by little kids. Even her YA novels I found more enjoyable as an adult. I can't imagine a younger child following sentences like, by its individual geography the land was a little more arable than much of what lay near it. The pages are mostly full text with only occasional "illustrations" between them, and the the illustrations were more like paintings inspired by the story than depictions of the narrative. I liked some of them (Clapp is good with color and landscape, not so much with people and animals) but didn't feel they added much. The titular Stone Fey wasn't very well developed. The sheep dog was the best character.
July 28, 2012
A short story that was made into a picture book. I can't imagine why, as this delicately eerie tale of a young woman who falls in love with? is seduced by? is enchanted by? enchants? a stone fey is in no way something that a child would enjoy. It is, however, an intriguing, sophisticated story if you're old enough to appreciate it.
January 12, 2016
A standalone story set in Damar, where you'll find family, love, magic, and sheep, all illustrated wonderfully.
August 24, 2009
I had missed this short story by McKinley in my chronological reading of her works because it was listed separately as a children's book. I picked it up while browsing the library stacks (in YA fiction). This is certainly no tale for young children. A young woman shepherds her sheep over rocky hills and meets a stone fey, and they begin a mysterious and obsessive relationship. McKinley is as obscure as is her tendency, but here she prevents even the other characters in the story from recounting the old stories to help us fill in the gaps. It is left to us to imagine and wonder and wish....
March 6, 2011
Robin McKinley's fans will want to read this, if for no other than reason than to have read as much of her writing as possible. This short tale was okay but not spectacular -- and we know that McKinley's best works truly do rise to the level of spectacular. "The Stone Fey" is set in Damar, but that's largely irrelevant. Don't read this expecting to reconnect with the beloved worlds of The Blue Sword or Hero & The Crown.
March 10, 2018
Why my dear Robin, why?
This story was beyond boring. The writing was convoluted and hard to follow. The plot was all over the place and the characters were not fleshed out well. This to me really came across as a short story that she never bothered to finish and went ahead and published anyway. Best to just pass on this one.
This story was beyond boring. The writing was convoluted and hard to follow. The plot was all over the place and the characters were not fleshed out well. This to me really came across as a short story that she never bothered to finish and went ahead and published anyway. Best to just pass on this one.
September 12, 2024
I didn't realize this was a short story. Well done for what it is, but some parts of it are a little vague.
July 21, 2010
This is one of those classic McKinley stories like , , or and etc. where the heroine is torn between two 'men' (or maybe male creatures would be a better term) and between 'real life' and 'other'. (It is a very common theme and conflict in her writing, as long-time fans will recognize.)
Since, reading between the lines, it is pretty clear that the relationship between Maddy and the Stone Fey is a physical one, it is odd that this book is usually shelved with the children's picture books. It's likely that younger children won't pick up on this, however. (Nothing more overt than reading between the lines in all of the Blue/Green/Red/Yellow/Whatever Fairy Books and the like.)
I may be wrong in this, but I have the impression that the story itself was written (and maybe published) then it was decided to do it as an illustrated book. That may be why it doesn't really work well (as far as storyline/theme) for young children?
It is a beautiful and mystical story with lovely atmospheric pictures and lovely for those readers looking to glom and/or acquire all of McKinley's backlist
Since, reading between the lines, it is pretty clear that the relationship between Maddy and the Stone Fey is a physical one, it is odd that this book is usually shelved with the children's picture books. It's likely that younger children won't pick up on this, however. (Nothing more overt than reading between the lines in all of the Blue/Green/Red/Yellow/Whatever Fairy Books and the like.)
I may be wrong in this, but I have the impression that the story itself was written (and maybe published) then it was decided to do it as an illustrated book. That may be why it doesn't really work well (as far as storyline/theme) for young children?
It is a beautiful and mystical story with lovely atmospheric pictures and lovely for those readers looking to glom and/or acquire all of McKinley's backlist
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 15, 2025
The art in this was beautiful. The story was incredibly mild, but I enjoyed it.
March 19, 2015
The dog is the best character.
It's hard to have a strong opinion on this because to me there was . . . nothing . . . there? Maddy has some characterization but it's so one-sided and holey that she was hard for me to connect and empathize with. The entirety of her relationship with this fey is written so bloody vaguely if you didn't read between the lines you would think they just took a few walks, he talked about plants, and she sat next to him mostly feeling awkward. He barely gets any actual page-time in the book. This leaves you bewildered as to why her family is worried, and why she is so incredibly distraught when she stops seeing him.
And it ends, so quickly, as she is back with her fiancé who we have barely met.
Big flashing disclaimer, I have zero knowledge of McKinley's world of Damar and I might be able to appreciate this little short story if I did.
A few of the illustrations (most notably, the night scenes at the beginning) are lovely and I applaud the use of illustrations in YA+ fiction.
It's hard to have a strong opinion on this because to me there was . . . nothing . . . there? Maddy has some characterization but it's so one-sided and holey that she was hard for me to connect and empathize with. The entirety of her relationship with this fey is written so bloody vaguely if you didn't read between the lines you would think they just took a few walks, he talked about plants, and she sat next to him mostly feeling awkward. He barely gets any actual page-time in the book. This leaves you bewildered as to why her family is worried, and why she is so incredibly distraught when she stops seeing him.
And it ends, so quickly, as she is back with her fiancé who we have barely met.
Big flashing disclaimer, I have zero knowledge of McKinley's world of Damar and I might be able to appreciate this little short story if I did.
A few of the illustrations (most notably, the night scenes at the beginning) are lovely and I applaud the use of illustrations in YA+ fiction.
November 29, 2012
First off, this book is a picture book for teens (which I applaude!) The watercolor paintings and sketches are really engulfing and nearly got this story up to a three star!
That said the actual story is fairly blah. Somewhat typical girl meets strange elf guy, and falls in love with him, even though she's already pretty much betrothed to a guy she choose, and already has plans to start a life together with him, has their farm planned out and everything.
I really dislike books that make me feel girls are stupid. Being a girl, it's kind of an affront, and the way the elf guy treats her, only begs the question "What are you doing, girl?"
In the end, she does make a good decision, though how she treats her betrothed really isn't fair to him. If you have a teenager you like, don't give them this book, it really isn't fair to their intelligence.
February 5, 2014
Maddy loves the Hills of Damar where she has grown up tending her sheep. She dreams of marrying her childhood sweetheart, Donal, and having a farm of her own. While Donal is off to make a fortune for their marriage, however, Maddy is strangely introduced to a stone fey and is soon captivated by his strange, earthly charms.This was a great, quick read that held my attention and left my thoughts spinning long after the story was through. I would like to find out if McKinley based this on an Irish fable or something similar. It draws on a number of important themes in such a short amount of pages. The pictures were an interesting asset to the story. I will recommend this book to anyone and everyone. It’s one I think would be useful to discuss in a classroom setting. There wasn’t any questionable material contained in this book.
June 27, 2009
I WAS SO CONFUSED THE WHOLE TIME!
February 5, 2019
The world building was interesting and I really liked where it was going, but the narrative could have used some fleshing out and the main conflict... never really seemed to amount to much of anything. There was a thing, slowly it proved to be a problem, things got interesting, but then it wasn’t a problem because it was fixed. I would have loved more insight into Maddy’s struggle, instead a bad dream and avoiding the hills seemed to solve everything.
The most well-rounded character in this is our main character’s sheep dog, followed closely by her scholar brother.
I hoped for another story about Damar, but these don’t feel like the hills from either The Hero and the Crown or The Blue Sword (seems to be somewhere between the two, chronologically). I don’t remember any mention of fey in the previous books and it felt like a very different world, aside from a few nods to her other books (Aerin is mentioned by name and someone mentions that farmers are beginning to plant orange groves in the south). The art is lovely, but doesn’t add enough to make up for what I found to be an unsatisfying story.
The most well-rounded character in this is our main character’s sheep dog, followed closely by her scholar brother.
I hoped for another story about Damar, but these don’t feel like the hills from either The Hero and the Crown or The Blue Sword (seems to be somewhere between the two, chronologically). I don’t remember any mention of fey in the previous books and it felt like a very different world, aside from a few nods to her other books (Aerin is mentioned by name and someone mentions that farmers are beginning to plant orange groves in the south). The art is lovely, but doesn’t add enough to make up for what I found to be an unsatisfying story.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 25, 2017
I loved this evocative and beautifully written tale from Robin McKinley, one of my favorite writers. Maddy is a shepherd in the hill country of Damar, where everyday life occasionally brushes against the magical. She is strangely drawn to a stone fey she meets, a type of fey so-called for its gray skin, despite her love for the farmer she plans to marry next year. McKinley weaves the magic and the mundane into a whole cloth of romance, shot through with brilliant strands of landscape and longing.
January 15, 2021
Extreme Book Nerd Challenge 2021 - Category #31
Challenge Topic: Published in the 1900's
This was a short story about Maddy, a sheep herder. She loves to take the sheep out and travel the hills around her home and she has no worries about the stories of the Fey that she has heard. One day a lamb is lost and in her search she comes face to face with a Stone Fey.
The story was an interesting little love story and human love and what the Fey can do to disrupt that. I loved the descriptions the author gave and the art work was very well done.
Challenge Topic: Published in the 1900's
This was a short story about Maddy, a sheep herder. She loves to take the sheep out and travel the hills around her home and she has no worries about the stories of the Fey that she has heard. One day a lamb is lost and in her search she comes face to face with a Stone Fey.
The story was an interesting little love story and human love and what the Fey can do to disrupt that. I loved the descriptions the author gave and the art work was very well done.
April 11, 2020
This was shelved in the Junior Fiction section of my library...and, being a picture book, even though she's one of my favourite authors, I never bothered. Upon finally reading it, I was blown away. So exquisite and romantic and heart-breaking - I HATE the ending- so perfectly Robin McKinley!
This is entirely an adult story, even if it does have pictures. A mature, obsessive love story, beautifully and brilliantly done.
This is entirely an adult story, even if it does have pictures. A mature, obsessive love story, beautifully and brilliantly done.
January 17, 2018
Despite picture book format, this is a short story best suited for young adult readers. It is haunting in its vagueness. It holds few ties to Damar, mentioning some plants, a bird and hinting at a wizard I assume is Luthe. It didn't resonate with me as the Damar novels did.
August 28, 2017
I didn't get it. It was beautifully illustrated, and a cute story, but I just didn't get it.
October 18, 2017
A lovely book with a captivating narrative and beautiful illustrations.
November 19, 2017
Quick read. Wasn’t sure what I was expecting, but it ended rather abruptly without much resolution. Almost like she intended a longer story but couldn’t figure out where to go with it.
March 7, 2022
A good read. Very McKinley-esque.
March 11, 2023
I don't know what to think of this one.
Illustrated novella, but to what purpose?
Illustrated novella, but to what purpose?
June 28, 2023
This story was largely unsatisfying and weirdly mature for a picture book. I wish McKinley had written more novels about Damar. This didn't bring back the magic of Harry and Aerin's stories.
November 20, 2023
Beautifully written. I didn't know this book existed. I loved goin back to Damar, even for a short while.
July 30, 2022
An evocative story but it was, as the inner blurb described it, "unsettling".
Set in the hills of Damar. Maddy lives with her large family, her mother runs the farm, father makes jewellery to sell at market, Maddy is the sheep farmer, brother Ifgold going off to school soon. Her fiance, Donal, hired himself away for the year as a logger. They plan to live far far out in the remote hills and farm and keep sheep. One day a lamb gets lost and Maddy and her sheepdog Aerlich go to find it. A stone fey brings it to them (the shyest of all the fey). He is watching her afterwards, from rocks, and soon she approaches him, then he her. He smells of green things, moss and rocks. With very little speech, they become lovers. But it's a bad thing for Maddy. She becomes vague and unlike herself, uninterested in her shepherding, her family, anything but going to Fel everyday. He leaves stone Ms everywhere and she feels him calling her. But it seems he doesn't love her - talks very little, says he has family but prefers to be alone, shows her how to walk quietly around the remote hills - but she feels maybe he accepts her as something lesser than himself, like she does the dumb sheep. He never smiles; when she says, hopelessly, that she loves him, he simply looks at her with his black black eyes. When she leaves him he calls her endlessly but the Ms stop and he does not come after her. Donal comes home and they are lovers again straight away and she cries and says she can't stay in their planned home, he thinks it was his mistake and they go to live in the south.
Because McKinley never showed any of the love scenes between Maddy and Fel, the reader can't determine to their own satisfaction whether he loved her or not. There is no satisfactory resolution to their tale. Maddy wonders on one page, why did it all happen, and we're left to wonder too...
Set in the hills of Damar. Maddy lives with her large family, her mother runs the farm, father makes jewellery to sell at market, Maddy is the sheep farmer, brother Ifgold going off to school soon. Her fiance, Donal, hired himself away for the year as a logger. They plan to live far far out in the remote hills and farm and keep sheep. One day a lamb gets lost and Maddy and her sheepdog Aerlich go to find it. A stone fey brings it to them (the shyest of all the fey). He is watching her afterwards, from rocks, and soon she approaches him, then he her. He smells of green things, moss and rocks. With very little speech, they become lovers. But it's a bad thing for Maddy. She becomes vague and unlike herself, uninterested in her shepherding, her family, anything but going to Fel everyday. He leaves stone Ms everywhere and she feels him calling her. But it seems he doesn't love her - talks very little, says he has family but prefers to be alone, shows her how to walk quietly around the remote hills - but she feels maybe he accepts her as something lesser than himself, like she does the dumb sheep. He never smiles; when she says, hopelessly, that she loves him, he simply looks at her with his black black eyes. When she leaves him he calls her endlessly but the Ms stop and he does not come after her. Donal comes home and they are lovers again straight away and she cries and says she can't stay in their planned home, he thinks it was his mistake and they go to live in the south.
Because McKinley never showed any of the love scenes between Maddy and Fel, the reader can't determine to their own satisfaction whether he loved her or not. There is no satisfactory resolution to their tale. Maddy wonders on one page, why did it all happen, and we're left to wonder too...
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 12, 2015
I'm going to agree with some of the other reviewers of this book. In that I don't like that it was made a picture book. It would have been fine just being a short story by itself.
Though I do have to say, the pictures were nice. And gave me a better idea of what the stone fey looked like (because honestly I was picturing it being like a thing out of Minecraft).
Normally, I'm very drawn to stories about fey. Because for some weird reason they enthrall me. This one was just kind of so-so. I mean yes, I fully believe that the fey was trying to lure her away forever and a day. I have no doubts about that. As to why that's open to interpretation and my interpretation is definitely not child friendly and as such I won't share it.
I could definitely see reading this to a child. Or a child reading it on their own. Like I said, the pictures were nice. And the story is nice and short. Not a whole lot of big words kids won't understand without help (there's maybe 5 in the whole story...MAYBE). The print's not huge but it's not small so it's of a decent size for small readers.
Definitely recommend if you have a small child (or a child of any age really) that likes fantasy types of novels.
Though I do have to say, the pictures were nice. And gave me a better idea of what the stone fey looked like (because honestly I was picturing it being like a thing out of Minecraft).
Normally, I'm very drawn to stories about fey. Because for some weird reason they enthrall me. This one was just kind of so-so. I mean yes, I fully believe that the fey was trying to lure her away forever and a day. I have no doubts about that. As to why that's open to interpretation and my interpretation is definitely not child friendly and as such I won't share it.
I could definitely see reading this to a child. Or a child reading it on their own. Like I said, the pictures were nice. And the story is nice and short. Not a whole lot of big words kids won't understand without help (there's maybe 5 in the whole story...MAYBE). The print's not huge but it's not small so it's of a decent size for small readers.
Definitely recommend if you have a small child (or a child of any age really) that likes fantasy types of novels.
June 1, 2010
Maddy spends her days herding sheep and day-dreaming about the day when her and her boyfriend Donald will own their own farm and property; but while Donald is away earning money, Maddy finds that her grandmother's stories have more truth to them than she realized. One evening, when a lamb goes missing, Maddy goes deeper into the Hills of Damar to find it, and when she does she also discovers a gray creature called a Stone Fey, just like the one's in grandmother's stories. When Maddy starts spending all of her days with the Stone Fey, her family and beloved sheepdog, Aerlich, worry that Maddy has forgotten what is really important and therefore has forgotten who she is. Can Maddy resist the mystical power of the Stone Fey before it is too late and she looses not only her family but the love of her life, Donald?
This book shows the power and mystery of young love. It shows how young girls cannot be reasoned with when discussing matters of the heart. Robin McKinley does a good job portraying the difficulty in finding oneself when torn between two loves.
This book shows the power and mystery of young love. It shows how young girls cannot be reasoned with when discussing matters of the heart. Robin McKinley does a good job portraying the difficulty in finding oneself when torn between two loves.
January 9, 2013
BTW this is a Damar book, fellow Damar fans. All that we know is that it happens after The Hero and the Crown.
Very interesting... The story would have been fine without the pictures. At the same time, I would be lying if I said that they ruined the book--I enjoyed them. The outcome is not what one is generally lead to expect in todays fiction trend, and that was refreshing. Should have been listed as YA instead of children's at my library, but then so should so many "children's" books. For one, there are unmarried people in the same bed, and I really don't want my young siblings to casually read about such things. That is serious stuff.
SPOILERS AHEAD
I think that Maddy made the right choice personally. There was something inhuman and very unhealthy about the relationship with Fel... He really didn't seem to care. I think that she was some pastime for the fey. We are reminded by contrast of his strangeness when Donal comes home. We are told that Donal and Maddy do actually love eachother, and Maddy is reminded by this when she sees Donal again.
Very interesting... The story would have been fine without the pictures. At the same time, I would be lying if I said that they ruined the book--I enjoyed them. The outcome is not what one is generally lead to expect in todays fiction trend, and that was refreshing. Should have been listed as YA instead of children's at my library, but then so should so many "children's" books. For one, there are unmarried people in the same bed, and I really don't want my young siblings to casually read about such things. That is serious stuff.
SPOILERS AHEAD
I think that Maddy made the right choice personally. There was something inhuman and very unhealthy about the relationship with Fel... He really didn't seem to care. I think that she was some pastime for the fey. We are reminded by contrast of his strangeness when Donal comes home. We are told that Donal and Maddy do actually love eachother, and Maddy is reminded by this when she sees Donal again.
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