Literature / The Book of Atrix Wolfe

The Book of Atrix Wolfe is a fantasy novel by Patricia A. McKillip, published in 1995.

---

This book contains examples of:

• Anger Born of Worry: When Talis was unhorsed and injured, and then had to kill a boar, his brother descends on him dragging him away and pounded him — only when Talis recovers from his shock does he realize he's saying that he thought Talis had been killed.
• Curiosity Is a Crapshoot: Saro and her father watched Atrix Wolfe's spell because of her curiosity — and got caught.
• Damsel in Distress: Saro is trapped in a spell, rendered The Speechless, and ends up a Scullery Maid in forced labor.
• Distressed Dude: Talis is trapped in the forest. Where a woman reveals that the omninous Hunter is her consort, trapped in a dire spell.
• Fallen Princess: Saro, after the magic renders her mute and dazed, ends up a Scullery Maid.
• Fearless Fool: They send off Saro to deliver the tray of food to the prince in his half-ruined and haunted towers, on the grounds she wouldn't understand it enough to be afraid.
• Full-Boar Action: Talis is dazed in the woods when the dogs harry a boar near him. He kills it on instinct, and everyone is dully impressed — after they get over the fear that he has been killed.
• The High Queen: The high queen in the forest who communicates with Atrix and Burne by Talking in Your Dreams.
• Nice to the Waiter: The Scullery Maid Saro is sent to deliver a tray of food to the prince in the haunted and half-ruined hall. She drops it; he takes the blame for startling her, especially after she had braved the ghosts and owls, and offers her a white lily. She goes back to the kitchen dreaming of him.
• Scullery Maid: Saro, after the magic had rendered her mute and dazed.
• Sdrawkcab Name: A characteristic of the twisted magic.
• Single Woman Seeks Good Man: The Scullery Maid Saro is sent to deliver a tray of food to the prince in the haunted and half-ruined hall. She drops it; he takes the blame for startling her, especially after she had braved the ghosts and owls, and offers her a white lily. She goes back to the kitchen dreaming of him.
• The Speechless: Saro after the spell.
• Talking in Your Dreams: The woman in the woods communicates with both Atrix Wolfe and Burne this way. Later, so does Talis.
• Thicker Than Water: Burne can not bear the thought of losing Talis, his only living relative.
• When Trees Attack: An oak tries to bury Talis underground.

---