The Innkeeper's Song

Peter S. Beagle is one of my favorite authors of all time. His prose is just a warm blanket that makes me feel good, which is something I've desperately needed over this transition to the new year. I know he has cited this novel in particular as his favorite, and it has an epicness to it that makes it worthy of that claim. That said, I wonder if he would write it differently today as attitudes towards gender and expression have shifted so dramatically since 1993. There's a lot of playing with gender in this book, and I think I kept waiting for it to be more of an exploration of a theme rather than the sort of Shakespearean deception it ends up as. The actual plot of the band of heroes who meet in an inn, but then just stay there, however, is really great, and as always Beagle's writing comforts me in my heart of hearts.