Mirror Kingdoms: The Best of Peter S. Beagle

Scientists may call the rhinoceros a unicorn, but only Beagle can make it feel like one. Facing reality—often a magical reality hidden under mundane trappings—is the key to understanding magical transformations and repairing damage, saving one time-traveling brother trapped in Thursday (“El Regalo”) and thwarting another who is the angel of death (“We Never Talk about My Brother”). Prosaic rabbis must deal with angels (“Uncle Chaim and Aunt Rifke and the Angel”) and ghosts (“The Rabbi's Hobby”) while supernatural daughters cope with mother issues (“Lila the Werewolf,” “What Tune the Enchantress Plays”). “Two Hearts,” the coda to The Last Unicorn , is a moving ode to heroism. Beagle plays on the heartstrings like a master musician, and this definitive collection, a magnificent grand tour of his many created worlds, will thrill his legions of fans. (Mar.)