Song of the Gargoyle
#6064.00 adjusted 3.96 for sample size in the official ranking · full ranking
Books 1 book Status Complete 1991 Reading commitment Low Zilpha Keatley Snyder Last reviewed 2026-11-01
Overview
Song of the Gargoyle is a standalone fantasy novel by Zilpha Keatley Snyder, first published by Delacorte Press in 1991. It is set in a fantasy version of medieval Europe around the castle of Austerneve and the nearby Sombrous Forest. Thirteen-year-old Tymmon is the son of the castle's court jester, Komus. When masked men take his father away, Tymmon flees into the forest with his flute and meets a large creature he takes for a gargoyle. The book has no sequels and is described as a stand-alone work, unlike most of the author's novels, which have American settings.
Mythic fantasy · For Middle grade
Core Canon: Reading Order (1 work) counts toward ranking
Song of the Gargoyle Zilpha Keatley Snyder
| Work | Year | Internal chron. | Canon | Rating | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 | Song of the Gargoyle | 1991 | 1 | core | 4.00 (256 ratings) |
A standalone fantasy about a jester's son who flees into a forbidden forest and is taken in by a gargoyle.
Quick answers
- How many books are in Song of the Gargoyle? Song of the Gargoyle's Core Canon is 1 book.
- Is Song of the Gargoyle finished? Complete (1991).
- How much reading does Song of the Gargoyle take? Low reading commitment (estimated from 1 Core Canon book).
- How is Song of the Gargoyle ranked? #606 in this site's official ranking, based on 256 reader ratings across 1 Core Canon book. See the full ranking for how this is calculated.
Why is it ranked #606?
Ranked #606 in the official ranking.
- Average reader rating of 4.00 across 1 core book.
- A smaller readership (256 ratings), so the score carries less weight of numbers.
- Less than 0.01 behind #605, The Bards of Bone Plain (a finer tie-break level decides the order).
- Below the top-10 average of 4.46.
Why explore this universe?
Well rated · 1 book · Complete · 256 ratings · Ranks #606 overall
Good choice if you want a quick, low-commitment mythic fantasy universe that's already finished, so there's no wait for the next book.
Reading order
A single Core Canon work: no sequencing question to resolve.
Awards (verified)
- No awards found for this universe.
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Suggestions computed from what Song of the Gargoyle and each of these worlds have in common on record (subgenre, audience, shape, reading commitment and score), not a documented narrative connection.
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- The Chronicles of Prydain Mythic fantasy · Complete · Low commitment · 4.10
- The King of the Copper Mountains Mythic fantasy / Cozy fantasy · Complete · Low commitment · 4.09
Official resources
Research details
Ranking metrics: weighted average 4.00 across 256 ratings on 1 Core Canon book. See Why is it ranked here? above for the full breakdown, or the full ranking.
How do we know this?
Admission: Canon Extension: 27 universes; 5 candidates ruled out; older open items closed accepted 2026-11-01
Sources: (see source tier definitions)
- Wikipedia: Song of the Gargoyle Tier 2
- Kirkus Reviews Tier 2
Last reviewed: 2026-11-01
Rule: Core Canon = Song of the Gargoyle (1991).