City of Jade: A Novel of Mithgar (Hardcover)

by Dennis L. McKiernan (Author)
Key Phrases: silver wolf, silver sword, junction town, Long Tom, Foul Folk, Uncle Arley (more...)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly
Packed with the lore McKiernan has developed in 24 years of writing about the world of Mithgar, this dense novel is set largely between Silver Wolf, Black Falcon (2000) and the collection Red Slippers (2004). The main plot deals with a voyage of the fabulous Elvenship, the Eroean, in search of wonder and adventure. Before the ship can set sail with a crew of fighting men and dwarfs, there's the obligatory tour through the countryside so that characters can reminisce about events in earlier volumes while picking up additional crew members, like a tiny, fox-riding Pysk and two gratingly cute, pointy-eared buccans. Meanwhile, the necromancer Nunde is lurking offstage, feverishly plotting. Appreciating the nuances depends on understanding earlier events; newcomers will find no footholds here. (Oct.)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From School Library Journal
A prophecy and a dream about a lost city made of jade draw Aravan, the captain of the Elvenship Eroean, and his life mate, the Magekind Seer Aylis, along with a crew of trusted friends, into a perilous journey in search of the mystical place. Behind the scenes, the Necromancer Nunde, follower of a slain god and a sworn enemy of Aravan, plots the death of the elven captain and all those he holds dear. Set in time between the end of Silver Wolf, Black Falcon, and the beginning of Red Slippers: More Tales of Mithgar, the latest addition to the series brings back familiar characters and further develops an old enmity. McKiernan's talent for charming characters and exciting adventures of derring-do make this a good addition to most fantasy collections and an essential purchase for libraries possessing the other series titles.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 368 pages
• Publisher: Roc Hardcover (October 7, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0451462319
• ISBN-13: 978-0451462312
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6.4 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.1 out of 5 stars See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #275,448 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

  Popular in this category: (What's this?)

  #2 in

  Books > Science Fiction & Fantasy > Authors, A-Z > ( M ) > McKiernan, Dennis

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Probably My Last McKiernan, October 26, 2008

By	J. C. Loggins - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I have been a fan of McKiernan's Mithgar stories ever since I first read The Iron Tower trilogy. But, when he began his Once Upon A Time series, he adopted a stilted and highly annoying writing style that put me more in mind of Romance novels - heaving bosoms and all - than high fantasy. I had hoped that a return to Mithgar would herald a return to a less forced style, but it didn't.

It is sad when a good writer loses his voice, but I believe the decline in the sales of his books, and the number of reviewers that began with "Once Upon a Winter's Night" tells the story.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Disappointing tale from Mithgar, October 21, 2008

By	James N. Potts (Iowa) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I've been a big fan of Dennis McKiernan's Mithgar stories, and own the entire series. Perhaps my expectations were too high for this book, but I found it lacking nonetheless.

The first thing I noticed when I opened my pre-ordered package, was how much smaller this novel was compared to the rest of the series. But the smallness of the book pales in comparison to the the actual content. Unfortunately for fans, this book is but a short story (or a "novella" at best), that's been fleshed out with "reminiscences" of McKiernan's prior works. Not only are pages full of characters speaking of prior events, but entire passages from his other works are included.

Sadly, this book seems more of an advertisement for the rest of the Mithgar series, rather than the novel fans have been awaiting.

5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars engaging fantasy, October 9, 2008

By	Harriet Klausner - See all my reviews (#1 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

Legend talks of a City of Jade hidden in the jungle. Probably more likely myth than a real lost city, as no one has ever returned from the quest of finding this fabled locale though many have tried across Mithgar.

In the Final Year of the Fifth Era, with the Dragonstone War ended when the Black Mage God Gyphon was slain by the elf, passages have opened between realms while wards have been used to close those leading to and from the the creations of the late Dark God. In that seemingly peaceful environment, Elven Captain Aravan learns of the City of Jade and wants to find this precious legend. He brings together a crew of elves, dwarfs, men, and other species to sail into the sunset on the fabled Eroean. Accompanying him on his quest is his beloved mage, Aylis the seer. Even without Aylis' predictions all of the crew of the Eroean knows the journey will be dangerous and many if any will not return; they volunteer because the lure of adventure is greater than their safety; most are used to a world at war. Few perhaps would have signed on if they knew the dark necromantic sorcerer Nunde seeking vengeance is lurking everywhere they are sailing.

As explained in the "afterword" to this engaging fantasy, the events in the CITY OF JADE occur at the end of SILVER WOLF, BLACK FALCON and the beginning of the RED SLIPPERS: MORE TALES OF MITHGAR anthology. The thriller starts off as more of an interrelated anthology catching up with what has happened to the good, the bad, and the nasty since the demise of the Dark God. Once the crew is set and prepares to sail, the story line converges into an entertaining adventure tale with a fuming vengeful Nunde stalking the Eroean over each horizon. Fans will relish this terrific tweener while new readers should first peruse SILVER WOLF, BLACK FALCON to better comprehend the citations to the war.

Harriet Klausner