Customer Reviews

Once Upon a Winter's Night

5 star:		(14)
4 star:		(7)
3 star:		(5)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

Camille, the youngest of six daughters with a younger ailing brother, lives with her impoverished family near the end of the human world and the start of the fairy realm. She finds happiness singing while working in the field and playing games with her brother. The six female siblings have little hope for marriage because there is no money for a dowry.

However, everything changes when a bear arrives at their hovel. The bear carries a message from Prince Alain of Summerwood stating he wishes to marry Camille and if his proposal is accepted he will pay a bride price that will leave her family in modest luxury. Camille and her brother say no, but the rest of her kin accept. Camille gives in when she realizes her brother can obtain needed medicine.

Camille rides the bear through Springwood to Winterwood to Autumnwood until she finally reaches her destination of Summerwood. There she meets Prince Alain who wears a mask. Still, Camille and Alain begin to fall in love, but she tries to lift the curse that is destroying him without realizing the consequences of her actions. Still, she willingly will go into hell if need be to rescue her beloved.

ONCE UPON A WINTER'S NIGHT is a superb adult fairy tale that children of all ages will enjoy. The story line is charming and magical as it takes readers on quite a ride in the realm of Fairy. Camille is a great female protagonist and the melancholy Alain, who finds brief respites with his beloved, is an enigmatic hero. Dennis McKiernan escorts fantasy lovers into an enchanted place that deserves more tales, perhaps those starring Alain's siblings and even a prequel starring his parents.

Harriet Klausner

Bite me, this book was bad. And I mean bad in the sense that I was faced with a decision:read this thing all the way through or be hit on by the greasy would-be Lothario sitting next to me on the long bus ride home. Even now I'm not sure which was preferable. As a rule of thumb I adore fairy tales, and I was very excited when I discovered this in the book store. But cheese'n'rice this was awful.

Characters? Heck no, we don't need characters - all we need is shallow cardboard cut-outs with vague generlizations of personality. The heroine is beautiful, blonde, and nice, the hero is mysterious and handsome, the heroine's mother is greedy and her father is meek. Forget any sense of intelligence, charm, wit, humor, warmth, or sincerity that make characters worth following. When she wasn't being beautiful or kind, Camille, our lady heroine, was displaying such stupidity and lack of back bone I found myself cheering for the villian. With a year and a day to search before her beloved prince is lost to her, Camille wanders around aimlessly on the hope she'll find someone to tell her where she's going. Again and again she asks if the frog/sorceress/giant lizard-eating alien knows of a place 'west of the sun and east of the moon', and when she's told no, she weeps, faints, whines, moans. It starts to seem like she's doing everything she can not to look for him.

Also, a word about the dialogue. No one speaks like this. I understand that the setting is fantastical and the people live in a time beyond recorded history, but even people then didn't speak in the convoluted, tongue twisting, awkward babble this cast spews. You get the feeling it would take these people twenty minutes to pass the butter. "My lord, do forgive me for my impertinece but I must beg a favor of your supreme worshipfulness. The yonder solidified dairy product which sits so daintily by your hand, if it be not troublesome to your lordship, I beg you would deign to pass it forthwith." "My lady, do not fear..." Sheesh.

In other words, pick something else. Anything else. Go read The Monster At The End Of This Book, with Grover. At least your brain won't eat itself alive to stop the torment.

In case you aren't familiar with the term, I'm going to take a moment to explain what "Mary Sue" means because I have a feeling I'm going to using this phrase of awful lot. A Mary Sue refers to one of those irritating characters that appear in a work of fiction, not as a well balanced characters, but as some sort of overly idealized place holder for the author or reader to live out some vicarious fantasy through. A female Mary Sue usually is an impossibly beautiful and perfect waif with a dramatic name like Auroraphina Westlake. She's dainty and feminine to the point of fainting at her own shadow, she can do anything without exerting any effort, and love, wealth, and all the good things in life just fall into her lap. Every one loves her. Anyone we doesn't think Mary Sue should be cannonized is evil incarnate and lives to make her all teary eyed. That is Mary Sue. That description perfectly fits the main character Camille. Camille starts the story off as a poor girl who lives in shack with her whipped father (who she loves to bits), her shrewish mother, and her bratty sisters who are jealous of Camille. By and large, the female relatives will be punished severly by the end of the novel. Camille is cheerful and basically dances about with her head of la-la land, but lo! one night a bear comes to the cabin with a marriage proposal from Prince Alain of Summerwood. Camille, who frankly doesn't have much going on upstairs, is not at all afraid of marrying some guy she's never meet before and marrying the prince would make the family happy, so off she goes with the bear. They must travel through scary goblin-infested woods and Camille says embarrassing stuff like "Protect me, Oh Bear!" Seriously, people in this novel don't speak so much as make flowerly dramatic declarations like a 3rd grade class trying to do Shakespear.
When she finally meets her groom-to-be, he is this guy who never appears during the day and always wears a mask. Prince Alain is the male equivalent as of the Mary Sue as imagined by a twelve year old girl. Impossibly sauve, perfect, polite, and mysterious, Alain is the mister right fantasy incarnated at its most girliest. They fall instantly in love, and the audience is treated to a scene where they consumate the relationship that made me feel like I was reading the X-rated version of the Carebears. However, even these carnal activities can not lessen the saintly aura of our Mary Sues. However, the happiness is not to last and Camille's stupidity activates a goblin curse and Alain is kidnapped. Camille is left with the task of finding Alain in a year and a day. Camille's quest is just as dull as the romance. Camille is Mary Sue remember, meaning there is no way she can fail. When she's presented with an obstacle she can dues ex-machina up some skill to get around or she gets all teary eyed as some giant, elf stud, or fairy will show up and help her.
All and all, Once Upon a Winter's Night is a boring fantasy novel that feels like something a lonely pre-teen would post of fanfiction.net instead of the work a seasoned fantasy writer. It's tension free, shallow, and bursting at the seams with over-wraught and ridiculous drama. If not for the adult scenes with Alain and Camille this would fit write well in young adult fiction, because frankly I can't imagine anyone other than young girls not being bored to death by Mary Sue.

Once Upon a Winter's Night (2001) is the first fantasy novel in the Faery series. It is a greatly extended version of the fairytale "East of the Sun and West of the Moon".

In this novel, Camille and her family are disturbed one winter night by a great pounding on the door of their hovel. At first they do nothing, but the pounding continues. Finally, Camille suggests that Henri, her father, find out who is knocking. When Henri, opens the door, he immediately slams it shut and bars it.

When asked about the knocker, Henri wails "A Bear! A white Bear!" Then once more comes the massive knock and the door shudders under the blow. Finally, Camille reopens the door and invites the Bear to enter. The single room is quite crowded after the Bear comes in and lies on the floor.

A message tube is attached around the Bear's neck. The note within asks for Camille's hand in marriage and offers a sizeable bride-price. It is signed "Lord Alain, Prince of the Summerwood".

Camille's mother Aigrette is convinced as soon as the bride-price is announced. Her five sisters tend to be favorable to the offer, although Lisette complains that she is the eldest and should be married first. Henri and Giles, the younger son, are against the whole idea, but Henri can only drag his feet and insist on more time. The Bear is told to come back in a week.

Despite Aigrette's nagging, Henri is not really convinced to let Camille go. However, Aigrette hits upon the idea of a doctor for chronically ailing Giles and Camille begins to seriously consider marrying Alain. Although Giles continues to argue against the idea, Camille leaves with the Bear after he returns.

After an arduous trip through Faery with the Bear, including a Red Cap attack in Winterwood, Camille finally arrives at Summerwood Manor. She finally meets Alain on the third day after her arrival. He is everything that she imagined, except that he is wearing a mask.

In this story, Camille grows to love Alain and waits patiently to see him without his mask. After a trip back home, however, her mother's insinuations persuade Camille to sneak a look at his unmasked face and a violent wind takes away Alain and everybody within Summerwood Manor.

Camille spends several days cleaning up the mess within the manor, but finally thinks to consult the Lady of the Mere. Lord Kelmot, a Lynx rider, shows her the way. The Lady indirectly advises her to look for Alain "East of the Sun and West of the Moon". She also gives Camille a staff and provides a sparrow as her companion. Kelmot offers to accompany her in her quest to locate Alain, but the Lady has advised her to only take the stave and sparrow with her.

Camille meets many friendly people on the way and a few villains. Her own wit often suffices to thwart the villains, although a word of advice from her friends often becomes useful. She hurries as fast as she can, for she only has a year and a day and another month from the day Alain vanished, and she encounters many delays.

Despite the author's statements, I find it hard to believe that the original bardic tale is a long as this novel. Just reading it aloud would take several days. Add musical flourishes and the telling would take a week or more, particularly if the bard only spoke in the evenings after supper.

Highly recommended for McKiernan fans and for anyone else who enjoys tales of geases and curses, perseverance and native wit.

-Arthur W. Jordin

Well, I just finished Once Upon a Winter's Night and my only problem with it is I can't wait for the sequal(s)! That's all that's bad about it... McKiernan definately has a winner on his hands. The book is _almost_ as good as his Mithgar arc, but totally in a different way. All I can say is it's magical. I felt like a little kid reading this book, because it defiantely has a fairy tale storybook feeling, but you can tell this one is written for us big kids too. It has very tasteful adult scenes including a little bit of intimacy and Dennis' trademark descriptions of battles, and all things magical. I think it is better than his other non Mithgar book, Caverns of Socrates, and will reach a broader audience, including female readers of fantasy and romance. The book is well written and everything ties together beautifully. You might even say there are even some "red slipper" token items sprinkled throughout that McKiernan always uses so skillfully. The book will may you think a lot about people, the world, and the nature of why we're all here. Bravo Dennis, and keep 'em coming!

The author states this novel is a retelling of a short story he read as a child. A short story titled "East of the Sun and West of the Moon" written by a Scandinavian author. If it was a Scandinavian tale that inspired the author I can only say that Nordic bard was a lover of myths for I know it as a re-telling of one of my favorite classical Greek myths that I read as a child - the myth of Eros and Psyche (i.e. Love and Soul). Right down to the need for Alain (Eros) to wear a mask and hiding his true form to prevent a curse enacting. Right down to Camille (Psyche) invoking the curse when she sees Alain's true form unmasked by candlelight as he sleeps. Right down to the drip of the candle wax on Eros'- I mean Alain's - chest. And of Psyche's - I mean Camille's - subsequent quest to find her lover again and break the curse. For as the Greek myth makes clear, Love and Soul were meant to be together for the blessing of mankind.

It was enchanting as a Greek myth and even more so as Mr. McKiernan's re-telling. Here the Greek myth is given life so compelling I think it better than the source. Unlike some previous reviewers I didn't have any problem with the occasional touches of archaic phrasing. They only happened sporadically and even then only in small touches. That must be something that is strictly a personal preference - you're either allergic to it or you're not. I actually liked it as it added to the over-all feel of what a myth should be when read. To anyone who likes myths and fairy tales this is a wonderful read. And if you ever get the chance - read the original myth from whence it came. You'll be glad you did.

Reading "Once Upon A Winter's Night" is a bit like eating a brick -- it's unpleasant, it's difficult, and you'll feel pretty bad after the end of it. Fantasy writer Dennis McKiernan's latest novel is no better than his previous outings, and by recycling old material and bringing in new and unoriginal elements, managed toi drive me nuts in entirely new ways.

Camille lives in a decrepit cottage near the border of Faery, with her meek father, money-hungry mother, sickly brother, and five sisters. One day a massive bear appears at the door, saying that Lord Alain of the Summerland (in Faery) wants to marry Camille (why? He saw her dancing). At first she doesn't want to, but she agrees because of her brother's illness. The bear takes her into Faery, past evil goblins and a year-round blizzard, to the beautiful mansion of Prince Alain.

Of course, they fall in love, even though Alain is never around during the day and always wears a mask. What's more, although they're in bed for what seems like half the book, they can't get married -- why? Alain won't say. Under pressure from her mom, Camille uses a candle to peek at her boyfriend's face during the night, only to have him and all his servants vanish. She sets off across Faery to find her beloved and lift the curse.

The book is based on the "East of the Sun and West of the Moon"; that story itself is a rather mangled retelling of the legend of Eros and Psyche. (The original is the best one) And this retelling of the fairy tale is somewhat marred by the cheesy romance, unappealing and clueless heroine, and meandering plotline.

The dialogue is beyond absurd; at one point, Camille says to the bear, "Oh Bear, I am wholly apprehensive. Remain my protector, please." Who talks like that? What's more, McKiernan writes almost all of the dialogue in "ye olde fantasye" language, derived from old English, with lots of "mayhaps" and "nonces," but sprinkles it with random French words like "fille" and "bonjour." It's enough to make your head spin. There's also a seemingly random sprinkling of dragons, dwarves, undying fey, wee folk ("wee" is not a French word), serpent-men and goblins. Same ol' same ol', but in a retelling, that's okay in moderation.

Thankfully McKiernan's tendency to dwell on insignificant details of travelling was pretty much nowhere to be found, although quite a few not-so-insignificant details in the bedroom are included. The preaching is also toned down, but I don't particularly want to hear about McKiernan's views on virginity. One irritating tendency that was also in "Caverns of Socrates" is that McKiernan copies stuff from his own Mithgar books -- the serpent-horses, for example, and the "lynx riders." (Nothing like Fox Riders, right?) And as some of what he lifted (the serpent-horses/helsteeds) was also lifted from the works of J.R.R. Tolkien, it becomes especially weird.

Camille is pretty annoying: sweet, innocent, adoring, pure of heart, gorgeous, golden-haired, and essentially perfect in every way. In other words, cloying and sugary. She cries, she weeps, she collapses, she's constantly being rescued by the bear or big strong men (or sometimes tiny strong men). Alain is similarly perfect, angsty and tormented and of course, incredibly handsome. And similarly boring. The supporting characters are all pretty dull, especially Camille's money-obsessed mother and man-obsessed sisters, and the Galadriel-like Lady of the Bower. Only her brother Giles and Scruff the sparrow are endearing. It certainly says something when a bird has more appeal (and mental power) than either of the lead characters.

If you really, really like retellings of fairy tales or old stories, then this might appeal to you... or if you are looking for a doe-eyed, imperiled heroine to mock. Silly, cheesy, and overall rather boring.

Following the original (East of the Sun, West of the Moon), Once Upon a Winter's Night is the story of a girl, Camille, who unmasks her true love's face against all warnings, beginning a curse that will change her life. Prior to, Camille had been a poor maiden of the mortal world, one of six sisters (and one brother), children to parents both desolate and hopeless. One night, a large white bear knocks at the door, proposing that if Camille would marry Prince Alain of the Summerwood, the Prince in return would pay a goodly sum to the family for years to come. Knowing that the money was needed to keep her young brother alive, Camille gives her consent and is whisked away to Summerwood Manor on the back of the great bear.

Once there, Alain is revealed only during the night and even then wearing a mask. Despite, the two fall deeply in love, until Camille returns to the mortal world to visit her family. When there, her mother persuades Camille to light a candle in the night and reveal the Prince's face. Overcome with influence and curiosity after Camille's return to Summerwood, she lights the candle, and upon seeing her fiance's beautiful face, sends the Manor and all within into a whirlwind of magic, leaving Camille deserted in a foreign land. Determined to set all right again, she begins the task to find the place East of the Sun and West of the Moon where her true love lies at the risk of all peril.

Ah, me, to be a romantic. It's all about good adventure and love, yet the story is filled with such annoyances that I can't help but wish someone else had written it. The characters are extremely stereotypical with absolutely no depth (I mean, it's really bad), to the point where sometimes you'd wish something unanticipated would happen, like Camille forgetting a riddle, or one of her acquaintances forgetting about her, leaving her stranded and without aid. (But no, then she'd have to use her brain). It's actually pretty graphic (The sex scenes with all the unnecessary "Oh Mithras".), plus the over abused French (I took French and struggled with the absurdity of some of the phrases). Not to mention those really bad riddles...they weren't difficult at all, but I will refrain from bashing them. I think it was a good story line (obviously, someone else thought of it), but the characters were so lame that it ruined everything. By the end it was kind of funny, because the most interesting thing was the bird (which does not talk).

Having read the Blue Fairy Book, these little slips in the short story are standard. But because this is not just a story but also a novel, it seems quite unacceptable.

I'll admit, I liked the idea of this series, so I did continue the I, just finishing Once Upon a Summer Day the other day, finding that story a lot more enjoyable. (Though still flawed. Hmm...maybe the third book will be better?) Anyways, I have not given up hope. Though I don't recommend this book, it wasn't a complete waste of time. Well...not totally..(if you're into reading shoddy fairy-tales...)

I read the other reviews here and wondered what book they had read or had *expected* to read.

This book carefully indentifies itself as a fairy tale from the start. If you are looking for an action-packed modern novel, then go elsewhere.

But if you love fairy tales where the characters are more fleshed out and human than the extremely edited (Disneyfied before Disney!) versions offered by Lang or the Brothers Grimm, then you should read this book. (Andrew Lang did not invent fairy tales he *translated* and *edited* them.) Yes, the themes are ancient. But if you don't like that, don't read fairy tales.

If you don't like unfamiliar words or ways of speaking in your books, I'd suggest that you go watch television instead. One thing I really hate is any fantasy novel that is chocked full of modern slang, cliches and idioms. I don't expect someone from another time and place to sound like truck drivers at the local pub. While I don't think McKiernan really gave it the French flavor he was aiming for I liked his semi-archaic language.

My only criticisms:
1) The mystery about the parents was a bit of a distraction and not really necessary to the main story, but that's a minor complaint;
2) Alain seems a bit too passive at the end;
3) The book should have ended earlier. A bit too much time is spent tying up too many loose ends at the end. The reason some readers felt like there was no "happily ever after" is because the end went on too long.

But those are things *I* would have done differently if I had written it, not reasons to avoid this book. I highly recommend it!

I recieved this book for Christmas last year from my husband. I have always loved fairytales. This one had me hooked by the first page. I fell in love with it and have not found another as good since. I have since then read it twice and am about to read it a third time. It is a great tale about love and what people do for true love. I would reccomend this to any adult who still loves fairytales. I am now pregnant and plan to read it to my daughter, only omitting a few scenes that are defined as clean sex. The fact that it was changed from Scandanavian and made with french twist drew me to it even more. It is a classic tale witha new twist that everyone should read.