Once Upon a Summer Day

Table of Contents

 

 

“An interesting twist. . . . McKiernan’s writing is evocative, and much of the novel’s enjoyment comes from sinking into the story. He paints vivid landscapes and provides lots of good action sequences. The book is valuable as much for the journey as for the destination.”

—
The Davis Enterprise

“Romantics rejoice! McKiernan’s retelling of [this beloved fairy tale] is the way it should have been done the first time around. . . . The lines between good and evil are clear, and romance and chivalry and true love are alive and flourishing.McKiernan’s magic invites readers to dive completely into the story, as children do, and conjures the same overwhelming wonder that children experience.”

—
Booklist
(starred review)

“McKiernan embellishes another classic fairy tale in this enjoyably frothy fantasy. . . . Keep[s] the reader turning the pages.”

—
Publishers Weekly

“McKiernan takes the tale in some unexpected directions. He also offers an engaging, clever, and resourceful hero in Borel, as well as entertaining sidekicks in Flic, Buzzer, and Chelle herself. Recommended.”

—SFRevu

“Steeped in tradition and timelessness, and should appeal to fairy tale lovers of all ages.”

—
Library Journal

“McKiernan always manages to enchant his readers with his fabulous fantasy novels.”

—
Midwest Book Review continued . . .

“Exuberant . . . never less than graceful . . . a solid, well-rounded fantasy that readers will enjoy as much on a summer beach as on a winter’s night.”

—
Publishers Weekly

“Engaging.”

—
Locus

“Intelligently told, romantic . . . and filled with the qualities of the best of the traditional fairy stories.”

—
Chronicle

“Prepare to be transported to the fairyland of childhood. . . . Enchanting.”

—
Booklist

“A superb fairy tale. . . . The story line is charming and magical as it takes readers on quite a ride in the realm of [Faery]. Dennis McKiernan escorts fantasy lovers into an enchanted place that deserves more tales.”

—
Midwest Book Review

“Imaginative. . . . Displaying a certain mastery in his ability to imitate older poetic forms of composition. . . . Those who enjoy fairy tales and folklore will likely be delighted.”

—SF Site

 

“Alternating between high tragedy and earthy humor, the twelve stories in this fantasy collection from bestseller McKiernan entertain while touching on complex moral and philosophical issues . . . appealing.”

—
Publishers Weekly

“Elaborates on old themes and introduces new motifs in the richly developed world of Mithgar. . . . Filled with likable protagonists, this volume is an excellent choice.”

—
Library Journal

“Those who seek long, absorbing yarns in the classic mode will honor and enjoy [
Red Slippers
].”

—
Booklist

“Terrific . . . a powerful anthology that will leave a grateful audience wanting to share more pints with the crew of the
Eroean
.”

—
Midwest Book Review

“The influence of Tolkien can be seen in the stories of Mithgar. You can see some similarities in the characters. But they are not just another rehashing of the same tale. They have their own unique flavor. Something you can curl up with on a dreary day to escape into another world and rejoin old friends.”

—SFRevu

 

“McKiernan brings his Mithgar series to a triumphant conclusion.”

—
Publishers Weekly

“In the tradition of Tolkien, the author blends lore and prophecy with vivid battle scenes and emotional drama. A tale of high fantasy that should appeal to most fans of epic fiction.”

—
Library Journal

“A page-turner.”

—
VOYA

 

“Once McKiernan’s got you, he never lets go.”

—Jennifer Roberson

“Some of the finest imaginative action. . . . There are no lulls in McKiernan’s story.”

—
The Columbus Dispatch

“McKiernan brews magic with an insightful blend of laughter, tears, and high courage.”

—Janny Wurts, author of
Traitor’s Knot: Alliance of Light

Caverns of Socrates
BOOKS IN THE FAERY SERIES
Once Upon a Winter’s Night
Once Upon a Summer Day
Once Upon an Autumn Eve

 

BOOKS IN THE MITHGAR SERIES
The Dragonstone
Voyage of the Fox Rider
HÈL’S CRUCIBLE:
Book 1:
Into the Forge
Book 2:
Into the Fire

 

Dragondoom
THE IRON TOWER:
Book 1:
The Dark Tide
Book 2:
Shadows of Doom
Book 3:
The Darkest Day

 

THE SILVER CALL:
Book 1:
Trek to Kraggen-cor
Book 2:
The Brega Path
Tales of Mithgar
(a story collection)
The Vulgmaster
(the graphic novel)
The Eye of the Hunter
Silver Wolf, Black Falcon

Red Slippers: More Tales of Mithgar
(a story collection)

ROC
Published by New American Library, a division of
Penguin Group (USA) Inc., 375 Hudson Street,
New York, New York 10014, USA
Penguin Group (Canada), 90 Eglinton Avenue East, Suite 700, Toronto,
Ontario M4P 2Y3, Canada (a division of Pearson Penguin Canada Inc.)
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Rosebank, Johannesburg 2196, South Africa

Penguin Books Ltd., Registered Offices:
80 Strand, London WC2R 0RL, England

First Roc Mass Market Printing, April 2006

Copyright © Dennis L. McKiernan, 2005

All rights reserved

 

REGISTERED TRADEMARK—MARCA REGISTRADA

Without limiting the rights under copyright reserved above, no part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in or introduced into a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form, or by any means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise), without the prior written permission of both the copyright owner and the above publisher of this book.

PUBLISHER’S NOTE

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

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eISBN : 978-1-101-09806-6

 

My dear Martha Lee, my heart, for the millionth time let me say I appreciate and am grateful for your enduring support, careful reading, patience, and love.