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Mithgar (Publication) #11
The Dragonstone
Welcome to Mithgar, Dennis L. McKiernan’s classic bestselling fantasy series of adventure where legends are forged in the fires of sorcery....
For as long as she can remember, the Elven Lady Arin has been besieged by visions from the past—or the future. But none has ever left her so shaken as the one that foretells the fall of images of raging dragons and brutal legions laying waste to everything in their path signifying a devastating war that will threaten the land.
There is more to the prophecy than a warning—riddles within the vision that Arin must decipher if she is to prevent the forthcoming destruction. And it will take a journey across countless leagues—connected to a relic of immense power known as the Dragonstone—to find the answers to Mithgar’s salvation....
For as long as she can remember, the Elven Lady Arin has been besieged by visions from the past—or the future. But none has ever left her so shaken as the one that foretells the fall of images of raging dragons and brutal legions laying waste to everything in their path signifying a devastating war that will threaten the land.
There is more to the prophecy than a warning—riddles within the vision that Arin must decipher if she is to prevent the forthcoming destruction. And it will take a journey across countless leagues—connected to a relic of immense power known as the Dragonstone—to find the answers to Mithgar’s salvation....
Paperback
First published January 1, 1996
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About the author
Dennis L. McKiernan
69 books517 followersMcKiernan was born in Moberly, Missouri, where he lived until he served the U.S. Air Force for four years, stationed within US territory during the Korean War. After military service, he attended the University of Missouri and received a B.S. in electrical engineering in 1958 and an M.S. in the same field from Duke University in 1964. He worked as an engineer at AT&T, initially at Western Electric but soon at Bell Laboratories, from 1958 until 1989. In 1989, after early retirement from engineering, McKiernan began writing on a full-time basis.
In 1977, while riding his motorcycle, McKiernan was hit by a car which had crossed the center-line, and was confined to a bed, first in traction and then in a hip spica cast, for many months. During his recuperation, he boldly began a sequel to J. R. R. Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings. The publisher Doubleday showed an interest in his work and tried to obtain authorization from Tolkien's estate but was denied. Doubleday then asked McKiernan to rewrite his story, placing the characters in a different fictitious world, and also to write a prequel supporting it. The prequel, of necessity, resembles The Lord of the Rings; the decision of Doubleday to issue the work as a trilogy increased that resemblance; and some critics have seen McKiernan as simply imitating Tolkien's epic work. McKiernan has subsequently developed stories in the series that followed along a story line different from those that plausibly could have been taken by Tolkien.
McKiernan's Faery Series expands tales draw from Andrew Lang's Fairy Books, additionally tying the selected tales together with a larger plot.
McKiernan currently lives in Tucson, Arizona.
(Biography taken from Wikipedia)
In 1977, while riding his motorcycle, McKiernan was hit by a car which had crossed the center-line, and was confined to a bed, first in traction and then in a hip spica cast, for many months. During his recuperation, he boldly began a sequel to J. R. R. Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings. The publisher Doubleday showed an interest in his work and tried to obtain authorization from Tolkien's estate but was denied. Doubleday then asked McKiernan to rewrite his story, placing the characters in a different fictitious world, and also to write a prequel supporting it. The prequel, of necessity, resembles The Lord of the Rings; the decision of Doubleday to issue the work as a trilogy increased that resemblance; and some critics have seen McKiernan as simply imitating Tolkien's epic work. McKiernan has subsequently developed stories in the series that followed along a story line different from those that plausibly could have been taken by Tolkien.
McKiernan's Faery Series expands tales draw from Andrew Lang's Fairy Books, additionally tying the selected tales together with a larger plot.
McKiernan currently lives in Tucson, Arizona.
(Biography taken from Wikipedia)
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 57 reviews
March 6, 2019
A very D & D-like adventure in this book begins for the most part with our main character, Arin, who is both an elf and a seer, having a vision of destruction and violence along with a rede that sets her on a quest to find "the dragonstone" of the book's title.
McKiernan literally puts the pieces of a party together and the adventurers literally travel across the world of Mithgar for various quests to solve the riddle and take care of personal vendettas along the way.
McKiernan has an amazing knack for writing great characters including side characters and villains and this book is unique for including more information, names, and motifs for the dragons of Mithgar.
As an aside, this was my second time reading through The Dragonstone and I couldn't remember the last time I read the book until I found a receipt for an oil change I had done in May of 1998 so it had been 21 years between readings. Too long!
McKiernan literally puts the pieces of a party together and the adventurers literally travel across the world of Mithgar for various quests to solve the riddle and take care of personal vendettas along the way.
McKiernan has an amazing knack for writing great characters including side characters and villains and this book is unique for including more information, names, and motifs for the dragons of Mithgar.
As an aside, this was my second time reading through The Dragonstone and I couldn't remember the last time I read the book until I found a receipt for an oil change I had done in May of 1998 so it had been 21 years between readings. Too long!
April 23, 2014
I have avoided this writer for decades--multiple references to him by reviewers and readers as a "Tolkien derivative" and akin to Terry Brooks in writing ability. Well, sometimes you just have to try for yourself. I received this book as a gift and felt compelled to read it. Yes, he is not the writer Tolkien was and yes, it is very derivative. However, I found out that the first books in this world (the Iron Ring Trilogy) he wrote were meant to be "continuations" of LOR, and that he is a fan. Well I'm a fan too, and I can't write a successor to LOR, but why not read the books of someone who has.
That said, I found this book moderately enjoyable. I felt that somehow he was placing me in a forested environment, with a mission and a layered world of many cultures. I found that I kept making comparisons to Tolkien's elves, people and histories to the disadvantage of McKiernan, but not to the extent that I wanted to stop. I kept reading.
I think this is a decent entry to the "traditional" fantasy literature. I could go on, but I find that most people either like and read this author or they don't. Make your own evaluation.
That said, I found this book moderately enjoyable. I felt that somehow he was placing me in a forested environment, with a mission and a layered world of many cultures. I found that I kept making comparisons to Tolkien's elves, people and histories to the disadvantage of McKiernan, but not to the extent that I wanted to stop. I kept reading.
I think this is a decent entry to the "traditional" fantasy literature. I could go on, but I find that most people either like and read this author or they don't. Make your own evaluation.
October 2, 2015
This book(and ALL of the Mithgar series) was given to me by my best friend over 20 years ago. The world of Mithgar played a pivotal role in my imagination and was the backdrop for all of our D and D games. This book baptized me into this world and for that I owe Mr.McKiernan unending thanks. I cannot give this work enough praise. It is wonderfully written and is appropriate for all ages. Parents can feel good about their children reading this and need not worry about anything overly graphic or sexual. I have no problems with those topics but, I understand that they are not appropriate for all ages. This book(and the following entries in the series) helped me become a writer and kept me away from the dreaded TV. Please, get this book and share it with a friend....then another friend, rinse and repeat!
October 27, 2016
This was a good read, interesting characters and settings that kept me enthralled the way a Fantasy hasn't done in a long time. I like Mckiernan usually, it's classic fantasy with settings that are incredibly detailed and events and people that are always exciting to explore.
It's a nice long fantasy that stands on its own - which is another thing I like about McKiernan's work; you can read them separately and in no particular order, for the most part, and have a rich experience.
It's a nice long fantasy that stands on its own - which is another thing I like about McKiernan's work; you can read them separately and in no particular order, for the most part, and have a rich experience.
September 29, 2015
I definitely liked this the best out of all the Mithgar novels I've read thus far, but it still only rates about three or three and a half stars. There's some fun world building, since the plot involves characters from fantasy Japan and fantasy Scandinavia. Plus, I got to meet Mithgar's wizards for the first time, which was interesting. I like the idea that they come from another dimension, even if it is somewhat like Tolkien's wizards originating in Valinor. The bit about dragons and krakens mating was kinda silly, though. The plot is a fairly generic quest fantasy in which Arin, an elf with precognitive abilities, has to seek out a bunch of people to aid her in her search for the Dragonstone. What the Dragonstone does is never made explicit, but presumably it lets the user control dragons, which would be bad news. Things are made more interesting through the varied cast of characters who meet the components of a prophetic riddle. These include a female samurai, two one eyed men (one of whom is an alcoholic), and a thief.
Generally, the characters were fun and well-developed, even if they were kinda cliche. I actually enjoyed a fair bit of this book, even if it got off to a slow start. However, in the end, there were some things that definitely damaged my enjoyment of it. For one thing, everybody had to get together in nice little couples even though most of them didn't make sense. The human/elf romance worked and actually had a degree of well-done pathos to it. But the other relationships came out of nowhere, never felt real, and didn't jibe with my idea of the characters. They really took me out of the story and frustrated me. I was also annoyed by the fact that one of the fantasy Middle East countries that the heroes visit has a major religion consisting of Satan worship (or at least worship of the local Satan equivalent). This is a frustrating and kinda racist concept, and so while I do appreciate that McKiernan attempts to be more diverse than Tolkien, he messes it up some. Still, this was definitely an improvement over Into the Forge, and its originality makes The Dragonstone better than all the other Mithgar books I've read, even with its serious flaws.
Generally, the characters were fun and well-developed, even if they were kinda cliche. I actually enjoyed a fair bit of this book, even if it got off to a slow start. However, in the end, there were some things that definitely damaged my enjoyment of it. For one thing, everybody had to get together in nice little couples even though most of them didn't make sense. The human/elf romance worked and actually had a degree of well-done pathos to it. But the other relationships came out of nowhere, never felt real, and didn't jibe with my idea of the characters. They really took me out of the story and frustrated me. I was also annoyed by the fact that one of the fantasy Middle East countries that the heroes visit has a major religion consisting of Satan worship (or at least worship of the local Satan equivalent). This is a frustrating and kinda racist concept, and so while I do appreciate that McKiernan attempts to be more diverse than Tolkien, he messes it up some. Still, this was definitely an improvement over Into the Forge, and its originality makes The Dragonstone better than all the other Mithgar books I've read, even with its serious flaws.
March 12, 2016
Slow start, but after around 100 pages of background setting for the story, it really hooked me. It is a great adventure, without any big wars but with couples forming in the company of 7 that makes the story. Really good fantasy.
May 11, 2017
This book is STILL just as good as when I read it over 15yrs ago! STILL made me weep at the end even though I knew what was happening! The characters are enthralling, and the quest will suck you in! You will not want to put this book down!
October 30, 2017
The Dragonstone is one of McKiernan's best novels, a stand-alone tale of Mithgar that's rich with adventure, romance, and friendship. It's one of the great high-fantasy novels of recent times.
February 14, 2023
Dennis L. McKiernan’s Mithgar (sounds like Midgard from Norse mythology, doesn’t it?) is a stew of metaphysical ideas, thinly disguised real world cultures and languages, and fantasy tropes. The Dragonstone: A Novel of Mithgar tethers together many of those cultures around a prophetic oracle and quest that seems like the offspring of the Dungeons & Dragons classic Rod of Seven Parts by Skip Williams and the film tie-in to Icewind Dale: Rime of the Frostmaiden with its ominous tower at Revel’s End. In this case, there are five keys to an artifact which the adventurers expect to find in the forbidding tower.
The artifact is said to control dragons so effectively that dragon clans are afraid of it. The entire story is built around a vision indicating that an unscrupulous wizard plans to use said artifact to wreak destruction and ascend to a level of ultimate power on the blood of all the civilizations in Mithgar. The prophecy indicates that the artifact can be found and, perhaps, collected with the assistance of: 1) a cat who fell from grace, 2) one-eye in dark water, 3) a mad monarch’s rutting peacock, 4) the ferret in a high king’s cage, and 5) the cursed keeper of faith in a maze (p. 145).
Unfortunately for the adventurers, they are not told where in Mithgar to locate these five keys nor even whether these are animal, artifact, human, or a mix of all three. Indeed, it isn’t even initially clear whether the aforementioned dragon-controlling artifact is animal, artifact, or human since it is simply called the Jaded Soul.
It's an interesting set-up, but as one can note from the page cited above, it takes a while to even reach the set-up. Prior to that, readers are treated to Tolkienesque travelogues. Fortunately for readers, McKiernan does distinguish himself from Tolkien in that he uses existing languages (German in Jutland, Japanese in Ryodo, Scandinavian that seems, though I am not positive, akin to Norse, and even Spanish and French at various points). And where Tolkien used his created languages over and over, McKiernan uses even these existing languages for flavor and quite sparingly. He sacrifices cleverness (rightly) on the altar of readability.
As a stew of metaphysical ideas, the characters are concerned with the idea of a predestined fate versus free-will. In various discussions along the road (or sea), each character takes the perspective of: 1) purpose-influenced where the “gods” or some superior being set up a purpose but do not micro-manage it (allowing free will), 2) purpose-dominated where one’s fate/destiny is pre-determined and, like an early computer game design, will merely fold one back on track is one “deviates,” 3) self-defined purpose where one decides what meaning is and drives oneself in that direction (though this approach can work both for those who believe in a materialistic determinism and for those who believe in radical free will because the individual decides despite other influences, and 4) fungible multiverse shaped by individual wills and deeds. These are not McKiernan’s descriptives and they are not exhaustive, but merely my shorthand for demonstrating that the book has some metaphysical depth to it, even though McKiernan doesn’t really try to convince the reader of any one conclusion. The same is true with ongoing discussions of the afterlife and individual accountability. It would actually be fun to use some of the conversations in the novel as a discussion starter in Sunday School (though I’m sure that is far from the author’s vision for this novel).
The action scenes are interesting, as far as they go. Unfortunately for my personal preferences, they are as deft and swift as a fencing match, fascinating but completed far too soon. As far as the villain, there is an interesting motivation behind him. Unfortunately, the way it plays out challenged my “suspended disbelief.” It involved an entertaining twist, but I just didn’t buy it. A person in control of this artifact did not need to do what he did. Of course, as we used to say in elementary school, “Made you look!” And, indeed, McKiernan offered enough revelations and surprises to be able to say, “Made you read!”
I wanted to close with one of my favorite lines from the last paragraph on page 556, but I can’t do so without spoiling the final battle scene. Suffice it to say that anyone who reads this book and misses that last paragraph on page 556 misses a line that could apply regarding many people that we meet in life.
The artifact is said to control dragons so effectively that dragon clans are afraid of it. The entire story is built around a vision indicating that an unscrupulous wizard plans to use said artifact to wreak destruction and ascend to a level of ultimate power on the blood of all the civilizations in Mithgar. The prophecy indicates that the artifact can be found and, perhaps, collected with the assistance of: 1) a cat who fell from grace, 2) one-eye in dark water, 3) a mad monarch’s rutting peacock, 4) the ferret in a high king’s cage, and 5) the cursed keeper of faith in a maze (p. 145).
Unfortunately for the adventurers, they are not told where in Mithgar to locate these five keys nor even whether these are animal, artifact, human, or a mix of all three. Indeed, it isn’t even initially clear whether the aforementioned dragon-controlling artifact is animal, artifact, or human since it is simply called the Jaded Soul.
It's an interesting set-up, but as one can note from the page cited above, it takes a while to even reach the set-up. Prior to that, readers are treated to Tolkienesque travelogues. Fortunately for readers, McKiernan does distinguish himself from Tolkien in that he uses existing languages (German in Jutland, Japanese in Ryodo, Scandinavian that seems, though I am not positive, akin to Norse, and even Spanish and French at various points). And where Tolkien used his created languages over and over, McKiernan uses even these existing languages for flavor and quite sparingly. He sacrifices cleverness (rightly) on the altar of readability.
As a stew of metaphysical ideas, the characters are concerned with the idea of a predestined fate versus free-will. In various discussions along the road (or sea), each character takes the perspective of: 1) purpose-influenced where the “gods” or some superior being set up a purpose but do not micro-manage it (allowing free will), 2) purpose-dominated where one’s fate/destiny is pre-determined and, like an early computer game design, will merely fold one back on track is one “deviates,” 3) self-defined purpose where one decides what meaning is and drives oneself in that direction (though this approach can work both for those who believe in a materialistic determinism and for those who believe in radical free will because the individual decides despite other influences, and 4) fungible multiverse shaped by individual wills and deeds. These are not McKiernan’s descriptives and they are not exhaustive, but merely my shorthand for demonstrating that the book has some metaphysical depth to it, even though McKiernan doesn’t really try to convince the reader of any one conclusion. The same is true with ongoing discussions of the afterlife and individual accountability. It would actually be fun to use some of the conversations in the novel as a discussion starter in Sunday School (though I’m sure that is far from the author’s vision for this novel).
The action scenes are interesting, as far as they go. Unfortunately for my personal preferences, they are as deft and swift as a fencing match, fascinating but completed far too soon. As far as the villain, there is an interesting motivation behind him. Unfortunately, the way it plays out challenged my “suspended disbelief.” It involved an entertaining twist, but I just didn’t buy it. A person in control of this artifact did not need to do what he did. Of course, as we used to say in elementary school, “Made you look!” And, indeed, McKiernan offered enough revelations and surprises to be able to say, “Made you read!”
I wanted to close with one of my favorite lines from the last paragraph on page 556, but I can’t do so without spoiling the final battle scene. Suffice it to say that anyone who reads this book and misses that last paragraph on page 556 misses a line that could apply regarding many people that we meet in life.
March 5, 2019
2.5 stars. DNF around 70% point.
Liked the "Tolkien"-istic atmosphere. It's been a while since I have read a book where traveling from point A to B takes 50 days. The pacing was correct, text was descriptive without becoming overbearing.
Where it stopped feeling like an epic fantasy (and more YA) was the convenient romantic pairings and all the "love"/"luv"s. I had trouble buying the first romantic pairing that happens quite early on, but the later ones felt even more forced and artificial.
Pity, had high hopes for this book after reading the preface (written by the author).
Liked the "Tolkien"-istic atmosphere. It's been a while since I have read a book where traveling from point A to B takes 50 days. The pacing was correct, text was descriptive without becoming overbearing.
Where it stopped feeling like an epic fantasy (and more YA) was the convenient romantic pairings and all the "love"/"luv"s. I had trouble buying the first romantic pairing that happens quite early on, but the later ones felt even more forced and artificial.
Pity, had high hopes for this book after reading the preface (written by the author).
March 13, 2025
All the ridiculous dialogue and the constant shifts between flashback and story really put me off. I'm determined to give the Mithgar tales one more go, but if this one is any indication ... they're definitely not for me. What's frustrating is there seemed the possibility of a good story beneath all the garbage heaped on top of it.
May 20, 2023
Enjoyed the book. The Dragonstone was hidden away via an agreement between dragons and mages. An Elven woman has a vision of impending doom unless there is a recovery of the dragonstone which hasn't been seen or heard from in ages. The vision shows her that there are a select few needed for a successful quest, no more, no less. Only clues are available concerning those who are to accompany her. Bringing the wrong companions means failure. The adventure begins!
June 10, 2017
A great book for fantasy fans who crave the concept of heroes going on an epic journey to defeat evil. There are some segments in the first 100 pages that drag (learning what every river and forest land our heroes journey through is not much fun), but things pick up after a while (even though the author could have cut some fat from the narrative).
March 16, 2020
Was not to my taste. The language was difficult to read, as everything was written in different dialects based on where the characters were from. Kinda made my head hurt.
Did not finish
Did not finish
November 13, 2020
I won't say that this is a poorly written book, only that it is a book which is technically written well, but lacks spirit. There is not really a viewpoint character, and it reads more as a description of events than a story about people. The setting and plot are intriguing, but the writing fails to draw you in, which is unfortunate because it has potential. I get the sense that this book did not have an editor, for it reads more like a first or second draft than a completed manuscript. If I were to give one bit of advice on a rewrite it would be this: pick a character and focus on them, give us their feelings and emotions, make us experience the adventure the way he or she is experiencing it, draw us in.
Other than that, I would likely encourage the author to write in a more natural style. Often the words and phrases and grammar used to tell the story come across as affected, as if the author was trying very hard to make it sound like the story was being told by someone from a different time and place without actually knowing how that person would tell the story. There is a lot of jargon. When the characters get on a ship, it's like a sailor is telling the story, and when they are climbing it's like a mountain climber took up the thread and started using his terminology. It made the book more difficult to read. I can appreciate the level of research the author obviously did on this topics, but he needed to take it a step further and turn that knowledge into a smooth read for the reader and that is what he failed to do. Those chapters would make more sense if I was already familiar and comfortable with those terms.
Overall, I think this book would be enjoyable for people who like hearing the narratives of other people's D&D games. It might even be a good resource for Game Masters trying to run their own RPG adventures. It has the structure of a D&D game turned into a book, complete with characters who fill class archetypes and a standard "ancient prophecy turned fetch quest." Not a bad book, but if there was another in the series, I probably would not bother to read it.
Other than that, I would likely encourage the author to write in a more natural style. Often the words and phrases and grammar used to tell the story come across as affected, as if the author was trying very hard to make it sound like the story was being told by someone from a different time and place without actually knowing how that person would tell the story. There is a lot of jargon. When the characters get on a ship, it's like a sailor is telling the story, and when they are climbing it's like a mountain climber took up the thread and started using his terminology. It made the book more difficult to read. I can appreciate the level of research the author obviously did on this topics, but he needed to take it a step further and turn that knowledge into a smooth read for the reader and that is what he failed to do. Those chapters would make more sense if I was already familiar and comfortable with those terms.
Overall, I think this book would be enjoyable for people who like hearing the narratives of other people's D&D games. It might even be a good resource for Game Masters trying to run their own RPG adventures. It has the structure of a D&D game turned into a book, complete with characters who fill class archetypes and a standard "ancient prophecy turned fetch quest." Not a bad book, but if there was another in the series, I probably would not bother to read it.
April 24, 2024
2024: The Year of the Dragon! The first Mithgar novel and book by Dennis L. McKiernan that didn’t work for me. Really a 2.5 star rating for me but rounding up. I’ve said before that McKiernan, in my opinion, gets overly harsh treatment from Tolkien fans. I love the Iron Tower trilogy and Silver Call Duology. I just read Dragon Doom for the first time last week just before turning to The Dragonstone and really enjoyed it.
The Dragonstone however I found tediously long with bland and uninteresting characters and totally unbelievable romantic pairings. I couldn’t connect with Egil and actually disliked him as the story continued and was annoyed by Alos. I did enjoy Aiko and for the most part Arin’s characters. McKiernan actually did a fairly good job with lead female protagonists in both Dragon Doom and The Dragonstone which is atypical of early 90’s fantasy.
I’ve read comments from many McKiernan fans who defend him saying his other novels after Iron Tower/Silver Call get much better and his growth as an author is evident. I hope that is the case as I found used copies of all the other Mithgar novels and had planned on reading them. Will take a break from Mithgar for now but hope in the future that “Voyage of the Fox Rider” and “Hel’s Crucible” books restore my interest in Mithgar. On to my next Dragon novel!
The Dragonstone however I found tediously long with bland and uninteresting characters and totally unbelievable romantic pairings. I couldn’t connect with Egil and actually disliked him as the story continued and was annoyed by Alos. I did enjoy Aiko and for the most part Arin’s characters. McKiernan actually did a fairly good job with lead female protagonists in both Dragon Doom and The Dragonstone which is atypical of early 90’s fantasy.
I’ve read comments from many McKiernan fans who defend him saying his other novels after Iron Tower/Silver Call get much better and his growth as an author is evident. I hope that is the case as I found used copies of all the other Mithgar novels and had planned on reading them. Will take a break from Mithgar for now but hope in the future that “Voyage of the Fox Rider” and “Hel’s Crucible” books restore my interest in Mithgar. On to my next Dragon novel!
April 10, 2022
I think this is the first novel from this series that I've read and it works well as a stand-alone novel. The characters may also appear in other entries-- but this is one fully self-contained fantasy novel.
I thoroughly enjoyed the characters as they developed. Each character had a brief flashback scene to reveal his or her origins and each one was as entertaining as the novel.
In this story, the main character of this ensemble sees a vision of a jade stone, death and mayhem, etc. She begins an adventure to prevent the terrible vision from coming true... For-- the stone can be used to control dragons. Along the way she is following a riddle as she recruits those necessary to prevent the cataclysmic end of the world. The riddle reveals who she should be recruiting along the way and it is entertaining.
By the time we get to the conclusions of their epic multi-year journey, the author begins to rush to the final conclusion. Not that the resolution isn't neat-- it just seems a bit rushed. All of the characters play an important part, but one in particular brings about the final resolution in a serio-comical ironic twist.
A great book and I will want to read more in this series... A great mix of world mythologies and fantasy.
I thoroughly enjoyed the characters as they developed. Each character had a brief flashback scene to reveal his or her origins and each one was as entertaining as the novel.
In this story, the main character of this ensemble sees a vision of a jade stone, death and mayhem, etc. She begins an adventure to prevent the terrible vision from coming true... For-- the stone can be used to control dragons. Along the way she is following a riddle as she recruits those necessary to prevent the cataclysmic end of the world. The riddle reveals who she should be recruiting along the way and it is entertaining.
By the time we get to the conclusions of their epic multi-year journey, the author begins to rush to the final conclusion. Not that the resolution isn't neat-- it just seems a bit rushed. All of the characters play an important part, but one in particular brings about the final resolution in a serio-comical ironic twist.
A great book and I will want to read more in this series... A great mix of world mythologies and fantasy.
December 8, 2018
The beginning chronological of the series you don't have to start here. It is a good book that brings in predestination vs. free-will (a large theme throughout the series).
I enjoyed that there are quite a few diverse characters both male and female, as well as, cultural diversity. The author likes to pepper in different languages and dialects for this effect. Most the meaning can be guessed at others are explained (I have used a translation app which works for the most part) It is easy to grasp the jist of it.
It is a quest/adventure book some ish romance (not really but sort of) happens and triggertype situations are discussed mildly, please read regardless it is worth it. Most of the graphic situations concern fighting. There are a lot if dragging areas where all they are able to do is talk because of travel. Dennis L. McKiernan loves to begin in the middle of the story backtrack tonite beginning to help with character building etc. At times, this does slow the pacing down.
Like almost every Epic Fantasy there are elves, dragons, mages, and so on those who've read Tolkien will either like him or hate it as a knock off.
I enjoyed that there are quite a few diverse characters both male and female, as well as, cultural diversity. The author likes to pepper in different languages and dialects for this effect. Most the meaning can be guessed at others are explained (I have used a translation app which works for the most part) It is easy to grasp the jist of it.
It is a quest/adventure book some ish romance (not really but sort of) happens and triggertype situations are discussed mildly, please read regardless it is worth it. Most of the graphic situations concern fighting. There are a lot if dragging areas where all they are able to do is talk because of travel. Dennis L. McKiernan loves to begin in the middle of the story backtrack tonite beginning to help with character building etc. At times, this does slow the pacing down.
Like almost every Epic Fantasy there are elves, dragons, mages, and so on those who've read Tolkien will either like him or hate it as a knock off.
December 16, 2020
Can't believe it took me almost 30 years to dive into the Mithgar series, but I finally did with this very fine novel. As I recall, I met the author at a book signing when I was just a college kid with aspiration of becoming an author myself, but studies got in the way and Dragondoom still molders on my shelf.
But I decided to read this one first and I pleased that I did wait, because this book was a rich, but very dense read. I quite enjoyed the characters, the warrior woman Aiko and even drunken Alos. I've heard some say this is a Tolkien knock-off and I can see the connection, but I didn't mind the similarities. Some readers (like myself) will find the style a bit off-putting at first in its archaic style. I can understand why the author uses this in dialogue to distinguish the races and classes of characters, but it was rough going until I was acclimating to it and the plot was moving slowly in the first half. But once the story picked up and the adventure swung towards its climax, I was fully engrossed. Well worth the effort.
But I decided to read this one first and I pleased that I did wait, because this book was a rich, but very dense read. I quite enjoyed the characters, the warrior woman Aiko and even drunken Alos. I've heard some say this is a Tolkien knock-off and I can see the connection, but I didn't mind the similarities. Some readers (like myself) will find the style a bit off-putting at first in its archaic style. I can understand why the author uses this in dialogue to distinguish the races and classes of characters, but it was rough going until I was acclimating to it and the plot was moving slowly in the first half. But once the story picked up and the adventure swung towards its climax, I was fully engrossed. Well worth the effort.
November 16, 2021
So I heard about this book from Brian Lee Durfee. I immediately bought it and read it fairly quick. It was a decent read but I had a couple of problems with it. First off INSTA-LOVE abounded. I felt, at times, that I was reading a YA book. Most of the main characters "fell in insta-love" with each other. Give me a break! In a book full of tropes this would have to be the cringiest trope of them all.
I would have loved to read more about Mithgar! More exposition on the origins of Mithgar. But, alas, that was not to be. More explanation about the Mages (dark and light). The dragons and the origin of the Dragonstone would have been nice! But, instead, we got INSTA-LOVE GALORE! Definitely a huge letdown for me. I would recommend this book if you love tropes. Overall a 2.5 to 3 star book.
I would have loved to read more about Mithgar! More exposition on the origins of Mithgar. But, alas, that was not to be. More explanation about the Mages (dark and light). The dragons and the origin of the Dragonstone would have been nice! But, instead, we got INSTA-LOVE GALORE! Definitely a huge letdown for me. I would recommend this book if you love tropes. Overall a 2.5 to 3 star book.
June 21, 2018
It started out okay, if a bit goofy and gross for my taste. Then, to give some new characters context for what the group will need to do next, the elf started telling a story. One hundred pages (and lots of scenery porn) later, I gave up.
If I had known ahead of time that the beginning was going to be more of a frame story, or if there hadn't been such a huge tone shift between it and the elf's stately journey story, I might have been fine with the book. Maybe this heads-up will help prepare someone to enjoy it.
If I had known ahead of time that the beginning was going to be more of a frame story, or if there hadn't been such a huge tone shift between it and the elf's stately journey story, I might have been fine with the book. Maybe this heads-up will help prepare someone to enjoy it.
October 13, 2023
This was a good read. A strong introduction to fantasy. The story began to be a little repetitive, especially when the characters were traveling. The romance was awkward and seemed shallow. Characters seemed to miss the obvious.
The plot was excellent with a great story. It was unique and filled with a variety of characters with varying backstories that the author brough out well and integrated into the plot.
The plot was excellent with a great story. It was unique and filled with a variety of characters with varying backstories that the author brough out well and integrated into the plot.
April 18, 2024
4.5
I really enjoyed book about an Elven princess having a dream about a greenstone and in that foretelling, getting a poem describing the who/what she'd need to complete the quest. It starts a bit slow, with not a lot of information to go one, but builds into an epic quest. It really does feel like a D&D campaign and I am surprised at how long it sat on my shelf before I finally picked it up. I won't be waiting for the next Mithgar novel. (reading in chronological order now)
I really enjoyed book about an Elven princess having a dream about a greenstone and in that foretelling, getting a poem describing the who/what she'd need to complete the quest. It starts a bit slow, with not a lot of information to go one, but builds into an epic quest. It really does feel like a D&D campaign and I am surprised at how long it sat on my shelf before I finally picked it up. I won't be waiting for the next Mithgar novel. (reading in chronological order now)
November 1, 2025
A pretty solid classic High Fantasy novel hampered with some issues (mainly pacing). Overall, this is pretty standard Quest Fantasy fair with a few nice little twists I won't spoil here and some surprisingly solid worldbuilding. I'm reading these Mithgar novels out of order and it is nice that this is basically standalone as you get a definite beginning and end to the story here. I would recommend it to classic fantasy fans if you're looking for a good read. 4.0 Stars
October 31, 2017
It's an OK book for fantasy lovers, was not the best I have read. I do enjoy epic tales such as the Shannara book and those by David Eddings. Maybe some of his later works would suit me better. NOt a bad read so Enjoy.
March 17, 2018
A high fantasy adventure with well written excitement and memorable characters. I enjoyed this installment of the adventures of Mithgar. This is a fun book to read, a lot of adventure and good verses evil.
May 16, 2019
It was a little slow. He spent a lot of time describing geography of Mithgar, which was fine, but better if you are reading a hard copy (which I was not). I felt a little uncomfortable because of the scrying, which was a main aspect of the book, so I didn't finish it.
October 14, 2024
Solid 4 stars. Could have been maybe 100 pages shorter and still as good. Characters were fun, the adventure had its ups and downs, the plot is classic fantasy but well told! Alos was the best character.
May 18, 2017
DNF at page 400. The pairing off of all of the characters was too silly to
June 11, 2021
Fantastic
My first book by McKiernan and definitely won't be my last. What an adventure. The part with the peacock was fantastic
My first book by McKiernan and definitely won't be my last. What an adventure. The part with the peacock was fantastic
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