City of Jade

August 18, 2008
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.

September 15, 2008
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 2008 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

September 1, 2008
The latest addition to one of the durable institutions of modern fantasy, McKiernans Mithgar saga, is a quest yarn in which a warrior, his true love, and a stalwart band of men and dwarves set off to find the legendary City of Jade and its lost magic. They encounter more than enough perils, of which enough of the magical sort are pretty original. Apparently a stand-alone story, the book is an unexpectedly good introduction to McKiernan and Mithgar, as well as a solid treat for long-haul fans.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2008, American Library Association.)