Once Upon a Summer Day

by Dennis L. McKiernan

Overview

The acclaimed author of the Mithgar novels, Dennis L. McKiernan enchanted fans and critics alike with the bestselling Once Upon a Winter’s Night. Now, this gifted author presents us with a delightfully new version of an age-old tale that fires the imagination and touches the heart…
 
Once upon a summer day, Prince Borel of the Winterwood falls asleep, and a beautiful, golden-haired maiden with a shadowy band across her eyes comes to him in his dreams and pleads for aid. She returns time after time, and the prince is certain that she is real and in deadly peril. Yet he knows not who she is…nor where she is imprisoned.
 
Opposed by witches and trolls and goblins and beings even more dreadful, and aided by a field sprite, Borel begins a desperate quest through the wonders and hazards of Faery, seeking a mysterious masked demoiselle guarded by perilous blades. And though time touches not this land of legend, time is running out…

“Superb…charming and magical…McKiernan escorts fantasy lovers into an enchanted place that deserves more tales.”—Midwest Book Review

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781101098066
Publisher:	Penguin Publishing Group
Publication date:	04/04/2006
Series:	The Once Upon Series , #2
Sold by:	Penguin Group
Format:	eBook
Pages:	400
Sales rank:	937,068
File size:	594 KB
Age Range:	18 Years

About the Author

Dennis L. McKiernan is a bestselling author of more than 30 works of fantasy, including the acclaimed Mithgar series. His many novels include Stolen Crown, Red Slippers: More Tales of Mithgar, and Once Upon a Dreadful Time. Never one to sit too long idle, Dennis has also written a graphic novel, The Vulgmaster, and several short stories and novelettes that have appeared in various anthologies. He lives in Arizona with his wife, Martha Lee McKiernan.

Editorial Reviews

The Barnes & Noble Review
In this the second of his "restored" fairy tales (following Once Upon a Winter's Night), Dennis L. McKiernan revisits the story of Sleeping Beauty in a romantic adult fantasy that chronicles the adventures of Borel, Prince of the Winterwood, as he tries to find the golden-haired damsel who has been haunting his dreams.

As Borel prepares for the impending wedding of his brother Alain, Prince of Summerwood, to his betrothed Camille, he begins having vivid and disturbing dreams about a beautiful maiden trapped in a stone turret surrounded by daggers. The mysterious woman appears to be blindfolded and is desperately calling out to Boren for help. As Boren experiences more and more of these strange dreams, he begins to unravel the mystery of the imprisoned maiden -- named Chelle -- and sets out on a quest to find her before the next full moon. His journey leads him all over the realm of Faery and pits him against cunning witches, shape-shifting demons, bands of gnomes and trolls, and even the Fates themselves. But the outcome of his quest is forever in jeopardy because "dreams are wild, and anything can happen therein."

Fans of contemporary fantasy authors like Patricia A. McKillip, Juliet Marillier, and Cecilia Dart-Thornton -- as well as those who enjoy the classic tales of the Brothers Grimm, Hans Christian Andersen, and Andrew Lang (Blue Fairy Book, Red Fairy Book, etc.) -- will undoubtedly relish this beautifully fleshed out fairy tale. Paul Goat Allen

bn.com

McKiernan (Once Upon a Winter's Night) embellishes another classic fairy tale, this time Sleeping Beauty, in this enjoyably frothy fantasy. A blindfolded, golden-haired damsel in distress appears in the dreams of the dashing Prince Borel of the Winterwood and pleads for his aid. With only a moon (28 days) in which to save her ere something dire comes afoot or aswing or aslither, Borel immediately sets out on his quest across the land of Faery. Borel is soon captured by a witch and rescues a two-inch-tall sprite, Flic. After Borel and Flic escape the witch's trolls, Flic befriends a bee named Buzzer. Before they can reach the demoiselle's stone chamber in a turret surrounded by floating daggers, the prince, the sprite and the bee experience adventures both merry and monstrous. Meanwhile, Borel meets Chelle, the imprisoned and innocent young beauty, nightly in his dreams. As their love grows, the hero must cope with chastity as well as other more serious challenges. While a happy outcome is never in doubt, enough complications arise to keep the reader turning the pages.(Apr. 5) Copyright 2005 Reed Business Information.

Publishers Weekly

When Prince Borel of the magical land of Winterwood hears a maiden's cry for assistance, he falls into a dream in which he meets the mysterious Chelle and learns of her dilemma. Convinced she needs rescue, he continues to meet her in dreams in order to discover what he must do to save her. The author of numerous Mithgar novels turns to the rich lore of fairy tales for his latest series of re-envisioned fairy tale classics. This sequel to Once Upon a Winter's Night is steeped in tradition and timelessness and should appeal to fairy tale lovers of all ages. Recommended for most libraries. Copyright 2005 Reed Business Information.

Library Journal