The Cygnet and the Firebird

by Patricia A. McKillip

Overview

Following The Sorceress and the Cygnet, Patricia A. McKillip returns with the sorceress Nyx and her niece Meguet. Together, the duo must face down a pair of mysterious magicals: a mage hell-bent on stealing a hidden treasure, and a firebird who transforms people and objects into precious materials.

Each dawn, the firebird transforms into the form of a man, able to disappear into the surrounding town. As they seek out the true identity of the firebird and try to keep the powerful mage from achieving its ultimate prize, Nyx and Meguet set out on an adventure that will take them through various enchanted and alluring realms.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781101662144
Publisher:	Penguin Publishing Group
Publication date:	09/01/1995
Sold by:	Penguin Group
Format:	eBook
Pages:	320
Sales rank:	486,480
File size:	437 KB

About the Author

Patricia A. McKillip is a winner of the World Fantasy Award and the author of numerous novels including, The Bards of Bone Plain, The Bell at Sealey Head, and Solstice Wood. She lives in Oregon with her husband, poet David Lunde.

Editorial Reviews

In this adequate but lackluster follow-up to The Sorceress and the Cygnet , McKillip returns to the magical towers of Ro Holding, the Hold of the Cygnet, and its denizens: the formidable Holder, Lauro Ro; her enigmatic daughter and heir, the sorceress Nyx; and Lauro's warrior niece, Meguet Vervaine. Two mysterious arrivals threaten the normal course of Ro Holding: one is a wily, powerful mage bent on stealing a treasure hidden in the castle for centuries; the other is a firebird whose anguished cries transform things and people into precious objects, and who metamorphoses into a tormented young man for a few hours each evening. Thwarted by Nyx in his attempt to get the treasure, the mage abducts Meguet. Nyx's search for her cousin takes her across a distant, dragon-haunted desert to the court of a ruthless sorcerer-king, where she and Meguet learn of a threat to destroy Ro Holding. The often tedious plot has too much pursuit and discussion, and not enough direct conflict and dramatic tension. Despite an atmospheric setting, intriguing characters and some interesting magical ideas, this sequel lacks the vitality of its predecessor. (Sept.)

Publishers Weekly - Publisher's Weekly

YA-As she did in The Riddlemaster of Hed (Ballantine, 1985) and The Forgotten Beasts of Eld (Atheneum, 1974; o.p.), McKillip weaves a magic spell of words almost as intoxicating as a drug. The result will depend on readers; some will find its effect addictive, while others will be confused and long for a breath of fresh air. Since this is a sequel to The Sorceress and the Cygnet (Ace, 1991), there are already fans out there. The enchanted world and some of the characters of that book return here, but this one stands alone. A young man who has been trapped in the form of a firebird appears and creates chaos with his attendant magic. Like Odette in Swan Lake, he returns to his own form under certain conditions, and is appalled by his fate and its consequences. Unlike Odette, however, he can remember nothing of the circumstances of his enchantment or what will free him from it. Unraveling this mystery becomes the central business of the plot. The language, though, is either the glory or the curse of the novel. For those who enjoy smoky misdirection and brilliant word pictures, this book will be a feast. All others, be wary.-Cathy Chauvette, Fairfax County Public Library, VA

School Library Journal

This sequel to "The Sorceress and the Cygnet" (1991) continues the adventures of Nyx Ro and her cousin Meguet Vervaine. This time their opponents include a sorcerer who is looking for an ancient key, an amnesiac firebird, and a city of dragons. The plotting is rather like one of the book's magical artifacts: beautiful, intricate, and easy to lose one's way in. McKillip's writing again has the same cool elegance that makes it a pleasure to read, but this is not a book for those who want straightforward action. It can, however, stand on its own apart from the earlier book--but any respectable fantasy collection should maintain a complete McKillip, including this latest fine effort.

Roland Green