From Booklist
*Starred Review* Romantics, rejoice! McKiernan's retelling of Sleeping Beauty is the way it should have been done the first time around. Prince Borel, lord of the Winterwood, falls asleep one warm summer afternoon and dreams of a beautiful, golden-haired maid in distress, trapped within a stone turret. Her only words to Borel are, "Please--help me!" Borel awakens, uncertain whether he has had a vision or only a dream. But the maid's terrified plea is enough to give him pause, and after having the same dream again and again, Borel sets out to discover where she is being held. But before the happy ending, our hero, assisted by the loyal and brave Flic (a sprite) and steadfast Buzzer (a bumblebee), must encounter and overcome trolls, sorcerers, hideous things that go bump in the night, and the cunning king of Faery himself. 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. A positively charming--and well-told--tale! Paula Luedtke
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Book Description
Borel, Prince of the Winterwood, has been dreaming of a beautiful, golden-haired maiden night after night. He believes that she truly exists-and that she is in terrible danger. To save her, Borel must journey through the land of Faery-and face the dark forces that await him...

About the Author
Dennis L. McKiernan is the author of many novels, most of them set in the world of Mithgar. He is one of the most prolific and enduring writers of fantasy today.

FROM OUR EDITORS

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

FROM THE PUBLISHER

Borel, Prince of the Winterwood, has been dreaming of a beautiful, golden-haired maiden night after night. He believes that she truly exists-and that she is in terrible danger. To save her, Borel must journey through the land of Faery-and face the dark forces that await him...

Author Biography: Dennis L. McKiernan is the author of many novels, most of them set in the world of Mithgar. He is one of the most prolific and enduring writers of fantasy today.

FROM THE CRITICS

Publishers Weekly

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.

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