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Mithgar (Publication) #8
The Eye of the Hunter
With the Eye of the Hunter riding in Mithgar's skies and creatures of darkness ravaging the land, five brave souls--Riatha, the Elf Aravan, Gwylly, Faeril, and Petal--must restore the land from the grasp of evil. Original.
603 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 1992
62 people are currently reading
743 people want to read
About the author
Dennis L. McKiernan
69 books518 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 43 reviews
April 30, 2019
This is my second time reading this book and no wonder it is my favorite of the Mithgar series of books. The ongoing search for the man with the yellow eyes by the party of 5 makes up the bulk of the plot.
McKiernan again writes characters you really are invested in and care about from the two Warrows in Faeril and Gwylly to the two elves in Riatha and Aravan and last to the Baeron Urus. Their hunt for the evil Baron Stoke takes them across the world of Mithgar and many "red slippers" are dropped during the story. It is a key book in the Mithgar cycle.
McKiernan again writes characters you really are invested in and care about from the two Warrows in Faeril and Gwylly to the two elves in Riatha and Aravan and last to the Baeron Urus. Their hunt for the evil Baron Stoke takes them across the world of Mithgar and many "red slippers" are dropped during the story. It is a key book in the Mithgar cycle.
February 21, 2018
This is one of my favorite McKiernan books. A little long and with some unnecessary parts, but the tale is great and well written. It is a story of revenge, undertaken by several races and features a handful of well known characters. McKiernan writes with an easy style that makes it easy to read. Plus, this is a stand alone novel. No need to read further.
October 2, 2016
Okay, so I had to reset rating for this book from five stars to three because the last time I read this book I was an emotional pre-teen who had a sick obsession with high fantasy, and I can honestly say that if nothing else, my reading tastes have... broadened.
So my biggest complaint, as an adult? The unnecessary addition of a descriptor for every character in every mention until halfway through the book. I understand what his intentions were - considering there are other books whose events influence this one, so I think he was trying to use it to build or reinforce backstory? But ... Come ON. "The golden-haired, silver-eyed Elfess turned to her black-haired, amber-eyed companion and smiled." This writing style was also indicative of high fantasy in this era, so grain of salt has been added.
My other big complaint is the archaic writing in general - tons of 'thee' and 'thy', and outdated sentence structures that have a lot of unnecessary commas. For instance: "Yet the following morn was fair, and as [omitted] and [omitted] readied to leave [omitted city], neither [omitted] nor [omitted] would accept any coin, saying that [omitted]'s barding had paid for all." On its own this sentence isn't difficult to follow, but imagine it couched among four or five of its brethren, all equally comma'd.
Still, the story itself has merit, the characters are generally well-written, and I remember it reducing twelve-year-old me to tears for days after I put it down.
So my biggest complaint, as an adult? The unnecessary addition of a descriptor for every character in every mention until halfway through the book. I understand what his intentions were - considering there are other books whose events influence this one, so I think he was trying to use it to build or reinforce backstory? But ... Come ON. "The golden-haired, silver-eyed Elfess turned to her black-haired, amber-eyed companion and smiled." This writing style was also indicative of high fantasy in this era, so grain of salt has been added.
My other big complaint is the archaic writing in general - tons of 'thee' and 'thy', and outdated sentence structures that have a lot of unnecessary commas. For instance: "Yet the following morn was fair, and as [omitted] and [omitted] readied to leave [omitted city], neither [omitted] nor [omitted] would accept any coin, saying that [omitted]'s barding had paid for all." On its own this sentence isn't difficult to follow, but imagine it couched among four or five of its brethren, all equally comma'd.
Still, the story itself has merit, the characters are generally well-written, and I remember it reducing twelve-year-old me to tears for days after I put it down.
May 16, 2010
When I first read this book, I wrote the following inside it; "It is fun to see how you can take our 'boring' world and make it inhabitable by mystical beings of myth and legend - it absolutely makes it more interesting to live in our world!"
This is one of my all-time favorite Mithgar stories! Why? Well, it just has cool characters, a real group of unlikely friends who journey across the entire world and has wondeful and exciting experiences. I think we see most of the world in this one...
I highly recommend this one for fans of Tolkien, yes, I said it. Mithgar is in the tradition of Middle-earth, and that is not a bad thing. Mithgar is familiar, but holds enough new stories and secrets to make it interesting.
This is one of my all-time favorite Mithgar stories! Why? Well, it just has cool characters, a real group of unlikely friends who journey across the entire world and has wondeful and exciting experiences. I think we see most of the world in this one...
I highly recommend this one for fans of Tolkien, yes, I said it. Mithgar is in the tradition of Middle-earth, and that is not a bad thing. Mithgar is familiar, but holds enough new stories and secrets to make it interesting.
March 8, 2010
I am a fan of Mithgar and as such I have yet to come across a Mithgar book I didn't like. Of course some are better than others and it's been a while since I read this particular book, but it is an enjoyable story and time well spent.
September 4, 2017
This is certainly one of McKiernan's best tales of Mithgar, with a large cast of sympathetic characters and a complex and detailed plot. It's excellent high fantasy, and perfect for Tolkien fans.
September 3, 2024
This book was so captivating, so pure, and so full of a childlike sense of wonder that it's infrequent bursts of brutality and violence really hit me hard.
I loved this book, as I have so far loved all of the books set in Dennis L McKiernan's world of Mithgar.
I do not care if his books are not trendy, or fashionable, or particularly original. Eye Of The Hunter reminded me what it felt like to read fantasy as a kid and feel so totally absorbed in my own imagination, and countless modern writers fail very much to even have me care enough to turn a page.
One of my favourite books of the year, and possibly of all time.
I loved this book, as I have so far loved all of the books set in Dennis L McKiernan's world of Mithgar.
I do not care if his books are not trendy, or fashionable, or particularly original. Eye Of The Hunter reminded me what it felt like to read fantasy as a kid and feel so totally absorbed in my own imagination, and countless modern writers fail very much to even have me care enough to turn a page.
One of my favourite books of the year, and possibly of all time.
July 22, 2008
I FINALLY finished this book. The basic story was great, no qualms there, it was full of excitement, danger, all that good stuff. But the book was WAY WAY WAY to long. The author kept swerving off on side stories or the characters would go on these epic journeys that lasted FOREVER and it was like the author was trying to describe every single step that they took. Also there was all of these philosophical rantings it the middle of everything (did I mention that this book was way to long). I kept losing interest in the story. Finally the author tried to do way to much in the story. He had fifty subplots going all at the same time. Now I don't mind a little background noise in the story but half of the time I had to remind myself, "OK what is the main story here?” The only thing that kept me going was that a friend recommended the book so I made up my mind to read the book and the main story line was really good. I think if the author would have cut out all of the other "stuff", (about 2/3rd of the book) and kept to that story line this book would have been one of the most exciting that I have ever read. Anyway if you have read this book, or are reading it, or will read it I would love to hear your take on it.
November 1, 2017
Emotional and well written.
I have loved this authors writing since I started reading fantasy. Tolkien was my first but Dennis McKiernan made me fall in love with genre. This is a tale of vengeance with a philosophy about the battle between good and evil. This has darkness this has light and with the way he writes it makes you think. I am glad I reread this and it made me fall in love with Mithgar all over again.
I have loved this authors writing since I started reading fantasy. Tolkien was my first but Dennis McKiernan made me fall in love with genre. This is a tale of vengeance with a philosophy about the battle between good and evil. This has darkness this has light and with the way he writes it makes you think. I am glad I reread this and it made me fall in love with Mithgar all over again.
November 11, 2007
This is possibly the best book i have ever read. It actually made me cry when one of the characters (not telling who) died. It hade fantastic action sceans and wonderfully developed characters and two romance side stories. The elves home land was wonderfully thought out and the bad guy is one of the worst out there. Just writing this review makes me want to read it again.
November 6, 2011
This is one of the books that made me fall totally in love with Fantasy novels. I found both the author and the story so believeable that I was totally absorbed in the book. I have read this book so many times that I've had to replace it twice, and I still laugh and cry along with the characters. If you don't read any other fantasy novel, make sure you read this one.
December 18, 2020
The World seemed interesting, and the elfish histories were semi-intriguing; however, they killed the bad guy, and the story went on for nearly another 100 pages, for no apparent reason..!?! Also, the pseudo-olde englishe got to me after a while.
August 25, 2017
A good read
If you like epic fantasy this is a good one to have. This book has it all, laughter, suspense, and oh yes tears.
If you like epic fantasy this is a good one to have. This book has it all, laughter, suspense, and oh yes tears.
November 20, 2019
This book is too long first of all. It is over 590 pages long. That length could easily have been lessened, by removing several passages that are not necessary or helpful to the story.
Also this book is SO not for younger readers. Honestly, we absolutely do NOT need to know how the main villain was conceived! I think most older readers, even, should read with much, much discretion. Because McKiernan does not have an absolute outside morality to appeal to and the villain is at least seemingly human, he has to go to great lengths to show that Baron Stoke is indeed evil. He does this by making the Baron a sadistic torturer, who flays his victims before impaling them. Not nice stuff and McKiernan doesn’t go into loving detail about his technique, however he shows us the disgusting/horrifying results of this torture. I think that had he had an outside morality source, then he could simply have said that Stoke was evil and wouldn’t have had to show us. Other than that, this is a slow paced chase book and only the ending saved this book from getting my lowest possible recommendation. Basically, McKiernan is using this almost six-hundred-page book to set up for yet another of his books.
Synopsis and Review: Some sixty or so years before the Winter War, (that war chronicled in the Iron Tower Trilogy) four companions hunted the monster known as Baron Stoke, a sadistic killer. These four were Riatha, an Elfess; Urus, a Beor; and Petal and Tomlin, Warrow damman and buccaran. They tracked down Stoke ruthlessly and kill him, they think, but at the cost of Urus being trapped with him in a glacier. However, Riatha receives a prophecy:
When Spring comes upon the land
Yet Winter grips with icy hand
And the Eye of the Hunter stalks night skies
Bane and Blessing alike will rise.
Lastborn Firstborn of those who were
Stand at thy side in the light of the Bear
Hunter and hunted
Who can say
Which is which on a given day?
A thousand years pass and the Eye of the Hunter again prepares to stalk the skies. Again, Riatha prepares to stalk Stoke. To join her come Faeril, last born of the firstborn daughters of Petal and Gwylly, last born of the firstborn sons of Tomlin. Also, with a vendetta of his own, the mysterious elf, Aravan.
Together they travel to the glacier where both ally and enemy disappeared into a rift in the ice, a thousand years gone. They arrive there, under the comet known as the Eye of the Hunter, to find that Stoke has survived the time in the glacier, but Urus has also. Since Stoke has disappeared, with little trace, the five band together to kill Stoke and rid the world of this great evil.
In the end, what happens, I will not say. I think that if you manage to slog through all 590 pages, you deserve the nice surprise at the end. However, I do not believe I will be re-reading this book any time soon. I will say, this though, that McKiernan is setting up for his Ragnarok saga.
Also this book is SO not for younger readers. Honestly, we absolutely do NOT need to know how the main villain was conceived! I think most older readers, even, should read with much, much discretion. Because McKiernan does not have an absolute outside morality to appeal to and the villain is at least seemingly human, he has to go to great lengths to show that Baron Stoke is indeed evil. He does this by making the Baron a sadistic torturer, who flays his victims before impaling them. Not nice stuff and McKiernan doesn’t go into loving detail about his technique, however he shows us the disgusting/horrifying results of this torture. I think that had he had an outside morality source, then he could simply have said that Stoke was evil and wouldn’t have had to show us. Other than that, this is a slow paced chase book and only the ending saved this book from getting my lowest possible recommendation. Basically, McKiernan is using this almost six-hundred-page book to set up for yet another of his books.
Synopsis and Review: Some sixty or so years before the Winter War, (that war chronicled in the Iron Tower Trilogy) four companions hunted the monster known as Baron Stoke, a sadistic killer. These four were Riatha, an Elfess; Urus, a Beor; and Petal and Tomlin, Warrow damman and buccaran. They tracked down Stoke ruthlessly and kill him, they think, but at the cost of Urus being trapped with him in a glacier. However, Riatha receives a prophecy:
When Spring comes upon the land
Yet Winter grips with icy hand
And the Eye of the Hunter stalks night skies
Bane and Blessing alike will rise.
Lastborn Firstborn of those who were
Stand at thy side in the light of the Bear
Hunter and hunted
Who can say
Which is which on a given day?
A thousand years pass and the Eye of the Hunter again prepares to stalk the skies. Again, Riatha prepares to stalk Stoke. To join her come Faeril, last born of the firstborn daughters of Petal and Gwylly, last born of the firstborn sons of Tomlin. Also, with a vendetta of his own, the mysterious elf, Aravan.
Together they travel to the glacier where both ally and enemy disappeared into a rift in the ice, a thousand years gone. They arrive there, under the comet known as the Eye of the Hunter, to find that Stoke has survived the time in the glacier, but Urus has also. Since Stoke has disappeared, with little trace, the five band together to kill Stoke and rid the world of this great evil.
In the end, what happens, I will not say. I think that if you manage to slog through all 590 pages, you deserve the nice surprise at the end. However, I do not believe I will be re-reading this book any time soon. I will say, this though, that McKiernan is setting up for his Ragnarok saga.
April 6, 2024
The author gives us another sweeping tale of Mithgar. This time, the target of the Epic Quest is an evil being named Baron Stoke, who has miraculously risen from a thousand year entombment in a glacier. Baron Stoke commands the foul folk who join him in kidnapping people for his evil experimentation which includes created an undead army. Stoke is sort of a Dracula character, a shape-shifting fiend who at times is a man, at others a venom spitting wolf (a vulg) and at others a giant bat-like creature.
This one takes place about 1,000 years after some of the other adventures. This allows the author to flesh out the story of the last 1,000 year, which sometimes gets in the way of the current story. Still, it also adds to the enchantment of the world.
One practically needs a glossary, for the author uses his own words for Orks, Trolls, etc. Which ones are which is something I never got fully straight.
The story is full of multiple perils and our group of adventures manages to fight properly through each of them. The quest takes them all over the world, sometimes on ships, sometimes on dog sleds, sometimes on camels, and sometimes on horse and pony.
I enjoy this author quite a bit. His Iron Tower Trilogy was the best fantasy novel I recall ever reading. This one was good, but again, his constant repetitition of the other events from the other books occasionally got in the way.
This one takes place about 1,000 years after some of the other adventures. This allows the author to flesh out the story of the last 1,000 year, which sometimes gets in the way of the current story. Still, it also adds to the enchantment of the world.
One practically needs a glossary, for the author uses his own words for Orks, Trolls, etc. Which ones are which is something I never got fully straight.
The story is full of multiple perils and our group of adventures manages to fight properly through each of them. The quest takes them all over the world, sometimes on ships, sometimes on dog sleds, sometimes on camels, and sometimes on horse and pony.
I enjoy this author quite a bit. His Iron Tower Trilogy was the best fantasy novel I recall ever reading. This one was good, but again, his constant repetitition of the other events from the other books occasionally got in the way.
March 17, 2018
Sadly, I have had this novel for many years and have struggled to read it many times. This time I was finally able to get past the beginning. Part of the problem was that I read it out of order of the others, and part of the problem was the way the beginning was written. I had to get pretty far in to realize why I was having the problem. This is one that it is better to read in an appropriate order. However, I did enjoy it. Another of the author's great High Fantasy novels. A fun read.
July 30, 2018
El grupito de cuatro con venganza personal cada uno hacia Stoke. Irán en su búsqueda por todo el mundo, utilizando algunos capítulos para narrar el pasado que marco este venganza de cada individuo.
No me recordó a El señor de los anillos, ya que lo comentan mucho su parecido. Si es cierto que utiliza nombres clavados como “El bosque negro” y cosas así.
No me recordó a El señor de los anillos, ya que lo comentan mucho su parecido. Si es cierto que utiliza nombres clavados como “El bosque negro” y cosas así.
March 19, 2024
I really enjoy the Mithgar books by McKiernan. Even though his books are very formulaic, this one was far too clear cut for me to enjoy. I know what I'm getting with Mithgar, but this was just too much of it.
Mithgar is always a special place to visit, and I'll be back soon.
Mithgar is always a special place to visit, and I'll be back soon.
April 13, 2019
The structure is interesting but feels choppy and pointless in a lot of areas.
January 29, 2020
Another forgot to post. Fills in more of the storyline with characters we all can like or hate. Great fantasy series.
October 24, 2020
Good story.
Good story. The characters are always very well written....they come alive for you as turn the page(digital or paper). :)
Good story. The characters are always very well written....they come alive for you as turn the page(digital or paper). :)
January 29, 2021
Me gustó bastante está obra de fantasia épica, pero debo comentar que McKiernan creo un mundo fantástico y todas sus obras se dan en el, a pesar de ser obras independientes...
October 6, 2024
Pretty good story in the Mithgar universe although a little darker than I would have preferred. Essentially a fantasy take on a Dracula legend.
March 20, 2025
My first Dennis McKiernan read.
September 24, 2007
Wow, everyone else rated this so well. To be honest, I never finished this, and last time I tried was years ago-- I'll guess '99, but I think it was earlier. I gave my big critique of McKiernan on another of his books, but will mention here that I'm willing to have my mind changed-- honestly, I'd like to enjoy McKiernan's work-- but even this novel, written much later than his first works (when you'd think he'd have learned a thing or two), felt very poorly written. I'll try to work up the nerve to try again one day, but honestly, I was so depressed about the poor quality that I'd rather not go through it again (why is it that Fantasy gets so many bad writers amidst the few geniuses? It seems like things are much more balanced in sci-fi). Like I mentioned in my other review, it could be that I was in a particularly critical phase at the time, and it could also be that insecurity about my own writing had me overreacting. Maybe I'm picky, though I've found myself to be less picky than many. It could be that there are others who are equally disgusted with, say, Robert Jordan, and I actually enjoyed his novels, and began them around the same time that I started moving into this critical phase (though I had to abandon Wheel of Time because it was taking too long to continue-- and now he's dead! Argh!) I know there are also those who complain about the slower parts in Tolkien, such as the initial buildup in LOTR before anything actually happens, but at least then the prose is a pleasure to read-- I never found myself bothered by the leisurely pace-- who cares about action when you have a world to explore!
Anyway, I apologize to those who love McKiernan and will gladly listen to reasons why I should try him again.
Anyway, I apologize to those who love McKiernan and will gladly listen to reasons why I should try him again.
stalled
April 16, 2014I began this novel a number of years ago, reaching as far as chapter 9 or 10 at least. However, I was reading the paperback edition and I gradually lost my way. I now realize this was one of the early casualties of my slowly failing vision. Now with an ebook copy, I am returning to Mithgar.
McKiernan's world is fun and one of the better extrapolations of Middle-Earth. I like his characters and stories. However, his stories could do with a little judicious pruning. For that reason, I expect this project to take multiple months.
I am not quite stalled, but progress is slow.
McKiernan's world is fun and one of the better extrapolations of Middle-Earth. I like his characters and stories. However, his stories could do with a little judicious pruning. For that reason, I expect this project to take multiple months.
I am not quite stalled, but progress is slow.
November 25, 2011
Parts of it were very good, but the scattered fragments didn't make the whole especially remarkable. It had the feel of a sequel--I realize it featured repeat characters, but even so it didn't have to feel like 'part 3 of 4'. Some of the characters were better-developed than is usual for this author, but there was a bit too much melodrama. (Drama: OK. Melodrama: not so much.)
July 25, 2012
It felt like a duology put in one book. so in the middle there was a whole section, that was out of sync. The speed picked up considerably at the end, but the last 50 pages were for the closure of the story. McKiernan put as much focus on that part as he did on the longer journeys. It may bring us closer to the characters, but it took me nearly a month to finish this book... that is way too long.
January 25, 2015
This book was one of my best childhood memories. Somebody lent it to me and I have remembered it since. All my life trying to find it, or hoping for a new edition. Finally got it in a book market a couple of years ago.
In my opinion, the finest, purest epic fantasy. A book that I'm very happy I found, because I would love for my children (or any body else's) to read.
In my opinion, the finest, purest epic fantasy. A book that I'm very happy I found, because I would love for my children (or any body else's) to read.
September 20, 2016
I recommend this book to fans of Tolkein's The Lord of the Rings, for this book feels like one of its many spiritual children. Immortal elves, magic, fights, demonic villains, twists, love, death, grief, great book except for one event at the end of the book.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 43 reviews