From Publishers Weekly
Alternating between high tragedy and earthy humor, the 12 stories in this fantasy collection from bestseller McKiernan (Dragonstone, etc.) entertain while touching on complex moral and philosophical issues of gender, society and self-knowledge. Intended to "tie up loose ends left over from the Mithgar series," as the author explains in his foreword, these episodic tales, some of which amount to vignettes or prose poems, are united by the framing device of the Red Slipper, a bordello about which Aylis, Aravan, Noddy and other crew members of the elvinship Eroean spin yarns of danger, revelry and a bittersweet longing to return to the past. Despite the occasional clichéd character, McKiernan never fails to lend humanity to the elves, dwarves and other mythical creatures that populate his appealing world. Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From Booklist
The fifteenth book in McKiernan's Mithgar saga is a collection of 12 stories that fill in gaps left by previous tales of Mithgar. Like those tales, they contain classic fantasy elements: abundant dwarves, elves, giants, and other beings great and small, alarming and enchanting, drinking and listening to stories told at tables in a setting as classic as the characters, the taproom of an inn, to wit, the Red Slippers. Even when famed fantasy elements are disguised, it is hardly impossible to recognize such things as, in "Lair," the influence of the Fellowship of the Ring's battle against the Balrog in the Mines of Moria. One doubts that McKiernan would deny that influence, though he is a somewhat more visual writer than Tolkien. Maturing over the years, he now brings places like the Karoo Desert and the torrent that swallowed Durek almost thunderously to life. Mithgar still may not appeal to more adventurous fantasy readers, but those who seek long, absorbing yarns in the classic mode will honor and enjoy it. Roland Green
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

Library Journal
Filled with likable protagonists, this volume is an excellent choice.

SF Revu
The influence of Tolkien can be seen in the stories of Mithgar.

Midwest Book Review
A powerful anthology that will leave a grateful audience wanting to share more pints with the crew of the Eroean.

Book Description
Dennis L. McKiernan's long-awaited second short story collection set in the bestselling world of Mithgar...In a smoky tavern in Port Arbalin, travelers from across the realm share stories both true and fantastic-tales of thieves and demons, warriors and monsters, magic and myth-conjured from the mind of one of the modern masters of fantasy.

FROM THE PUBLISHER