The Cygnet and the Firebird
core novel 1993 Cygnet
Record
| First published | 1993 |
|---|---|
| Original language |  EN |
| Work type | novel |
| Canon status | core |
| Reader rating | 4.01 (1,400 ratings, collected 2026-10-26) |
| First-edition ISBN | 9780441126286 |
| Internal chronology | 2 |
Synopsis
In the magical towers of Ro Holding live 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 Holding: a wily, powerful mage bent on stealing a treasure hidden in the castle for centuries, and a firebird whose anguished cries transform things and people into precious objects and who becomes a tormented young man for a few hours each evening. Thwarted by Nyx, the mage abducts Meguet, and Nyx's search for her cousin takes her across a distant, dragon-haunted desert to the court of a ruthless sorcerer-king, where the two learn of a threat to destroy Ro Holding.
Where it sits
- Universe: Cygnet
- Series: Cygnet core; position 2 of 2 in the series' recorded order
- Author: Patricia A. McKillip
Awards (verified)
- Mythopoeic Award (Adult Literature), 1994: finalist
Notes
- From the series record (Cygnet): Patricia A. McKillip's duology set in Ro Holding.
Neighbouring works
Publication order and internal chronology are tracked as two separate orderings, but they resolve to the exact same sequence for this book, so one combined line is shown instead of two identical ones.
- Reading order, within the series Cygnet: position 2 of 2: previous The Sorceress and the Cygnet (1991)
Sources
- Worlds Without End: Cygnet series (Ace Books, 1991 and 1993)
- Publishers Weekly: The Cygnet and the Firebird (follow-up to The Sorceress and the Cygnet)
- SurLaLune Fairy Tales: The Cygnet and the Firebird (description)
- Mythopoeic Society (final ballots)
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