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3.81 AVERAGE
3.81 AVERAGE
Ces livres ont absolument tout ce que j'aime! Mélange de mythes que tout le monde connaît dans un monde original et si bien conçu. De la politique, des créatures, des forêts enchantées, des amours épiques, des amitiés inoubliables, un antagoniste immonde, des paysages divers et variés, des peuples incroyables ...
Il y a des moments d'une brutalité éprouvantes tout comme des moments d'extrêmes douceurs. Un vrai rollercoaster d'émotions !
Il y a des moments d'une brutalité éprouvantes tout comme des moments d'extrêmes douceurs. Un vrai rollercoaster d'émotions !
Can't seem to get into the story. Characters die and I feel sorry for the death, but you can replace the name with X and it would be just the same.
A good story and interesting characters, but the author was so prone to rambling on with romantic imagery that it was impossible to understand what was going on. There are five main characters (yay ensemble book!) we supposed to follow, and we follow them, until all of a sudden, nope!, following someone else now without any context to how they fit into the storyline. But if we wait and read through ten pages of their personal history, maybe they'll talk to a character who will talk to a character we're supposed to care about. Eventually each character's relevance is proven, but not before you have to dedicate way too much time to reading their book first. Kay did get better about this towards the end of the book, so I'm hoping it was more of a really, really long setup and now the plot is underway. This book ended very abruptly, so if there's any chance of finding out what's going on, book 2 will be required.
Considering this wasn't a very girly book, an extra star for the random unicorn and its awesome appearance.
Spoiler
And now for the spoilery bits because I really need to say them. Of the five Earth humans who were brought to Fionavar, some of them clearly had a purpose, others, none at all. First David has to be the outcast who gets separated from the group because he can't trust in their friendship. Okay, interesting arch. Then Kevin and Paul go on a quest of absolutely no importance to other than to entertain a party hard prince. Kim goes off to become a seer and is the first to have a true purpose. When that's randomly finished, Paul gives in to his suicidal urges and decides to be a human sacrifice, tying himself into Fionavar. And Kevin hangs around doing nothing important. And Jennifer hangs around. And does nothing. The whole time. And gets captured. And is only mentioned again once her really bad day is about to become a Terry Goodkind kind of bad day. Was her only purpose to be the damsel? Why bother? So only Paul and Kim have any role in Fionavar other than establishing a lot of deep friendships ridiculously quickly with the natives?Considering this wasn't a very girly book, an extra star for the random unicorn and its awesome appearance.
adventurous
<b>The Summer Tree</b> - Kay
Audio performance by Simon Vance
3 stars
This was not bad fantasy, but I was warned that G.G. Kay’s earlier books were not as polished as his more recent work. This is the first book of a fantasy series that Kay wrote in the 1980’s. It felt very derivative of Tolkien and C.S. Lewis. I found myself checking off the expected fantasy tropes; dwarves, wizards, a quest, and of course a trilogy. The magical entrance of five Canadian university students into a parallel world is very much like a trip into the Wardrobe and Narnia. There was little world building and the story jumped almost immediately into epic conflict.
Oh well, I probably would have loved it if I’d read it in 1984. I might continue the series to the end to satisfy my curiosity. However, I will read rather than listen. Usually, I love Simon Vance, but his Canadian accent was horrible and the female voices more than annoying. It’s good to know that one of my favorite authors and a favorite audio performer have both improved with time.
Audio performance by Simon Vance
3 stars
This was not bad fantasy, but I was warned that G.G. Kay’s earlier books were not as polished as his more recent work. This is the first book of a fantasy series that Kay wrote in the 1980’s. It felt very derivative of Tolkien and C.S. Lewis. I found myself checking off the expected fantasy tropes; dwarves, wizards, a quest, and of course a trilogy. The magical entrance of five Canadian university students into a parallel world is very much like a trip into the Wardrobe and Narnia. There was little world building and the story jumped almost immediately into epic conflict.
Oh well, I probably would have loved it if I’d read it in 1984. I might continue the series to the end to satisfy my curiosity. However, I will read rather than listen. Usually, I love Simon Vance, but his Canadian accent was horrible and the female voices more than annoying. It’s good to know that one of my favorite authors and a favorite audio performer have both improved with time.
An interesting Fantasy trilogy about five people from present-day Toronto being transported to the mythical Fionavar, the most central of many worlds, where their stories get interwoven with the great Tapestry of the world.
The style will not be for everyone. A lot of prophesies, “and so it came to pass”es, and inescapable destinies, so much so that sometimes it feels as if the main characters have no autonomy in the important events.
But the reader who isn’t too bothered by that, will be rewarded with an action-packed story full of interesting characters, and a world where gods, demons, and magic still abound. The obligatory elves, dwarves, orcs and such have annoyingly different names but are otherwise quite as expected. What’s fun is the generous helping of folklore and lore from our world, both from (pre)medieval England and from other parts of Europe.
The style will not be for everyone. A lot of prophesies, “and so it came to pass”es, and inescapable destinies, so much so that sometimes it feels as if the main characters have no autonomy in the important events.
But the reader who isn’t too bothered by that, will be rewarded with an action-packed story full of interesting characters, and a world where gods, demons, and magic still abound. The obligatory elves, dwarves, orcs and such have annoyingly different names but are otherwise quite as expected. What’s fun is the generous helping of folklore and lore from our world, both from (pre)medieval England and from other parts of Europe.
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Predestinati a Fionavar
"Il miracolo non è avvenuto. Adesso capisco il prezzo da pagare, da tanti giorni a questa parte.
A lui non erano permesse le lacrime: quando uccidi l'amore, non hai il permesso di piangerlo.
Si deve pagare.
Fine della lezione.
Non sono venuto qui per salvarvi tutti.
Non sono venuto qui per mostrarvi la via.
Sono qui per morire."
Emozionante discesa nei miti e nella magia di un regno incantato, Fionavar, minacciato dall'obsoleto cattivone di tolkeniana memoria - qua si chiama Rakoth Maugrim, ma la risata malvagia è la stessa - con il potere più grande di tutti: inimicarsi quasi ogni razza presente in quel mondo.
Il viaggio interdimensionale diventa una magnifica cornice per delineare indimenticabili personaggi alle prese con i propri drammi; delle vere e proprie discese interiori così destabilizzanti, sofferte e vere da far anelare disperatamente equilibrio nella redenzione, pace dalle proprie colpe.
"Il miracolo non è avvenuto. Adesso capisco il prezzo da pagare, da tanti giorni a questa parte.
A lui non erano permesse le lacrime: quando uccidi l'amore, non hai il permesso di piangerlo.
Si deve pagare.
Fine della lezione.
Non sono venuto qui per salvarvi tutti.
Non sono venuto qui per mostrarvi la via.
Sono qui per morire."
Emozionante discesa nei miti e nella magia di un regno incantato, Fionavar, minacciato dall'obsoleto cattivone di tolkeniana memoria - qua si chiama Rakoth Maugrim, ma la risata malvagia è la stessa - con il potere più grande di tutti: inimicarsi quasi ogni razza presente in quel mondo.
Il viaggio interdimensionale diventa una magnifica cornice per delineare indimenticabili personaggi alle prese con i propri drammi; delle vere e proprie discese interiori così destabilizzanti, sofferte e vere da far anelare disperatamente equilibrio nella redenzione, pace dalle proprie colpe.
On first starting "The Summer Tree", I thought, "Great. Another Tolkien 'inspired' writer. Wizards, elves, dwarves, a horse culture, wolf-like baddies, goblin-like baddies, and a Big Evil entombed under a mountain: can we say 'derivative'?"
And that's about as far as I got with the bad-mouthing. Because despite this initial similarity (not all that surprising, considering that Kay worked with J.R.R. Tolkien's son on a number of Tolkien's works that came out after his death), this book, the first volume of "The Fionavar Tapestry", promptly sucked me into its world and refused to let go.
The Fionavar Tapestry is both more accessible and darker in its details than Tolkien's tales of Middle-Earth, which often failed to engage my emotions with the dusty histories that frame the "Lord of the Rings" cycle. Kay's background in European mythology provides rich fodder for his creation, with the gods of Fionavar not so far removed from the activities of mere mortals, and prone to stepping in to intercede when circumstances require it, and his depictions of ancient wrongs and sorrows felt as fresh to me as the action involving the modern characters.
I can't even begin to recommend this book highly enough to anyone who loves fantasy. This is some of the best.
And that's about as far as I got with the bad-mouthing. Because despite this initial similarity (not all that surprising, considering that Kay worked with J.R.R. Tolkien's son on a number of Tolkien's works that came out after his death), this book, the first volume of "The Fionavar Tapestry", promptly sucked me into its world and refused to let go.
The Fionavar Tapestry is both more accessible and darker in its details than Tolkien's tales of Middle-Earth, which often failed to engage my emotions with the dusty histories that frame the "Lord of the Rings" cycle. Kay's background in European mythology provides rich fodder for his creation, with the gods of Fionavar not so far removed from the activities of mere mortals, and prone to stepping in to intercede when circumstances require it, and his depictions of ancient wrongs and sorrows felt as fresh to me as the action involving the modern characters.
I can't even begin to recommend this book highly enough to anyone who loves fantasy. This is some of the best.
Un libro da 4 stelle con un finale da 5.
GGK è praticamente introvabile in italiano e questo mi dispiace. La storia, anche se un po' caotica è veramente interessante.
Kay anche con pochissime descrizioni sa farti vedere perfettamente il mondo e gli abitanti di Fionavar.
Per me è un grosso si e il finale lascia prevedere altri 2 libri scoppiettanti
GGK è praticamente introvabile in italiano e questo mi dispiace. La storia, anche se un po' caotica è veramente interessante.
Kay anche con pochissime descrizioni sa farti vedere perfettamente il mondo e gli abitanti di Fionavar.
Per me è un grosso si e il finale lascia prevedere altri 2 libri scoppiettanti