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3.81 AVERAGE
3.81 AVERAGE
Several other reviews mention this, but the first few chapters (less than 30 pages) really are underwhelming. It really gets thrown together haphazardly in order to create the circumstances necessary for the rest of the book and could have been done better. That said, it’s well worth it to skim through and get to the much better book beyond that. Thoughtful writing and engaging exploits await - with a couple of very nice twists. While enough conflict is brought up and resolved to make this a satisfying read, the very tail end is an absolute cliffhanger. Starting on the second book ASAP.
adventurous
challenging
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
How have I been sleeping on this book? I read this on my husband’s recommendation and wow! Loved the story and will definitely be grabbing the next book to see where things go.
adventurous
dark
hopeful
inspiring
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This book definitely falls in the "like not love" category.
There are a lot of over used tropes present. People from earth go to a different magical world where they're crucial for saving the realm. Ancient dormant evil is reawakening/escaping and making its presence known. There's a nomadic horse riding people. There's a super serious military leaning prince and a capable but flirtatious prince. There's a christ figure. There's a mysterious and elusive immortal people that live in the forest. So. Many. Tropes.
There are some interesting bits. While some of these are tropes, I haven't seen them used quite as often. Taking a page from ancient Rome/Greece, gods are more involved in the mortal realm and there are children of gods, meaningful sacrifices, etc. The tapestry and lives as threads being woven in is a big deal. There are two types of magic. One wild and untamed. One relying on a partner giving their power to fuel spells.
Overall, it's an interesting world that feels uninspired in a few places. A few characters get some development in this book, but I'm hoping we see more from some of the others in the next two books. The villains are a little too plainly evil for my liking as well. I tend to enjoy Kay's writing so I'm hoping I'm in for a surprise in the next two books.
There are a lot of over used tropes present. People from earth go to a different magical world where they're crucial for saving the realm. Ancient dormant evil is reawakening/escaping and making its presence known. There's a nomadic horse riding people.
Spoiler
Dwarves got greedy in their mining.There are some interesting bits. While some of these are tropes, I haven't seen them used quite as often. Taking a page from ancient Rome/Greece, gods are more involved in the mortal realm and there are children of gods, meaningful sacrifices, etc. The tapestry and lives as threads being woven in is a big deal. There are two types of magic. One wild and untamed. One relying on a partner giving their power to fuel spells.
Overall, it's an interesting world that feels uninspired in a few places. A few characters get some development in this book, but I'm hoping we see more from some of the others in the next two books. The villains are a little too plainly evil for my liking as well. I tend to enjoy Kay's writing so I'm hoping I'm in for a surprise in the next two books.
True rating - 4.5 stars. My first Guy Gavriel Kay book, and I loved it! He is an extremely talented writer, and I found myself very emotionally affected by the experiences of each of the characters. The world building is complex and the characters are numerous, so I was grateful for the map and character list at the front of the book which I found myself flipping back to many times. I had the pleasure of listening to and meeting Mr. Kay at an International Festival of Authors event today, and I can't wait to read more of his books.
One of my favorite fantasy series by one of my favorite fantasy authors.
I didn't love this book as much as the other two Kay books I've read, but it is the first in a trilogy and was written early in his career. We'll see if the rest of the series elevates this first book. This book also borrows plenty from Tolkein, but most of the fantasy books of this era did.
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Man, this thing was so mediocre overall. A few brilliant moments that pulled me along, but those parts made the rest of the book feel somehow more drab by comparison.
Every character in this is just so underwritten. Hard to care about any of them, even superficially.
Every character in this is just so underwritten. Hard to care about any of them, even superficially.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicide, Suicide attempt
I have mixed feelings about this review, because while I greatly enjoyed the experiance, I am bothered by the extent to which this series blatantly copy/pastes known fantasy (mostly Tolkien) and mythology tropes, characters, etc and reinterpretes them for its own use. I do have to acknowledge that The Summer Tree was written in the 80's and that GGK had previously worked with Christopher Tolkien etc, and that does earn it some leeway from me where a new series would get none. However, even knowing all of this going in, I was still a little shocked by just how "familiar" the setting and just about every character is. If the writing itself were not so dang compelling, I think my score would fall a lot lower.
I do feel obligated to try to review a thing based on how well it achieved the vision it appears to be aimed at however, and not whether it turned out different to how I might wish it to have been. The Summer Tree reinterpretes, but it does so excellently, and in true GGK fashion I was moved by this book in a way I'm never quite prepared for. This is an excellent read, and certainly worth the time if you can accept it for what it is.
I do feel obligated to try to review a thing based on how well it achieved the vision it appears to be aimed at however, and not whether it turned out different to how I might wish it to have been. The Summer Tree reinterpretes, but it does so excellently, and in true GGK fashion I was moved by this book in a way I'm never quite prepared for. This is an excellent read, and certainly worth the time if you can accept it for what it is.
