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3.81 AVERAGE
3.81 AVERAGE
I grew up with Narnia and Aslan. While everyone else was off wizarding with Harry, I was kickin' around with Lucy and Mr. Tumnus. Portal fantasies give rise to a sense of warm nostalgia within me, even as my reservations towards the genre grow with age and changing tastes. I hold them in my memory with fondness, but with the firm knowledge that they are a thing of the past.
So when I decided to read all of GGK's novels, it was with some degree of reluctance that I picked up The Summer Tree. And remembered all the reasons I'd forgone portal fantasies for so long.
The characters, torn from the modern world and thrust into a wholly alien landscape, didn't seem half as shocked or awed or freaked out as they probably should have been. I can understand simple acceptance of the fantastical in children, but the Five are adults who seem to just take the existence of magic, a whole other world and their great and terrible destinies in stride. Just another day for your average Canadian law student, I suppose.
This initial lack of reaction made the characters seem flat and didn't permit their personalities to shine through until late in the novel. Not to mention the frequently shifting POVs which, while necessary, made the narrative feel a little jarring as it jumped from character to character.
With a cast this large, a world to build and an intricate Tapestry to weave, it was no surprise that a novel under 400 pages couldn't do everything justice. Although I have to admit that Kay did a pretty good job at most of the above.
Which, while a horrifying scene purely by its very nature, failed to evoke any significant emotional reaction from me. There just wasn't enough time spent with her for the sword to strike home. I'm sure Kay didn't include her torturous experiences just for shock value and I'm sure she'll come to tug on my heartstrings before the end of the trilogy, but I do wish I could have come to care for her more within the scope of this book.
The world was stunning, hands down the best aspect of the novel. Fionavar is full to the brim with magic, divine intervention, tropes and history so rich you can taste it. It's harsh and unforgiving, having suffered many tragedies still remembered by sentient woods and demanding steep prices for the healing of many wounds. It's beautiful in the way a great beast is--dangerous and alluring and irresistible.
As to be expected from fantasy in the wake of LOTR, the usual suspects make their appearances. Elves are pretty and graceful. Dwarves tinker and live under mountains. And everyone hates the Evil Overlord. But there were also characters who were deliciously grey. In particular, I really enjoyed Ailell and his life's weakness. The realism of it, the humanity, hurt me and yet I understood, which only worsened the hurt. And of course, each of the Five's personal journeys were a delight to follow (though I suspect it'll soon turn painful as things escalate and war draws ever nearer). There are many, many parallels to Tolkien, but somehow, Kay manages to make them his own. Perhaps not fully original, but enough to you get that Middle-earth fix without feeling cheated.
It might have been magic that took the Five to Fionavar, but it was Kay's prose that took me along with them. It's definitely not as refined as in his later works, but still retains his characteristic lyricism and depth. Was it a bit overdone at times? Yes. Was it far too repetitive in driving the point home sometimes? Hell yes. Nonetheless, it carried the world and atmosphere well. Mission accomplished.
Overall, I enjoyed this book. The world building is sublime and the protagonists eventually grow into themselves and their terrible roles. There is complexity and weakness in every character--major and minor. While it does suffer from some pacing issues, uneven characterisation and a tad too many characters in too short a time frame, it was everything you'd expect from an 80's fantasy in the wake of LOTR. Personally, I've outgrown this kind of fantasy, but if you're itching for some old-school Good vs. Evil, this just might satisfy that craving.
So when I decided to read all of GGK's novels, it was with some degree of reluctance that I picked up The Summer Tree. And remembered all the reasons I'd forgone portal fantasies for so long.
The characters, torn from the modern world and thrust into a wholly alien landscape, didn't seem half as shocked or awed or freaked out as they probably should have been. I can understand simple acceptance of the fantastical in children, but the Five are adults who seem to just take the existence of magic, a whole other world and their great and terrible destinies in stride. Just another day for your average Canadian law student, I suppose.
This initial lack of reaction made the characters seem flat and didn't permit their personalities to shine through until late in the novel. Not to mention the frequently shifting POVs which, while necessary, made the narrative feel a little jarring as it jumped from character to character.
With a cast this large, a world to build and an intricate Tapestry to weave, it was no surprise that a novel under 400 pages couldn't do everything justice. Although I have to admit that Kay did a pretty good job at most of the above.
Spoiler
My issue lies primarily with Jennifer. While everyone else had their roles to play--Kevin with Diarmuid, Paul as Lord of the Summer Tree, Kim as the Seer and Dave with the third tribe--Jen felt insignificant. Until she got whisked away by the black swan, she seemed to exist solely to be beautiful and to rebuff Diarmuid's womanising advances. Her only meaningful interaction was with Jaelle and the children, which didn't really serve to advance her character in any way. She felt like someone whose entire purpose was to be raped at the hand of the Unraveller. (See what I did there?)Which, while a horrifying scene purely by its very nature, failed to evoke any significant emotional reaction from me. There just wasn't enough time spent with her for the sword to strike home. I'm sure Kay didn't include her torturous experiences just for shock value and I'm sure she'll come to tug on my heartstrings before the end of the trilogy, but I do wish I could have come to care for her more within the scope of this book.
The world was stunning, hands down the best aspect of the novel. Fionavar is full to the brim with magic, divine intervention, tropes and history so rich you can taste it. It's harsh and unforgiving, having suffered many tragedies still remembered by sentient woods and demanding steep prices for the healing of many wounds. It's beautiful in the way a great beast is--dangerous and alluring and irresistible.
As to be expected from fantasy in the wake of LOTR, the usual suspects make their appearances. Elves are pretty and graceful. Dwarves tinker and live under mountains. And everyone hates the Evil Overlord. But there were also characters who were deliciously grey. In particular, I really enjoyed Ailell and his life's weakness. The realism of it, the humanity, hurt me and yet I understood, which only worsened the hurt. And of course, each of the Five's personal journeys were a delight to follow (though I suspect it'll soon turn painful as things escalate and war draws ever nearer). There are many, many parallels to Tolkien, but somehow, Kay manages to make them his own. Perhaps not fully original, but enough to you get that Middle-earth fix without feeling cheated.
It might have been magic that took the Five to Fionavar, but it was Kay's prose that took me along with them. It's definitely not as refined as in his later works, but still retains his characteristic lyricism and depth. Was it a bit overdone at times? Yes. Was it far too repetitive in driving the point home sometimes? Hell yes. Nonetheless, it carried the world and atmosphere well. Mission accomplished.
Overall, I enjoyed this book. The world building is sublime and the protagonists eventually grow into themselves and their terrible roles. There is complexity and weakness in every character--major and minor. While it does suffer from some pacing issues, uneven characterisation and a tad too many characters in too short a time frame, it was everything you'd expect from an 80's fantasy in the wake of LOTR. Personally, I've outgrown this kind of fantasy, but if you're itching for some old-school Good vs. Evil, this just might satisfy that craving.
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
slow-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
adventurous
mysterious
fast-paced
Amazing prose and style, reminding me of Jack Vance's [b:Tales of the Dying Earth|40866|Tales of the Dying Earth|Jack Vance|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1432253533s/40866.jpg|743153] (and if you haven't read that one yet, you totally should) only... is that the ending? Really? Is my copy missing a few pages maybe? WTF?
Some characters were more fleshed out than others but overall they were okay. And I really liked some secondary characters but I would have loved to know more about them.
I liked the atmosphere and the world. I didn't really love the writing style. It wasn't pleasurable to read but had it's moments as well.
I liked the story but there were some things that weren't unique and it was a bit disturbing. And yes I mean that some things had already been used pre 80s. And I didn't buy that someone without riding experience could do that without problems. And there were some other things as well that weren't something that someone would have practised regularly but did them easily.
Worth reading but not perfect.
I liked the atmosphere and the world. I didn't really love the writing style. It wasn't pleasurable to read but had it's moments as well.
I liked the story but there were some things that weren't unique and it was a bit disturbing. And yes I mean that some things had already been used pre 80s. And I didn't buy that someone without riding experience could do that without problems. And there were some other things as well that weren't something that someone would have practised regularly but did them easily.
Worth reading but not perfect.
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
reflective
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Dark, yet hopeful! Absolutely one of my favorite fantasy book series.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Gore, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicide, Violence, Blood, Grief, Car accident, Suicide attempt, Injury/Injury detail
halfway through this book the plot is not shaping up and i’m kinda lost and uninterested
compelling idea, mid lore development
not enough character establishment for the things that keep happening to them
compelling idea, mid lore development
not enough character establishment for the things that keep happening to them
adventurous
dark
emotional
tense
slow-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:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Rape
adventurous
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
2023 first read:
Beautiful writing, but the characters dont always make sense
2025 re-read review:
Diarmuid dan Aillel, my heart, I hate you so much you charming bastard. Diarmuid’s introduction in this book should be taught as a masterclass in character writing. He comes in, immediately steals the show, and tells us everything we need to know about him as a character: he likes to drink and have fun; he’s used to getting what he wants; he can be dangerous when he doesn’t; despite appearances he does take his role of prince seriously and cares about the protection of his kingdom; he’s charming as hell and despite being rude, you can’t help but instinctively like him (or at least I couldn’t). Diarmuid alone makes this book 4 stars.
Now for our 5 travelers. On my first read, I didn’t understand why they took to Fionavar so quickly and so fully. They are initially only supposed to be visiting for a few weeks, but they quickly start acting like they’ve lived here their whole lives. Of course, now I see this is the point. Their fates are tied so closely into this world, that some part of all of them feels like they belong here. And they all serve a purpose.Paul is meant to die on the Summer Tree. Kim is meant to become the new Seer. Dave quickly falls in with the Dalrei and shows us life on the Plain (and his adventures feel like they’re leading up to something more in future books), while Kevin quickly befriends Diarmuid’s men and shows us a glimpse at the court politics in Brennin.
And then there’s Jennifer. It seems, outside of a brief conversation with the High Priestess, that Jennifer’s only role is toget kidnapped and raped by the Big Bad. Well, she is first “claimed” by Diarmuid, and then by Maugrim, and in the torture she undergoes we see that she belonged to Kevin and her father before that. She is defined over and over again by her beauty and by the men in her life. I would like to see her break out of this and develop more in future books, but with this first book we are not given enough of her as a person to make me feel at all good about how she is treated as a character.
The writing itself is Tolkien-esque — unsurprising, given that Kay worked on the Silmarillion before this. Unfortunately, this can lead to some rather clunky exposition, and prioritizing worldbuilding at the expense of other elements. But in the end I don’t mind so much, since that worldbuilding (and some character highlights, namely Diarmuid, Paul, and the Dalrei) are what draw me into the book.
Beautiful writing, but the characters dont always make sense
2025 re-read review:
Diarmuid dan Aillel, my heart, I hate you so much you charming bastard. Diarmuid’s introduction in this book should be taught as a masterclass in character writing. He comes in, immediately steals the show, and tells us everything we need to know about him as a character: he likes to drink and have fun; he’s used to getting what he wants; he can be dangerous when he doesn’t; despite appearances he does take his role of prince seriously and cares about the protection of his kingdom; he’s charming as hell and despite being rude, you can’t help but instinctively like him (or at least I couldn’t). Diarmuid alone makes this book 4 stars.
Now for our 5 travelers. On my first read, I didn’t understand why they took to Fionavar so quickly and so fully. They are initially only supposed to be visiting for a few weeks, but they quickly start acting like they’ve lived here their whole lives. Of course, now I see this is the point. Their fates are tied so closely into this world, that some part of all of them feels like they belong here. And they all serve a purpose.
And then there’s Jennifer. It seems, outside of a brief conversation with the High Priestess, that Jennifer’s only role is to
The writing itself is Tolkien-esque — unsurprising, given that Kay worked on the Silmarillion before this. Unfortunately, this can lead to some rather clunky exposition, and prioritizing worldbuilding at the expense of other elements. But in the end I don’t mind so much, since that worldbuilding (and some character highlights, namely Diarmuid, Paul, and the Dalrei) are what draw me into the book.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Rape, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt