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3.81 AVERAGE
3.81 AVERAGE
I read this trilogy when it first came out and for years, these 3 books were among my very, very favorites. Perhaps they spoke to my own inner fantasy of being whisked off to a magical world. Perhaps they touched my desire to make a difference. Perhaps they reminded me that heroes are everyday people like me, doing the best they can in difficult. Ircumstances. I worried a bit about revisiting this trilogy--I have never reread them until now. So far, the luster has not dimmed.
This book has a very traditional fantasy feel, both in world and characters. It has good pacing and lots of interesting items and secrets. One unusual thing is how quickly the 5 visitors get separated doing their own things. Usually it takes much longer. Did not like unnecessary rape scene at the end. Bad guy is bad, don't need to add that bit in.
Oh dear, I am quite upset at this book.
The basic idea sounded promising, and the start showed a glimmer of promise with 5 modern people - university students - get taken into a fantasy world filled with magic.
Then it went downhill.
The writing is very convoluted, but occasionally poetic. It does remind me of the Silmarillion and the Mahabharata, but that tone just doesn't work when you have wise-cracking characters from the modern world. Also the way that the author keeps moving back and forth in the timeline, dropping "hints" that tell you exactly what is going to happen - this completely pulled me out of the story and removed any concern I had for the characters.
The characters themselves also didn't work so well. There were lots of names, but I never got much sense of personality behind the names. We got told about some of their histories, but it felt that the main characters didn't actually do much, but were rather pushed around a whole lot by events. I cant see what any of the characters actually want, other than mope about stuff that happened in their pasts.
Supposedly this is a great series, and Kay has written other good stories, but this book completely killed any desire I have to read further.
The basic idea sounded promising, and the start showed a glimmer of promise with 5 modern people - university students - get taken into a fantasy world filled with magic.
Then it went downhill.
The writing is very convoluted, but occasionally poetic. It does remind me of the Silmarillion and the Mahabharata, but that tone just doesn't work when you have wise-cracking characters from the modern world. Also the way that the author keeps moving back and forth in the timeline, dropping "hints" that tell you exactly what is going to happen - this completely pulled me out of the story and removed any concern I had for the characters.
The characters themselves also didn't work so well. There were lots of names, but I never got much sense of personality behind the names. We got told about some of their histories, but it felt that the main characters didn't actually do much, but were rather pushed around a whole lot by events. I cant see what any of the characters actually want, other than mope about stuff that happened in their pasts.
Supposedly this is a great series, and Kay has written other good stories, but this book completely killed any desire I have to read further.
I just could not get into this book and ended up giving up on it around the 40% mark. There are TOO many different names. Names of people, names of places, names of events. It makes it extremely difficult to keep track of pretty much anything. Also, by 40% of any book, I expect to see at least the basic foundation of a plot. This was just random people performing random activities with no seeming connection between them. Lastly, the whole idea that 5 kids will pick up and leave everything they know on essentially a whim is implausible at best.
If it was any one of these issues, I likely would have powered on and finished the book. As it stands, all three of them combined were just too much for me to get through.
If it was any one of these issues, I likely would have powered on and finished the book. As it stands, all three of them combined were just too much for me to get through.
It's a pretty good 80s fantasy book, but I am really hesitant about the way Kay treated one particular character at the end...
This is a series that is very similar to the Lord of the Rings mythos (it even borrows some of the concepts) but adds a some twists. In the Summer Tree, five people are transferred from our modern world into the first world. They are faced with the reemergence of an ancient evil. The five must discover there reason for being brought into the first world. They discover tragedy, loss and suffering, but in the end, they begin to find their way.
I really enjoyed this first part of the trilogy and look forward to continuing the story until the conclusion.
I really enjoyed this first part of the trilogy and look forward to continuing the story until the conclusion.
adventurous
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
This my third read of this series. I read it when it first came out when I was in my twenties. I read it again in my thirties and now a third time in my forties. It's been a great read every time.
The Summer Tree is the opening book in the trilogy that makes up The Fionavar Tapestry. This is a book that manages to be high fantasy without being overshadowed by Tolkein, although it's interesting to note that its author, Guy Gavriel Kay, helped to edit The Silmarillion. Both Tolkein and Kay (and most good fantasy writers) are weaving together older stories in new ways.
In the opening book, Kay brings together the characters. There is Kimberly Ford - an intern who is recognized by a visitor from the other world of Fionavar as a Seer. Jennifer - a young woman of some beauty, Kim's roommate - cool, reserved, somewhat undefined. Kevin Laine - handsome, charismatic, good at everything, studying for the Bar. Paul Schaefer - intelligent, musical, haunted by the death of his beloved Rachel. Dave Martyniuk - the outsider, a law student and athlete. These five are brought together to journey to Fionavar - there to save the world.
Who doesn't love a book like this? Who doesn't wish for an adventure like this? To be drawn out of your own life and into another world where your actions matter and where you can be heroic.
Kay is an amazing writer and in this book he weaves together many mythologies, although most prominently featured here is the sacrifice of the ruler for the replenishing of the land. It's in Odin hanging from Yggdrasil (the World Tree). It's in the Celtic tales of the wicker man and in the Christian story of Christ's crucifixion. Fionavar, you see, is experiencing a drought and the King has forbidden his son from hanging on The Summer Tree.
The other old story that is threaded through here is that of Prince Hal, who would become Henry V. Despaired of by his father for his wastrel ways and friendship with Falstaff, his story is mirrored in that of Prince Diarmud, the younger son, who like Prince Hal turns out to be more than he appears.
There is such great storytelling here and such beautiful writing. There is adventure and tragedy, horror and sadness, and always rebirth.
The Summer Tree is the opening book in the trilogy that makes up The Fionavar Tapestry. This is a book that manages to be high fantasy without being overshadowed by Tolkein, although it's interesting to note that its author, Guy Gavriel Kay, helped to edit The Silmarillion. Both Tolkein and Kay (and most good fantasy writers) are weaving together older stories in new ways.
In the opening book, Kay brings together the characters. There is Kimberly Ford - an intern who is recognized by a visitor from the other world of Fionavar as a Seer. Jennifer - a young woman of some beauty, Kim's roommate - cool, reserved, somewhat undefined. Kevin Laine - handsome, charismatic, good at everything, studying for the Bar. Paul Schaefer - intelligent, musical, haunted by the death of his beloved Rachel. Dave Martyniuk - the outsider, a law student and athlete. These five are brought together to journey to Fionavar - there to save the world.
Who doesn't love a book like this? Who doesn't wish for an adventure like this? To be drawn out of your own life and into another world where your actions matter and where you can be heroic.
Kay is an amazing writer and in this book he weaves together many mythologies, although most prominently featured here is the sacrifice of the ruler for the replenishing of the land. It's in Odin hanging from Yggdrasil (the World Tree). It's in the Celtic tales of the wicker man and in the Christian story of Christ's crucifixion. Fionavar, you see, is experiencing a drought and the King has forbidden his son from hanging on The Summer Tree.
The other old story that is threaded through here is that of Prince Hal, who would become Henry V. Despaired of by his father for his wastrel ways and friendship with Falstaff, his story is mirrored in that of Prince Diarmud, the younger son, who like Prince Hal turns out to be more than he appears.
There is such great storytelling here and such beautiful writing. There is adventure and tragedy, horror and sadness, and always rebirth.
It's easy to see where Kay got his inspiration; this is pure Tolkein. The first in a three book series, The Summer Tree is classic fantasy with easily identifiable heroes, heroines, multiple types of creatures, a mythology loosely based on Greek/Latin, stilted dialog and pedantic language. Seriously, NO ONE TALKS LIKE THIS. Stop writing like you're Yoda. You're not. And it's annoying.
I also had a HUGE problem with the gender stereotypes and the brutal physical/emotional rape of the one "pretty" female character at the end of the book. Utterly unnecessary to set her up as the pretty one, only to have her gang raped at the end. SHAME ON YOU, Mr. Kay.
If I want fantasy, I'll stick to the modern classics like Tamora Pierce's Song of the Lioness Quartet and Robin McKinley's Blue Sword/Hero and the Crown books.
I also had a HUGE problem with the gender stereotypes and the brutal physical/emotional rape of the one "pretty" female character at the end of the book. Utterly unnecessary to set her up as the pretty one, only to have her gang raped at the end. SHAME ON YOU, Mr. Kay.
If I want fantasy, I'll stick to the modern classics like Tamora Pierce's Song of the Lioness Quartet and Robin McKinley's Blue Sword/Hero and the Crown books.
5 star - Perfect
4 star - i would recommend
3 star - good
2 star - struggled to complete
1 star - could not finish
4 star - i would recommend
3 star - good
2 star - struggled to complete
1 star - could not finish