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A review by zenalth
The Darkest Road by Guy Gavriel Kay
3.0
SPOILERS ABOUND!
Honestly, the ending was the only thing that saved this from a two star rating. The Fionavar Tapestry has been a bumpy ride for me, but this finale really bruised my poor, abused soul (and eyes because goddamn is the font in these editions horrendous). Part of my frustrations probably derives from my binge-reading. I found that time and distance massively relieved my irritations with the repetitive motifs and the melodrama. Would I have enjoyed it more if I'd taken my time with the series? Probably. But ain't nobody got time for that. My impressions of the first two books were poor enough that I knew I'd never finish if I let myself graze in greener fields.
So here we are. The end at last.
The good thing about the ending was that it sucked. For the characters. People die and shit happens, which is always a welcome gut punch when it hits. The bad thing about the ending is that I basically felt none of the intended effects. I wanted to be dealt a KO blow, but all I felt was a baby slap.
I've mentioned in my review of The Wandering Fire that I didn't really connect to any of the characters. They felt too far removed from human, too much symbol and not enough soul (yes, even you, Kim). This rang especially true for Jennifer-who-is-Guinevere. I kept waiting for her to step up and do something.
As the series progressed, she became the personification of the Tower of Lisen in my mind: a symbol of history and tragedy, but one that isn't inherently alive. And, as I've come to find, stone towers make for boring reads. Apart from her decision to have Darien, she could literally have been cut out of the story. Arthur and Lancelot could still have had their tragic tension without her physical presence. Hell, the memory of her and their past would have been enough melodrama to last me a lifetime. She didn't really help Darien either; hell, the poor boy mostly helped himself.
I get the whole randomness thing in my mind, but it did nothing to warm her in my heart. Not to mention that it felt severely cruel and only important thematically. Am I really supposed to believe that her expression of love would have chained her son down and led him astray from the path of self-discovery? How does that make any sense when she sent him to be raised with love by Vae and Finn? Who told him to never embrace the Dark? Ultimately, the influence of his big bro defined the choice he made. Even thematically, her rejection of him barely works. And frankly, it felt like a cop out from having to address the complex emotions he might illicit from her given his conception and fearsome powers (and ever so convenient growth spurt). That would have been something I'd have been keen to see.
And her happily ever after came at the cost of Diarmuid's life. One of the few characters I actually enjoyed. Not impressed, Jen. Not impressed.
While I didn't enjoy Jennifer (could you tell?), I did eventually come to enjoy Kim and Paul. Somewhat. Dave was always a pleasure, though I suspect he's got the Plains people to thank for that. Rohan was always my favourite in LOTR. I loved his relationship with Levon and Torc and their heartwarming bond. His forced departure from Fionavar felt all the more bitter for that loss.
In the end, the side characters really stole the spotlight. Finn and Vae, Tabor and Ivor, Levon and Torc. Their sacrifices hit me hard, while the protagonists kind of passed me by. I'll be the first to admit that I wanted more deaths (probably because I wanted to feel something, dammit), but I'm happy that Tabor survived. Averting those death flags since 1986. And I love that he's becoming a mage's apprentice. Brightly woven may his future be.
That said, Darien's final confrontation with Maugrim felt a little bit like a cop out. I was expecting more. Which kind of sums up how I feel about this whole series. It's missing Kay's subtlety. Everything is shoved in your face over and over again. Too many characters, too many threads, too many legends from too many places in a beautifully crafted world. Just too much bad and not enough good.
Ultimately, I don't think it's a bad series. I think it's flawed and suffers from the time period and some of Kay's choices. I think it's a series you really need to take your time with and re-read for maximum enjoyment. Which just isn't something I did or am going to do.
So, sorry Fionavar. It was mediocre at best while it lasted, but it's over between us. And I sure as hell won't miss you.
Honestly, the ending was the only thing that saved this from a two star rating. The Fionavar Tapestry has been a bumpy ride for me, but this finale really bruised my poor, abused soul (and eyes because goddamn is the font in these editions horrendous). Part of my frustrations probably derives from my binge-reading. I found that time and distance massively relieved my irritations with the repetitive motifs and the melodrama. Would I have enjoyed it more if I'd taken my time with the series? Probably. But ain't nobody got time for that. My impressions of the first two books were poor enough that I knew I'd never finish if I let myself graze in greener fields.
So here we are. The end at last.
The good thing about the ending was that it sucked. For the characters. People die and shit happens, which is always a welcome gut punch when it hits. The bad thing about the ending is that I basically felt none of the intended effects. I wanted to be dealt a KO blow, but all I felt was a baby slap.
I've mentioned in my review of The Wandering Fire that I didn't really connect to any of the characters. They felt too far removed from human, too much symbol and not enough soul (yes, even you, Kim). This rang especially true for Jennifer-who-is-Guinevere. I kept waiting for her to step up and do something.
As the series progressed, she became the personification of the Tower of Lisen in my mind: a symbol of history and tragedy, but one that isn't inherently alive. And, as I've come to find, stone towers make for boring reads. Apart from her decision to have Darien, she could literally have been cut out of the story. Arthur and Lancelot could still have had their tragic tension without her physical presence. Hell, the memory of her and their past would have been enough melodrama to last me a lifetime. She didn't really help Darien either; hell, the poor boy mostly helped himself.
I get the whole randomness thing in my mind, but it did nothing to warm her in my heart. Not to mention that it felt severely cruel and only important thematically. Am I really supposed to believe that her expression of love would have chained her son down and led him astray from the path of self-discovery? How does that make any sense when she sent him to be raised with love by Vae and Finn? Who told him to never embrace the Dark? Ultimately, the influence of his big bro defined the choice he made. Even thematically, her rejection of him barely works. And frankly, it felt like a cop out from having to address the complex emotions he might illicit from her given his conception and fearsome powers (and ever so convenient growth spurt). That would have been something I'd have been keen to see.
And her happily ever after came at the cost of Diarmuid's life. One of the few characters I actually enjoyed. Not impressed, Jen. Not impressed.
While I didn't enjoy Jennifer (could you tell?), I did eventually come to enjoy Kim and Paul. Somewhat. Dave was always a pleasure, though I suspect he's got the Plains people to thank for that. Rohan was always my favourite in LOTR. I loved his relationship with Levon and Torc and their heartwarming bond. His forced departure from Fionavar felt all the more bitter for that loss.
In the end, the side characters really stole the spotlight. Finn and Vae, Tabor and Ivor, Levon and Torc. Their sacrifices hit me hard, while the protagonists kind of passed me by. I'll be the first to admit that I wanted more deaths (probably because I wanted to feel something, dammit), but I'm happy that Tabor survived. Averting those death flags since 1986. And I love that he's becoming a mage's apprentice. Brightly woven may his future be.
That said, Darien's final confrontation with Maugrim felt a little bit like a cop out. I was expecting more. Which kind of sums up how I feel about this whole series. It's missing Kay's subtlety. Everything is shoved in your face over and over again. Too many characters, too many threads, too many legends from too many places in a beautifully crafted world. Just too much bad and not enough good.
Ultimately, I don't think it's a bad series. I think it's flawed and suffers from the time period and some of Kay's choices. I think it's a series you really need to take your time with and re-read for maximum enjoyment. Which just isn't something I did or am going to do.
So, sorry Fionavar. It was mediocre at best while it lasted, but it's over between us. And I sure as hell won't miss you.