Scan barcode
A review by saraspock
The Darkest Road by Guy Gavriel Kay
adventurous
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
Guy Gavriel Kay is one of my favorite authors, but I hadn't previously read the Fionavar Tapestry. I'm so glad I finally decided to jump in over Christmas break. It was lush and beautiful, like Kay's writing tends to be.
We had amazing world building in Books one and two, which set the stage for an all out onslaught of storytelling in The Darkest Road. I can recognize ways in which Mr. Kay's writing has improved in the interim years, but this trilogy is everything I love about fantasy as a genre. Light fighting the dark. The reluctant prince. The destruction-hungry evil being. Different species of beings. Powers. Gods. Seers. Mages. But there's something else happening in The Fionavar Tapestry. An expertly woven story that will keep you guessing and will still have surprises in store past the last page when you reflect back on what you just read.
I can't stop thinking about our 5 characters, Paul/Pwyll, Kevin, Dave/Davor, Kim, and Jennifer, and I'm debating just starting right back over at the Summer Tree to see what I missed the first time. This is why I read. I'm going to carry these characters with me for a very long time.
We had amazing world building in Books one and two, which set the stage for an all out onslaught of storytelling in The Darkest Road. I can recognize ways in which Mr. Kay's writing has improved in the interim years, but this trilogy is everything I love about fantasy as a genre. Light fighting the dark. The reluctant prince. The destruction-hungry evil being. Different species of beings. Powers. Gods. Seers. Mages. But there's something else happening in The Fionavar Tapestry. An expertly woven story that will keep you guessing and will still have surprises in store past the last page when you reflect back on what you just read.
I can't stop thinking about our 5 characters, Paul/Pwyll, Kevin, Dave/Davor, Kim, and Jennifer, and I'm debating just starting right back over at the Summer Tree to see what I missed the first time. This is why I read. I'm going to carry these characters with me for a very long time.