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A review by tenzbenz
The Summer Tree by Guy Gavriel Kay
4.0
8/10
I just adore Guy Gavriel Kay's writing style and prose (shocker, I know). He makes this novel so mythical and beautiful, it reads like a fairy tale and the story takes on a Tolkienesque fantasy setting, which I loved. When you read his work, it is unlike other authors, because GGK spins his tale like a poet. Whenever you read his work, it feels like sitting in a tavern, a harp in the background playing and GGK sitting at the front, recounting the story once long lost.
“The Summer Tree?” he said. “It’s in the wood west of the town. Sacred it is, to Mörnir of the Thunder.” “Why is it important?” “Because,” said Coll, lower yet, “that’s where the God would summon the High King in the old days, when the land had need.” “Summon him for what?” “To hang on the Summer Tree and die,” said Coll succinctly.
The beginning... is weird. I did NOT know this book would start out as a fucking Isekai of all things. I do not particularly like the idea of Isekai as it comes across as lazy writing (how do we get person X from A to B? Let's just teleport them into this fantasy world). The 5 people that get transported do not fit in this new world at first, but what sold me was how they acclimated and changed. All 5 experience beautiful character development apart from each other (because of course one of them got separated while teleporting...). The more you read, the better it gets and the last chapter of the book was one of the most horrifying things I have ever read, truly the worst things that could happen to a person.
Loved the multiple POVs in the book as well, this book is truly a classic fantasy piece!
I just adore Guy Gavriel Kay's writing style and prose (shocker, I know). He makes this novel so mythical and beautiful, it reads like a fairy tale and the story takes on a Tolkienesque fantasy setting, which I loved. When you read his work, it is unlike other authors, because GGK spins his tale like a poet. Whenever you read his work, it feels like sitting in a tavern, a harp in the background playing and GGK sitting at the front, recounting the story once long lost.
“The Summer Tree?” he said. “It’s in the wood west of the town. Sacred it is, to Mörnir of the Thunder.” “Why is it important?” “Because,” said Coll, lower yet, “that’s where the God would summon the High King in the old days, when the land had need.” “Summon him for what?” “To hang on the Summer Tree and die,” said Coll succinctly.
The beginning... is weird. I did NOT know this book would start out as a fucking Isekai of all things. I do not particularly like the idea of Isekai as it comes across as lazy writing (how do we get person X from A to B? Let's just teleport them into this fantasy world). The 5 people that get transported do not fit in this new world at first, but what sold me was how they acclimated and changed. All 5 experience beautiful character development apart from each other (because of course one of them got separated while teleporting...). The more you read, the better it gets and the last chapter of the book was one of the most horrifying things I have ever read, truly the worst things that could happen to a person.
Loved the multiple POVs in the book as well, this book is truly a classic fantasy piece!