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albatrossonhalfpointe 's review for:
The Summer Tree
by Guy Gavriel Kay
I don't read a lot of fantasy. I won't go on too much of a rant here, but frankly, my main reason for that is that most of it is either just plain stupid, or it's ridiculously and self-indulgently long (Seriously, the only reason I can think of for a story to be twelve (or fourteen) 500+ page books long is because the author is under the impression that every idea he or she has for their characters simply must be included, and really, it doesn't.). I very much believe that, as a general rule, it takes much more skill and talent to take an epic story and tell it well in fewer words.
And that is precisely what Guy Gavriel Kay does, and why he's one of the few fantasy authors I've read in a long time. He's my husband's favourite, and this trilogy is apparently considered a pretty major work in the genre, as stated above, so I thought I'd try it out. I enjoyed The Sarantine Mosaic, and so far, this is even better. One of the things that bothered me a bit about the Sarantine books was that Kay would tell us certain things about characters, but would not demonstrate that. In The Summer Tree, he doesn't do that. He tells very little about his characters in this book, but shows you enough to paint very clear pictures of them all. The things they do and say and think make sense, and without the constant telling, it all flows and the characters just evolve naturally.
Plot-wise, this book did take a while to pick up, but that's to be expected in book 1 of a fantasy trilogy. A certain amount of time has to be devoted to setting up the world and the situation, since it's not a given the way it is in a book set in our own world. But it wasn't much farther than about halfway through, when Paul volunteers for the Tree, that I felt that I was fully in, and as the book is only 300 pages long in the first place, that's pretty darn good. (The second book, which I've started, hits you in the gut at page 6, so I have very high hopes for it.)
One thing I find somewhat fascinating about this story (so far, at least) is that, while it's obviously setting up for an epic war, Kay has made the story feel much more immediate and personal. Another reason I don't generally care for much fantasy is because really, after you've read a few epic battles between good and evil (which, let's face it, is the main gist of most high fantasy), they all kind of start to blend together. This one is different. It's written in an intensely personal way, to draw you in slowly, and it's much more interesting to read than descriptions of huge battles are. He's given each of the five a journey, and tied them together in a cohesive way, although by the end of book 1, Jennifer's journey is really just starting, and we still don't really know what Kevin's journey will be yet. But Kim has become a seer, Dave has found a place among the Dalrei, and Paul's sacrifice and resurrection has made him a hugely important figure. Not quite sure precisely how yet, but that's the great thing about reading.
In any case, I do expect the epic factor to be ramped up a bit in the next two books, but he's certainly off to a brilliant start, with a story that is simple and complex, and truly beautiful. I don't read fantasy, but I think I'm officially sold on Kay.
And that is precisely what Guy Gavriel Kay does, and why he's one of the few fantasy authors I've read in a long time. He's my husband's favourite, and this trilogy is apparently considered a pretty major work in the genre, as stated above, so I thought I'd try it out. I enjoyed The Sarantine Mosaic, and so far, this is even better. One of the things that bothered me a bit about the Sarantine books was that Kay would tell us certain things about characters, but would not demonstrate that. In The Summer Tree, he doesn't do that. He tells very little about his characters in this book, but shows you enough to paint very clear pictures of them all. The things they do and say and think make sense, and without the constant telling, it all flows and the characters just evolve naturally.
Plot-wise, this book did take a while to pick up, but that's to be expected in book 1 of a fantasy trilogy. A certain amount of time has to be devoted to setting up the world and the situation, since it's not a given the way it is in a book set in our own world. But it wasn't much farther than about halfway through, when Paul volunteers for the Tree, that I felt that I was fully in, and as the book is only 300 pages long in the first place, that's pretty darn good. (The second book, which I've started, hits you in the gut at page 6, so I have very high hopes for it.)
One thing I find somewhat fascinating about this story (so far, at least) is that, while it's obviously setting up for an epic war, Kay has made the story feel much more immediate and personal. Another reason I don't generally care for much fantasy is because really, after you've read a few epic battles between good and evil (which, let's face it, is the main gist of most high fantasy), they all kind of start to blend together. This one is different. It's written in an intensely personal way, to draw you in slowly, and it's much more interesting to read than descriptions of huge battles are. He's given each of the five a journey, and tied them together in a cohesive way, although by the end of book 1, Jennifer's journey is really just starting, and we still don't really know what Kevin's journey will be yet. But Kim has become a seer, Dave has found a place among the Dalrei, and Paul's sacrifice and resurrection has made him a hugely important figure. Not quite sure precisely how yet, but that's the great thing about reading.
In any case, I do expect the epic factor to be ramped up a bit in the next two books, but he's certainly off to a brilliant start, with a story that is simple and complex, and truly beautiful. I don't read fantasy, but I think I'm officially sold on Kay.