The Summer Tree

The Fionavar Tapestry #1

by Guy Gavriel Kay

The first volume in Guy Gavriel Kay’s stunning fantasy masterwork.

Five men and women find themselves flung into the magical land of Fionavar, First of all Worlds. They have been called there by the mage Loren Silvercloak, and quickly find themselves drawn into the complex tapestry of events. For Kim, Paul, Kevin, Jennifer and Dave all have their own part to play in the coming battle against the forces of evil led by the fallen god Rakoth Maugrim and his dark hordes.

Guy Gavriel Kay’s classic epic fantasy plays out on a truly grand scale, and has already been delighting fans of imaginative fiction for twenty years.

Genres: Fantasy, Fiction, Epic Fantasy, High Fantasy, Science Fiction Fantasy, Canada, Audiobook

383 pages, Paperback

First published October 1, 1984

About the author

Guy Gavriel Kay is a Canadian author of fantasy fiction. Many of his novels are set in fictional realms that resemble real places during real historical periods, such as Constantinople during the reign of Justinian I or Spain during the time of El Cid. Those works are published and marketed as historical fantasy, though the author himself has expressed a preference to shy away from genre categorization when possible.

Reviews

[mark monday · Rating 4 out of 5]

this is a wonderful novel. it is hard to love at first. sometimes you get to know people who seem automatically awkward, whose social style is stilted, composed of quotes from movies or off-putting attempts to be clever, insisting on repeating tired tales, who seem eager to please yet incapable of easy connection. but you get to know them over time and those trappings fall away, the awkwardness fades and they become real, three-dimensional, a friend even. and so it is with The Summer Tree.

at first, it is pure template. The Lord of the Rings is more than an inspiration; tolkein's characters and themes and countries are all directly paralleled within. as such, it is often a very familiar novel and, just as often, that does not work in its favor. what becomes an equal problem is the staginess of the opening chapters and the awkwardness of the dialogue and characterization. both are rather off-putting and the novel starts out with a stumble.

but after that stumble...oh, the riches! what seemed to be trite characters soon flower into figures far more rich, fascinating, enigmatic, even iconic. their adventures moved quickly into the unexpected yet retained a richly mythic quality. the quality of the writing beyond the dialogue is striking: kay does not engage in lush description but rather chooses his words carefully, and the simplicity yet sophistication of word choice often made me pause, and read them again: a haiku of a tale, compared to tolkein's extravagant epic poem. the mythos itself remained entrenched in the familiar, but that becomes a virtue - at times it felt as if i was reading an original telling of these tales and a recounting of these myths, as if this were actually the original template, as if the tried-and-true depiction of celtic-flavored mysticism, the elves & dwarfs & trolls, the ancient powers and unending evils were being presented in their purest and most direct format. and its combination of modern (5 modern students cross dimensions) and classic (mythological kingdoms that are the true reality) becomes a delight - wit and sad wisdom doled out equally. i certainly was not expecting to read about one character's embarrassing hard-on; nor did i expect the tragic driving death of a loved one and the suicidal yearnings of that crash's survivor to become a touchstone drawn movingly upon during somber self-sacrifice. the two worlds become surprisingly and effectively intertwined.

the penultimate chapter is one of harrowing devastation and mortification. i'm not sure i've read such a terrible and horrifying episode of torment and despair, and one that wastes no time in excessive cataloguing of the indecent tortures visited upon a tragic character. the horrors depicted in this sequence are, again, mythic in scope and meaning, yet disturbingly modern in their ability to repulse and sadden. but at the finish, The Summer Tree ends on a hopeful note. just as i am hopeful that the remaining books in the Fionavar Tapestry will continue to impress and inspire. i can't to wait to read them!

[Trin · Rating 2 out of 5]

Five Canadian college students are transported to a magical kingdom, and all of them are pretty blasé about it. Their lack of reaction cued me in pretty early on that I wasn’t going to like this book. None of these characters felt like real people to me; the students are pretty interchangeable (one’s a bit crankier! one has guilt! two possess vaginas!) and they all completely lack one of the most important things, in my opinion, for a successful fantasy novel: a sense of wonder. Nothing about this other, magical realm felt wondrous, so when it was threatened, I couldn’t bring myself to care. Which is a pity, because I felt there were some interesting ideas buried in here: Paul’s story of redemption and self-sacrifice is the type of thing that’s usually right up my alley. But it was stuck under a mountain of overwrought prose and I’m not willing to wade through that.

Plus—FUN BONUS!—there was a brutal rape scene right at the end! *makes cranky face*

[Melissa ♥ Dog/Wolf Lover ♥ Martin · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this book for one of my group challenges and I’m so glad I did as it was awesome!!

Happy Reading!!

Mel 🖤🐶🐺🐾

[Mayim de Vries · Rating 4 out of 5]

“There are kinds of action, for good or ill, that lie so far outside the boundaries of normal behaviour that they force us, in acknowledging that they have occurred, to restructure our own understanding of reality.”

If you missed Gandalf and the Fellowship of the Ring, miss them no more. The Fionavar Tapestry will provide you with the much needed Tolkienesque fix, perhaps a shade darker and a touch more sensual than the original. It is a five star, compulsory read for the lovers of this style, and an optional diversion for all the other readers.

Fionavar, the first of the worlds, which all other imperfectly reflect, is in grave peril. An ancient evil, Rakoth Maugrim, the Unraveller, stirs and must be defeated again even though the age of heroes has long gone by. And because on the Loom of the Weaver, the tapestry is woven into a multiple somewhat connected worlds of which each and every one reflects Fionavar in some way (the design mirrors Zelazny’s Amber in this regard), it is possible to look for help outside the constraints of immediate reality. More specifically, it is possible to reach out to modern day Toronto where five unsuspecting young people do not know that under a guise of an unusual sightseeing offer comes a chance to become something more they ever dreamt of becoming.

There are five main protagonists, of whom each gives their own distinct POV and colours the tapestry with a different thread:

Kimberly - the knowing one;
Kevin - the lover boy;
Jennifer - the beautiful one;
Paul - the one eaten alive with grief;
Dave - the rebel;

The Five Companions are a pillar of the main story as a group, but they are also pushed and prodded by the author individually through their own arcs. This is done unevenly as some members of the Five get more attention than others. This, however, is understandable taking into consideration that there are two more books to come. But also, fortunate for the main protagonists, as those who take on the main burden of the developing story onto their shoulders need to take on a lot. I mean, quite the weight of the world itself (hint: get your tissues ready).

You will find motifs that were expanded and explored more thoroughly in Kay’s later novels: friendship, betrayal, sacrifice, power, love, generational strife and change, facing and evading one’s destiny. There is a density of emotions and an entanglement of life and death, light and darkness, obligations and desires. Kay offers a tantalising verisimilitude. Definitely, one can say that it is not as refined as more mature Kay, but still very engaging. What I liked in the very Tolkienesque way of showing and telling (I had all my Tolkien senses overindulged. What a glorious feeling!), is that Kay proves that each and every one of ordinary us carries an epic hero within, ready to emerge from the mundane if given a chance, a spark of possibility and a courage to step up to the task.

What I didn't like that much is the narrative jumping from one POV to another within each chapter. This got me confused a couple of times at the beginning. The prose is definitely less refined, with ragged edges in the narrative. Readers get the story proper plus Fionavar’s history and mythology as a bonus. It's like Kay tries to throw half of his own Silmarilion into the bargain! The cultural, human and geographic detail is given in a flurry of names and the reader has no idea what is crucial and should be remembered what can be interesting but can be stored away upon acknowledgment. The quality of the available map is questionable and I was lost very often. A book of this density really should have an extended appendix with maps, names, and a brief historical and cultural overview of Fionavar.

These minor issues notwithstanding, The Summer Tree has been a real treat for me. The branches (or should I write, the threads) of the story grow and form amazing patterns that would have a lesser writer entirely lost in such vast design. I wouldn’t recommend the book if it’s meant to be your fist Kay’s novel, but equally, if you are a fan of his style, don’t let it wait too long on your “to read” shelf.

Also in the series:
2. The Wandering Fire
3. The Darkest Road

[Kay · Rating 4 out of 5]

The first thought I had when I read the description was, "Gawd, not again *groaning moaning*". I've read attempted to read enough Tolkien wannabes with elves, orcs, and swords, and had enough.

Then, I read extremely favorable reviews on GR about this book. It piqued my curiosity. Wait, what? This is how Tolkien should be written??

What the...



Frankly, upon finishing this book, I'm inclined to agree with the favorable critics. This is very much like LotR, so much that I can see many fans either loving it or hating it. Kay plays and works his magic in Tolkien's idealistic framework. The good v. evil conflict is the same, the inhabitants of Fionavar mirror that of Middle Earth's, and even the characters (particularly the women, though I will get to that) are strikingly similar to the leading lady cast of LotR. So many elements overlap that I initially felt annoyed at the sameness, but, as I got further into the book, I was surprised by how unique this entire story was.

First off, this was an EPIC STORY. Fionavar, as the first of all worlds, is the core for all our mythology and legends. All other worlds spin off Fionavar, which means Fionavar is home to all these myths. Even though we are viewing this world through the eyes of five seemingly ordinary Canadian university students, Fionavar never ceases to lose that EPIC STORY feel, partially because of the EPIC heroes and villains, and partially because the students themselves attain somewhat EPIC status themselves.

Initially the characters felt a little awkward. Maybe it's a demi generational gap, but the their thoughts and behaviors did not feel natural or all that interesting. I constantly got confused between Kevin and Paul, and felt that the rest were more cardboard-y than alive, especially when they arrived in Fionavar. I took issue that no one questioned how freaking bizarre it was to be taken to a whole different world.

But after getting over that initial hump, well, Mind. Blown.

The tale of five university kids stumbling into Fionavar unfolded beautifully. I initially cringed at the thought of modern day people bringing their modern day ideals and airs into a swords-and-sorcery age. But instead of trouncing on customs and cultures, the five took their own unique paths, be it light or very dark. In walking this road, the five were quickly swallowed into Fionavar, body and soul, and became more than just Kevin Laine or just Jennifer Lowell. It actually seems more appropriate to say that they became avatars of the complex ideals that make up Fionavar. This world is alive, people. It has its own customs, its own mythos, and its own presence. Very quickly, the book became as much about Fionavar, as it was about the five.

Fionavar is no happy fairy land. It has beauty, grit, complexity, darkness, and corruption, all subtly woven into the narrative by Kay's gorgeous prose. The man can write, and he does so tastefully. Unlike many modern fantasy writers, nothing about his prose felt gratuitous, and the quality, rather than quantity, of his prose communicated the mood of the scene. I felt completely enraptured by the world of Fionavar, and very, very few books have transported me mind and spirit into its world.

The one major thing that I do take issue with is his treatment of women in the book, particularly Jennifer's story. The reviews prepped me for something awful, and I'm glad I got some notice. Now, since I am affected, I am going to assume that this rape scene has a purpose that will be utterly mind blowing...or else, what the hell, GGK?

Elizabeth noted in her review that GGK writes how he thinks women should behave, and I am inclined to agree. He groups his women into two broad categories: they are either honorable (Kim, Jennifer), if not a bit psycho (the Priestess), or petty and slutty (the Court women, the various tavern girls Diarmiud sleeps with). (Kay's rendition of high fantasy is a little raunchier and sexier than what I remember from LotR, woohoo). Women, perhaps unjustly, are depicted less three dimensionally than others, and do suffer more than men. The ending scene is one example. Another is: the prince embarks on a "quest" with his men to seduce a foreign princess, gets away with it, and in the dizzying elation that follows a mission well accomplished the boys bond over alcohol and more sex with tavern wenches. Later, when the vengeful princess tries to assassinate the prince for her loss of honor, he ends up covering for her when she is found out. It's a weird dynamic that switched the victim-attacker role in favor of the prince and effectively glazed over the fact that what the prince did to her was a scumbag thing to do.

Overall, a solid four stars to this initial book. Despite some hiccups and my own personal issues, this book was a fantastic introduction to what seems to be an exceedingly epic and personal tale. I am definitely a fan, and will be continuing to read.

And if that doesn't convince you enough, I already bought the next book and have begun reading it at the time of writing this review.

4 STARS AND HIGHLY RECOMMENDED, especially for fans of epic fantasy and high fantasy.

[Choko · Rating 4 out of 5]

*** 4.35 ***

A buddy read with the awesome Kay Squad @ Fantasy Buddy Reads Group!

Every time I pick up a book by GGK I am filled with anticipation almost equal to that of children opening presents on Christmas Day morning. The first night of Hanukkah!!! A time of celebration of the soul, despite not being sure if it will live up to the expectations at the end. I have been very lucky for now and everything I have had the pleasure of reading by him has brought me much more pleasure than disappointment. However, this book was written much earlier than the ones I have previously read, so I was a bit worried going in to it.

"...“There are kinds of action, for good or ill, that lie so far outside the boundaries of normal behavior that they force us, in acknowledging that they have occurred, to restructure our own understanding of reality. We have to make room for them.” ..."

From the start I jumped into an alternate universe together with the five young-ish Earth inhabitants, Kevin, Kim, Jessica, David and Paul, following a Mage of Fionavar, the "...the prime creation, which all the others imperfectly reflect...". This First and most ancient world, where magic and G-ds still have their place and swords and bows are the most technologically advanced weaponry, an Evil old and powerful, Rakoth the Unraveller, stalks the daily lives of Royalty and peasants, drying up the earth and burning off the crops, starving the cattle and putting a stranglehold on folks livelihoods. It is imprisoned beneath a mountain and kept there by the Guardian Stones, which blue lights show that it has not freed itself yet. But its tentacles are already working on the outside world and omens show that the time of its freedom and the war of Good vs Evil will follow.

"...“Alluding and attacking, summoning a courage, embodying a gallantry of defiance that hurt to see, it was so noble and so doomed.” ..."

This whole book is a set-up for the upcoming war, establishing the characters of the participants and delineating the battle lines. An old King, who has ruled for many years, has refused several times to sacrifice himself on the Summer Tree in order to placate the local G-d to end the drought, his older son has been exiled for wanting to take his father's place as the sacrificial lamb, thus implying that his father was not doing what is best for his people. This is treason, so he is disinherited and exiled from the castle. The younger son, a gorgeous but irresponsible womanizer and a rake, is the hair designate and he and one of the mages, Loren Silvercloak, and his companion/power source (interesting magical buddy-system), the Dwarf King Matt Sören, bring the Five Canadians over for the celebrations of the Kings' rain, thus involving them in the court intrigues as well as in the overall war of primary powers. None of them come to the last chapter of the book unaffected by one thing or another, giving them reasons to grow and choose sides.

"...“We salvage what we can, what truly matters to us, even at the gates of despair.” ..."

There are magical creatures, dwarfs, flying Unicorns and gigantic black swans with carnivore teeth... There are things that would reminds Fantasy fans of C. S. Lewis, J.R.R. Tolkien and R. Jordan, all of it somewhat dated by the heavy influences of the time it was written in, the 80's. There are many little flaws, some not so polished dialogues, and some purposeful and not so purposeful ambiguities, but the one thing that made me forget all of those things is the signature GGK prose!!! Even in this early work the power of his wordsmithing is overwhelming! He can pack a sentence with meaning and emotion on par with the all time greatest! He has a cadence of storytelling that sweeps you in the story almost against your will, making you feel like a child being told an intricate tale of magic made accessible by its melody more than the story-line itself. The moment and manner of telling are the apex of the experience, making you giddy with the enchantment of it!!! You are willing to forgive a lot from an author who can gift you with such wonder!

"...“Ah, Malka,” she murmured at last, “I wish I were wiser. What is the use of living so long if one hasn’t grown wise?”
The cat pricked up her ears, but preferred to continue licking a paw rather than address herself to so thorny a question." ..."

This is not the best book I have read by Kay, but it is a very good beginning to a trilogy and I can't wait to find out how it all works out:):):) Thank you to all the awesome friends from the Kay Squad!!!

Now I wish you all Happy Reading and many more wonderful books to come!!!

[Krell75 · Rating 2 out of 5]

Ringrazio GGK per aver terminato il romanzo in sole 330 pagine. La mia mascella, ormai slogata dagli infiniti sbadigli, ringrazia anche di più.

Cinque studenti universitari vengono invitati da uno sconosciuto in un mondo magico parallelo al nostro. Accettato l'invito senza alcun timore o dubbio e giunti in questo mondo pieno di meraviglie i cinque sembrano non stupirsi di nulla, si fidano di tutti quelli che incontrano, risolvono le situazioni con intuizioni geniali, affrontano creature, dei e magie ma rimangono impassibili come fossero consuetudini banali.
La scelta delle loro azioni risulta già determinata dalla forza magica che permea il mondo intero e i mondi paralleli, tessendo i destini di tutti. Nessuna scelta quindi e nessun libero arbitrio.

In questo mondo alternativo, stranamente, tutti parlano la loro lingua, le donne sono uno strumento di sollazzo per i maschi quando non svengono con il polso sulla fronte o vengono rapite senza alcuna ragione da creature malvage e brutte.
I personaggi secondari assolvono il tedioso compito di fonte logorroica per i numerosissimi racconti storici che vanno a delineare il variegato world building.

Gli eventi accadono all'improvviso e senza preparazione, mi sono limitato ad osservarli accadere senza alcun coinvolgimento. Ogni tanto muore qualcuno a caso con l'intento di svegliare il lettore dal mondo di Morfeo.
Naturalmente non saranno mai i nostri valorosi e fortunati eroi a soccombere, anche affrontando cento mostri bavosi o penetrando in luoghi proibiti e mortali, saranno sempre gli unici a sopravvivere.

La trama si dilunga in eventi come: una inutile missione testosteronica per andare a sedurre, con inevitabile ricompensa finale in carne calda, la bella principessa del regno nemico, rischiando la vita, oppure l'assurda scelta di un uomo che ha la brillante idea di risolvere i sui supposti problemi esistenziali appendendosi nudo ad un albero per lasciarsi morire, pittoresco ma poco pratico. C'è anche una strabiliante caccia alle "antilopi" nelle sterminate pianure erbose che termina a gara di rutti e donne vogliose, anche tre alla volta.

A proposito, leggere questo primo romanzo ha contribuito al mio già poco apprezzamento per Robert Jordan e la sua terribile Ruota del Tempo. Sono presenti numerosi elementi presi e riciclati da Jordan: rapporto tra mago e custode, tessitura della magia, siccità come manifestazione del male, il nemico imprigionato da sigilli magici, il corno magico che evoca gli spiriti dei caduti! Non gli bastava saccheggiare Tolkien, Herbert ed Eddings. Ora aggiungiamo anche GGK.

---------------------------------------
I thank GGK for finishing the novel in just 330 pages. My jaw, now dislocated from endless yawns, thanks me even more.

Five university students are invited by a stranger into a magical world parallel to ours. Having accepted the invitation without any fear or doubt and having arrived in this world full of wonders, the five do not seem to be surprised by anything, they trust everyone they meet, they resolve situations with brilliant intuitions, they face creatures, gods and magic but remain as impassive as they were banal customs.
The choice of their actions is already determined by the magical force that permeates the entire world and parallel worlds, weaving everyone's destinies. Therefore, no choice and no free will.

In this alternative world, strangely, everyone speaks their language, women are an instrument of entertainment for men when they don't faint with their wrist on their forehead or are kidnapped for no reason by evil and ugly creatures.
The secondary characters perform the tedious task of verbose sources for the numerous historical stories that outline the varied world building.

Events happen suddenly and without preparation, I just watched them happen without any involvement. Every now and then someone randomly dies with the intention of waking the reader from the world of Morpheus.
Of course, our brave and lucky heroes will never succumb, even when facing a hundred drooling monsters or entering forbidden and deadly places, they will always be the only ones to survive.

The plot dwells on events such as: a useless testosterone mission to seduce, with inevitable final reward in hot flesh, the beautiful princess of the enemy kingdom, risking his life, or the absurd choice of a man who has the brilliant idea of solve his supposed existential problems by hanging himself naked from a tree to die, picturesque but impractical. There is also an amazing hunt for "antelopes" in the endless grassy plains which ends with a competition of burps and eager women, even three at a time.

By the way, reading this first novel contributed to my already little appreciation for Robert Jordan and his terrible Wheel of Time. There are numerous elements taken and recycled by Jordan: the relationship between magician and guardian, weaving of magic, drought as a manifestation of evil, the enemy imprisoned by magical seals, the magic horn that evokes the spirits of the fallen! It wasn't enough for him to plunder Tolkien, Herbert and Eddings. Now let's also add GGK.

[Kelly · Rating 4 out of 5]

(This will serve as my review of the entire Fionovar Tapestry- Spoiler pearl clutchers beware- there be dragons of plot and theme reveals here!)

Confession: I am a bit of a Requiem fanatic- I own several versions of the Verdi, the Mozart, the Brahms, and copies of the Cherubini, Berlioz, Dvorak, and Benjamin Britten Requiems and I am always looking for more. I am fascinated with each and every one of them personally, but when it comes time to try and explain my obsession to someone else, I always play them the one that seems to translate its meaning to everyone: Verdi’s Requiem for Alessandro Manzoni.

In order to show this to my boyfriend, I took him to a performance of the Verdi last year at the Kennedy Center. To be honest, he mostly sat there with a polite “so, when can I go to the bathroom?” look on his face through the opening Kyrie. I was starting to worry about what kind of really horrid sci-fi B movie I was going to have to sit through to make up for putting him through this- but not for very long The minute the chorus hit the Daes Irae, he practically leapt out of his chair with excitement at its awesomeness. He was a percussionist for many years, and he spent the rest of the movement happily drumming out the beats of Hell and Damnation, gasping with the screaming descent of the chorus falling into the abyss, anticipating Verdi’s next lightning strike of devilish terror.

And then the main Daes and the call to Judgment of the Tuba Mirum ended, succeeding to the soaring solos and pleading instruments of the Liber Scriptus, the Quid sum miser and so on. But he wasn’t happy until the Daes returned- sitting tense until he heard the shocking first slam on the timpani announcing the theme and then leaning forward in his seat again, as happy as a clam.

I believe the young Guy Gavriel Kay was also a Daes Irae only man.

The Fionavar Tapestry is an epic, old school style fantasy trilogy. It is not only epic, it is the most epic thing to ever epic in this whole epic universe, man! And you might think I’m making fun of the book, but that really is sort of its point. It’s meant to gather in as many (mostly Western, let’s be honest) heroic archetypes, stories, and quests as possible into one overwhelming tale that tells all the tales that have ever been told, at their peak of beauty, elegance and emotion. Hence the name, focus, and dominant images of the tale: the tapestry, the weaver, the loom, threads, snipping, spinning, binding, winding. Fionavar is known to fans of Guy Gavriel Kay’s work as the central world of all worlds there are, and is essentially Heaven on Earth. We may live many lives with many flaws, problems, and could-have-beens, but in Fionavar, we will finally live the life we were meant to (“We will meet again in Fionavar, my love, in Fionavar.”) This tale shows us the price of building that heaven.

This grand tale, however, cannot happen without five ordinary Canadian citizens who turn out to be necessary for the tale to progress. A mage named Loren Silvercloak and his source, the former dwarf king, Matt Sören, lure them to their world on the promise of two weeks of fun- and of course it turns out that they are needed for much, much more. They are lead through incredible adventure after adventure throughout the three books, finding their places in this new world as they participate in or witness incredible feats of bravery, sacrifice and heroism that pile one on top of the other in glorious succession for three books right down until nearly the very last page of conclusion.

And all that action packed, exhilarating action is essentially why I can never really adore these books the way that I adore the rest of Kay’s work: the Daes Irae (or the Hallejuah Chorus, if it happens to be a brief happy moment), being played at full volume, without pause or interlude.

Kay is just far too demanding of his readers in this book. In this epic of epics, he constantly presents us with yet another mythical figure, piece of magic, old (it must be old to be revered!) legend coming true every few pages- then spends the next few pages demanding that we stand in awe of his creations. Each character is more beautiful, more perfect, more shining than the last- or, alternately, has committed acts more dastardly and more terrifying than could ever be contemplated. It is tempting to dismiss this as merely teenage Mary-Sue writing- but I’m aware that isn’t the point. He’s trying to draw on the force of so many old legends of our own world and reach something inside us all that respond to these ancient stories by reminding us how deeply important they are. He wants to remind us why the essence of these things are so important.

It’s just exhausting, and unfortunately, after awhile, it does get to be a little eyeroll inducing (especially when all the Magical Objects of Power just turn up at convenient moments as Deus Ex Machina- and sometimes that’s literal! This thing is all about the plot, the plot was just embarrassing at times). Even when he’s trying to be funny, he has to surround a brief light moment with pages of stuff justifying it’s deeper meaning. He tries to use the five Canadians to show us how to react properly, with awe and respect, but it just doesn’t work for me. One of the major things that bothers me about this trilogy is how ACCEPTING everyone is of things, how REVERENT they are of this story. Everyone just seems to accept that they should drop everything for this story they’ve fallen in to- no one thinks to tell family back home when characters die in the other world. I think he missed a great opportunity to both connect people into the story and explore some cool ideas about the values of modern culture, and the stories we tell ourselves now- American Gods style, but better. I wish he had given me that way to connect to the characters, because honestly? I felt like three out of The Five weren’t even really given a personality- poor Jennifer and Kim got shafted, and Kevin was reduced to a couple of adjectives. They were taken over by what they were supposed to represent- which I understand to a certain degree, but they’re also supposed to be people. That is supposed to be the pathos of the whole thing. I can’t cry over someone if they’re just a camera angle for me- 90% of the time just telling me how awed I should be. Kay really did mostly fail at the thing that I usually love about his writing- the deeply human, inner aspect of his characters and their actions, how those things make up a resonating story.

That’s what I needed here- I need a little Ingemisco, a little Lux Aeterna in my life, I need some Chopin Nocturnes, some Bach Cello Suites. I want some variation in tone, volume, emphasis, some ambiguity in what I should be thinking and feeling while I’m reading. I want that extensive inner contemplation that shows me why a person does what he does- that’s the thing to observe reverently. It’s just as epic as any other kind of piece, but observed within, and spoken aloud in a whisper, quietly, discreetly. Then you can show me the epic battle and expect me to care about everyone involved. I only really saw this in two places in the trilogy, one major, one minor with flaws. The major one was entirely in The Summer Tree: Paul’s backstory of despair (which is why that one got four stars, and the others three), his doomed love for a talented musician named Rachel, and the endless torture he puts himself through for the tangle that their relationship became. We’re taken from the middle to the beginning to the end of his pain in such an amazingly sensitive and deeply felt way- his nights on the Summer Tree are just achingly beautiful, and you feel every reason he’s there with every line. But then that done, he seems to just give it up until the end. Then it’s all magical powers and flying unicorns, gifts of goddesses and Big Ass Swords. Plot, plot plot, things things things- who cares?

Speaking of plot, I have to mention this too: I was actually kind of disturbed by what he put Jennifer through for the sake of his plot development/giving her moral invulnerability- I’ve always thought that he used sex for interesting/good things in his books, but not here. I just can’t justify it- the showing of the unspeakably horrible things that happened to her, and especially the tone of the telling did not equal their storytelling value. Again, Kay ramped it up to full, screaming volume, and it made me close my eyes, not listen closer. It made me question the relationship of women and sex in his books all over again, and not in a good way.

But in any case, back to my major issue with the book: Eventually, I know that he came to understand the power of the inner world over the twenty-page-long sword fight, and I see the beginnings of that here- but he just hadn’t gotten there yet. He was still too in love with the stories, and not yet with the people inside the stories. I certainly understand that- these are the most amazing stories in the world for a reason, and weave spells over us accordingly. Kay has Arthur, I had my Beauty and the Beast stories. We all have that irrational attachment to stories, before we start to ask too many questions of them, or look at them in a different way. That’s Kay in these books. He’s too excited about sharing every story he knows with us to just sit down and coherently tell us one story that really matters.

I’ve always loved reading pre-masterwork pieces of my favorite authors, watching their ideas develop. I can see the beginnings of some of my favorite books here. That’s exciting. That’s wonderful.

But he just can’t… quite… hear the rest of the music properly yet.

[Silvana · Rating 1 out of 5]

If you were stalked by some dudes who claimed they're a mage and a dwarf who wanted to take you to their fantasy kingdom through a magic portal, would you receive their invitation immediately? If yes, then this book might be suitable for you.

If you like your characters to get so skilled and powered in a very small amount of time (i.e. Suddenly Always Knew That) because of...well, plot, then you would like this book.

If you don't mind wasting time getting involved in inane court intrigue or dreaming or shits like that, instead of mounting a rescue mission for one of your friends who was already in captivity for some days and who knows what the evil lord and his minions could be doing to a helpless beautiful woman, this is the book for you. (Oh yes, there's a trigger warning y'all!)

I am disappointed with this one, because it reminded me of The Silmarillion - which Kay helped edit, btw - with its rich lore and mythical worldbuilding. Not just the characters are cardboardy and hard to relate to, I don't find myself buying the plots, motivations and logic of the actions. There was this Jesus-wannabe character whose redemption arc was stunted. Meanwhile, the changing POVs in one chapter was rather jarring as well, especially since almost all have similar voices.

Dammit, I hope Tigana is way better than this since I am scheduled to read it next month.

(PS - a few weeks later: I ended up DNF-ing Tigana)

[Markus · Rating 4 out of 5]

”But above all he could wait: wait as the cycles of men turned like the wheel of stars, as the very stars shifted pattern under the press of years. There would come a time when the watch slackened, when one of the five guardians would falter. Then could he, in darkest secrecy, exert his strength to summon aid, and there would come a day when Rakoth Maugrim would be free in Fionavar.
And a thousand years passed under the sun and stars of the first of all the worlds…”

In the midst of a strange night at the University of Toronto, five students are summoned to Fionavar, the first of all worlds. From there on starts an epic story of war and intrigue as Guy Gavriel Kay writes his only tale of high fantasy to date.

The first book in the Fionavar Tapestry consists of a rather raw beauty. It is not a masterpiece. It is not Tigana. It has good and bad moments, and while I was debating whether to give it four or five stars, it took a turn that turned me firmly towards four. It is, however, a wonderfully written piece of art. The Summer Tree is exactly what you would expect from Guy Gavriel Kay's first published novel: a diamond in the rough.

[Bradley · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm of two minds with this work. I think I'd rather give this one a 3.5 on sheer enjoyability, having the reaction that I'd read this all before, and it's pacing was slow, slow, slow, but after having read it and having some thoughts as to what Kay was trying to accomplish, I'm revising it up to a solid 4.

There is a lot to love in this novel, but unfortunately, it takes a long time for it to develop and ripen. Right off the bat, I noticed that this was taking an old trick that so much Fantasy (and much SF) seems almost "Required", coming from the late seventies and eighties. I'm referring to the need to pull ordinary people from our modern world and putting them dab square in a Fantasy. (I'm looking at you, Donaldson and Zelazny.)

I don't like it. I never really have. The character's lives are usually unremarkable in the real world and using them as a hook in a Fish-Out-Of-Water tale tends to get very old, very quickly. Too much time is spent acclimating the reader into either a rich tapestry of mythos and worldbuilding, or a flat and slow slog through old themes done YET AGAIN.

This one starts out that way, and I groaned. I truly don't mind being thrown head first into a rich tapestry without any foreplay, and that is what I love most about modern Fantasy titles. I call it respect for the reader. Drawing out a tale to poke the butterflies and unicorns or to see how grand the King and Kingdom is as a modern yokel just bores the living shit out of me. That being said, this novel wasn't too bad. It was slow and the general pacing could have been much improved, whether by actual plot or just the illusion of things happening, but once I got over that, I discovered that the whole book was nothing more than a novel about character discovery. There's a good deal of Tolkeinish things going on, including names and events we aren't privy to yet, and may never be. We've got standard Fantasy tropes everywhere we look. It's not really about that. It's about the character growth.

Something big does happen, but it's more of a prelude to the rest of the novels.

What really struck me as Important in this read was the language that Kay used. I'm not referring to dialogue. The dialogue was functional. No, I'm referring to the placement of words, the economy, and the sheer beauty of what was being conveyed. If I wanted a rip-roaring fantasy tale, I came to the wrong place. If I wanted beautifully written prose, minus the dialogue, then I definitely hit the lottery. I got into the book by this door, and it continued to surprise and amaze. The characters who first started pretty flat began showing grand definition by way of their actions. They grew. Some of them grew a lot. Others just grew more powerful.

There weren't any glowing light shows or epic battles, save for a few economical scenes that were positively Spartan or even Hemingway in their brevity, and I might have taken umbrage at that, because I like exciting scenes, but they were written pretty and evocative, if short, and they were good enough that I couldn't help being extremely impressed.

It took a long time to get into this novel, but I'll give it this: Once I did get going, I was good to go. I'm now in a state of mind that I could keep going with this tale forever.
It reminds me of later works that are so huge (I'm looking at you, WoT) that it takes 4-5 books before we start to even LIKE a particular character, or get impressed with how much he's developed.

It's a DAMN GOOD THING that this is a trilogy, or I'd probably throw it at someone. (I'm looking at you, Kay.)

[Jake Bishop · Rating 4 out of 5]

The setting of the Summer Tree is as close to classic fantasy as I have read in a while, however Guy Gavriel Kay avoids some of the common pitfalls of his era of fantasy.

This is Guy Gavriel Kay's debut novel, and I have been told, his worst book.

It was pretty darn good

It did have some issues though, and made a strange combination of small bits of being amateurish and brilliant.

The premise is a portal fantasy, 5 Toronto students meet a wizard, and get teleported into Fionavar, the first of all the alternate worlds.

This world has all the stuff you would expect in classic fantasy. It's got a dark lord who was defeated a thousand years ago and imprisoner beneath a mountain, it's got kings, princes, mages, dwarves, and what are basically high elves.

One thing that was somewhat common in 80s fantasy that it manages to avoid, is the romanization of things that are...not good.

It also is GGK, so the writing itself is really excellent. It isn't quite as smooth as the writing of Tigana or Al-Rassan. But Guy Gavriel Kay could make the most mundane things seem full of grandeur, and beauty, and emotion. Additionally the pacing of this book was pretty spot on. GGK does the thing where halfway through the book at the end of part 2 he moves to a different part of the world, but he also almost instantly got me hooked on that part of the world. Overall this was a pretty eventful book, and the vents happened at a steady and logical place. I will say the characters do not stand out to the degree they do in his later works, and there are decisions and actions they make that just don't fit with their backstory.

Another thing he avoids from 80s fantasy is actually having well fleshed out female characters who seem to play as big or bigger of a role then the guys. Although there is one character who played the getting captured and needs to be rescued role, so I will probably see where that goes.

What may be my biggest criticism is that it seems the Toronto university students adapted unrealistically, and maybe even absurdly quickly to the challenges of a fantasy world. Why are all these people amazing horseback riders. I'm pretty sure riding a warhorse into a fight probably is pretty damm hard, and is not a part of the law curriculum at Toronto University.

Overall this was a book that embraces classic fantasy, and clearly wears it's influence of LotR and Narnia on it's sleeve. It manages to have a compelling and complex cast of characters, emotional moments, and gorgeous writing. Even if I will say the dialogue is definitely not as smooth as Al-Rassan or even Tigana.
7.7/10

[Chris Gousopoulos · Rating 5 out of 5]

Once very few years I have this inner yearning to read something reminiscent of my early steps into Fantasy. Something archetypical. Something treading the paths of the likes of Middle Earth. Fionavar Tapestry seems to be exactly that. Generally i was snobbish towards these books but this time the call was heard and fortunately I made the right decision of starting The Summer Tree. It grabbed me from the beginning. A haunting epic tale with strong imagery in the veins of Silmarillion. The writing is poetic and romantic and weaves a beautiful and dangerous world full of symbolism. I guess its not for everyone, especially if u only like modern writers with either the trendying YA or grittier grimdark ( I love grimdark) approach. If on the other hand, u want to read something that feels classic, that it is beautiful and strongly into the primordial battle of Good Vs Evil then these books might be exactly what u need!

P.S Reread. Exactly as I remembered it. A bit awkward in the beginning but turning to be a high fantasy benchmark for me. I love the atmosphere, the somewhat narrow scope feeling of the setting but the dramatic stakes, the myths of the story and the evocative writing of Kay. A big favourite

[Laura · Rating 5 out of 5]

Buddy read with the fabulous Kay Squad at FBR

An amazing masterpiece by a brilliant writer!

Whit this book, Kay manages to give you a story in which you can get lost and forget yourself reading for hours on end.

Five university students embark on a journey of self-discovery when they enter a realm of wizards and warriors, gods and mythical creatures--and good and evil…
It all began with a lecture that introduced five university students to a man who would change their lives, a wizard who would take them from Earth to the heart of the first of all worlds--Fionavar. And take them Loren Silvercloak did, for his need--the need of Fionavar and all the worlds--was great indeed.

And in a marvellous land of men and dwarves, of wizards and gods, five young people discovered who they were truly meant to be. For they are a long-awaited part of the pattern known as the Fionavar Tapestry, and only if they accepted their destiny would the armies of the Light stand any chance of surviving the wrath the Unraveller and his minions of darkness intend to unleash upon the world…


The Fionavar Tapestry cover art by Don Maitz and Janny Wurts

This incredible journey in a unique world is told in Kay's usual elegant prose and his typical writing style, full of poetry, rhythm and realism.
While Kay is a deeply colourful writer, for the most part he manages to never sacrifice character for poetry, or portray his world just in the hollow tones of an epic saga. There is often something wonderfully immediate in Kay's prose, whether describing a city under drought, a battle against dark creatures, a humorous tavern brawl, or most horribly yet most vividly, torture and it's survival.

What struck me the most with this particular book was the feeling I got while the story started to unfold from its pages. Kay does something extraordinary here. He'll make you feel as if you are not reading. It sounds absurd! I know. But it's a fact. Somewhere after the first few chapters you will suddenly realise that you feel as if your sitting cuddled next to your loved ones in a huge hall in front of a bright fire, with a big mug of mead in your hands, listening to a great bard tell you a wonderful gripping story, that will leave you hanging on to his every word. And that is Kay's greatest talent.

If you love epic fantasy, especially Tolkien type, you're gonna love The Summer Tree.

If you love books full of feelings, with complex characters, elegant prose and masterful writing, you're gonna love The Summer Tree.

If you love fairy-tales told by the fire and want to forget yourself for a little while within the pages of a wonderful book - The Summer Tree is your perfect choice!

Check out this review and more over at The Magic Book Corner

[Sebastien Castell · Rating 5 out of 5]

I wonder if everyone has their favourite era of fantasy, and whether that era corresponds to when they first truly became enthralled with the genre. For me, it was mid-1980's. It's not that fantasy was better in those days; in fact, I'll bet any number of literary scholars would argue earlier works were more innovative and more recent ones more sophisticated and inclusive. But the language and style of the 1980's were the ones that I first learned and that stuck with me. It's easier, somehow, to read a fantasy novel written in that era – as if I'm not fighting the language quite so much.
But there were other things I liked about 1980's fantasy. Urban fantasy was driven by a kind of blending of ancient and modern mythologies and hadn't yet been taken over by paranormal romance and poorly-disguised superhero stories minus the capes and tights. Portal fantasy novels asked how adults from our world might react when dropped into a magical and mythical landscape. Nowadays, portal fantasy is largely relegated to middle-grade books and variations on LitRPG (literary role playing games), both of which are fine in their own right, but not really for me.
All of which brings me to The Summer Tree by Guy Gavriel Kay.
I first read found this book in the discard trolley of my local library, bought in for a quarter, and fell headlong and forever into Fionavar, a land not dissimilar in many ways to Middle Earth (Kay had recently come off helping Christopher Tolkien with The Silmarillion) but without hobbits. In their place come five twenty-somethings from our world, struggling to figure out how to survive amidst all the swordplay, magic, and evil forces, yet also discovering that they, too, have a vital place in this world.
So far it probably doesn't sound all that inventive, partly because most of us have come across lots of portal fantasies over the years and partly because I haven't conveyed what made the Summer Tree so special: the feeling and the voice.
Typically when you drop someone from our world into a fantasy world, you can expect about three hundred pages of, "Oh my god, this is nuts! WTF! Like, I totally don't buy this 'Dark Lord' stuff at all, but geez, there's that guy with a sword coming for me just like in [insert intertextual reference about recent movie or video game]". It's not an unexpected thing for writers to do, but it's a facile way of simulating realism and internal conflict.
Guy Gavriel Kay, however, goes the opposite route. In the Summer Tree, the "I don't believe this stuff" comes and goes quickly, which feels more realistic to me because it's hard to imagine still telling yourself something's a dream when you've nearly had your head chopped off. Instead, his characters find in themselves these nagging resonances with the world of Fionavar, and often slip into the more lyrical language style of the peoples of that world. It changes them from lost mall shoppers in Mordor to semi-mythic beings themselves.
Part of how Kay accomplishes this (or at least, what it looks like to me as a reader) is by giving those characters genuine heartaches and insecurities that they're carrying with them into Fionavar. So instead of whining about their latest breakups, the five have real, enduring wounds that they're wrestling to heal, and in those wounds lies their particular roles inside the unfolding epic battle for Fionavar.
Re-reading this book more than thirty years after it was written, I was struck by how fresh it feels to me simply because it's got a genuinely different style than most other fantasy novels I pick up. It's not a style that will suit everyone (and getting used to a head-hopping omniscient narration can be jarring), but personally? I loved it.
Good and bad things happen to characters in this story, and with each one, they're transformed. They don't go back to old insecurities but instead move forward, becoming, step by step, the heroes Fionavar needs. The characters native to Fionavar are equally fleshed-out, and the mythic characters brought into the story (there's a whole Arthurian thing that comes into play) are blissfully changed by events rather than being stock repetitions of iconic figures.
The Summer Tree is the first in a trilogy, and unlike modern fantasy each book isn't phone-book sized. This keeps the pacing fast and the storytelling fluid. I doubt Kay would argue that this was his best book (given, I think, that it was his first), but it's got a romantic compulsion about heroism that I adored even all these years later.
Not everyone will react as positively to the Summer Tree as me – this is very much a book of its time that doesn't explicitly or implicitly make reference to the intertextual "meta-ness" that so characterizes contemporary fantasy. But for me, as someone who discovered fantasy in the 1980's, The Summer Tree will always remain one of my favourites.
Now, onto book two: The Wandering Fire.

[carol. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nostalgia read, sparked by a bookclub desire to read the series. What can I say?

I first read this not long after the series came out (1984 for the first one). I was in my early teens, and there wasn’t much fantasy that felt inclusive of females, stories told in a lush world of sweeping scope. You know how desperate my thirteen year-old self was? Two words: Thomas Covenant. Kay was a refreshing summer breeze, and the writing–oh, the writing! It remained shiny in my memory, musical and strong enough to pull at the heart.

Like many nostalgia reads, I was somewhat afraid to approach it again, afraid it wouldn’t hold up to twenty-five years of memories. However, I found it remained satisfying, almost as delicious, just as emotional and evocative, and somehow, even more balanced than I remembered.

Continued at:
http://clsiewert.wordpress.com/2014/0...

[Veronica · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars

**Buddy Read with the awesome Kay Squad at Fantasy Buddy Reads**

"There are many worlds," he said, "caught in the loops and whorls of time. Seldom do they intersect, and so for the most part they are unknown to each other. Only in Fionavar, the prime creation, which all the others imperfectly reflect, is the lore gathered and preserved that tells of how to bridge the worlds - and even there the years have not dealt kindly with ancient wisdom."

This is the tale of five twenty-somethings - Kim, Jennifer, Kevin, Paul, and Dave (The Five) - who find themselves transported from their Toronto homes to the world of Fionavar, a place steeped in the rich history of gods, goddesses, heroes, and last stand battles. A place where, eons before, the five peoples of Fionavar battled and defeated an ancient Power known as Rakoth the Unraveller. Since such a Power cannot truly be killed, he was imprisoned under a mountain and the five peoples were presented with wardstones, whose power was perpetuated by sacred fires, to keep him there. As long as the sacred fires burned, the wardstones would continue to hold Rakoth in his prison. But nothing ever really lasts forever, not war...not peace. When portents and dreams start to give warning that something dark is coming it is Loren Silvercloak, a powerful mage, who sets about bringing The Five to Fionavar. He’s not entirely sure why these particular five are needed, only that he feels led to do this. And so begins this magical portal fantasy.

It’s one of Kay’s early works, if not his first published effort, and, coupled with being published in the 80s, it lacks some of the later polish that his writing develops. Even with that being the case, however, the groundwork of Kay’s beautiful and lyrical prose is very much in evidence. One of our Kay Squad members, @Melissa, mentioned that Kay’s storytelling has a bard-like quality to it and I’m in agreement. And like any good bard, Kay spins a tale that will hook in its readers, holding them in thrall until well past the ending of the story. This tale is no exception and even though there are some very recognizable fantasy tropes at work, they are delivered with such exquisite prose - haunting, beautiful, soulful - that you can’t help but take it all in, like a favorite scent or a beloved memory.

We salvage what we can, what truly matters to us, even at the gates of despair.

This is the first part of a trilogy and it does a brilliant job of slowly meting out the history of Fionavar as our five travellers discover this new world. If you’re prone to making character and place name charts (me!), I’d recommend it because Kay throws a lot out there without making it feel like an infodump. There is light and dark in this world and some of the dark is pretty brutal, so much so that not all of the Five will be glad to have made this trip. But there is also healing to be found in Fionavar and some of our travellers may find their peace here. Overall, it was a wonderful beginning to a heartwarming and heartbreaking story that I can already tell will join the ranks of beloved books that I will be rereading in years to come.

If you are new to the writings of Guy Gavriel Kay, know that his writing only gets better, though perhaps more polished is a better descriptor. And if you are a connoisseur of Kay’s later works but have somehow missed this trilogy, know that the seeds of his genius and his bewitching prose are very much in evidence here.

[Lindsay · Rating 5 out of 5]

This review is from my reread of this series in 2015/16.

The Fionavar Tapestry was a formative work for me in many ways, with my first read from soon after they came out in the 80s and with multiple rereads since. I mention this to explain why I'm not completely objective on them, as there are several issues from the lens of a 21st century reader including the way some of the women are portrayed here and the lack diversity in a book set across multiple countries and peoples that is meant to be the "first world" that all our worlds are a reflection of (maybe a very small slice of Western Europe, not so much anywhere else).

Five Canadian university students travel to a secondary fantasy world, Fionavar supposedly to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the reign of Ailell dan Art, High King of Brennin. Each finds an important role to play in the events of the series. It's at this time that the evil god Rakoth Maugrim breaks free from his prison and declares war on the whole world.

Volumes have been written on this series, regarding the use of mythology in fantasy works and the price of power and sacrifice. It's all worthwhile, but tends to detract from the sheer emotional impact of the series as it constantly defines what is mythic and legendary and then exceeds the legends by the actions of people and gods of the current day. There's a palpable sense of greatness in the sacrifices and actions of these people, particularly in this volume with the actions of Paul, Kim and Ysane and even the Prince Diarmuid who initially comes across as rude and unlikable but soon demonstrates hidden depths.

This is only my current reread, I very much doubt it will be my last.

[Jaya · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.75⭐
Took me the better part of a year to finish this one.
Except for the ever grieving character of Paul, nothing/no one in particular worked for me, unfortunately.
A classic case of its-not-you-but-me.
Would I continue with the series? Maybe. Someday.

[Anthony · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the third of Guy Gavriel Kay’s novels I’ve read, but it was the first he wrote, and while there are some first-novel weaknesses apparent, there is also, as ever, an abiding depth and sureness of approach that is always compelling. Of the three I’ve read (Tigana — his masterpiece — and The Lions of Al-Rassan being the other two), this is by far written in a style that is most traditional to the tropes of High Fantasy, and that’s where some of its occasional creakiness lies; there are lots of mysterious names and a ton of info dumping about Fionavar’s ancient history that calls to mind the excesses of J.R.R. Tolkien. But when Kay makes choices that feel more personally drawn, and when he grounds and fleshes out his vast cast of characters, there are few writers of fantasy who are better at evoking beautifully rendered moments.

Even though there were passages that felt a little obtuse here, I had plenty of faith in his overall skills to ride it out, and I’m glad I did. I am definitely interested to see where he takes his version of Good going to war with Evil in a Mystical Land in the second and third volumes of this trilogy.

[Meredith Holley · Rating 3 out of 5]

Part I of this story is in many ways a grown-up The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe. I read the Narnia stories when I was little, and to be honest, I think C.S. Lewis will always have a place in my heart. To me, he’s a sort of philosophical grandpa, whom I ignore when he’s spouting cultural faux pas, but who brings out something lovely and profound at least as often as he says something unfortunate. Anyway, this book is not about C.S. Lewis, but I think the affection I feel for Narnia made a difference in my read of this book. I also don’t think I need Lewis to be 100% correct all the time, and that probably made a difference in me liking the way Kay made the Christ story his own.

I spend a lot of time complaining, I think, about when authors throw together a really bad recipe for a book – when they mutilate and mix ingredients that should never go together. I really liked the use of the ingredients here. There’s Narnia; Henry IV / rakishness; some wild-west, bow-and-arrow stuff; a very decent hair-color change; law and folklore; a magical mystery animal; and a giant black swan that smells like garbage. Basically pretty good. I’m not a lover of fantasy (sorry!), so I have to get past the orcs and dwarves and elves to like a story like this (and I don’t care if you call them different names, they’re still orcs and elves). I’ll probably talk more about that in my review of the second book in this series, but with this book it’s pretty easy to look past to some genuinely good stories.

Unfortunately, at this point, probably most of what I have to say is a spoiler. I thought the use of the Christ story was really lovely. I particularly liked the disagreement as to whether the sacrifice on the Summer Tree was for good or evil. I am a little disappointed that the questioning of the good of the Summer Tree ended up being wrong (maybe this will turn around in the next couple of books, I don’t know), and that the argument never really gets addressed again after Paul comes back from the dead. I think it’s more interesting and tragic if it had turned out to be a clear mistake. I do appreciate, though, that the leader of the CBS Orchestra for the Late Show with David Letterman is the Christ figure in this. I mean, who else would you choose when you’re Canadian? (this book is Canadian, fyi, but you probably know that if you clicked the spoiler button.) Here’s the thing that bothers me about it: you’ve got this guy who feels a lot of guilt, (like, torturous guilt) so he volunteers to commit suicide to save the universe, and it’s a really good idea. I don’t like that, to be totally honest.

Okay, maybe fewer spoilers than I thought. The other problem I have with this is the characterization of the gods. Maybe this is just a personal pet peeve, but a lot of times I don’t like the characterization of deities in gender roles (the obvious exception to this is The Iliad, which, of course, rules); I prefer the Julian of Norwich god who is both male and female because I'm less likely to see the female god relegated to the kitchen. There’s some other gender stuff that goes on in these books that makes me a little put off. I don’t think it’s insidious, or anything, I just think it takes away from the entertainment. Like, the priestesses are dangerous and suspicious, but the magicians are noble and trustworthy. But, then when everything gets sexy, the girls aren’t scary anymore. I’m not saying it stays like that the whole time, but, I don’t know. It just has a little bit of a male-culture feel that isn’t super entertaining to me. Like, also, when they’re all out hunting in the fields and glorying in their manhood and then the kid gets the best spirit-animal EVER and it’s a unicorn/Pegasus? What is up with that? Like, dude, She-Ra did it better.

Anyway, I feel like I’m kind of ragging on this book, when I really did like it. I really like the Henry IV storyline, and I like the Seer stuff. I like that they’re all a bunch of Canadian kids and that there’s a law student who really needs to study for Evidence. I like how it assumes the vital importance to the WHOLE UNIVERSE of Celtic folklore. That’s pretty cool. I think Jennifer’s story isn’t really fair, and even though I’m almost through the second book, I still don’t really get it. So, the Satan character targeted Jennifer because destroying her is really important to destroying the universe? Or, just because she’s pretty and he doesn’t have a grander concept for it? If he's willing to waste his time like that, he doesn't seem so intimidating to me. Also, there’s something about her getting tortured that seemed really blunt. I don’t know how to explain my confusion better than that. But, in general, I think the story used some really great legends really creatively. I liked it. I think I should have felt more emotionally attached to the characters, but I think that has more to do with how I feel in general right now than the book itself. Especially if you like fantasy, and especially if you're willing to commit to thousands of pages of fantasy reading (because there is a mammoth cliffhanger at the end of this book), it is worth picking up.

[Brad · Rating 2 out of 5]

I am so glad I came to Kay's The Fionavar Tapestry late because I doubt I ever would have read his great books if I had read these first.

I was acting in a play with my great friend Jefferson when he suggested I read A Song For Arbonne. I was blown away. He told me to read Tigana. I loved Brandon and was in love with Kay. He told me to read The Lions of Al-Rassan, which I've read numerous times since, and I had found my favourite Kay. He told me to avoid the trilogy, though, because he knew I would hate it. I don't hate it, but it is the worst writing of Kay's career.

Overdetermined. One of my favourite words. And this trilogy, and The Summer Tree, is that. Paul is crucified on the Summer Tree and the number three plays an important role. How sneakily Christian of you Guy. Dave goes native. How sneakily Anglo-Native American of you Guy. Kimberly becomes a seer. How Earth Mother of you Guy. Bla, bla, bla.

Loren Silvercloak (Gandalf anyone?) and his bitch, Matt Sören,the obligatory little person, are there. We have our heroes, we have our villains, our shabby rulers, our lands in crisis, our crappy Fantasy tropes galore. And who cares?

I wanted to care. But I didn't. I couldn't. I'd already read Kay's good stuff -- maybe even his great stuff -- and going back to his freshman work was depressing. I wanted to love it. But I could barely like it.

Bummer.

[Mark · Rating 1 out of 5]

The Review

I generally don't write a review for a book unless I finish it. I don't think it's fair to the author or to others interested in the book.

I didn't finish this book.

However, I did spend a significant amount of time on this book, so I think I do have the right to say something.

Wow. This book beat me. I don't know if was the method in which I read the book or if I just didn't have the mindset to do so, but I just didn't like it.

Reading became a chore and something that I didn't look forward to. I found myself halfway through and seeing the light at the end of the tunnel.

Then I thought, reading a book of this type shouldn't be a chore. I shouldn't be looking forward to ending the story, but savoring what's happening in the narrative currently.

So I quit. If you can get through it, congratulations. Reading should be a pleasure and not a labor for which Hercules would pat you on the back in admiration.

I don't think it's objectively a bad book. I'm sure it possesses a certain charm and that maybe the series turns into a compelling read in the later books. It was just lost or wasted on me, I guess.

This series probably has its fans, and I'm sure they would disagree with my assessment. I'm not saying that they are wrong. I'm saying that I just didn't get it or like it.

[El Tapiz de Fionavar · Rating 4 out of 5]

El Tapiz de Fionavar es un libro completamente atado a los elementos clásicos de la literatura fantástica. Las/os compañeras/os que son arrastrados hacia una tierra desconocida y plagada de magia que está enfrentada a las fuerzas destructivas del odio.

Me gustó mucho el juego de Kay entre distintos mundos y temporalidades. Y el desarrollo cosmogológico que crea para Fionavar.

Algunos personajes tienen una evolución muy buena y compleja que va volviendo interesante la trama del tapiz. La progresiva transformación de las y los protagonistas es una de las cosas que más he disfrutado.

Son constantes las referencias tolkieneanas, particularmente a ideas de ESDLA, tanto que me parece que es el autor de fantasís que más se acerca al padre de la tierra media. Esto es algo que ha dividido aguas entre quienes han leído la obra.

Quizás en el Tapiz de Fionavar exista un poco más de crudeza en algunos pasajes, pero la lucha entre el bien y el mal, con un ser encadenado que se libera y al que hay que combatir para evitar la hecatombe, sigue siendo el núcleo narrativo que estructura todo el relato.

[Lydia · Rating 1 out of 5]

When I started laughing at the pompous language in the opening pages, I should probably have guessed how this book was going to go. Absurd names, complicated awkward sentences, all written in an overserious tone that reminded me of a B Movie, without the fun. I thought it would be a fun read at least, a bit of page-turning fantasy that would hook me into a series. I also wanted to see if scenes played out in the beginning of the book would make sense by the end. For example, when Diarmuid risks the lives of several people to sneak into a kingdom and seduce a princess. Was he stealing something? Trying to impregnate her to muddy the royal bloodlines? No, he just wanted to get laid. I felt it wasted the reader's time, and had no relevance to the plot. I was toying with the idea of reading the second book in the series, until Kay decides to make one of his characters more "interesting" by raping her repeatedly in a way that gave me nightmares. This amateurish, lazy, and offensive writing device put me off reading any more of his books. There are other ways to make female characters deeper and more complex that don't involve rape and torture, followed by a quest for revenge/rescue. Why do writers and directors do this? I'm so sick of it. Apparently his other series are better, but I doubt I'll attempt them.

[Sara the Librarian · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is one of those five star books that I've always been reluctant to actually review. Partly because Guy Gavriel Kay is a writer of such a high caliber that writing about his writing feels more than a little ridiculous. Like anything I have to say is going to sound like "duhhh dis wuz real good!" next to the actual book. But also partly because Kay's writing has always sort of defied description. He writes epic fantasy of the highest order but getting into how affecting his writing is, how its often brought me to tears, that's harder to get down somehow.

The Fionavar Tapestry is Kay's magnum opus, his The Dark Tower or The Lord of the Rings. Which is interesting because the premise of the series is predicated on the idea that the land of Fionavar is the source of every other fantasy world ever created, it is the heart from which all the others are born. There's a gravity to it, a holiness and a reverence that makes you want to talk about its legends and history in a hushed voice. You are speaking of something sacred when you speak of Fionavar.

The basic story is a simple one that many other fantasy novels and series have used. A group of college friends are taken by magic to Fionavar and tasked with helping quell the darkness that threatens to destroy it and thus all other worlds. Kevin, Paul, Dave, Kimberly, and Jennifer all have their roles to play in the coming wars and they each have their private struggles with fear and anger and regret before they can realize their destinies.

This is probably the most elegant series I've ever read and has always sort of defined "high" fantasy for me. The language helps. Kay is a poet and is able to have his characters, modern day 20 somethings, proclaim their love for each other in the style of epic poets or make huge declarations of war and it never feels cheesy or remotely out of place and I've never, ever encountered another author who could pull that off. They think beautifully, their inner monologues all have a depth of feeling that should be melodramatic but somehow isn't. Its like those rare moments in really great musical theater where the actors sing because they have no other choice. I can't imagine Kay's characters speaking in any other way.

There's a solemnity to this series that I just adore. And everything is built on a foundation of love, a theme that runs through virtually all of Kay's writing. Even the epic battle being fought between the forces of good and evil is founded on a broken heart.

This is a series to be savored. Take it from an expert in the art of skipping through to the end when the going gets tough. You will want to read every word. I haven't even touched the epic quests, star crossed love, or magical battles. If I got into the elves and the dwarves and gods we'd be here for a year.

But Fionavar is best discovered on your own the way I did. That's how most magical journey's start anyway isn't it? With a wrong turn or a chance encounter or the moment when your hand touches the spine of a beautifully bound book and you take it home without even reading the title because you just have a feeling about this one.

1/8/2019 Just a quick addendum having now listened to this one through Audible. The only thing that could have made the experience of reading these books better was a really terrific narration. This was indeed delivered in spades by Simon Vance (who also does a very fine Jonathan Harker in Audible's "Dracula" which I will one day finish) who reads the story like some kind of legendary bard out of a fantasy epic. Which is of course entirely appropriate. He's got a sonorous, rich voice that floats effortlessly between stalwart kings, world crushing demons, and cold high priestesses. His voice seems as thought it was made to speak Kay's words.

[Lost Planet Airman · Rating 3 out of 5]

As much as I have really liked GGK for Tigana and Under Heaven, this did not grip me. There were some very lyrical moments, but mostly, it seemed like it had been done before, and better. It first suffers from The Chosen One syndrome, as at least one Intrepid Adventurer has the Powers Needed to Save Everything. There's a Guy With a Troubled Past who makes a Huge Sacrifice (done better in, oh, The Lord of the Rings, American Gods, Norse Mythology, or even The Bible). And don't get me started on the whole "First World" thing that goes absolutely nowhere (DEFINITELY done better in the Chronicles of Amber, and almost any Michael Moorcock fantasy).
I know... blah blah blah. A good story, but never without that derivative feeling.

[Eleni Ouzouni (Life is Art) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Το δέντρο του καλοκαιριού κυκλοφόρησε το 1984 και είναι το πρώτο μυθιστόρημα του Guy Gavriel Kay. Δεν έχει την ωριμότητα που δείχνουν τα μεταγενέστερα μυθιστορήματα του, αλλά ακόμη και πριν 40 χρόνια ξεχωρίζει το ταλέντο του.

Η ιστορία μας ξεκινάει στο Τορόντο και σε μια μεγάλη δεξίωση της Πανεπιστημιούπολης. Μια παρέα πέντε φοιτητών ο μελαγχολικός Πωλ, ο σοβαρός Ντέιβ, ο χιουμορίστας Κέβιν, η πανέμορφη Τζένιφερ και η οξυδερκής Κιμ θα αποφασίσουν να ακολουθήσουν τον Μάγο Λόριν στην Φιόνοβαρ. Ένα διαφορετικό κόσμο από τον δικό τους. Και η ζωή τους θα αλλάξει ριζικά.

Ο συγγραφέας καταφέρνει να στήσει ένα εντελώς διαφορετικό κόσμο από τα συνηθισμένα. Γεμάτο θρύλους, μαγεία, νάνους και ξωτικά. Πίστη, δύναμη και ανατροπές. Λάτρεψα την μελαγχολική χροιά που εκπέμπει η ιστορία καθόλη την διάρκεια.
Θα το πρότεινα εκατό τις εκατό ειδικά σε κάποιον που θέλει να έρθει σε μια πρώτη επαφή με ένα κλασσικό High Fantasy.

Μια υπέροχη ιστορία κλασικής φαντασίας. Που σε αντίθεση με άλλα του είδους δεν άργησε να με βάλει στο κλίμα της ιστορίας του. Οι τελευταίες 200 σελίδες έφυγαν αναπνευστι. Ονειρική αφήγηση και χαρακτηρες που με κέρδισαν αμέσως.

[Kat Hooper · Rating 3 out of 5]

ORIGINALLY POSTED AT Fantasy Literature.

I absolutely loved everything about Guy Gavriel Kay’s stand-alone novels Tigana and A Song for Arbonne, so it was with great excitement that I downloaded the newly released audio version of The Summer Tree, the first novel in his famous The Fionavar Tapestry.

In The Summer Tree we meet Loren Silvercloak, a wizard who has traveled from the world of Fionavar to Toronto to fetch five university students (three guys and two girls) who are needed to help fight an ancient evil force that has been bound under a mountain for centuries. It is awakening, has adversely affected the weather, and threatens the future of Fionavar. The students are transported to the capital city of Caer Paravel — no wait, wrong book — Paras Derval and each discovers that (s)he has an important role to play in this strange land’s upcoming upheaval.

If I had read The Summer Tree when it was first published in 1984, perhaps I would have enjoyed it more. Or at least I would have been more forgiving back then, but at this point in my life, with many years of reading fantasy epics behind me, I just had a hard time mustering up much enthusiasm for this story.

Besides the parallels to Tolkien and Lewis which you will have already noticed, we’ve got dwarves who live under mountains, elf-like creatures who live in the forests, names which require hyphens, apostrophes, or other funny symbols (Na-Brendel , Mörnir, Ra-Termaine, T’Varen), names of evil things which sound Russian (Rakoth, Starkadh, svart alfar, Rangat, Blöd, Khath Meigol, urgach), nasty creatures who are minions of the bad guy, a girl who finds out she’s the next seer, a hero who must sacrifice himself to save the blighted land…. etc. Much of it is derived from ancient myth and legend and it's presented in Kay’s eloquent and slightly overwrought style. This will likely please those who are looking for that sort of weighty epic, but to me it just felt heavy. I have no doubt that this is caused by reading this too late in my fantasy vita — I was looking for something new — so if you're not relating to me here, I encourage you to give The Summer Tree a try. Every fantasy fan should read Guy Gavriel Kay.

Kay’s use of the five modern-day characters is a bit perplexing. Their reactions to being brought to a parallel world with an ancient culture were unconvincing as they immediately adapt to the customs of Fionavar without much trepidation or wonder. They didn’t seem concerned about how or when they’d get back to their world, what their family and friends might be thinking, or what might happen if they (very likely) died in Fionavar. They never talk about modern conveniences like cars, guns, and telephones. They go along with the patriarchic culture and, though they are well-educated, they don’t use their modern knowledge to any advantage. Perhaps they will in the sequels, but there is so far no indication that they are thinking that way, which baffles me. I’m wondering why Kay used modern-day heroes at all.

As for the audio production, it’s produced by Penguin Audio and read by Simon Vance (one of my favorites) so it’s well told. However, Vance’s Canadian accent makes me cringe and, since our five heroes are all Canadian, that’s a lot of cringing.

I expected to love The Summer Tree, so I had purchased the second book in The Fionavar Tapestry, too, and I will probably read it at some point. But I greatly prefer Guy Gavriel Kay’s more recent fiction, which is really wonderful stuff.

[Mike (the Paladin) · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm going to start my review of this book with some, at least slightly negative comments, so...before I do so let me say that I liked the book pretty well and am giving it 4 stars (I'd probably go 3.5+ if I had that option, but I don't).

I tried to read this book (these books as it's a trilogy) some years ago and was, shall we say, far from enamored with them. I put The Summer Tree down as not worth my time and didn't go back to it. Recently I've seen some reviews by people whom I've agreed with on other books that were "very" positive so, I decided to give it another go. I was down with a bad cold recently and on nothing but audio books (headache) so I reserved this one on audio...

Now, first the sulfur, then later you can have the molasses to help it go down. The book hits a few of my "oh my goodness this again" spots. For one thing, there was a time that I'd just been "King Arthured" to death. It seemed for a while that for every 3 books on the fantasy shelves...two of them would be a "wonderful re-imagining of the Arthurian Legend" we had books from Arthur's point of view, Guenevere's point of view, Mordred's point of view, Lancelot's point of view, Morgan Le Fay's point of view...and possibly Author's horse's point of view. I was burned out, and am not much better now. Show me a blurb that says a book is "an exciting new ,take on, version of, or re-imagining of the Arthurian legend" and I'll show you a book that's going back on the shelf.

We also have the constantly annoying "battle of the sexes" motif built into the book. Wheel of time anyone? The only saving grace is it's not quite as annoying here as it was/and still is there.

The book is liberally leavened with ideas, stereotypes, and archetypes that you will undoubtedly recognize.

Now, all that being said, the book is pretty well written and I have no doubt that should GGK run across this review or one like it, he'd say something like "ya...well show me your best seller!" He'd be right of course. Given a chance the book's story "can" draw you in. You need to let it however. I am now starting The Wandering Fire and I don't know how I'll like it, but I'll give it a chance. My final take...not a bad read. Don't love it, but I do like it, a little. 4 stars...because 3.5 isn't possible. :)