I wanted to give this book more stars, I really did, and three and a half stars would be a more accurate description. The book showed definite promise, and the world of Fionavar is an intriguing one, but there were just a few too many things wrong with it for me to give it a better rating.
In The Summer Tree, the first book in the Fionavar Tapestry series by Guy Gavriel Kay, five college students from our world are taken into another world, 'the first of the worlds', by mage Loren Silvercloak. Soon, all of them become more than just visitors; they become entwined with the land and the looming fight against the Unraveller. All of them, strangers from another world, begin the path to finding their destinies in a world that is not their own. The ending to the book is a cliffhanger, so I would recommend having the second book handy upon finishing the first.
Kay writes beautifully. His language is often poetic and sometimes musical, and his style was definitely one of the more enjoyable aspects of the book.
Despite the fact that Kay is obviously a masterful author, the book seems less than perfect, for the following reasons:
The book launches with very little explication about who the characters are or what really drives them. Each is given a few lines, but not much more. Though more is revealed as the novel progresses, I was nonetheless slightly annoyed with the way the character development progressed. One would think that if readers are to bond with these characters for three whole books, more would be given in the way of making us care what happens to them. On the same note, I thought that the swiftness with which the five were launched into the thick of things was a bit unrealistic.  I can only hope that this will be better explained in the later novels.
Kay sometimes overwrites passages, trying to milk too much emotion out of them. (If you do it all the time, it's less powerful when you really need it.) I found the parts about Kim Ford becoming the Seer to be rather, well, silly. However, I immensly enjoyed the description of the Dalrei, and enjoyed the character of Sharra, the fiesty heir to the crown of Cathal, of whom I'm assuming we will see more of in later novels.
One last note: I was rather baffled by the amount of sex scenes in the novel. While they weren't particularly explicit, I did wonder what purpose Kay what trying to fulfill by including them. And I'm sorry, but lines such as, "Cursing a hard-on, he kicked into his breeches and slipped on the loose sleeved doublet Diarmuid had given him," just don't belong in fantasy novels.
Despite all this, I'm not ready to give up on the series because, as I've said, it shows promise. After finishing the novel, readers will definitely be ready to find out more about the world of Fionavar and how the rest of the story weaves.
I wanted to give this book more stars, I really did, and three and a half stars would be a more accurate description. The book showed definite promise, and the world of Fionavar is an intriguing one, but there were just a few too many things wrong with it for me to give it a better rating. In The Summer Tree, the first book in the Fionavar Tapestry series by Guy Gavriel Kay, five college students from our world are taken into another world, 'the first of the worlds', by mage Loren Silvercloak. Soon, all of them become more than just visitors; they become entwined with the land and the looming fight against the Unraveller. All of them, strangers from another world, begin the path to finding their destinies in a world that is not their own. The ending to the book is a cliffhanger, so I would recommend having the second book handy upon finishing the first. Kay writes beautifully. His language is often poetic and sometimes musical, and his style was definitely one of the more enjoyable aspects of the book. Despite the fact that Kay is obviously a masterful author, the book seems less than perfect, for the following reasons:
The book launches with very little explication about who the characters are or what really drives them. Each is given a few lines, but not much more. Though more is revealed as the novel progresses, I was nonetheless slightly annoyed with the way the character development progressed. One would think that if readers are to bond with these characters for three whole books, more would be given in the way of making us care what happens to them. On the same note, I thought that the swiftness with which the five were launched into the thick of things was a bit unrealistic. I can only hope that this will be better explained in the later novels. Kay sometimes overwrites passages, trying to milk too much emotion out of them. (If you do it all the time, it's less powerful when you really need it. ) I found the parts about Kim Ford becoming the Seer to be rather, well, silly. However, I immensly enjoyed the description of the Dalrei, and enjoyed the character of Sharra, the fiesty heir to the crown of Cathal, of whom I'm assuming we will see more of in later novels. One last note: I was rather baffled by the amount of sex scenes in the novel. While they weren't particularly explicit, I did wonder what purpose Kay what trying to fulfill by including them. And I'm sorry, but lines such as, "Cursing a hard-on, he kicked into his breeches and slipped on the loose sleeved doublet Diarmuid had given him," just don't belong in fantasy novels. Despite all this, I'm not ready to give up on the series because, as I've said, it shows promise. After finishing the novel, readers will definitely be ready to find out more about the world of Fionavar and how the rest of the story weaves.