Sigh. I really had hopes for this series. Unfortunately, after trudging through two mediocre novels, it remains to be seen whether I will bother with the third.

The Wandering Fire, the second book in the Fionavar Tapestry series picks up not exactly where the first book, The Summer Tree, left off. Some time has elapsed since Kim's rescue of Jennifer from Starkadh, and the five are back in their own world, waiting for something to bring them back to Fionavar. That something is a dream from Seer Kim Ford, which will tell them what their next move should be. We also find out that Jennifer is carrying the child of Rakoth Maugrim, which she intends to keep. Eventually Kim has her dream and the five are sent back to Fionavar through the power of Kim's ring, the Baelrath. Kim also  summons King Arthur (yes, THAT King Arthur) to help them in their quest. Soon all five are involved in their own paths in the war against the Unraveller. The novel chronicles the struggle to find out how Maugrim is creating the perpetual winter that is crushing Fionavar, and then how to defeat it when they finally do find out.

The Wandering Fire is plagued by the same problems of the first novel- too much melodrama, not enough character development, and several rather silly things. I spent much of the first half of the book rolling my eyes, especially at the appearance of King Arthur. I mean, come on, can't you even think up your own heroes?  I also spent a lot of time rolling my eyes over the ludicrous amount of sex in this novel. GG Kay uses sex as as such and important plot device that it left me wondering just where he was drawing inspiration from. I don't have a problem with sex in a novel if it's used correctly, but GG Kay dramatizes it to the point where it's sickening.

Don't be misled by the comparisons between this series and Tolkien's work. Tolkien's works are far more engrossing and monumental, and unlike Kay, Tolkien knows where to direct his attention and when to quit. The Wandering Fire suffers from too many different elements and characters, to the effect that the heart of the novel is lost.

Lastly, there was something that irritated me about both novels, and I couldn't put my finger on it until recently. And that is that GG Kay writes with too much ambiguity. Ambiguity has its place in fantasy novels, granted, but GG Kay uses it so much that I felt like I was wandering in a perpetual fog, unsure of what was real and what was imagined.

The Wandering Fire is at least entertaining, if you can manage to not be distracted by the aforementioned items. For me, the Fionavar Tapestry series takes itself far too seriously, and I think I'll take the advice of others and try some of GG Kay's later work.
Sigh. I really had hopes for this series. Unfortunately, after trudging through two mediocre novels, it remains to be seen whether I will bother with the third. The Wandering Fire, the second book in the Fionavar Tapestry series picks up not exactly where the first book, The Summer Tree, left off. Some time has elapsed since Kim's rescue of Jennifer from Starkadh, and the five are back in their own world, waiting for something to bring them back to Fionavar. That something is a dream from Seer Kim Ford, which will tell them what their next move should be. We also find out that Jennifer is carrying the child of Rakoth Maugrim, which she intends to keep. Eventually Kim has her dream and the five are sent back to Fionavar through the power of Kim's ring, the Baelrath. Kim also  summons King Arthur (yes, THAT King Arthur) to help them in their quest. Soon all five are involved in their own paths in the war against the Unraveller. The novel chronicles the struggle to find out how Maugrim is creating the perpetual winter that is crushing Fionavar, and then how to defeat it when they finally do find out. The Wandering Fire is plagued by the same problems of the first novel- too much melodrama, not enough character development, and several rather silly things. I spent much of the first half of the book rolling my eyes, especially at the appearance of King Arthur. I mean, come on, can't you even think up your own heroes? I also spent a lot of time rolling my eyes over the ludicrous amount of sex in this novel. GG Kay uses sex as as such and important plot device that it left me wondering just where he was drawing inspiration from. I don't have a problem with sex in a novel if it's used correctly, but GG Kay dramatizes it to the point where it's sickening. Don't be misled by the comparisons between this series and Tolkien's work. Tolkien's works are far more engrossing and monumental, and unlike Kay, Tolkien knows where to direct his attention and when to quit. The Wandering Fire suffers from too many different elements and characters, to the effect that the heart of the novel is lost. Lastly, there was something that irritated me about both novels, and I couldn't put my finger on it until recently. And that is that GG Kay writes with too much ambiguity. Ambiguity has its place in fantasy novels, granted, but GG Kay uses it so much that I felt like I was wandering in a perpetual fog, unsure of what was real and what was imagined. The Wandering Fire is at least entertaining, if you can manage to not be distracted by the aforementioned items. For me, the Fionavar Tapestry series takes itself far too seriously, and I think I'll take the advice of others and try some of GG Kay's later work.