Summer Tree (The Fionavar Tapestry, #1) (Unicorn, #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.

• ISBN13: 9780586215227
• Publish Date: 11 June 1992 (first published 1 September 1985)
• Publish Status: Out of Print
• Out of Print: 26 July 2011
• Publish Country: GB
• Imprint: Voyager
• Format: Paperback
• Pages: 400
• Language: English
• URL: http://harpercollins.co.uk

Reviews

[smartflutist661]

I'm incredibly conflicted about this one. I found the world to be far too derivative of Tolkien's. On the other hand, I thought the fusion of Norse and Celtic mythologies helped the feel of Fionavar as the "first world," though this is obviously a limited view of world mythology. The characters feel at the same time like mere sketches and as though they were sketched with depth. I connected particularly well with Paul and Dave, and Paul's death and resurrection on the Summer Tree alone makes me feel like I should rate this book even more highly.

Overall, there's definitely a lack of polish and the fact that this was Kay's first book is obvious. The second half (once Paul goes to the summer tree) felt infinitely stronger than the first half, however, and in the end was well worth the read.