[Crysania]

Uh...not impressed. I'm only half way through the first book so hopefully it will improve, but so far I just don't buy it. What makes it bad is the very element that could be interesting. The five from our world. Their reactions to what's going on around them don't make any kind of linear sense to me AT ALL. It's ridiculous. I might have liked this when I was 12 but at the moment, I'm just struggling to get through.

The world itself is fairly interesting. I like the lios Afar but I think Williams does a far superior job with his Sithi. The prose itself is pretty good - but I've read Kay before. The characters are too surface at the moment for me to decide if I like them or not.

Any thoughts? No spoilers, please. http://www.sffworld.com/ubb/smile.gif

[This message has been edited by Crysania (edited March 27, 2002).]

[Warewolf]

Crys, it's been a while since I read that series, but I think I remember the first book being a bit slow. Wait until you get to the second book and stuff really starts to happen...

[Cygnus]

I read this a few months ago and I also had a tough time getting into it. I really liked some of the group dynamics, and there is such an interesting mix of personalities that Kay writes very well. Though I do like the real world/fantasy world books most of them always fail when it comes to people adjusting, this series especially. I know that we are a pretty adaptable species, but come on! This group had accepted the idea of multiple worlds/dimensions within about 10 minutes of learning about it.

I was also really irritated with something that Kay writes into the second book (I think it was that one) that made the story a little cheesy. Even with those complaints I found the series to be a rewarding reading experience. Kay, IMHO, is one of the best fantasy authors out there. If you don't believe me read Tigana! While the Finovar series is pretty good, Tigana is amazing!

[Alucard]

I couldn't get into "the summer tree." I read about half of it, but lost interest.

For starters, the beginning is not at all believable. The characters are thrown into another world, and they are all just like..."this is kind of weird....but whatever." I don't have any personal experiance with this, but I'm fairly sure that this sort of experience would have a little more impact on a person. Also, I thought it moved way too quickly. You don't get to know anyone. You have a handful of main characters dumped onto your lap, but very little in terms of explanation. They came off very flat. I couldn't get into it.

I could continue on this way, but you get the point. I wasn't exactly enthralled. But don't let this scare yo away from Kay. His other works, particularly his stand-alones, are very good.

[jfclark]

I loved this series. I loved it most for the prose; I found it to be several levels higher than that of other contemporary fantasists. Second, his drawing of the climactic moments of each of the volumes (each of which focuses on one of the Canadian characters) was emotionally sophisticated and intense. Finally, the series as a whole is an intelligent statement about High Fantasy--Kay's conceit, which I found successful, is that Fionavar is the first of all worlds, and as such is a composite. Hence the various elements from Tolkien, Donaldson, Lewis, Arthurian legend, etc.

I realize that the mechanics of world-transportation are flat and unbelievable. I don't think Kay cares. He wanted to take modern Canadians into a new world, so he just did it, without worrying about mechanics. It makes the first few chapters of the book seem rather facile, I admit. But I do believe the main characters are quite well-developed by the end of the first book, and certainly by the end of the series. I'd suggest that you persevere, if only because the quality of the prose is so beautiful.

[Crysania]

Y'all crack me up. That's EXACTLY how I feel, Cyg and Alucard. I was like, if I was asked my some guy to go to this 'other world' where he was a wizard... come ON! And they get there it's like, "Cool, okay..."

It IS moving too quickly and is too flat. And I see the Arthur tie-in coming from a mile away. I'm going to keep reading because it's not excruciating like Goodkind, and hopefully I'll grow attached to at least ONE of the characters. Because at the moment I could care less.

As for the prose, bear in mind I read Lions of Al-Rasaan as well -- I've read many many reviews lauding Kay's use of prose and...I'm really not that overly-impressed. It IS better than most of the fantasy genre, certainly...but there's also writers within the genre like Tom DeHaan, Stephen R. Donaldson, and, of course, the magnificient Tolkien that IMO paint a more lovely and vivid 'tapestry' of words, if you will. As for a historical kind of fiction which Lions of Al-Rasaan reminded me of, I'm more into the works of Rosemary Hawley Jarman, Sharon Kay Penman, Edith Pargenter, etc.

But the 'irony' of the first world IS indeed interesting. I'll keep reading...and then I'll pick up Tigana.

[Mithfânion]

Crysania what book(s) of Tom de haan did you like? Or from the other authors you mentioned (I'm familiar with the superb Wales trilogy by Penman but the rest doesn't ring a bell)?

[Mithfânion]

I'm now reading the Summer Tree and I'm loving it. Truly a wonderful first book. I can't say that there's anything wrong or unrealistic about the human's reaction to their "crossing" to the primary world, Fionavar. I'll probably order "wandering fire" pretty soon.

[Crysania]

Hey Mith,

The only book by deHaan I've read is A Mirror for Princes but it's soooo beautiful! I've got quotes from it lying all around my room on papers and notes.

Rosemary Hawley Jarman wrote two magnificient books: Crown in Candlelight which starts off in the Court of Owen Glendower and ends up being about Owen Tudur and his affair with the widow of Henry V.

She also wrote We Speak No Treason which is BEAUTIFULLY written about Richard III. I like Penman's Sunne In Splendour better as a story, but I think Jarman is the better writer of the two.

Edith Pargenter wrote four small novels surrounding the Princes of Gwynedd. They're not as entertaining as Penman's either but there's something human and beautiful in that they're not from the Princes perspectives.

Anyway... go read!

http://www.sffworld.com/ubb/smile.gif How funny that you're enjoying the book and I didn't like it. And both of us were reading Coldfire trilogy at the same time and I loved it and you didn't!!!!! BOY! You and I should ask each other what books we DON"T like!

Actually, I didn't HATE Summer Tree. I definitely want to read the next book but I still have the problems we were discussing earlier. It just doesn't FLY to me. I don't believe these characters and their reactions. I especially am loathing self-righteous (in my opinion) Kevin Laine.

I like David though...he seemed the most realistic of the bunch.

[Macros]

You've read Stephen Donaldson first, right? That could be why you're having such a hard time. Then there's that whole myth about people going crazy if they see something that fantastic. I actually believe the opposite. A well adjusted individual wouldn't have much of a problem with something like this. Besides, it wasn't as if they got thrown into the thing headfirst, the dwarf and the Sorceror explained what was about to happen as adequately as they could. There was ample warning and they each sensed what was about to happen and heeded their senses, with the exception of David who had the most problem adjusting.

If you read on, you'll find out that David's the one with the most problems in the whole group. He's a realist with little to no thought of anything outside himself. Therefore, he has the most trouble adjusting at first. The other characters aren't like that and therefore need little time to adjust.