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So fucking good! I finished this in two days so clearly...
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Rating(4.1 / 5.0, 99 votes)
5 stars
39(39%)
4 stars
29(29%)
3 stars
31(31%)
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0(0%)
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99 reviews
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This fantasy book has a amazing concept I have ever seen before.In this fantasy world poet can capture concepts. When you capture a concept,you could command the concept as your server;Although once it escapes, it is hardly captured again.Moreover,the concept which you have captured would try to flee form your grasp. With this interesting magic system,a nation is called Khaiem which has poet can capture concept as a weapon; It threated the enemy a lot. Imagine the concept could be a weapon. It could be a powerful weapon in world;people fear poets on the other hand, with the price, poets they are afraid of the concept which they have controlled. Price is the central part of the story. Two main characters they will face the consequence in the end.
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5.0 stars. You know what this felt like? The first season of a really good tv show. The writing was incredible. Rarely do you see an author do such a good job of writing characters as flawed and nuanced as this. I was frustrated by them frequently, but they were all just so believable. The book has almost no action to speak of, yet is incredibly immersive and demands your attention all the same. The ending feels just like good a season finale.
And, just like good tv, it's best consumed by bingeing; I'll be starting Season 2 (Betrayal in Winter) later today.
Edit: Or, you know what? I think I'll space these out to one per month. I guess theres a large time just between each book, and that feels better consumed with a little break between each one.
And, just like good tv, it's best consumed by bingeing; I'll be starting Season 2 (Betrayal in Winter) later today.
Edit: Or, you know what? I think I'll space these out to one per month. I guess theres a large time just between each book, and that feels better consumed with a little break between each one.
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There was indeed a Shadow in Summer.
From what I had been told, I was expecting this to be more setup heavy, but I actually thought the plot, and political scheming was quite good. I find the reception I see for this book to be kind of weird, as it has a low goodreads rating, with a really dedicated fanbase(half of which is probably just Allen's bot accounts). Because I felt like this was pretty solid across the board.
The scheming and plot was consistently paced, involved characters acting who they were, and I didn't notice any glaring leaps of logic.
The prose was clearly on the side of being good, while not getting in the way. Probably fits in with 80% of authors I read, where it is neither good, nor bad enough to significantly effect my enjoyment, but clearly on the good side of that.
The setting was really well done, very very little info dumping, and it did an excellent job of communicating information naturally. In a larger world this may have led to confusion, but this was a pretty zoomed in book, without too much stuff to remember.
The world was also pretty interesting, it had cultural aspects that changed how people interacted with each other, as body language plays a much larger role towards communication than it does in english. If I am nitpicking, I will say that it is kind of hard to picture a lot of interactions, because I have no idea what "Matti took a pose of confirmation" looks like. But also if someone stopped and explained what those looked like, that would feel clunky, because why are they explaining something they know.
Also, can these people please invent clocks, measuring the distance the sun has traveled using your hand is not effective. What do you do if you need to know what time it is at night? What if you have giant or tiny hands. (this is not a real criticism, but if someone shows up for something at the wrong time because of this in a future book, I will give them a bonus point)
Really folks, get some water that flows at a constant rate, measure how much flows in 1 day, and then use that as your baseline.
Also the characters were well done, all internally conflicted in a unique, and human way, with evolving dynamics between each other throughout the book.
Also from what I have heard this book was doing a lot of setup, which is a good sign, because it didn't feel like it to me, and I always like it when authors are able to set things up, without me noticing that they are being setup.
8.5/10
From what I had been told, I was expecting this to be more setup heavy, but I actually thought the plot, and political scheming was quite good. I find the reception I see for this book to be kind of weird, as it has a low goodreads rating, with a really dedicated fanbase(half of which is probably just Allen's bot accounts). Because I felt like this was pretty solid across the board.
The scheming and plot was consistently paced, involved characters acting who they were, and I didn't notice any glaring leaps of logic.
The prose was clearly on the side of being good, while not getting in the way. Probably fits in with 80% of authors I read, where it is neither good, nor bad enough to significantly effect my enjoyment, but clearly on the good side of that.
The setting was really well done, very very little info dumping, and it did an excellent job of communicating information naturally. In a larger world this may have led to confusion, but this was a pretty zoomed in book, without too much stuff to remember.
The world was also pretty interesting, it had cultural aspects that changed how people interacted with each other, as body language plays a much larger role towards communication than it does in english. If I am nitpicking, I will say that it is kind of hard to picture a lot of interactions, because I have no idea what "Matti took a pose of confirmation" looks like. But also if someone stopped and explained what those looked like, that would feel clunky, because why are they explaining something they know.
Also, can these people please invent clocks, measuring the distance the sun has traveled using your hand is not effective. What do you do if you need to know what time it is at night? What if you have giant or tiny hands. (this is not a real criticism, but if someone shows up for something at the wrong time because of this in a future book, I will give them a bonus point)
Really folks, get some water that flows at a constant rate, measure how much flows in 1 day, and then use that as your baseline.
Also the characters were well done, all internally conflicted in a unique, and human way, with evolving dynamics between each other throughout the book.
Also from what I have heard this book was doing a lot of setup, which is a good sign, because it didn't feel like it to me, and I always like it when authors are able to set things up, without me noticing that they are being setup.
8.5/10
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I liked it. A 3.5 star average rating on this book is surprising. I thought the plot line moved along reasonably well. I liked the moral ambiguity of a lot of the situations. I liked the idea of the poses and gestures being as meaningful as spoken words, but I did think it got a bit old after awhile. I was interested in the characters. I especially liked Seedless. Not really sure what other people didn't like about it. I will be moving on to book two.
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Very good. Like The Poppy War, this story is set in a fantasy version of China. And like that book and many, many other fantasies, it begins with a school. The Poppy War adheres much closer to the real China, though. A Shadow in Summer borrows miscellaneous elements of the culture, no more.
Abraham set himself an interesting challenge here, too. Write an epic fantasy in which poets are forces to be feared and respected. It works, too.
Abraham set himself an interesting challenge here, too. Write an epic fantasy in which poets are forces to be feared and respected. It works, too.
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Why did I not read this sooner? It's been lurking in my TBR pile for an age. Loved it, excellent world-building and really great characters. The use of poses within communication - a kinda conscious but still subtle form of body language was a really well done throughout and really added to the tale for me. Super read!
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*** 4.25 ***
A buddy Read with the FBR Group! Because we love originality!
And this is exactly what this book offered - originality and plenty of it! I had no idea what to expect, but I was blown away by how different and complex the plot of this fascinating story offers. If you are expecting a traditional Fantasy with some political jostling in it, you have the wrong book. This is not at all in the realm of the Fantasy I have known up to now. Yes, we have a world of imagination, a city-state made strong by flourishing trade, while the trade itself is supported by the poet-sorcerers and their bonded spirit-slaves. The sorcerers are called poets, because they form the physical representation of an idea and give it to a spirit called Andat, the boundaries of whom are given by how precise the poem and the character of the poet craft it. It is definitely a double-edged sward, since even if the poet believes to have crafted a spirit with only positive and perfect virtues, if there is pain, envy, hatred, or any other such negative intent in the heart of the creator and it bleeds into the poem, something very dangerous comes through into the spirit. Such is the case with Seedless. He is and Andat, given shape and bonded by the poet Heshai, who feels inferior and holds a lot of hatred and negativity in his heart, but wanted to give shape to perfection in Seedless, the way he thought perfection should be. However, completely without meaning it, Heshai infused Seedless with all of his hate and negativity as well, so he is so much evil, bundled up in a perfect physical form.
n "...“Sometimes the hand pulls the puppet, sometimes the puppet pulls the hand, but the string runs both ways.”..."n
Such is the case that the city-state of Saraykeht, the most powerful city among the Summer Cities, counts on its poets and the Andats they wield for their crops to be abundant and plenty and for the health of the state to be in balance. No one could foresee an Andat hating its bonds and bondage so much, that is willing to kill itself by destroying the poet and the well-being of the city it was supposed to protect and favor. And it all starts rolling with a forced abortion of a baby who's mother had no idea of the evil about to be perpetuated on her.
n "...“To lose everything is not the worst can happen."
"It's starting again, from nothing, with nothing," Otah said.
"Is exactly this," Maj agreed, then a moment later. "Starting again, and doing better.” ..."n
The government of Galt is set on destroying and taking over Saraykeht. Marchat Wilsin is the head of a Galt trading house and Amat, a woman in her fifties with a bad hip and sharp wit is House Wilsin's business manager. Marchat Wilsin is knees deep together with Seedless in the plot to take down the city, no matter the means. Shen Amat finds out, she decides to expose them and slowly gathers information. Just as involved, although unknowingly and unwittingly, are the student poet Maati, the laborer young man Itani (also known as Otah), and his lover, Amat's apprentice Liat, my least favorite character of them all. They all have a place in the intricacies of a story woven from political intrigues, power struggles and machinations, no battles or sword-fights involved at all. For a book having no action sequences and full of just character building and plotting, this was one of the most enthralling books I have read in a while. I was not bored even for a second. And the richness of the world and characters was beautiful and varied. I would recommend this to all who appreciate just plain good writing!!! Give it a try!
n "...“I'm going to sleep. Tomorrow can't be worse than today was." "Possibility is a wide field, dear. Can't is a word for small imaginations.” ..."n
Now I wish you all Happy Reading and may you always find what you Need in the pages of a Good Book!!!
A buddy Read with the FBR Group! Because we love originality!
And this is exactly what this book offered - originality and plenty of it! I had no idea what to expect, but I was blown away by how different and complex the plot of this fascinating story offers. If you are expecting a traditional Fantasy with some political jostling in it, you have the wrong book. This is not at all in the realm of the Fantasy I have known up to now. Yes, we have a world of imagination, a city-state made strong by flourishing trade, while the trade itself is supported by the poet-sorcerers and their bonded spirit-slaves. The sorcerers are called poets, because they form the physical representation of an idea and give it to a spirit called Andat, the boundaries of whom are given by how precise the poem and the character of the poet craft it. It is definitely a double-edged sward, since even if the poet believes to have crafted a spirit with only positive and perfect virtues, if there is pain, envy, hatred, or any other such negative intent in the heart of the creator and it bleeds into the poem, something very dangerous comes through into the spirit. Such is the case with Seedless. He is and Andat, given shape and bonded by the poet Heshai, who feels inferior and holds a lot of hatred and negativity in his heart, but wanted to give shape to perfection in Seedless, the way he thought perfection should be. However, completely without meaning it, Heshai infused Seedless with all of his hate and negativity as well, so he is so much evil, bundled up in a perfect physical form.
n "...“Sometimes the hand pulls the puppet, sometimes the puppet pulls the hand, but the string runs both ways.”..."n
Such is the case that the city-state of Saraykeht, the most powerful city among the Summer Cities, counts on its poets and the Andats they wield for their crops to be abundant and plenty and for the health of the state to be in balance. No one could foresee an Andat hating its bonds and bondage so much, that is willing to kill itself by destroying the poet and the well-being of the city it was supposed to protect and favor. And it all starts rolling with a forced abortion of a baby who's mother had no idea of the evil about to be perpetuated on her.
n "...“To lose everything is not the worst can happen."
"It's starting again, from nothing, with nothing," Otah said.
"Is exactly this," Maj agreed, then a moment later. "Starting again, and doing better.” ..."n
The government of Galt is set on destroying and taking over Saraykeht. Marchat Wilsin is the head of a Galt trading house and Amat, a woman in her fifties with a bad hip and sharp wit is House Wilsin's business manager. Marchat Wilsin is knees deep together with Seedless in the plot to take down the city, no matter the means. Shen Amat finds out, she decides to expose them and slowly gathers information. Just as involved, although unknowingly and unwittingly, are the student poet Maati, the laborer young man Itani (also known as Otah), and his lover, Amat's apprentice Liat, my least favorite character of them all. They all have a place in the intricacies of a story woven from political intrigues, power struggles and machinations, no battles or sword-fights involved at all. For a book having no action sequences and full of just character building and plotting, this was one of the most enthralling books I have read in a while. I was not bored even for a second. And the richness of the world and characters was beautiful and varied. I would recommend this to all who appreciate just plain good writing!!! Give it a try!
n "...“I'm going to sleep. Tomorrow can't be worse than today was." "Possibility is a wide field, dear. Can't is a word for small imaginations.” ..."n
Now I wish you all Happy Reading and may you always find what you Need in the pages of a Good Book!!!
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I was unprepared for how good this was. I've been surprised before by Daniel Abraham's excellence. But this one was a whole soft subtle new level of great. The problem with ebooks and audiobooks is that you don't always realize that you're about to finish the story. So I was taken aback when it ended, but in hindsight it ended very well. So many subtle interaction between people, so well portrayed. I'm going to devour this series. It is very refreshing reading fantasy that is neither adventure story, nor war story. But the story of merchants and every day people.
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If I had to sum this up in one word: thoughtful.
If I had more words at my disposal (and, fortunately, I do) I'd say that this is a thoughtfully curious work of fantasy in that it revolves around the jockeying for primacy of rival nation states and the machinations of competitive trade. Doesn't sound too appealing when put like that, does it? But it really does have a lot going for it, so I'd heartily recommend it.
If I had more words at my disposal (and, fortunately, I do) I'd say that this is a thoughtfully curious work of fantasy in that it revolves around the jockeying for primacy of rival nation states and the machinations of competitive trade. Doesn't sound too appealing when put like that, does it? But it really does have a lot going for it, so I'd heartily recommend it.
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thoughts about reading sci fi/ fantasy:
I think of fantasy books in three tiers:
Tier 1: These are complete successes. I believe the world completely, the plots zoom along and the I care about the characters as if they were friends. Examples are Tolkien, the Fire and Ice series by George R R Martin, The Outlander series by Diana Gabaldon, and Harry Potter.
Tier 2: I can't quite believe in the world, but the plot and characters are good enough to be entertaining.
Tier 3: Don't believe it and don't care: J D Robb, Lauren Hamilton.
I don't understand why some books are so popular. I just don't get The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe. Very preachy, and I don't believe.
A Shadow in Summer is tier 2. On the other hand, it started slowly, but by the middle I was really involved. I will have to look for volume 2. (It is a series of 4.) Can I give it 3 1/2 stars?
I think of fantasy books in three tiers:
Tier 1: These are complete successes. I believe the world completely, the plots zoom along and the I care about the characters as if they were friends. Examples are Tolkien, the Fire and Ice series by George R R Martin, The Outlander series by Diana Gabaldon, and Harry Potter.
Tier 2: I can't quite believe in the world, but the plot and characters are good enough to be entertaining.
Tier 3: Don't believe it and don't care: J D Robb, Lauren Hamilton.
I don't understand why some books are so popular. I just don't get The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe. Very preachy, and I don't believe.
A Shadow in Summer is tier 2. On the other hand, it started slowly, but by the middle I was really involved. I will have to look for volume 2. (It is a series of 4.) Can I give it 3 1/2 stars?
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