I'm coming to realize that the exciting parts of the Expanse must all be written by Ty Franck, because everything I've read by Daniel Abraham alone (this + the Dagger and the Coin series) exemplifies the phrase "slow burn." Not that this is at all a bad quality, but it's one that means this book isn't going to be for everyone.

I liked the setting, I liked the characters (or at least thought they were well done). The plot was a bit murky, and I'm still not entirely clear what was happening, but I'm hoping that the further books will explain things. I enjoyed the people and the setting (especially the setting/worldbuilding) enough that I'm looking forward to finding out.

Clearly not for me

This is a book about posing with bits of a story of some sort mixed in.

Each character spends a lot of time communicating by posing. Unfortunately while it may have been meant to convey a 'different' kind of civilization where things were formal and graceful, it was just a bit too much. There was one page where a character took on three different poses, each one more elaborate than the last.

So I could not read through all the posing without imagining things like...

He took a pose of affirmation with an undertone halfway between accusation and reluctance



Unfortunately for me, between the several made up words and over-the-top posing, any enjoyment was spoiled.

4.25/5

4.5 stars

UPDATE:
I don't have the writing chops to properly review this series. Fortunately, someone else does. This is an excellent review of the entire series and why it is so brilliant:http://www.pornokitsch.com/2011/09/un...

Warning! Slightly spoilery if you like to discover the world-building for yourself. Excerpt:

On the elemental level, this is the fantasy to end all fantasies. A sprawling cast that spans nations and generations. Tales of ascension and salvation. Magic that cracks the world and flattens mountains. Lost secrets from ancient empires.

But all that is window dressing. This is a story about two young men, a rubbish Poet and a very good porter. Neither one desires to be extraordinary, but it happens to them anyway. Between them, they save and destroy nations, fall in and out of love and become, largely against their will, both the greatest heroes and the greatest villains the World has ever known. There are no good guys or bad guys, everything happens for a reason and you'll never scoff at poetry again.

__________

Epic fantasy in an Asian-influenced setting and a magic system that is
closely tied to economics and is likened to poetry?
Is all about moral ambiguity and asking tough questions?
Political intrigue that is downright horrifying?
*loveslovesloves*

(I read this in Shadow and Betrayal omnibus.)

3.5/5 Stars

A highly original debut and a good start to a quartet.

A Shadow in Summer is Daniel Abraham’s debut and the first book in the Long Price Quartet series. After finishing this book, I have to say that I’m deeply impressed by its originality. There is a lot of subtlety that goes into the book here, Abraham also has created a low fantasy series that’s influenced heavily by Eastern culture especially with the way he implemented poses in the characters daily activities.

However, the average rating on Goodreads speaks for itself already, this is not a book that most readers will enjoy. There aren’t any mythical beings (except for one, I guess), this book contained zero actions, literally zero actions throughout the whole book because the plot revolves heavily around politics, the pacing of the book also moved at an extremely slow pace and I, who loved slow paced books, found it was too slow at times. That said, Abraham’s characters are multi-layered, the engaging yet beautiful prose and the world-building was also excellent. These three factors were very important in making me invested in the book and yes, I am really invested to continue. Not to mention, the concept of andat was incredibly interesting and I can’t wait to see what the series has to offer on this.

n  n   

“Possibility is a wide field, dear. ”Can't" is a word for small imaginations.”

n  n

It’s quite a short book and in my opinion, Abraham has created something super unique in the market with this book and I will continue to the sequel. From the first book alone, I can conclude that A Shadow in Summer is a totally foundational book, making this series a slow burn series; I envision this is also one of those series that only gets better with each installment and I'm going to find out about it immediately.

You can find this and the rest of my Adult Epic/High Fantasy & Sci-Fi reviews at BookNest

I was sent the omnibus by James Long at Orbit, who thought I might like it. He was wrong – I loved it.

I’m not going to review it (not that I really do reviews that much). You know when you enjoy a book so much, you enjoy the nuances, and you know that none of this can be captured in a write-up? It’s almost pointless. There are so many layers, and none of the reviews I’ve read have seen the same city and characters as I have – which goes to show how much I enjoyed it. This really is a splendid book. A gentle piece where characters grow, rather than an all-out action romp. There are some marvellous complexities and twists, too. We talk a lot about grown-up novels, and sometimes we think sex and violence makes a book grown-up. It doesn’t, and this book proves my point – it’s as mature as fantasy writing can get, and does so without being visceral. This is a sensual, balmy afternoon of a novel: a travelogue, a character study and a textbook example of intricate world-building.

When I grow up, I want to write as well as Daniel Abraham.

This was so much different than what I was expecting, in a way even better.
I read this after hearing people talk about it in a good way, though I had heard the first book was very slow and just there to set up the rest of the series. Instead, I found myself reading a very great story, captivating and filled with characters I ended up caring about.
The world building was done so well. It never feels like the author is forcing you to read everything there is to know about the city it takes place in, while at the same time I think like it's easy to just get to know some of the places that are mentioned multiple times.
The "magic" system is quite interesting and so different from other fantasy books. I was a bit confused at first with the whole poet thing, but when I realized what it meant, I was quite interested. There is no flashing spell, no potions, no swords. Just being able to take an idea and give it a human shape.
And the characters! So well written. There were a couple of characters I didn't know I cared about until the end of the book, and then I was just so... impressed. I rarely read fantasy with such great character work. The political intrigue and the drama just made this book so much better!
I am so glad I finally decided to give it a try, and I can't wait to read the rest of the series!

Eh.

I liked this just fine. I didn't think it was amazing or anything.. I never felt super connected to the characters, and some down right pissed me off. It was a good story, but it fell a little flat for me I guess. I really wanted to like it more than I did... But it just wasn't happening.

It's still getting three stars though, and I'll likely read the next in the series at some point. I know a lot of people really love the series, so I'm hoping it gets better from here. Hopefully there will be less faithless two timing bitches though.. *stabs Liat in the face*

Glad I picked up this book from Daniel Abraham- his first. Be warned, it is a slow and subtle novel, and the magic isn’t in your face. While the book does start off in a school-type setting familiar to fantasy fans, it soon passes and what is left is relatively absent of the tropes and ideas that would quickly draw in fantasy fans searching for George Martin grittiness, Brandon Sanderson magical flair, or JRR Tolkien scale.

I applaud the effort, bravery, and skill it takes to do a fantasy novel like this. It’s character driven and the writing is well done. Yet, because of that bravery the book doesn’t spellbind you in the familiar comforts the way your favorite fantasy novels do. Fantasy fans seem to get drawn in by flashy magic systems, beautiful worlds that are shaped by them, good vs evil, and coming-into-your-powers type plots. In honesty, despite Abraham’s wonderful prose and good characters those absences were a bit noticeable for me at times.

What this book does have is a type of reality. The city’s politics make sense and the plot is exactly the type of intrigue that could be expected of the world. Everything fits, and the lack of flashiness is replaced by a carefully and lovingly constructed consistency that pervades the reading experience.

The prose fits too. It was the reason I picked up the book past my kindle’s sample chapter. (Recently I’ve gotten a bit bored with purely descriptive picture painting without voice). It has a vaguely poetic feel to it, and even a musicality at times. Those attributes aren’t as pronounced as something you’d see in a Robin Hobb or Patrick Rothfuss paragraph, but once again it’s subtlety is right in line with the story. I fell gently into Abraham’s prose about halfway, and had quite a fondness for its simple-subtle beauty by the books conclusion.

The best writing for me was in the character dynamics, especially in the romantic scenes. The first time the book really wowed me was the accuracy with which Abraham drew the intimacy of Itani’s and Liat’s relationship dynamics. Those were the first moments I first felt fully engaged in characters and plot, and the most memorable aspect I took with me from this book.

Summary of my experience with this book:
I was drawn in by the beginning, the language was pretty and the school setting is something I’ll always be a sucker for. Then the book hit a lull when the viewpoint switched to Amat. I liked the idea of her a lot but something fell flat for me, I think it was a lack of palpable tension from her perspective. She is a total badass but even through the end of the novel she was the character I felt the least connected to.

Maati’s perspective was fine as well, but had its lulls as well, mostly picking up whenever Seedless came around and then slowing down during the other times. Itani and Liat’s story had the most beautiful moments for me in the book, and it was the first time I was fully impressed and absorbed in the writing.

Seedless was fun whenever he was around, but his character’s pettiness and cruelty, despite the justifiable reasons behind them, made him a bit less awe inspiring as a result.

The twist of Itani being Otah was wonderful, and I didn’t see it coming, despite the signs. The plot, a bit outside my traditional preferences, was a bit unmemorable for me. The general gist was ‘A god slave orchestrates his freedom by traumatizing his master through unwittingly aborting an unsuspecting woman’s child.’ Each of the characters had their own stories and mini plots, but at times they seemed to lack a substantive plot binding them together in a way that added beyond the sum of their respective journeys.

The middle events of the book, while necessary for the plot points and character development , often didn’t seem as real to me as I wanted. I’m not quite sure I believe that Amat, a powerful and resourceful person in the city for decades would end up in a brothel the way she did. I’m not quite sure I believe that Otah would leave Liat and his home to deliver a letter to the Dai-Kvo the way he did. I’m not quite sure I believe Liat would fall for Maati and risk losing Otah when she knew he’d be back in a month. Those things, and a few minor others, were a couple slight hang ups I had with the story.

Yet by the end of the book I was absorbed for the most part by the writing. The plot deficiencies, and the setting being a bit less fantastical than other books that have blown me away, were not ultimately enough for me to dislike the book at all. Abraham clearly had a vision of a book with characters that grow and mature. And the way he wrote his characters emotional tension, with love and a patient realism, had a lasting impact on me that overshadowed a some boring moments.

Conclusion:

Perhaps the depth of insight that Abraham has into his characters minds and emotions made their occasionally unbelievable actions all the more prominently sharp by contrast. The world, thoughtfully created with a realistic feel, was undazzling in comparison to the genres best, and a bit absent of feelings of wonder outside the Andat. The plot gave off the feeling that it mostly was there for the growth and display of the characters, and was more a catalyst to set the stage for their emotionally charged interactions. The plot executes that goal well, but it also lacked an oompf in and of itself. On top of that, the characters’ distance from the plot made the story lose some of it’s forward moving tension at times. Brilliant at times, the saving graces of the book are the moments that have memorable sticking power through the emotional power of the character portraits.

Condensed story recap:

Otah, a young son of an aristocratic ‘Khai’ family, is a pupil at the abusive school that trains Poets, people who can incarnate ideas, called Andats, and then control their powers. After being selected to be a genuine Poet candidate, Otah leaves the school, disillusioned by its ideals when he has to use its abusive selection process on a young boy, Maati. He leaves in disgrace, penniless but resolute in his decison.

Fast forward many years and travel to the city of seafront trading town Saraykeht, a town that thrives in its cotton trade- boosted by the use of an Andat called Seedless, who can control the sterility of things. Amat Kyan is the experienced manager of a Galtic House in Saraymeht led by the overseer Marchat Wilson. The Galts are a foreign land and people to Saraykeht, tribal and warlike but kept under a firm thumb by the use of Andat.

The Galts, in an attempt to loosen the Andat’s power over them, order Marchat Wison to conspire with Seedless to weaken the Poet Heshai, who forcibly controls him. Their plan: force the Poet to unwittingly abort the baby of the pregnant Maj, an innocent and unsuspecting foreigner they are manipulating.

Marchat Wilson, in an attempt to spare his manager Amat Kyan from the dirty business, excludes her from the whole operation. But when she finds out she is forced into hiding to avoid assassination, and she takes refuge in a brothel as an accountant for Ovi-Niit, it’s cruel overseer. As a result, Marchat Wilson is forced to used her inexperienced and young apprentice, Liat.

Liat petitions the Khai to abort Maj’s child using the Poet and Seedless, herself unknowing of that Maj wants to concieve. She is overwhelmed by her new duties, and despite the support of her lover Itani, a laborer for Wilson, is unsure of herself.

On the Khai’s side of the deal is the Andat Seedless, the Poet Heshai-kvo, and Heshai’s apprentice Maati. Maati, newly arrived from Poet training is thrust into the dysfunctional relationship of Seedless, who despises Heshai and wishes for freedom, and his master Heshai, a man wracked by guilt over his lost love and their dead child.

As Seedless’s conspiracy moves forward, Itani, who is revealed to in fact be Otah, meets Maati and they develop a close bond. Amat Kyan escapes Ovi-Niit, and Seedless develops an affection for Maati.

Seedless’s Plan comes to fruition, and has his desired effects, mainly that Heshai falls into deep apathic depression. Amat Kyan, in an effort towards justice breaks with House Wilson and devotes herself to exposing the Galts deception to the Khai. For revenue to fund her mission she kills Ovi-Niit and takes control his brothel, giving refuge to the grieving Maj there as well.

Otah, in an effort to solve the crisis, seeks the help of the Dai-Kvo, who is the leader of the Poets. He takes a month long journey by ship to deliver a message to him and then makes his way back to Saraykeht.

Back in Saraykeht, Liat, now disgraced and an outcast for not seeing Seedless’s deception, falls in love with Maati as he nurses Heshai-Kvo back to health.

Otah returns to a Saraykeht where Amat Kyan is about to expose the Galts, Maati is wracked by guilt by his role in the infidelity, and Liat (after a panicked Marchat Wilson attempts to silence any future trouble from her with a failed assassination attempt) is taking refuge at the Amat’s brothel as well.

After Maati reveals his and Liat’s relationship Otah leaves in a rage where shortly afterwards he is met by Seedless. Seedless convinces him that he should kill Heshai, because if the Khai learns of the Galt’s play for power he would turn Seedless against him, killing multitudes of unborn children. Otah meets Heshai in the middle drinking himself into oblivion, but doesn’t kill him, instead leaving to get Maj (who is frustrated by the months of inactivity after being promised justice for the death of her child). They return to Heshai, now insensate, and proceed to strangle him together.

The novel ends with Otah and Maj leaving towards Maj’s homeland, Maati and Liat leaving Saraykeht together. And Amat Kyan starting a legitimate business venture in cotton, preemptively anticipating the economic effects of Seedless’s absence.

What an uneven read! I was not impressed with the beginning, but then the idea of the magic drew me in, and then the plots grabbed me, and then it got gross and boring and then I fell in love with one of the characters, and then the author threw that all away.

Weird, but not in a bad way I guess?

CONTENT WARNINGS: (a list of topics):  child abuse, slavery, abortions (forced), adultery, drug use, violence towards women, fat shaming.

Things that were enjoyable:

-Heshai. Poor, flawed, sweet Heshai.

-The magic. Poetry as magic was neat! I wish they'd done more with it than they had.

-Amat. A character with a disability who is strong, powerful, and desirable! That was very cool to see.

Things that threw me off:

-The love triangle. Ugh. Do I have to say more? I don't like romances. I don't like them in the rain, I don't like them on a plane. I don't like it when there's two, adding more just makes me blue. I don't like romance, Sam-I-Am. And this was a weird 2.5 romances.

-The poses. Okay, a pose for greeting, a pose for strength, a pose for apology...things that are nonverbal big ideas, I could see that working into a normal language. But to have a formal verbal language, a common verbal language, nuance in those languages, honorifics based on personal relationships, AND formal, informal, familiar, polite, rude, clumsy, and a myriad of other expressions of body signs is...ludicrous. Also I felt like I was in Madonna's vogue, everyone had to strike a pose every time they entered a room. Interesting thought, but not a great book feature.

-The plot. I...don't know why people would care? It was an evil idea, yes, but grand scheme of things, I wasn't sold that it would achieve the ends anyone seemed to think it would.

-And then it didn't matter anyways. I guess the author agreed with me about the plot because he took the much more straight-forward approach at the very end anyways lol.

-Repetitive phrases. There were a lot of words the author used way too much. I think the word "stone" showed up metaphorically 4 times in 2 minutes. "His eyes were like black stones and he gazed on her. Under that gaze she felt a stone grow in her stomach...'be like stone, she thought, do not regret this.'" and so on.

-Not enough magic. The WHOLE premise of this book is about becoming someone who can control a sort of magic. And we see one aspect of that happen twice. I really wanted more focus on what this would mean.

-Inorganic characters. Nope. Didn't buy 'em. Well, aside from Amat and Heshai. I liked them.

Not sure if I'll continue. It was fine, I'm led to believe they'll all be up to more shenanigans, I just don't know if I care what they are.