false <![CDATA[A Shadow in Summer (Long Price Quartet, #1)]]> http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1156884772m/208.jpg 208 5 In this brilliant and original epic fantasy of Machiavellian intrigue and unique magic, Daniel Abraham portrays fully realized women and complex, conflicted men in love, caught between the forces of money and power. The city-state of Saraykeht dominates the Summer Cities: commerce and trade fill the streets. Any desire, however exotic or base, can be satisfied in its soft quarter. The people live and work secure in the knowledge that their city is a bastion of progress in a harsh world. It would be a tragedy if it fell. At the heart of the city's influence is the poet-sorcerer Heshai and the captive spirit Seedless which he controls. Heshai is at once the linchpin of and the most vulnerable point in Saraykeht's greatness. Far to the west, the armies of Galt have conquered many lands. To take Saraykeht, they must first destroy its prosperity. Marchat Wilsin, head of Galt's trading-house in the city, is planning a terrible crime against Heshai and Seedless. If he succeeds, Saraykeht will fall. Amat, House Wilsin's business manager, her apprentice Liat, and two young men from the farthest reaches of their society stand alone against the dire threat to the city. But in this city of power and intrigue, no one is without secrets. The price they must pay to save Saraykeht may be greater than they can afford. 1711253 book 2006 A Shadow in Summer (Long Price Quartet, #1) total:246|5:39|4:102|3:73|2:25|1:7| 246 879 515 63 3 2 false false Sat Mar 01 00:00:00 -0800 2008 Sat Mar 01 08:34:52 -0800 2008 Sat Mar 08 15:12:33 -0800 2008 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 Ge...more...]]> 3 0 false false Mon Sep 01 00:00:00 -0700 2008 Mon Dec 29 13:36:43 -0800 2008 Mon Dec 29 13:37:19 -0800 2008 more...]]> 2 0 false true Fri Dec 19 00:00:00 -0800 2008 Mon Dec 22 09:10:15 -0800 2008 Mon Dec 22 09:10:57 -0800 2008 more...]]> 4 0 false false Mon Jan 12 00:00:00 -0800 2009 Fri Jan 09 20:00:50 -0800 2009 Mon Jan 12 19:10:20 -0800 2009 Refreshing Fantasy. Promising Start to a Good Series

A SHADOW IN SUMMER was a wonderful read. It accomplished everything that a first fantasy book should. It introduced an engaging world, created interesting characters that were equally engaging, and completed the story while leaving the ...more...]]> 4 3 false false Fri Sep 25 00:00:00 -0700 2009 Mon Aug 31 09:42:11 -0700 2009 Fri Sep 25 13:35:57 -0700 2009 1 more...]]> 0 0 false false Thu Feb 05 09:47:20 -0800 2009 Thu Feb 05 09:47:20 -0800 2009 Debut novelist Daniel Abraham bolts out of the gate with an enthusiastic recommendation from SF guru George R. R. Martin. The critics agree with Martin's appraisal, and reviewers welcome Abraham's rich characterization, deft plotting, and the particularly ambitious central conceit that ideas can be ...

more...]]> 2 0 false false Fri Jul 03 07:44:06 -0700 2009 Fri Jul 03 07:54:09 -0700 2009 more...]]> 4 0 false false Mon May 25 00:00:00 -0700 2009 Sat May 23 14:46:35 -0700 2009 Wed May 27 10:15:12 -0700 2009 more...]]> 5 0 false false Sat Aug 22 00:00:00 -0700 2009 Wed Sep 23 14:45:33 -0700 2009 Wed Sep 23 14:45:33 -0700 2009 more...]]> 5 0 false false Sat Dec 27 00:00:00 -0800 2008 Thu Sep 18 10:51:11 -0700 2008 Fri Feb 13 15:32:09 -0800 2009
The story also felt complete by the end so that I wasn't left frustrated. Yet, there was also plenty of room fo...more...]]> 4 1 false false Fri Sep 05 00:00:00 -0700 2008 Tue Sep 02 07:14:22 -0700 2008 Sat Sep 06 12:34:05 -0700 2008 more...]]> 5 0 false false Sat Jul 26 00:00:00 -0700 2008 Tue Jul 22 21:56:21 -0700 2008 Sun Jul 27 10:32:39 -0700 2008 A Shadow in Summer to me, the first book of Daniel Abraham's Long Price Quartet. I very much enjoyed this and am definitely looking forward to reading more of the series.

The worldbuilding is excellent, a refreshing switch from a lot of fantasy...more...]]> 3 0 false false Fri Jul 04 00:00:00 -0700 2008 Mon Jul 07 03:40:29 -0700 2008 Mon Jul 07 03:52:51 -0700 2008 more...]]> 3 0 false false Fri Jun 13 00:00:00 -0700 2008 Tue Jun 03 09:05:44 -0700 2008 Fri Nov 14 21:05:48 -0800 2008 a few main characters and they are all involved in the same plot, which means
no diverging timelines and they inhabit the same geography.
The basic story revolves around people who can harness andat (...more...]]> 4 0 false false Thu Jul 24 00:00:00 -0700 2008 Sat Apr 26 08:28:35 -0700 2008 Thu Jul 24 13:05:36 -0700 2008
Did I get that? No. However, the first book of the Long Price Quartet is certainly a fine addition to the fantasy genre. Exotic, at times a bit bewildering, Abr...more...]]> 4 0 false false Sat Sep 01 00:00:00 -0700 2007 Sat Sep 22 10:54:44 -0700 2007 Thu Sep 27 10:32:09 -0700 2007 more...]]> 3 0 false false Tue Apr 08 00:00:00 -0700 2008 Mon Mar 17 12:02:49 -0700 2008 Thu Apr 10 11:56:29 -0700 2008 more...]]> 3 0 false false Sat Jul 18 00:00:00 -0700 2009 Wed Jul 15 17:04:40 -0700 2009 Thu Jul 23 00:31:57 -0700 2009
I was a little d...more...]]> 3 0 false false Sat Sep 01 00:00:00 -0700 2007 Sun Sep 02 14:56:53 -0700 2007 Sun Sep 16 08:32:59 -0700 2007 more...]]> 3 0 false false Fri Aug 14 22:00:42 -0700 2009 Fri Aug 14 22:38:51 -0700 2009 more...]]> http://www.goodreads.com/book_link/follow/8?book_id=208