The Summer Tree (The Fionavar Tapestry, #1)

Questions About The Summer Tree (The Fionavar Tapestry, #1)

by Guy Gavriel Kay (Goodreads Author)

Reader Q&A

To ask other readers questions about The Summer Tree, please sign up.

Answered Questions (6)

Saul the Heir of Isauldur Whereas WoT borrows a lot from Eastern philosophies: renewal, rebirth, opposites-create-balance, The Fionavar Tapestry (of which The Summer Tree is th…moreWhereas WoT borrows a lot from Eastern philosophies: renewal, rebirth, opposites-create-balance, The Fionavar Tapestry (of which The Summer Tree is the first book) borrows more from Celtic mythology.

WoT is large in scope, the very definition of epic, from the main villain to its length (seriously, 14 books). I'm not saying that Fionavar isn't epic (believe you me, Kay is a master on par with his mentor Tolkien).

To an outsider, all fantasy is similar, and most fantasy books have more or less the same themes. If you like epic fantasy, I'd recommend you read them both. (less)
Lorie Thomas Depends on how you handle cliffhangers.
…more
Depends on how you handle cliffhangers.
(less)
George In this novel, The Summer Tree, there is an illusory and real sequence of rape and torture. I do not find it gratuitous, but it is arguably a mistake …moreIn this novel, The Summer Tree, there is an illusory and real sequence of rape and torture. I do not find it gratuitous, but it is arguably a mistake by Kay. See Beth K's answer to https://www.goodreads.com/questions/1... here for one strong opinion. I certainly wouldn't offer it to anyone who couldn't adequately dissociate from it, which implies adult enough to be pre-scarred.

In The Wandering Fire there is a brief but explicit coupling of Osiris/Adonis with Aphrodite/Gaia (not under those names).

That's as far as I've gotten, but I think quite enough to break the deal, or not.

On the other hand, these people are literate enough not to depend on taboo words, unlike many adult and YA novels these 4 decades later.(less)

Unanswered Questions

About Goodreads Q&A

Ask and answer questions about books!

You can pose questions to the Goodreads community with Reader Q&A, or ask your favorite author a question with Ask the Author.

See Featured Authors Answering Questions

Learn more