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A Shadow in Summer

(Long Price Quartet #1)

Daniel Abraham

3.62 · Rating details · 12,143 ratings · 870 reviews

The city-state of Saraykeht dominates the Summer Cities. Its wealth is beyond measure; its port is open to all the merchants of the world, and its ruler, the Khai Saraykeht, commands forces to rival the Gods. Commerce and trade fill the streets with a hundred languages, and the coffers of the wealthy with jewels and gold. Any desire, however exotic or base, can be satisfie ...more

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Hardcover, First Edition, 331 pages

Published March 7th 2006 by Tor Books

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Sep 14, 2017 Petrik rated it liked it

Recommended to Petrik by: Scott Hitchcock

(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 chara ...more

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Mar 06, 2013 Niki Hawkes - The Obsessive Bookseller rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: favorites

Via Book Reviews by Niki Hawkes at www.nikihawkes.com

I will be the first one to admit that the overview sounds a little boring and convoluted. The first time I picked it up in a bookstore, I almost disregarded it right away and put it back on the shelf. The reading gods must have been looking out for me that day because for one reason or another I cracked it open to read the first page… And didn’t stop for thirty minutes. It was fascinating and engaging – starting out by introducing a complex co Via Book Reviews by Niki Hawkes at www.nikihawkes.com

I will be the first one to admit that the overview sounds a little boring and convoluted. The first time I picked it up in a bookstore, I almost disregarded it right away and put it back on the shelf. The reading gods must have been looking out for me that day because for one reason or another I cracked it open to read the first page… And didn’t stop for thirty minutes. It was fascinating and engaging – starting out by introducing a complex communication system that involves intricate hand gestures that conveys everything from emotion to social status. And you know what? It only got better! Abraham then went on to developed a mind – blowing magic system that was as dangerous as it was beautiful. These elements combined with an unforgettable writing style made for one of the most original stories I have ever read!

Both the communication and magic systems went a long way to build this world, but Abraham expanded on it anyway and created a stunning city that I can still remember vividly years later. Top that off with an incredible cast of characters (who will have you laughing and crying with them by the time the series ends) and you have one of the most memorable stories on the market. All of the characters were amazing and they only got better with each book.

I loved every minute, and I’ll say it again: this was easily one of the best series I’ve ever read. I will definitely be reading it again and will DEFINITELY be buying anything else this author publishes (be on the lookout for my review of The Dragon’s Path – the first book in Abraham’s latest series – hitting the blog sometime next month). Outstanding!

Recommendations: If you have read all the staples, from Robert Jordan to Brandon Sanderson, and are looking for your next great series, this is definitely the author for you! I recommend him as often as I can because of how profoundly his work affected me. Fantasy fans out there – this is a must-read! ...more

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Nov 17, 2011 Shannon rated it really liked it

Shelves: fantasy-scifi, books-reviewed, the-sweeping-epic

When you've read fantasy for as long as I have you get tired of the fact that 90% of fantasy tales revolved around a dumb farm boy who is the missing heir to the kingdom or to long gone magical powers, he has a good heart but can't seem to get the girl, he has to leave home and help the world/nation/kingdom against some Dark Lord, who tends to be archetype and has some old mentor who gives him the sword/magical talisman to win and kick the beejesus out of the Dark Lord. Oh, and then he gets the When you've read fantasy for as long as I have you get tired of the fact that 90% of fantasy tales revolved around a dumb farm boy who is the missing heir to the kingdom or to long gone magical powers, he has a good heart but can't seem to get the girl, he has to leave home and help the world/nation/kingdom against some Dark Lord, who tends to be archetype and has some old mentor who gives him the sword/magical talisman to win and kick the beejesus out of the Dark Lord. Oh, and then he gets the girl usually or finds someone better than the girl because the girl wasn't a very nice person. Heh.

Back then there weren't too many variations on this tale unless you wanted to read Michael Moorcock or maybe H.P. Lovecraft, though, he's more horror than fantasy.

Nowadays, fantasy is beginning to shift to grittier/realistic tales; George R.R. Martin being at the forefront. So, now, it isn't about such tales so much and if it is the dumb farm boy might not be such a nice guy or he may lose against the enemy. Maybe, unlike traditional fantasy, someone can wear black and not be a bad person.

So, saying all that for those who have walked with the fantasy genre as long as I have, we finally get to encounter a novel that takes another spin.

A SHADOW IN SUMMER has a distinctive Asian flair to it with almost no focus on the usual medieval European setting. Moreover, there isn't some Dark Lord to defeat.

The tale focuses on politics between various factions within the city of all cities. This city has gained the powers of a powerful spirit that has the ability to give the city a major up in the cotton trade by taking the seed out of cotton plants, thus, giving them a huge advantage upon other cities that need to hand pick the seeds out of each cotton bushel.

Naturally, other cities, most notably one similar to a European one, wants to free that spirit or control that spirit so that they can then monopolize the cotton trade.

So the whole story is about various groups either trying to do this or about other people investigating this plot, not quite realizing the full details until later.

One of the world details I liked about this world and that is based on historical facts is that the people communicate very much in body language rather than words so people will be talking and then take on a pose of apology, love, joy, anger or conciliation. It's definitely a nice touch.

So read this book if you like intrigue, court politics and strong characters, who are not the usual archetypes and are actually doing something besides running the from the minions of the Dark Lord.

STORY/PLOTTING/EDITING: B to B plus; CHARACTERS/DIALOGUE: B to B plus; SETTING: A minus; INTRIGUE: B plus to A minus; OVERALL GRADE: B plus. ...more

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Feb 12, 2018 Mayim de Vries rated it really liked it

’And love is more important than justice,’ Seedless said.
‘Sometimes. Yes.’
Seedless smiled and nodded.
‘What a terrible thought,’ he said. ‘That love and injustice should be married.’

The main merit of A Shadow in Summer lies in how its Author bound ideas into words and then formed them into a language comprehensible for us, ordinary human beings. As to the lives these ideas led, the choices they made, the roads they had taken and the tales that could be told about it - that is altogether a differ ’And love is more important than justice,’ Seedless said.
‘Sometimes. Yes.’
Seedless smiled and nodded.
‘What a terrible thought,’ he said. ‘That love and injustice should be married.’

The main merit of A Shadow in Summer lies in how its Author bound ideas into words and then formed them into a language comprehensible for us, ordinary human beings. As to the lives these ideas led, the choices they made, the roads they had taken and the tales that could be told about it - that is altogether a different matter.

Abraham’s worldbuilding ideas take us to the world where sophisticated and developed albeit waning civilisation of the East struggles for power with quite primitive and brutish ascendant culture stylised in the western manner. The Summer Cities of the Khainate live off on the scraps of an imperium gone by. They are still resplendent, still rich beyond measure, overflowing with goods and pleasures; each of them independent and yet interdependent - immersed in the ebbs and flows of international trade. Arrogant yet secure in their frivolities by the powers wielded by poets. For you see, only the poet is able to grasp and then hold the andat.

What is the andat? Andat are like thoughts made real, ideas tamed and given human shape, thoughts translated by the poet into a form that includes volition, more difficult to hold each time they escape. Inevitably, the more scarce they become, the greater treasure they were. Especially that when faced with the raw but crude power of other nations, the cities of the East had the andat as their ultimate and only weapons.

“I am a slave, my dear. The slave you hope to own.”

I admit, I thought the idea of the andat ingenious in its simplicity. But Mr Abraham surpassed all my expectations when like a fine wordsmith, he wrought a form for his idea and then breathed life into it creating Seedless. Seedless, neither the slave nor a puppet and a little bit of both, simultaneously compassionate god and malefic prankster, neither a monster nor a beast and yet so very elemental and inhuman, is a character so total that he could wander through the pages of Dostoyevsky or Mann, if any of them ever bothered to write fantasy, and never would be out of place.

‘I think we’re past things like forgiveness,’ she said. ‘We’re the servants of what we have to do.’

This is so precisely because characterisation is the second pillar elevating A Shadow in the Summer above the average. It is not merely the gallimaufry of protagonists. The art lies in how with each word they gain depth and colour, how the cardboard figures absorb conventional tropes and fold them into intricate shapes. This book is like a human origami.

You know I look askance at cliches. But here cliches flare with new life; the coming-to-age, the star-crossed lovers, the late lovers, the love triangle, the revenge, the from wares to whores (aka. the bordello tycoon trope), the master-apprentice, the younger son - you will find them all in this novel. But don’t greet them like old friends - they will be as surprising as they are disturbing and inconvenient. Each of the protagonists stumbles upon the very bedrocks of their own personalities and things that render them unique prove to be both a blessing and a curse. This was the main reason why I couldn’t fully connect with any of the heroes and heroines. They were endearing and annoying at once. Too much like the living people, like us: hard to classify, impossible to pigeonhole. None of them has come out whole from the adventure, none emerged strengthened and refined. Not something you usually get in fantasy, more frequently these types of personal stories are found among the classic novels.

“You aren’t a killer. I’m a poet. If we’re going to stop this thing, one of us has to change.”

Among all the characters Amat definitely stands out. It might be that I have a soft spot for elder women in a genre conquered by hordes of cocky adolescents. More probably though, it is how masterfully her arc was written; she reminds me Bujold's characters from the World of the Five Gods. In a word where action only complements a word and the form it has taken, she is a shining supernova.

I really loved how in this book language is more than words. The protagonists communicate via countless poses and each message has a double, sometimes even triple meaning. Speaking is never reduced to merely talking: “He answered with a pose so gentle and complex - thankfulness, requesting patience, expressing affection - that it neared poetry.” I was taking poses as I read on! I also appreciated how the tale gives a laudation of conceived life, regardless of its form and stage.

What are the weaknesses then, you ask? While the personal stories and arc are superb, the overall plot is convoluted and a bit artificial. The personal stories touch but do not meet head-on. They tangle, but the pattern they form is haphazard, inchoate and disjointed. Furthermore, the whole stratagem develops very slowly and not without bizarre hurdles. The balance between what happens, the meanings the events are supposed to carry and then the actual weight of the narrative lacks equilibrium.

Not deeply enough nuanced tension between the lack of free will and the lack of freedom, the general nature of the andat versus the specificity of a flawed design, inconclusive character development of the supposedly main hero built on a twisted sense of loyalty and justice, especially when juxtaposed with his initial rejection of a system that demanded cruelty from him up to the breakup point and lauded him for the breaking - all this together meant that when I finished the book and I was both satisfied and dissatisfied, very disturbed and unsure what to make of the whole story.

I was torn and conflicted in my rating between 3 and 4 stars, but taking into consideration the avalanche of reflections this book has awakened in me, I give it a benefit of depth and raise my rating. A Shadow in Summer is definitely worthy of your attention. However, you need to judge very carefully if the novel is actually for you as it does not cater to all the customary needs of an average fantasy reader. Despite its shortages, I am taking a pose of invitation and encouragement.

Bonus: Read Q&A with Daniel Abraham on Fantasy Buddy Reads.

Also in the series:

2. A Betrayal in Winter ✮✮✮✮✮
3. An Autumn War ✮✮✮✮
4. The Price of Spring ✮✮✮ ...more

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Aug 12, 2015 Bradley rated it liked it

Shelves: 2016-shelf, fantasy, worldbuilding-sf

I have definitely read much worse fantasy, or fiction, for that matter, and I see that subtlety and thoughtfulness is the name of this tune, but honestly, it was slow and not much happens.

It was, on the other hand, quite readable and the characters were very solid, even memorable as far as they go. The society, the empire, is also quite fleshed out and has a character all of its own. I have no complaints with any of that. Indeed, I think it's quite remarkable.

I don't even have a problem with the ...more

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Mar 12, 2021 Klaus rated it it was amazing

Shelves: fantasy, abraham

22/25 (88%) 4.5 stars.
description

A brilliant, slow start to the series, filled with clever intrigues and ambivalent characters who struggle through ethical dilemmas and hard decisions; blessed with a brilliant writing style and an original and fleshed-out setting. Abraham truly has created something unique here, and he has done it without needing a single action scene, for the depth of the intrigues and decisions his character must make suffice to carry this story.

description

The worldbuilding is chef's kiss, almost S ...more

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Feb 21, 2018 Choko rated it really liked it

*** 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 mad *** 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.

"...“Sometimes the hand pulls the puppet, sometimes the puppet pulls the hand, but the string runs both ways.”..."

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.

"...“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.” ..."

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!

"...“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.” ..."

Now I wish you all Happy Reading and may you always find what you Need in the pages of a Good Book!!!
...more

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Mar 21, 2017 Scott Hitchcock rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: 5-stars, high-fantasy, library-ebook

This was part of a group read and I liked it best of everybody reading the book. Which is odd because I think I'm the first one to complain when Fantasy or Sci-Fi books don't have any action and move slow. Others thought that of this book but it wasn't that way for me. There's just something about DA's writing style where both the characters and world are so descriptive. The emotions and interactions come off the page in HD where another author trying for the same is a black and white 9' built i ...more

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Sep 03, 2017 Lea rated it did not like it

Shelves: ficção, fantasia, dnf

DNF @ 20%. I think I gave this book a fair shot, 20% is quite a long way to read and still be completely bored by the characters, world and plot.

One thing that was really baffling and continually took me out of the book was the way the characters kept posing during conversations. It was soooo ridiculous, there wasn't a single dialogue that didn't involve at least ten different poses. They started as "a pose of greeting" or a "pose of farewell", which I can deal with, but soon the characters were ...more

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Jul 13, 2020 Allen Walker rated it it was amazing

An underrated masterclass in quiet intrigue and character study.

My full review: https://youtu.be/J8TDSZE6Aps ...more

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Mar 28, 2011 Eh?Eh! rated it liked it

Shelves: babble-added, ceridwen-sockpuppet

The review that hooked me: http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/...
The review that should've hooked me much earlier: http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/...

I don't think beginning this series with a marathon reading session while sick was the best approach, since fevers make me to skim faster and I missed some intricacies. Illness also makes me so lazy, such that I was unwilling to move even though I'd hunched down into a painful sitting/crouching/fetal position. Despite that (and despite the v The review that hooked me: http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/...
The review that should've hooked me much earlier: http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/...

I don't think beginning this series with a marathon reading session while sick was the best approach, since fevers make me to skim faster and I missed some intricacies. Illness also makes me so lazy, such that I was unwilling to move even though I'd hunched down into a painful sitting/crouching/fetal position. Despite that (and despite the visual trumpet-blare of the pompous title fonts, and my current aversion to epics) this was an incredible fantasy story. I skipped ahead and around to follow a character's storyline, just because it was so fascinating. I just finished stumbling through the last bits of the 4 books and I'm going to have to get over my epic aversion to re-read this all properly someday. I would give this series more than 4 stars, a little less than 5 stars.

10 generations ago (which isn't actually all that long, is it? a few hundred years?) an empire fell and now its remnants, called the Summer Cities, still dominate the world with its wealth, based on a fraction of the power it once had. This power comes from control of creatures called andats, 'ideas given volition' is the description from the book I think, that are created by poets; not those laureates who speak at inaugurations or publish slim volumes or, ahem, rhyme stuff ("Stop it! I mean it!" "Would anybody like a peanut?" – that's my kind of poetry), but scholars who strive to completely capture a concept with a special grammar meant for this purpose and hold it in their minds, bending it to their will...magic. The andat takes on the form and personality imagined by the poet, an embodiment of the creator's mind. Unfortunately, once caught and lost, the exact same idea can't be recaptured. If you try, you die. The grammar has to be adjusted to describe it differently if possible; as the years go on, it becomes impossible to find a unique description and the andat, the idea, has to be abandoned. It's possible to bestow an andat upon another person, another poet. Each of the cities has its own poet, each andat's power used to boost the particular trade that is the basis of each city's economy.

The Summer Cities culture is obviously drawn from Asia, with the almond eyes and teahouses, but how beautiful the added touches are! Letters having edges sewn with silk thread are tucked into sleeves; firekeepers maintain braziers along major thoroughfares during cold months; the language consists of as many gestures as words; the suffix -kvo is used for teachers, -cha for respect, and -kya for great affection – grace notes in this wicked awesome story. And man, can this author write. Too many lines that made me pause to appreciate, even in a feverish haze. I wish I had the head to remember quotes to share them, but all I remember is the lift that comes from knowing something is very good.

This first book introduces the world (building it, hah). It begins at the poet school where we learn how they attempt to select the right people to potentially wield andats. Then fast-forward to a young poet sent to one of the cities to be ready to take on the residing poet's andat when the time comes. A plot to destroy the current poet is revealed to be just a feeler. Threading around the plot are all the human relations that complicate everything. There is the expected love triangle, whatever, but better is the delicate hum of Marchat and Amat. Wonderful and quietly sad. Anyway, the feeler plot felt flabby and small until it swelled to include nations and then gut-punches a reader with a series of, uh, punches. In the gut. That final sentence, wow. It's like the whole book was an orchestra just before a performance, sawing bows and turning knobs, an oddly harmonious dissonance (heh, I know, dumb, but when the strings are tuning and don't quite match but all sound like a piece of silk running up your back...that!), and at the last sentence the conductor dramatically raises his baton.... ...more

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Dec 31, 2017 Lema rated it really liked it

Recommended to Lema by: Kylie

Shelves: fantasy

[4.. maybe a 3.75 stars]

So if I need to describe this first book in 2 words I would say: Original and Clinical
Original, because let's be honest it's nothing like other fantasy novels I've read, the magic system is about capturing "ideas" into humanoid forms called "Andat" and control them to do the bidding of the castor, however these forms develop somewhat human traits and emotions as well, cue instant interesting and favorite character!

The world building is also very engaging with a lot of or [4.. maybe a 3.75 stars]

So if I need to describe this first book in 2 words I would say: Original and Clinical
Original, because let's be honest it's nothing like other fantasy novels I've read, the magic system is about capturing "ideas" into humanoid forms called "Andat" and control them to do the bidding of the castor, however these forms develop somewhat human traits and emotions as well, cue instant interesting and favorite character!

The world building is also very engaging with a lot of oriental and Asian influences (can we take a second to appreciate those beautiful covers?! Kudos to Stephanie Martiniere).
description

The plot is politics and economy-heavy which and completely action-free, which you don't see much of, if ever, in fantasy. This could be a big hit or miss for readers as the plot can be very slow-paced at times (cue audiobook to speed things up!), I won't call it slow-burn for now because that implies that they are great things to happen and I don't know that yet. However, this series seems like one that only gets better and better with each book, so look forward for 3 more reviews!

Why clinical? Well you'd think the slow-nothing-is-happening pace is the reason of the low-ish rating I gave, I actually like well done slow-burn books *cough*RobinHobb*cough*. This one though was kind of a miss regarding the presentation of the characters. Don't get me wrong they are all interesting and engaging to read about, Otah and Seedless are my absolute favorite, Amat is a middle aged woman who is a BAMF that gets shit done and Maati is a precious child that you want to smack every once in a while and hug the rest of the time, Liat can go expire in a ditch for all I care but she is a very realistic 17 years old girl. Not to mention a plethora of other rich charaters
So all of the above had great distinct characterization, but I just wasn't attached to any of them. We would get description of all these horrible things that happened to them and I'm like too bad bro..
So that was a bit disappointing for someone like me who likes to get destroyed and left traumatized after finishing a book..

So all in all, I recommend this book for someone who is bored with all the mainstream fantasy and would like to experience something new. I am DEFINITELY going to continue with the series because ANDATS! and because I really really liked the world and I am hopefully that my attachment issues with the characters will improve as the series advances.

Buddy Read with my best-book-friend Petrik who always tries to keep me sane when I’m in full geek-out mode :’D ...more

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Nov 23, 2021 Sarah Aubert rated it really liked it

4.5 Stars.

A unique and compelling book that opens a fantasy series I am very much looking forward to continuing. A Shadow in Summer is an intimate, political, and character-driven fantasy novel. Abraham's fastidious worldbuilding and complex use of language brings to life a story that feels different from anything I've read before. I could tell, about five chapters in, that this is a series that is going to hurt - and one that is only going to improve with the telling. I am forcing myself to sl ...more

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Mar 23, 2018 Emelia rated it it was amazing

RTC after I finish the series.....It was a bit difficult in the beginning of the book but then it grabs you and keeps you up til 3am. Not that I did ;)

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Jul 27, 2012 David Sven rated it really liked it

Shelves: fantasy

I enjoyed this. Not bad at all for a debut novel.

It's a low magic fantasy. Political/industrial intrigue rather than knights and dragons.

I like the city of Saraykeht and the almost oriental feel to the main culture. The main language is comprised of poses and gestures that accompany words similar to the Adem hand gestures in The Wise Man's Fear.

The central concept of poet's capturing ideas and then imbuing them with volition creating an enslaved god (andats) was interesting. You would think this I enjoyed this. Not bad at all for a debut novel.

It's a low magic fantasy. Political/industrial intrigue rather than knights and dragons.

I like the city of Saraykeht and the almost oriental feel to the main culture. The main language is comprised of poses and gestures that accompany words similar to the Adem hand gestures in The Wise Man's Fear.

The central concept of poet's capturing ideas and then imbuing them with volition creating an enslaved god (andats) was interesting. You would think this would make poet's extremely powerful but Abraham avoids the deus ex-machina by placing us in an Empire that has fallen because of the mutual destruction of poets wielding these andats against each other. And andats are not that easy to create anymore and few are actually useful enough to tip the balance of power.

But we do have at least one andat that has made the city state of Saraykeht virtually immune from war and with a major trade advantage. The andat "Seedless" has the unique ability of removing seeds from cotton en masse. What the cotton picking good is that for? I know you're asking. Well it's pretty darn good when nobody has to pick out the seeds themselves if they bring them to you - and oh, while they are there they may as well just deal with you for all their cotton trading and processing - or something like that. It's a major trade advantage according to cotton seed experts of the fantasy realm - I'm sure there's a thesis in it for somebody. Whatever, Daniel Abraham sells it well. Oh, the other thing one might use "Seedless" for is magically evacuating the wombs of all women in a nation - or destroying all their crops by vanishing their seeds overnight. So you don't want to mess with the andat.

You've probably already spotted the downside from this review. What's so interesting about cotton? Where is the badass in this book? Well, there's different kinds of badassery. Take one of the main characters, Amat. She is badass - in a ruthless political sort of way. She left me saying "Amat - you are badass - and you don't need kung fu."

Still I wouldn't have minded a little kung fu.

I'll definitely be continuing on with book 2 in the series. I'm giving this one...

3.75 stars.

...more

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Feb 11, 2018 Max added it

Truly impressive. So many novels in genre are less novels than they are the workings out of a plot—but that's not the case here. The characters breathe, and their moral and personal and emotional concerns are at least as vital as the clockwork of cause and effect. This actually made it a bit tricky for me to orient for the first couple chapters (after that phenomenal prologue). I kept waiting for the adventure hook, the mystery prompt, the grand doom foretold, and when one didn't come I felt thr ...more

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Aug 10, 2008 Stephen rated it really liked it

Shelves: unique-magic, dark-and-gritty, award-nominee-locus, political-fiction, 2006-2010, fantasy

4.0 to 4.5 stars. A very impressive debut novel. While very light on fantasy elements (think George R. R. Martin and the Song of Fire and Ice), the one major fantasy component is original and simply superb. That idea is that "poets" create and bind ideas made flesh and control them in the use of commerce and war. I was really impressed. This, along with a well developed world and a great story make this a strongly recommended book. ...more

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Feb 14, 2018 Veronica rated it really liked it

Shelves: buddy-read, fantasy

I really liked the writing and the concept of "poets" giving literal shape and form to ideas. The characterization was also pretty good for most of the characters. I wasn't emotionally satisfied with the ending but it wasn't enough to put me off from reading more in the series. ...more

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Apr 19, 2020 Allison Hurd rated it liked it

Shelves: own-to-read, fantasy, man-author

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): (view spoiler)

Things that were enjoyable:

-Heshai. ...more

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Jul 19, 2013 Rob rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy, author-male, own, read-2015, audio-book

Executive Summary: This pretty much seals it, I apparently really enjoy everything Mr. Abraham writes. This series likely won't be for everyone though.

Audio book: The sad truth is I consume far more books in audio these days than in text. The reviews of this series in audio has been pretty mixed towards negative, so I was leary to give it a shot.

I'll say that for me Neil Shah, was an alright narrator. He actually reads really well, and does a variety of voices. Some of them just annoyed me. Espe ...more

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Aug 07, 2011 Althea Ann rated it really liked it

I picked up this book because of the laudatory blurbs from both George R.R. Martin and Connie Willis.
I know Abraham has co-written with Martin before; although this is his first solo novel, it doesn't read like a first effort in any way - it's definitely engaging, above-average fantasy.
The world is a somewhat familiar fantasy scenario with an Asian-ish flavor, but not so much so that it doesn't feel interesting and original. It's set in a kingdom whose power rests on the andat - powerful beings ...more

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Nov 06, 2021 Zara rated it it was amazing

4.5. Fantastic character work and world-building. Full review to come soon.

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Sep 17, 2013 Whitaker rated it really liked it

Shelves: fantasy-scifi, z_2013-read

A short message before the review starts: BUYING AMAZON GIVES MONEY TO THE GOP MACHINE AND SUPPORTS EXPLOITATIVE EMPLOYMENT PRACTICES. DON'T FEED THE BEAST!! IF YOU'RE BUYING AN EBOOK, BUY THE KOBO EDITION HERE (Shadow and Betrayal) and HERE (Seasons of War).

I’ll admit it, I struggled with this work and what to think of it. The first two books in the quartet I really enjoyed. The second two books irritated the hell out of me.

Nevertheless, as much as I was irritated, I half suspect that that wa ...more

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Jul 11, 2018 ✘✘ Sarah ✘✘ (former Nefarious Breeder of Murderous Crustaceans) marked it as to-read · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy, what-the-fish-are-you-waiting-for, freebie

➽ FREE for members of Tor.com’s eBook of the Month Club! You can sign up (also for free) and get the book here!

...more

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Jan 07, 2017 Anirudh rated it did not like it

Shelves: fantasy

There are so many authors who fail to present a world which is unique and different from the hundreds of worlds that exist in fantasy. They Fail.

Daniel Abraham succeeds to make his world different. Unfortunately, different does not always mean better.

Plot Well, there isn't any. I am greatly surprised how this became a quartet when there was no story to be told beyond ten pages in the first book. The issue I had with this book is that it never pursues any concept faithfully. It starts off as a There are so many authors who fail to present a world which is unique and different from the hundreds of worlds that exist in fantasy. They Fail.

Daniel Abraham succeeds to make his world different. Unfortunately, different does not always mean better.

Plot Well, there isn't any. I am greatly surprised how this became a quartet when there was no story to be told beyond ten pages in the first book. The issue I had with this book is that it never pursues any concept faithfully. It starts off as a philosophical take on life and fails to maintain that. Suddenly we are told that the whole plot is about trading rivalries and despite this there is really nothing much about trade except vague paragraphs about cotton being shipped and weavers and merchant houses. This part was particularly disappointing. It neither explores the philosophical storyline of the poet nor the practical story line of Amat. I don't know why the author chose to write a mere 300 page fantasy book and not reallly say anything.

Characters There are really no noteworthy characters in this book. The seedless was one character which really had potential but it as once again left unexplored.

Magic Magic is one thing that is definitely unique in this series. But as much as I hate to repeat myself, It has been left unexplored. The concept of seedless is interesting and quite innovative. So many potential uses. Perhaps the author has left the exploration to the next books. But there is really no reason given to the reader to progress any further

Posture This I think deserves special mention. It is a good effort. I am not sure if it is part of an actual culture. But I feel writing is not a suitable medium to portray this. For eg, "I am sorry" She took a posture of apology Serves no purpose. The reader already knows what she said. On the other hand just saying what posture everyone took each time just makes it look silly.
This is made worse by making it more complicated. She took a posture of obedience but with a hint of defiance. Now since no posture is explained I could not care less what posture they took every second sentence. Again, a nice touch but perhaps more suitable for a visual audience.

Narration The author jumps from character to character without any real flow. We see a change in pov like clockwork and you never feel like they live in the same world and there is some kind of synergy. Add that with no plot and very forgettable characters gives you a book not worth reading.

I am surprised to see so many people have liked this style of writing. Unfortunately I am not one of them.

...more

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Apr 02, 2010 Danica rated it it was ok · review of another edition

So disappointed, again. I picked up this book because my heroes Connie Willis and George R. R. Martin, hands down my two favorite scifi/fantasists writing today, had been quoted as saying generous things about this series. Obviously the lesson here is to never trust blurbs, ever, even if you think the people writing them have bigger brains than you. I mean, it started out well enough. The first scene with Maati and the andat was hair-raising in its eeriness, and I liked the idea of poetry transc So disappointed, again. I picked up this book because my heroes Connie Willis and George R. R. Martin, hands down my two favorite scifi/fantasists writing today, had been quoted as saying generous things about this series. Obviously the lesson here is to never trust blurbs, ever, even if you think the people writing them have bigger brains than you. I mean, it started out well enough. The first scene with Maati and the andat was hair-raising in its eeriness, and I liked the idea of poetry transcribing an essence so perfectly that it could give that essence a corporeal form, beauty of face, volition, and of course the ability to snark indiscriminately and at length. Seedless had a lot of potential as a symbolic entity -- there's little more profoundly scary to humanity than the idea of fertility made forcibly void (+ all the accompanying symbology -- blood on a birth bed, blackened and collapsed vegetation). The hobbling old ass-kicking accountant grandma was cool too.

BUT THEN IT WENT NOWHERE. Or at least nowhere that wasn't frustratingly contrived and/or yawnworthy. This makes me sad because I was so ready to /like/ this book, if only because GRRM liked it -- god knows I come across a single volume of worthy genre fiction about once every few months. The characters were drawn without any sort of depth or even certainty. Like, really? Otah the granite-faced, brooding, commitment-proof wanderer? Watch him angst and moan for pages on end. Liat the beautiful young woman who everyone loves for no apparent reason whatsoever? Well I guess she's hot. Maati, oh god: for the poet who will inherit the greatest burden of the day he sure snivels a lot, even when he becomes a "man" by the end of the novel. IN FACT, THEY ALL SNIVEL A LOT. And their angst is characterized by a frenzy of "her guilt was a stone in her stomach", "she murmured her sorrow into his hair". I don't mind reading pages of self-reflective angst in which the protagonist gazes tearily at her reflection in a still pool of water as the cherry blossoms swirl down around her in a symphonic haze -- it's just that Abraham isn't very good at rendering it in a convincing or sympathetic way. Pseudo-restrained but too self consciously artsy. Not to mention the propensity of slaves to burst into (beautiful, melancholic) song at every opportune moment and how every open market place smells like tea lemons and almond cake.

Even Seedless, conniving and serpentine, doesn't reach the levels of awesome that he should've. What a waste (of time for me). ...more

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Sep 19, 2019 Travis rated it liked it

After sitting and thinking about this I am going with this start rating because I do not think I was in the right head space for an Epic Fantasy like this. By that I mean, this first novel is devoid of any mythical creatures and action like non. This was a very political, character driven story and had I known that going in I think that would have helped a little bit. Now don't get me wrong this novel was written extremely well and executed just as well. Daniel Abraham has created a very unique ...more

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Mar 01, 2008 Mary rated it liked it

Recommended to Mary by: review by GRR Martin

Shelves: sci-fi-and-fantasy

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 ca ...more

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Jan 02, 2018 Jordan Stephens rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. 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 l ...more

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Dec 20, 2016 Wastrel rated it really liked it

Recommends it for: Epic fantasy fans looking for a new take on the genre

Completing a novel, launching it out into the world, must be a daunting thing. It's no surprise that authors often take it easy on themselves the first few times, finding their feet before they launch into the deep end.
Which is to say that most debut novelists do not kick off their epic fantasy tetralogy with a glacially slow, intense but distant, morally complicated multiple-point-of-view novel about an abortion, set in a non-European culture whose oddities make themselves felt in every single Completing a novel, launching it out into the world, must be a daunting thing. It's no surprise that authors often take it easy on themselves the first few times, finding their feet before they launch into the deep end.
Which is to say that most debut novelists do not kick off their epic fantasy tetralogy with a glacially slow, intense but distant, morally complicated multiple-point-of-view novel about an abortion, set in a non-European culture whose oddities make themselves felt in every single exchange of dialogue.

Locus' review of this suggested that, although it was tempting to compare it to the work of George RR Martin (I'd actually say Robin Hobb was a little closer in some ways, in content if maybe not in style), the novel was really something different, something new in the genre. And... that's pretty much right. The plot, the setting, the characterisation all feel quite different from any other epic fantasy I'm aware of, making this a must-read for those (whether jaded old-timers or dismissive outsiders) skeptical of epic fantasy's ability to still break new ground. It is also a solidly-written novel that is engaging and immersive throughout, if not necessarily enthralling.

However, opaque, distant, morally compromised characters largely compelled by circumstances and external forces, slow pacing, complexity (although I could tell you what happened in the novel, I'd struggle to say in one sentence what the actual story was), and a general air of hopelessness and tragedy make it a hard book to actually love - which may explain why a novel that garnered such excitement from vanguard readers and critics alike ten years ago seems to have slipped - understandably but unfortunately - from public awareness. I'm left knowing that I ought to read on - and I will - but in no physical urgency to actually aquire the next installment. That being said, this is of course only the first of four linked novels, and the potential does remain for the series to become more emotionally satisfying now that the groundwork has been lain.

As it is, I'm not going to be recommending this for people looking for a new book to fall in love with. But I will be recommending it to people say they want to see the epic fantasy genre doing something new, as well as to those who particularly enjoy grim, cold, mature (though not particularly violent or horrific) writing.

You can read my more detailed review (or ramblings) over on my blog. ...more

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Discuss This Book

topics	posts	views	last activity
Play Book Tag: A Summer in Shadow by Daniel Abraham	2	9	Apr 23, 2022 05:19PM
/r/Fantasy Discus...: The Long Price Quartet (Retired)	4	87	Feb 15, 2021 06:59PM
What's the Name o...: SOLVED. Fantasy Series about a War between two nations using Spirits created with poetry. [s]	5	27	Jul 08, 2020 10:29AM
Fantasy Buddy Reads: A Shadow in Summer [Jun 1, 2019]	61	56	Sep 02, 2019 06:48AM
Beyond Reality: A Shadow in Summer (8/19): finished reading (spoilers)!	4	16	Aug 17, 2019 05:36AM
Beyond Reality: A Shadow in Summer (8/19): roll call and first impressions (no spoilers)!	5	15	Aug 05, 2019 01:11PM

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About Daniel Abraham

Daniel Abraham

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Daniel James Abraham, pen names M.L.N. Hanover and James S.A. Corey, is an American novelist, comic book writer, screenwriter, and television producer. He is best known as the author of The Long Price Quartet and The Dagger and the Coin fantasy series, and with Ty Franck, as the co-author of The Expanse series of science fiction novels, written under the joint pseudonym James S.A. Co ...more