Reviews

A Shadow in Summer by Daniel Abraham

tadster20's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging dark emotional tense slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

subparcupcake's review against another edition

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3.0

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
Spoilerfaithless two timing bitches though.. *stabs Liat in the face*

ekortunov's review against another edition

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reflective sad medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.0

Intertaining smooth read even though the huge betrayal wasnt handeled very good. Enough to read the next book, but nothing really to remembe

songwind's review against another edition

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5.0

A fantasy whose conflicts are political and social rather than physical.

Long Price takes place in a non-specifically Asian themed environment that feels real and rich without being a copy of any historical Earth society.

The story focuses around the andat - ideas given form, volition and power my magi known as poets. The Khaniate cities are the only ones that know the art of binding andat, giving them tremendous military and economic power.

The conflicts in the story are between an andat and his poet. Between a failed poet trainee and the world. Between a foreign trading house and the powerful monopoly the andat has enabled. And between people trying to do what's right in a cold world.

It's difficult to describe this book adequately without giving the story away. I found it enthralling, and Abraham's use of language was excellent.

fairywren's review against another edition

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challenging emotional reflective sad medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.5

brerfrog's review against another edition

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4.0

Good start to a series. Gives you just enough world background to whet your appetite for the next book. Looking forward to reading the rest of them.

eli_mageofpages's review against another edition

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reflective sad slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.5

lib_britannia's review against another edition

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challenging dark mysterious reflective tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

ianmitchell's review against another edition

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4.0

This novel, the first in a quartet, is set in a land with a bit of an oriental feel, where powerful magical beings called andat are controlled by men called poets. Each andat is unique and based on an idea formed by the poet. The novel follows an apprentice poet, a former instructor of his who basically dropped out of poet school, and a woman they both love, as well as a senior employee in a foreign trade house. These individuals all get caught up in a complex plot involving the local andat.

There is very little action in this book, so fans of heroic fantasy may not enjoy it. Instead, this book is very character driven. The characters are all very well developed compared to most fantasy novels. The writing is also very good - the author really made the world come alive for me. I'm looking forward to reading the rest of the series, and suspect fans of Guy Gavriel Kay will enjoy this book. Unfortunately I've heard the North American publisher is not releasing the final novel in mass market paperback - meaning either picking up the hard cover, an e-book, or an import, unless they change their mind or another publisher picks it up.