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A Shadow in Summer
A Shadow in Summer
A Shadow in Summer
Audiobook14 hours

A Shadow in Summer

Written by Daniel Abraham

Narrated by Neil Shah

Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars

3.5/5

()

About this audiobook

The powerful city-state of Saraykeht is a bastion of peace and culture, a major center of commerce and trade. Its economy depends on the power of the captive spirit Seedless, an andat bound to the poet-sorcerer Heshai for life. Enter the Galts, an empire committed to laying waste to all lands with their ferocious army. Saraykeht has always been too strong for the Galts to attack, but now they see an opportunity. If they can dispose of Heshai, Seedless will perish and the entire city will fall.


In the middle is Otah, a simple laborer with a complex past. Recruited to act as a bodyguard for his girlfriend's boss at a secret meeting, he inadvertently learns of the Galtish plot. Otah finds himself as the sole hope of Saraykeht: either he stops the Galts or the whole city and everyone in it perishes forever.
LanguageEnglish
Release dateOct 21, 2014
ISBN9781494576004
A Shadow in Summer
Author

Daniel Abraham

Daniel Abraham is best known as the co-author and executive producer of the Hugo Award–winning series The Expanse under the pseudonym James S. A. Corey. He has also written novels under his own name and as M. L. N. Hanover.  

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Reviews for A Shadow in Summer

Rating: 3.5754059431554523 out of 5 stars
3.5/5

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  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    _Shadow in Summer_ is a very unique addition to the fantasy genre. There is no sword or sorcery here, no 'maguffins' to wage war over and no band of heroes trekking over hill and dale. Now as a fantasy fan I do enjoy all those genre tropes, but I also enjoy finding something a bit different to sink my teeth into and Abraham's _Shadow_ was a satisfyingly original epic fantasy read. The only real "magic" in Abraham's world takes the form of the andat, which are superhuman beings. The andat are concepts given form by poets, and bound to their will. These powerful genie like creatures are rare because the same concept usually cannot be bound twice, and poets who fail pay for it with a grisly death. This is also part of the reason poets are rare. Nevertheless, the power and threat of the poets and their andats is enough to give the only country which wields them enough power to remain autonomous in a world largely taken over by a hostile Western empire. This isn't a fantasy novel where kingdoms go to war, but rather a tale of espionage and betrayal as the enemy attempts to insidiously get rid of one of the andats who speeds up cotton production, thus greatly helping their country's economy. Of course no one wants the country wielding the power of the andats to know they are being secretly infiltrated - their vengeance would be terrible. The story focuses on several of individuals caught up in the conspiracy and how they react, which sides they choose to take, and the moral dilemmas they face by their choices. The pacing is quite leisurely and slow, which may put off some readers, but it fits well with Abraham's detailed, poetic descriptions of life in this fantasy universe which is built with great care to detail. The depth and intricacies of Abraham's universe and his literary writing style should delight many epic fantasy fans. I will be reading the next in the series. 4/5
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    I liked the ideas behind it, I just didn't love the implementation.

    Also, through no fault of the author, it was my periodic attempt at an ebook and a reminder that I just don't like them.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Concepts of a Common Fantasy Novel:- The Predestined one is killed before the beginning of the story, unbeknownst to everyone. The prophecy as it is known is vague, but the real prophecy is actually very detailed and precise - and completely wrong as it turns out. A hero rises to the occasion, but the legendary weapon informs him that he doesn't fit the description of the Chosen One. The hero argues that the Chosen One hasn't shown up and the world needs saving now, so the legendary weapon accepts. The unchosen hero proceeds to save the world, in defiance of the actual prophecy.- The Predestined one is alive and well, but not the protagonist. The protagonist is a minion of the dark lord and student of magic. Chosen One repeatedly attacks the dark lord's fortress, but fails time and again. One day, Chosen One tries to attack again but is met with surrender. Protagonist has already killed the dark lord, permanently, in Chosen One's absence. Turns out the minions didn't like the dark lord either.- Main protagonist is not The Predestined one, yet manages to defeat the evil dark lord without using the magic sword / power up destined for the chosen one as the only way to overthrow him by using some clever countermeasure.- If you have an evil overlord in the novel, ignore The Predestined one. Give him no special attention. I'd regard prophecy as non-sense. Not only that but after my conquests I'd set up a stable meritocracy where the most skilled and bright rise to the top, the strongest warriors become the trainers of the military, the brightest minds lead the sciences. And by the time the chosen one was born, my conquests would be in full swing and if said chosen one was born in my empire, he/she would have a merit based system to live up to and would probably end up heir to my empire. And if they were born in some other nation, no special treatment, no special units specifically on chosen one duty. In fact I'd just leave them be;- A dark lord who is told a prophecy that a boy from a certain village would 'rise up, dismantle his government and cast him out of his palace' so he goes to this village finds the three most likely candidates adopts them and turns the village into an experiment for social reform in his empire, as the story goes along the three boys start to take more of an interest in politics and change some of the dark lords long-standing policies, until he retires and names one of them his hair and it's only when he's leaving his fortress for the last time that he realizes that the prophecy was technically fulfilled.Concepts of “A Shadow in Summer” (my favourite kind of Fantasy):- A Predestined one who is told of his destiny, and immediately rejects it, and then just buggers off to live his life taking poses along the way to impart meaning.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    This was a free copy from the publisher. I have been a fan of Daniel Abraham since I first heard some of his short stories read on Podcastle. I grew to like him even more as part of the writing duo known as S.A. Correy, but wow was I blown away by this book. The world building and character development are amazing. If you want your heart ripped out and you mind blown, then I highly recommend this book.
  • Rating: 2 out of 5 stars
    2/5
    This book was ok. Like others have said, not very much actually happens in it. The book is all story-driven with little to no action, which is fine. However, the story that IS going on is just somewhat interesting. I listened to this on audiobook, and I found myself zoning out several times when it came to people I just didn't care about, which is most of them.

    However, I will say that the writing itself is very good. I was also interested in the magic that was used in regards to Seedless and Heshai. I am intrigued enough with that relationship to continue with the series.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    A Shadow in Summer is the first in the Long Price Quartet by Daniel Abraham. I went into this book blind based entirely on my enjoyment of reading his Dagger and Coin series. Due to that experience I went in hoping for a character based fantasy with a rich world. To that end I was not disappointed.The city-state of Sarayketh is unknowingly poised on the edge of disaster. It has grown quite wealthy by cornering the market on the cotton trade. This is due to the city's poet, Heshai, putting an idea into words and binding a spirit that can remove seeds from cotton with the wave of its hand. Commerce and trade is the way of life, with high and low born all doing business knowing that their city is a safe haven in a harsh world. Far to the west the merchants of Galt have other ideas. They have hatched a plan to strike at Saraykeht and take back the cotton trade. The head of Galt's trading house in the city is planning a crime so vile that if it succeeds, Sarayketh will fall.This is definitely a book with great ideas. The concept of a poet-sorcerer giving shape and form to an idea and then binding it to a spirit, granting is human shape and speech, is pretty cool. That a city is able to capitalize on this is no surprise. Being able to magically remove seeds is a highly useful ability, one that has far greater applications than just with cotton. Abraham has also come up with a form of silent language where his characters take poses to enhance their verbal speech. This goes beyond mere body language and into the realm of art with how nuanced some character's poses can take. Unfortunately the poses are not well described so I had a hard time visualizing them in my head, constantly switching from full body martial arts style poses to something more like sign language. I mostly settled on a type of sign language primarily utilizing hands and arms as it would be easiest for all ages and levels of mobility.The characters are solid. Abraham has quite a gift for writing elderly women! Amat was easily my favorite with Seedless as a close second. Heshai, Marchat Wilsin, Maati, Otah and Lait were good, but didn't capture my attention the way Amat and Seedless did. If this series follows a similar progression as his other works, most of the characters will have a complex character arc they go on over the next three books, which I'm very much looking forward to reading. The story moves at a glacial pace as we wait for these characters lives to start twining together. This is a fairly short book at 330 pages and it still took me over a week to read due to the pacing. Also highly annoying was the obligatory love triangle and angst it caused. Oy. I'm hoping that now that the foundation has been laid the rest of the series will pick up the pace. I am invested enough by the end that I will definitely be continuing.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    I became aware of Daniel Abraham as one half of the J.A. Corey partnership that penned the Expanse Trilogy, so I decided to try out his fantasy novels - and what a find it was...

    The main definition I can come up with for this first volume of The Long Price Quartet is enchanting: the unusual, almost-far-Eastern setting , with its customs and sights and smells, is so very different and so aptly described that I could practically feel it taking shape all around me.

    More than once I wondered if there was not some subtle message in the concept of poets giving shape and life to ideas (the andats) with their thoughts, because while I was immersed in Mr. Abraham's words I thought that he had managed the same feat, to create a vivid world that lived and breathed under my eyes. The same notion that andats do possess a will of their own, often in contrast to the poet's, seemed to reinforce my belief, because sometimes a story does indeed take off in a direction a writer had not foreseen at all.

    The tale is all about subtle games of power, intricate plots and far-reaching consequences more than about clashes between good and evil or warring empires; struggles are more focused on the inner workings of a character's mind rather than on armies; choices and decisions, and their consequences, have more impact on an individual's moral compass rather than on a kingdom or a world. And yet, for this very reason - and not despite it - they resulting anguish and strife feel more profound and meaningful.

    This subtlety is mirrored by the fascinating detail of hand gestures that supplement and enhance the spoken language, adding nuances of meaning that cannot be conveyed by word alone; these gestures, together with the different name suffixes that define the various social relationships, are so very pervasive and yet unexplained, adding to the depth of the story in an undefined but very effective way.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Beautifully written. It's nice to see a fantasy novel that doesn't rely on elves with swords.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    An intriguingly obscure and increasingly difficult to establish control of supernatural entities has protected the city states of the long gone empire from predatory powers with advance war technology. An old trader, his primary local aid, her apprentice and two young men, all well drawn, get caught up in the struggle for power in an unfortunate intrigue that both succeeds and fails.
  • Rating: 2 out of 5 stars
    2/5
    I didn't finish this book. Unfortunately, I just couldn't get interested in the characters. It had an interesting premise and I was intrigued in the beginning. But one day it got put back on the library shelf by one of the children and I just never picked it up again. I'm willing to be convinced that I should retry :)
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    The city-state of Saraykeht has grown wealthy off of the cotton trade. Their court poet, Heshai, has put into words and bound an idea and spirit, Seedless, who can remove seeds from cotton with a wave of his hand. Thanks to Heshai and Seedless, no other nation can snatch away Saraykeht’s trade or dare attack for fear of what Seedless might be ordered to do.But the merchants of Galt have developed a plan. Saraykeht can not be conquered by force as long as Heshai has control over Seedless. But what if they can make him loose control?Central to their plans is the merchant Marchat Wilsin, head of the Galt trading house in Saraykeht. In his reluctance, he inadvertently gives a hint of what is to come to Amat, his business manager. Amat, her assistant Liat, Liat’s lover, and the poet’s apprentice become the sole hope of saving Saraykeht.A Shadow in Summer was decent in regards to female characters, which is something important to me in all the books I read. I don’t think I would recommend it specifically for female characters, but it manages to do all of the following:A) Recognize that women existB) Recognize that women do thingsC) Recognize that those things that aren’t always about or motivated by menD) Recognize that there can be multiple women who exist and do things and even interact with each otherReally, these are not high standards but so many books fail to pass them. Thankfully, A Shadow in Summer wasn’t one of them. I liked Amat quite a bit. She’s an older woman who’s clawed her way up from poverty to a position of relative authority and importance. Now she’s finding that under threat. She may be able to keep her position, but at the expense of doing nothing and watching her beloved city fall.I think I first heard of A Shadow in Summer from a list on great world building in fantasy. Having now read it, I can say with certainty that it deserved its place on that list. Saraykeht has a decidedly non-Western feel, although I’m not sure what the specific cultural influences (if any) were. I loved that the language relied was as much body language as spoken language. Their culture possesses a large number of gestures to communicate feelings such as gratitude or inquiry with subtle variations making them even more expressive. It’s no wonder foreigners have a hard time completely understanding the nuances of communication in Saraykeht!I also liked how economics played such a role in the narrative. Few fantasy books really consider how their economy functions, so this was a delight. And also a potential sign of just how nerdy I am that I liked this so much…For all that, A Shadow in Summer isn’t a perfect book. I liked Amat and a couple of the other characters, and I found Seedless fascinating if uneasy. However, I never really loved any of them. I still felt a distance there. Something that kept me hesitant with Amat was how later on in the book she becomes involved with a brothel which contains child sex slaves. It was disturbing how casually the narrative mentioned them and how the utter horror of it was never addressed. Additionally, the fact that they were young boys feels like it ties into the association of homosexuality with pedophilia, particularly because the book didn’t contain any queer representation.For such a minor part of the narrative, it had a rather large impact on my feelings towards the book. It’s made me waver on whether or not I’m really willing to pick up the sequel. I think I ultimately will continue on with this series, but it won’t have a super high priority. At least it stands on it’s own.I feel like A Shadow in Summer would appeal to fans of Guy Gavriel Kay. It also reminded me of N.K. Jemisin’s The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms, mostly for how the spirits are involved. If you enjoy fantasy with original world building and lots of political intrigue, you should give A Shadow in Summer a look.Originally posted on The Illustrated Page.Content note: I feel like this book could be difficult to read for those who’ve had miscarriages since a forced abortion plays a pretty heavy role in the plot.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    The empire of Galt has been making war against the entire world with their powerful machines, but the cities of the Khaiem are not afraid. They are protected by their poets who control the andat, physical manifestations of a certain idea bound by the poet's words. However these poets are growing rare and there is a plot brewing that could undermine the security that the city of Saraykhet has enjoyed for so long. The city's fate lies in the hands of a poet's apprentice, a manual labourer, an aging overseer of a merchant house and her young and beautiful apprentice.There is a gaping plot hole in this book that makes it somewhat hard to enjoy. Skip the next paragraph if you don't want to be spoiled.**SPOILERS**There is a convoluted plot to free Saraykhet's andat that depend on a very precise sequence of events and a good deal of conjecture. However, a much simpler plot would have been to simply assassinate the city's poet, who is constantly wandering around the city unprotected and drunk. Since the whole book is centered around this plot, it falls kind of flat. At the end, the poet gets assassinated by one of the good guys to "save the city" - it seems a lame excuse to create internal conflict for the main character.**END SPOILERS**Other than the plot hole, though, the book is pretty good. I enjoyed the writing and the characters, especially Amat the extremely competent overseer. It's not often that you have female characters in their fifties being protagonists in a fantasy novel.The story is well told, although somewhat matter of fact. Abraham's characters are very decisive and pragmatic, almost to a fault - any internal conflict is either resolved or put aside to deal with pressing matters. This makes the book fast reading, but the characters aren't as likeable or sympathetic, and it made the characters' actions not really have any impact on me.I'll be reading A Betrayal in Winter, but I'm not in any huge rush.
  • Rating: 2 out of 5 stars
    2/5
    I gave this one a little over 4 hours out of a total of just under 15 hours in audio format. It was REALLY slow. The world seemed interesting if sometimes confusing, and it seemed like the main character of the first section disappeared completely so I didn't know if it was going for some kind of linked short story thing or what. Anyway, as Colin Hay would say, "Suddenly, nothing happened." And nothing continued to happen until I just found myself drifting off to different fantasy worlds or more dreadfully the mundane world.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    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 in human form who are concepts incarnate - trapped/created by 'poets.' These poet/magicians are like monks, and have to go through a rigorous training program which few succeed in.
    The plot involves a conspiracy which may be rooted in a personal desire for revenge, but entwines business and politics as multiple layers are revealed. Along the way there are twists and turns, a love triangle, and more. For me, though, the star of the show was the character Amat - an older woman, an accountant. Not your usual hero (or anti-hero), but she was a compelling, complex person.
    Good characterization and interesting worldbuilding together mean I'll definitely have my eye out for more of Abraham's work.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    I had expectations for this book. I wouldn't say high expectation, but I thought it would at least be an entertaining read. Unfortunately I found it to be a somewhat boring book. Don't get me wrong, it isn't bad exactly, but having read so many excellent books I don't have the patience for a mediocre book. This book has had many high star reviews, so no doubt it is also a matter of taste.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    In A Shadow in Summer, Abraham has fashioned a world in which the ruling powers have enslaved incarnations of ideas (called andat), which are used for both military and economic benefits. In this book, an andat called Seedless can be used to remove seeds from harvested cotton, but also to perform abortions--even unwilling ones! The book is really all about moral ambiguity, as the reader grows to like a number of characters who find themselves opposed to each other by the end of the story. We can sympathize with Seedless for his enslavement, but he does some truly awful things to try to win his freedom. Amat seeks to prove that the warlike Galts were conspiring with Seedless, but is the likely punishment (that all Galts will lose their unborn children) really just, and will forcing Seedless to do this make his keeper Heshai lose his sanity? And even if we object to Seedless's enslavement, is being conquered by the Galts really the better alternative? Abraham provides the reader with a lot to think about, but cushions it in a fascinating world with sympathetic characters.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    On publishing, Daniel Abraham's debut novel was - and remains - a stark contrast to most mainstream fantasy. Leisurely, character-driven, little violence and plenty of strong female characters. This may not be for everyone, but it was a breath of fresh air for me.The cities of the Khaiem retain trade control through the use of andats - spirits made flesh - that no one else can master. But the andats themselves chafe under Khaiem domination, as do neighboring countries. A conspiracy to destroy an andat's master - a "poet" - has far reaching consequences in the port city of Saraykeht. A Shadow in Summer reminded me very much of Guy Gavriel Kay's work. Limpid, measured prose is married to a barely-magical setting, and I really enjoyed it. There's a sense of care and investment in this book that is rare in contemporary fantasy. The characters are diverse, interesting, and it is their personal emotions and conflicts that propel the story, as much as the conspiracy itself. Abraham doesn't shy away from writing female characters, and it's a nice change. Most intriguing of all is the andat, Seedless. Its bitter, sardonic, tortured voice is a great premise and character to hang the narrative from, and every scene featuring it is undeniably magnetic. Despite that, this is not a book for those who like a quick moving plot. There's a sense of... fate or predestination in A Shadow in Summer (also like Kay) that gives the book a melancholy tone, and an undeniably reserved pace. I enjoyed the characters and found spending time with them no onerous, but not everyone will feel that way. Nonetheless a refreshing read and interesting entry to contemporary fantasy.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    Shadow in Summer had one of the most interesting magical systems and cultures I've encountered. In this world, poets use words and rhythms to trap ideas into the corporeal forms of andat. In the main culture, gestures and positions play as much role in conversation and nuance as words. The whole sense of the book is that of a complex, intricate world that we barely glimpse. It is beautifully done.

    My problem with the book, as seems to be my constant refrain, is the characters. They are all so desperately unhappy, and most of their misery is self-inflicted. It seems that all of the characters are unable to distinguish between justice and vengeance, and seek the latter without counting the potential cost. The characters have high aims--or at least what they perceive to be high aims--but it is somewhat appalling how low they will stoop to achieve their goals. As I read on, I kept thinking of the old poem, "all for a horseshoe nail." I have the sense that the rest of the series will follow the collapse of civilization, all for a petty plan to improve trade, a woman's desire for vengeance caged as justice, and the pride and arrogance of the other members of the cast.

    I also felt distanced from the characters, somehow. Their emotions and goals felt stilted, and I had real trouble relating to them. I also absolutely detested one of the main characters: a vain, stupid, selfish girl who I think we are supposed to sympathize with. No one in the world was kind without exacting a price later on. Almost all the characters are consumed by hatred, and those who are not are consumed by guilt. I found it difficult to inhabit such a place long enough to even finish the book.

    The book really brought up a lot of questions about the difference between vengeance and justice, but it wasn't something that the characters actually explored. Each chose a position and went pig-headedly onwards, apparently not even considering the pain they will bring to others.

    Overall, although I loved the world the characters inhabited, I kept switching over to other books (something I don't generally do) just to get away from the characters' self-inflicted misery.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    It's hard to review this book separate from its companions in the series. Though the first book, A Shadow in Summer, has its own self-contained plot, the 4 books together are 1 story. It is an emotional, character-driven plot dressed in all the trappings of fantasy, but in a creative and well-formed world that reveals piercing insights about humanity and the consequences of their actions that you would more often see in science fiction. The first volume is the weakest, but only in comparison to the superb strength of the sequels. These books, particularly the final volume, The Price of Spring, are so phenomenal that I consider them some of the best books that I have _ever_ read. It's been two years for me and I still can't stop thinking about them -- to the point where I felt compelled to write this review, even though I hate writing reviews.If the synopsis on the flap sounds even vaguely interesting to you at all then you should definitely read this book and the sequels. The series is rewarding, and the ending profound. That's rare enough in itself to merit your attention.
  • Rating: 2 out of 5 stars
    2/5
    This was an interesting book to read and my first experience with Daniel Abraham. While I thought the book was well written I was not drawn into the experiences of the characters in any meaningful way. The world was interesting and the posture custom was new. The best developed character seemed to be the city itself. Strangely, after finishing the entire novel the city is the only character I feel I know anything about. That said I will be reading book 2 of this series in the future to see if the pace of the plot and the development of the characters picks up.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    I liked a lot of things about this (especially the old lady hero! she is so awesome!), but it hasn't quite blossomed into true love yet. I'll see how the next one is.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Il mondo descritto da Abraham è sostanzialmente normale: commerci tra le città, governatori potenti, principi pronti a uccidere per poter governare, quartieri di lavoratori e prostitute. La particolarità sta però negli andat, idee che possono assumere una forma umana mantenendo il loro potere una volta legati da un poeta.
    La città Saraykeht subirà il desiderio di libertà dell'andat Seedless che muterà anche le sorti di diversi personaggi.
    In questo romanzo l'azione è sostituita da complotti e alleanze continuamente mutevoli; una volta abituati ai nomi e alla tipica gestualità dei personaggi il romanzo scorre fino alla conclusione in cui molto viene determinato mentre diverse strade sono lasciate aperte per il seguito.

    ---
    The world described by Abrham is mostly a normal one: trades between cities, powerful governors, princes ready to kill to gain power, quarters of laborer and prostitutes.
    The peculiarity are the andat, ideas in human form once bounded by a poet.
    Saraykeht city will be subjected to Seedles desire of freedom, who will change also the life of various characters.
    In this novel action is replaced by conspiracies and unstable alliances; once accustomed to the names and the communication by body movements the novel flows until the ending, where much is determined while some is left open for the following books.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    I got this for free with Leviathan Wakes, and was pleasantly surprised. It's a low fantasy (medieval with a variety of humanoid races, but virtually no magic or the like) work that follows three different sets of characters (two of which merge by the end).

    The world that's built up is an interesting one. Dragons ruled it in ages past, creating the human races as slaves. The dragons since died out, leaving behind a network of roads and a number of warring human kingdoms. The only magic that the reader sees is a small priesthood that, by virtue of parasitic spiders, can act as lie detectors and have powerful oratorical skills.

    Of the character groups followed, one (a banker and a guard captain and a street performer) was quite good, with real character development and interesting problems. The other two (dealing with nobles and court intrigues) were fairly boring most of the time.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    A Shadow in Summer is the first of the Long Price Quartet, and Daniel Abraham’s spectacular first novel. It’s of the genre I’m inclined to call “epic fantasy,” except for most people that means swords and elves and Good Versus Evil, and what I mean by it is just second-world fantasy with a huge cast and extraordinary world-building. And let me tell you, this has it in spades.

    It’s hard to say who the main characters are because everyone is important in their own way. There’s Amat, the aging overseer for House Wilsin, who was good friends with the head of that house until she found herself objecting to his political tactics, and Liat her apprentice. Maati, the apprentice to the poet Heshai, and his extraordinary relationship with the poet’s slave, the andat Seedless. And the remote Khai, the ruler of the city; the vile pimp who Amat finds herself working for for a time; and not least, Otah, who could have been a poet but refused the brown robe.

    Aside from Otah’s prologue, the action all takes place in the city of Saraykeht, one of a number of loosely allied city-states each ruled over by their own Khai. The cities of the Khaiem have one thing in common that holds them together against other nations like Galt, and that is the andat. The poets describe the andat as “an idea translated into a form that includes volition.” They’re essentially the embodiment of an idea that has been described and enslaved by the poet, who is then responsible for holding and controlling the andat. The andat for Saraykeht is Removing-the-part-that-continues, called Seedless — and he’s central to the city’s dominance of the in the cotton trade. No cotton gin for them, they have an andat to pull the seeds from the cotton.

    And Galt, a nation whose dominance is in military rather than in economic matters, knows that the only way to conquer the cities of the Khaiem is to remove the andat. House Wilsin is their tool in a plot to drive the poet mad and force him to release Seedless, destroying Saraykeht, and the plot of the novel revolves around not only this plan but on all the characters’ various reactions, objections, and desperate attempts to halt or at least avenge the Galtic scheme.

    It’s an amazing world, based on Asian cultures in the same way that most fantasy is based on European cultures, with no direct parallels to real-world cultures and nations but providing the overall shape of the culture and history of the world. The characters are universally deep and well-drawn, and for the most part intelligent – I do so hate following around people who can’t see what’s happening in front of them. And the sequels! I’m about a hundred pages into A Betrayal in Winter, and the sense one gets is that the whole of A Shadow in Summer was necessary just so that you could understand what is happening in this book. It’s glorious, and I love it.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    This was very interesting. It opens with our study of our hero as a child at a school, an academy and I thought of the opening of Eddings and the Belgariad. But this is so much more depth, and we do not really see the development of the world as the protagonist develops.But there is some foreshadowing and it becomes obvious later about our hero. Yet he is still developing and we have a very complex political and psychological telling of a story. With many strings being pulled by puppeteers far above the puppeteers we think are pulling the strings.I don't want to rave because Abraham let me done in some place unclear about such things as magic, or that he allowed the political structures to be in place and I could only find out about them as he brought me further along.His prose was tight, and I can't see how he crammed so much into the 330 pages that he did. Yet he was successful. A well written story and now I am onto the next...
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Set in a vaguely Eastern sort of world, where thoughts can be made flesh by ‘poets’ who then enslave the resultant creature. The creature, an andat, is then held captive and forced to act in ways to increase the power of the city-state the poet serves.One young man in training to be a poet, leaves the school because he finds the brutality of the training unacceptable. He eventually meets up with a young man he’d himself trained and who is now a poet, and finds himself drawn into a mystery involving murder and disappearances and treachery. And even discovers the andat is somehow involved.Complex plotting, very well drawn characters, and an intriguingly different world. I enjoyed this greatly and plan to continue the trilogy.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    This is one of those epic fantasies, with multiple volumes, much politics, intrigue, good world building, and multiple protagonists. It's set in a very Asian-influenced preindustrial fantasy world, where the people communicate not just by words but by elaborate protocol of arm/body movements. The main protagonist is Otah, an intelligent, brave, compassionate young man whom we meet as a boy enrolled in a brutal school, where younger sons of the wealthy ruling families are sent to remove them from the line of succession lest they be killed. Otah is being trained to have the slim chance of becoming a "poet", which in this world is someone who, through use of an ancient, well structured language, can magically bind and hold an elemental force or idea into the form of a man, whose force can then be used for the good of the city-states. These beings are called andats, and they arer what keep the Asian kingdom safe from the fierce Galt people who conquer lots of other peoples and are clever with engineering. They sound sort of like Mongolia crossed with Germany.Basically this book is a like a fantasy version of Shogun, but sadly with a lot less sword action. It has a great world though, the author really makes it come alive with his evocative descriptions and language. The story moves a little slowly, and, hello, three more volumes :(, but the protagonist is very appealing and realistic, and the struggles of all the protagonists are moving.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    In celebration of their new website, Tor placed two dozen titles in electronic formats available as free downloads. I downloaded the entire set and this is the first I'm reading. Daniel Abraham is a new author for me. So far (a couple chapters in), I'm enjoying it.I really appreciated the complex characters and setting of this novel. The author has created a system of magic quite unlike any I've encountered before and the ways in which the characters are touched by this adds depth to the work. A very fine first novel and one I recommend highly.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    I enjoyed this read about a vividly imagined world in which the city Saraykeht possesses a prominent place. The characters drove the action, and I liked seeing each of them develop as the novel progressed, especially the figure of Otah. I look forward to reading the sequel.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    The book is set in the city-states of the Khaiem, cities each ruled by a leader and which are world powers due to their control of andats, spirits made flesh by well-trained poets. The andats are the power that keeps the Khaiem from being overpowered by the other countries in the world, and are thus a huge tactical power as well.The story in this book revolves around one such andat, who hates his poet, and the poet, and the poet's trainee, and the boy who could have been a poet but left, and a foreign trade company and its machinations and employees. One employee of the trade company, Amat, is a badass and completely awesome and I want an entire book about her.Anyway, the world-building is quite good. The story has enough twists that it might just verge on overdoing it, but it comes out feeling like a complex and nuanced and thus real plot instead. And the characters are very real. I liked it quite a bit and do look forward to reading the next book in the series when it comes up in my rotation.