Rating: 
Summary: A Good Start
Review: I must start by saying that it gets a little tedious when people comment on how predictable this series is. It is unlike any other I have read, and yes, that includes 'Lord of the Rings'. I think that they must have their favourites and be unwilling to accept there are any that might come close. Stubborn fools. In my opinion, the Summer Tree is a great start to an enthralling series. The roles of the five visitors from Earth are beautifully interwoven into the story, and the darker aspect the story at times makes for a refreshing change to the childish 'Belgariad' and 'Shannara' fantasies. Only has Donaldson, in writing the Thomas Covenant series, bettered this dark aspect of fantasy. If there is a downfall in the writing style however it is that it may at first be slightly difficult to read due to its 'stop-start' prose. For a more flowing narrative readers may instead prefer to read the Riftwar Saga (another great fantasy). On the whole however, this must be considered one of the best, whatever peoples misconceptions might be. So, give up reading 'The Wheel of Time', since the story will probably never end, and try this series, which races through a compelling story ending with a whirlwind climax. Great.
Rating:
Summary: A stunningly underrated trilogy
Review: I've read many - at least a thousand, certainly - fantasy books, and The Summer Tree (and the entire trilogy) is simply one of the very best. The 'Fionavar Tapestry' is so painstakingly crafted that it must have been a labor of love (and probably a first book), and I can never understand why I don't hear far more about it. The language is frequently lyrical, far above the usual standard for fantasy writing; "words more strung with fire", to use one of Kay's own phrases, than any but the likes of, say, Bradbury's. The whole really IS a tapestry; a complex and intricate interweaving of different characters, plot strands, and fantasy elements. And so tightly and carefully woven that it's unbelievable - half a sentence in one book can subtly foreshadow a major event in another book three hundred pages later - yet it's never slow, as I'd expect given all the connections and resonances. You just don't normally find this level of plaited storytelling, even in the endless 300 pound series. Obviously I was blown away by this trilogy - will probably read it every few years for life - but many of the Amazon reviews were negative and I'd like to address some of the comments. First, a number of the reviewers seemed to be giving Kay low marks mostly because he hadn't written some other book. For instance, some would have preferred a book in which all the characters came from the one world, not some from Fionavar and some from earth. Or some would have preferred a book that was more like Tolkien, or less like Tolkien, etc. I'd say that these are simply valid alternate choices as to the form, and he should be judged on the job he did, not downgraded because he didn't write another book entirely. A few reviewers thought the plot cliche or even PREDICTABLE. I'll just flat-out claim that noone could have predicted his plot; it was simply too complex and detailed. It could only be honestly considered cliche or predictable if you simplify it to the level of Good vs. Evil; who's going to win? If that's the criterion then many, if not most, fantasy books just fail. I do agree with some reviewers that it seemed like the 'earthlings' adapted amazingly well to an entirely new existence on another world and seemed to cut loose of their pasts with almost no remorse. Though I'd almost bet that Kay had that all worked out in his mind, not enough justification made it into the pages of the books. He did give us a few reasons(and hints)to think that some of the 'earthlings' had no strong personal ties back home, and that the one who did frequently thought about that tie, (his father), but I too think that he could have fleshed that out more. And I agree that the two female main characters weren't
delineated well enough at the beginning. At first it was hard to really tell them apart, (though after a critical event in one of their lives that problem was taken care of).
There are some smaller imperfections as well, but compared to the vast majority of fantasy books out there...!
Rating: 
Summary: Interesting
Review: I enjoyed this book because it describes a fascinating world, but I agree with the other reviewers--there was no need to bring in the characters from Earth. Kay would have done well enough just talking about Fionavar. Also, I found it odd that the characters from Earth adjusted to life on Fionavar so easily, as if they hadn't lived their entire lives in a completely different dimension. I mean, before the start of the action in the book, they were just like you and me, and they'd certainly never imagined that there were any worlds other than Earth. But when Loren Silvercloak comes for them, they take him at his word and go with him with barely a murmur. When they're on Fionavar, there's hardly a hint that they were ever anything else. Kim, especially, who must have slaved for years before becoming a doctor, abandons her hard-earned skills completely to embrace her new calling as a wizard. But these are rookie mistakes. As Kay's masterpiece Tigana proves, he only got better with time, and even in this, his first book, he shows the promise of story-telling mastery that would later be realized.
Rating: 
Summary: The Fionavar Tapesty - a review of the trilogy
Review: The Fionavar Tapestry left me with mixed feelings. On one hand, some of the writing is very well done and some parts of the story, particularly Dave's first meeting with the Dalrei, are moving and enjoyable to read. On the other hand, the story isn't very original and I never felt very involved with the characters. The women in particular seemed to be poorly drawn and weren't very likable. The story revolves around five college students who have been brought to the fantasy land of Fionavar, a Middle Earth-like world which Kay tells us is the one true world. The world of the college students, which is our own world, is but an imperfect reflection. Kay tells us that problems in Fionavar will be reflected in all other worlds, including our own, but never gives any examples of this. The biggest problem with the trilogy is that the students interact amazingly well with Fionavar and its inhabitants right from the start. I never understood why it was necessary to have the students originate in our world, because the story as a whole would change very little (and would make more sense) if they had been born and raised in Fionavar. The students never use the knowledge and skills they've gained in their own world to aid Fionavar. For instance, when they travel back home, why don't they take firearms and manuals on how to manufacture gunpowder and grenades with them on their return to Fionavar? Fionavar is a world at war with an ancient evil, and yet they never mention or express a desire for any modern weaponry or a modern means of communication or transportation. Furthermore, the students never get homesick, they never have trouble adjusting to this new and different culture, and oddly enough, when one of them is killed, no one ever wonders what they'll tell his family and friends back home. After the students are taken to Fionavar, Kay also adds King Arthur and Lancelot to his tale. For some unexplained reason, Guinevere has been reincarnated but Arthur and Lancelot have to be resurrected. Once in Fionavar, Arthur and Lancelot don't actually do much and almost seem to be superfluous. Arthur's dog actually comes across as more heroic and has more personality Arthur does. It felt like Kay couldn't decide whether he wanted to write an Arthurian novel or a fantasy novel and so decided to blend the two, with results that are less than satisifying. There is a subtle current of sexism running throughout the trilogy that made me uncomfortable. While some of the most powerful people in Fionavar are women, the women are all involved in either religion or mysticism of some sort. When it comes to battles, the women are either kept on the sidelines and expected to heal the injured or are left at home. Kay describes nearly every woman as being earth-shatteringly beautiful and seems to feel that a woman must be beautiful to be important. Part of Fionavar's history involves a woman called Lisen, who apparently never did anything more than look beautiful and act as an aid to her husband, yet the entire world still mourns her passing. ...
Rating:
Summary: A must-have for fantasy fans
Review: I bought this book in Ireland, finished it in one day, and spent the next day scouring every bookshop in Dublin looking for the rest of the series. The plot is engaging and combines elements of Arthurian legends and Tolkien to great effect, but the real attraction for me is the prose. This book is beautifully written- each sentence seems to have been crafted and honed to perfection. I have since purchased all of GKK's books and each one has been a masterpiece. Although each of his books has been a joy to read, the three books of the Fionavar Tapestry remain my favorites. I have read the books countless times and yet they still have the power to move me to tears. This trilogy is without a doubt one of my most rewarding book purchases ever.
Rating:
Summary: All the stories you ever heard, with a twist added.
Review: I was first introduced to GGK and this book when a visiting Australian friend left it for me when I was in University. I read the first book (The Summer Tree) and nearly went mad because I couldn't find the next. I have read and re-read this book enough times to fill a small library-- and recommended it to more people than I can count. This is smart, literate fantasy that takes the fantasies and myths you know from other sources and weaves them into a dark and complicated cloth. GGK takes the very idea of fantasy cliche and comes up with Fionvar, the original world which contains the true version of all the stories ever told. Five college students are brought, almost by accident, to Fionvar to a celebration in honor of an aging king. But they learn that in Fionvar there are no accidents and that they all have talents and destinies which will give them a role in the troubled land. Read this book, and all the others in the series!
Rating: 
Summary: Sad disappointment
Review: I love GG Kay's works and I came to this with high expectations. Its a significant departure from the style and themes of his other works. I've found it extremely difficult to get into and somewhat cliched at times. I have yet to finish it (which is very unusual) and have restarted three times now and have so far failed to find the spark that gets me hooked. I will give it another go, but its just not doing it for me. It may be of interest to note that I found it very similar to the old Stephen Donaldson "People plucked from their normal lives and put into a fantasy land" scenarios. Fortunately, I had bought "Lions of Al Rassan" at the same time....
Rating:
Summary: Archetypal fantasy.
Review: Other reviews express dismay at the "predictable" or "cliche" nature of the plot. This is however entirely necessary for the story as the story of the first world. Everything that occurs in Fionavar must ring of at least deja vue if not outright recognition. Fionavar, so the explanation goes, is the world of which ours is but a reflection. Kay does an incredible job of giving just enough to make the world recognizable without making it mundane. All the stories you have ever read are reflected here. The Fionavar Tapestry is what Northrop Frye meant when he said "In myth we see the structural principals of literature isolated" and "Literature may have life, reality, experience, nature, imaginitive truth, social conditions, or what you will for its content; but literature itself is not made out of these things. Poetry can only be made out of other poems; novels out of other novels." In the end this is an incredibly good read with moving characters, plot, emotion, and as much intelectual stimulus as you are willing to ask from it. One of the best books ever written, and will stand for comparison against any other "hypothetical structure of words"
Rating: 
Summary: Ok, but unrealistic and predictable
Review: I know what you're going to say. Fantasy novels aren't meant to be realistic, that's why they're called FANTASY. I'm an avid fantasy reader. Realistic in a fantasy world for me means could this really have happened on this world? Do the everyday normal things that happen in the book fit with how things really happen? For the "supernatural" things that happen, do they fit with the concepts of how things work on this fantasy world? There are instances throughout the book that made me shake my head. For example: 5 average college students are sent from our modern world to a fantasy world, this is realistic based on my definition because of how things work in the fantasy world Kay is creating. None of these people has probably ever ridden a horse in his/her life. In this fantasy world they are thrust into, horses are the primary form of transportation. What would happen if you took 5 of your friends, threw them on horses for the first time ever, and told them to gallop at full speed? I agree... Somehow, no one seems to have a problem in the book. To me this is unrealistic. I would expect, that if I could stay on the horse at all, I would be bruised and battered. Who knows.... This is only one example of this sort of thing in the book. There are many more. How would you react if you had a big ugly troll charging you swinging a battle axe at your head? Don't tell me you would naturally dodge the blow and decapitate the troll with a quick thrust of your Swiss Army Knife. Explain to me how someone who's never been in a fight can automatically kill dozens of baddies in his first battle. I don't mind if it turns out that this guy happened to be special, but the same sort of phenomenon happens to each of the lead characters. It would be more believable if each of the characters was plucked from around the world individually. Or not all of the characters turned out to be superheroes. But 5 people that happened to hang out together at college... There is just too much coincidence. I could give several more examples of the same sorts of things for each character. All that being said, it's really not a bad read. If you can look past the unrealistic nature of certain circumstances and the predictable nature of the book, you will enjoy it. I've also heard that this was an earlier work of Kay's and that his later stuff is better. (Tigana for instance, though I have not read it)
Rating:
Summary: Some bad things, some very good ones
Review: I read this book because I saw very good reviews and because I liked the previus books by GGK tha I've read (i.e. The Lions of Al-Rassan and the Sarantine Mosaic duology). Because this is one dealt more explicitly with magic I was resignated not to see the delicious paralels with our own history that you see in the other books. What I was surprised to find is that there is a paralel, but this time it is with another work of fiction, namely the whole history of Tolkien's Middle-earth. He did to it what he did to the history books of Byzantium and Spain. I wouldn't restrict it only to Lord of the Rings, because he seems to have drawn inspiration from The Silmarillion as well. The elements derived from LotR are obvious: the Dalrei=the Riders of Rohan, Brennin=Gondor, Loren Silvercloak=Gandalf, svart alfar=orcs, urgath=trolls, lios alfar=elfs, dwarves, Daniloth=Lorien/Rivendell. On the other hand I think that the villain is not based on Sauron, but on Morgoth form the Silmarillion, and that the character of Galadan is the one based on Sauron. In the case of the first, they both are the original god of darkness, who hates the Children of Light, and wants to rule the mortal world. Rakoth Maugrim (the chief bad guy) is a more venal version of Melkor. On the other hand Galadan and the Sauron of the Silmarillion are very similar too. They both were originally noble lords but for one reason or another they both "turned to the dark side"; and they both can turn themselves into really big wolves. One detail that bothered me was that the main characters from Earth accepted the existance of other worlds and magic to fast and to easily. the only one who reacted like a normal person would have was Dave Martyniuk. This things make the book less interesting, but if you see past that you'll find a lot of original stuff, that will make reading this book worth it. The rest of the charaters are very realistic and human, and the places shown are beautifull. I recomend this book to anyone who wants to spend a good time and fantisize a little bit about being in a place of magic.
| 
