The Darkest Road
core novel 1986 The Fionavar Tapestry / Ysabel
Record
| First published | 1986 |
|---|---|
| Original language |  EN |
| Work type | novel |
| Canon status | core |
| Reader rating | 4.20 (19,262 ratings, collected 2026-09-14) |
| First-edition ISBN | 9780586215241 |
| Internal chronology | 3 |
Synopsis
The final installment of Guy Gavriel Kay's Fionavar Tapestry trilogy, published in 1986, gathers the heroes and kingdoms of Fionavar, including Brennin, Cathal and the dwarf realms, as they prepare for a decisive confrontation with Rakoth Maugrim's armies. Kim, Matt, Jennifer, Paul, Arthur and Lancelot each face difficult choices about sacrifice and the use of power, while Darien, Jennifer's son, continues to struggle with his uncertain parentage and his place between light and dark as the armies mass for what looks like a final battle. Alliances are tested and long-hidden magical forces come into play as the assembled defenders of Fionavar try to hold together in the face of Maugrim's growing strength.
Where it sits
- Universe: The Fionavar Tapestry / Ysabel
- Series: The Fionavar Tapestry core; position 3 of 3 in the series' recorded order
- Author: Guy Gavriel Kay
Awards (verified)
- Locus Award (Best Fantasy Novel), 1987: finalist; 12th place, Locus poll
- Prix Aurora Award (Best Long-Form Work in English), 1987: nominated
Notes
- From the series record (The Fionavar Tapestry): The complete trilogy, published in Canada by McClelland and Stewart (1984-1986). Five University of Toronto students are drawn into Fionavar, framed within the story as 'the first of worlds,' in a conflict woven from Arthurian and Celtic/Norse myth. Internal chronology equals publication order for all 3 volumes -- no dispute found, unlike Dragaera/Conan/Pern.
Neighbouring works
Publication order and internal chronology are tracked as two separate orderings, but they resolve to the exact same sequence for this book, so one combined line is shown instead of two identical ones.
- Reading order, within the series The Fionavar Tapestry: position 3 of 3: previous The Wandering Fire (1986)
Sources
- The Fionavar Tapestry (Wikipedia)
- The Summer Tree (Wikipedia)
- The Wandering Fire (Wikipedia)
- The Darkest Road (Wikipedia)
- Guy Gavriel Kay (sfadb)
← The Fionavar Tapestry / Ysabel dossier · All universes
Part of the Library. Fields without an identified source are omitted, never guessed.