The Summer Tree
core novel 1984 The Fionavar Tapestry / Ysabel
Record
| First published | 1984 |
|---|---|
| Original language |  EN |
| Work type | novel |
| Canon status | core |
| Reader rating | 3.94 (27,510 ratings, collected 2026-09-14) |
| First-edition ISBN | 9781443409605 |
| Internal chronology | 1 |
Synopsis
Five Canadian university students -- Kevin Laine, Paul Schafer, Dave Martyniuk, Kimberly Ford and Jennifer Lowell -- attend a lecture by a professor who reveals himself to be Loren Silvercloak, a mage from the world of Fionavar, and brings them there to celebrate his High King's fiftieth year on the throne. In the kingdom of Brennin they meet High King Ailell and his sons Aileron and Diarmuid, the seer Ysanne and the priestess Jaelle, and are drawn into the ancient pattern known as the Fionavar Tapestry. A crippling drought grips Brennin because the aging king refuses to make the sacrifice traditionally demanded of him, and as the visitors are pulled deeper into the realm's troubles, an ancient evil long imprisoned begins to stir, placing the whole world of gods and myth on the brink of war.
Where it sits
- Universe: The Fionavar Tapestry / Ysabel
- Series: The Fionavar Tapestry core; position 1 of 3 in the series' recorded order
- Author: Guy Gavriel Kay
Awards (verified)
- Locus Award (Best Fantasy Novel), 1985: finalist; 7th place, Locus poll
- Locus Award (Best First Novel), 1985: finalist; 4th place, Locus poll
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 1 of 3: next 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)
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