Guy Gavriel Kay - The Fionavar Tapestry

[direstraits]

A fan's review of The Fionavar Tapestry

Let me begin by saying I dislike Terry Goodkind. It's not because he writes poorly (although he definitely could write better) or because of that cowboy hat I see him wearing on the inside cover. I dislike Goodkind because he blatantly plargiarises Robert Jordan's Wheel of Time. Those of us who picked up Jordan (which came out first, btw) before reading Goodkind will recognize many elements from Goodkind's story that came from WOT, such as the Children of the Light, The Aes Sedai, the Black Ajah, the Seanchan's adam and damane, and many others. It's not 'reusing elements of a fantasy story.' I'd be surprised at anyone familiar with both stories to say that Goodkind coincidentally came up with his stuff.

Which leads me nicely to Fionavar. You won't really know about this, but when it comes to Kay, I'm rabid. I've read everything else (except one) by him before embarking on FT, and boy was I excited. Up to the first 50 pages.

I'm reading an LOTR clone. There were so many elements borrowed from LOTR I had to check the spine a few times to be sure it's Kay. Not only were characters similar (lios alfar are elves, svart alfar are orcs, the Council of Mages, a warrior king, dwarves dammit!), but the plot devices as well, most notably

Spoiler

the traitor in the midst, and the lonely journey to evil stronghold

.

It was like opening your favourite pack of Hobnobs and finding cookies you'd bake in a lazy afternoon.

Granted, not everything's the same. The story starts with five people from our reality (read: Vancouver) gets transported to Fionavar for a ceremony of sorts by the resident Gandalf named Loren Silvercloak. When they are there, things are not as simple as they seem and before you know it, all five has a hand in saving the First of all worlds. As I mentioned, the main protagonists actually came from Vancouver and isn't 4 feet in height. While Kay didn't invent a new Elvish script, he did imbue a sense of history to Fionavar and its populace - a lot of work went into building Fionavar.

I have to say, however, that the story gets better later in the first book, much better in the second, and much much better in the final book, with an excellent and satisfying ending. I persevered because it's Kay, to be honest, despite my initially strong sense of dislike. I've read enough of him to know what he can do, and trusted him to lead me back. And he did (or I would be very mad).

There is a plot twist in the middle of the second book that completely blindsided me. The best way to describe this twist would be: cameo appearance. Suffice to say, I became very interested from that point onwards. Also, an incident in the third book made me inadvertantly say 'Cool!' aloud, something no book has done before. There are aspects of the story that seems to add on to the Tolkien original. I'm specifically thinking about the fate of lios alfar who 'hears their song' and begins to sail west to a place 'the Weaver at the Loom built for them alone.' Sound familiar? There is a twist here that I thought added depth and emotion.

Make no mistake, the Fionavar Tapestry is a very well written piece of fantasy, and if you've not sampled good fantasy, you can do much worse than this trilogy. However, it was still, in my mind, an LOTR clone, and my personal bias against something that I can readily identify in another piece of work. Upon finishing this work and savouring the ending, however satisfying, it simply underscores the fact of how much more accomplished his latter works are. Having read this, I have a sudden urge to re-read his Sarantine Mosaic duology, with a renewed sense of anticipation.

All I can say is, if you've enjoyed Fionavar and would like to read more, boy, are you in for a ride.

ds

 

[ions]

For some reason the desire to explore Kay's won't leave my head even though I tried with Fionavar and failed to become interested. Although I think that the city the five people get transported from is Toronto, not Vancouver, direstraits. I no longer have my copy to double check though.

Interesting that you found the Tapestry to be a LOTR clone yet the reason I didn't like it, at the time, was that it was not enough like LOTR. And the style overall just wasn't appealing to me. Yet, like I said above, I keep thinking that maybe I would enjoy Tigana. Going to be one of those things that's going to sit in my head until I try I guess. Is Tigana the way to go or should I try Last Light of the Sun instead?

 

[Kookamoor]

I'm reading an LOTR clone.

I missed your post a few days ago, ds. I'm surprised at what you said, but it's a very good point. Perhaps we need to remember that this was Kay's first book and he was stuck in cliche'ville for the first book as so many writers are?

I'll give your post some thought before I say any more. Good points... very good points...

 

[pwilson]

Having not read the trilogy yet I can't contribute much, but I did find this on Kay's site:

"In The Fionavar Tapestry, Kay started his career as a writer and as a fantasist by consciously working within the traditional boundaries, both in content and technique, of the branch of fantasy literature that Tolkien founded. In part, he was paying homage to Tolkien, whose writing had inspired him personally, and in part he was working to revitalize the genre. Kay comments that in The Fionavar Tapestry, he consciously chose "to work squarely in the Tolkien tradition while trying to allow room for character development and plausibility that I tended to find missing in most post-JRRT high fantasy. In a way it was a challenge to the debasing of the genre" [Adams].

As I'm sure most of you know, Kay worked with Christopher Tolkien to edit the Silmarillion after Tolkien's death. Not sure if any of this fits into the debate but just wanted to throw it in the mix.

 

[direstraits]

Although I think that the city the five people get transported from is Toronto, not Vancouver, direstraits. I no longer have my copy to double check though.

My bad, ions. You're right - I just flipped through the book and yes, it is indeed Toronto.

And the style overall just wasn't appealing to me.

I completely agree with you on the style. The style at beginning of the Summer Tree is less polished than his latter work (which I'm more familiar). I thought his prose felt restricted, a little too controlled. Better in the later Fionavar books, though.

But I think pwilson had it when he quoted Kay: "by consciously working within the traditional boundaries, both in content and technique, of the branch of fantasy literature that Tolkien founded." Felt like he's trying to fit into another style rather than his own.

Yet, like I said above, I keep thinking that maybe I would enjoy Tigana. Going to be one of those things that's going to sit in my head until I try I guess. Is Tigana the way to go or should I try Last Light of the Sun instead?

Now The Last Light of the Sun is the last of Kay that I haven't read yet, so I can't tell you if it's good. But please try Tigana, I can tell you that his later works is nothing like his Fionavar Tapestry. No trying to stay in boundaries and all that rubbish, just pure lovely stories. There are so many here who'd love to hear what you think of that book.

(Oh and when you do read it, keep the riselka in mind and answer the last riselka question posed in the Tigana thread. )

His statement "to work squarely in the Tolkien tradition while trying to allow room for character development and plausibility" is more apparent in his later works, in my opinion. You can't get farther from the Tolkien tradition when your lead character is a mosaic tile layer caught in the intrigues of court of the king of an empire ("The Sarantine Mosaic" duology) or warriors from opposite factions poised for war but come together in friendship and love ("Lions of Al-Rassan").

ds

 

[ions]

I was pretty sure it was Toronto. I've been in the lecture hall at U of T that is the setting for one of the early scenes. At least I remember thinking that when I tried reading the book ages ago.

Tigana and Last Light of the Sun are both the same price so I can't use that as a deciding factor. Even though Last Light of the Sun is apparently his "best selling" and "most acclaimed" I think I'm leaning towards Tigana.

As shallow as it is I must admit the pretty new mass market printings have really caught my eye:

Last Light of the Sun cover.
Tigana cover.

 

[Kookamoor]

As shallow as it is I must admit the pretty new mass market printings have really caught my eye:

Really? I wasn't such a big fan. I just bought that cover of Tigana for my Dad's christmas present and actually didn't really like it so much... But it's better than the old one with the weird painting of the lady on the cover. I just thought the cover could be so much more relevant, you know?

 

[direstraits]

Really? I wasn't such a big fan. I just bought that cover of Tigana for my Dad's christmas present and actually didn't really like it so much... But it's better than the old one with the weird painting of the lady on the cover. I just thought the cover could be so much more relevant, you know?

I think I know which cover you're referring to when you said weird painting - the one with guards behind her right? I think that's a pic of Dianora. The same style of covers also graced certain editions of the the Fionavar Tapestry too. I'll look them up and link them here. If I don't forget, that is.

ions - why choose? Get both. If you decide you still don't like GGK while you read one, then voila! - the other is an instant gift ready to be given away.

I've *got* to talk to GGK about my commission...!

ds

 

[Kookamoor]

I think I know which cover you're referring to when you said weird painting - the one with guards behind her right? I think that's a pic of Dianora. The same style of covers also graced certain editions of the the Fionavar Tapestry too. I'll look them up and link them here. If I don't forget, that is.

Yep, that sounds like it. I remember thinking it was Dianora. It was very abstract, and you're right that Fionavar had the same sort of cover released. It just looked very dated and not very appealing to the eye. Maybe you should take that up with GGK when you get your next cheque.

 

[direstraits]

But for Tigana, I prefer the weird painting one compared to the one that ions is showing us.

GGK is ignoring me at present. I think my overloading his mailbox with requests for commissions may have something to do with it.

Hey Kook - how did you feel about the

Spoiler

deaths

?

ds

 

[Kookamoor]

Hey Kook - how did you feel about the

Spoiler

deaths

?

Well! If you'd read the damn thing back when I started this thread you'd have heard my ranting, wouldn't you!?!?!?

It took me completely by surprise, I must say.

Spoiler

After Paul was brought back to life at the end of book 1 I didn't see it coming at all. I thought Kay was a writer who wouldn't let his characters die. That being said, I really thought they were an interesting plot device, albeit a little upsetting at the time

. He really ruled out the possibility of further sequels through doing it, which actually made me happy. Because when I closed the final book I was content that I knew the whole story. I didn't want to consider the possibility of there being sequel after sequel - that's one of the reasons I really like Kay's work.

 

[pwilson]

But for Tigana, I prefer the weird painting one compared to the one that ions is showing us.

I have the version of Tigana that ds pictured and I have to say that I kind of like it too. I also have the versions of Fionavar with a similar cover. Kind of gives them an aged quality, almost as if they were taken from a tapesty.

 

[Kookamoor]

I have the version of Tigana that ds pictured and I have to say that I kind of like it too. I also have the versions of Fionavar with a similar cover. Kind of gives them an aged quality, almost as if they were taken from a tapesty.

I guess I didn't think they looked enough like a tapestry to pull it off. Now, if it had been the picture of an actual tapestry with a scene reminiscent of the book on the cover - maybe a black background with a tapestry fragment on top - that'd be cool.

 

[pwilson]

I guess I didn't think they looked enough like a tapestry to pull it off. Now, if it had been the picture of an actual tapestry with a scene reminiscent of the book on the cover - maybe a black background with a tapestry fragment on top - that'd be cool.

Sounds good to me. ds, could you kindly add that to your "to-do" list?

 

[ions]

ions - why choose? Get both. If you decide you still don't like GGK while you read one, then voila! - the other is an instant gift ready to be given away.

I've *got* to talk to GGK about my commission...!

ds

Heh. Your zeal is further inspiring me to pick up a Kay. But it will only be one. Unfortunately I'm not surrounded by readers where I can dump books on others easily. I meant to pick up a book today but the end of my shift was unpleasent and ran longer than it should have. Ate up the time I was going to use to shop.

 

[direstraits]

If that's the case, I say get Tigana. Because:
1. I think it's brilliant. I know that's not saying much, so...
2. Others think it's brilliant.
3. I've not read Last Light, and apparently isn't not the strongest Kay book.
4. There are plenty here who've read Tigana and would be able to talk to you about it. I only know one person who've read Last Light here.
5. There's already a Tigana thread simmering with anticipation in the background, anxiously awaiting your input...


ds

 

[direstraits]

Sounds good to me. ds, could you kindly add that to your "to-do" list?

You've obviously not seen me draw. But nevertheless, my enthusiam will see me through! Behold!



This bears an explanation, because you may not recognize the character depicted in that abstract piece: that is Alessan, High King. He's atop is war horse (you'll have to excuse me, I cannot draw horses very well). That thing is his crown.

Anymore covers for me to design?

ds

 

[Kookamoor]

ions - TIGANA, TIGANA, TIGANA!!!

It took me 3 chapters to become immersed in this book, likely because I was right into the Fionavar Tapestry from the get-go. So give it a chance. By the time you get out to the events at the hunting shack in the woods it really picks up the pace

 

[direstraits]

Hey, I *loved* the stuff that took place at the hunting shack in the woods!



ds

 

[Kookamoor]

Hey, I *loved* the stuff that took place at the hunting shack in the woods!

No no! That's my point! That was the point that I started *really* getting into it! From the closet scene on, really. Man, I gotta give this a re-read. It's in the post for my Dad's christmas present. I hope he's read it by the time I see him in January!