Abraham, Daniel: A Shadow in Summer
A Shadow in Summer
Writer: Daniel Abraham
Genre: Fantasy/Epic
Pages: 356
Now this is a title I've wanted to read for a while. Admittedly, the only reason I initially glanced twice at it was the gorgeous cover art done by Stephan Martiniere, but that's the whole POINT of cover art, to get people to look twice, so I won't feel bad about it. At least, not this time.
I'd debated for a WHILE whether to splurge and get the hardcover or wait for the mass-market, especially after I saw the official design for the mass-market. I'll be honest: while I understand the reasoning for making the author's name larger on the mass-market than on the hardcover, I still hate the route that's usually taken, because the LARGE PRINT of it all usually ends up ruining the art, and sometimes (though not in this case) doesn't even match the overall design or color scheme.
But enough of that rant. I was cheap and bought the paperback, and now that I've read it, I don't mind that I did. While I still the think design of the hardcovers are SUPERIOR, this is not a fantasy series I'm chomping at the bit to get my hands on as soon as it's released. HOWEVER, I will definitely pick up the paperbacks as they come out.
This was the last title on the SHU fantasy ballot, and it's the title that--had I been allowed to vote--I would've voted for. And now that I've read the whole list of books, I wouldn't have regretted that vote: I think this book would've been a good example of epic fantasy that's different from the norm, a good book for discussion for fantasy and non-fantasy readers alike. I'm not at all sure how much non-fantasy readers WOULD have liked it, but it was the second-best choice to Ysabel, in my opinion.
There's irony in this book getting ignored by those who petitioned for The Lies of Locke Lamora, because Abraham's title is not your usual Western fantasy. Perhaps its my sheer ignorance of Asian culture, but there were too many clues in this book to be ignored, and I was intrigued that Abraham based his world-building on Asian cultures rather than Western, even though at times I had difficulty picturing the characters in contrast to their settings. How ethnically diverse the characters truly were I don't know, but their names, city, and culture alone suggested something NOT WESTERN, and in many ways, so did the unfolding of the plot.
The premise: there are "poets," magicians of sorts who can capture an idea, an "andat" and bind it into corporeal form. The bond between poet and andat is strong, and in many ways, the andat is a reflection of everything the poet is, wants, or isn't, and the powers of the andat (put to use by the poet) keeps the cities wealthy and safe. But all of that's about to change when an andat does everything in its power to break free of its bond to its poet, and it doesn't care who it uses to do so.
Spoilers ahead.
The prologue scared me. I'll be honest about that. The whole rod beating and demands of "AGAIN!" just radiate with the mockery and satire seen in Burger King and beer commercials, where the master is training the student, forcing the student to repeat his task over and over, forcing the student to perfect said task, at the threat of a beating. There's also the complete and total lack of setting in the prologue, its tiring length, and then the POV jumping between scenes. I kept asking myself just how many heads we really needed to be in, and I dreaded reading a whole book written in that manner.
However, out of the prologue, the book improved considerably, so much so that I was convinced that perhaps the prologue was a hasty addition at the advice of an agent or publisher. It may have been, but I have my doubts after meeting the full cast of characters. Or maybe it should've been there all along, but wasn't until someone else pointed it out to the author. Whatever the case, it wasn't nearly at the same level as the rest of the book, though it provided a necessary background for the characters of Otah and Maati.
Out of the prologue, the setting jumped to life. While I never felt as though I lived in the world Abraham created, I had no trouble visualizing the action, subtle as it sometimes was. That was one of the many joys of this novel, that despite the universal impact of the andat Seedless, the story was confined to the lives of Otah/Itani, Maati, Liat, Amat, and the poet. There were other characters, too, whose lives were effected, but those the most. The plot moved at a relaxed pace, so much so that as a reader, I felt I understood what would happen long before it did, in many cases. I never once wondered (okay, except when Maj started speaking everyone else's tongue, but that wasn't elaborated upon) if Seedless's plan would go awry, if Maj's baby would be spared from the abortion she clearly did not want. A shame, but it was interesting to see how the story unraveled at that point: Otah/Itani (now THAT was a surprise!) decides that to help Maati, he will deliver a letter to the Dai-kvo and by doing so, he confronts the past he chose to leave, a decision that still haunts him. Maati and Liat, who are the only two who know the whole story, turn to each other for support, becoming lovers and betraying Otah. Amat curiously had the most surprising plot of all: her forced hiding gives her the fuel and resources she needs to expose the truth behind the crime done to Maj, and in doing so, she brings all the characters together.
The ending, in some ways, is anti-climatic, but satisfying. Abraham does a great job creating human characters, and their relationships are as complex as they are realistic. I had no trouble believing that Liat would turn to Maati, especially after seeing the strain of Otah's past on his present and Liat's role in the abortion (a role she'd been tricked into playing, like Maj). I didn't like Liat much at all: she's a whiny, needy character who doesn't have a backbone of her own, no matter how much she wants one. Despite it all, I believe she truly loved both men, and I hope, at least for Maati's sake, that she's happy with him. He seems to fit her better, and I was really scared when Liat, learning of Otah's true identity, was thrilled because she no longer had a laborer for a lover, but a future Khai.
Otah's story isn't over, but certainly a chapter is. I'm curious to see where he really goes: will he continue to embrace the anonymous life of a worker, will he confront his true talents and become a poet (or tear the school apart), or will he fight for his chance on his father's throne? It's hard to say, and that's what's so great. Surely we haven't seen the last of Otah, and with any luck, we haven't seen the last of Maati, Liat (provided she doesn't betray Otah's secret, that is), and Maj. Amat I'm comfortable leaving behind. Fascinating as she was, I feel her story is over.
But Seedless, now there's a question. His affection for Maati deserves more exploration, and I hope we see more of him, or some form of him, in later novels. If not Seedless, perhaps another andat, or SOMETHING. The andat is the only magical element to this fantasy Abraham's created, and since the loss of Seedless is what's going to start a war, I would hope Seedless or andats as a whole play a larger role in the rest of the story. Surely something as complex and interesting as seedless is more than a MacGuffin.
One observation: I'm not sure about Abraham's language of gestures. We never really see them. Instead we're given vague details as to how some look and are told what the poses mean. Yet, I can't help but think this is a rather complex ballet rather than communication. Interesting, but it would've been more effective, for me at least, if I could truly SEE them (in visual form), rather than hear about them. I often wondered why such an elaborate system was created, yet I think that's just my mentor's voice ranting in my head, as he is not fond of punctuating gestures of any sort, and while Abraham's gestures/poses were clearly a part of culture, I cringe to think of how my mentor would react to them. ;)
My Rating
Worth the Cash: it's a fascinating little book that's definitely different from the usual fare of fantasy that I read. The prose is clean and easy to get through, but I'll warn you, don't judge it by the prologue, because it's the weakest part of the book.
I definitely look forward to reading the rest of the quartet as it's published (in paperback, of course), and while I didn't fall all over myself in love with this book, I'm glad I finally got around to reading it.
Next up: The Lies of Locke Lamora by Scott Lynch