Guy Gavriel Kay - The Fionavar Tapestry

[hay82]

The Fionavar Tapestry was the first Kay book I read. I read it almost right after I read Lord of the Rings and I found The Fionavar Tapestry to be much better. I liked the twist with

Spoiler

Lancelot

and the way the world is set up in the book. It's also great to read a book where the author isn't too afraid to let people die.

 

[Kookamoor]

It's also great to read a book where the author isn't too afraid to let people die.

Very true, as much as it irked me at the time, I think this was one of its strengths. You felt so much for the characters that the loss of them was very affecting. I think it was also possible for this to occur because the author didn't want the series to extend past the 3 books. It's very comforting to read a completely contained series for a change!

 

[ions]

Well I know why I was comparing the books to LOTR. I dug em up and it says right on the cover:

"The sweep, the powerand the majesty of The Lord Of The Rings."
WINNIPEG FREE PRESS

Now that I know where the books are they're in the TBR pile for when I'm ready to give em another go.

 

[pwilson]

Found all three this weekend at a used bookstore! Are currently residing near the top of my TBR pile

 

[direstraits]

Dammit! I'm *still* missing the second one...

How are you enjoying Magician, Prof Tolkien?

ds

 

[pwilson]

Dammit! I'm *still* missing the second one...
How are you enjoying Magician, Prof Tolkien?
ds

Very kind of you to ask, Mr. Kay. It's growing on me quite a bit. To be honest, I had a little trouble getting into it at first but it's really grabbed my attention since then.

Spoiler

I'm at the point where Pug is training on Kelewan and he seems to really be filling out as a character. In fact, all of them seem to have developed quite a bit. During the first part of the book they seemed a little like cardboard cut outs but my opinion is definitely starting to change.

I forget, what is your opinion of the book(s)? Have you read the whole trilogy?

I was very excited to see all three Fionavar together. Actually, they also had both books in the Sarantine Mosaic but since one was hardback and the other not, I decided to hold off those for now. I did talk my wife (not normally an avid fantasy fan) into trying Tigana. She's about halfway through and it's been fun to watch it ensnare her

 

[direstraits]

Er... I didn't enjoy Magician, pwilson. I read both halves of Magician, and decided to skip the rest. The story didn't agree with me, I guess.

All of Fionavar and both of the Mosaic?? [wipes saliva] Nice shop, this one.

ds

 

[pwilson]

Er... I didn't enjoy Magician, pwilson. I read both halves of Magician, and decided to skip the rest. The story didn't agree with me, I guess.

All of Fionavar and both of the Mosaic?? [wipes saliva] Nice shop, this one.

ds

I have to admit, I've become more interested in Magician during the second half but I still haven't decided if I'll read the others.

Very nice shop, indeed It's a new discovery but I will definitely be visiting again.

 

[direstraits]

Okay Kook, I've been reading the Tapestry and I'm itching to write something about it. I think you'd find what I think of the story interesting.

Gosh I'm excited - I wanna talk about the books! Soon now, soon...

ds

 

[Kookamoor]

Okay Kook, I've been reading the Tapestry and I'm itching to write something about it. I think you'd find what I think of the story interesting.

Gosh I'm excited - I wanna talk about the books! Soon now, soon...

ds

Then you've gotta read Across the Nightingale Floor (which you just bought!) and tell me what you think!

My library still has more Kay that I want to read, but I have so much academic material piling up to be read at the moment that I am refusing to indulge until my thesis draft is written (a few more weeks!) I gotta get into them before I leave!

 

[Spineshank]

I was in borders the other day and wanted to get the finovar Tapestry and or Tigana and theyw ere nowhere to be found, i went to my local waldenbooks and didn't find but one Guy Gavriel Kay book there. Are these not readily available books for some reason?

 

[direstraits]

Yeah, that's because more people are now in the know about Kay, and are grabbing his books by the boatload. Bwaahahahahahhaha!

Ahem.

ds

 

[abecedarian]

I found my copy pf Tigana at a library sale. Someone had donated an older copy and they didn't want it for the shelves, so I scooped up. Life is good.

 

[pwilson]

Picked up a copy of the Lions of Al-Rassan the other day. Between that and my still unread copes of Fionavar, I should be in for a good Kay marathon soon.

 

[direstraits]

Well, pwilson, knowing what I now know about the Tapestry, I say go ahead and read Al-Rassan first. Tapestry is accomplished, but everything (except maybe Songs of Arbonne) Kay has done after it is better. I'm biased in that view, and you may like Tapestry much more. But in my book, The Lions of Al-Rassan is better than the Tapestry.

But remember what I said before about Kay's books in comparison to sex and pizza.

ds

 

[pwilson]

Well, pwilson, knowing what I now know about the Tapestry, I say go ahead and read Al-Rassan first. Tapestry is accomplished, but everything (except maybe Songs of Arbonne) Kay has done after it is better. I'm biased in that view, and you may like Tapestry much more. But in my book, The Lions of Al-Rassan is better than the Tapestry.

But remember what I said before about Kay's books in comparison to sex and pizza.

ds

Does that mean you're done with Fionavar? I kind of figured it wouldn't surpass your view of Lions of Al-Rassan. Didn't you say that was your favorite of his? Aren't you getting dangerously close to having read everything by the illustrious Kay? Depressing times, my friend.

 

[Kookamoor]

Does that mean you're done with Fionavar? I kind of figured it wouldn't surpass your view of Lions of Al-Rassan. Didn't you say that was your favorite of his? Aren't you getting dangerously close to having read everything by the illustrious Kay? Depressing times, my friend.

I liked Fionavar, but Tigana was better. Mind you, they are both wonderful! It's like comparing beef and lamb, really. Beef is amazing, but you just can't go past lamb for pure succulence and tenderness... unless you eat buffalo...

 

[pwilson]

I liked Fionavar, but Tigana was better. Mind you, they are both wonderful! It's like comparing beef and lamb, really. Beef is amazing, but you just can't go past lamb for pure succulence and tenderness... unless you eat buffalo...

Which book is buffalo again? So Kook, have you ready any Kay besides Fionavar and Tigana or are you slowly savoring it like I am?

 

[Kookamoor]

Which book is buffalo again? So Kook, have you ready any Kay besides Fionavar and Tigana or are you slowly savoring it like I am?

I still haven't found the buffalo - I think it's like the Holy Grail.

Slowly savouring . I'm currently writing my thesis, so any book which will not loose it's hold on me I am presently avoiding! I can't wait to get back into them around christmas (hopefully!!) but for now I'm indulging in some shorter, less absorbing reads... but am still having difficulty (read half of Amis' Night Train this morning... not good for the working!)

 

[direstraits]

Kook, I'd love to try some Amis - Shade has recommended it I think.

pwilson - nope, I'm still half-way into The Darkest Road, and I'm conducting too many training sessions of late, so it's still slow going for me. But yeah, once I'm done with it, I've only one Kay left - which is his latest, The Last Light of the Sun. I think I'll keep that for now, I want to read Cloud Atlas next. Lemme catch up with you for a change.

Though I will say I'll drop *everything* when I get my hands on Feast for Crows.

ds