If book one of the Fionavar Tapestry trilogy was a slow burn, The Wandering Fire is quite the opposite. The pace immediately feels more urgent, which is normal because the threat of war looms over Fionavar, and our five heroes scramble to collect the forces needed to stand a chance at defeating ultimate evil. Bu tI do nuance: patience is a virtue when in Fionavar, it seems, we’re far from a breakneck tempo. After all, the book does start off six months after the end of the previous one, and its fledgling war still has yet to ravage the lands.

The depth of Kay’s Fionavar is moreso revealed, its scope and dimension a direct rival to the most celebrated of fantasy worlds. But it is Kay’s language which allows for the upmost appreciation for the novel, as he is most adept at making us feel like we’re experiencing the genesis of great legend, all players epic heroes despite their mortal flaws.

This is not a stand-alone book and cannot be enjoyed without having the stage set by The Summer Tree, but once one has digested the first novel, this continuation of the tale is a must read.

Book: The Wandering Fire (The Fionavar Tapestry, Book 2)

Author: Guy Gavriel Kay

Publisher: Roc Trade

Next: The Darkest Road (The Fionavar Tapestry, Book 3)

This entry was posted on Friday, February 29th, 2008 at 11:28 pm and is filed under 52 Books In 52 Weeks, Books, guy gavriel kay, novels. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

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