A Shadow in Summer
The city-state of Saraykeht dominates the Summer Cities. Its wealth is
beyond measure; its port is open to all the merchants of the world, and its
ruler, the Khai Saraykeht, commands forces to rival the Gods. Commerce and trade fill the streets with a hundred languages, and the coffers of
the wealthy with jewels and gold. Any desire, however exotic or base, can
be satisfied in its soft quarter. Blissfully ignorant of the forces that
fuel their prosperity, the people live and work secure in the knowledge that
their city is a bastion of progress in a harsh world. It would be a
tragedy if it fell...
Saraykeht is poised on the knife-edge of disaster.
At the heart of the city's influence are the
poet-sorcerer Heshai and the captive spirit, Seedless, whom he controls. For all his power, Heshai is weak, haunted by memories of shame and humiliation. A man faced with constant reminders of his responsibilities and his failures, he
is the linchpin and the most vulnerable point in Saraykeht's greatness.
Far to the west, the armies of Galt have
conquered many lands. To take Saraykeht, they must first destroy the trade
upon which its prosperity is based. Marchat Wilsin, head of Galt's trading
house in the city, is planning a terrible crime against Heshai and Seedless. If he succeeds, Saraykeht will fall.
Amat, House Wilsin's business manager, is a woman
who rose from the slums to wield the power that Marchat Wilsin would use to
destroy her city. Through accidents of fate and circumstance Amat, her
apprentice Liat, and two young men from the farthest reaches of their society
stand alone against the dangers that threaten the city.
But in this city of power and intrigue, no one is
without secrets. The price each of the city's protectors must pay to save
Saraykeht may be greater than they can afford. And the Galts are not the
greatest threat they face...
”A Shadow in Summer is a thoroughly engrossing debut novel from a major new fantasist. A poignant human tale of power, heartbreak, and betrayal.” – George R. R. Martin
”Shadow in Summer is one of the most elegant and engaging fantasies I’ve read in years, based on an intriguing, original premise. I eagerly await the remaining volumes in Daniel Abraham's the Long Price Quartet.” – Jacqueline Carey
”Reader, be warned: If you open Daniel Abraham's A Shadow in Summer, he will lead you into a strange, seductive world of beatings and poets and betrayals, intrigues you do not fully understand and wars you cannot stop and places you are not sure you want to go. Intricate, elegant, and almost hypnotically told, this tale of gods held captive will hold you captive, too.” – Connie Willis
”In a world of bloated fantasy clones, Abraham’s voice is fresh and startlingly new; not only is his worldbuilding original, but the characters who inhabit the universe he's created are both strange and fully human.” – S. M. Stirling
”In addition to the creation of an architecturally-perfect fantasy world filled with a fascinating, highly distinctive set of characters, Daniel Abraham has introduced into fantasy one brilliant, stunning new idea, a magic system in which the Word is made Flesh.” – Walter Jon Williams
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Daniel Abraham
Daniel James Abraham (born November 14, 1969), pen names M. L. N. Hanover and James S. A. Corey, is an American novelist, comic book writer, screenwriter, and television producer. He is best known as the author of The Long Price Quartet and The Dagger and the Coin fantasy series, and with Ty Franck, as the co-author of The Expanse series of science fiction novels, written under the joint pseudonym James S. A. Corey. The series has been adapted into the television series The Expanse (2015–present), with both Abraham and Franck serving as writers and producers on the show.
The Long Price Quartet
Daniel Abraham’s classic Long Price Quartet is groundbreaking unique fantasy of rare power and originality. The aggressively expansionist Galt empire has already conquered lands across a huge continent But the cities of the Khaiem resist Galt’s power with the andat - creatures of magic with godlike powers Political intrigue and deep treachery combine to shift the balance of power in a world of ancient empires and immortal magics. This unforgettable fantasy epic series starting with A Shadow in Summer marks Daniel Abraham as a unique voice and one of the most enthralling fantasy writers to emerge in recent years.
The Long Price Quartet consists of four books. The current recommended reading order for the series is provided below.
Related series The Long Price (omnibus editions)
Reviews and Comments
A Shadow in Summer is one of the best new fantasy books I've read during the last couple of years. It was a pleasant surprise, because I didn't expect it to be as good as it was. It isn't perfect, but it's very good. This book is surprisingly original and well written for a debut fantasy book. The fantasy world is interesting and different. Daniel Abraham manages to avoid all the usual fantasy clichés, which is great, because I'm a bit tired of reading "a farmboy becomes a wizard" stories (some of these stories are entertaining, but most of them are often boring and annoying). I liked A Shadow in Summer very much and I can highly recommend it for all fantasy fans, who want to read something different.