The Summer of Shadow

Start by marking “A Shadow in Summer (Long Price Quartet, #1)” as Want to Read: See 1 question about A Shadow in Summer. A Shadow in Summer is Daniel Abraham’s debut and the first book in the Long Price Quartet series.
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Because the two of them are always on the move with his job--and naturally this is taking its toll on Summer. So what's to become of all these folks? See the film, as I don't want to say more and spoil it for you. Helming this film is director Steve Franke--what already has directed several dog films starring Bailey. I have no idea if these are any good or not, but judging by his hand in this film, I am interested in trying them sometime. I wonder if Franke ever thought most of his work would be with dogs?! And, are they easier to deal with than the actors?!

The bottom line is that although this film was made on a small budget and has direct-to-video written all over it, it sure is a nice film.

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I am not sure if it will be coming out in the theaters or not, but regardless it's a decent film for the family. Will it change your life? And, that's something that can't be said about many so-called 'family films'. Enjoy a night in with these popular movies available to stream now with Prime Video. Start your free trial. Find showtimes, watch trailers, browse photos, track your Watchlist and rate your favorite movies and TV shows on your phone or tablet!

Enjoy unlimited streaming on Prime Video. There was an error trying to load your rating for this title. Some parts of this page won't work property. Please reload or try later. Keep track of everything you watch; tell your friends. Full Cast and Crew. Bright and independent year-old Summer Larsen rescues a sweet, stray dog and will stop at nothing to save him. And it's her determination that ultimately impacts those around her. Movies and tv shows that I want to watch. Fairy Tales for Kids. Share this Rating Title: Summer's Shadow 6.

Use the HTML below. You must be a registered user to use the IMDb rating plugin. Edit Cast Cast overview, first billed only: Jeff Larsen Liz Cardenas Cole Harrison Aidan Langford Lanny Peters Juli Erickson Billy Ray Johnson Andrew Sensenig Edit Storyline Difficult times have created infighting in the otherwise idyllic neighborhood where year-old Summer Larsen has just moved. Sometimes all it takes is a dog to find home.

Edit Details Official Sites: Edit Did You Know? Add the first question. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No Report this. Bethany Rae Characters have sex, but it's not explicit. See 1 question about A Shadow in Summer…. Lists with This Book. However, the average 3. However, the average rating on Goodreads speaks for itself already, this is not a book that most readers will enjoy. These three factors were very important in making me invested in the book and yes, I am really invested to continue.

From the first book alone, I can conclude that A Shadow in Summer is a totally foundational book, making this series a slow burn series; I envision this is also one of those series that only gets better with each installment and I'm going to find out about it immediately. View all 35 comments. Nov 17, StoryTellerShannon rated it really liked it Shelves: Oh, and then he gets the girl usually or finds someone better than the girl because the girl wasn't a very nice person. Back then there weren't too many variations on this tale unless you wanted to read Michael Moorcock or maybe H.

Lovecraft, though, he's more horror than fantasy. Martin being at the forefront. So, now, it isn't about such tales so much and if it is the dumb farm boy might not be such a nice guy or he may lose against the enemy. Maybe, unlike traditional fantasy, someone can wear black and not be a bad person. So, saying all that for those who have walked with the fantasy genre as long as I have, we finally get to encounter a novel that takes another spin.

Moreover, there isn't some Dark Lord to defeat. The tale focuses on politics between various factions within the city of all cities. This city has gained the powers of a powerful spirit that has the ability to give the city a major up in the cotton trade by taking the seed out of cotton plants, thus, giving them a huge advantage upon other cities that need to hand pick the seeds out of each cotton bushel.

Summer's Shadow

Naturally, other cities, most notably one similar to a European one, wants to free that spirit or control that spirit so that they can then monopolize the cotton trade. So the whole story is about various groups either trying to do this or about other people investigating this plot, not quite realizing the full details until later.

One of the world details I liked about this world and that is based on historical facts is that the people communicate very much in body language rather than words so people will be talking and then take on a pose of apology, love, joy, anger or conciliation. It's definitely a nice touch. So read this book if you like intrigue, court politics and strong characters, who are not the usual archetypes and are actually doing something besides running the from the minions of the Dark Lord.

View all 13 comments. Feb 12, Mayim de Vries rated it really liked it. Good news courtesy of Sarah: As to the li Good news courtesy of Sarah: As to the lives these ideas led, the choices they made, the roads they had taken and the tales that could be told about it - that is altogether a different matter. The Summer Cities of the Khainate live off on the scraps of an imperium gone by. They are still resplendent, still rich beyond measure, overflowing with goods and pleasures; each of them independent and yet interdependent - immersed in the ebbs and flows of international trade.

Arrogant yet secure in their frivolities by the powers wielded by poets. For you see, only the poet is able to grasp and then hold the andat. What is the andat? Andat are like thoughts made real, ideas tamed and given human shape, thoughts translated by the poet into a form that includes volition, more difficult to hold each time they escape. Inevitably, the more scarce they become, the greater treasure they were.

Especially that when faced with the raw but crude power of other nations, the cities of the East had the andat as their ultimate and only weapons. The slave you hope to own.

A Shadow in Summer

But Mr Abraham surpassed all my expectations when like a fine wordsmith, he wrought a form for his idea and then breathed life into it creating Seedless. Seedless, neither the slave nor a puppet and a little bit of both, simultaneously compassionate god and malefic prankster, neither a monster nor a beast and yet so very elemental and inhuman, is a character so total that he could wander through the pages of Dostoyevsky or Mann, if any of them ever bothered to write fantasy, and never would be out of place.

It is not merely the gallimaufry of protagonists. The art lies in how with each word they gain depth and colour, how the cardboard figures absorb conventional tropes and fold them into intricate shapes. This book is like a human origami. You know I look askance at cliches. But here cliches flare with new life ; the coming-to-age, the star-crossed lovers, the late lovers, the love triangle, the revenge, the from wares to whores aka. Each of the protagonists stumbles upon the very bedrocks of their own personalities and things that render them unique prove to be both a blessing and a curse.

They were endearing and annoying at once. Too much like the living people, like us: None of them has come out whole from the adventure, none emerged strengthened and refined. Not something you usually get in fantasy, more frequently these types of personal stories are found among the classic novels. It might be that I have a soft spot for elder women in a genre conquered by hordes of cocky adolescents. More probably though, it is how masterfully her arc was written; she reminds me Bujold's characters from the World of the Five Gods.

In a word where action only complements a word and the form it has taken, she is a shining supernova. I really loved how in this book language is more than words. The protagonists communicate via countless poses and each message has a double, sometimes even triple meaning. Speaking is never reduced to merely talking: I also appreciated how the tale gives a laudation of conceived life, regardless of its form and stage.

What are the weaknesses then , you ask? While the personal stories and arc are superb, the overall plot is convoluted and a bit artificial. The personal stories touch but do not meet head-on. They tangle, but the pattern they form is haphazard, inchoate and disjointed. Furthermore, the whole stratagem develops very slowly and not without bizarre hurdles. The balance between what happens, the meanings the events are supposed to carry and then the actual weight of the narrative lacks equilibrium. Not deeply enough nuanced tension between the lack of free will and the lack of freedom , the general nature of the andat versus the specificity of a flawed design, inconclusive character development of the supposedly main hero built on a twisted sense of loyalty and justice, especially when juxtaposed with his initial rejection of a system that demanded cruelty from him up to the breakup point and lauded him for the breaking - all this together meant that when I finished the book and I was both satisfied and dissatisfied, very disturbed and unsure what to make of the whole story.

I was torn and conflicted in my rating between 3 and 4 stars, but taking into consideration the avalanche of reflections this book has awakened in me, I give it a benefit of depth and raise my rating. A Shadow in Summer is definitely worthy of your attention. However, you need to judge very carefully if the novel is actually for you as it does not cater to all the customary needs of an average fantasy reader.

Despite its shortages, I am taking a pose of invitation and encouragement. Also in the series: View all 14 comments. Aug 12, Bradley rated it liked it Shelves: I have definitely read much worse fantasy, or fiction, for that matter, and I see that subtlety and thoughtfulness is the name of this tune, but honestly, it was slow and not much happens. It was, on the other hand, quite readable and the characters were very solid, even memorable as far as they go.

The society, the empire, is also quite fleshed out and has a character all of its own. I have no complaints with any of that. Indeed, I think it's quite remarkable. I don't even have a problem with the I have definitely read much worse fantasy, or fiction, for that matter, and I see that subtlety and thoughtfulness is the name of this tune, but honestly, it was slow and not much happens. I don't even have a problem with the premise, both literally through the magic that this old poet has, or stylistically, or plot-based, that this old man and the empire are one and the same.

Both are old, as are quite a few of the main characters, and you can see that they're wracked with guilt and a bit of senility. Rightly so, I might say. Using magic to forcibly abort children with or without the woman's consent is unconscionable, as is a society that has no qualms with enslaving, whether with economics, force, or the Poet's magic of conception. It's rotten, and the death of one is the death of all, and I can't really find it in my heart to feel sad for either. As a novel, it is a beautiful painting, glacially slow and majestic like like the adjective.

If you don't mind good character studies and an exploration of culpability, duty, justice, and love rather than a modern fantasy yarn full of death and daring and heroism, then I think you might really enjoy this novel. Even now that I've finished it with a sigh and a fairly large undercurrent of regret that it didn't live up to some undefinable promise, I want to like it more than I do.

I have great respect for Mr. Abraham already, so it's not like I'm giving up the cause. I'm a fanboy of the Expanse, after all. I know I'll give the other four of this series a shot, but I might not do it right away. View all 4 comments. Via Book Reviews by Niki Hawkes at www. The first time I picked it up in a bookstore, I almost disregarded it right away and put it back on the shelf. It was fascinating and engaging — starting out by introducing a complex co Via Book Reviews by Niki Hawkes at www.

It was fascinating and engaging — starting out by introducing a complex communication system that involves intricate hand gestures that conveys everything from emotion to social status. And you know what? It only got better!

Abraham then went on to developed a mind — blowing magic system that was as dangerous as it was beautiful. These elements combined with an unforgettable writing style made for one of the most original stories I have ever read! Both the communication and magic systems went a long way to build this world, but Abraham expanded on it anyway and created a stunning city that I can still remember vividly years later. Top that off with an incredible cast of characters who will have you laughing and crying with them by the time the series ends and you have one of the most memorable stories on the market.

All of the characters were amazing and they only got better with each book. If you have read all the classics, from Robert Jordan to Brandon Sanderson, and are looking for your next great series, this is definitely the author for you! I recommend him as often as I can because of how profoundly his work affected me. Fantasy fans out there — this is a must-read! View all 8 comments. Feb 21, Choko rated it really liked it. Because we love originality! And this is exactly what this book offered - originality and plenty of it!

I had no idea what to expect, but I was blown away by how different and complex the plot of this fascinating story offers. If you are expecting a traditional Fantasy with some political jostling in it, you have the wrong book. This is not at all in the realm of the Fantasy I have known up to now. Yes, we have a world of imagination, a city-state made strong by flourishing trade, while the trade itself is supported by the poet-sorcerers and their bonded spirit-slaves.

The sorcerers are called poets, because they form the physical representation of an idea and give it to a spirit called Andat, the boundaries of whom are given by how precise the poem and the character of the poet craft it. It is definitely a double-edged sward, since even if the poet believes to have crafted a spirit with only positive and perfect virtues, if there is pain, envy, hatred, or any other such negative intent in the heart of the creator and it bleeds into the poem, something very dangerous comes through into the spirit.

Such is the case with Seedless. He is and Andat, given shape and bonded by the poet Heshai, who feels inferior and holds a lot of hatred and negativity in his heart, but wanted to give shape to perfection in Seedless, the way he thought perfection should be. However, completely without meaning it, Heshai infused Seedless with all of his hate and negativity as well, so he is so much evil, bundled up in a perfect physical form.

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No one could foresee an Andat hating its bonds and bondage so much, that is willing to kill itself by destroying the poet and the well-being of the city it was supposed to protect and favor. And it all starts rolling with a forced abortion of a baby who's mother had no idea of the evil about to be perpetuated on her. Marchat Wilsin is the head of a Galt trading house and Amat, a woman in her fifties with a bad hip and sharp wit is House Wilsin's business manager.

Marchat Wilsin is knees deep together with Seedless in the plot to take down the city, no matter the means. Shen Amat finds out, she decides to expose them and slowly gathers information. Just as involved, although unknowingly and unwittingly, are the student poet Maati, the laborer young man Itani also known as Otah , and his lover, Amat's apprentice Liat, my least favorite character of them all. They all have a place in the intricacies of a story woven from political intrigues, power struggles and machinations, no battles or sword-fights involved at all. For a book having no action sequences and full of just character building and plotting, this was one of the most enthralling books I have read in a while.

I was not bored even for a second. And the richness of the world and characters was beautiful and varied. I would recommend this to all who appreciate just plain good writing!!! Give it a try! Tomorrow can't be worse than today was. Can't is a word for small imaginations. This was part of a group read and I liked it best of everybody reading the book. Which is odd because I think I'm the first one to complain when Fantasy or Sci-Fi books don't have any action and move slow. Others thought that of this book but it wasn't that way for me.

There's just something about DA's writing style where both the characters and world are so descriptive. The emotions and interactions come off the page in HD where another author trying for the same is a black and white 9' built i This was part of a group read and I liked it best of everybody reading the book. The emotions and interactions come off the page in HD where another author trying for the same is a black and white 9' built in the 70's.

View all 9 comments. Mar 28, Eh? The review that hooked me: The review that should've hooked me much earlier: I don't think beginning this series with a marathon reading session while sick was the best approach, since fevers make me to skim faster and I missed some intricacies. Despite that and despite the v The review that hooked me: Despite that and despite the visual trumpet-blare of the pompous title fonts, and my current aversion to epics this was an incredible fantasy story.

I skipped ahead and around to follow a character's storyline, just because it was so fascinating. I just finished stumbling through the last bits of the 4 books and I'm going to have to get over my epic aversion to re-read this all properly someday. I would give this series more than 4 stars, a little less than 5 stars. This power comes from control of creatures called andats, 'ideas given volition' is the description from the book I think, that are created by poets; not those laureates who speak at inaugurations or publish slim volumes or, ahem, rhyme stuff "Stop it!

The andat takes on the form and personality imagined by the poet, an embodiment of the creator's mind. Unfortunately, once caught and lost, the exact same idea can't be recaptured. If you try, you die. The grammar has to be adjusted to describe it differently if possible; as the years go on, it becomes impossible to find a unique description and the andat, the idea, has to be abandoned. It's possible to bestow an andat upon another person, another poet.

Each of the cities has its own poet, each andat's power used to boost the particular trade that is the basis of each city's economy. The Summer Cities culture is obviously drawn from Asia, with the almond eyes and teahouses, but how beautiful the added touches are!

Letters having edges sewn with silk thread are tucked into sleeves; firekeepers maintain braziers along major thoroughfares during cold months; the language consists of as many gestures as words; the suffix -kvo is used for teachers, -cha for respect, and -kya for great affection — grace notes in this wicked awesome story. And man, can this author write. Too many lines that made me pause to appreciate, even in a feverish haze.

I wish I had the head to remember quotes to share them, but all I remember is the lift that comes from knowing something is very good. This first book introduces the world building it, hah. It begins at the poet school where we learn how they attempt to select the right people to potentially wield andats. Then fast-forward to a young poet sent to one of the cities to be ready to take on the residing poet's andat when the time comes. A plot to destroy the current poet is revealed to be just a feeler. Threading around the plot are all the human relations that complicate everything.

There is the expected love triangle, whatever, but better is the delicate hum of Marchat and Amat. Wonderful and quietly sad. Anyway, the feeler plot felt flabby and small until it swelled to include nations and then gut-punches a reader with a series of, uh, punches. That final sentence, wow. It's like the whole book was an orchestra just before a performance, sawing bows and turning knobs, an oddly harmonious dissonance heh, I know, dumb, but when the strings are tuning and don't quite match but all sound like a piece of silk running up your back Dec 31, Lema rated it really liked it Recommended to Lema by: Original and Clinical Original, because let's be honest it's nothing like other fantasy novels I've read, the magic system is about capturing "ideas" into humanoid forms called "Andat" and control them to do the bidding of the castor, however these forms develop somewhat human traits and emotions as well, cue instant interesting and favorite character!

The world building is also very engaging with a lot of or [ The world building is also very engaging with a lot of oriental and Asian influences can we take a second to appreciate those beautiful covers?! Kudos to Stephanie Martiniere. The plot is politics and economy-heavy which and completely action-free, which you don't see much of, if ever, in fantasy. This could be a big hit or miss for readers as the plot can be very slow-paced at times cue audiobook to speed things up!

However, this series seems like one that only gets better and better with each book, so look forward for 3 more reviews! This one though was kind of a miss regarding the presentation of the characters. Don't get me wrong they are all interesting and engaging to read about, Otah and Seedless are my absolute favorite, Amat is a middle aged woman who is a BAMF that gets shit done and Maati is a precious child that you want to smack every once in a while and hug the rest of the time, Liat can go expire in a ditch for all I care but she is a very realistic 17 years old girl.

Not to mention a plethora of other rich charaters So all of the above had great distinct characterization, but I just wasn't attached to any of them. We would get description of all these horrible things that happened to them and I'm like too bad bro.. So that was a bit disappointing for someone like me who likes to get destroyed and left traumatized after finishing a book..

So all in all, I recommend this book for someone who is bored with all the mainstream fantasy and would like to experience something new. Mar 23, Emelia rated it it was amazing. RTC after I finish the series It was a bit difficult in the beginning of the book but then it grabs you and keeps you up til 3am. Not that I did ;. Feb 14, Veronica rated it really liked it Shelves: I really liked the writing and the concept of "poets" giving literal shape and form to ideas.

The characterization was also pretty good for most of the characters. I wasn't emotionally satisfied with the ending but it wasn't enough to put me off from reading more in the series. View all 3 comments. Jul 27, David Sven rated it really liked it Shelves: Not bad at all for a debut novel. It's a low magic fantasy. I like the city of Saraykeht and the almost oriental feel to the main culture. The main language is comprised of poses and gestures that accompany words similar to the Adem hand gestures in The Wise Man's Fear.

The central concept of poet's capturing ideas and then imbuing them with volition creating an enslaved god andats was interesting. You would think this I enjoyed this. You would think this would make poet's extremely powerful but Abraham avoids the deus ex-machina by placing us in an Empire that has fallen because of the mutual destruction of poets wielding these andats against each other. And andats are not that easy to create anymore and few are actually useful enough to tip the balance of power.

But we do have at least one andat that has made the city state of Saraykeht virtually immune from war and with a major trade advantage. The andat "Seedless" has the unique ability of removing seeds from cotton en masse. What the cotton picking good is that for? I know you're asking. Well it's pretty darn good when nobody has to pick out the seeds themselves if they bring them to you - and oh, while they are there they may as well just deal with you for all their cotton trading and processing - or something like that.

It's a major trade advantage according to cotton seed experts of the fantasy realm - I'm sure there's a thesis in it for somebody. Whatever, Daniel Abraham sells it well. Oh, the other thing one might use "Seedless" for is magically evacuating the wombs of all women in a nation - or destroying all their crops by vanishing their seeds overnight. So you don't want to mess with the andat. You've probably already spotted the downside from this review. What's so interesting about cotton? Where is the badass in this book?

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Well, there's different kinds of badassery. Take one of the main characters, Amat. She is badass - in a ruthless political sort of way.

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She left me saying "Amat - you are badass - and you don't need kung fu. I'll definitely be continuing on with book 2 in the series. I'm giving this one View all 18 comments. Aug 10, Stephen rated it really liked it Shelves: A very impressive debut novel. While very light on fantasy elements think George R. Martin and the Song of Fire and Ice , the one major fantasy component is original and simply superb.

That idea is that "poets" create and bind ideas made flesh and control them in the use of commerce and war. I was really impressed. This, along with a well developed world and a great story make this a strongly recommended book. Feb 11, Max added it. So many novels in genre are less novels than they are the workings out of a plot—but that's not the case here. The characters breathe, and their moral and personal and emotional concerns are at least as vital as the clockwork of cause and effect. This actually made it a bit tricky for me to orient for the first couple chapters after that phenomenal prologue.

I kept waiting for the adventure hook, the mystery prompt, the grand doom foretold, and when one didn't come I felt thr Truly impressive. I kept waiting for the adventure hook, the mystery prompt, the grand doom foretold, and when one didn't come I felt thrilled in the way you do when lost in familiar woods. Looking forward to reading the rest of the series. This pretty much seals it, I apparently really enjoy everything Mr. This series likely won't be for everyone though. The sad truth is I consume far more books in audio these days than in text. The reviews of this series in audio has been pretty mixed towards negative, so I was leary to give it a shot.

I'll say that for me Neil Shah, was an alright narrator. He actually reads really well, and does a variety of voices. Some of them just annoyed me. For the most part though, I didn't find myself distracted by the narration, so while this isn't a series I'd call a must listen, I think most people should find doing it in audio a viable option.

Full Review I've been planning to check out this series for a bit now. Often times, the problem I have with reading an older series after reading an author's later work is the quality may seem lackluster by comparison. Since I'm doing this in audio, I struggled badly with the names though. Probably worse than usual. I still really don't know any of the character's names.

I wish every audiobook came with a list of character names and their spellings. It would make both my reading and my review writing far easier. There is almost no magic to speak of. One of the characters, Seedless, is a magical construct called an Andat who is a conduit for magic of a practicer who is referred to as a poet. You don't really see much of the magic, and it's not really explained. How exactly the poets are able to do anything isn't clear. It seems to be a struggle of wills with the andat they control.

Abraham likes focusing on the politics of his fictitious worlds, and this is no different. He has built a world where much of one's emotions and dilogue is actually done through a series of complex hand gestures. It's a society that relies of the power of the poets and condones fratricide among the sons of the rulers as a means of succession. Young sons are often relegated off to the school that is responsible for cultivating the next generation of poets to save them from being murdered.

So you'll never guess who are protagonist it? You guessed it, he's a younger son of one of the city rulers. It's going to be hard for me to talk about the characters by name though, since I couldn't tell you what any of them are. I think all the main characters offered depth where no one really felt good or evil. They are just people with desires and faults trying to do what they feel they must for a variety of reasons: I like that sort of characterization.

My favorite character is probably the older something overseer. I wish more SFF novels did this. Abraham seems to have at least one of them in all of his series I've read, and they've all been great. While this one is no Avasarala or even Clara, she is still pretty memorable. Now if only I could tell you her name. The pacing is also a bit slower, especially coming from one of his Expanse books. This pacing, and the general lack of action and fighting may turn some fantasy fans away.

If you're looking for military battles, and sword wielding adventurers, you've come to the wrong place. I however seem to enjoy the more political fantasy novels, so the pacing was never an issue for me. I jumped right into book 2, and will likely finish this whole series pretty quickly. Sep 17, Whitaker rated it really liked it Shelves: A short message before the review starts: The first two books in the quartet I really enjoyed. The second two books irritated the hell out of me. Nevertheless, as much as I was irritated, I half suspect that that wa A short message before the review starts: At the bare minimum, Abraham seems determined to leave the reader struggling with the question of right and wrong.

In a way, the entire work is like a Michael J Sandel course: In the tangled scenarios that he paints, there are no good solutions, just different ones. And which one you prefer says more about you than about the actual rightness of the decision made. Typically, I love books that do that, and Abraham handles the theme very well.

No one character is presented as being totally bad. People who do bad things do so with perfectly sound reasons. More importantly, none of them think of themselves as evil. So why was I so irritated?


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