THE SUMMER TREE

Simon Vance’s authoritative narration gives this fantasy, Book 1 of the The Finovar Tapestry trilogy, the sound of a historical account. Five university students become part of the fiftieth anniversary of Finovar when a speaker at a Celtic conference, in truth a mage, recruits them. As they are being transported to the mage’s world, one student has second thoughts, and his hesitation causes him to arrive on his own at the other end of the kingdom. With Vance’s deft and nuanced narration, the complexities of the plot fall into place. Vance brings to life humans, dwarves, chiefs, priestesses, and numerous magical creatures whose interactions are often animated and in pursuit of very different objectives. J.E.M. © AudioFile 2011, Portland, Maine [Published: DECEMBER 2011]