Summer King, Winter Fool

by Lisa Goldstein

When the god of summer falls in love with the human world and refuses to let the seasons change, Valemar, a young courtier, begins an unwilling quest that leads him to magic, love, and a throne. Reprint.

Genres: Fantasy, Fiction, Speculative Fiction, Science Fiction Fantasy, High Fantasy

288 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1994

About the author

Aka Isabel Glass.

Lisa Goldstein (b. November 21, 1953 in Los Angeles) is a Nebula, Hugo, and World Fantasy Award nominated fantasy and science fiction writer. Her 1982 novel The Red Magician won the American Book Award for best paperback novel, and was praised by Philip K. Dick shortly before his death. Goldstein writes science fiction and fantasy; her two novels Daughter of Exile and The Divided Crown are considered literary fantasy.

Elizabeth Joy "Lisa" Goldstein's father was Heinz Jurgen "Harry" Goldstein (b. June 08, 1922 in Krefeld, Germany; d. May 24, 1974 in Los Angeles), a survivor of concentration camp Bergen-Belsen; her mother, Miriam Roth, was born in Czechoslovakia and survived the extermination camp Auschwitz. Her parents came to the United States in 1947 and met in an ESL class.

She has published two fantasy novels under the pen name Isabel Glass. She chose to use a pseudonym to separate the novels from her other work. The "Isabel" is from Point Isabel, a dog park, and "Glass" was chosen because it fits Tor's requirements for pseudonyms.

With her husband since 1986, Douglas A. "Doug" Asherman, she lives in Oakland, California.

Reviews

[Quartzen · Rating 4 out of 5]

I just discovered I forgot to review this one when I finished it last fall! This is a satisfying standalone fantasy about tangled politics and the power of stories (sometimes literally- magic is in the form of spoken poetry here, though perhaps wisely the author describes the poems instead of writing them out), and about sudden changes of fortune and hidden destinies and the consequences of ambition and maybe above all else balance, both between summer and winter as winter mysteriously refuses to end and moderation in behavior. Some of the twists are maybe a little easy to guess, but I was pleased with the ending, and am a little sad this is evidently quite different in style from most of the author's other works.

[Fraser Sherman · Rating 3 out of 5]

One of Goldstein's few secondary world fantasies, set in a kingdom riddled by court intrigue, a complex social hierarchy, and the recent failure of the summer god to replace winter, which is bad for the world. Val thinks he's embroiled in all this because his cousin's a political schemer. In reality it's because he's a secret son of the king and prime heir to the throne of Etrara. But with an invasion for nearby Shai underway, it seems unlikely to matter.
Goldstein's definitely better with historical or contemporary fantasy, though this isn't bad, simply less. The highpoint is the poetic, improvisational nature of sorcery, which is very cool and very typical Goldstein.

[Donnalee · Rating 2 out of 5]

Hmm--some good bits with a nice character, then betrayal and harm, then a good bit or two with same or other nice character, then more betrayal, usually by different person, and more harm. Then maybe a good bit, then the usual betrayal and crime and murder and harm. Then I was done since it felt so untrustworthy and was maybe three-quarters through the book, and it was unlikely to miraculously change its pattern. Some of the ghosts were interesting in a way though.

[Paige Norwood · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a book I normally wouldn't have picked up, but did as part of 2017's reading challenge. It's an interesting read. I like the author's style of writing.

[Renee · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved the story line but have to say that the ending was a bit of a let down.

[Mary · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was ok but really different from the other books I've read by Lisa Goldstein. It did not incorporate the surrealism I've come to associate with her writing, at least I couldn't detect any.