Song of the Summer King (The Summer King Chronicles) Paperback – July 12, 2012

!!!!!!!!!!!Now, a couple of days after reading Song of the Summer King, I'm still at a loss for words. Totally speechless. Shard, Kjorn and all the other characters are still haunting me. I've never read a book that had such a great impact, that kept me thinking about all the characters, the story, the world, till days and days after. Strangely enough it also makes it difficult to write a review about a book this phenomenal. I don't know where to begin. Should I start with the world-building or the plot? Or is it better to start with saying something about the characters? There's just so much I want to tell, that I want to praise to the sky, that I want to share with you. And I can assure you, reading this book will rock your world and sacrificing some sleep to finish it won't be a hardship at all ;)Hmm... Okay, let's begin with the plot first. That was what drew me initially to this book (and the absolutely fabulous cover of course ;) ). Gryfons and wolves, oh my! That's going to be a very unique story! And unique it was, but it was also so much more. It touched something in my very core. It's so detailed and rich. With splendid characters and a story that will keep you enraptured till the end. A story... and I can go on and on like that. In short: this story was amazing and a must read. I won't tell more, you'll just have to read it yourself ;) And you won't be disappointed, trust me!The world that Jess E. Owen creates is at least as fascinating as the story, if not more so. Add to that touches of Norse Mythology, mythical creatures and talking animals and I was hooked. The time I spent in this world was awesome and I loved every minute of it. It was fantastic to fly with the Gryfons and run with the wolves. It's written so well that everything felt almost real. Like I could feel the wind, hear the wolves howl and a Gryfon roar.... It was totally and utterly perfect!The characters too were great to be around. In this story it's all about Shard, the little grey Gryfon, who discovers that he is destined to do a bit more than he originally thought he would. And this books tell his journey, his road to discovery, to find his true inner self. His path is not an easy one and he could be a bit too gullible, but he's also adorable and fun and I just loved him to death. The other characters, too, were given a very sound "voice". They were multi-dimensional, easy to distinguish and totally intriguing to read about. They were the topping of this delicious treat I was given. And now I'm hunkering for more! Where's the next book?ConclusionIt may seem like I did not go into details with this review, but this is only because it's such an amazing, griping,terrific book that you should read for yourself. And I also don't want to spoil everything, which might happen if I really start talking. AKA: thanks for reading my review and go read this book. Or at least add it to your TBR-pile ;) . I can recommend it wholeheartedly, for young and old. It's an ageless story that will stick with you,that will rock your world.

Colorful gryfons, plausible societal structure, neat topography -- Owen takes her time with the storytelling and at the same time keeps the narrative on track with no unnecessary tangents. Wolves and ravens are among the other animals one will encounter in this tale. We almost always like a story that includes "old songs" and "shared songs," maybe because Kipling's Jungle Books were such a big part of our formative reading.Readers who enjoyed Lasky's Guardians of Ga'Hoole, Hunter's Warriors, & similar series will likely enjoy this series as well. Owen draws from Norse mythology for some of her names.

Fans of Nancy Farmer's "Sea of Trolls" and Meredith Pierce's Firebringer Trilogy will love this book. The world building is solid, the descriptions are crisp, and the storytelling is vibrant. I found myself wondering (a few times, to be honest) if the story was going to fall into old tropes and was pleasantly surprised. I absolutely loved the Old Norse references as well. As the first of a series, there were a number of questions left unanswered, and I look forward to unearthing them in later books!My only gripe (and it is a really, really minor one) is the "eagle scream." Eagles sound like angry seagulls on helium. Hawks are the ones with the truly awesome (and iconic) screams. It made some of the fight scenes more amusing than dramatic for me, but that's me. "Hawk scream" just doesn't have the same connotation as "eagle scream," and unless you've worked around raptors, the difference in eagle/hawk sounds aren't common knowledge.All in all, well worth the read. ^_^

A great began to a fantasy saga in the classic style. It will be impossible not to reach for book two.

I'd heard about this book when an artist I follow on deviantArt did the cover art for it. (Note the gorgeous cover art, by the way.) I heard about it again when the author held a kickstarter campaign to raise money for the publication costs. So when the ebook was offered for free on Amazon, I grabbed it out of sheer curiosity.I wasn't expecting it to be as well written, or as good of a story as it turned out to be. Within the first chapter I was immersed in the gryfon world. Shard is a likeable protagonist, a little falcon griffin among the big, conquering eagle griffins. Actually, I kept thinking of the Lion King. Except if Simba was forced to serve Scar without knowing his true parentage.Also, the wolves are great. They have a distinct Native American feel, and the main wolf wears feathers twisted in her fur. The wolves and gryfons are enemies, of course, except they weren't always. That's part of the Coming of Age story Shard works through.Another thing I enjoyed were the gryfon's words for things. East and west are dawnward and nightward. Lightning is skyfire.The author's love for these characters, the setting, and the story really shines through. I don't read a lot of books that the author is passionate about. Harry Potter, maybe, where the characters and setting leap off the page, because the author loved it so much. The only place I see writing with that kind of passion behind it is fanfiction. So to see it in a published book was a real joy.Really, my only complaint with the book was it's the first of a series, and the ending didn't wrap up all the loose ends. And that's hardly a complaint, because I'd happily get the rest of the books. I mean, it's been alluded that the eagle griffins robbed dragons and got chased away for it. I wanna see dragons!So if you're in the market for some good animal fiction a la Watership Down, pick up The Song of the Summer King and give it a shot. It's refreshingly original.

'Song of the Summer King' and its sequels are an enjoyable series about the griffins of the Silver Isles. The native Silver Islanders have, in their recent history, been conquered by another group from the distant mainland, and the two are struggling to integrate. Added to this are tensions with other species, particularly wolves. Young Shard, a native whose best friend is the son of the conquering leader, must learn to navigate these issues and earn his place in the pride, uncovering secrets hidden by previous generations as he does so.There are a few factual errors regarding some of the real animals appearing in the books, and the occasional spelling error - the author does not seem to know the difference between "aid" and "aide," for example. She also chooses to spell the protagonists' species "gryfons," despite the fact that there are three correct spellings she could have used (griffins, griffons, or gryphons). However, the story is exciting and engaging, and having read this first volume you will be eager to read the rest (at least, I was!).

Sempre gostei de fantasia, após ler as primeiras páginas decidi comprar o livro e não me arrependo.Adorei o livro!

How would The Lion King look like with gryfons, more grey areas than a movie from the twenties and a strong undertone of political revisionism?It's an interesting question, and what pushes the story through. Brought us by the pen of Jess E. Owen, this book, the first instalment in a planned series, is an unusual take on the theme of classical heroic fantasy. And as usual I'm late to the party, but I'm glad I picked it up - there's a lot of similar stories out there, but this book really shines in its execution.First, the basis. It's an animal fantasy story, with no traces of magic - its main source of inspiration as far as iconography goes seems to be the already referenced Lion King - set in a small archipelago of islands (the Silver Isles) where a pride of gryfons, as the author calls them, is caught in a descending spiral of violence against a tribe of wolves.The author puts a lot of emphasis on the ritualistic aspects of gryfon's society, which seems to be dictated by the King for no immediately apparent reason. Flying at night and fishing are forbidden, and there's a rigid selection of the members of the pride that depends on his judgment - but why? The question is never asked directly, but its shadow appears in every page and is what ultimately pushes Shard, our hero, to oppose the status quo.Hats off to the author for not choosing the easy way out - there's no (apparent) trace of magic, and the question itself is never answered by a character: this is a book that trusts his readers to be smart, to actually think about what the implication behind certain decisions mean. The theme of cultural demolition (and in the latter half, of creating an enemy for the people) is present throughout the story, with characters from the previous, defeated pride trying their best to never forget their old ways, that the current leaders seem to be trying to erase from everyone's memory.Let me stop this review to point out one thing: the book is very character-driven, and while there do is a bit of action which increases gradually until the end, some of you folks might find themselves bored by the deliberately slow pace and extremely prolonged first act. This is evidently the point of the story though - the protagonist is torn between trying to fit in the pride (with a really smart move from the King in that sense at a certain point) and facing the fact that the pride itself was born out of a hostile takeover that decimated his original tribe and killed his family, and all that is carefully shown in his character development.The prose is solid, with an 'old storyteller' feel to it that meshes nicely with the theme of songs and clashing of clans. There is some strong worldbuilding at work, with the adoption of a particular gryfon lingo to avoid breaking the suspension of disbelief: hours are sunmarks, and the cardinal points have been renamed to fit with the point of view of someone whose main references are waves, winds and stars. There's also a map of the Isles included, which is a nice touch.Definitely recommended. Though its slow pace and sometimes too ancient-sounding prose can deter some people looking for more battle-oriented stuff, there's some talent at work here and a huge dose of trust in its readers. If you enjoy intelligently written fantasy works that can be read on more than one level, this is the book for you. And hey, if you just want to see gryfons and wolves beating each other to a pulp, this book also delivers. Just be warned that it might take a while.

It is very rare indeed these days to find a book that will keep you hooked cover to cover, yet this book easily sailed through the pack to sit squarely within the few that do.Rarer still is it to have a book that you want to read again immediately after you've finished it, but again, this is a book that will have you well and truly hooked.The level of detail and description is something that you cannot fully take in on your first read, yet at the same time manages not to overload you into that feeling of "must skimread to get past the details" so many books invariably end up giving.Jess conveys beautifully a world where Gryfons, Wolves and even birds come together in unexpected ways. You feel almost as if you could step through the pages into this rich and fascinating world. The characters are given so much depth and love, even those that appear only briefly in the story, that you know these characters. You could tell someone what the character was feeling, how they would react to something, simply from how much Jess has put into them.This is a book that I would advise everyone to read. Good Gryfon stories are few and far between, this one is brilliant. Only let down by the fact that it comes to an end!I eagerly await the next installment in the series!

I thoroughly enjoyed this book and hope there will be more to come! It would be a series I could quite happily sink my teeth in to.The story reminded me of the movie 'Legend of the Guardians: The Owls of Ga'Hoole' (I haven't read the books) in that an animal kingdom, one almost outcast is destined to save them all.The story flows wonderfully and the characters are brought to life. I haven't read books with Gryfons before and the author manages to paint a good description of how they look and act without halting the story in the process. Backstory's are explained and prophecy's described all within the natural flow of the characters thoughts and conversations. Nothing is left out but you're left with wanting to know what happens next.Very well written. Highly recommended.