The Fionavar Tapestry
| Author | Guy Gavriel Kay |
|---|---|
| Cover artist | Martin Springett (original release) |
| Country | Canada |
| Discipline | Fantasy |
| Published | 1984-1986 |
| No. of books | 3 |
| Website | brightweavings |
The Fionavar Tapestry is a trilogy of fantasy novels by Guy Gavriel Kay, first published in 1984-1986. The novels are partly set in our own contemporary world, but mostly in the fictional world of Fionavar. It is the story of five University of Toronto senior law and medical students, who are drawn into the 'first world of the Tapestry' by the mage Loren Silvercloak. Once there, each discovers his or her own role and destiny in the framework of an epic conflict. The books are illustrated by Martin Springett.
Drawn by magic from our world and thus strangers to Fionavar, each of them finds a new role and a new destiny during their adventures in Fionavar.
Rakoth Maugrim, the Unraveller, Sathain, The Hooded One - renegade god, the enemy of the Weaver and of all that is good. Jealous of the Weaver's creation, he broke into Fionavar just as the Weaver had completed his work, bringing fear, pain, distress, and great evil. Since he came from outside the Loom, has no thread on the Weaver's Loom and so cannot be destroyed. A thousand years ago the combined might of all the races of Fionavar came against him and, after a final tremendous battle they defeated him and chained him beneath the mountain Rangat. His escape sets in motion the events of the trilogy.
Galadan - Lord of the Andain (offspring of a mating between god and mortal), a shapechanger who can take the shape of a malevolent black wolf with a silver splash on its head; he works with Maugrim but for his own openly nihilistic ends.
Fordaetha of Ruk - Ice queen of the Barrens in the far north; her touch freezes men to the bone.
Mörnir - Lord of the Summer Tree, the patron god of the royal house of the High Kingdom. His role seems to be a sky-god who is connected with oak trees, somewhat like Zeus in classical mythology.
Son of Jennifer and Rakoth Maugrim, Darien is precisely balanced between Dark and Light. His choice turns out to be the most difficult of all. He is able to take the form of a white owl.
Ailell dan Art is the High King of Brennin. He has two sons, the elder of whom, Aileron, is in exile. The younger, Diarmuid, although a fearless and elegant fighter is also (apparently) frivolous, impulsive, and shallow. Diarmuid falls in love with and is eventually betrothed to Sharra, also known as the Dark Rose of Cathal. Her father is Shalhassan whose title is Supreme Lord of Cathal.
Historically the Council of the Mages, headquartered in Brennin, may include up to seven mages, but at the time of the story there are only three: Loren Silvercloak, and his source Matt Sören, a dwarf; Metran, First Mage, and his source Denbarra; Teyrnon, and his source Barak. Each source is bound to the mage he serves by magical rituals and oaths, and provides from his own lifeforce the energy needed to power the mage's magical works. This link can be drawn upon even to the source's death, although this will then render the mage permanently powerless. The Book of Nilsom (a grimoire belonging to a mad mage of the past) includes secret knowledge of an abominable method by which a mage may gain power from more than one source.
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