A Shadow in Summer is one of the best new fantasy books I've read during the last couple of years. It was a pleasant surprise, because I didn't expect it to be as good as it was. It isn't perfect, but it's very good.
This book is surprisingly original and well written for a debut fantasy book. The fantasy world is interesting and different. Daniel Abraham manages to avoid all the usual fantasy clichés, which is great, because I'm a bit tired of reading "a farmboy becomes a wizard" stories (some of these stories are entertaining, but most of them are often boring and annoying).
I liked A Shadow in Summer very much and I can highly recommend it for all fantasy fans, who want to read something different.