Guy Gavriel Kay

[AverageGuy]

Almost done with River of Stars and it's another very good read from Kay! :)

And I have a copy up for grabs on the Hotlist if anyone's interested!

Patrick

Does it end with a little bit of magic going out of the world?

[Serious Callers Only]

Of course it does (haven't read it).

[pat5150]

Just finished River of Stars and it's another great reading experience! :) Second only to Tigana and Under Heaven, in this house at least!

Patrick

[buff daddy]

I just finished Lions too and thought what you mentioned in your spoiler was hilarious every time he did it. Oh Kay, you old trickster!

I love Kay's books, they're such a pleasure to read, but this is one thing that he does tend to do a lot that annoys me.

I think he did less of it in Under Heaven and I enjoyed it the most out of his novels that I've read for this reason. The only thing I didn't like about UH was that the ending felt too abrupt for me. I think it could have benifited from maybe having a POV character that was with the rebellious general so it didn't feel like so much important action happened off screen.

[Reposado]

I love Kay's books, they're such a pleasure to read, but this is one thing that he does tend to do a lot that annoys me.

I think he did less of it in Under Heaven and I enjoyed it the most out of his novels that I've read for this reason. The only thing I didn't like about UH was that the ending felt too abrupt for me. I think it could have benifited from maybe having a POV character that was with the rebellious general so it didn't feel like so much important action happened off screen.

i think that would be my complaint too. i liked the journey but at the end i was all, "that was it?"

[White Walker Texas Ranger]

I loved River of Stars. One touch I liked was the obituaries for minor characters. and also:

Difficult as it was a for a virtuous man to have someone killed for merely overhearing a conversation, it was even more difficult to discover that, once given, the order had not been carried out.

Edited April 4, 2013 by ericxihn

[Azor Ahoy!]

Unfortunately I haven't been able to find any of the GGK books in my library except for The Lions of Al-Rassan.

It's a very, very, good book (loved the ambiguous ending of the final pre-epilogue chapter and the epilogue was very touching!) but it's just not fantasy. It's a historical novel about medieval Iberia with all the names and some of the geography and religious doctrines changed.

[beniowa]

I'll grant you, Lions is probably the least fantastical of GGK's works. His other stuff usually has at least a little magic, notably Tigana with full-fledged wizards, as well as less direct historical plot parallels so they're a little more obviously fantasy. Though I'll be honest and say I don't lump GGK in with most other books in the genre. He seems to have his own niche in what I like to call Alternate Historical Fantasy.

[Francis Buck]

I just recently blasted through every GGK book on Kindle, aside from Ysabel (started it, didn't really like it). Out of Sarantium, UH, RoS, Lions, and The Last Light of the Sun, I think UH was my favorite. I agree with polishgenius's critique of Lions. The gimmick got old, quick. It's unfortunate too, because the only time he really should have used it, in my opinion, was the final fight, where it actually made some sense thematically, but by the time it got there I just kind of worn-out on the trick. I thought UH was almost perfect, but the ending fell a little flat. In particular, I didn't like how:

Shen Tai's sister (can't remember her name for the life of me) and the semi-undead Mongol-esque dude didn't somehow play a greater role in the ending. Their story was actually very interesting and well done, but the whole time I'm expecting some kind of crazy collision of plots...but, no, she just comes home. Even her marrying the Emperor's son could have been made to work out more interestingly, to intertwine with the greater plot, if so much of the ending hadn't been offscreen, as other's said. And yeah, a Roshan POV could have done wonders. He was an extremely interesting character to me, and was a great villain, but there just wasn't enough pay-off. All that being said, I still loved the hell out of it. The set-up was brilliant, I thought (Shen Tai digging graves and then getting the absurdly valuable gift), but unfortunately GGK didn't entirely stick the landing.

And I still want to read Tigana. It was actually my first choice after Lions, but there's no Kindle version, and it's not at my library, so I'll have to pick up a paper copy at some point.

Actually, I think several of GGK's books would have been a bit better if the villains had a little more of the spotlight. They seem to flutter around the edges, and then their real actions all happen in info-dumps of prose about wars and the various states of the civilizations involved, etc., which is something I generally can't stand. I just don't think it's compelling writing at all, in any of the forms I've seen it.

Edited July 19, 2013 by Francis Buck

[Serious Callers Only]

I'll grant you, Lions is probably the least fantastical of GGK's works. His other stuff usually has at least a little magic, notably Tigana with full-fledged wizards, as well as less direct historical plot parallels so they're a little more obviously fantasy. Though I'll be honest and say I don't lump GGK in with most other books in the genre. He seems to have his own niche in what I like to call Alternate Historical Fantasy.

I presume you've read Tim Powers?

Actually, I think several of GGK's books would have been a bit better if the villains had a little more of the spotlight. They seem to flutter around the edges, and then their real actions all happen in info-dumps of prose about wars and the various states of the civilizations involved, etc., which is something I generally can't stand. I just don't think it's compelling writing at all, in any of the forms I've seen it.

In Tigana one of the 'villains' gets a spotlight. A little too much of it for some readers actuallly *coughsympatheticmindrapistcough*

Tigana is nice book to test a reader about his stance on nacionalism (especialy ironic considering it's based on pre-(re)unification Italy)

Edited July 20, 2013 by Serious Callers Only

[wolverine]

I have only read Lions by GGK and while thinking it was decent, it did not incite me to read him any further. The complaints already listed were too annoying for me (especially when people mention that is a trend for his books). Plus, his good guys seemed too awesome at everything. I do have UH on my to-be-read pile though.

[beniowa]

I presume you've read Tim Powers?

Yes, and while he's similar, I don't put him with GGK. But that's just me.

[Former Lord of Winterfell]

In Tigana one of the 'villains' gets a spotlight. A little too much of it for some readers actuallly *coughsympatheticmindrapistcough*

That - and even more so the sympathetic portray of the female lead - aggravated me so much I've never picked up another GGK book since.

[Eponine]

I wanted to say something about Lions, but it seems that DP has already said it for me about Tigana. (Incidentally, I liked her Goodreads review back in January because it was funny, even though I didn't actually know what she was talking about, and I wish that I'd remained blissfully ignorant).

Particularly this: "But then I realized that the worst problem the book has it that it takes itself so. damn. seriously." And this: "It may be that my loathing has grown with time, entering a positive feedback loop with my increasingly infrequent and chore-like attempts to finish the damn thing".

I am halfway through and struggling to finish.

it reminds me of a movie novelization. A movie intended as pseudo-historical reenactment Oscar-bait with beautiful sweeping landscapes and beautiful actors and actresses who take it all so damn seriously. The women are spunky (I hate that word, but not as much as I hate Jehane) and inappropriately modern while remaining in the margins - props to the masculine deeds of the leading men. Every fight is a show of athleticism, perfectly choreographed. A light-hearted moment that isn't actually funny. Characters don't have sex, they indulge in lovemaking (yes, the word lovemaking was actually used in the book), perfectly cleaned bodies in soft light draped by strategically placed sheets. Side-boob, half in shadow. Banter between the female lead and the men who would give their lives to protect her. Scenes open with a view of the city or enclave that the next group of characters occupy. The hint of tragedy, because without tragedy, how could the viewer not feel all the feels? But ultimately, you know that it's Joaquin Phoenix in a wig and makeup pretending to be someone who lived long ago. No matter how the book ends, this movie will end with a sweeping shot in melancholy light of the lands that these manly men fought their way across. And maybe whichever of the men ends up being the ultimate hero looking out across that land. You leave the theater feeling a little melancholy yourself, not just because of the story, but because of the beauty and unattainable perfection of the characters, and then you get a burger and coke and forget about it.

[Darth Richard]

Haha, you just used Side Boob in a semi review. +1000!

[Gertrude]

Eponine - I can't really refute anything you say, it's all in there. I still have mad love for Lions (and most of his other books, too). It takes a certain mindset, however, to be in the mood to read him. I have to kind of settle into it.

[Eponine]

I don't think I've been in that mindset. However, I can see why it would be appealing if for some reason, one really liked a particular character. At first I was neutral toward most of the characters, but by now I am extremely irritated by Jehane. It's the way she keeps thinking or the author keeps telling us that she's not like other women (because other women are emotional and dumb), but then she runs after Ibn Khairan like a 16 year old experiencing her first crush. Few things annoy me more in a book than when I perceive a character one way and the author bends over backwards to try to say that she's not like that at all.

[automne]

it reminds me of a movie novelization. A movie intended as pseudo-historical reenactment Oscar-bait with beautiful sweeping landscapes and beautiful actors and actresses who take it all so damn seriously.

[...]You leave the theater feeling a little melancholy yourself, not just because of the story, but because of the beauty and unattainable perfection of the characters, and then you get a burger and coke and forget about it.

That made me laugh thank you. :laugh:

Even though I loved, loved Lions.

Eponine - I can't really refute anything you say, it's all in there. I still have mad love for Lions (and most of his other books, too). It takes a certain mindset, however, to be in the mood to read him. I have to kind of settle into it.

I cant' agree more.

Rivers of Stars, Kay's latest book, has been on my desk for a few weeks now, I'm waiting for the right time, the right mood before I start reading it. I consider any book by GGK a special treat and I don't want to waste it.

[kauldron26]

I'm counting down to backpacking South America and I've decided to re-read GGK's novels. He's arguably my favorite living author. As I prep for my trip in the coming weeks, I tried to figure out where to begin. Figured I'd make a list and start with my favorite.

1. Sarantine Mosaic

2. Lions of Al-Rassan

3. Tigana

4. Under Heaven

5. A Song for Arbonne

I discovered GGK when I was 21. I was fresh out of college working a 12-hour graveyard shift. It was a slow night and we were practically snowed in. I pulled out Lions of Al-Rassan from my locker to pass the time. I'll never forget tearing up when I discovered the outcome of the duel. His works and characters have stayed with me since.

What are your top 5 GGK novels and where were you when you discovered him?

[farseer2]

1. Lions of Al-Rassan
2. Tigana
3. A Song for Arbonne

4. Sarantine Mosaic

5. Last Light of the Sun

I still haven't read Under Heaven and River of Stars. Ysabel was very different from his other books and very weak, in my opinion. The Fionovar Tapestry is not bad, but it's a more conventional epic fantasy story than his best books.