Cithrin's Ale Posted August 25, 2018 Share Posted August 25, 2018 (edited) The new novel sounds very similar to Children of Earth and Sky in terms of setting and themes, which is disappointing to me. I'm certain I'll enjoy the novel, but I would've liked Kay to explore new ground. Edited August 25, 2018 by Cithrin's Ale Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Calibandar Posted August 25, 2018 Share Posted August 25, 2018 (edited) 1 hour ago, Cithrin's Ale said: The new novel sounds very similar to Children of Earth and Sky in terms of setting and themes, which is disappointing to me. I'm certain I'll enjoy the novel, but I would've liked Kay to explore new ground. Have to say I have the same feeling. I'm not very excited by this synopsis. On top of that, his last couple of books have not been as good as his earlier work. I'm not sure I'd say he's lost it as he is clearly still a superb wordsmith but his plots have become less interesting. His first couple of works are still the best regarded ones as well if you look at ratings on forums etc. I do hope it will be better than the last few. Edited August 25, 2018 by Calibandar Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ran Posted August 25, 2018 Share Posted August 25, 2018 2 hours ago, Wik said: I've read Lions and Light....what are some other of his popular ones? I need something to read! I am surprised as I THOUGHT one of his other novels already covered Italian Renaissance (obviously just one of them I had not yet read). Fairly excited to hear of this new one. Tigana is Renaissance Italy inspired, but much more fantastical than his historical fantasies have generally been. I'm guessing this is in the same milieu as the previous novel. Excited as that's when it comes to GGK. With the timing, I hope there's a chance he'll do some touring next year. Wik 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jussi Posted August 25, 2018 Share Posted August 25, 2018 "Key Selling Points" from Edelweiss catalog: FOLLOWS THE ACCLAIMED CHILDREN OF EARTH AND SKY, inspired by Renaissance Europe STANDALONE NOVEL that takes place in a similar locale to Children of Earth and Sky but is a generation removed A PREEMINENT NAME IN HISTORICAL FANTASY: River of Stars and Under Heaven received rave reviews from The Washington Post, The Huffington Post, The Globe and Mail (UK), Publishers Weekly, and Library Journal HUGE BESTSELLER IN CANADA: Children of Earth and Sky was a #1 bestseller in Canada, and Guy Kay was recently named to the Order of Canada, the country’s highest civilian honor AWARD-WINNING AUTHOR: Winner of the International Goliardos Prize for his fantasy writing and a World Fantasy Award winner for Ysabel FIONAVAR TAPESTRY SERIES OPTIONED FOR TV by the people behind Orphan Black, which will raise the author’s profile BASED ON EXTENSIVE REAL-WORLD RESEARCH: His novels appeal to fans of historical fiction (like fans of Bernard Cornwell and Edward Rutherfurd) as well as fantasy (like fans of David Mitchell and Lev Grossman) NATIONAL BESTSELLING AUTHOR: Children of Earth and Sky was a #1 Locus Bestseller for August 2016 Wik 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Astromech Posted August 25, 2018 Share Posted August 25, 2018 (edited) 6 hours ago, Wik said: I've read Lions and Light....what are some other of his popular ones? I need something to read! I am surprised as I THOUGHT one of his other novels already covered Italian Renaissance (obviously just one of them I had not yet read). Fairly excited to hear of this new one. Tigana, The Sarantine Mosaic duology (Sailing to Sarantium and Lord of Emperors) A Song for Arbonne, River of Stars, Under Heaven, Children of Earth and Sky, The Fionavar Tapestry. I was hoping for a new setting(still loved that of Children of Earth and Sky and its callbacks to Sarantium), but still excited for another GGK book. Edited August 25, 2018 by Astromech Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zorral Posted August 26, 2018 Share Posted August 26, 2018 (edited) 9 hours ago, Wik said: I've read Lions and Light....what are some other of his popular ones? I need something to read! I am surprised as I THOUGHT one of his other novels already covered Italian Renaissance (obviously just one of them I had not yet read). Fairly excited to hear of this new one. It was Tigana, the one that really made his career, after the Fionavar Tapestry, which was too much both Narnia and LOTR, + his own kinks right up front. My humble opinion is that Tigana (1990), though providing yet another large window into the author's personal kink, and appropriating a whole bunch out of the very famous academic work of European folklore, The Night Battles: Witchcraft & Agrarian Cults in the Sixteenth & Seventeenth Centuries (1966) by Carlo Ginzburg, is still his best novel. Kay always starts with somebody else's work to construct his fictions.v Which is one reason his 'languages' are so clumsy. Edited August 26, 2018 by Zorral Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Darth Richard II Posted August 26, 2018 Share Posted August 26, 2018 Heh, I hate Tigana. Where is @Datepalm when we need her? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
unJon Posted August 27, 2018 Share Posted August 27, 2018 Really looking forward to this book. I loved Children of Earth and Sky, which follows my love of the Sarantine Mosaic duology as my fav GGK. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mexal Posted August 27, 2018 Share Posted August 27, 2018 12 hours ago, unJon said: Really looking forward to this book. I loved Children of Earth and Sky, which follows my love of the Sarantine Mosaic duology as my fav GGK. This. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Marquis de Leech Posted August 29, 2018 Share Posted August 29, 2018 On 8/26/2018 at 1:31 PM, Darth Richard II said: Heh, I hate Tigana. Where is @Datepalm when we need her? I think calling Tigana fascist (even fascist-lite) is over-egging the pudding. It's more a case of being asked to sympathise with terrorists. Honestly, if Tigana were better edited, lost a third of its length, and dropped the torturing element, it'd actually be fun, rather than frustrating. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Darth Richard II Posted August 29, 2018 Share Posted August 29, 2018 *blinks* Did I call it fascist? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ran Posted August 29, 2018 Share Posted August 29, 2018 It has been accused of presenting some fascist ideas, but I think that's wrong. I love the novel, myself, and think it's a feature, not a bug, that the protagonists do some very unpleasant things in the course of attempting to achieve their goals, goals which are on the one hand extremely understandable (Brandin's magical damnatio memoriae of Tigana itself is horrific in a society where every province has its strong national character and pride) and on the other hand has a decided ambiguity (after all, after freeing Tigana's name, the goal is... to re-establish the traditional Tiganan aristocratic ruler instead of the foreign aristrocratic ruler, which to the hoi polloi probably doesn't actually make that much day-to-day difference otherwise). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Darth Richard II Posted August 29, 2018 Share Posted August 29, 2018 I haven't read it in a looong time and my tatses have changed a lot since I did so its up for reread status. I just don't remember anyone mentioning fascism in here. Maybe I missed something. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Marquis de Leech Posted August 29, 2018 Share Posted August 29, 2018 20 minutes ago, Darth Richard II said: *blinks* Did I call it fascist? You referenced Datepalm's review, which IIRC does make accusations in that direction. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Darth Richard II Posted August 29, 2018 Share Posted August 29, 2018 2 minutes ago, The Marquis de Leech said: You referenced Datepalm's review, which IIRC does make accusations in that direction. Ahhhhh. I haven't read the review in along time, I just remember it with much fondness. Note to self: read things before posting things Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Marquis de Leech Posted August 29, 2018 Share Posted August 29, 2018 Datepalm's review... https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/174413860 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ran Posted August 29, 2018 Share Posted August 29, 2018 (edited) The comments on the review are much more edifying than the review itself, I have to say, but I've never been a fan of using memes in critiques, and this isn't even a critique as such, just outright mockery of something she feels beneath her time to critique. Two other reviews touching on whether the text is in some fashion supportive of fascism can be found at this English-language Polish review site. Ola G. here and piotrek's response here. I find these quite thoughtful and interesting. It is true that Tigana _is_ melodramatic and full of pathos, and that Kay takes what he's writing quite seriously in the novel. It's clear that the themes he was exploring moved him and had some special resonance for him. Edited August 29, 2018 by Ran Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mexal Posted August 29, 2018 Share Posted August 29, 2018 2 hours ago, Ran said: The comments on the review are much more edifying than the review itself, I have to say, but I've never been a fan of using memes in critiques, and this isn't even a critique as such, just outright mockery of something she feels beneath her time to critique. Two other reviews touching on whether the text is in some fashion supportive of fascism can be found at this English-language Polish review site. Ola G. here and piotrek's response here. I find these quite thoughtful and interesting. It is true that Tigana _is_ melodramatic and full of pathos, and that Kay takes what he's writing quite seriously in the novel. It's clear that the themes he was exploring moved him and had some special resonance for him. I've read Tigana twice and it moved me twice. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SeanF Posted August 29, 2018 Share Posted August 29, 2018 2 hours ago, Ran said: The comments on the review are much more edifying than the review itself, I have to say, but I've never been a fan of using memes in critiques, and this isn't even a critique as such, just outright mockery of something she feels beneath her time to critique. Two other reviews touching on whether the text is in some fashion supportive of fascism can be found at this English-language Polish review site. Ola G. here and piotrek's response here. I find these quite thoughtful and interesting. It is true that Tigana _is_ melodramatic and full of pathos, and that Kay takes what he's writing quite seriously in the novel. It's clear that the themes he was exploring moved him and had some special resonance for him. I've heard good things about the novel but haven't got around to reading it yet. It seems that one's attitude towards nationalism has a large bearing on whether one likes the novel. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zorral Posted August 29, 2018 Share Posted August 29, 2018 (edited) Personally? it has always felt to me that Tigana's political conditions, despite the magical trappings, was more modeled on Poland's 1980's Solidarity Movement and its final success in breaking away from the Soviet Union in 1989 (Tigana was published in 1990). The long history of Poland literally being disappeared from the globe and history from the 18th century until it very short reappearance prior to WWII, maps well upon Tigana: the names are disappeared, even the language is disappeared. People are not able to speak it, hear it or even sing lullabyes. All this happened to Poland after the partition among Prussia, Russia and Austria, until the final bits were gobbled up entirely. The Soviets were no less welcoming of Polish culture and especially the Roman Church to which most Poles adhered before and after (Russia was Orthodox, and the Soviet was supposedly entirely non religious, seeing religion as a nexus for subversion and rebellion, which indeed it was). That so-called review? That's incredible self-conscious fanfic writer bs. That's not criticism or even a review. There are authentic criticisms to be made of Tigana and his other books too, some much more so than others -- especially his truly awful use of pretend language. That wasn't it though. Edited August 29, 2018 by Zorral corbon, Corvinus85 and Ran 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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