Ran Posted July 28, 2021 Share Posted July 28, 2021 19 minutes ago, Jaxom 1974 said: You didn't find the end result at all contrived though? No. I initially recoiled from the idea of their having a romance but on further consideration it seemed to me, as I said, that the connection between them isn't romantic at the time Lord of Emperors ends, but something more like a seeking out of comfort and friendship and the desire to make something that will last (a mosaic with dolphins, once; children, now). I think one thing about the epilogue is that it takes place like a year after the previous chapter. We don't know what has gone on for Alixana in that time, but Crispin imagines it wasn't easy. I think on can see how she could have been swayed towards finding someone she was sympatico with, someone she had some measure of shared experience with but who offered her different things from what her life had been like before. I can see the note from Gisele indicating that she had a hand in Alixana turning up, but no, I think the reference here was to put us in mind of the fact that Crispin was married once and might marry again. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
polishgenius Posted July 28, 2021 Share Posted July 28, 2021 (edited) I didn't totally hate Alixana turning up to be with Crispin, though as mentioned the fact that every female character that wasn't Gisele wanting a bit of him was pretty corny. But I did think it was contrived that they need to go into further hiding as their conversation strongly implies, since as SeanF said in his original question on this, there doesn't seem to be any particular reason why she should need to once Styliane was out of the way. Even if she somehow avoided news of that for a year, Crispin would surely set her straight immediately. Edited July 28, 2021 by polishgenius Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jaxom 1974 Posted July 29, 2021 Share Posted July 29, 2021 @Ran...I do not disagree with what you're saying about two souls finding their comfort and all...I don't. It just feels...off...in the execution. At least a little. Despite their interactions, it never had the feel that it was meant to be... Eh. It isn't something that ultimately takes away from the overall story... (I still like Under Heaven and Lions more...and I think part one and Last Light also...damn it's hard to rank these...) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ran Posted July 29, 2021 Share Posted July 29, 2021 (edited) 6 hours ago, polishgenius said: there doesn't seem to be any particular reason why she should need to once Styliane was out of the way. Because there would be people who would surely try to use her to her own ends among the Antae. Such as Eudric, getting into his head that Governor is not enough and thinking marrying the former Empress could do a lot to establish his own imperial claim to the western half of the empire. If Alixana were revealed to be alive and well and the subject of potential intrigues, Gisel might then feel a need to remove her -- or, more likely, Leontes would. Since Crispin made a very handy depiction of her that neither of them wanted to destroy, they really couldn't stick around. Edited July 29, 2021 by Ran Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jerol Posted August 17, 2021 Share Posted August 17, 2021 I just got a promotional email from Amazon offering $5 off River of Stars (because I bought Under Heaven back in July). There's a lot on the virtual and actual book reading piles. Is it worth adding it to the pile? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ran Posted August 17, 2021 Share Posted August 17, 2021 (edited) On 8/17/2021 at 10:46 PM, Jerol said: I just got a promotional email from Amazon offering $5 off River of Stars (because I bought Under Heaven back in July). There's a lot on the virtual and actual book reading piles. Is it worth adding it to the pile? I enjoyed it, but then I've never met a GGK book I did not like (well, except for A Song for Arbonne the first time I tried to read it, for some reason). That said, River of Stars is not among my favorite GGK books, whereas I'd say Under Heaven probably is. So... I don't know, I guess it depends on whether you liked Under Heaven. If yes, no harm trying River of Stars. Edited August 22, 2021 by Ran Jerol 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Caligula_K3 Posted August 18, 2021 Share Posted August 18, 2021 (edited) I really liked Under Heaven but thought River of Stars fell very flat (and for me, was the start of GGK's decline as a really enjoyable author). It seems you have a lot on your backlog, @Jerol, so If you have a library near you, I would take it out from there instead. I re-read The Sarantine Mosaic in the last year. I still loved the books, but one thing that absolutely rubbed me the wrong way (which didn't bother me as a teenager when I first read them) was the fact that every woman character is attracted to sexy hunk mosaicist Crispin. It felt completely like authorial wish-fulfillment and makes the ending not work for me. Edited August 18, 2021 by Caligula_K3 Jerol and Gigei 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HoodedCrow Posted August 22, 2021 Share Posted August 22, 2021 Yes, I think you are supposed to understand Alixana’s choice. You know, some of us dig talented artists… Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HoodedCrow Posted August 22, 2021 Share Posted August 22, 2021 The last book I read was a Brightness in Time. It has wonderful characters and scenes, but the slice of a significant moment in history was not a great narrative choice for me. Profound, but… Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jaxom 1974 Posted September 11, 2021 Share Posted September 11, 2021 Ah...spending an evening with with GGK reread...just of this whole thread... And trying to listen to any of the novels I can get on audio...just strengthens the enjoyment of so many of these. I mean, I already loved Last Light of the Sun, but listening to it...just amazing. Ran 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jaxom 1974 Posted September 14, 2021 Share Posted September 14, 2021 HoodedCrow 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ran Posted October 26, 2021 Share Posted October 26, 2021 Not sure how long this has been out there, but Linda noticed today that you can now pre-order All The Seas of the World... and there's an extended description of the book that hints at the initial plot: Quote Spoiler On a dark night along a lonely stretch of coast a small ship sends two people ashore. Their purpose is assassination. They have been hired by two of the most dangerous men alive to alter the balance of power in the world. If they succeed, the consequences will affect the destinies of empires, and lives both great and small. One of those arriving at that beach is a woman abducted by corsairs as a child and sold into years of servitude. Having escaped, she is trying to chart her own course—and is bent upon revenge. Another is a seafaring merchant who still remembers being exiled as a child with his family from their home, for their faith, a moment that never leaves him. In what follows, through a story both intimate and epic, unforgettable characters are immersed in the fierce and deadly struggles that define their time. All the Seas of the World is a page-turning drama that also offers moving reflections on memory, fate, and the random events that can shape our lives—in the past, and today. Admittedly, the general description does bring to mind both Children of Earth and Sky and A Brightness Long Ago in regards to thematics, but if anyone has something more to say about the topics of memory, fate, and random chance, it's GGK. The plot description is somewhat too thin to guess much of the action, I think. Though I am going to guess that Spoiler the merchant is Kindath. Jaxom 1974 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jaxom 1974 Posted October 27, 2021 Share Posted October 27, 2021 As to your last guess...not something I'm prepared to argue, but also not agree with...just far too little info on this tale... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jaxom 1974 Posted November 5, 2021 Share Posted November 5, 2021 (edited) Edited November 5, 2021 by Jaxom 1974 Reny of Storms End 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fragile Bird Posted December 4, 2021 Share Posted December 4, 2021 (edited) On 6/24/2021 at 9:45 PM, 1066 Larry said: Edited December 4, 2021 by Fragile Bird Nvm Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
polishgenius Posted December 4, 2021 Share Posted December 4, 2021 3 minutes ago, Fragile Bird said: Can someone open a new thread, maybe? Nooooooooooo! This is what we* fought against! *I say we. It was williamjm and I'm not sure he realised he was doing it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fragile Bird Posted December 4, 2021 Share Posted December 4, 2021 Just now, polishgenius said: Nooooooooooo! This is what we* fought against! *I say we. It was williamjm and I'm not sure he realised he was doing it. Lol, you’ll see I edited my request after catching up in the thread…, polishgenius 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Calibandar Posted January 17, 2022 Share Posted January 17, 2022 On 11/5/2021 at 3:03 PM, Jaxom 1974 said: Great atmospheric cover. Really looking forward to this even though I have a big backlog of Guy Kay books yet to read. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jaxom 1974 Posted February 20, 2022 Share Posted February 20, 2022 (edited) Edited February 20, 2022 by Jaxom 1974 Lord of Oop North, dog-days, Reny of Storms End and 1 other 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lord of Oop North Posted February 23, 2022 Share Posted February 23, 2022 Really excited about this one! Beautiful cover. I am actually finally reading A Brightness Long Ago right now, and it is fantastic. I've read almost all of his work, and it is definitely up there among the best. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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