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4.1 AVERAGE
4.1 AVERAGE
This book is an intricately woven tapestry that engages the mind. You are left in suspense while characters live thoughtful lives which are politely disrupted by entities following hierarchical rules. This read was hard to get into during the first chapter, the pace is more languid than Guy Gavriel Kay's other novels which I have read, but rewarding nonetheless.
It pains me because I normally adore GGK to give this book just a 3. I'm still gathering my thoughts. Full review later.
Intricate, smart. Really draws you in. You don't have to know the history of the real 9th dynasty to enjoy.
I will definitely have to reread this when I am able to take my time. This is a sweeping novel with lots of ideas to ponder. Guy Gavriel Kay at his best. Maybe I can write more when I've reread it and can grasp more instead of being caught up and swept along.
BLURB
Award-winning author Guy Gavriel Kay evokes the dazzling Tang Dynasty of 8th-century China in an masterful story of honor and power.
It begins simply. Shen Tai, son of an illustrious general serving the Emperor of Kitai, has spent two years honoring the memory of his late father by burying the bones of the dead from both armies at the site of one of his father's last great battles. In recognition of his labors and his filial piety, an unlikely source has sent him a dangerous gift: 250 Sardian horses.
You give a man one of the famed Sardian horses to reward him greatly. You give him four or five to exalt him above his fellows, propel him towards rank, and earn him jealousy, possibly mortal jealousy. Two hundred and fifty is an unthinkable gift, a gift to overwhelm an emperor.
Wisely, the gift comes with the stipulation that Tai must claim the horses in person. Otherwise he would probably be dead already.
REVIEW
I know I should probably expect this, but once again I am blown away by Mr. Kay's storytelling. After the death of his father, a famous general, Tai undertakes a Herculean task burying the dead on a distant and haunted battlefield. What results is a gift that changes everything, and forms the basis for an incredible tale. Like many, I suppose from a Western culture, I've always seen the East as mysterious and intriguing. Under Heaven showcases an Eastern empire, and the author has injected that sense of mystery and intrigue into a page turning wonder. The characters fit perfectly, the twists and turns of the plot flow seamlessly, the narrative has an atmospheric quality that pulls the reader into the pages. It is more than just a page turner. It is more like, "just one more chapter, I'll skip breakfast in the morning." 😊 5 stars
Award-winning author Guy Gavriel Kay evokes the dazzling Tang Dynasty of 8th-century China in an masterful story of honor and power.
It begins simply. Shen Tai, son of an illustrious general serving the Emperor of Kitai, has spent two years honoring the memory of his late father by burying the bones of the dead from both armies at the site of one of his father's last great battles. In recognition of his labors and his filial piety, an unlikely source has sent him a dangerous gift: 250 Sardian horses.
You give a man one of the famed Sardian horses to reward him greatly. You give him four or five to exalt him above his fellows, propel him towards rank, and earn him jealousy, possibly mortal jealousy. Two hundred and fifty is an unthinkable gift, a gift to overwhelm an emperor.
Wisely, the gift comes with the stipulation that Tai must claim the horses in person. Otherwise he would probably be dead already.
REVIEW
I know I should probably expect this, but once again I am blown away by Mr. Kay's storytelling. After the death of his father, a famous general, Tai undertakes a Herculean task burying the dead on a distant and haunted battlefield. What results is a gift that changes everything, and forms the basis for an incredible tale. Like many, I suppose from a Western culture, I've always seen the East as mysterious and intriguing. Under Heaven showcases an Eastern empire, and the author has injected that sense of mystery and intrigue into a page turning wonder. The characters fit perfectly, the twists and turns of the plot flow seamlessly, the narrative has an atmospheric quality that pulls the reader into the pages. It is more than just a page turner. It is more like, "just one more chapter, I'll skip breakfast in the morning." 😊 5 stars
Evocative look at an exotic time and place? Check.
Strong, interesting, complex female characters? Check.
A bittersweet, elegiac tone dealing with themes of beauty, sorrow, and loss? Check.
Character deaths that make me cry? Check.
Complicated characters whose motivations remain enigmatic and yet I like? Check.
An ending with just enough closure to be satisfying and just enough loose ends to leave one wanting more? Check.
I feel like I should be more annoyed at how predictable Kay's work is, but the fact is that since I enjoy every item on that checklist, I'm not complaining. Under Heaven moves Kay's gorgeous prose and worldbuilding to the Tang Dynasty of China, and if you enjoy Kay's previous work it's likely you will enjoy this book as well.
I am cutting back one star for two reasons. The first is that gnawing feeling that (ungodly amounts of research aside) Kay could probably write like this in his sleep by now. The second is a habit of his that drives me crazy: switching back and forth between past and present tense. I understand using it now and then in liminal moments, but in his more recent books Kay seems to assign it more or less at random--in Song for Arbonne the people from one country use the past, the other are in the present tense; here the men are in past tense and the women in present. I could make a case for Kay subtly arguing that women in medieval China lived in more limited worlds, as represented by the more limited present tense...but I'll be honest, I just find it jars me out of the narrative whenever he switches. It's obviously a stylistic choice he makes deliberately and isn't going to drop any time soon, and I feel like an idiot making stylistic quibbles with a man who edited the Silmarillion and has published a long sting of heartbreakingly lovely books, but I still just want to stamp my feet and announce childishly: I don't like it.
Strong, interesting, complex female characters? Check.
A bittersweet, elegiac tone dealing with themes of beauty, sorrow, and loss? Check.
Character deaths that make me cry? Check.
Complicated characters whose motivations remain enigmatic and yet I like? Check.
An ending with just enough closure to be satisfying and just enough loose ends to leave one wanting more? Check.
I feel like I should be more annoyed at how predictable Kay's work is, but the fact is that since I enjoy every item on that checklist, I'm not complaining. Under Heaven moves Kay's gorgeous prose and worldbuilding to the Tang Dynasty of China, and if you enjoy Kay's previous work it's likely you will enjoy this book as well.
I am cutting back one star for two reasons. The first is that gnawing feeling that (ungodly amounts of research aside) Kay could probably write like this in his sleep by now. The second is a habit of his that drives me crazy: switching back and forth between past and present tense. I understand using it now and then in liminal moments, but in his more recent books Kay seems to assign it more or less at random--in Song for Arbonne the people from one country use the past, the other are in the present tense; here the men are in past tense and the women in present. I could make a case for Kay subtly arguing that women in medieval China lived in more limited worlds, as represented by the more limited present tense...but I'll be honest, I just find it jars me out of the narrative whenever he switches. It's obviously a stylistic choice he makes deliberately and isn't going to drop any time soon, and I feel like an idiot making stylistic quibbles with a man who edited the Silmarillion and has published a long sting of heartbreakingly lovely books, but I still just want to stamp my feet and announce childishly: I don't like it.
adventurous
emotional
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
GGK is by far my favorite author. That said, Under Heaven has always been super hard for me to get through. Much like Sailing to Sarantium.
So much beautifully haunting imagery. The prose is so incredible that I could just read that all day long. BUT... the story is lost among the imagery. I miss the days of a well crafted and articulated plot - like Tigana or A Song for Arbonne.
Five stars for a beautifully written novel.
Four stars for a plot that was interesting and had an intriguing, unexpected denouement.
Two stars though for pacing and actual story. Could not deal with how slow the novel read.
So much beautifully haunting imagery. The prose is so incredible that I could just read that all day long. BUT... the story is lost among the imagery. I miss the days of a well crafted and articulated plot - like Tigana or A Song for Arbonne.
Five stars for a beautifully written novel.
Four stars for a plot that was interesting and had an intriguing, unexpected denouement.
Two stars though for pacing and actual story. Could not deal with how slow the novel read.
The style was excellent, and the plot well-rounded and fast-paced. There were very few places where it lagged or became cumbersome, but the ending was one of these. To me, the epilogue was a bit overdone, explaining more than needed, in what seemed like a belated attempt to wrap up all the loose plot lines. However, it did not detract from the book, and I would happily recommend it to anyone who enjoys fantasy or historical fiction.