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4.1 AVERAGE
4.1 AVERAGE
Good story. Mixes the mysticism and the historical (I think, I don't know much about the ways of the ancient Chinese, but it sounds like it could be accurate). Interesting story. Man is spending the two years of mourning for his father burying the dead of battle that his father never forgot. To honor him, a princess gives him 250 of the most magnificent horses anyone in his country has ever seen. He must decide what to do with them, and how to stay alive with this gift. In the meantime, his country is plunged into civil unrest, while he deals with the gift plus family issues. Long story, but well told.
Guy Gavriel Kay’s latest book is a return to form. His last two novels (the viking-inspired “The Last Light of the Sun” and the modern fantasy tale “Ysabel”) were both disappointing and made me wonder if one of my favourite authors had lost his touch. Fortunately, “Under Heaven” gets Kay back to what he does best: telling stories of court intrigue against the backdrop of a fantastic yet believable fictional world.
Guy Gavriel Kay’s books aren’t straightforward fantasy, they’re historical fiction set in places that never existed — Kay researches a period of history and creates a world that resembles that era. For “Under Heaven”, the inspiration comes from 8th Century China. It’s a departure for Kay whose earlier books were based on European history (Italy for “Tigana”, France for “A Song For Arbonne”, Spain for “The Lions Of Al-Rassan”), but the change of scenery works and his fictional empire of Kitai feels genuine and lived in.
The plot concerns Shen Tai, second son of a famous general. Upon his father’s death, Tai devotes his mourning period to burying the bones of those killed in a battle which weighed heavily on his father’s conscience in his final days. This act has two unintended consequences: Tai becomes somewhat famous throughout the empire, and he is given an unimaginably generous gift that changes his life forever. Over the course of the novel, Tai becomes involved in the political intrigue of the empire, making friends and enemies along the way. Meanwhile, his younger sister Li-Mei has her own journey as she is sent off to marry a barbarian king as part of a political treaty.
I found Li-Mei’s story a bit slow, and it didn’t tie into the main narrative as neatly as it could have. It also included a lot of supernatural elements, something I wasn’t expecting because (with the exception of the strange detour that was “Ysabel”) Kay’s books haven’t involved magic since “Tigana” twenty years ago. But I was fine once I accepted that the world of “Under Heaven” was one where ghosts could rise and black magic could turn a man into something not quite human.
“Under Heaven” is well-written and entertaining. The second half of the book feels a bit rushed as a rebellion against the Emperor takes centre stage and Tai’s more personal story is shifted to the background, but it remains engaging. While it might have been better if the book was a bit longer (or if the story were split into two books like the “Sarantine Mosaic” novels), “Under Heaven” is my favourite Guy Gavriel Kay book since “Lord of Emperors” came out more than a decade ago.
Guy Gavriel Kay’s books aren’t straightforward fantasy, they’re historical fiction set in places that never existed — Kay researches a period of history and creates a world that resembles that era. For “Under Heaven”, the inspiration comes from 8th Century China. It’s a departure for Kay whose earlier books were based on European history (Italy for “Tigana”, France for “A Song For Arbonne”, Spain for “The Lions Of Al-Rassan”), but the change of scenery works and his fictional empire of Kitai feels genuine and lived in.
The plot concerns Shen Tai, second son of a famous general. Upon his father’s death, Tai devotes his mourning period to burying the bones of those killed in a battle which weighed heavily on his father’s conscience in his final days. This act has two unintended consequences: Tai becomes somewhat famous throughout the empire, and he is given an unimaginably generous gift that changes his life forever. Over the course of the novel, Tai becomes involved in the political intrigue of the empire, making friends and enemies along the way. Meanwhile, his younger sister Li-Mei has her own journey as she is sent off to marry a barbarian king as part of a political treaty.
I found Li-Mei’s story a bit slow, and it didn’t tie into the main narrative as neatly as it could have. It also included a lot of supernatural elements, something I wasn’t expecting because (with the exception of the strange detour that was “Ysabel”) Kay’s books haven’t involved magic since “Tigana” twenty years ago. But I was fine once I accepted that the world of “Under Heaven” was one where ghosts could rise and black magic could turn a man into something not quite human.
“Under Heaven” is well-written and entertaining. The second half of the book feels a bit rushed as a rebellion against the Emperor takes centre stage and Tai’s more personal story is shifted to the background, but it remains engaging. While it might have been better if the book was a bit longer (or if the story were split into two books like the “Sarantine Mosaic” novels), “Under Heaven” is my favourite Guy Gavriel Kay book since “Lord of Emperors” came out more than a decade ago.
I hate to say it, because the idea of the book is so good, but this book is unreadable. I struggled with it for over a month. The story moves painfully slowly, I never got hooked...and the amount of excess words...this story could have been told in half the number of words and it would have been a better book. Information on the characters is strung out in such a way that they are hard to care for. The ninja-wannabe stuff is nothing short of sad and author repeats the same information so often that at times I found myself afraid to turn the page.
No. While the idea for the book is a good one, its a poorly told story. Cut the book in half and it might be good.
No. While the idea for the book is a good one, its a poorly told story. Cut the book in half and it might be good.
loosely based on events during the Tang dynasty in China, excellent.
So often novels with poets in them, have bits of poetry that are just terrible, since novelists usually aren't good poets. In this case the poetry though in English obviously losing all the subtleties and complex allusions of the original Chinese, compares well to what I've read in translations of the poets of that time.
One of those poets Du Fu wrote in 758, sentiments I could echo today,
I am about to scream madly in the office,
Especially when they bring more papers to pile higher on my desk.
— from "Early Autumn, Miserable Heat, Papers Piling Up" (Hung translation).[23]
So often novels with poets in them, have bits of poetry that are just terrible, since novelists usually aren't good poets. In this case the poetry though in English obviously losing all the subtleties and complex allusions of the original Chinese, compares well to what I've read in translations of the poets of that time.
One of those poets Du Fu wrote in 758, sentiments I could echo today,
I am about to scream madly in the office,
Especially when they bring more papers to pile higher on my desk.
— from "Early Autumn, Miserable Heat, Papers Piling Up" (Hung translation).[23]
This was not as good as I expected; I'm going to direct everyone to Kelly's review on this page because I don't think I could possible describe it better.
This is the second book by Guy Gavriel Kay that I have read. I have to start out with a book by this author by eliminating all potential distractions and consciously committing myself to each sentence. But once the profoundly realistic characters have become familiar, and as their feats of surprising heroism and honour develop, I find the most satisfying storytelling I have ever encountered in the fantasy genre. Actually, it's more like historical fiction with a supernatural twist. Suspension of disbelief isn't at all a challenge here. Points for creative use of curse words when a character becomes truly frustrated.
I don't really know how to describe reading Under Heaven.
It's like a long, slow novel. Almost everything is slow moving. Things happen and Shen Tai muses over them for ages. But because the writing is poetic and the descriptions are beautiful, it helps you to slow down the pace of your reading, to enter this half-dreamy state, where things are happening, but not happening, and you are perfectly fine with that.
I did start losing focus a little midway onwards (also because I started reading an e-book in between), but by then there were so many threads ongoing, and so many things happening, that you just needed to keep moving on to find out where they were going to end up.
It's like a long, slow novel. Almost everything is slow moving. Things happen and Shen Tai muses over them for ages. But because the writing is poetic and the descriptions are beautiful, it helps you to slow down the pace of your reading, to enter this half-dreamy state, where things are happening, but not happening, and you are perfectly fine with that.
I did start losing focus a little midway onwards (also because I started reading an e-book in between), but by then there were so many threads ongoing, and so many things happening, that you just needed to keep moving on to find out where they were going to end up.
Never heard of this author, but loved this book. The story was new, and fascinating, and it made me want to look up and read his other work. Very happy to have picked this up.
A sweeping saga with fantastical elements (ghosts and animal spirits) set in a world based on Tang Dynasty China, this tells the story of Shen Tai and his involuntary involvement with the highest levels of his society as it teeters on the brink of disaster. The story is gripping and I raced to the end, but afterwards I found myself regretting the lack of depth in his characterization of all but the main character and his sister, although I could justify it by the constrained rules of the society and its elliptical modes of communication. Some other elements dangled and left me wondering if Kay is planning other novels in this world in which to explore those. But he's a wonderful storyteller, who doesn't forget the relationships between people as key motivators in our lives, so any dissatisfactions are small.
adventurous
reflective
tense
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