Reviews

Children of Earth and Sky by Guy Gavriel Kay

gasket's review against another edition

adventurous informative mysterious medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

jjcopper's review against another edition

adventurous reflective medium-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

3.5

banjax451's review against another edition

adventurous emotional hopeful reflective tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

 Was this my favorite book by GGK (certainly in my top 5 favorite authors)? Probably not. For about the first third of the book I was struggling to come to any sort of conclusion as to what the theme(s) of the novel were. About midway through, it picked up and by the end I was very satisfied. In a lot of ways, this is the true sequel to the Sarantine Mosaic novels - while there are other GGK novels that are set in this same "our world, turned a quarter to the fantastic" shared universe, neither Children nor Lions deal directly with the events of the Sarantine novels. It isn't a true sequel - we're 800 years in the future - but the events of those books (and their settings) have direct impacts upon the events here. And that, in a nutshell, is (I think) what GGK is talking about here. How the smallest and most random of events can change the destiny of people one has never met.

What elevates GGK is the prose. His prose is so fantastic - borderline poetic at times - that I'm willing to forgive whatever faults I might find here and there. He is truly a wonderful writer and I will always look forward to what's next (only 2 of his books left to go!). 

mrbear's review against another edition

3.0

This book suffered from many of Kay's standard shortcomings in his lesser novels. The plot lacked any real drive in the sense that although the characters were developed and progressed through the world doing things, for the most part their doings were completely secondary to the depiction and romanticization of the world around them. Kay's stronger works (like the Lions of al-Rassan and the Sarantium series) have this latter element while still maintaining sufficient intrigue in the plot.

Therefore although the book was compelling enough to finish quickly, and certainly better written than many other novels of its kind, I can't possibly recommend it except to those who have read and enjoyed Kay's better works and know exactly what to expect.

mbates185's review against another edition

adventurous emotional hopeful sad tense medium-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? Yes

4.5

“We live among mysteries. Love is one, there are others. We must not imagine we understand all there is to know about the world.”

lazylys's review against another edition

adventurous emotional tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

pajoje's review against another edition

adventurous hopeful reflective medium-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? It's complicated

sadetanssija's review against another edition

emotional medium-paced

• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes

4.0

srm's review

adventurous emotional reflective medium-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? It's complicated

4.25

Another beautiful and fascinating fantasy Renaissance book from Kay. After DNFing A Brightness Long Ago, I think I'm definitely going to have to give it another try after enjoying this and All the Seas of the World so much.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Sexual content, Slavery, Violence, Colonisation, Suicide, War, Death, and Religious bigotry

Minor: Alcohol, Pregnancy, Blood, and Child death

rbixby's review against another edition

5.0

Reading Kay is reading poetic prose. I told my wife his stories are beautiful, subtle, gifts. You aren't blown away by big, distinct, plots. You float along, engrossed in the words, the way they conjure very clear pictures in your mind. In the end, you are left in a peaceful place, contemplating what you just read, inevitably coming to the conclusion that what you just finished was beauty put into words.