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4.1 AVERAGE
4.1 AVERAGE
Every time I read a book by GGK, I am blown away. Every time. GGK is truly the master of Historical Fantasy. He is also a superb writer by any definition. I do find that his books require a bit of effort to read, i.e. they are not just mindless entertainment, but they are well worth the effort. Under Heaven is no exception. This book takes us to Imperial China, loosely based on the Tang Dynasty. A seemingly simple plot becomes extraordinary due to GGK's exceptional writing and his understanding of the human condition.
A man undertakes his two year mourning period for his father by burying the unknown dead of a not-so-distant battle. This earns him the attention of a foreign ruler who gifts him with 250 of the world's most renowned horses. This places the man in a politically-fraught position. His ensuing journey takes him to the very seat of Kitan's power. A brilliant cast and engaging political intrigue make this a must read novel by GGK. One of my favorite parts of this book was the seemingly informal meeting of Jin Wei, Prince Shinzu, Tai, Sima, Zhen Whou, and Tai's brother, Shen-Lin. This was a masterful scene.
A man undertakes his two year mourning period for his father by burying the unknown dead of a not-so-distant battle. This earns him the attention of a foreign ruler who gifts him with 250 of the world's most renowned horses. This places the man in a politically-fraught position. His ensuing journey takes him to the very seat of Kitan's power. A brilliant cast and engaging political intrigue make this a must read novel by GGK. One of my favorite parts of this book was the seemingly informal meeting of Jin Wei, Prince Shinzu, Tai, Sima, Zhen Whou, and Tai's brother, Shen-Lin. This was a masterful scene.
I'm waffling on 4-5 stars for this one, and I'm willing to err on the side of being generous, because it is a beautiful book that sat on my unread shelf needlessly long. I think the only reason I'd give it 4.5 is that I had long-ish breaks in reading it, which affected the flow a little.
This is a fictional account of Kitai, which roughly corresponds to Teng dynasty China right before the An Lushan rebellion. I knew next to nothing about the Teng dynasty (and all the knowledge I do have lies in art history) and I still loved the story. After finishing the book I did some googling and it seemed to follow historical events much closer than I thought.
It's beautifully written, has a langorous pace without being a slow read, and has an interesting setting.
This is a fictional account of Kitai, which roughly corresponds to Teng dynasty China right before the An Lushan rebellion. I knew next to nothing about the Teng dynasty (and all the knowledge I do have lies in art history) and I still loved the story. After finishing the book I did some googling and it seemed to follow historical events much closer than I thought.
It's beautifully written, has a langorous pace without being a slow read, and has an interesting setting.
Guy Gavriel Kay has a certain tone to his writing that really appeals to me—sort of a lamentation for a fading empire. He creates very complex worlds and very well researched historical settings (in this case Tang China). They're so interesting that after finishing I want to go out and research that place/time period.
That said, there's very little action in his books, and usually the main characters are passive observers. It works for him, but it might not be for everyone.
That said, there's very little action in his books, and usually the main characters are passive observers. It works for him, but it might not be for everyone.
Great story in a slightly fantastic alternate version of China. (There are ghosts and a magical event happens in the remote frontier.) The backdrop is epic but the focus is on the personal story of the hero. Kay has a great way with words and really brings this era to life.
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
inspiring
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I enjoyed this book. Guy Gavriel Kay must surely be the master of tying up all loose ends in his books! It's almost a bit too neatly done, but there is something very satisfying about it at the same time. I found the resolution of the relationship between the main character and the bodyguard who accompanied him throughout the book to be the most contrived of the conclusions and I found that distracted from my satisfaction with the story (hence my focus on the neatness of his endings).
I enjoyed his depiction of the various cultures, the politics and intrigue of the court, but especially I enjoyed his descriptions of the landscapes - both the physical and mental landscapes through which the characters moved. These descriptions and the explorations of how the two relate to one another are what I found to be most interesting and captivating.
I enjoyed his depiction of the various cultures, the politics and intrigue of the court, but especially I enjoyed his descriptions of the landscapes - both the physical and mental landscapes through which the characters moved. These descriptions and the explorations of how the two relate to one another are what I found to be most interesting and captivating.
That was just gorgeous.
I've been meaning to read something by Guy Gavriel Kay for ages, and I actually started reading this very book years ago, but then got distracted - as it happens. A work-related seminar on fantasy and science-fiction recently rekindled my love for and interest in the genres, and the result has been most enjoyable. This definitely was my highlight so far, if only because it proved my colleague right who told me when I was complaining about a lot of the writing in fantasy novels being mediocre that that wasn't true for all fantasy novels, just for a lot of them.
And this certainly was very well written. Kay writes fantasy based on history, and he does an amazing job of pulling you into that world. The world here is so rich and colourful and the story so epic...actually the only thing that really bothered me was the ending. Not because it was bad (although one aspect was a bit much in my opinion) but because it was an ending. With big books endings can feel abrupt, and it did so, somewhat. But again, I don't fault the author for that.
In any case, this was a wonderful way to spend this Saturday, and if you've been on the fence whether to read this or not, I highly encourage you to do so.
I've been meaning to read something by Guy Gavriel Kay for ages, and I actually started reading this very book years ago, but then got distracted - as it happens. A work-related seminar on fantasy and science-fiction recently rekindled my love for and interest in the genres, and the result has been most enjoyable. This definitely was my highlight so far, if only because it proved my colleague right who told me when I was complaining about a lot of the writing in fantasy novels being mediocre that that wasn't true for all fantasy novels, just for a lot of them.
And this certainly was very well written. Kay writes fantasy based on history, and he does an amazing job of pulling you into that world. The world here is so rich and colourful and the story so epic...actually the only thing that really bothered me was the ending. Not because it was bad (although one aspect was a bit much in my opinion) but because it was an ending. With big books endings can feel abrupt, and it did so, somewhat. But again, I don't fault the author for that.
In any case, this was a wonderful way to spend this Saturday, and if you've been on the fence whether to read this or not, I highly encourage you to do so.
GGK does it again. I love his subtle and enchanting style of fantasy - a world very much like our own, but just slightly other. As always his storytelling is rich with atmosphere, where the places, sights, sounds, smells and cultures are almost as much part of the story as the people and their experiences. Characters and choices weave deftly in and out and back in again like a courtly dance, often surprising me and yet obviously being the way they had to be.
Quite lovely.
Quite lovely.