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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
5.0
Lovely with compelling characters and story. It's my favorite Kay yet.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death, War, and Violence
Minor: Religious bigotry, Kidnapping, Colonisation, Cursing, Injury/Injury detail, Slavery, Sexual content, Racism, Murder, Alcohol, and Medical content
mary_soon_lee's review against another edition
5.0
I have loved Guy Gavriel Kay's fantasy for many years. I loved this book too. I tried not to gobble it up too quickly, because it's such a fierce joy for me to read his work.
"All the Seas of the World" is one of Kay's many novels that exist in a world very similar to ours, but one step sideways, so that they are not history per se. This story is set in a close parallel to the Mediterranean, soon after the fall of what, in our world, was Constantinople. While there are overt fantasy elements in Kay's fiction, they are often, as here, sparingly used. I note that I thought the principal use of fantasy in this book (in connection to Lenia) was particularly well done.
The novel takes place between two of Kay's earlier books: "A Brightness Long Ago" and "Children of Earth and Sky." While it stands in its own right as a very fine novel, the overlap of some characters between the three books means that it gains even more from prior familiarity with those characters. (My heart sang when one particular character, Guidanio Cerra, resurfaced here.)
It is the characters that I love most in Guy Gavriel Kay's work. He writes of them with such piercing compassion. Indeed his writing, if anything, seems to me to have matured in the last couple of books. There's a heft to them, an awareness of the passing of things. His prose is beautiful, his storyteller's voice honed to great effect. Usually, I am most affected by fiction when the prose is invisible and I slip straight into the story. But there are exceptions. Guy Gavriel Kay is one; Ursula K. Le Guin was another; authors whose prose stands out from invisibility, but does it well enough that I love it all the more.
If I have any quibble, it is that Kay has a fondness for pointedly withholding pieces of information from the reader. Often this seems unnecessary to me. But it's only the merest of quibbles, never stopping me from being carried up in his stories.
I loved this book. A pure joy. Five out of five stars under the twin moons.
About my reviews: I try to review every book I read, including those that I don't end up enjoying. The reviews are not scholarly, but just indicate my reaction as a reader, reading being my addiction. I am miserly with 5-star reviews; 4 stars means I liked a book very much; 3 stars means I liked it; 2 stars means I didn't like it (though often the 2-star books are very popular with other readers and/or are by authors whose other work I've loved).
"All the Seas of the World" is one of Kay's many novels that exist in a world very similar to ours, but one step sideways, so that they are not history per se. This story is set in a close parallel to the Mediterranean, soon after the fall of what, in our world, was Constantinople. While there are overt fantasy elements in Kay's fiction, they are often, as here, sparingly used. I note that I thought the principal use of fantasy in this book (in connection to Lenia) was particularly well done.
The novel takes place between two of Kay's earlier books: "A Brightness Long Ago" and "Children of Earth and Sky." While it stands in its own right as a very fine novel, the overlap of some characters between the three books means that it gains even more from prior familiarity with those characters. (My heart sang when one particular character, Guidanio Cerra, resurfaced here.)
It is the characters that I love most in Guy Gavriel Kay's work. He writes of them with such piercing compassion. Indeed his writing, if anything, seems to me to have matured in the last couple of books. There's a heft to them, an awareness of the passing of things. His prose is beautiful, his storyteller's voice honed to great effect. Usually, I am most affected by fiction when the prose is invisible and I slip straight into the story. But there are exceptions. Guy Gavriel Kay is one; Ursula K. Le Guin was another; authors whose prose stands out from invisibility, but does it well enough that I love it all the more.
If I have any quibble, it is that Kay has a fondness for pointedly withholding pieces of information from the reader. Often this seems unnecessary to me. But it's only the merest of quibbles, never stopping me from being carried up in his stories.
I loved this book. A pure joy. Five out of five stars under the twin moons.
About my reviews: I try to review every book I read, including those that I don't end up enjoying. The reviews are not scholarly, but just indicate my reaction as a reader, reading being my addiction. I am miserly with 5-star reviews; 4 stars means I liked a book very much; 3 stars means I liked it; 2 stars means I didn't like it (though often the 2-star books are very popular with other readers and/or are by authors whose other work I've loved).
hirondelle2008's review
adventurous
informative
mysterious
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
4.25
katmarhan's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
5.0
10/10
Oh, I loved this book! It’s told in such an interesting way—partly by an unknown narrator who offers philosophical insights and social commentary, partly in first person by characters in the book, and partly in third person but from the POV of various characters, frequently Lenia and Rafel, but others as well, both major and minor actors in the events of this story. Kay’s prose is a delight!
And the story itself? Intrigue around politics and religion, but also personal conflicts and growth around loyalty, loss, trust, love, and above all, the longing for and meaning of home.
I think by making this a “fantasy”, Kay is able to create his own historical context. So while it is firmly rooted in the Renaissance, the countries of Spain, France, the city-states of Italy, etc., and the three major religions of Islam, Catholicism, and Judaism, it is obviously not our world (two moons, for example). The author is free to borrow heavily from history while weaving his own tapestry.
Oh, I loved this book! It’s told in such an interesting way—partly by an unknown narrator who offers philosophical insights and social commentary, partly in first person by characters in the book, and partly in third person but from the POV of various characters, frequently Lenia and Rafel, but others as well, both major and minor actors in the events of this story. Kay’s prose is a delight!
And the story itself? Intrigue around politics and religion, but also personal conflicts and growth around loyalty, loss, trust, love, and above all, the longing for and meaning of home.
I think by making this a “fantasy”, Kay is able to create his own historical context. So while it is firmly rooted in the Renaissance, the countries of Spain, France, the city-states of Italy, etc., and the three major religions of Islam, Catholicism, and Judaism, it is obviously not our world (two moons, for example). The author is free to borrow heavily from history while weaving his own tapestry.
tayvanbiljon's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
reflective
medium-paced
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Classism and Colonisation
Moderate: Abandonment
Minor: Sexual assault
veldhoenv's review against another edition
adventurous
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
3.0
vanathi_m's review against another edition
5.0
Ready to be transported to another world told by a great storyteller? All the Seas of the World by Guy Gavriel Kay is exactly what you need!
The unforgettable characters take you on an adventure through a fictional fantasy world that resembles real life in many ways. The drama unfolds as we wait to see if the two hired assassins can complete the job and how their lives will change based on the outcome of their success or failure.
I absolutely enjoyed reading this book. It captivated me with the story, writing, characters, and setting, pretty much making this my most favourite read of the year so far! I couldn’t stop reading this book. I found I was waking up earlier and going to sleep later just to read this. My overall rating is 5/5.
Click the link in bio to read the full review on my blog.
Thank you NetGalley and publisher for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.
The unforgettable characters take you on an adventure through a fictional fantasy world that resembles real life in many ways. The drama unfolds as we wait to see if the two hired assassins can complete the job and how their lives will change based on the outcome of their success or failure.
I absolutely enjoyed reading this book. It captivated me with the story, writing, characters, and setting, pretty much making this my most favourite read of the year so far! I couldn’t stop reading this book. I found I was waking up earlier and going to sleep later just to read this. My overall rating is 5/5.
Click the link in bio to read the full review on my blog.
Thank you NetGalley and publisher for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.
chronolynx's review against another edition
4.0
All the Seas of the World is a novel by Guy Gavriel Kay – and, if you are familiar with any of his work, that should already tell you a great deal about the contents of this book. Lots of characters. A rotating cast of limited third-person points-of-view (and one first-person). Brief interludes in an omniscient voice. Chekhov’s guns you never even noticed paying off 400 pages later. Characters and places from previous novels showing up. The two moons, the sun, the stars. It’s all there.
Somewhat unusually for Kay, this book serves as an almost direct sequel to his previous work, A Brightness Long Ago, taking place merely a few years later and featuring many of the same characters and locations. This is, effectively, the middle entry in a trilogy-of-sorts, with Children of Earth and Sky serving as the ultimate conclusion.
As is often the case with Kay, however, the conclusion isn’t the point. There’s a reason he has most of his characters tip-toe around actually being involved in the story – his own, quarter-turned version of history – instead of being straight up heroes. They each have their own lives separate from what will be written down as history, and their stories matter.
Unfortunately, All the Seas lacks that special something to elevate it above “a good Guy Gavriel Kay novel” - which is hardly a slight, coming from me especially. This book simply never reaches one of those heart-achingly beautiful highs for which he is loved. A Brightness Long Ago made me cry, several times. All the Seas of the World didn’t. Simple as that. Perhaps it’s a case of my own biases here (the theme here, home, never resonates with me the way A Brightness’s theme of loss does). That doesn’t mean it’s not a good book, though.
Somewhat unusually for Kay, this book serves as an almost direct sequel to his previous work, A Brightness Long Ago, taking place merely a few years later and featuring many of the same characters and locations. This is, effectively, the middle entry in a trilogy-of-sorts, with Children of Earth and Sky serving as the ultimate conclusion.
As is often the case with Kay, however, the conclusion isn’t the point. There’s a reason he has most of his characters tip-toe around actually being involved in the story – his own, quarter-turned version of history – instead of being straight up heroes. They each have their own lives separate from what will be written down as history, and their stories matter.
Unfortunately, All the Seas lacks that special something to elevate it above “a good Guy Gavriel Kay novel” - which is hardly a slight, coming from me especially. This book simply never reaches one of those heart-achingly beautiful highs for which he is loved. A Brightness Long Ago made me cry, several times. All the Seas of the World didn’t. Simple as that. Perhaps it’s a case of my own biases here (the theme here, home, never resonates with me the way A Brightness’s theme of loss does). That doesn’t mean it’s not a good book, though.
richardwells's review against another edition
5.0
There are some books that capture me so completely that not only do I not want them to end, I'll delay the end by slowing down, skipping a day or two, or even limiting the number of paragraphs or chapters I'll allow myself. I extend the pleasure of the capture, and keep the conclusion at bay. That's All the Seas of the World.
I've been familiar with the history of the three Mediterranean faiths, the Renaissance, and the Reconquista for some time, and have visited Italy and Spain, and the sites the three faiths occupied, so it was easy for me in The Lions of Al-Rassan, and All the Seas of the World to suspend disbelief and enter the fantasies that Mr. Kay plants in those histories. And, as fantastic as either of the books may turn, the times and places are solid enough to act as launching pads, and returns. Now couple that with characters I'd love to know, places I'd love to see (and even have seen,) and events that I'd love to take part in - and I'm lost, for days.
As usual, I'm going to leave the plot summary to others (above and below,) except to say that this is a swashbuckler that starts with an assassination, develops into a war, and resolves satisfactorily, with no loose ends. And, as with other books by Mr. Kay, the female protagonist is a force to be reckoned with.
I'm moving on to Children of Earth and Sky which seems to be the first book of a series that ends with All the Seas of the World. Barely into it, it may be a blueprint.
I've been familiar with the history of the three Mediterranean faiths, the Renaissance, and the Reconquista for some time, and have visited Italy and Spain, and the sites the three faiths occupied, so it was easy for me in The Lions of Al-Rassan, and All the Seas of the World to suspend disbelief and enter the fantasies that Mr. Kay plants in those histories. And, as fantastic as either of the books may turn, the times and places are solid enough to act as launching pads, and returns. Now couple that with characters I'd love to know, places I'd love to see (and even have seen,) and events that I'd love to take part in - and I'm lost, for days.
As usual, I'm going to leave the plot summary to others (above and below,) except to say that this is a swashbuckler that starts with an assassination, develops into a war, and resolves satisfactorily, with no loose ends. And, as with other books by Mr. Kay, the female protagonist is a force to be reckoned with.
I'm moving on to Children of Earth and Sky which seems to be the first book of a series that ends with All the Seas of the World. Barely into it, it may be a blueprint.