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A review by dunnettreader
A Song For Arbonne by Guy Gavriel Kay
5.0
Guy Gavriel Kay has made his name by writing books that might be called alternative historical fantasy. They fall somewhere between J.R.R. Tolkien and Dorothy Dunnett. 'A Song for Arbonne' draws upon the ideal of the age of the troubadours and the Courts of Love in southern France in the 12th and 13th century.
Arbonne is a lush country with a rich cultural life. It's neighbor to the north is the Kingdom of Gorhaut, a grim, cold country with a strong militaristic tilt. Into Arbonne comes Blaise, a mercenary soldier with roots in Gorhaut. He has experience to offer the various lords who take him into service, but Blaise has remained aloof from the female-dominated culture. At the midsummer festival, he is suddenly confronted with the various paths open to him when it is revealed that he is the son of the high priest in Gorhaut. The pace of events quickly increases when the King of Gorhaut decides to invade Arbonne and destroy its goddess culture. The friends that Blaise has made, from Rudel the cheeky mercenary to Ariane, the beautiful Queen of the Court of Love, to Bertran the troubadour count with a broken heart, all play a role as Blaise claims the throne of Gorhaut.
This book is not as complex as Kay's previous book, 'Tigana', but it is filled with compelling characters. No short summary will do justice to the beauty, cruelty, and heartbreak of the story. If you like epic fantasy, give this a try.
Arbonne is a lush country with a rich cultural life. It's neighbor to the north is the Kingdom of Gorhaut, a grim, cold country with a strong militaristic tilt. Into Arbonne comes Blaise, a mercenary soldier with roots in Gorhaut. He has experience to offer the various lords who take him into service, but Blaise has remained aloof from the female-dominated culture. At the midsummer festival, he is suddenly confronted with the various paths open to him when it is revealed that he is the son of the high priest in Gorhaut. The pace of events quickly increases when the King of Gorhaut decides to invade Arbonne and destroy its goddess culture. The friends that Blaise has made, from Rudel the cheeky mercenary to Ariane, the beautiful Queen of the Court of Love, to Bertran the troubadour count with a broken heart, all play a role as Blaise claims the throne of Gorhaut.
This book is not as complex as Kay's previous book, 'Tigana', but it is filled with compelling characters. No short summary will do justice to the beauty, cruelty, and heartbreak of the story. If you like epic fantasy, give this a try.