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antonblender 's review for:
Under Heaven
by Guy Gavriel Kay
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.