compuchip 's review for:

Under Heaven by Guy Gavriel Kay
5.0

Wow, just wow. Guy Gavriel Kay knows how to write. There may be others who write faster paced novels, but when it comes to a beautiful steady build up of story, universe, and plot, there are few who can match him. After I take a couple of weeks to digest this story, I'm going to move right into the next book in the series (nicely, each book in the series stands alone - although I will miss the characters).

Characters: 5*
These characters learn and grow and are most definitely not one dimensional. There are characters that only last for a few pages that have more depth than some characters that are the protagonist throughout entire series of other books.

Plot: 5*
While the plot is very intricate, it is easy to grasp and I never found myself losing track of what was going on. I find myself hurting whenever the scene cuts to another location because I just want to immerse myself in that ambiance and to learn more about it.

Universe: 5*
This universe is beautiful. I absolutely adore books where the world where the story is set impacts the story itself. I hate it when the story progresses in a bland world that is neglected and ignored. That is most definitely not the case here.