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A review by veronica87
Children of Earth and Sky by Guy Gavriel Kay
3.0
3.5 stars
A standalone Kay book set within the world of his other work, the [b:Sailing to Sarantium|104097|Sailing to Sarantium (The Sarantine Mosaic, #1)|Guy Gavriel Kay|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1328000207l/104097._SX50_.jpg|1336666] duology (though centuries and centuries later), Children of Earth and Sky focuses on the affairs of Seressa (Venice) and the Osmanli Empire (Ottoman Empire) as they play out in the lives of ordinary people who find themselves facing extraordinary choices.
A certain life was yours, it was unfolding, and then it wasn't and would never be again. How did men and women deal with that much fragility?
A prevalent theme in all of Kay's work deals with how the ripples from a single stone tossed into still water can have unforseen and long-reaching consequences. Individuals go about their daily lives but all strands are connected at some deeper level. That theme continues here as readers follow the paths of a young artist, a savvy merchant, an orphaned young woman bent on revenge, and a single noblewoman fallen from grace as they navigate a climate on the seeming brink of war.
The triple border, they called it: Osmanli Empire, Holy Jaddite Empire, Republic of Seressa. Ambitions collided here. These lands were where good people suffered and died for their families and faith.
While I still love Kay's eloquent writing, this is probably my least favorite of his books that I've read so far. It started out really well but the ending didn't land well. I liked how all the characters ended up but it felt rushed and crammed in there. It almost felt like an extended epilogue. If the ending had been given the time and attention that the beginning and middle did, I'd have loved it a lot more.
A standalone Kay book set within the world of his other work, the [b:Sailing to Sarantium|104097|Sailing to Sarantium (The Sarantine Mosaic, #1)|Guy Gavriel Kay|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1328000207l/104097._SX50_.jpg|1336666] duology (though centuries and centuries later), Children of Earth and Sky focuses on the affairs of Seressa (Venice) and the Osmanli Empire (Ottoman Empire) as they play out in the lives of ordinary people who find themselves facing extraordinary choices.
A certain life was yours, it was unfolding, and then it wasn't and would never be again. How did men and women deal with that much fragility?
A prevalent theme in all of Kay's work deals with how the ripples from a single stone tossed into still water can have unforseen and long-reaching consequences. Individuals go about their daily lives but all strands are connected at some deeper level. That theme continues here as readers follow the paths of a young artist, a savvy merchant, an orphaned young woman bent on revenge, and a single noblewoman fallen from grace as they navigate a climate on the seeming brink of war.
The triple border, they called it: Osmanli Empire, Holy Jaddite Empire, Republic of Seressa. Ambitions collided here. These lands were where good people suffered and died for their families and faith.
While I still love Kay's eloquent writing, this is probably my least favorite of his books that I've read so far. It started out really well but the ending didn't land well. I liked how all the characters ended up but it felt rushed and crammed in there. It almost felt like an extended epilogue. If the ending had been given the time and attention that the beginning and middle did, I'd have loved it a lot more.