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A review by jgnoelle
Lions Of Al Rassan by Guy Gavriel Kay
3.0
The Lions of Al-Rassan is set in a fantasy equivalent of medieval Spain, with its Christian lands in the north and its Muslim-ruled territory in the south that also boasts a large population of Jewish people. Here, the religions are called Jaddites, Asharites, and Kindath respectively, and they all exist uneasily with each other amidst the growing urge of the warring Jaddite kingdoms to unite in the common goal of re-conquering the Asharite lands (mimicking the Spanish Reconquista from history).
The story principally follows Jehanne, a Kindath physician who finds herself embroiled in Asharite politics, since they too war amongst each other. She ends up in exile with a Jaddite mercenary captain and an Asharite diplomat, serving as company physician to the Jaddite's men.
This book was published back in the 1995 and it really reads that way. It has a dizzying array of POVs and every chapter begins with a lengthy dump of exposition that's meant to set the scene but instead just prolongs the action of the scene in a book that is already a lengthy 580 paperback pages.
I didn't like how the author often withheld the conclusion of scenes from the reader in order to build suspense (e.g. during a key instance of single combat, we're left for some time wondering who won). In addition, I did find the religions of people who worship the sun, moon, and stars as analogues of Christianity, Judaism and Islam rather simplistic. Few of the characters were shown carrying out any sort of compelling religious rituals, most of them instead being conveniently secular in their behaviour to prevent the need to create complex fantasy faiths.
Overall, I would have preferred a historical novel about the events of this time period in medieval Spain. From what I already know of it, the choice to write it as fantasy didn't bring any new subplots or interpretations to the history. I also would have liked it better were it either shorter or written in a more modern style.
The story principally follows Jehanne, a Kindath physician who finds herself embroiled in Asharite politics, since they too war amongst each other. She ends up in exile with a Jaddite mercenary captain and an Asharite diplomat, serving as company physician to the Jaddite's men.
This book was published back in the 1995 and it really reads that way. It has a dizzying array of POVs and every chapter begins with a lengthy dump of exposition that's meant to set the scene but instead just prolongs the action of the scene in a book that is already a lengthy 580 paperback pages.
I didn't like how the author often withheld the conclusion of scenes from the reader in order to build suspense (e.g. during a key instance of single combat, we're left for some time wondering who won). In addition, I did find the religions of people who worship the sun, moon, and stars as analogues of Christianity, Judaism and Islam rather simplistic. Few of the characters were shown carrying out any sort of compelling religious rituals, most of them instead being conveniently secular in their behaviour to prevent the need to create complex fantasy faiths.
Overall, I would have preferred a historical novel about the events of this time period in medieval Spain. From what I already know of it, the choice to write it as fantasy didn't bring any new subplots or interpretations to the history. I also would have liked it better were it either shorter or written in a more modern style.