Description
Award-wining author Guy Gavriel's sixth novel, hauntingly evocative of medieval Spain, is both a brilliant adventure and a moving story of love, divided loyalties, and what happens to men and women when hardening beliefs begin to remake -- or destroy -- a world. The ruling Asharites have come from the desert sands, worshipping the stars, their warrior blood fierce and pure. But over centuries, seduced by the sensuous pleasures of their new land, that stern piety has eroded. The Asharies empire has splintered into decadent city-states lead by warring petty kinds. King Almalik of Cartada is on the ascendancy, adding city after city to his realm, even though Cartada is threatened by forces both within and without. Almalik is aided by his friend and advisor, the notorious Ammar ibn Khairan -- poet, diplomat, soldier -- until a summer afternoon of savage brutality changes their relationship forever. Meanwhile, in the north, the Jaddite's most celebrated -- and feared -- military leader, Rodrigo Belmonte, is driven into exile in the wake of events following the death of the king he loved. Rodrigo leads his mercenary company south, to the dangerous lands of Al-Rassan. In the exquisite lakeside city of Ragosa, Rodrigo Belmonte and Ammar ibn Kharian meet and serve -- for a time -- the same master. Sharing the interwoven fate of these two men from different worlds -- and increasingly torn in her feelings -- is Jehane, the beautiful, accomplished court physician, whose own skills play an increasing role as Al-Rassan is swept to the brink of holy war, and beyond.… (more)
Collection
Subjects
Language
Original language
English
Original publication date
1995-05
Physical description
656 p.; 5.08 inches
Publication
Harper Voyager (2011), 656 pages
Pages
656
ISBN
0007342063 / 9780007342068
Local notes
Based on the Moorish Spin of El Cid, but set in the unnamed two moons alternate history world where Kay also set his "Sarantine Mosaic", "The Last Light of the Sun", "Children of Earth" and "Sky and A Brightness Long Ago", (Though there are also oblique references in most of Kay's works that all of his novels, not just these, take place in the same universe, only on different worlds in it.)
Library's review
A great read from cover to cover. This novel set in a place analogue to Moorish Spain explores the heartbreak and horror of war and religious conflict without ever feeling like it is preaching. Kay's style of storytelling is very intriguing, as he sometimes skips back and forth in time over a very
Show More
small event, showing bits of it from different perspectives, and sometimes happily skips months or years ahead in the narrative and offhandedly summarises major events that happened between chapters or even paragraphs. You can never quite know what will and won't be the focus for a scene or a chapter, but the sprawling story is never difficult to follow. Will be reading more books by this man. Show Less
Similar in this library
Awards
Prix Aurora Award (Finalist — 1996)
User reviews
LibraryThing member brenzi
My second foray into the historical fantasy genre has only gone to show that you (or, more specifically, I) never know what genres are lurking out there that you (I) are going to fall in love with. Another homerun by Guy Gavriel Kay has made that plain to me. The fact that this really closely
If you refer to the map at the beginning of the book you’ll see something that a very amateurish sixth grader might have drawn when attempting to draw the Iberian Peninsula. And of course you will never have heard of any of the places indicated on the map. This is the fantasy. This country, while it doesn’t actually exist, shares some historical attributes with Spain in medieval times. And just to assist you to figure out who’s who the author provides a helpful playbill listing all the main characters and their alliances.
It’s basically a story about a country’s history, and its people who, over hundreds of years have fought in brutal wars and lost so much for the things they hold dearest. For now, the thing they hold dearest is the piety that has been destroyed over the years by outlaw kings. So once again, the warring is on. Ammar ibn Khairan, poet, diplomat, soldier, is fighting for King Almalik of Cartadan until things go horribly wrong. Rodrigo Belmonte, feared military leader from a northern Jaddite nation, also finds himself driven into exile following the death of the king he loved. The two join forces, if temporarily, to fight for another nation. Accompanying them is the lovely and accomplished court physician Jehane---do you see where I’m going here? And do you also see that there’s something for everyone in the wonderfully fulfilling history of a proud people?
Now I’m thinking I must try that other genre: straight fantasy. I won’t have much trepidation this time. Who knows, with all this exploration of new-to-me genres could it be possible that I might one day try out that formerly anathema-to-me genre---chick lit? Is it possible that there’s something to be said for it after all? On second thought, I don’t want to act as if I’ve completely lost my mind ;-)
Show More
resembles historical fiction, a genre near and dear to my heart, certainly helps. It really has everything: many threaded plotlines, complex characters, heroes and villains, romance and, for those blood-thirsty fans, violence, all blended beautifully by the hand of a master writer. I may have a small quibble with the twisting turning, slightly saccharine ending but I was sobbing uncontrollably by that point so it hardly matters.If you refer to the map at the beginning of the book you’ll see something that a very amateurish sixth grader might have drawn when attempting to draw the Iberian Peninsula. And of course you will never have heard of any of the places indicated on the map. This is the fantasy. This country, while it doesn’t actually exist, shares some historical attributes with Spain in medieval times. And just to assist you to figure out who’s who the author provides a helpful playbill listing all the main characters and their alliances.
It’s basically a story about a country’s history, and its people who, over hundreds of years have fought in brutal wars and lost so much for the things they hold dearest. For now, the thing they hold dearest is the piety that has been destroyed over the years by outlaw kings. So once again, the warring is on. Ammar ibn Khairan, poet, diplomat, soldier, is fighting for King Almalik of Cartadan until things go horribly wrong. Rodrigo Belmonte, feared military leader from a northern Jaddite nation, also finds himself driven into exile following the death of the king he loved. The two join forces, if temporarily, to fight for another nation. Accompanying them is the lovely and accomplished court physician Jehane---do you see where I’m going here? And do you also see that there’s something for everyone in the wonderfully fulfilling history of a proud people?
Now I’m thinking I must try that other genre: straight fantasy. I won’t have much trepidation this time. Who knows, with all this exploration of new-to-me genres could it be possible that I might one day try out that formerly anathema-to-me genre---chick lit? Is it possible that there’s something to be said for it after all? On second thought, I don’t want to act as if I’ve completely lost my mind ;-)
Show Less
LibraryThing member xicanti
A wonderful, heart-wrenching novel set in an analogue of medieval Spain. Kay focuses on three main protagonists as he chronicles the beginnings of a holy war.
Some time ago, I decided to read everything Kay had ever written. I chose to save this one for next-to-last because so many people told me it
That aside, though, this was a very good read. One thing that Kay does particularly well, here and in his other books, is draw the action out to create suspense. Several other reviewers have mentioned the epilogue, but there are many other scenes that work along the same lines. Kay throws out a shocker - usually, but not always, a death - in such a way that the reader is almost certain to draw the wrong conclusion. He slowly introduces other key details that seem to support the original assumption... but all of a sudden, some new point shatters everything and reveals that nothing is as the reader thought it was. Kay does this extremely well; I often had to force myself to read more slowly so I wouldn't miss anything important, so desperate was I to see my worst fears confirmed or denied. Admittedly, this plot device wouldn't be at all effective in a less emotionally charged work; it really demands that the reader be involved with the story in a passionate sense rather than a logical one. Luckily, that's the case here and elsewhere. This is evidently a technique Kay is fond of, and nowhere does he use it so well as in The Lions of Al-Rassan.
So I highly recommend this book. As others have said before me, read it. It's well worth your time.
Some time ago, I decided to read everything Kay had ever written. I chose to save this one for next-to-last because so many people told me it
Show More
was his best work. While I got a lot out of it, I wouldn't mark it was my favourite. (It's tied for third place; still not such a bad ranking). The things I loved here were the same things I love in all his other books: the wonderfully complex, relatable characters; the well-developed setting; the powerful emotional impact; and the skillfully-written action. Likewise, the things that didn't work for me were the same as always: there were a few scenes where the story drifted somewhat, causing my attention to wane. My favourite parts were definitely those bits in which the three leads interacted. I got an excellent sense of how they felt about one another, and really wished those scenes had been more frequent.That aside, though, this was a very good read. One thing that Kay does particularly well, here and in his other books, is draw the action out to create suspense. Several other reviewers have mentioned the epilogue, but there are many other scenes that work along the same lines. Kay throws out a shocker - usually, but not always, a death - in such a way that the reader is almost certain to draw the wrong conclusion. He slowly introduces other key details that seem to support the original assumption... but all of a sudden, some new point shatters everything and reveals that nothing is as the reader thought it was. Kay does this extremely well; I often had to force myself to read more slowly so I wouldn't miss anything important, so desperate was I to see my worst fears confirmed or denied. Admittedly, this plot device wouldn't be at all effective in a less emotionally charged work; it really demands that the reader be involved with the story in a passionate sense rather than a logical one. Luckily, that's the case here and elsewhere. This is evidently a technique Kay is fond of, and nowhere does he use it so well as in The Lions of Al-Rassan.
So I highly recommend this book. As others have said before me, read it. It's well worth your time.
Show Less
LibraryThing member TadAD
Like his The Last Light of the Sun, this is a fantasy story that reads exactly like historical fiction...the only difference being that the history isn't real. The setting is the thinly-disguised Iberian peninsula during the 13th century as the Jaddites (Christians) attempt to break the Asharite
I don't think this is his best book, but I also think that second-rank G. G. Kay is better than most of the other stuff out there and well worth the time to read. When it comes to simply writing beautiful language, his ability to draw moments and evoke emotions particularly appeals to my tastes.
The story line is well done—intelligent, intriguing, colorful—with all of the characteristic Kay bittersweet resolutions. It also is typical of his work in not glossing over the brutal realities of war, rape, murder and torture. The political and religious machinations which form the basis of the story are well-described and you find yourself actually taking sides and caring about the results.
What set this book a notch down from his best was, in my opinion, the characters. They are just a little too weakly separated from the "consummate general", "beautiful maiden", "cultured warrior-poet" archetypes. As a result, while I did like them and did care for them a bit, I was less involved with them than I have been in other books of his. A death was sad, not a wrench at my emotions. Kay's writing covers this to a great extent when I compare this book in my mind to another author, but it shows when I compare it to his other works.
Also, I could have done without the poetry—suffice it to say that ibn Khairan is portrayed as the greatest poet of the Asharite world...and G. G. Kay is not.
Show More
(Moorish) caliphate, with the Kindath (Jews) watching and knowing that "whichever way the wind blows, rain falls on the Kindath."I don't think this is his best book, but I also think that second-rank G. G. Kay is better than most of the other stuff out there and well worth the time to read. When it comes to simply writing beautiful language, his ability to draw moments and evoke emotions particularly appeals to my tastes.
The story line is well done—intelligent, intriguing, colorful—with all of the characteristic Kay bittersweet resolutions. It also is typical of his work in not glossing over the brutal realities of war, rape, murder and torture. The political and religious machinations which form the basis of the story are well-described and you find yourself actually taking sides and caring about the results.
What set this book a notch down from his best was, in my opinion, the characters. They are just a little too weakly separated from the "consummate general", "beautiful maiden", "cultured warrior-poet" archetypes. As a result, while I did like them and did care for them a bit, I was less involved with them than I have been in other books of his. A death was sad, not a wrench at my emotions. Kay's writing covers this to a great extent when I compare this book in my mind to another author, but it shows when I compare it to his other works.
Also, I could have done without the poetry—suffice it to say that ibn Khairan is portrayed as the greatest poet of the Asharite world...and G. G. Kay is not.
Show Less
LibraryThing member Jim53
Kay is one of my favorite authors. Lions exemplifies most of the things I love about his novels: carefully drawn characters who interact in credible ways, and whose self-awareness enables the author to tell us a lot about what they are thinking and feeling; lovely prose; a story that puts
In spite of this flaunting, the book is a wonderful story. Kay has clearly done extensive research into the history and cultures of medieval Spain, and he draws representatives of the thinly veiled (sorry!) Catholic, Muslim, and Jewish communities very nicely. He looks at what happens when we care too much about our cultures, and too little. None of the groups get a free pass when it comes to avarice, cruelty, and violence, but each shows its virtues as well. A nice, and characteristic, pairing of passages in which first an Arab leader and then a Catholic king pray for the same things is a good example of both his intention and his technique.
Ammar ibn Khairan, one of the triad of lead characters (another Kay staple), is wonderfully drawn, but still I sense that Kay didn't quite "catch" him. I suspect that Kay identifies with Ammar to an extent, probably moreso than any of his other characters except Crispin the crabby artisan. A poet as well as a diplomat, soldier, connoisseur of fine things, Ammar is a Renaissance man. He is a great character in that we have trouble deciding what to think of him; we see why he does most things, but still we may not approve of everything he does.
There is very little reason to call this book a fantasy; the only elements that are not completely realistic are the second moon and the psychic gift of one young man. Kay has established himself as a fine writer of historical romances, with differing amounts of magic or fantastic elements. This one has some transcendent moments and Kay's signature inevitable heart-wrenching tragedy. I think it was a step beyond his prior works in terms of literary craftmanship, and I'm not sure he has bettered it since.
Show More
interesting people into situations that require them to make difficult choices, and makes it easy for us to care what they choose. The book also reflects the flaws that affect all his work: he's a bit too much in love with his cleverness, and when he grabs hold of a theme, he tends to flog us with it. Here is is concerned with the nature of disguises and mistaken or unclear identity. He uses this to great effect in some scenes (e.g., the tragic death of a loyal and attractive character), but ruins the effect by overusing it in the epilogue. In spite of this flaunting, the book is a wonderful story. Kay has clearly done extensive research into the history and cultures of medieval Spain, and he draws representatives of the thinly veiled (sorry!) Catholic, Muslim, and Jewish communities very nicely. He looks at what happens when we care too much about our cultures, and too little. None of the groups get a free pass when it comes to avarice, cruelty, and violence, but each shows its virtues as well. A nice, and characteristic, pairing of passages in which first an Arab leader and then a Catholic king pray for the same things is a good example of both his intention and his technique.
Ammar ibn Khairan, one of the triad of lead characters (another Kay staple), is wonderfully drawn, but still I sense that Kay didn't quite "catch" him. I suspect that Kay identifies with Ammar to an extent, probably moreso than any of his other characters except Crispin the crabby artisan. A poet as well as a diplomat, soldier, connoisseur of fine things, Ammar is a Renaissance man. He is a great character in that we have trouble deciding what to think of him; we see why he does most things, but still we may not approve of everything he does.
There is very little reason to call this book a fantasy; the only elements that are not completely realistic are the second moon and the psychic gift of one young man. Kay has established himself as a fine writer of historical romances, with differing amounts of magic or fantastic elements. This one has some transcendent moments and Kay's signature inevitable heart-wrenching tragedy. I think it was a step beyond his prior works in terms of literary craftmanship, and I'm not sure he has bettered it since.
Show Less
LibraryThing member littlegeek
hmmm, well, I expected to love this book given its subject matter (faux-medieval Spain) and many rave reviews, but I have to say I'm rather underwhelmed. Don't get me wrong, I enjoyed reading it, but there were a couple of major flaws.
**BIG SPOILERS**
1. The 2 main "heroes" (if you could call them
2. Jehane. I'd heard there was a "strong female character" in the book, but to me she was pretty weak. On the first long day, when all sorts of horror and uprising were going on, she still manages to meet and get the hots for both our heroes, and for the life of me I cannot understand why. What Jewish doctor, dedicated to preservation of life, would fall instantly in love with a Christian warlord and a Muslim mercenary/assassin? They didn't seem that charming, it just didn't wash to me. At first she had a mission to avenge her father's maiming, but that fizzled out pretty quick, and then she was just hanging around some random king's court mooning over the 2 heroes, trying to decide which one to jump on. Considering that one was very married, even that didn't hold much tension.
3. Plot contrivances. Both our heroes meet our heroine on the same day, and apparently, everyone fell in love at first sight with everyone else. Both heroes are conveniently exiled at the same time (for pretty specious reasons), arrive in the same city on the same day, and are hired by the local king for no purpose that I could see at all. They get sent out on one raid (together) and then just hang around partying. If you're going to spend a buttload of money for the 2 most celebrated soldiers/assasins in your world, wouldn't you have something for them to do? Recruit and train an army? Sack a few villages? Assassinate a rival? The other thing that made no sense to me was that no one told Rodrigo that his boys had been taken. I would have thought he would have had someone in place to watch and report to him about his family, but even barring that, why didn't his wife send word? I didn't get it.
I know it sounds like I hated it, but really, it's a fun read. It was just a romance, and once I accepted that I enjoyed it on its own terms. The plot was diverting, there were some nice action scenes, and the world-building was solid. But I didn't really connect with the characters and I wasn't particularly moved.
**BIG SPOILERS**
1. The 2 main "heroes" (if you could call them
Show More
that) were virtually indistiguishable. I took to thinking of them as "the married one" and "the bisexual." That seemed to be the only difference. And they were pretty stock mercenary hero types, nothing to get excited about. I think it would have made a much more compelling story, in a book about a holy war, to have at least one of the main characters actually be pious or at least somewhat religious. Maybe the author couldn't imagine religious zealotry well enough to put it in his story. 2. Jehane. I'd heard there was a "strong female character" in the book, but to me she was pretty weak. On the first long day, when all sorts of horror and uprising were going on, she still manages to meet and get the hots for both our heroes, and for the life of me I cannot understand why. What Jewish doctor, dedicated to preservation of life, would fall instantly in love with a Christian warlord and a Muslim mercenary/assassin? They didn't seem that charming, it just didn't wash to me. At first she had a mission to avenge her father's maiming, but that fizzled out pretty quick, and then she was just hanging around some random king's court mooning over the 2 heroes, trying to decide which one to jump on. Considering that one was very married, even that didn't hold much tension.
3. Plot contrivances. Both our heroes meet our heroine on the same day, and apparently, everyone fell in love at first sight with everyone else. Both heroes are conveniently exiled at the same time (for pretty specious reasons), arrive in the same city on the same day, and are hired by the local king for no purpose that I could see at all. They get sent out on one raid (together) and then just hang around partying. If you're going to spend a buttload of money for the 2 most celebrated soldiers/assasins in your world, wouldn't you have something for them to do? Recruit and train an army? Sack a few villages? Assassinate a rival? The other thing that made no sense to me was that no one told Rodrigo that his boys had been taken. I would have thought he would have had someone in place to watch and report to him about his family, but even barring that, why didn't his wife send word? I didn't get it.
I know it sounds like I hated it, but really, it's a fun read. It was just a romance, and once I accepted that I enjoyed it on its own terms. The plot was diverting, there were some nice action scenes, and the world-building was solid. But I didn't really connect with the characters and I wasn't particularly moved.
Show Less
LibraryThing member viking2917
Look, it's a great book. There's no doubt. Moments of piercing beauty, and sadness. Heroism, and yet full of the real compromises life often requires. And yet....I have grumbles.
Why the insistence on dressing up medieval Spain and the conflict with the Muslim world in fake nomenclature like
On more than one occasion something fundamental would happen to one of the characters, a death, injury, what have you, and Kay would refuse to name the character, obfuscating to whom the mortal blow had been dealt. In one important case, I understand why (avoiding a spoiler here). But in the other cases, I found these "cliffhangers" more annoying than suspenseful. I can always skip forward a few pages to figure out who, but why toy with the reader, especially in the early to middle parts of the book? More annoying than suspenseful.
Kay always leverages "archetypal" moments to create power. Here, the love triangle, the yearning for a married man, the duel to the death, ethnic cleansing, the warrior/poet - these are powerful thematic elements. But sometimes the moments feel contrived - a few times I could almost feel Kay reaching for the place where the archetypes are kept, to pull one off the shelf in order to move the plot forward. But it's a small complaint.
Kay finds ways to evoke the culture of a place. In Ysabel, he found a way to evoke the south of France with power. I think in Lions, he found a way to evoke the courtly obsession with honor and country in Spain, and the sensitivity to disrespect - there are strong echoes here of Perez-Reverte, particularly the Captain Alatriste works. (This is not to imply Kay is the lesser writer at all - they are both writers I admire greatly - but the tone and evocation are eerily similar to me.)
In any case, grumbles aside - read it. You won't be sorry.
Why the insistence on dressing up medieval Spain and the conflict with the Muslim world in fake nomenclature like
Show More
"Jaddites", "Asherites", "Kindath" - I spent much of the novel going "right, the Kindath are the Jews, and - wait - were the Asherites the Muslins or the Spaniards?". I don't see that attempting to move this novel away from historical terms, while the setting remains intrinsically bound to the cultures described, really buys anything. Sure, the events don't align entirely with real history - but so what? That would not bother any of Kay's readers. I think the novel's power would have grown had he more directly leveraged the known dynamics between the cultures. I know I as a reader would have spent less time on mental gymnastics trying to map the terms to the historical analogs I know he was evoking.On more than one occasion something fundamental would happen to one of the characters, a death, injury, what have you, and Kay would refuse to name the character, obfuscating to whom the mortal blow had been dealt. In one important case, I understand why (avoiding a spoiler here). But in the other cases, I found these "cliffhangers" more annoying than suspenseful. I can always skip forward a few pages to figure out who, but why toy with the reader, especially in the early to middle parts of the book? More annoying than suspenseful.
Kay always leverages "archetypal" moments to create power. Here, the love triangle, the yearning for a married man, the duel to the death, ethnic cleansing, the warrior/poet - these are powerful thematic elements. But sometimes the moments feel contrived - a few times I could almost feel Kay reaching for the place where the archetypes are kept, to pull one off the shelf in order to move the plot forward. But it's a small complaint.
Kay finds ways to evoke the culture of a place. In Ysabel, he found a way to evoke the south of France with power. I think in Lions, he found a way to evoke the courtly obsession with honor and country in Spain, and the sensitivity to disrespect - there are strong echoes here of Perez-Reverte, particularly the Captain Alatriste works. (This is not to imply Kay is the lesser writer at all - they are both writers I admire greatly - but the tone and evocation are eerily similar to me.)
In any case, grumbles aside - read it. You won't be sorry.
Show Less
LibraryThing member threadnsong
You know, reading a book by Guy Gavriel Kay is like walking into a feast prepared by a master chef. You have an idea of what the plot/flavors will be, you know it will be one of the best things you've ever read/eaten, and you find yourself nibbling at dainties while, in fact, more and more courses
This book of an alternate history of medieval Spain, complete with desert warriors and persecuted outsiders, is a seat at the most sumptuous dinner served by robed desert warriors whose careful eyes show above their face scarves. The characters are well-drawn out, the plot line is full of twists and turns, and as with "Song for Arbonne," this is a piece of medieval history that almost could have been. The Kaddith are the persecuted religious minority who also possess great medical knowledge, the courts of the kings are sumptuous gardens with streams down their centers, and the two central fighters are tense springs, ready for action. The religious tension between the Asharites and the Jaddites is never far from the overall story in the book, as it was in Spain (and so often is when the priests begin to rule the rulers).
As with a feast or other books by this extraordinary author, it is sometimes just enough to sample a bit of his writing with its richness and poetry. Sometimes, just sometimes, a sample of richness is just enough. But then you find the offerings have grabbed your interest, once you've sampled the characters and begin to follow their paths, and you find that you are gorging yourself on the imagery and plotline. Not to mention the richness of the language and the poetic-ness that it brings to your soul. And then you have to put the book down to let the many flavors digest for a while.
I will admit, I snuck a look at the dessert tray, right about the time that Ser Rodrigo Bellmonte is falling down the wall from his rooms towards the middle of Book Three. It's not an activity I recommend to everyone (both the falling and the sneaking a look), but I was so wrapped up in what was going to happen and there were so many, many different possibilities that I jumped over the craftsmanship of the storyteller's art just to know what happened. I'll still probably cry at the end.
A must-read for anyone who prefers their authors treat them as intelligent readers, or for those who enjoy some poetry with their prose, or even just because you long for a feast of words, no matter the genre.
Show More
come your way on silver platters, each more delicious than the one before. This book of an alternate history of medieval Spain, complete with desert warriors and persecuted outsiders, is a seat at the most sumptuous dinner served by robed desert warriors whose careful eyes show above their face scarves. The characters are well-drawn out, the plot line is full of twists and turns, and as with "Song for Arbonne," this is a piece of medieval history that almost could have been. The Kaddith are the persecuted religious minority who also possess great medical knowledge, the courts of the kings are sumptuous gardens with streams down their centers, and the two central fighters are tense springs, ready for action. The religious tension between the Asharites and the Jaddites is never far from the overall story in the book, as it was in Spain (and so often is when the priests begin to rule the rulers).
As with a feast or other books by this extraordinary author, it is sometimes just enough to sample a bit of his writing with its richness and poetry. Sometimes, just sometimes, a sample of richness is just enough. But then you find the offerings have grabbed your interest, once you've sampled the characters and begin to follow their paths, and you find that you are gorging yourself on the imagery and plotline. Not to mention the richness of the language and the poetic-ness that it brings to your soul. And then you have to put the book down to let the many flavors digest for a while.
I will admit, I snuck a look at the dessert tray, right about the time that Ser Rodrigo Bellmonte is falling down the wall from his rooms towards the middle of Book Three. It's not an activity I recommend to everyone (both the falling and the sneaking a look), but I was so wrapped up in what was going to happen and there were so many, many different possibilities that I jumped over the craftsmanship of the storyteller's art just to know what happened. I'll still probably cry at the end.
A must-read for anyone who prefers their authors treat them as intelligent readers, or for those who enjoy some poetry with their prose, or even just because you long for a feast of words, no matter the genre.
Show Less
LibraryThing member elmyra
This is the second time I have read Guy Gavriel Kay's "The Lions of Al-Rassan". (I even have the sneaky suspicion that I have already reviewed it somewhere.) I was surprised as how much of the plot I still remembered from my first reading of the book, at least five years back now. I did still
Kay is notorious for the vast numbers of main and supporting characters he uses in his novels. Nevertheless, he manages to make the reader sympathise and identify with, and to some extent even love, each and every one of them. "The Lions of Al-Rassan", set in a fantasy world conspicuously similar to medieval Spain with its Jaddites (Christians), Asharites (Muslim Arabs), and Kindath (Jews), begins by following the Kindath physician Jehane bet Ishak through what turns out not to be a perfectly normal day at the market. It is here, at the outset, that Kay lets us know that had Jehane made a different decision at that moment, she would have had a very different life.
"Better or worse?" Jehane reflects. "No man or woman could answer that. The winds blew, bringing rain, yes, but sometimes also sweeping away the low, obscuring clouds to allow the flourishes of sunrise or sunset seen from a high place, or those bright, hard, clear nights when the blue moon and the white seemed to ride like queens across a sky strewn with stars in glittering array."
Thus, as if entirely by chance, Jehane's life becomes entwined with those of the great of her world: Ammar ibn Khairan, the notorious Asharite poet, soldier and diplomat; Rodrigo Belmonte, the Jaddite Captain known as the Scourge of Al-Rassan; the Jaddite kind Ramiro of Valledo; the Asharite kind Badir of Ragosa and his Kindath chancellor Mazur ben Avren. As she is forced to flee from her native city of Fezana, Jehane takes up a post as court physician to Badir of Ragosa. She is soon joined there by Ammar ibn Khairan and Rodrigo Belmonte, both exiled with reluctance by their respective kings in a time where the power balance between Jaddites and Asharites in the peninsula is about to tip. Looking at the enchanting world of Al-Rassan through the eyes of Jehane, Rodrigo, Ammar and Alvar de Pellino - a soldier in Rodrigo's company - Kay lets us see the powers in this world slowly shift as of pieces are moved over a chess board, until a final confrontation - between Jad and Ashar, between Ammar and Rodrigo - becomes inevitable. Trapped between these overwhelming forces is the beauty and civilisation of Al-Rassan, about to be overrun by the Jaddites hungry for the reconquest of their peninsula or the equally fanatical Muwardi soldiers, eager to restore the true faith of Ashar to decadent Al-Rassan. Trapped, too, is any love or friendship that might grow between people of different faiths and cultures in a time of shifting allegiances when it may be easier to forget that the other is human and see him as an infidel instead.
Kay's writing is truly masterful, and he knows this. Occasionally, the cynical and skillful reader may pick up on the more manipulative elements of the style: the present tense used with extreme caution and to astonishing effect only once in the entire novel; the author's habit to kill off characters leaving their identity a mystery for up to a chapter. Sometimes this style may appear just a notch too polished. Nevertheless, Kay is quickly forgiven for such displays of cleverness, as his writing finds ever new ways to touch raw emotion, to put a finger on the reader's heart and slowly increase the pressure, until it becomes almost unbearable; to release just at the right moment, only to renew the torment a few pages later.
As empires rise and fall, as people's lives are destroyed only the be rebuilt from scratch, as Al-Rassan becomes a memory, something for the poets, the reader is left with a bitter-sweet aftertaste. Of all of Kay's novels, the ending of the "Lions of Al-Rassan" is the least uplifting, the most ambiguous, and thus the most beautiful:
"Outside, white moonlight shone upon the courtyard where the day's celebration had taken place. It fell upon the water and the small, quick fish in the water. It silvered the olive and fig trees, the tall cypress by the ivy-covered wall and the late-season shrubs. And it cast its pale light upon three glasses of wine that had each been left deliberately behind, brim-full, on a stone table, a stone bench, on the rim of the fountain there."
Show More
remember the ending, the careful, clever way it was constructed to leave the reader in the dark as to who of the two main characters had died for the course of about ten pages. I did also still remember the outcome of those ten pages. It speaks for Kay's mastery over his craft that, despite my knowledge of all this, he still made me cry. Kay is notorious for the vast numbers of main and supporting characters he uses in his novels. Nevertheless, he manages to make the reader sympathise and identify with, and to some extent even love, each and every one of them. "The Lions of Al-Rassan", set in a fantasy world conspicuously similar to medieval Spain with its Jaddites (Christians), Asharites (Muslim Arabs), and Kindath (Jews), begins by following the Kindath physician Jehane bet Ishak through what turns out not to be a perfectly normal day at the market. It is here, at the outset, that Kay lets us know that had Jehane made a different decision at that moment, she would have had a very different life.
"Better or worse?" Jehane reflects. "No man or woman could answer that. The winds blew, bringing rain, yes, but sometimes also sweeping away the low, obscuring clouds to allow the flourishes of sunrise or sunset seen from a high place, or those bright, hard, clear nights when the blue moon and the white seemed to ride like queens across a sky strewn with stars in glittering array."
Thus, as if entirely by chance, Jehane's life becomes entwined with those of the great of her world: Ammar ibn Khairan, the notorious Asharite poet, soldier and diplomat; Rodrigo Belmonte, the Jaddite Captain known as the Scourge of Al-Rassan; the Jaddite kind Ramiro of Valledo; the Asharite kind Badir of Ragosa and his Kindath chancellor Mazur ben Avren. As she is forced to flee from her native city of Fezana, Jehane takes up a post as court physician to Badir of Ragosa. She is soon joined there by Ammar ibn Khairan and Rodrigo Belmonte, both exiled with reluctance by their respective kings in a time where the power balance between Jaddites and Asharites in the peninsula is about to tip. Looking at the enchanting world of Al-Rassan through the eyes of Jehane, Rodrigo, Ammar and Alvar de Pellino - a soldier in Rodrigo's company - Kay lets us see the powers in this world slowly shift as of pieces are moved over a chess board, until a final confrontation - between Jad and Ashar, between Ammar and Rodrigo - becomes inevitable. Trapped between these overwhelming forces is the beauty and civilisation of Al-Rassan, about to be overrun by the Jaddites hungry for the reconquest of their peninsula or the equally fanatical Muwardi soldiers, eager to restore the true faith of Ashar to decadent Al-Rassan. Trapped, too, is any love or friendship that might grow between people of different faiths and cultures in a time of shifting allegiances when it may be easier to forget that the other is human and see him as an infidel instead.
Kay's writing is truly masterful, and he knows this. Occasionally, the cynical and skillful reader may pick up on the more manipulative elements of the style: the present tense used with extreme caution and to astonishing effect only once in the entire novel; the author's habit to kill off characters leaving their identity a mystery for up to a chapter. Sometimes this style may appear just a notch too polished. Nevertheless, Kay is quickly forgiven for such displays of cleverness, as his writing finds ever new ways to touch raw emotion, to put a finger on the reader's heart and slowly increase the pressure, until it becomes almost unbearable; to release just at the right moment, only to renew the torment a few pages later.
As empires rise and fall, as people's lives are destroyed only the be rebuilt from scratch, as Al-Rassan becomes a memory, something for the poets, the reader is left with a bitter-sweet aftertaste. Of all of Kay's novels, the ending of the "Lions of Al-Rassan" is the least uplifting, the most ambiguous, and thus the most beautiful:
"Outside, white moonlight shone upon the courtyard where the day's celebration had taken place. It fell upon the water and the small, quick fish in the water. It silvered the olive and fig trees, the tall cypress by the ivy-covered wall and the late-season shrubs. And it cast its pale light upon three glasses of wine that had each been left deliberately behind, brim-full, on a stone table, a stone bench, on the rim of the fountain there."
Show Less
LibraryThing member orien
I struggled a bit to get into this book.
The author used words beautifully--the story was really very well written. The characters were well fleshed out, and I fell in love with them. I liked how the author wrote strong, capable female characters, and there was some humor injected in the story in a
It was too...political for my taste. It followed the events leading up to a great war, and I've never really liked those fantasy books that focused on warring nations etc. etc.
The author has a way of drawing out suspense during pivotal moments in the book, which can sometimes get annoying. I am an impatient person, and I found myself rushing through certain boring portions in order to find out what the hell happened, or what the results of a certain battle was.
It was still a good read, though.
The author used words beautifully--the story was really very well written. The characters were well fleshed out, and I fell in love with them. I liked how the author wrote strong, capable female characters, and there was some humor injected in the story in a
Show More
few places...but it just wasn't my thing. It was too...political for my taste. It followed the events leading up to a great war, and I've never really liked those fantasy books that focused on warring nations etc. etc.
The author has a way of drawing out suspense during pivotal moments in the book, which can sometimes get annoying. I am an impatient person, and I found myself rushing through certain boring portions in order to find out what the hell happened, or what the results of a certain battle was.
It was still a good read, though.
Show Less
LibraryThing member Aerrin99
Guy Gavriel Kay writes with gorgeous prose that fleshes out fantastically interesting characters and worlds. His al-Rassan is a place you can almost breathe in, and I enjoyed being there.
Unfortunately, I also find his pacing clunky, his plot ofttimes confusing, and his ability to draw you into the
I like my authors clever. But I'd prefer them to tell me a story rather than playing games with me, especially to this degree. I spent a lot of time frustrated by this book, and flipping forward and backward to try to understand things.
It might seem odd that I rated it so high, I suppose. The truth of it is that I'm a reader who reads for characters and Kay's are absolutely lovely. We'll call my relationship with this book 'love-hate', I suppose. I suspect it re-reads far better than it reads.
Unfortunately, I also find his pacing clunky, his plot ofttimes confusing, and his ability to draw you into the
Show More
world without feeling like you've been thrown into the ocean and expected to swim toward the right shore completely absent. I spent the first hundred pages of this book deeply confused by the landscape, characterscape, and politicalscape. And then when I got my footing, the writing kept swerving and twisting. I don't mean that the /plot/ did - the plot did just fine. But Kay has a trick where he thinks he's ridiculously clever by constantly, repeatedly, consistently having a SHOCKING EVENT happen, written in such a way that you think you know what the event is and who it involved. And then twenty pages later he OH SO CLEVERLY reveals that one or the other was wrong, and he's been misleading you! This whole time!I like my authors clever. But I'd prefer them to tell me a story rather than playing games with me, especially to this degree. I spent a lot of time frustrated by this book, and flipping forward and backward to try to understand things.
It might seem odd that I rated it so high, I suppose. The truth of it is that I'm a reader who reads for characters and Kay's are absolutely lovely. We'll call my relationship with this book 'love-hate', I suppose. I suspect it re-reads far better than it reads.
Show Less
LibraryThing member kgodey
Guy Gavriel Kay is one of the most consistently praised fantasy authors; for instance, Brandon Sanderson calls him the “the greatest living author of epic fantasy“. I had read the first Fionavar Tapestry book, THE SUMMER TREE, but I didn’t understand what all the fuss was about – I thought
THE LIONS OF AL-RASSAN is set in the equivalent of the Iberian peninsula in the era of Moorish Spain. The Asharite city-states of the south and the Jaddite kingdoms of the north have had a tenuous peace despite their religious differences, but the winds are changing. Rodrigo Belmonte, the celebrated Jaddite captain, and Ammar ibn Khairan, the notorious right-hand man of the Asharite King Almalik of Cartada both find themselves driven away from their countries, and end up in the same city. Jehane, a Kindath physician, finds that her life is increasingly interwoven with theirs, as the world that she knows slowly begins to fall apart around her.
Despite being set in a secondary world, THE LIONS OF AL-RASSAN is clearly meant to evoke history – the names of the countries are different, and the religions are based on the celestial bodies of their world – but the map of the world is the same, and the Asharites, Jaddites, and Kindath represent the Muslims, Christians, and Jews, respectively. I wasn’t sure how I felt about that at first, but it’s a brilliant way for the author to take readers into how it felt like to live in that world without having to be too closely tied to historical accuracy.
Rodrigo Belmonte and Ammar ibn Khairan are the heart and soul of this book. They’re from very different worlds, but have a lot in common – both are larger than life, principled, intelligent, compassionate – heroes that actually deserve their reputation. When they finally meet, the world itself shivers a little bit. We see their story play out from many points of view, but the most important (and third protagonist) is Jehane, who is exceptional in her own right, but not as relevant to history. These three break the barriers of faith and country to develop an enduring friendship, but even the greatest of men are just men, and cannot resist the inexorable pressure of history waiting to be made.
The characterization of this book is exemplary – I’ve already talked about Rodrigo and Ammar a little bit, but Kay takes what would have been trite and cloying in less subtle hands and makes you truly believe in their legend. They’re not flawless – Rodrigo is somewhat reckless, and Ammar is a master of manipulation, but they still manage to make you believe in the ultimate goodness of humanity. I loved Jehane – the book blurb describes her as “increasingly torn by her feelings” which made me dread some sort of love triangle, but thankfully there’s none of that – she’s capable, intelligent, mature, and extremely skilled at what she does. I was pleasantly surprised to find that she’s also fully in control of her own sexuality. The supporting characters were fantastic, too – Alvar, one of Rodrigo’s young soldiers who gradually opens his eyes to the complexities of the world around him, and Rodrigo’s long-suffering, loving, and frankly, impressive wife Miranda were two of my favourites.
One of the biggest themes in this book is conflicting loyalties – to king, country, church, and family/friends. Rodrigo and Ammar are exiled by their respective monarchs, but they still don’t lose their love for where they’re from. Alvar loves where he’s from, but when he realizes what the world is actually like, he makes very different choices from what he would have imagined when setting out as a young soldier. Ramiro’s wife, Ines, is loyal to her god and her church, but that is tested when it endangers her country. Even the Belmonte’s cleric, Ibero, makes a terrible choice, and ends up regretting it dearly. Many of the choices made could have almost gone the other way, and are sometimes influenced by almost-random events (like Ramiro’s decision after the meeting with his fellow Espereñan monarchs) and it ends up making the coming war and its effects seem even more tragic.
Kay is an incredible writer – he uses the common themes of honor, loyalty, and sacrifice but elevates them to a whole different level – I thought I was beyond being moved by those things. He’s also tricky sometimes; there are several scenes in which you think you know exactly what’s going on but his cunning phrases and slight omissions mean that what actually happens is a complete surprise. The scene at the end of the Carnival in Ragosa, and the epilogue are two examples. I don’t think I could read his books all in a row if they’re all this intense, but I’m so glad I have them to look forward to.
I could keep going on, but I don’t think I could convey any better how amazing THE LIONS OF AL-RASSAN is, so I’ll stop here. I highly recommend it, I think it’s one of the masterpieces of fantasy.
Show More
it seemed like a cross between a more adult Narnia and The Wheel of Time (“Tapestry” instead of “Pattern”). I figured I should give him another shot though, and I’m glad I did, because now I understand, and only the pile of unread books in the house is keeping me from buying his entire bibliography right now.THE LIONS OF AL-RASSAN is set in the equivalent of the Iberian peninsula in the era of Moorish Spain. The Asharite city-states of the south and the Jaddite kingdoms of the north have had a tenuous peace despite their religious differences, but the winds are changing. Rodrigo Belmonte, the celebrated Jaddite captain, and Ammar ibn Khairan, the notorious right-hand man of the Asharite King Almalik of Cartada both find themselves driven away from their countries, and end up in the same city. Jehane, a Kindath physician, finds that her life is increasingly interwoven with theirs, as the world that she knows slowly begins to fall apart around her.
Despite being set in a secondary world, THE LIONS OF AL-RASSAN is clearly meant to evoke history – the names of the countries are different, and the religions are based on the celestial bodies of their world – but the map of the world is the same, and the Asharites, Jaddites, and Kindath represent the Muslims, Christians, and Jews, respectively. I wasn’t sure how I felt about that at first, but it’s a brilliant way for the author to take readers into how it felt like to live in that world without having to be too closely tied to historical accuracy.
Rodrigo Belmonte and Ammar ibn Khairan are the heart and soul of this book. They’re from very different worlds, but have a lot in common – both are larger than life, principled, intelligent, compassionate – heroes that actually deserve their reputation. When they finally meet, the world itself shivers a little bit. We see their story play out from many points of view, but the most important (and third protagonist) is Jehane, who is exceptional in her own right, but not as relevant to history. These three break the barriers of faith and country to develop an enduring friendship, but even the greatest of men are just men, and cannot resist the inexorable pressure of history waiting to be made.
The characterization of this book is exemplary – I’ve already talked about Rodrigo and Ammar a little bit, but Kay takes what would have been trite and cloying in less subtle hands and makes you truly believe in their legend. They’re not flawless – Rodrigo is somewhat reckless, and Ammar is a master of manipulation, but they still manage to make you believe in the ultimate goodness of humanity. I loved Jehane – the book blurb describes her as “increasingly torn by her feelings” which made me dread some sort of love triangle, but thankfully there’s none of that – she’s capable, intelligent, mature, and extremely skilled at what she does. I was pleasantly surprised to find that she’s also fully in control of her own sexuality. The supporting characters were fantastic, too – Alvar, one of Rodrigo’s young soldiers who gradually opens his eyes to the complexities of the world around him, and Rodrigo’s long-suffering, loving, and frankly, impressive wife Miranda were two of my favourites.
One of the biggest themes in this book is conflicting loyalties – to king, country, church, and family/friends. Rodrigo and Ammar are exiled by their respective monarchs, but they still don’t lose their love for where they’re from. Alvar loves where he’s from, but when he realizes what the world is actually like, he makes very different choices from what he would have imagined when setting out as a young soldier. Ramiro’s wife, Ines, is loyal to her god and her church, but that is tested when it endangers her country. Even the Belmonte’s cleric, Ibero, makes a terrible choice, and ends up regretting it dearly. Many of the choices made could have almost gone the other way, and are sometimes influenced by almost-random events (like Ramiro’s decision after the meeting with his fellow Espereñan monarchs) and it ends up making the coming war and its effects seem even more tragic.
Kay is an incredible writer – he uses the common themes of honor, loyalty, and sacrifice but elevates them to a whole different level – I thought I was beyond being moved by those things. He’s also tricky sometimes; there are several scenes in which you think you know exactly what’s going on but his cunning phrases and slight omissions mean that what actually happens is a complete surprise. The scene at the end of the Carnival in Ragosa, and the epilogue are two examples. I don’t think I could read his books all in a row if they’re all this intense, but I’m so glad I have them to look forward to.
I could keep going on, but I don’t think I could convey any better how amazing THE LIONS OF AL-RASSAN is, so I’ll stop here. I highly recommend it, I think it’s one of the masterpieces of fantasy.
Show Less
LibraryThing member trinibaby9
A lesson in the fact that whatever our religions or convictions we are first and foremost human beings. There are bad people of every faith all over the world, however this does not mean we should judge a whole group of people by these individuals. In this novel Kay shows that however hard it may
Show More
be to look past the bad, we must focus on the good. A moving story, richly depicting the nuances and consequences of war and religion. Show Less
LibraryThing member wyvernfriend
A world that resembles ours but is subtly different, this is a story of several people and their life and loves and the effect war has on their lives. The world is somewhat like medieval Spain and there is religious warfare going on in the place, only it's a different religion in this world and the
This would probably have worked just as well as a historical novel without too many changes and almost lost me in the wordiness of Kay. But the words build an interesting world and it's an interesting ride.
Show More
players are subtly different.This would probably have worked just as well as a historical novel without too many changes and almost lost me in the wordiness of Kay. But the words build an interesting world and it's an interesting ride.
Show Less
LibraryThing member Clurb
It takes rather a lot for a book to move me to tears. This book did it. Twice. What's more, Kay's masterful fantasizing of European history is intelligent, engaging and very well done.
LibraryThing member myfanwy
I was recently recommended the Lions of Al-Rassan and picked it up despite the fact that I haven't read much fantasy in a decade. I found I enjoyed it in the end despite it's flaws. It fails where much fantasy fails: every woman is the most beautiful woman of her race, every man the most loyal, the
Kay does here something I haven't seen anyone else do. He creates a fantasy-world which is so close to reality that he might as well have used the real names. It's essentially spain under the khalifate. He has a peninsula the shape of the Iberian peninsula with a country in the north called 'Esperana' (why did he bother with the "er"?) On the peninsula there coexist three peoples, the muslims (Asharites), christians (Jaddites), and jews (Kindath). There's camel-riding muslim fundamentalists in the south and horse riding christian fundamentalists in the north and the jews keep getting attacks and burned out of their homes for not much reason at all. Except for the introduction of a completely superfluous extra moon, this world is no different than a Hollywoodized spain. I'm not even sure why he bothered to change it. Was it simply so he could then take artistic license and not have historians complain when he wrote in new characters? The characters are characatures and the dialogue is often ridiculously flippant and the worst? One of the characters is the best poet alive and Kay includes the poetry. Doesn't he know that you don't do that? Kay isn't a poet and doesn't pretend to be, and yet there it is, bad poetry, sitting in the middle of the book and all the characters are sitting there swooning about it!
But Kay does some things right. It is an interesting period, the conquest and reconquest of the Iberian peninsula. And in writing this novel he gets into the heads of people in a way you couldn't by reading history. There are poisonings and politics and, even better, there isn't a clear good and bad. It's the end of an era, nothing more nothing less. He includes enough characters to make it believable (the same characters aren't present at every major event), and he describes enough of the lifestyle in each place to make you truly regret the loss when the entire country falls into a bloody war. The war is not glorified and it is just as bloody as you would imagine, and he discusses what drives a soldier to be a soldier, and what drives one to be a good soldier. Still, I now want to read about what really happened. This is kind of a teaser with none of the novelty of a new world and none of the shock of history where you know it was real.
Reading this book was fun. I have to say it, despite everything I said in the beginning of this review. But it was a bit like eating cotton candy for dinner. I was just loaned four books in the past week by friends, but I think I need a break from this pap before I dive into it again. Now that I've had my candy, I'm ready for meat again.
Show More
most brave, the best swordsman, and the most brilliant tactician. I couldn't help but look at this as one of those 'historical' movies that cast Angelina Jolie as the Arab concubine and Brad Pitt as the northern King. But, like Vin Diesel's Triple-X, I found myself drawn into the excitement. You can't have a book where every chapter has its attempted assassination (and plenty of gratuitous sex) without having it be at least a little entertaining!Kay does here something I haven't seen anyone else do. He creates a fantasy-world which is so close to reality that he might as well have used the real names. It's essentially spain under the khalifate. He has a peninsula the shape of the Iberian peninsula with a country in the north called 'Esperana' (why did he bother with the "er"?) On the peninsula there coexist three peoples, the muslims (Asharites), christians (Jaddites), and jews (Kindath). There's camel-riding muslim fundamentalists in the south and horse riding christian fundamentalists in the north and the jews keep getting attacks and burned out of their homes for not much reason at all. Except for the introduction of a completely superfluous extra moon, this world is no different than a Hollywoodized spain. I'm not even sure why he bothered to change it. Was it simply so he could then take artistic license and not have historians complain when he wrote in new characters? The characters are characatures and the dialogue is often ridiculously flippant and the worst? One of the characters is the best poet alive and Kay includes the poetry. Doesn't he know that you don't do that? Kay isn't a poet and doesn't pretend to be, and yet there it is, bad poetry, sitting in the middle of the book and all the characters are sitting there swooning about it!
But Kay does some things right. It is an interesting period, the conquest and reconquest of the Iberian peninsula. And in writing this novel he gets into the heads of people in a way you couldn't by reading history. There are poisonings and politics and, even better, there isn't a clear good and bad. It's the end of an era, nothing more nothing less. He includes enough characters to make it believable (the same characters aren't present at every major event), and he describes enough of the lifestyle in each place to make you truly regret the loss when the entire country falls into a bloody war. The war is not glorified and it is just as bloody as you would imagine, and he discusses what drives a soldier to be a soldier, and what drives one to be a good soldier. Still, I now want to read about what really happened. This is kind of a teaser with none of the novelty of a new world and none of the shock of history where you know it was real.
Reading this book was fun. I have to say it, despite everything I said in the beginning of this review. But it was a bit like eating cotton candy for dinner. I was just loaned four books in the past week by friends, but I think I need a break from this pap before I dive into it again. Now that I've had my candy, I'm ready for meat again.
Show Less
LibraryThing member bluerose
The ending of this is possibly the most heartwrenching ending I have *ever* read. The first time I read the actual ending, I cried for so long, I could hardly read the Epilogue, which set me off again.
Do not however let that put you off. As ever this is an excellent story from GGK :)
Summary:
In a
It is a delicately balanced love triangle (given that one of the men is married to one of the most formidable beauties of her day ) and handled with a grace and panache that is so typical of GGK. There are some hilarious scenes in this book, the collar and the lead scene being one thats memorable.
Its a story of the characters, embroiled in the difficulties of the time, and is both a small and large story. Another I should go off and read again :)
Do not however let that put you off. As ever this is an excellent story from GGK :)
Summary:
In a
Show More
world in the middle of religious and political upheaval (it has similarities to historical Jewish/Christian issues) a woman doctor is saved from the sacking of her town and ends up in the company of the two most celebrated and infamous men of her time.It is a delicately balanced love triangle (given that one of the men is married to one of the most formidable beauties of her day ) and handled with a grace and panache that is so typical of GGK. There are some hilarious scenes in this book, the collar and the lead scene being one thats memorable.
Its a story of the characters, embroiled in the difficulties of the time, and is both a small and large story. Another I should go off and read again :)
Show Less
LibraryThing member Roylin
This was recommended by a friend who is an avid fantasy reader. I gave it a try. I found it excellent. Great, engaging and fully realized characters and a relevant theme: Religion, and how it is manipulated for people's own end and how fundamentalism of either side leads to conflict....that's how I
Show More
viewed it anyway. Great book. Show Less
LibraryThing member babyblade
A moving saga of love, war, and religion.
LibraryThing member mohi
A fantasy story that is heavily based on Andalusian Spain under Muslim rule. An original take that manages to go beyond its novelty to present a very solid story of war, love, trust, and friendship under the fire of cultural differences.
LibraryThing member sarbow
this is my favourite of GGK's books. In his usual style, GGK draws on actual history and imports it into his own world. His history is well researched and his world very real.
LibraryThing member AmberTheHuman
My friends are kind enough to continue giving me books as gifts despite the fact that I am terrible about getting around to reading them. But eventually I do! I wasn't sure what to expect from a fantasy novel when Sam gifted me her favorite book. At first I was a little shocked by the graphicness
Show More
of the descriptions of the raids ... but I got over it and enjoyed the book. It's well written and epic without being too epic - you're able to keep track of the characters and where they are. Big shout out to Sam - and to Laura, when do I get it back? Show Less
LibraryThing member CeridwynR
This is not one of my favourites of his novels - I think because he doesn't quite hit the mythic arc as beautifully as he does in 'Tigana' and the 'Fionnavar Tapestry', but it's still rather wonderful and I cry at the bit with the twin boys in trouble even more now I have a son. Also, it's very
Show More
nice to have a love triangle where all three sides are strong. Show Less
LibraryThing member CeridwynR
This is not one of my favourites of his novels - I think because he doesn't quite hit the mythic arc as beautifully as he does in 'Tigana' and the 'Fionnavar Tapestry', but it's still rather wonderful and I cry at the bit with the twin boys in trouble even more now I have a son. Also, it's very
Show More
nice to have a love triangle where all three sides are strong. Show Less
LibraryThing member shelterdowns
A heartening brew--
The first feat of inquisition, the doom of a race, and the providence guarding two matchless warriors, tipped together into a pot of spice and brought to a-boiling. The final product is wicked and cunning, with all the fey pattern-weaving, taut action, and maddening suspense we
The first feat of inquisition, the doom of a race, and the providence guarding two matchless warriors, tipped together into a pot of spice and brought to a-boiling. The final product is wicked and cunning, with all the fey pattern-weaving, taut action, and maddening suspense we
Show More
expect from historical fantasy's greatest writer. As an added bonus, we are introduced to one of the genre’s supreme female leads. Kay has written as well since, but never better. Show Less
LibraryThing member iayork
a rare and exquisite work: There aren't a lot of truly supreme books, ones that eloquently speak and resonate through the human condition; that, aside from conveying their truths elegantly, are also interesting literary exercises with layers and complexities that move and challenge. This is such a
Show More
book. Gay Gavriel Kay is an exceptional writer and this one plows through the insipid inanities of genre and sings. The characters are astoundingly wrought, even minor ones will make you weep. The plot with such finesse weaves around and back in upon itself, intriguing, but never frustrating the reader and the layers of meaning connect, inspire, and deeply satisfy. This is only my second Kay novel; YSABEL was also very good, but not quite up to LIONS. I did try The FIONAVAR TAPESTRY, but found it flat and not of interest. As a librarian I know a lot of readers shy away from anything labelled "historical" or "fantasy". In this case especially that's truly tragic. Readers of such literary novels as SOUL MOUNTAIN, THE SATANIC VERSES, ONE HUNDRED YEARS OF SOLITUDE, and WAR AND PEACE, even Proust, would find much to enjoy here. Show Less