Description
Fantasy. Fiction. Mythology. Historical Fiction. HTML:A powerful, moving saga evoking the Celtic, Anglo-Saxon and Norse cultures of a thousand years ago from the acclaimed author of The Fionavar Tapestry. �??A historical fantasy of the highest order, the work of a man who may well be the reigning master of the form.�?��??The Washington Post Book WorldBern Thorkellson, punished for his father�??s sins, denied his heritage and home, commits an act of vengeance and desperation that brings him face-to-face with a past he�??s been trying to leave behind... In the Anglcyn lands of King Aeldred, the shrewd king, battling inner demons all the while, shores up his defenses with alliances and diplomacy�??and with swords and arrows. Meanwhile his exceptional, unpredictable sons and daughters give shape to their own desires when battle comes and darkness falls in the spirit wood... And in the valleys and shrouded hills of the Cyngael, whose voices carry music even as they feud and raid amongst each other, violence and love become deeply interwoven when the dragon ships come and Alun ab Owyn, pursuing an enemy in the night, glimpses strange lights gleaming above forest pools... Making brilliant use of motifs from saga and song and chronicle, Guy Gavriel Kay conjures a work of subtle, intricate richness, bringing to life an unforgettable world balanced on the kni… (more)
Subjects
Language
Original language
English
Original publication date
2004
Physical description
x, 499 p.; 24 cm
Publication
New York : ROC, [2005], c2004.
Pages
x; 499
ISBN
9780451459855
Local notes
Set in the same world as 'The Lions of Al-Rassan', but in the equivalent to Great Britain, during a period analogous to king Alfred's rule in Wessex.
Similar in this library
Awards
Sunburst Award (Shortlist — 2005)
SF Site Reader's Choice (2004)
SF Site Editor's Choice (2004)
Locus Recommended Reading (2004)
User reviews
LibraryThing member fyrefly98
Summary: The Last Light of the Sun takes place in the same world as Kay's Sarantium Mosaic and The Lions of Al-Rassad, although far to the North. It's a world like-but-not-quite Earth, and Last Light sits at a junction that's part Poetic Edda, part Beowulf, and part Arthurian legend. In this world,
Two princes of the Cyngael were present at that raid, and Alun ab Owyn is left in a dark despair after the death of his older brother and the loss of his soul. He rides with Cennion, the high cleric of the Cyngael, to Anglcyn, to warn the King - and his four intelligent but idle children - of the renewed danger. A separate storyline follows Bern Thorkellson, a young Erling whose father was exiled from their island home for murder. His life's hopes tainted by his father's crimes, Bern sets off for the mainland, seeking to join an elite group of mercenary fighters... but tensions with the Anglcyn are high, and mercenaries cannot always choose the motivations behind the jobs that they are given.
Review: Guy Gavriel Kay writes like no one else I've ever read. He can take a scene that by any rights should be something fairly small - something that in another writer's hands would hardly register in my brain - and imbue it with such power that it reaches up and grabs you by the heart and the throat and steals your breath away when you are least expecting it. He's also incredibly adept at building his worlds and setting the scene with a remarkably small amount of description. One of the things I liked best about this book was how vividly it felt like I was in the middle of a Viking encampment or a Welsh farmstead, all without one word about the furniture or the dresses. Guy Gavriel Kay's writing is a large part of why his books typically take me a while to read. Not that the writing is particularly difficult or dense - although neither is it easy and light - but that it's got such power that I find myself wanting to take it slowly, to give myself time to roll around in it, to absorb it, to give it space to breathe.
But... there's a but. While the writing in The Last Light of the Sun was as good as in any of Kay's other books, the story was not my favorite. It kept me interested, without a doubt, and didn't drag, but I also never really got particularly invested in it, either. I think it may have been due to the preponderance of characters. I prefer Kay's books more when they focus on one or a few main POV characters, while Last Light of the Sun had a substantial number of characters that wound up evenly sharing the narration. As a result, the story felt a bit scattered, with not enough time spent with any one character to build a proper emotional connection. Similarly, there were a number of story elements - Cennion's past, the Viking seer, Kendra's newfound gift - that didn't get as much development as they deserved. I still really enjoyed reading it, it just didn't quite have the resonance and oomph of Tigana or The Lions of Al-Rassan. 4 out of 5 stars.
Recommendation: I say this every time I review one of Guy Gavriel Kay's novels, but it's a damn shame more people aren't reading them too. And not just fans of grown-up fantasy, either, but historical fiction fans as well, since apart from taking place in not-quite-Earth, these books are essentially historical fiction. Last Light of the Sun has more fantasy elements than most of his books (but less than, say, Tigana), but it's all of the folklore-ish variety - spirit woods with actual spirits in them, mostly. So, the upshot is: Read them! If you've got a particular affinity for Vikings, then start with Last Light of the Sun, otherwise I'd recommend starting with Lions of Al-Rassan, to get a feel for Kay at his best.
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the Erling warriors in their longships have been conducting fierce raids on the coasts of the North for time out of mind, but the Anglcyn king has subdued them with a treaty that has held for decades. However, their uneasy peace is shattered by an unexpected nighttime raid on the inland household of one of Cyngael, the fractious principalities to the west of Anglcyn.Two princes of the Cyngael were present at that raid, and Alun ab Owyn is left in a dark despair after the death of his older brother and the loss of his soul. He rides with Cennion, the high cleric of the Cyngael, to Anglcyn, to warn the King - and his four intelligent but idle children - of the renewed danger. A separate storyline follows Bern Thorkellson, a young Erling whose father was exiled from their island home for murder. His life's hopes tainted by his father's crimes, Bern sets off for the mainland, seeking to join an elite group of mercenary fighters... but tensions with the Anglcyn are high, and mercenaries cannot always choose the motivations behind the jobs that they are given.
Review: Guy Gavriel Kay writes like no one else I've ever read. He can take a scene that by any rights should be something fairly small - something that in another writer's hands would hardly register in my brain - and imbue it with such power that it reaches up and grabs you by the heart and the throat and steals your breath away when you are least expecting it. He's also incredibly adept at building his worlds and setting the scene with a remarkably small amount of description. One of the things I liked best about this book was how vividly it felt like I was in the middle of a Viking encampment or a Welsh farmstead, all without one word about the furniture or the dresses. Guy Gavriel Kay's writing is a large part of why his books typically take me a while to read. Not that the writing is particularly difficult or dense - although neither is it easy and light - but that it's got such power that I find myself wanting to take it slowly, to give myself time to roll around in it, to absorb it, to give it space to breathe.
But... there's a but. While the writing in The Last Light of the Sun was as good as in any of Kay's other books, the story was not my favorite. It kept me interested, without a doubt, and didn't drag, but I also never really got particularly invested in it, either. I think it may have been due to the preponderance of characters. I prefer Kay's books more when they focus on one or a few main POV characters, while Last Light of the Sun had a substantial number of characters that wound up evenly sharing the narration. As a result, the story felt a bit scattered, with not enough time spent with any one character to build a proper emotional connection. Similarly, there were a number of story elements - Cennion's past, the Viking seer, Kendra's newfound gift - that didn't get as much development as they deserved. I still really enjoyed reading it, it just didn't quite have the resonance and oomph of Tigana or The Lions of Al-Rassan. 4 out of 5 stars.
Recommendation: I say this every time I review one of Guy Gavriel Kay's novels, but it's a damn shame more people aren't reading them too. And not just fans of grown-up fantasy, either, but historical fiction fans as well, since apart from taking place in not-quite-Earth, these books are essentially historical fiction. Last Light of the Sun has more fantasy elements than most of his books (but less than, say, Tigana), but it's all of the folklore-ish variety - spirit woods with actual spirits in them, mostly. So, the upshot is: Read them! If you've got a particular affinity for Vikings, then start with Last Light of the Sun, otherwise I'd recommend starting with Lions of Al-Rassan, to get a feel for Kay at his best.
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LibraryThing member Jim53
Kay's story of Vikings, Anglo-Saxons, and Gaels has some good moments but ultimately falls short of his other works. His theme of how Christians deal with the presence of the "half-world," or faerie realm, gives the work a promising context, and I was glad to see a slightly stronger fantasy element
Last Light is chock full of references to Kay's other books. Our first viewpoint character is from Fezana (The Lions of al Rassan), and we have several specific references to characters such as Rustem and Leontes from Sarantium. Last Light takes place about 300 years after Crispin's journey to Sarantium, and some time before the events of Lions. We also meet the zubir, or perhaps its northern cousin, and a dog named Cafall, and we get a reworking of the misericorde scene from Fionavar. I'm not sure about the point of all these references, which exceed his usual quota by a large margin; their effect on me was to distract me from the current story and remind me of books that I preferred to this one.
Even sub-par Kay is still pretty good, though, so I would not warn readers off of this one. But if this is your first of Kay's books, please don't stop here; go on to Lions or Tigana and see what he can do when he's really on his game.
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than was present in some of his recent books. The problem, for me, is that as usual Kay has created a wonderful group of secondary characters, but he has not given us the compelling primary characters that engage and retain our interest and our emotional investment in the story. There is no Alessan/Blaise/Ammar/Jehane/Crispin here. The most central characters are Aeldred the king of the Anglos and Ceinion the Gaelic priest, both of whom I found interesting but neither of whom really latched onto me as his best characters do.Last Light is chock full of references to Kay's other books. Our first viewpoint character is from Fezana (The Lions of al Rassan), and we have several specific references to characters such as Rustem and Leontes from Sarantium. Last Light takes place about 300 years after Crispin's journey to Sarantium, and some time before the events of Lions. We also meet the zubir, or perhaps its northern cousin, and a dog named Cafall, and we get a reworking of the misericorde scene from Fionavar. I'm not sure about the point of all these references, which exceed his usual quota by a large margin; their effect on me was to distract me from the current story and remind me of books that I preferred to this one.
Even sub-par Kay is still pretty good, though, so I would not warn readers off of this one. But if this is your first of Kay's books, please don't stop here; go on to Lions or Tigana and see what he can do when he's really on his game.
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LibraryThing member ShelfMonkey
The talent of fantasy writing can be a tricky thing. When it works, the reader effortlessly suspends disbelief, joyously transported to worlds of magic and power. Seasoned travelers through these realms include C.S. Lewis, Charles de Lint, Clive Barker, and, of course, J.R.R. Tolkien.
When it
Guy Gavriel Kay knows how to make it work. Highly regarded in the field as a master of fanciful storytelling with a deep interest in historical accuracy, the Canadian author has earned comparisons with both Lewis and Tolkien, even collaborating with Christopher Tolkien on the posthumous publication of his father’s The Silmarillion.
Now, decades after the release of his seminal work The Fionavar Tapestry (recently released in a 20th anniversary edition), Kay has decided to depart slightly from his oeuvre, concentrating instead on a historical fiction with muted elements of the fantastic. The change does him good; The Last Light of the Sun ranks as one of his finest.
Last Light is set firmly in the Norse and Celtic traditions of the north, in a time where “axe and sword were perfectly good responses to treachery.” In a land balanced on the razor’s edge of change, the peoples of the Anglcyn and the Cyngael live in a precarious form of peace, each struggling to prosper under the constant threat of murderous raids by the Erlings.
Into this rich world Kay introduces a host of fascinating characters. Bern Einarson is a man new to the fraternity of mercenaries, while his absent father Thorkell has been taken prisoner. King Aeldred of the Anglcyn fights to keep his people free and thriving, while Ceinion, high cleric of the Cyngael, yearns to bring stability to a universe of fairy worship and an apocalyptic religious faith of giant serpents and world trees.
With all due respect to J.R.R. Tolkien, Kay is by far the better writer. His atmospheric worlds equal Tolkien’s Middle-Earth in complexity and wonderment, while his grasp of character development and dialogue far outpace the master’s.
Part of the gratification of well-designed fantasy is searching for significant parallels in the world beyond the page. Like the best of fantasy, analogous elements to Last Light’s feudal world can be found in today’s uneven mixture of political instability, religious factionalism, and cultural intolerance. Yet Kay is wise enough never to write his fables as polemic; they function equally as amusement and as social criticism, content to let the readers unwrap as many layers and motifs as they deem fit.
The Last Light of the Sun is exhilarating entertainment, a bold trek to a land where one’s finest wish is to die on one’s feet. Kay, now a fantasy veteran, is a maestro of “the dance, the thrust and twist of words, of meanings half-shown and then hidden, that underlay all the great songs and deeds of courts.” The Last Light of the Sun, a taut and gripping novel, is a first-rate work, by any standard.
When it
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doesn’t work, as is far too often the case, it is all so many water nymphs and ogres trudging through the ink, making a cheap buck though series such as Forgotten Realms and Dungeons & Dragons, the over-praised work of Robert Jordan, and others too tawdry to mention.Guy Gavriel Kay knows how to make it work. Highly regarded in the field as a master of fanciful storytelling with a deep interest in historical accuracy, the Canadian author has earned comparisons with both Lewis and Tolkien, even collaborating with Christopher Tolkien on the posthumous publication of his father’s The Silmarillion.
Now, decades after the release of his seminal work The Fionavar Tapestry (recently released in a 20th anniversary edition), Kay has decided to depart slightly from his oeuvre, concentrating instead on a historical fiction with muted elements of the fantastic. The change does him good; The Last Light of the Sun ranks as one of his finest.
Last Light is set firmly in the Norse and Celtic traditions of the north, in a time where “axe and sword were perfectly good responses to treachery.” In a land balanced on the razor’s edge of change, the peoples of the Anglcyn and the Cyngael live in a precarious form of peace, each struggling to prosper under the constant threat of murderous raids by the Erlings.
Into this rich world Kay introduces a host of fascinating characters. Bern Einarson is a man new to the fraternity of mercenaries, while his absent father Thorkell has been taken prisoner. King Aeldred of the Anglcyn fights to keep his people free and thriving, while Ceinion, high cleric of the Cyngael, yearns to bring stability to a universe of fairy worship and an apocalyptic religious faith of giant serpents and world trees.
With all due respect to J.R.R. Tolkien, Kay is by far the better writer. His atmospheric worlds equal Tolkien’s Middle-Earth in complexity and wonderment, while his grasp of character development and dialogue far outpace the master’s.
Part of the gratification of well-designed fantasy is searching for significant parallels in the world beyond the page. Like the best of fantasy, analogous elements to Last Light’s feudal world can be found in today’s uneven mixture of political instability, religious factionalism, and cultural intolerance. Yet Kay is wise enough never to write his fables as polemic; they function equally as amusement and as social criticism, content to let the readers unwrap as many layers and motifs as they deem fit.
The Last Light of the Sun is exhilarating entertainment, a bold trek to a land where one’s finest wish is to die on one’s feet. Kay, now a fantasy veteran, is a maestro of “the dance, the thrust and twist of words, of meanings half-shown and then hidden, that underlay all the great songs and deeds of courts.” The Last Light of the Sun, a taut and gripping novel, is a first-rate work, by any standard.
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LibraryThing member DirtPriest
I suppose this was a pretty good story. It wasn't earth shattering, inspirational or anything like that, just a nice solid and very well crafted story by an apparently very talented writer. It is a story of love and hatred, vengeance and forgiveness, with some exploits in the faerie realm thrown in
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just to make sure it is shelved in the fantasy/scifi section where it belongs. Kay's main fantasy realm is basically an analogue of medieval earth, and is a beautiful little playroom for the author. The Last Light of the Sun is set in the same world as his Sarantine Mosaic books, but instead of focusing on the Byzantine equivalent realm of Sarantine, the story takes place in the northern lands of the Erlings (Viking styled), Cyngaels (surprise! Gaelic Wales/Ireland) and the Anglycyn (Englishey). I have wanted to check out his work since I stumbled across the fact that he assisted Christopher Tolkien in slapping together [The Silmarillion]. Kay seems to have learned a few tricks about writing and I look forward to checking out his other works. Which was my point in grabbing this at the library in the first place. Show Less
LibraryThing member Cecrow
Strong characters and events make this a contendor to rank among the author's best work. I liked the Viking theme and the take on Alfred's kingdom in medieval England. The fairies added only a touch of fantasy but they were welcome. I was intrigued by the references to Kay's other work; I believe
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Sarantium is mentioned. Show Less
LibraryThing member aprillee
In the far north and west civilizations are primitive and brutal and attempting to cope with changes and their place in a larger, more connected world. At the farthest edges are the Erlings, raiders who have wrecked havoc upon countless coasts, ruling the seas in their dragon-prow ships. Young Bern
Meanwhile, two young Cyngael brothers are following their long tradition of cattle-raiding their neighbors, even though the greater threat of the Erlings are roaming off their coasts. Unfortunately, they choose the wrong time and place and escape death once but not twice.
And then there is the half-world, lingering still and strong, quite unlike the other lands Kay writes about, with magic mostly consigned to myth. Even here, the old ways are largely forgotten... only places like the spirit woods are avoided, but perhaps that's only because of natural hazards? But some people have the sight--they can see the beings of the woods, and they worry about their immortal souls.
Finally, there are the Anglcyn, with King Aeldred trying to succeed as a warrior, defending his people from the Erlings, and also as a learned man, trying to bring his lands and his court into the wider world and into history.
The Erlings, the Cygael, the Anglcyn and the last of the old beings and the fae are inter-twined in a tale of destiny, small and large, which is also just a part of a bigger picture of life history.
In a way, there is nothing but personal stories going on; a boy angry at his father and forced to make his way in the world, a father who has gained the wisdom of age only in the 11th hour, brothers whose youth and love and status are not enough to keep them from grief and harm, a king with a destiny and a son who struggles in his father's shadow... They are still great and moving stories and form the core of this book. But all characters, even the most minor, have lives and tales and parts to play. It's an interesting thought, but I did feel that the main characters were sometimes short-shifted.
This is still an excellent tale, with battles and brutality and attempts at glory. And some vestigial bits of magic, dark and alien. And the desire of man to build something more and be something more, even while excelling at destruction and surviving at the expense of others.
All of Kay's books are well-crafted and worth reading. This one may not be his best (but that will depend on the reader--it is all taste in the end), but it was an engrossing and moving tale.
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Thorkellson's father had made his name and his wealth by raiding, but he'd bought a farm and settled on the small island of Rabady until too many drunken brawls and deaths caused him to be exiled and Bern sold into servitude. But Bern is angry that he's paying for his father's stupidity. He steals a horse and seizes his destiny, whatever that may be. Meanwhile, two young Cyngael brothers are following their long tradition of cattle-raiding their neighbors, even though the greater threat of the Erlings are roaming off their coasts. Unfortunately, they choose the wrong time and place and escape death once but not twice.
And then there is the half-world, lingering still and strong, quite unlike the other lands Kay writes about, with magic mostly consigned to myth. Even here, the old ways are largely forgotten... only places like the spirit woods are avoided, but perhaps that's only because of natural hazards? But some people have the sight--they can see the beings of the woods, and they worry about their immortal souls.
Finally, there are the Anglcyn, with King Aeldred trying to succeed as a warrior, defending his people from the Erlings, and also as a learned man, trying to bring his lands and his court into the wider world and into history.
The Erlings, the Cygael, the Anglcyn and the last of the old beings and the fae are inter-twined in a tale of destiny, small and large, which is also just a part of a bigger picture of life history.
In a way, there is nothing but personal stories going on; a boy angry at his father and forced to make his way in the world, a father who has gained the wisdom of age only in the 11th hour, brothers whose youth and love and status are not enough to keep them from grief and harm, a king with a destiny and a son who struggles in his father's shadow... They are still great and moving stories and form the core of this book. But all characters, even the most minor, have lives and tales and parts to play. It's an interesting thought, but I did feel that the main characters were sometimes short-shifted.
This is still an excellent tale, with battles and brutality and attempts at glory. And some vestigial bits of magic, dark and alien. And the desire of man to build something more and be something more, even while excelling at destruction and surviving at the expense of others.
All of Kay's books are well-crafted and worth reading. This one may not be his best (but that will depend on the reader--it is all taste in the end), but it was an engrossing and moving tale.
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LibraryThing member lunacat
Set in The Northlands, a place somewhat akin to medieval Scotland, Wales or Ireland, this is a story of various people's beginnings or ends of their lives. Incorporating strong attributes from past historical cultures (Vikings, Anglo-saxons and Celts all appear and feature strongly) these lands are
The characters are, as in most fantasy, all on a mission, either of revenge or redemption, salvation or forgiveness.
There is Bern Thorkellson, punished for his father's crimes and out to find a better place for himself in this hard world. Alun ab Owyn, who has the title of 'heir' thrust upon him when his brother is killed. King Aeldred is desperate for his people to achieve education and a higher learning but has to deal with the threat of invasion and killing among his people.
Within these main characters stories, there are many more, men and women, who are affected by their choices and behaviours as a threat looms over everything that they are all searching for. And then there are the faeries, that watch over this all.
I was engrossed in the stories of the people from the word go, and whilst it read as a Norse legend, I didn't find it dissatisfying at all. Each hero had a flaw, each villain a motive and each person a chance to change what is, or should, be. The faerie elements are beautifully written and the ending both appropriate and well received. I also very much liked the way 'incidental' stories are slotted into the overall narrative, a highly enjoyable touch. The strong female characters were also much appreciated.
Some people have said this isn't his best work but I found it engrossing and compelling. I appreciated the wildness of the setting, the tale that was being told and the people involved in it. If Tigana is supposed to be better, I can't wait to read it as this is already getting my top marks.
In one line: Engrossing fantasy with deep characters, drawing on Norse and Celtic ideas.
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brutal and fierce.The characters are, as in most fantasy, all on a mission, either of revenge or redemption, salvation or forgiveness.
There is Bern Thorkellson, punished for his father's crimes and out to find a better place for himself in this hard world. Alun ab Owyn, who has the title of 'heir' thrust upon him when his brother is killed. King Aeldred is desperate for his people to achieve education and a higher learning but has to deal with the threat of invasion and killing among his people.
Within these main characters stories, there are many more, men and women, who are affected by their choices and behaviours as a threat looms over everything that they are all searching for. And then there are the faeries, that watch over this all.
I was engrossed in the stories of the people from the word go, and whilst it read as a Norse legend, I didn't find it dissatisfying at all. Each hero had a flaw, each villain a motive and each person a chance to change what is, or should, be. The faerie elements are beautifully written and the ending both appropriate and well received. I also very much liked the way 'incidental' stories are slotted into the overall narrative, a highly enjoyable touch. The strong female characters were also much appreciated.
Some people have said this isn't his best work but I found it engrossing and compelling. I appreciated the wildness of the setting, the tale that was being told and the people involved in it. If Tigana is supposed to be better, I can't wait to read it as this is already getting my top marks.
In one line: Engrossing fantasy with deep characters, drawing on Norse and Celtic ideas.
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LibraryThing member xicanti
Guy Gavriel Kay, the master of historical fantasy, turns to the northern world for inspiration with this 2004 offering.
Let me begin by saying that I enjoyed the book... but not as much as Kay's other work. It was good, and there's tons going on beneath the surface, but I found the story far more
That's not to say that The Last Light of the Sun doesn't have its good points. The world is, as always, extremely well drawn. Kay has a real knack for evoking how places feel; his settings are believable because the reader can easily connect them to the locations and time periods he's based them on. He also made some interesting stylistic choices here that really evoked the Norse ballads; I found his use of parentheses particularly effective, once I got used to it.
And even though the ideas take centre stage here in a much more obvious way, they're still thought provoking and nicely presented. Kay has given me a lot of food for thought, especially regarding belief and how our own preferences shape it. I know I missed out on a lot of things this first time through, and I'm looking forward to rereading the book so I can piece more together.
I suppose, also, that I'm being a little uncharitable in saying that the ideas are more important than the characters and their story. The characters are just as well drawn as those in Kay's earlier books, but they're not as memorable. I didn't feel as much for them. I felt that I came to know them, but not as deeply as I would've liked. This could be more a matter of personal preference than anything else. I strongly suspect that I would've enjoyed these characters and their story much more had I not read it right after Tigana.
So, is this must-read Kay? Sadly, no; I'd recommend his other work ahead of this one. Is it still worthwhile? Definitely.
Let me begin by saying that I enjoyed the book... but not as much as Kay's other work. It was good, and there's tons going on beneath the surface, but I found the story far more
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abstract than I was expecting. I really got the feeling here that Kay set out to say something, above all else. This in itself is nothing new; all Kay's books say something important about the world, but in each case I felt that the story could stand on its own. The deeper meanings were a nice bonus, but they never upstaged the story. Here, I found that they did. There were a couple of scenes where I was deeply immersed in the story, but for the most part I found myself focusing on the possible messages. This took me away from the characters and their struggles, making it difficult for me to fully empathize with anyone.That's not to say that The Last Light of the Sun doesn't have its good points. The world is, as always, extremely well drawn. Kay has a real knack for evoking how places feel; his settings are believable because the reader can easily connect them to the locations and time periods he's based them on. He also made some interesting stylistic choices here that really evoked the Norse ballads; I found his use of parentheses particularly effective, once I got used to it.
And even though the ideas take centre stage here in a much more obvious way, they're still thought provoking and nicely presented. Kay has given me a lot of food for thought, especially regarding belief and how our own preferences shape it. I know I missed out on a lot of things this first time through, and I'm looking forward to rereading the book so I can piece more together.
I suppose, also, that I'm being a little uncharitable in saying that the ideas are more important than the characters and their story. The characters are just as well drawn as those in Kay's earlier books, but they're not as memorable. I didn't feel as much for them. I felt that I came to know them, but not as deeply as I would've liked. This could be more a matter of personal preference than anything else. I strongly suspect that I would've enjoyed these characters and their story much more had I not read it right after Tigana.
So, is this must-read Kay? Sadly, no; I'd recommend his other work ahead of this one. Is it still worthwhile? Definitely.
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LibraryThing member trinibaby9
Good, but not my favourite book of Kay's. I find that his newer material is really lacking in the development and pacing of his earlier works. There were definitely positive points to this book many of the individual characters are well developed. On the other hand some of the other prominent
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characters seem to be developed to no purpose. The small meandering side stories of the some of the minor or previously unintroduced characters was a bit annoying. The ending concept of everyone falling in love with someone or the other in a huge rush felt a little contrived as well. I was surprised as Kay is normally one who is not afraid to end on a note other than the fairy tale ending. This is a good read it's just not great and to be fair I am compairing this to his other works which were superb. Show Less
LibraryThing member justininlondon
Possibly the most disappointing of his books I've read. Very ambitious but ultimately unengaging. His approach to novels (call it historical fantasy, for want of a better description) works if it gives him the freedom to depart from reality and create a wonderful story. But if he fails on that, you
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start to wonder whether it was worth taking the gamble (ie. instead of straightforward fantasy or historical fiction). It didn't work for me at all in this one and I started to wonder why I keep reading his books. Only a couple have wowed me; the rest have been just OK. Show Less
LibraryThing member stuart10er
Any book by Kay is an enjoyment to read, however, this is by far my least favorite of all of his stuff since the first three works. It is set in a Britain like place linking the same planet as all his other works. A viking sets out and gets imbroiled in a fight between some Angles, Welsh, and
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Vikings. A jumbled story - and with an ending that is too convenient. I enjoyed it, though. Show Less
LibraryThing member satyridae
I have liked other books by Kay a lot, and I had high expectations for this one. It's a decent enough story, certainly well-written, but one that failed to hold my interest. I had a fair bit of difficulty telling one character from another, and I wasn't drawn in to the tale. I suspect it was more
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my recent overdose on fiction and less the fault of Kay. Perhaps I'll give this one a go some other time. Show Less
LibraryThing member MuseofIre
Set in the same universe as his The Lions of Al-Rassan and The Sarantine Mosaic, this tale of conflict and change among the Anglo-Saxon, Celtic, and Viking cultures has all of Kay's virtues in spades: the elegant prose, the effortless command of historical detail, the elegaic tone, the knack for
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making people come alive on the page in just a few lines. But it also has his flaws: the way he doesn't really know what to do with his characters once they're all set in motion, the lack of a satisfying ending. Kay especially indulges in too many literary tricks here, too many "had he but known what was going to happen, would he ever" set-ups, too many "oh, life is full of tragedies that stem from seemingly trivial choices" asides, too many "marginal character witnesses significant event" distractions. Though all beautifully depicted, there are too many characters, so that inevitably some get neglected. The three pairings ("romances" would be too positive a word) are so scantly written that none of them are really plausible. Show Less
LibraryThing member seekingflight
Historical fantasy that conjures up an alternate world with resonances of Celtic, Anglo Saxon and Norse cultures, on the cusp of major changes. The premise intrigued me. Although I found it hard to get into, I was increasingly glad that I’d persevered with the story as I got further through it.
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One of the things that I liked was the way in which Kay was aware of – and played with to sometimes good effect – storytelling conventions ... Show Less
LibraryThing member Karlstar
A very good story, but perhaps caught up a bit too much in the fact that it is a story. Sometimes it is written as the story were writing itself and the outcome were pre-ordained, but we don't know what it is. Even so, its a well written tale, with very engaging characters.
LibraryThing member TadAD
What can I say, an exceptionally good book by an author who is consistently good. There's a lot of depth to each of the characters and a wonderful story.
LibraryThing member TomMcGreevy
A fine story, though overwritten and tied too neatly together. That said, worth the read if interested in the subject matter
LibraryThing member DinadansFriend
I'm fond of the Norse flavour in my fantasy, and this is a wonderful serving. Set in a quasi-English setting, the characters are well developed and the ethical dilemmas are sharp. The ending lacks punch, however, and I'm forced to deduct a whole star for its flabbiness. Sorry, GGK.
LibraryThing member jercox
A mix of loosely earth based mythologies and people in a fantasy world, with a dark feel in the background. Kay's standard issue mix of plotlines that pull together at the end, but characters are weak.
LibraryThing member Guide2
Takes a bit of time for the different threads to merge, but interesting when it does
LibraryThing member Xleptodactylous
Hmm. I may return to this book, because I feel a nagging at the back of my mind for no reason I can see. I disliked all the characters and thought it was beyond boring, but there was just something there, you know? In a few reviews I saw that this was the authors worst book, so I may go find
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another of his to test the water again. The thing that annoyed me the most was the utterly pathetic sex scene at the beginning. Isn't there an award for those? I think it should win it. Show Less
LibraryThing member Kavinay
I really wanted to like this book more. The good part of the novel is that there are asides into the lives of common folk that are quite interesting. The bad part is that these asides are sometimes more interesting than the main cast of characters.
It's never a good sign when an author spends a lot
It's never a good sign when an author spends a lot
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of prose on exploring meta-narrative. It becomes a bit of a navel-gazing exercise. Still Guy Kay is otherwise quite adept at setting and telling a tale that is relatively small in scale compared to his previous highlights. Show Less
LibraryThing member JimDR
Yet another masterwork from Kay.
This time, Kay approaches the history of the British Isle, incorporating the Viking raids, the imagined history of Aelfred the Great, and the tension between pagan Britain and the
New religion from Europe.
Kay as always writes with grace, beauty and a deep
An unreserved recommendation for fans of historical fiction, fantasy, or skilled writing in general.
This time, Kay approaches the history of the British Isle, incorporating the Viking raids, the imagined history of Aelfred the Great, and the tension between pagan Britain and the
New religion from Europe.
Kay as always writes with grace, beauty and a deep
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understanding of the humanity behind the wars, duels and suffering of history.An unreserved recommendation for fans of historical fiction, fantasy, or skilled writing in general.
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LibraryThing member wishanem
Viking fantasy!
The only other stories I've read with such a strong Scandinavian historical flavor are Michael Critchton's Eaters of the Dead and the incomparable Beowulf. It isn't all Scandinavian, though, Celtic and English early Medieval cultures are also featured. Like Guy Gavriel Kay's Tigana,
The large cast of characters is written in such a way that I had very strong opinions about even barely-described supporting cast members. I was greatly disappointed with one main character (who fulfilled one too many stereotypes for my tastes), but my complaints were resolved in a quite satisfying way.
My favorite moment of the book was when I found myself uncertain whether I could root for a marauding raider, considering the victims of the raid. I wanted him to succeed because I liked him, but his enterprise was so horrible I wanted it to fail utterly.
I felt most emotionally invested when the characters explored themes of legacy and familial bonds. The story asks, “Is it ever possible for a child to escape their parents' influence? What is the best legacy to leave your children? How do the memories of great deeds shape those who grow up with those memories?”
These questions aren’t all unequivocally answered, but I feel like I learned something from exploring them.
The only other stories I've read with such a strong Scandinavian historical flavor are Michael Critchton's Eaters of the Dead and the incomparable Beowulf. It isn't all Scandinavian, though, Celtic and English early Medieval cultures are also featured. Like Guy Gavriel Kay's Tigana,
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this novel is set in a vivid and realistic, with a rollicking plot and a small bit of magic thrown into a largely historical setting. The plot contains a handful of nice twists, and it wraps up very neatly at the end.The large cast of characters is written in such a way that I had very strong opinions about even barely-described supporting cast members. I was greatly disappointed with one main character (who fulfilled one too many stereotypes for my tastes), but my complaints were resolved in a quite satisfying way.
My favorite moment of the book was when I found myself uncertain whether I could root for a marauding raider, considering the victims of the raid. I wanted him to succeed because I liked him, but his enterprise was so horrible I wanted it to fail utterly.
I felt most emotionally invested when the characters explored themes of legacy and familial bonds. The story asks, “Is it ever possible for a child to escape their parents' influence? What is the best legacy to leave your children? How do the memories of great deeds shape those who grow up with those memories?”
These questions aren’t all unequivocally answered, but I feel like I learned something from exploring them.
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LibraryThing member antao
Guy Gavriel Kay, along with George R. R. Martin, are perhaps the best living writers of epic fantasy, and The Last Light of the Sun" is up to his usual standards. However, this does mean that one has to be in the mood to read epic fantasy to enjoy it.
This is the sort of book where I think one's
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enjoyment depends greatly on whether you're in the mood to read what it offers. The Last Light of the Sun is not a flexible book or one that fits itself to the reader's mood. It's epic fantasy of a particular style, and insists on being read in that mode. I recommend saving it for when that's what you want to read, and avoiding it if you don't like that sort of thing at all. If you haven't liked any of Kay's previous work, this book won't convert you. For the right mood, though, it's magic, unhampered by its few slight flaws."
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