Karsa Orlong Posted April 11, 2011 Share Posted April 11, 2011 As usual, I seem to pick authors nobody else I know has read. Well, in Kay's case that's not strictly true - I know one person who's read one of his novels (Tigana) and loaned it to me, which is now causing me to start this thread. So blame my friend Anyhoo ... Guy Gavriel Kay is a Canadian author who has written something like ten novels. I'm only on my second of his books but I'm quickly becoming a fan. For those who want to pigeonhole authors, he writes historical fantasy, taking real-world history and depositing it into fantasy settings created by Kay based on various cultures at various points in time. Hmm, I really haven't described that very well Anyway, some of his books/settings include: Tigana - Medieval Italy The Last Light of the Sun - the Vikings Under Heaven - Tang Dynasty China The Lions of Al-Rassan - Medieval Spain The Sarantine Mosaic - Byzantium Anyone else here read his books? The Lions of Al-Rassan excerpt Tigana excerpt Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hyzenthlay Posted April 11, 2011 Share Posted April 11, 2011 Yay! Guy Gavriel Kay! <3. You've missed out on the excellent trilogy he wrote called "The Fionavar Tapestry". The three books are The summer tree, the wandering fire and the darkest road. I reccommend this to EVERYONE, because it is so great. Some of the best fantasy I've read. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Karsa Orlong Posted April 11, 2011 Author Share Posted April 11, 2011 Yay! Guy Gavriel Kay! <3. You've missed out on the excellent trilogy he wrote called "The Fionavar Tapestry". The three books are The summer tree, the wandering fire and the darkest road. I reccommend this to EVERYONE, because it is so great. Some of the best fantasy I've read. That's good to know! They were kind of last on my list because they sounded like more conventional fantasy, but I'll definitely give them a look when I've finished the ones I've just bought Following on from our GRRM comments, in a way, but one thing I like is that most of Kay's books are one-offs. No need to wait years for that next book to find out what happens. Although ... (Tigana spoiler follows) I would love to ask him exactly which fate he had in mind for each character when they saw the riselka right at the end of Tigana. What a way to end a book. The sod Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ooshie Posted April 11, 2011 Share Posted April 11, 2011 I read The Fionavar Tapestry years ago, and loved it, they were three of my favourite books for a long time. I thought I had read at least one other of his books, but I can't call a title to mind at the moment. Good to know that his other writing is well worth a try, too Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Karsa Orlong Posted April 12, 2011 Author Share Posted April 12, 2011 I'd highly recommend giving Tigana a try, Ooshie, especially as it was re-issued (finally!) in the UK in February. Here's the blurb for it: "Tigana is a novel and a world to lose yourself in ... Powerful and moving." —Toronto Star Tigana is the celebrated epic of a beleaguered country struggling to be free. It is the tale of a people so cursed by the dark sorceries of the tyrant king Brandin that even the very name of their once beautiful home cannot be spoken or remembered. And yet, years after their homeland's devastation, a handful of men and women set in motion a dangerous crusade—to overthrow their conquerors and bring back into the world the lost brightness of an obliterated name: Tigana. Often described as the greatest single-volume fantasy novel ever written, Tigana brilliantly uses elements of fantasy to explore powerful themes of lost culture and identity. http://www.guygavrielkay.ca/books.html Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Karsa Orlong Posted April 12, 2011 Author Share Posted April 12, 2011 You can find excerpts from most of his books at his authorised website, here: http://www.brightweavings.com/passages/index.htm Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Karsa Orlong Posted June 13, 2011 Author Share Posted June 13, 2011 March 2011 GGK interview I started reading A Song For Arbonne yesterday. Once again, impossible to put down. GGK is a true wordsmith. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cyra Posted June 19, 2011 Share Posted June 19, 2011 A customer recommended Tigana to me a couple of months ago, so my boss ordered in a couple of copies. I am a fairly slow reader and after seeing the size of it I have been a bit loathe to start it, I already have a few hefty sized novels on my TBR pile, is it worth adding this one? I have never read any of his books before. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Karsa Orlong Posted June 20, 2011 Author Share Posted June 20, 2011 A definite yes! If you like fantasy, of course Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rand00 Posted September 24, 2011 Share Posted September 24, 2011 Yes, these books just rule. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Karsa Orlong Posted November 2, 2011 Author Share Posted November 2, 2011 I just found this review of A Song for Arbonne: http://www.fantasybooknews.com/category/guy-gavriel-kay/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vodkafan Posted November 2, 2011 Share Posted November 2, 2011 Might give this author a go then. Didn't want to read any of the reviews I like to be surprised. But which one should I start off with? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Karsa Orlong Posted November 2, 2011 Author Share Posted November 2, 2011 I'd go with The Lions of Al-Rassan, A Song for Arbonne or Tigana, mate. They are all stand-alone novels, and all are wonderful. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hyzenthlay Posted January 4, 2012 Share Posted January 4, 2012 I'm re-reading the Fionavar Tapestry, and I'm about to start the third book. So good. I'm having the best time with them. And then I'm moving on to The Lions of Al-Rassan, which I have never read before, so that should be interesting! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Karsa Orlong Posted January 6, 2012 Author Share Posted January 6, 2012 I finished the Sarantine Mosaic last night. Wonderful stuff. I've reviewed it here: http://www.bookclubf...post__p__282901 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pontalba Posted January 6, 2012 Share Posted January 6, 2012 I've only read Ysabel so far, but have several others on the shelf patiently waiting their turn. I enjoyed it enough to stock up on more of them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eveciQ Posted January 7, 2012 Share Posted January 7, 2012 It really sounds good, need to read Inheritence first (sigh) but I put it on my list already looked into it, and I can read them in dutch as well thnx for the tip!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Taïr Posted February 8, 2012 Share Posted February 8, 2012 Guy Gavriel Kay is one of my favorite author. He is one of that few author I like everythings about, the plot, personage, writting, storie... The first book I've read was "The Lions of Al-Rassan" which is also my favorite one. So far I've read (in order of preference) : The Lions of Al-Rassan The Sarantine Mosaic The Last Light of the Sun Tigana The Fionavar Tapestry I've enjoyed each one, though the Fionavar Tapestry is the most different one from all is book (maybe because that's the first). I'm still looking for Ysabel and A Song for Arbonne, because in France the editions are sold out T_T, did you enjoy Isabel and A Song for Arbonne as much as the others ? I'm considering reading them in English (But I'm a little bit afraid it's to much for me ><). I'm going re-read the The Lions of Al-Rassan <3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Karsa Orlong Posted February 8, 2012 Author Share Posted February 8, 2012 did you enjoy Isabel and A Song for Arbonne as much as the others ? I thought A Song for Arbonne was wonderful. Having read Sarantine Mosaic since then, I think I'd go along with your top two, with ASfA and Tigana not far behind. I've got Last Light of the Sun and Under Heaven on the shelf still to read Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Taïr Posted February 9, 2012 Share Posted February 9, 2012 Ok, you win me over. I'm going to read them in English o/ (Ok... Maybe I wanted to be be convinced ) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vodkafan Posted February 12, 2012 Share Posted February 12, 2012 Ok, you win me over. I'm going to read them in English o/ (Ok... Maybe I wanted to be be convinced ) You are brave Tair. I tried to read a book in French once (Le Ciel Est A Toi by Michel Bertolino) but it was way too hard for me. Mind you my French is not very good. I am OK with Tin Tin. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Karsa Orlong Posted March 12, 2012 Author Share Posted March 12, 2012 For anyone interested, GGK's wonderful, marvellous, magnificent The Lions of Al-Rassan is re-issued in paperback in the UK this week, first time it's been available here for a long time (other than as an ebook). Just got my copy through to replace the imported one Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Karsa Orlong Posted April 6, 2012 Author Share Posted April 6, 2012 From GGK's website: "Guy Gavriel Kay's new novel is once more inspired by Chinese history, this time during the Song Dynasty, almost four centuries after the story told in his bestselling Under Heaven. The dazzling elements of the Song - cultural brilliance, vicious political rivalries, warfare against nomadic peoples, court mandarins versus the military - are rich ground for Kay's unique blending of fantasy and themes of history. Vivid among a large cast, a young man with a dream of regaining the empire's lost 'rivers and mountains' and a brilliant woman trying to shape a space for herself outside the 'inner quarters', where women are expected to live out their lives, confront the challenges and dangers of a world in turmoil. The Song Dynasty's legacy is prominent in the way Westerners imagine Chinese history to this day and Kay weaves a story that captivates on both an epic scale and within the intimate lives of his characters. GGK announces: "We've agreed to terms with Roc in New York, my current publisher, on the sale of the in-progress novel to them. (It has already been sold to Viking in Canada.) All going well, it will be out next year, details and dates to be released later." http://www.brightweavings.com/news/index.htm Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vodkafan Posted April 14, 2012 Share Posted April 14, 2012 Gonna make a big effort to get on board and do a GGK novel next month Steve. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Karsa Orlong Posted April 15, 2012 Author Share Posted April 15, 2012 Jolly good Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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