sincerelymendacious's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.25
soumwise's review against another edition
5.0
I did not know it was possible to feel so conflicted about a book and yet give it the full five stars wholeheartedly. In the first half, I got quite bored as the story moves so slowly and lacks tension. But it all comes together - in the most beautiful and heartwrenching way.
As said, the first half drags. Much emphasis is put on fierce warriors behaving elegantly in courtrooms, uttering poetry wherever they can while not hesitating to execute the horrors of war when on the battlefield. It felt like the author was trying very hard to emphasize how the two main male characters are in equal parts shrewd commanders and delicate souls. There is a courtroom scene where Ammar and Rodrigo meet eye to eye - for what seems to be the first time - that is propped with suspense for no apparent reason and ends up being boring and confusing. I was ready to fall asleep - like I was certain the courtesan Zabira had during one of her long-winded bows to the king in this scene.
Adding to this awkwardness are some scenes intended as humorous or erotic, but failing to be just that: Jehane suddenly dropping her voice and feeling Rodrigo up on that horse mid-conversation, or moaning loudly on a battlefield to distract the enemy's commander, it all just felt very random and made whatever tension the story had at that point dissipate for me.
Why then, after all this harshness, five stars, you ask? Because Kay rips your heart to shreds after taking his sweet time to set up the story, that's why.
From the moment Jehane and her trusted advisor Velaz are kidnapped, the sun starts to set on this story as beautifully and as grippingly as in that poetic final scene. The carnival in Ragosa, the chase through Fezana...I have no words. Faces masked, faces contorted in fear and rage both, neighbours ready to kill each other in moments where they themselves feel like deers in headlights and look for the easiest possible scapegoat... Kay makes it so very tangible how war makes monsters out of common people. The prose is simply masterful. I have to say I shed a tear, multiple times, and the only other author that has made me do that so far is Victor Hugo.
In the end, I'm very glad to have discovered Guy Gavriel Kay and am eager to read the rest of his works.
As said, the first half drags. Much emphasis is put on fierce warriors behaving elegantly in courtrooms, uttering poetry wherever they can while not hesitating to execute the horrors of war when on the battlefield. It felt like the author was trying very hard to emphasize how the two main male characters are in equal parts shrewd commanders and delicate souls. There is a courtroom scene where Ammar and Rodrigo meet eye to eye - for what seems to be the first time - that is propped with suspense for no apparent reason and ends up being boring and confusing. I was ready to fall asleep - like I was certain the courtesan Zabira had during one of her long-winded bows to the king in this scene.
Adding to this awkwardness are some scenes intended as humorous or erotic, but failing to be just that: Jehane suddenly dropping her voice and feeling Rodrigo up on that horse mid-conversation, or moaning loudly on a battlefield to distract the enemy's commander, it all just felt very random and made whatever tension the story had at that point dissipate for me.
Why then, after all this harshness, five stars, you ask? Because Kay rips your heart to shreds after taking his sweet time to set up the story, that's why.
From the moment Jehane and her trusted advisor Velaz are kidnapped, the sun starts to set on this story as beautifully and as grippingly as in that poetic final scene. The carnival in Ragosa, the chase through Fezana...I have no words. Faces masked, faces contorted in fear and rage both, neighbours ready to kill each other in moments where they themselves feel like deers in headlights and look for the easiest possible scapegoat... Kay makes it so very tangible how war makes monsters out of common people. The prose is simply masterful. I have to say I shed a tear, multiple times, and the only other author that has made me do that so far is Victor Hugo.
In the end, I'm very glad to have discovered Guy Gavriel Kay and am eager to read the rest of his works.
dogeared_brain's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
gyttja's review against another edition
5.0
Vilken underbar bok! En berättelse om krig och poesi, om död och helande, om vänner och fiender, om kärlek och hat i en värld som hämtat inspiration från medeltida spanien och de religösa och kulturella konflikter som fanns där. Boken är fylld med intressanta och levande karaktärer som kämpar med och mot varandra i en värld splittrad av olika religioner. Berättelsen är både djup och komplicerad och hade lätt kunna varit en trilogi istället för en ensamstående bok. Jag har så mycket mer att säga om den här boken men istället för att jag ska älta om det tycker jag att du borde läsa den!
imreadden's review
adventurous
emotional
sad
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
kingkenito's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
funny
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.75
The start is slow, but boy does it pick up at the 200 page mark. It gets fantastic.
etoothpaste's review against another edition
challenging
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
moody_gobling's review against another edition
4.0
It has been a long time since a book has made me cry. For that I added on an extra star.
This book reminds me very much of Silvia Plath’s poem, “The fig tree”, with all the different branches, the what-ifs, and what-might-have-beens. There was a very slow build up, but about halfway through the novel is when all the prior exposition begins paying off. The last half of the book seemed to fly by, and indeed I put aside other responsibilities to finish it in an afternoon because I knew I would not be able to rest if I didn’t.
Kay leans a lot on the reader’s ability to have a quick mind for political maneuverings. I confess, I am not that person. It is not often that I predict the direction of a plot. I think if I were that person, I would have derived a little bit more enjoyment from the storyline. Nevertheless, I enjoyed it a great deal. Any book that can bring forward emotion is one that gets to stay on my shelves.
This book reminds me very much of Silvia Plath’s poem, “The fig tree”, with all the different branches, the what-ifs, and what-might-have-beens. There was a very slow build up, but about halfway through the novel is when all the prior exposition begins paying off. The last half of the book seemed to fly by, and indeed I put aside other responsibilities to finish it in an afternoon because I knew I would not be able to rest if I didn’t.
Kay leans a lot on the reader’s ability to have a quick mind for political maneuverings. I confess, I am not that person. It is not often that I predict the direction of a plot. I think if I were that person, I would have derived a little bit more enjoyment from the storyline. Nevertheless, I enjoyed it a great deal. Any book that can bring forward emotion is one that gets to stay on my shelves.
sydneyjn's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
It's been awhile since I devoured a book like this! The characters were charming but never perfect. The analogies to the real world were clear without being heavy handed. The moral and ethical choices each person had to make due to their birthplace, religion, and loyalties made it so that there wasn't a 'good guy' or 'bad guy'.
lily_alybaba's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0