…When We Do It
A rather provocative image seen on an online profile.
June 2006
Monthly Archive
Sat 3 Jun 2006
Thu 1 Jun 2006
Another beautiful book by Guy Kay (look for the others reviews here if you’re interested). This one is set in a medieval French setting, where the kingdom of Arbonne, where the traditions of art, poetry, and courtly love rule, is endanged by the religiously-inspired hatreds of its rather Germanic neighbor to the north, Gorhaut.
This one takes a while to get going, as the first third of the book is used to establish and flesh out a whole cast of characters, and Kay is definitely in love with the places he’s creating and the real places that are inspiring him. There’s a definite moment when the action of the novel turns, however, and from there on the book is both beautiful and compelling.
This is not the strongest of Kay’s books in terms of plotting, but if you like his style and approach to fantasy, then you will find this novel to be as enjoyable as the others.