Under Heaven

[bryant]

The new Guy Gavriel Kay book is great, of course. It is also a GGK book. Have a checklist!

Soldier/scholar who is caught between two worlds? Check.
Royalty giving out gifts which are very difficult to manage? Check.
Knowing woman who is amused by someone's uncertainty vis a vis relationships? Check.
Primal supernatural elements which frighten those of the civilized lands? Check.

Poetry? Check.

I really love his stuff.

Comments

[jeregenest.livejournal.com]

Where would you rank it amongst his books?

[bryant]

I rate Song For Arbonne the highest, with Tigana and Lions of Al-Rassan slightly below it. Halfway through, Under Heaven is about Sarantine Mosaic level. It's reminding me of the Mosaic a lot insofar as it's about someone of humble origins dealing with very high level politics.

[shiffer.livejournal.com]

I really loved Tigana, Al-Rassan and Arbonne, but didn't enjoy the Mosaic novels at all. Conflicted about picking this one up.

Of course, I also liked GGK much more before I actually got to know him personally.