"Ren Daiyan was still just a boy when he took the lives of seven men while guarding an imperial magistrate of Kitai. That moment on a lonely road changed his life-- in entirely unexpected ways, sending him into the forests of Kitai among the outlaws. From there he emerges years later-- and his life changes again, dramatically, as he circles towards the court and emperor, while war approaches Kitai from the north. Lin Shan is the daughter of a scholar, his beloved only child. Educated by him in ways young women never are, gifted as a songwriter and calligrapher, she finds herself living a life suspended between two worlds. Her intelligence captivates an emperor-- and alienates women at the court. But when her father's life is endangered by the savage politics of the day, Shan must act in ways no woman ever has. In an empire divided by bitter factions …
"Ren Daiyan was still just a boy when he took the lives of seven men while guarding an imperial magistrate of Kitai. That moment on a lonely road changed his life-- in entirely unexpected ways, sending him into the forests of Kitai among the outlaws. From there he emerges years later-- and his life changes again, dramatically, as he circles towards the court and emperor, while war approaches Kitai from the north. Lin Shan is the daughter of a scholar, his beloved only child. Educated by him in ways young women never are, gifted as a songwriter and calligrapher, she finds herself living a life suspended between two worlds. Her intelligence captivates an emperor-- and alienates women at the court. But when her father's life is endangered by the savage politics of the day, Shan must act in ways no woman ever has. In an empire divided by bitter factions circling an exquisitely cultured emperor who loves his gardens and his art far more than the burdens of governing, dramatic events on the northern steppe alter the balance of power in the world, leading to events no one could have foretold, under the river of stars" -- from publisher's web site.
This follow up to Under Heaven, set 400 years after that book but still in a works echoing with the great changes wrought in its pages, is another shining example of Kay's unparalleled lyricism and emotional charge. The grand scope of history is grounded in characters that and breathe even as they shoulder the burden of world-shaking ambition.
And yet, somehow, this offering from Kay feels somehow bleaker than any of his others. Kay's work often deals with the tragedy of human endeavors, while still celebrating the struggle and valorizing those who strive on. However, River of Stars send to go very heavy on the loss side of this equation, and the glint of hope at the end is merely that: a glint.
It has beauty, but more sorrow than I bargained for.
I have to say this is the Guy Gavriel Kay book I've liked LEAST so far. It's still an interesting book, but it doesn't come anywhere close to his earlier sweeping epics like Tigana or the Lions of Al Rassan. Basically it reads like historical political fiction, and doesn't really have a plot per se; it's more just a recounting of the events in the kingdom of Kitai, centering around the outlaw and then soldier Ren Daiyan. If you can have a fictional biography, it's kind of that. It's still interesting, and is apparently based on early dynasties in China which may explain the strong historical feel. But it also seems to meander around a lot and the plot such as it is is very anticlimactic. If you love historical China and fiction based in those times then you'll probably enjoy this; but generally I'd recommend Kay's other works before …
I have to say this is the Guy Gavriel Kay book I've liked LEAST so far. It's still an interesting book, but it doesn't come anywhere close to his earlier sweeping epics like Tigana or the Lions of Al Rassan. Basically it reads like historical political fiction, and doesn't really have a plot per se; it's more just a recounting of the events in the kingdom of Kitai, centering around the outlaw and then soldier Ren Daiyan. If you can have a fictional biography, it's kind of that. It's still interesting, and is apparently based on early dynasties in China which may explain the strong historical feel. But it also seems to meander around a lot and the plot such as it is is very anticlimactic. If you love historical China and fiction based in those times then you'll probably enjoy this; but generally I'd recommend Kay's other works before this one.
Alright. When I was a teenage girl and later a young adult, I loved G.G. Kay's books. They were... emo, I guess. Made you "feel all the feelz". Strong women, dashing young men, teary-eyed tissue laden twisty plots. Beautiful. Fast forward 16 years. I'm a grown-up, mother of two children. I've see a bit of life and I'm a lot less driven by hormones. And Kay's books feel different now. Forced. Too emo. Too contrived to target that tissue-spot. After the disaster that was Ysabel, and the meh Last Light of the Sun and Under Heaven, I was dreading reading this book.
Well. It was OK. I love the detailed picture he paints of China during the Jingkang incident. I didn't know much about the history of China, and he makes it alluring, just as it was with Under Heaven. But almost the entire book contains too much background info. …
Alright. When I was a teenage girl and later a young adult, I loved G.G. Kay's books. They were... emo, I guess. Made you "feel all the feelz". Strong women, dashing young men, teary-eyed tissue laden twisty plots. Beautiful. Fast forward 16 years. I'm a grown-up, mother of two children. I've see a bit of life and I'm a lot less driven by hormones. And Kay's books feel different now. Forced. Too emo. Too contrived to target that tissue-spot. After the disaster that was Ysabel, and the meh Last Light of the Sun and Under Heaven, I was dreading reading this book.
Well. It was OK. I love the detailed picture he paints of China during the Jingkang incident. I didn't know much about the history of China, and he makes it alluring, just as it was with Under Heaven. But almost the entire book contains too much background info. It reads like a long prologue. There is action, there is a heart-wrenching plot, but it is burried in pages and pages of worldbuilding and historical/cultural information. The book could have been a third of its length and still have a (probably more) compelling story. Also, the book is very plot-driven. Which is understandable, as it follows historical events. But the characters get barely fleshed out. It is hard to feel anything for anyone except the main character, Ren Daiyan. And that only at the dramatic end of the book. The female lead, Lin Shan, started off interesting, though a bit too much like the other strong Kay women. From there, she disappeared. Her fire, gone. Yes, we get told over and over that she is unusual in her writing and poetry skills, and the walking around etc. But it just doesn't have a point. Even the fact that she captures the interest of the emperor is... rather unimportant. I just don't see the point of her character, except as a love interest. The other characters are even more bland and 2 dimensional, even though it is interesting to see the events through the eyes of poets.
Why then the three stars? The writing. If I had to sum up G.G. Kay's writing in one word, I would call it "elegant". Or maybe "poetic". Because he writes with beautiful use of language, smooth as silk and focussed on bringing on emotions. It is a silk with a razorblade hidden in it. Reading his stories is like drinking a smooth Samos wine. Sweet, smooth, delicate, gently complex, and it will hit you in the head afterwards with a nasty kick in the gut. I like that kick, even though it appears I have outgrown the teenage angst from the Fionavar Tapestry and Tigana. Also, I like the twists in his books. The inevitable drama, that gets better on every reread. What happens near the end is one of those kicks and it is good. Small, compared to his early books, but good enough to be Kay. Many people dislike what he did with the end of this book. I disagree, it is wonderful, perhaps one of the best things he could have done. We'll never know for sure what happened in the end. This jewel of an ending almost gets lost in the wordy mist of more historical information, but it is there.
I hope Kay will one day regain his skill in writing a compelling story with a twist, where action won't be bogged down in poetry and infodump.
Again, enjoyed the characters and how they internalized the amazingly structured life of the Chinese court. Didn't actually finish; had to return to library.
