The lions of alrassan by guy gavriel kay nook book. The lions of alrassan is, in many ways, the seminal novel in guy gavriel kays opus. Jan 23, 2015 ive even come to like finnovar tapestries. Children of earth and sky had it, possibly, in that one characters dead grandfather persists in her head and talks to her. Hauntingly evocative of medieval spain, the lions of al rassan is both a brilliant adventure and a deeply compelling story of love, divided loyalties, and what happens to men and women when hardening beliefs begin to remake or destroy a world. Hauntingly evocative of medieval spain, the lions of alrassan is both a brilliant adventure and a deeply compelling story of love, divided loyalties, and what happens to men and women when hardening beliefs begin to remake or destroy a world. I like lions but the epilogue alone makes what could have been a masterpiece one of.
The lions of alrassan is a hard story of a hard time in history yet the lyricism and poetry of that time is also present through the words of the poetwarrior ammar ibn khairan. Aug 17, 20 guy gavriel kay is only a recent discovery for me, but after reading tigana in june i knew i wanted to read more of his work. Guy gavriel kay discusses his new novel a brightness long ago. Hauntingly evocative of medieval spain, the lions of al rassan is both a brilliant adventure and a deeply compelling story of. Guy gavriel kay is only a recent discovery for me, but after reading tigana in june i knew i wanted to read more of his work. Everyday low prices on a huge range of new releases and classic fiction. So, last night, in the midst of an emotional storm about the outcome of the uks referendum on the eu, i found myself reaching for guy gavriel kays the lions of alrassan.
The lions of al rassan guy gavriel kay canadian fiction canada imaginary wars and battles science fiction english fiction spain physicians kings and rulers desert people fantasy fiction. Four years ago i binged on books and drama as a way of finding my way out of a difficult time. Books like the lions of alrassan or tigana are hard to pigeonhole as fantasy because they offer fastpaced adventure, psychological and. It is set in a peninsula of the same world in which the sarantine mosaic and the last light of the sun are set, and is based on moorish spain. Theres thousands of books that sound like how to deal with anxiety.
The lions of alrassan, which i was very much looking forward to, was similar in that respect, i just wish it had been trimmed down, or possibly split across two books. Pdf the lions of alrassan book by guy gavriel kay free. These weaknesses were frustrating from time to time, but the rest of the book is so good they can also certainly be ignored. The lions of al rassan by gavriel kay at the best online ebook storage. Three novels a song for arbonne, the lions of al rassan, and the last light of the sun by guy gavriel kay. Kays fiction is resonant and powerful, almost impossible to put down, satisfying the reader on multiple levels. The lions of alrassan by guy gavriel kay goodreads. Lions of al rassan is vying with the sarantium books as my favourite.
The best fantasy books for adults who arent into fantasy yet. Still, i havent quite loved any of kays other books as much as i love the lions of alrassan and sailing to sarantium the magic of byzantium keeps me coming back to the latter. I dont really know how to categorize the lions of alrassan, either its not fantasy in the traditional sense, so dont expect elves, orcs, dwarves and the like but its not straight historical fantasy either, for while the realm of alrassan might bear a resemblance to. It is much like the lions of al rassan, and, ironically, it appears that that other novel may have drawn from the same source material in history, as there are clear resonances and common melodies. It unfolds so perfectly, at precisely the right time and in precisely the right way, revealing and concealing all at once. The lions of alrassan by guy gavriel kay librarything. Understanding the story of alrassan is a bit like, if i may indulge in. Download and read online for free the lions of al rassan by guy gavriel kay. The first edition of the novel was published in 1995, and was written by guy gavriel kay. The lions of alrassan by guy gavriel kay tenacious reader. The lions of alrassan takes a while to get going but you will be amply rewarded for your patience. King almalik of cartada, the largest of the three asharite kingdoms in alrassan, arranges for a large number of his enemies slain in one afternoon.
The lions of al rassan is a work of historical fantasy novel by canadian writer guy gavriel kay. I reread both lions of alrassan and the sarantine mosaic in the month before reading a brightness long ago read this past weekend, loved it, and even then i had to take some time off of reading in between. Three novels a song for arbonne, the lions of al rassan, and the last light of the sun guy gavriel kay. I asked hugh what he would recommend for someone like mea. Free download or read online the lions of alrassan pdf epub book. Nov 16, 2019 the lions of alrassan is set in a mystical, medieval spain alrassan analogous to a time when moslems, christians and jews shared the land. Download for offline reading, highlight, bookmark or take notes while you read the lions of alrassan.
The lions of al rassan may be the best fantasy book ever. Use features like bookmarks, note taking and highlighting while reading the lions of alrassan. The lions of al rassan by guy gavriel kay at the best online ebook storage. Its hard to know whether to classify the lions of al rassan as fantasy or imaginative historical fiction. Al rassan is home to three very different cultures and faiths, which has led to years of turmoil and accounted for the violence and. Ive read a few bestselling fantasy seriesharry potter, the lord of the rings, his. Military leaders rodrigo belmonte and ammar ibn khairan, both exiled from their countries, form a bond that is tested by opposing political forces and the female physician, jehane, who loves them both. Al rassan is home to three very different cultures and faiths, which has led to years of turmoil and accounted for the violence and brutality of. When he first arrived on the fantasy scene, with the fionavar tapestry, kay was in some respects not a lot different from many other writers in the genre. The jaddites are pretty plainly christians, the kindath are jewish, and the asharites are muslims more or less. Sometimes its a book that feels very deep and meaningful, and sometimes its just. If you dont mind some digging, there are nuggets aplenty to be found here. The lions of al rassan is set in a mystical, medieval spain al rassan analogous to a time when moslems, christians and jews shared the land.
Guy gavriel kays lions of alrassan is a sprawling tale of love, loyalty, tribal conflict. The ruling asharites of al rassan have come from the desert sands, but over centuries, seduced by the sensuous pleasures of their new land, their stern piety has eroded. The lions of alrassan is based on the reconquest of the iberian peninsula, with all the clashes between religions youd expect. The lions of alrassan could have used a little more action. This is what is known as historical fantasy and there are few better exponents of this genre than guy gavriel kay. The lions of alrassan guy gavriel kay astounding yarns. Guy gavriel kay while the asharite empire has splintered into decadent citystates, rival kings and outlaws, fanatical religious leaders, and the conquered jaddites of the far north are as eager to destroy each. The tone is darker than that of the previous two novels, with themes of revenge, violence, the.
The lions of alrassan audiobook by guy gavriel kay. When we read about battles of young wizards against a tyrant like. First because all these books are on about a fourthgrade reading level, and. Sep 28, 2014 also, at times the chapters felt like a series of strungtogether blog posts. If you like the lions of alrassan you might like similar books sailing to sarantium, under heaven, a song for arbonne, children of earth and sky, tigana. The lions of al rassan is the story of a land with a violent past and the individuals whose paths and destiny intersect during a vital time. I just finished the lions of alrassan by guy gavriel kay. Peace among the jaddites, asharites and kindath is a precarious, elusive thing, made so by the. One thing in particular that ive enjoyed about both books is that they each managed to satisfy my epic fantasy cravings within a single, standalone novel.
This gives kays novels, according to sometime michael ondaatje scholar douglas barbour. Though guy gavriel kay made his name in the fantasy field, the lions of alrassan like the luminous a song for arbonne is no more fantastic than, say, the name of the rose or gone with. Its setting is very obviously that of spanish reconquista, though only the broad details of the geography have been preserved and all the names have been changed. As the world communicates more and more via texts, memes and sound bytes, short but profound quotes from books have become more relevant and. The ruling asharites of alrassan have come from the desert sands, but over centuries, seduced by the sensuous pleasures of their new land, their stern piety has eroded. Jun 25, 2016 four years ago i binged on books and drama as a way of finding my way out of a difficult time. Understanding the story of alrassan is a bit like, if i may indulge in what i thought was a rather clever bit of imagery, watching reverse origami.
The book was published in multiple languages including english, consists of 528 pages and is available in paperback format. Books by guy gavriel kay authors like guy gavriel kay. The lions of al rassan could have used a little more action. The lions of alrassan kindle edition by kay, guy gavriel. Like the lions of al rassan and the sarantine mosaic, it is set in a world closely modeled on medieval europe, but with elements of myth and magic incorporated. Kays the lions of alrassan falls into the category of books to read when i want to read but cant handle anything serious. A song for arbonne arbonne and gorhauttwo lands as different as the sun and the shadowed moon. The lions of alrassan by gavriel kay free download. The lions of alrassan guy gavriel kay dedication for harry karlinsky and mayer hoffer, after thirtyfive years epigraph the evening is deep inside me forever. I wont discount you saying lions of al rassan is the best, as i certainly rank it very highly myself.
The lions of alrassan is a gripping tale that leaves you with plenty to think about. Its an outlier, and i wasnt a fan of the premise, but its got all the heartbreaking pathos and heartwarming heroism as the rest. I first encountered kays works at the blue metropolis festival in montreal, where he had just promoted under heaven i missed him. The lions of alrassan is a 1995 fantasy novel by guy gavriel kay. The lions of alrassan is the second book ive read by guy gavriel kay, the first being tigana.
Books like lions of alrassan or tigana are hard to pigeonhole as fantasy because. This is a sprawling fantasy story covering multiple kingdoms and their disparate religions and spanning across years. Also, at times the chapters felt like a series of strungtogether blog posts. Find books like the lions of alrassan from the worlds largest community of readers. For the inspiration for this novel, guy gavriel kay has drawn on the conflicts in medieval spain, including king ferdinands expulsion of the jews and forced conversion of those who remained during the inquisiton, and the fall of granada to the christians. It features one of the most gutclenching duels ive ever read, and then ggk toys with you for the follwing 30 pages or so like a cat with a fidgety mouse. Guy gavriel kay home to three very different cultures, al rassan is a land of seductive beauty and violent history. I enjoyed both of them very much but if its a setting that doesnt engage you quite so much, i can understand it might be difficult to lose yourself in the story.
Dec 06, 2017 guy gavriel kay vous presente son ouvrage les lions dalrassan aux editions latalante. The lions of al rassan takes a while to get going but you will be amply rewarded for your patience. Three books of his, tigana, the lions of alrassan, and under heaven, formed the basis of my analysis of how he combines the disparate genres of fantasy and the historical novel. The lions of al rassan may be the best fantasy book ever written. The lions of alrassan by guy gavriel kay about a book.
As to those books specifically they are my top two and hard to chose between, but its lions all the way down. Goodreads members who liked the lions of alrassan also liked. To ask other readers questions about the lions of alrassan, please sign up. Thats one of the things kay always does in his books, leaves me pondering with a bittersweet sense of loss and longing. Like the recommendations for the lions of alrassan. The lions of alrassan by guy gavriel kay lowercasesee. I feel like id need more wine than is healthy to go through all his work like that. His stories are like spirals within spirals constantly in motion captivating both the heart and mind of the reader into spellbinding surrender. Jun 11, 2017 a fantasy novel that sets the stage for an epic journey, the lions of al rassan is the story of a land with a violent past and the individuals whose paths and destiny intersect during a vital time. Leander of the idle woman mentioned that she had been wanting to reread the lions of alrassan, one of her favourite books, so we decided it would be interesting. Sharing their interwoven fate and increasingly torn by her feelings is jehane, the accomplished court physician, whose own skills play an increasing role as al rassan is swept to the brink of holy war, and beyond. The asharite empire has splintered into decadent citystates led by warring petty kings. To the mods who even though we all gripe about you at some.
Oct 19, 2017 understanding the story of alrassan is a bit like, if i may indulge in what i thought was a rather clever bit of imagery, watching reverse origami. The novel concentrates on the relationships between the three peoples. Kay elevates the tension and drama by using cliffhangers, intentionally withholding information, and even playing a trick on the reader in the epilogue. The lions of alrassan is a work of historical fantasy novel by canadian writer guy gavriel kay. The lions of alrassan ebook written by guy gavriel kay.
You sound like a marsh frog, she said, moving to stand before his chair. The lions of alrassan by guy gavriel kay free download. Still a really good book and i do look forward to reading more of his. Kay elevates the tension and drama by using cliffhangers, intentionally withholding information, and even playing a. Discover other books like this, author exclusives, and more. Overall for me it is a flawed almost masterpiece that if i were his editor id tell him to write two books or trim some of the fat. Books by guy gavriel kay authors like guy gavriel kay what should i read next register for free to build your own book lists. He has seen life in cities of al rassan, learned the virtues of the people who lived their lives in that culture, lived among those he was taught to hate, hes seen evil and weakness in his own countrymen, and learned to value all life. Join our community of taste explorers to save your discoveries, create inspiring lists, get personalized recommendations, and follow interesting people. If you like tigana you might like similar books the lions of alrassan, the summer tree, under heaven, sailing to sarantium, a song for arbonne. Buy the lions of alrassan by kay, guy gavriel from amazons fiction books store. The lions of alrassan by guy gavriel kay nook book ebook.
If you like the lions of al rassan you might like similar books sailing to sarantium, under heaven, a song for arbonne, children of earth and sky, tigana. Just makes my heart happy to know a contemporary writer can write this. In kays story the evil that must be fought is not a sauron like figure of evil, as in tolkien, or a dragon but fanaticism and intolerance. Many a blond, northern moonrise, like a muted reflection, will softly remind me and remind me again and again. His closest friends, jehane, her parents, and ammar, lived in al rassan.
Andrew tupper karen, most of guy gavriel kays books are in this historical. Download and read online for free the lions of al rassan by gavriel kay. This is a grand novel with the scope of lawrence of arabia and the immediacy of todays mideastern headlines. King almalik of cartada, the largest of the three asharite kingdoms in alrassan, has a number of his enemies slain in one afternoon. Download it once and read it on your kindle device, pc, phones or tablets. The lions of alrassan by guy gavriel kay she reads novels.