Guy Gavriel Kay's All the Seas of the World || Spoiler-free Review

Guy Gavriel Kay's latest historical fantasy novel, All the Seas of the World, continues the story told in his earlier books The Lions of Al-Rassan, The Sarantine Mosaic, Children of Earth and Sky, and A Brightness Long Ago. In this video I discuss his new book and rank it in relation to his many, wonderful literary works.
0:38 Connection to other GGK novels
2:05 Plot overview
5:51 Major themes
7:10 Critique of the book
13:19 Conclusion and recommendation
#booktube #booktubesff #fantasy #bookcollection #bookreview
Artwork credits:
Ananda C. Aran
Elizabeth Leung

[@thelibraryladder]

I hold GGK to a higher standard than most other authors, so my critique in this video might seem a little harsh. I'm simply comparing this book to the high bar set by many of his other novels, based on my own subjective reading of them. YMMV. Also, I want to retract a statement I made in the video regarding Kay's use of first person narration for a certain character. If I had re-read A Brightness Long Ago before reading this book, I would have remembered that Kay uses the same technique for that character in the earlier book. It still feels jarring to me, but there's an explanation for its use. (I wish I had remembered this before the video was finished and uploaded.) Thanks for watching!

[@M-T-123]

I’m thinking of quitting my job to be a full tiMe Reader?😂🐾😂wait, I won’t be able to afford my reading habits, which I’ve gotten used to!will keep my job🤩

[@angusmacdonald7187]

I have always felt that Kay's work was more deeply impacted by his work on the Silmarillion than most people note. There is always an underlying sadness as well as a deep nostalgia for days long past, much as the elves reflect in Tolkien; that sense of tragedy and loss are woven in to all of his works. I also tend to think of his books as Not Histories -- they take a time and a place in the Real World (tm), distill the properties of the age, reorder some of the conflicts, to bring into sharper focus the feel of the time. Unconstrained then by the history itself, he can still dive deeply into the both the minutiae and themes of the given era, thus allowing the world to feel very realistic while also allowing different outcomes from the history itself. At his best, Kay can write a paragraph about a character who you will never meet again in the book, but whose life you feel invested in in some small way. A peasant might pick up a bucket of water and you will feel the weight of the water and the weight of the life laid out for him, the monotony, the small ambitions, and the sad desires for a life just slightly better, while worse consequences lay waiting on the horizon.

[@thelibraryladder]

What a wonderfully thoughtful comment! Very well stated. You make me want to go re-read GGK's works yet again. :)

[@danf5606]

Thanks so much for your Kay reviews. Based on your videos I read Lions-al-Rassan, Arbonne & currently in Sailing to Santarium. All GREAT so far!

[@thelibraryladder]

You're welcome! I'm very glad you're enjoying them so much.

[@72mje]

Your GGK book reviews are simply amazing. Thanks to you I am exploring his writing slowly but surely.

[@thelibraryladder]

Wonderful! I'm so glad you enjoyed the videos, and I hope you enjoy Kay's books as much as I do.

[@bcfortenberry]

Thanks again for your GGK coverage. It’s led me to finish five of his books and he’s quickly becoming one of my favorite authors. The Lions of Al-Rassan is one of the best books I’ve read in the past thirty years and I absolutely adored the Sarantine Mosaic.

[@thelibraryladder]

I'm so glad you're enjoying them! You might want to start pacing yourself so you don't run out of Kay's novels to read too soon. :)

[@daweithisisdavidinmandarin6121]

This channel is absolute fountain of refreshing insight and the comments section is gold. Simon Vance is narrating this book and let me tell you, is like a Spa for my ears!

[@thelibraryladder]

Thank you! I feel the same way about almost any book Simon Vance narrates.

[@mrwizardalien]

I loved this book! Mostly as a wrap-up of the previous two, and less as its own fleshed out story, which you point out in this video. But I'm enough of a sucker for references, for sequels, and for tying up plotlines to have loved it all the same, and still better than some of his less perfect standalone stories in my eyes.

[@thelibraryladder]

I really enjoyed it as well. I wasn't quite as enamored with the many callouts and tie-ins to the other books in this fictional world. He broadened the scope of the story, but I felt it came at the cost of some of the emotional impact. (Or maybe I just wish the ending had more of the bittersweet flavor his best books have.) Thanks for watching and commenting!

[@Henri79]

What a stellar review! A detailed discussion on the novel and its themes, its relationship with the author's previous works, and thoughtful criticism without any spoilers whatsoever. Bravo!

[@thelibraryladder]

Thanks! I appreciate the feedback. Those are my goals for all of my book reviews, although most aren't as long or detailed as this one.

[@al77kor11]

I completely agree with the criticisms raised. In your GGK ranking video comments, I called it a "hot mess," but you've articulated the issues more eloquently (although, essentially, we're on the same page!). I hold his books to a higher standard, which is why I was disappointed. Cristin would describe my sentiments more aptly. The references to DR and Z were particularly troublesome for me too. In truth, your critique might deter people from rushing to read this one, and that's probably for the best.

[@secretsauceofstorycraft]

I loved the song of arbonne, which I read on your recommendation from your original video. While I’m sad to hear this one is such a disappointment, I love that you aren’t afraid to tell us what you think. This allows those who are only going to read a few of his novels, to read the best ones. I appreciate this. I will likely stick to Tigana and his Lions novels. There are just too many books to get to.

[@thelibraryladder]

I'm so glad you enjoyed Arbonne. As you know, it's one of my favorites. Also, I can completely empathize with the difficulty of prioritizing book reading choices. There are far more books to be read than I have time to read. I tend to be a mood reader, so I often make reading decisions on impulse, which eliminates some of the internal debating that otherwise might go on.

[@moonglum101]

Under Heaven is definitely worth a read too. Enjoy!

[@mteresavaldes2251]

I’ve just begun reading GGK’s books! Only finished The Song of Arbonne less than 24 hours ago and I’m eager to read his entire ouvre! Not discouraged by a less than stellar review! Will continue reading and hopefully eventually get to this one!

[@ryerye3147]

Thanks for this..yet again I'm grateful for your work, I ordered ' A Song For Arbonne' from my local library.

[@Paromita_M]

Haven't read the book but what a beautiful video. A piece of art in itself with the images and your voice over.

[@thelibraryladder]

Thank you! KZbin is a visual medium, so I try to make the most I can out of it to illustrate the story I'm telling in my spoken remarks. I never quite know if I'm being effective with it, so your feedback is appreciated.

[@joshyaks]

What a fantastic review! Even more than the critical analysis and the excellent editing, I really appreciated the historical context that you provided. As a history enthusiast, I find that having at least a rough understanding of the history (including the key players) that Kay's books are based upon enriches the reading experience. However, I always find myself wishing that Kay had simply stuck with the original names of places, religions, leaders, etc. so that I don't have to constantly make those substitutions in my head as I read! Your description of the historical setting of this book, especially, caught my interest because about a year ago I made a 45-minute video about the history of the Barbary pirates in preparation for a review I did of a history-based board game called "The Shores of Tripoli". So having done all that research I'm intrigued about "All the Seas of the World", but unfortunately I found "Children of Earth and Sky" to be a somewhat disappointing read (it seemed to start out promising to be a novel of spying and intrigue, but that aspect simply fizzled out), and I haven't read "A Brightness Long Ago". As for the theme of legacy and the impact we can have on the world beyond our lifetimes through our art, I think that was already covered very well in Kay's absolutely wonderful "Sarantine Mosaic". (And because Kay was already exploring this theme over 20 years ago, I wouldn't necessarily take it as a sign that he's preparing to hang up his quill!) I think I'll ultimately prioritize some of his more well-received titles that I haven't gotten to yet. Thank you for this review, and for your tier ranking video, which both helped me to create those priorities!

[@thelibraryladder]

Thanks, Josh. Making this video helped me reframe a little bit in my mind how I think about Kay's books. His latest book is a very good one, but I think it suffers from some of the same problems as Children of Earth and Sky, including a shortage of focused, deeply personal and deeply explored conflicts. Instead, we get conflicts that are broader and shallower and thus feel less consequential (to me). My favorite books of his, including A Brightness Long Ago, feel more personal and impactful to me because of the focused nature of the conflicts that drive their plots. I hope you're right about him not hanging up his quill. I couldn't shake the feeling while reading his latest book that he was going out of his way to tie up loose ends from multiple books and to provide a happier (and less bittersweet) ending than in most of his novels.

[@merlinfive2536]

Excellent analysis. I tend to agree with your criticisms here although as you say, it's still a good book. The most emotionally impactful plotlines for me were the resolutions for Rafel and Lenia with their respective brothers, but nothing landed with the weight of events in many of his other books.

[@thelibraryladder]

Thanks! I thought the plotline with Lenia's brother was very well done at first, but it seemed to be largely abandoned/forgotten by the final third of the book. I was pretty dissatisfied with the plotline involving Rafel's brother. There was a lot of buildup with casual hints and internal musings, but the resolution seemed very impersonal. Basically, I wanted more from those plotlines. And, yes, it's a very good book.

[@YaFeya13]

Absolutely agree, terrific review! Even a lesser book by this author is still terrific, for me everything he ever writes I will compare to his masterpiece, the Lions of Al-Rassan….. My humble opinion, of course

[@thelibraryladder]

Thanks! Lions ranks at the top of my list as well, although there are several close runners-up.

[@moonglum101]

Your opinion is of course, correct, as well as being your opinion.

[@scottdemayo9567]

Very interesting takes. Ten minutes of criticism but still recommended. That's how good Kay is. I loved this novel and don't share most of your criticisms. What really stood out to me the most was the plight and the descriptions of the Kindath. Being Jewish myself, I found that part of this world particularly poignant. Keep up the good work. This better not be foreshadowing....

[@thelibraryladder]

Thanks for your comment! Kay always puts so many emotional layers in his books that it make sense that some will resonate differently with different readers. I was hoping for more, though. I wonder if subconsciously I'm just disappointed that the book's ending lacked the kind of bittersweet flavor his best books have.

[@mteresavaldes2251]

I don’t have your layers of experience, but looking forward to more GGK’s fare! Thank you for sharing your perspective!🐾😇🐾

[@zackrida5452]

Man i just discovered your channel and i wanna say not only did i plan to get into Kay but i can watch you talk about anything ! you have a very eloquent way of talking about what interests you love it !

[@thelibraryladder]

Thank you for your kind comment!

[@personmcpersonperson2893]

I've been planning to read Kays novels for a while and your videos provide optimal guidance to his books. Thanks for your expertise! I highly appreciate this channel

[@thelibraryladder]

You're very welcome! Thanks for watching, Perforth! :)

[@afantasybabble6222]

Thanks for the review. Have heard a couple of similar opinions. I still need to read Brightness but plan to soon so I can read this new book.

[@thelibraryladder]

You should definitely read Brightness before this latest book. I'm undecided about whether it's necessary to read Children of Earth and Sky before it as well. I think ATSOTW can be enjoyed just fine without having read Children before it (and logically it makes sense to read them in chronological order), but some of the tie-ins to Children in this book might be more relatable if you read this one last. Thanks for watching!

[@kbaxtergolding]

I haven’t encountered your reviews before, so I’m now looking forward to tracking down your previous entries on the topic of the works of Guy Gavriel Kay. I’m generally in agreement with your key points, though there is something in me that takes pleasure in identifying references and cross-threads, so - as an avid reader of all this author’s novels - I take less exception to the admittedly sometimes gratuitous-seeming inclusion of such allusions in this latest book. I also found myself wondering if the book could be a final offering; and - like you - I profoundly hope not.

[@thelibraryladder]

Thanks! It's always nice to encounter a GGK fan. I hope you enjoy my other two videos about him. If you're interested, I also participated in a fun livestream discussion of Tigana just a couple of weeks ago on the Johanna Reads channel.

[@AlexInASmallTown]

I picked this book up as part of my casual browsing around for reading material on Book Outlet a few months ago. It had an interesting enough cover and title that it caught my eye and the description made it sound like it might be worth trying. It also was noted that it was a Canada Reads longlist finalist, which isn't always a good thing as I've read award winners before that fell entirely flat. I've never read anything by Guy Gavriel Kay before. I knew nothing about his other books or the world he sets them in. It was an experience I won't soon forget. Maybe I read too much that's "only average", though I wouldn't call Joe Abercrombie/Robin Hobb/Colleen McCullough average, but this book was impactful in ways I'm still sorting out. I'm not an English major or essayist so I can't really evaluate on a deeper level, and I also don't know how to express just how good this novel was. There was simply nothing I didn't love about the story, including the bits you singled out (leaping forward to show some characters' eventual ends and the change in 3rd/1st person). This is the kind of book that makes it hard to pick up the next one on the shelf as you know it will be almost impossible to match the kind of experience you just had. And now I've learned that he has several other stories in the same setting, with some of the same characters. Do I want to read them? Yes... maybe? Or maybe I want to leave this one amazing experience standing alone. I don't know yet. The fact that you've put this at the bottom of your rankings... I have a hard time processing that. If this is an example of his "meh" material I can't imagine what the masterpiece level novels are like. I might find out.

[@thelibraryladder]

Thanks for sharing your first experience reading Kay! I'm so happy to hear how much you enjoyed it. The first time I encountered his 1995 novel The Lions of al-Rassan was a similar revelatory experience for me. He immediately became a 'must-read' author. I hope my review didn't come across as negative. I think All the Seas of the World is a _very_ good book, but as I mentioned in the video, I was holding it to a higher standard by comparing it to the rest of his works. I also hope you continue reading him. I often recommend A Brightness Long Ago as a good entry point for his works (and it has the added benefit of being the first volume in the trilogy of which All the Seas of the World is the concluding book). Alternatively, A Song for Arbonne is another that I think works very well as an introduction to what make Kay great. If you're interested, I've made two other videos about Kay -- one explaining why I consider him to be the greatest living fantasy author, and the other briefly reviewing and tier ranking his novels. They might help you decide whether (and how) to continue on with reading his books.

[@BookishChas]

Too bad this was kind of lackluster. I still haven’t read anything by him yet, but the way you talk about him I hope this isn’t his last book. The cover is gorgeous!

[@thelibraryladder]

Thanks, Chas. I hope I didn't make the book sound like a dud. It's really very good. It just didn't live up to my high expectations for it.

[@alynam82]

I thank you for this video. I jumped the gun in purchasing this book, while having not even considered the prior two novels. I'm going to read both previous published in this "series", first. In fact, I believe you gave me a heads up about this on one of Sarah Reads comment thread. ***oh, I hope this book is NOT a hint to the end of his career.

[@thelibraryladder]

You're very welcome. Definitely read A Brightness Long Ago before this one. I'm undecided whether it's better to read Children of Earth and Sky before it as well. I generally prefer chronological storytelling (an argument for reading this book before Children of E&S), but some of the character and plot callouts in this latest book might make a little more sense if it's read after Children.

[@jonathandeschenes2608]

I've already said it but, what a beautiful voice you have. You should be working for Audible! I didn't read it yet, I'm still waiting for the french version. Kay's novels are so rich that I prefer to read them in my mother tongue. Thanks for the review!

[@thelibraryladder]

Merci! Je suis heureux que vous l'ayez apprécié.

[@samcostello2861]

These past few months, I've been reading the works of GGK and have had a great time. It would be interesting if this new book is indeed Kay's final novel. Hey, I'd understand if it was. I mean, he's been doing this for forty years, so maybe it's time for a change. We'll see.

[@thelibraryladder]

From what I've learned since making this video, Kay hasn't retired from writing, but is shifting to a new setting for his next novel(s). I'm glad you're enjoying his books!

[@samcostello2861]

@@thelibraryladder Bridger, I can't thank you enough for recommending this author. Reading Kay's books has been such a treat. Keep up the good work!

[@nathanielwilder5990]

Peter S Beagle and Guy Gavriel Kay's stories are some of the best written tales in the genre.

[@thelibraryladder]

I agree! Beagle is another author who deserves more attention. He's written more than just The Last Unicorn, and his short fiction is remarkable. Thanks for the comment!

[@moonglum101]

Please tell me more about Peter S Beagle. I've not heard of him. So you have a favorite book?

[@nathanielwilder5990]

@@moonglum101 Peter S Beagle wrote two of my most favorite books. The Last Unicorn and A Fine and Quiet Place. pure genius.

[@moonglum101]

@@nathanielwilder5990 thank you for taking the time to reply. I will surely give him a try!

[@nedrycasey]

Thank you for sharing your thoughts.

[@bookmarkswithjason9445]

You sir are the GGK of booktubers. And speaking of GGK, he just announced that his new book called Written on the Dark is currently being proofread.

[@thelibraryladder]

Thanks, Jason! I heard a few months ago that Kay had a new book planned for 2025, but I hadn't seen any updates (including the title) since then. I'm looking forward to it!

[@angelamccollister]

It's funny but I like Children just the teeniest bit more than Brightness and All the Seas. I reread the previous two before All the Seas so they all do kind of blend together for me. Even though they are set at different times.

[@thelibraryladder]

I really like all of the books, so I'm splitting hairs in some of my critiques of All the Seas of the World relative to other Kay novels. Thanks for watching and commenting!

[@usftrack1992]

Funny, I enjoyed this far more than Children for some reason even though I do see the criticisms applied here. I think taken together as a little duology with Brightness...its a very good book. The main female character was one of the most demented "hero" that Kay has written, and I immensely enjoyed that. I do feel like this is a swan song for the Jaddite World (or at least this time period) but Kay has said in recent interviews he's not done writing.

[@thelibraryladder]

Thanks for sharing! Given how consistently good Kay's books are, I find it hard to rank them. It's easy to find positive aspects of his books that might resonate differently with various readers, but it's harder to find significant flaws that clearly differentiate the books. Having said that, Brightness is definitely superior to its two companion books, Children and All the Seas. :) I'm very happy to hear that he's planning to continue writing.

[@UncleMonk23]

I have heard so many good things about GGK and have Tigana on my TBR…So many people have told me how good that book is and maybe his best…I love historical fiction and this time period covered in these books is right up my alley…I am excited to start up this series…But I am a completionist and a chronologist and did some research and have come up with this inter chronology of this story Sailing to Sarantium Lord of Emperors The Lions of Al-Rassan A Brightness Long Ago All The Seas of The World Children of Earth and Sky Does this include all the books in this world? Does this internal chronology of the series look right? I would appreciate any feedback on this inquiry…Thank You in advance 😊

[@thelibraryladder]

Hi! Your chronology is correct, but it's missing one book - The Last Light of the Sun (which is about an analogue to the Viking invasion of England). Its place in the chronology isn't entirely clear, as it's set about 300 years after Lord of Emperors and around the same time as the events in The Lions of Al-Rassan (although probably a little before Lions). Thus, I'd put it third in your list. His two China-inspired books -- Under Heaven and River of Stars -- are sometimes assumed to be in the same world as the books in your chronology, but they're actually set in their own separate world. With respect to an entry point to GGK, I recommend A Song for Arbonne as a good place to start. It's a standalone that's set in its own world, and it was inspired by the Cathar Crusade of medieval France. As for Tigana, I think highly of it, but I don't recommend it as a starting point (it can be a little polarizing for some readers).

[@UncleMonk23]

@@thelibraryladder Thank You so much for all of this great information…It’s covers exactly what I wanted to know and even some other good nuggets of information that are extremely helpful…I have since watched the other videos on GGK and they are done extremely well and are very informative…I don’t know if you are a professional speaker or not but you certainly could be…Your videos are so well done and you are so well spoken they are extremely easy and fun to listen to and to watch…I was checking out your catalog of videos and see you have covered many of my favorite authors…Tad Williams, Dan Simmons, Neal Stephenson and Vernor Vinge which I rarely ever see or hear about…I am sure GGK will become a favorite of mine as well…I love historical fiction and fantasy so when you can find an author who you say mixes them together so well I have no doubt he will soon become a favorite of mine…My library didn’t have a Song for Arbonne so I ordered a copy and I am still waiting on it…Very excited to read it… I appreciate the recommendation very much, Thank You…I think Vinge is very under appreciated in the SF world on BookTube… A Fire Upon the Deep is a top 10 all time SF novel IMHO…Thanks again for all the great information and advice… I have subscribed to your channel and look forward to more of your content in the future…Keep up the good works 👍🏻😊📚

[@thelibraryladder]

Thank you for the very kind words! It sounds like our tastes are very similar. I hope GGK becomes one of your favorite authors as he is one of mine.

[@Scottlp2]

I may have missed it, but any suggestion where to start with his books? I’ve never read any. Thanks.

[@thelibraryladder]

Thanks for your question. I think A Brightness Long Ago and A Song for Arbonne are good entry points to Kays works. Because he writes mostly standalone novels, you could start almost anywhere, though. I don't recommend starting with Tigana, The Fionavar Tapestry, or Ysabel. Also, River of Stars is best read after Under Heaven. If you haven't already seen it, I have another video in which I briefly review and tier-rank his novels, which might help you prioritize your reading order.

[@TreeBeardBookReviews]

Very helpful Bridger. I need to read more Kay. I’ve only read Tigana and I loved it. I need to read A Brightness Long Ago becuase it sounds fantastic.

[@thelibraryladder]

Yes, Dan, you do need to read more Kay. :) A Brightness Long Ago is a good starting point, and structurally, it's similar to Kay's A Song for Arbonne (which I like even more) in terms of the character conflicts and emotional payoff. Thanks!

[@bigork2099]

@@thelibraryladder A Song for Arbonne is one of my favorite novels. I was surprised how good it was since no one ever really mentions it.

[@thelibraryladder]

You're right. Tigana, Lions, Sarantine Mosaic and Under Heaven tend to hog the spotlight and Arbonne often gets forgotten. It's my third favorite of Kay's books (or more accurately, it's third in a three-way tie for first in my ranking of them: 1a, 1b and 1c). It's also the book I most recommend that readers start with for their first introduction to Kay's writing.

[@thirdspacemaker9141]

I’ve read Children and started Brightness before I got busy and had to return it to the library unfinished. I intend to return to Brightness soon. After I finish it, should I read the Sarantine Mosaic before moving to Seas? Or go ahead with Seas and do Mosaic later?

[@thelibraryladder]

The events in the Sarantine Mosaic occur ~1,000 years before those in All the Seas of the World, and there's no risk of spoiling the earlier duology (that I can recall) by reading Seas first. So I'd say you can read them in either order. You might enjoy Seas more by having the linked books Children and Brightness still fresh in your mind. On the other hand, I suggest reading the Sarantine Mosaic sooner rather than later simply because it's one of Kay's very best works. Thanks for asking.

[@thirdspacemaker9141]

@@thelibraryladder Thank you for the reply!

[@jakebishop7822]

11:15 lol, love the way you are saying, yes I am criticizing the god of prose. I also felt that the omniscient narration was a bit much in this one. I had a similar experience. I unfortunately did make the mistake of assuming that since reading order hadn't mattered for any of the GGK books I have read, that it wouldn't matter for this. And it was new, and shiny, and I had an ARC. So I did read it before A Brightness Long Ago. This made it hard to me to judge the novel, but I still suspected I would have some of the issue's if I read it in the right order, which seems to be reflected by the experience you had. I really enjoyed the start and premise to the novel, but just felt like it kinda ran out of gas, and didn't get the second wind that most other GGK books have after the consequences of the opening events have played out. I will also say though I still did enjoy it quite a bit. I actually did enjoy some of the one off PoVs, although I think my favorite one off PoV was because of how it connected to the main story, which was the PoV swap after the attack in the church/sanctuary, and how it reframed everything I read, even though the events hadn't actually changed. I was curious to see what you would think of this one, cause I read it early, and have been kinda curious to see if this being my second least favorite Kay novel(least favorite at the time of reading) would be a hot take, or if that would be normal. I am still probably going to rereading it after I read A Brightness Long Ago and CoEaK. I think I have forgotten the stuff that got spoiled, although I suspected that I was spoiling myself at the time. I remember someone telling a story, and thinking that sounded like the plot of a GGK book. I wonder if feeling like I should continue because they provided me an ARC, and continually feeling like I was spoiling myself made me harder on it. I suspect on reread I will like it more than I did, but still less than most of his other works. Still gave it 4 stars on goodreads though.

[@thelibraryladder]

Thanks, Jake! I really do think reading order matters for this one. Folco, Cerra and Sardi are important characters in A Brightness Long Ago, and if I remember correctly, Lenia's brother makes a pivotal cameo in it as well in a memorable horse race. There are a lot of veiled and not-so-veiled references in ATSOTW to their actions in the earlier book. I probably should have re-read Brightness before reading this one, but like you, I was expecting a standalone. For one thing, I would have remembered that Kay wrote Cerra's character in Brightness with the same split 1st/3rd person narrative approach used in this book, so I wouldn't have criticized it as I did in the video (I only realized this after the video was finished). Cerra's POV switches still feel a little jarring to me, but are explainable because of their use in Brightness. I like your metaphor of the story "running out of gas." I thought the book started out very strongly, but as the characters separated and pursued their own courses, the story lost some impetus and focus. I just hope I didn't come across as too harsh in my review. I really did enjoy the book, which I tried to make clear. My disappointment stemmed from the fact that I hold Kay to a higher standard because of how incredibly good many of his other books are. This one didn't reach those heights.

[@LCD72]

Seems that this will not be GGK's last novel: 'Written on the Dark' - set in medieval France - is set for publication May 2025!

[@thelibraryladder]

That's great news! Thanks for sharing it.

[@bigork2099]

Is there someone you would recommend that is similar to Guy Gavriel Kay in style?

[@thelibraryladder]

In the fantasy genre, I can't think of anyone who matches Kay's gift for lyrical writing that seamlessly combines the epic and the introspective. Off the top of my head, here are a few that come close in various respects: Ursula Le Guin comes close at times, but her writing style isn't as poetic. Janny Wurts has moments of Kay-like brilliance. However, my experience with her works is uneven and limited. I want to read more by her to better evaluate her writing. Peter Beagle is another who uses a romantic and evocative writing style to good effect, although he doesn't quite capture the same epic qualities as Kay. Tad Williams writes beautifully and does epic very well, but his writing style can vary widely across his different series in an attempt to achieve a particular tone or effect. I hope these suggestions are helpful.

[@bigork2099]

@@thelibraryladder Thank you! Your videos are great, thanks for spending the time on them for us!

[@thelibraryladder]

@@bigork2099 Two more authors who come to mind who have Kay-like qualities are Robin Hobb and Neil Gaiman. At their best, I think their writing is magnificent, but I also think their books aren’t as consistently good as Kay’s. They’ve written some real duds among their successes, in my opinion.

[@bigork2099]

@@thelibraryladder I love Robin Hobb, but have only read Farseer Trilogy and Liveship Trilogy which seem to be her best according to most folks. Tad Williams is one of my favorites also, but Kay's books are so beautiful compared to other authors I have been reading it is hard to even compare. I wouldn't even say that I like lyrical writing, but I guess I do since I love Kay's works so much.

[@johnpethick4911]

You might try Jacqueline Carey's Kushiel series, also set in an alternate Europe. Beautiful writer.

[@thatsci-firogue]

I really liked it, but in comparison to Children of Earth & Sky and A Brightness Long Ago it is underwhelming. My favourite parts were the cameos and tie-ins to the other novels, though I did really like Nadia as a protagonist.

[@technicallythecenteroftheu1349]

I think the book's fatal flaw is its climax. Kay has been moving away from final confrontations where the forces of good and evil meet and one walks away the conclusive victor starting with the Sarantine Mosaic (not that that's a bad thing, his endings have been usually great both before and after this shift), but this is where he swung too far in the opposite direction. The whole conceit of the climax is that it's a foregone conclusion, and the main duo's personal journeys are completely divorced from it besides. And if not even the characters pretend it matters, and the protagonists' arcs aren't impacted by it, and the only connection to the story's themes is a hasty monologue at the end, why should I care?

[@thelibraryladder]

That's a great point. Thanks for sharing it.

[@technicallythecenteroftheu1349]

@@thelibraryladder thanks. I put your videos about Kay on hold for myself when I first saw them last year. I think I had read Tigana and maybe Arbonne before they popped up in my recommended, but when I saw the titles I decided to put them on hold and come back to them after reading his bibliography. And while I'm not as positive on Kay as you are, he's still great and his style is such an important contrast to the hyper-magical and lore-heavy focus of modern fantasy. (Not hating on lots of magic and lore, Sanderson is my GOAT, but it's important to have diversity.)

[@thelibraryladder]

Thanks! If you haven't watched them yet, my first two videos about Kay discuss the full range of his works, but do so at a very high level and spoiler-free. My primary objectives were to give his books greater visibility and to generate reader interest in them. In contrast, in this video about his most recent novel, I go into into significantly more detail in my discussion about the book.

[@technicallythecenteroftheu1349]

@@thelibraryladder yeah I watched them. They were good videos.

[@THEmobius77]

Morph 😂 Now I feel old.

[@Mythologos]

I find Kay acutely painful to read. I don't get the worship.

[@mdlahey3874]

Jeez... You practically trash the book! I don't find much of your criticism to be on point. For whatever, somewhat mysterious reasons, your detailed disappointment with this novel seems to be drawn from some deeper well... I too am an enthusiastic fan of Kay's novels, my all-time favorite being The Sarantine Mosaic, but rather than indulge in merciless criticism, I have been happy to sail along on the route that Kay charted for this book, which I very much hope will not be his last. Thus does a mere "reader", which I am, simply set aside the surgical pursuits of the "critic", which in this instance do not seem to rise above the level of "damning with faint praise". And so it goes...

[@waldo8791]

😢

[@mdlahey3874]

@@waldo8791( I would like to remind myself NOT to write anything of consequence when I've been dealing with a migraine attack.) My own critique was excessive, and failed to include my admiration of your careful criticism. I may not often share your objections, but they are invariably well-said. 🙏🏻

[@thelibraryladder]

Thanks for your comment (and clarification). I tried to make clear in the video that I was comparing the book to Kay's other novels, and as a result my critique might seem more negative than it otherwise would have. You might recall from the final part of the video that my overall opinion of the book is that it's very good and well worth reading (not "damning with faint praise"), even though I don't think it quite measures up to most of Kay's other books. That's a high standard to meet, though, and few fantasy novels by any authors reach that standard, in my opinion.