A SONG FOR ARBONNE by Guy Gavriel Kay - No Spoiler Review (the best GGK so far)

[@wyluli-dt9wv]

No one is better than GGK. He is fantasy's greatest living author and only Robin Hobb can match him in writing living, breathing, characters. He is also the most underappreciated author in the genre and I'm ecstatic to see your review show up on my feed. Well done and please keep the GGK content coming!

[@thefantasynuttwork]

Thanks!

[@samcostello2861]

Yes! I'm so glad you got the chance to read this book! Guy Gavriel Kay is a fantastic author. I've read all of his books and A Song for Arbonne is my favorite.

[@thefantasynuttwork]

That’s Awesome

[@davidslone2937]

You got this one out fast as hell lmao. Glad to hear you liked it! Should be starting A Brightness Long Ago in the next couple weeks.

[@thefantasynuttwork]

Yeah was dying to talk about it, such a good book!

[@Kristenisfullybookd]

A song for Arbonne is my favourite GGK novel and super under hyped. Glad to see you loved it and hope this gets more people to pick it up

[@thefantasynuttwork]

We can hope 😃

[@MacScarfield]

Man, this review put a giant smile on my face: «Arbonne» was my favorite read of 2021, and I am so glad you enjoyed it! I think this book is a perfect introduction to GGK (better written POV characters then “Tigana” and better villains/paced then “The Lions of Al-Rassan”). Could not agree more about your thoughts about Blaise, he is perhaps my favourite GGK POV I have so far! While GGK tends to have artist/nobles as his POV, it is fun to see Blaise go from being SO fed up to gain respect and even healing some of his previous traumas though the women and men of Arbonne! To this day scenes from the book is vivid in my mind: I burst of laughter when ever I think of Blaise and Bertram gather sheep in Mountains, Blaise’s singlehanded “shootout” (“bow-out”? 😄) is one of the best action scenes I have ever read, and the Villa scene between Blaise and Rudel: So tense, so heartbreaking, simply the gold standard for writing in my opinion! And Blaise’s father is such an delightful antagonist, who goes from being written as a bog standard simple misogynistic and fanatic villain to a multifaceted master manipulator (or just a massive opportunist, you decide!) As for idiot characters, I would mention the superstitious and frightened guy who joins Blaise on his first mission in the book: Hilarious fellow, who even gets a callback later in the novel! Cheers Jimmy!

[@thefantasynuttwork]

Yes! That was my favorite side character 🤣

[@Johanna_reads]

Love what you shared about the purpose behind different narration perspectives as well as all you shared about love, hate, intimacy, and music! You've made me certain I will love this book!

[@MacScarfield]

«Arbonne» was my favorite read of 2021, and I think this book is a perfect introduction to GGK (better written POV characters then “Tigana” and better villains/paced then “The Lions of Al-Rassan”). Blaise is my personal favourite GGK POV I have read so far: While GGK tends to have artist/nobles as his POV, it was really fun to see Blaise go from being SO fed up to gain respect and even having to deal with some of his previous traumas through his experiences in Arbonne! And his interactions with Bertram and Rudel: Priceless and gold standard in writing, from utter hilarity to heartbreaking!

[@Johanna_reads]

@@MacScarfield thanks for sharing your thoughts! I told Jake Bishop I would start my GGK journey with Lions, but I will certainly prioritize this one after that.

[@MacScarfield]

@@Johanna_reads Let me be absolute clear: All three (Tigana, Arbonne, Lions of Al-Rassan) are 5 star reads for me, so it is very close to nitpicking: "Tigana" has the best worldbuilding (heck, it is so good that I had to make THREE videos on the real life history/mythology inspirations for "Tigana", just to get it out of my system!) and Villains and "Lions" amazing POV characters, but I find "Arbonne" to be the best calibrated overall and a good standard to work GGK's works from!

[@thefantasynuttwork]

This book has you written all over it!

[@jakebishop7822]

I will eat my copy of A Song For Arbonne if you dislike it

[@BooksWithBenghisKahn]

What an insightful review on the themes especially! I can't wait to dive into GGK and try this one out!

[@thefantasynuttwork]

I think this one is a good starting spot but Jake knows better than I

[@barrilrayder]

what a great review, Jimmy. Can´t wait to read some Kay.

[@thefantasynuttwork]

Thank you 😄

[@Orik960]

You were never bad at reviewing, but this review really spotlights how you've grown and matured as a reader and reviewer since starting out on Booktube. Your emphasis on themes of love/hate/trauma, the discussion on perspective and its effects on the story, and a lovely description of the world of the book without giving significant spoilers have all encouraged me to get to GGK sooner rather than later. Small personal question, would you attribute much of that reader growth to reading Malazan and McCarthy, as well as deep discussions on said books?

[@thefantasynuttwork]

Hey, thanks for that. I’m always working at getting better at reviewing and understanding books (and myself) more. And yes 1000% I learned more about all of this from malazan more than any other series and then came Blood Meridian. They have been extremely formative for me

[@Adrizzle]

Just listened to the audiobook of this about a month ago, GGK is such a master of story telling and portraying human emotion in all his characters. Looking forward to starting The Lions Of Al-Rassan later today!

[@thefantasynuttwork]

Lions is Soooooo good

[@72mje]

Your reviews always hit a little differently for me. They're thoughtful, balanced, and analytical, and have a healthy dose of common sense and maturity , which never fails to engage and impress me. Well done. And now I'm so glad this book is on my TBR. /Minna

[@thefantasynuttwork]

I really appreciate that, sometimes I can be a bit immature tho hahah thanks for the kind words!

[@72mje]

@@thefantasynuttwork Well, what can you expect from someone who hangs out with Bobby B this much, eh? ;) I'll chalk it up to the "balanced" part... LOL

[@thefantasynuttwork]

@@72mje hahahah

[@DavidMoore-lz4bh]

Read this book when it first came out in 1992 and reread it every year along with all his other books but this my favourite, love the character of Bertran de Talir , could imagine him being played by a young Peter O’toole to Anthony Quinn’s Urte de mirival.

[@thefantasynuttwork]

Such a great character

[@BooksRebound]

Guy Gavriel Kay is incredible. I'm one of the people who got Jake into him.and now he's obsessed. His best work is the Sarantine Mosaic and River of Stars!

[@thefantasynuttwork]

I’m so excited to read those!

[@jordendarrett1725]

You just reminded me how much I need to pick up a Guy Gavriel Kay book! Never seen the cover in the thumbnail but I NEED it lol

[@thefantasynuttwork]

It’s a great cover!

[@esmayrosalyne]

This was my first (and so far only) read by GGK and I am definitely eager to read more, I was blown away by this story. I do regret listening to it on audio though, because even though the narration was fantastic (loved how the songs were done!), I think GGK's prose shines the most when you can really take it in slowly and re-read certain passages to admire how brilliantly they are written. Also loved your insight on the tense switch in the writing depending on the POV, I hadn't made that connection at all. You are really getting better and better at conveying your thoughts on stories and at analysing stories in a deeper way, I love seeing you grow as a reviewer!! Thanks for sharing your thoughts, this was a fantastic review! 🤩

[@thefantasynuttwork]

That means a lot to me, thank you so much 😊

[@jonathonholm8737]

I read this back in 2018 and to this day it is my favorite GGK book. It is so SO underrated! I am due for a reread! So glad to see it getting some attention

[@thefantasynuttwork]

I’m doing my best to let the people know!

[@jonathonholm8737]

​@@thefantasynuttwork the tangled yarns of romance and the complicated family life of Blaise is just 🤌

[@thefantasynuttwork]

@@jonathonholm8737 yes and the underlining feeling that this is a brief moment in history where art is truly the rule of the land. Really great

[@tannersturgeon2448]

Great review brother! Valid criticisms. Everyone is just so damn competent

[@thefantasynuttwork]

I need myself to be represented in the story as a thick headed tool bag ya know

[@ChristopherNavoBooks]

Wow, this was a great reflective review Jimmy! I bring up GGK in my next video as someone I haven't yet read. No where near as articulate as you. Cheers

[@thefantasynuttwork]

You’d love this one dude!

[@ChristopherNavoBooks]

@@thefantasynuttwork I sadly think I forgot to mention this title SoA in my GGK portion. If it wasn't already edited and scheduled I would pop in with it, but looking forward to start.

[@demidrek-heyward]

I liked this one WAY more than Tigana. As a musician I loved the troubadour stuff

[@thefantasynuttwork]

Oh interesting! I haven’t yet got to Tigana

[@ConnorM44]

Great review as always! Just started Under Heaven this weekend actually… already eyeing up Arbonne or Lions next!

[@thefantasynuttwork]

UH is sooooo good!!

[@bookswithzara]

Excellent review, Jimmy. I’m hoping to pick this up in the coming months. You’ve sold me on it even more.

[@thefantasynuttwork]

I hope you like it!!!

[@anothersarahreading9961]

I was doing a reread of all GGK in publication order and Arbonne is next. But I STILL haven't gotten around to it ☹️ But I'm always happy when someone becomes a fan 👍👍

[@thefantasynuttwork]

Haha he’s great!!

[@chadia25]

Got this one on my shelves for years now. Definitely will give it a try later in the year. Thanks.

[@thefantasynuttwork]

Let me know how you find it!

[@readingreignbro5680]

Great review and an amazing book.

[@thefantasynuttwork]

Great comment and an amazing person

[@PhilBrillant]

You nailed it. It was a mystical read. I got some Cornwell vibes on that island

[@thefantasynuttwork]

yes me too!

[@maddy0119]

I read some GGK a long time ago and really enjoyed it but haven't found the right entrypoint back in. You have me intrigued by this one, great review!

[@thefantasynuttwork]

This is definitely a good one for you to try!!

[@TheBeeesKnees]

Really selling GGK for me with this one. Sounds like one I could really enjoy 🎉 one more for the pile

[@thefantasynuttwork]

Do it please! Hahah

[@afantasybabble6222]

Excellent review! Making me want to reread it.

[@thefantasynuttwork]

Thanks my dude!

[@OmnivorousReader]

Tigana is my favourite GGK. Though tbh, as you say; all the books are so perfect that whichever one I am reading is probably my favourite. Still, Tigana....

[@kierstynzolfo868]

Lovely review. I'm a big GGK fan, and you did him justice with this review. If you'd like to try another author who writes historical fantasy along these lines, try Judith Merkle Riley. Her book "the Serpent Garden" follows a court painter in early Tudor England (1510s) and France.And "The Oracle Glass" takes place in 17th century France, in the court of Louis XIV. Both use their fantastical elements sparingly (no wizards or that flavor of fantasy), but in each, it is integral to the plot. Highly recommended!

[@thefantasynuttwork]

Thanks for the recommendation and kind words! I wish more people here on KZbin read GGK

[@andrewhanson405]

Going to have to check this one out. Sounds great

[@thefantasynuttwork]

It’s definitely quality!

[@victortanasa6186]

You should definitely check out The Sarantine Mosaic Duology, it's spectacular. I discovered your channel trying to make sense of the Second Apocalypse, thoroughly enjoyed your videos with Simply Red and Amanda. Cheers!

[@thefantasynuttwork]

That’s next up for me in March!

[@thebrothersgwynne]

I do need to read some GGK! Feels like this may be where I start 👀. Will

[@MacScarfield]

«Arbonne» was my favorite read of 2021, and I think this book is a perfect introduction to GGK, especially for those of us used to Military History/Military Fantasy. Let me be absolute clear, Tigana, Arbonne, Lions of Al-Rassan are all 5 star reads for me, so it is very close to nitpicking: "Tigana" has the best worldbuilding (heck, it is so good that I had to make THREE videos on the real life history/mythology inspirations for "Tigana", just to get it out of my system!) and Villains and "Lions" amazing POV characters, but I find "Arbonne" to be the best calibrated overall and a good median standard of quality to judge GGK's works from: It has better written POV characters then “Tigana” and better villains/pacing then “The Lions of Al-Rassan”). Blaise is my personal favourite GGK POV I have read so far: While GGK tends to have artist/nobles as his POV, it was really fun to see Blaise the hardened mercenary go from being SO fed up, to gain respect and even having to deal with some of his previous traumas through his experiences in Arbonne! And his interactions with Bertram and Rudel: Priceless and gold standard in writing, from utter hilarity to heartbreaking!

[@thefantasynuttwork]

Yes you do!

[@Danny_Matson]

So happy to see this! I had almost put this on the Patreon wheel to get your take before I read it. Had it in for summer this year but might have to push it up now! Which GGK is up next, Jimmy??

[@thefantasynuttwork]

I’m not sure!!!

[@Danny_Matson]

@@thefantasynuttwork Tigana!! It's awesome.

[@DuckRon626]

I’m reading A Song for Arbonne now. I have read Tigana which I highly recommend. I intend to read more of Guy Gavriel Kay’s books in the future. I love his writing both in style and prose. To me, and, this would put a lot of people off, he writes literature that is fantasy. While I like a lot of other writers, he is one of very few that write literature.

[@thefantasynuttwork]

He’s definitely top notch

[@B.LEE.DbrianleedurfeeREVIEWS]

My favorite Gavriel Kay novel is Lions Of Al-Rassan

[@thefantasynuttwork]

Such a great book

[@groofay]

I've been needing another reason to get back into GGK, and you just gave me one, so thanks! I probably made a bad choice trying to read the Sarantium duology first rather than a standalone.

[@thefantasynuttwork]

This one should do the trick!

[@groofay]

@@thefantasynuttwork As for your call to action toward the end, I really did enjoy the first Sarantium book, and one of the chapters ended in some of the most gorgeous prose I've ever read. But I hate when authors add new elements, people places things, seemingly just to keep the story going, and to me the second book kinda did that.

[@thefantasynuttwork]

@@groofay good to know!

[@Dean-cz6dn]

Sounds like a stupendous book. A must-have!

[@thefantasynuttwork]

For sure!

[@jakebishop7822]

Sounds like a good book, I think I might like it!

[@thefantasynuttwork]

Idk bro, zero talking swords :/

[@jakebishop7822]

@@thefantasynuttwork I'm ok with that, as long as head trauma is realistically portrayed

[@thefantasynuttwork]

@@jakebishop7822 yeah steer clear then hahahah

[@thatsci-firogue]

I think I'll make this my next GGK after I'm done River of Stars. I have a really nice hardcover that I got on the cheap. Unfortunately Im not fond of reading from hardcovers. Kay is easily S Tier for me

[@thefantasynuttwork]

Yeah he’s top notch imo

[@annak_reads]

Great review! GGK's writing style is not my favorite, but I'm interested in reading some more from him.

[@thefantasynuttwork]

Nice! What about his writing is not your favorite?

[@annak_reads]

His prose is beautiful, but there's a distance to the writing which makes it hard for me to get into it. Like a lot of info is given through summary, rather than letting the reader be in the scene. I have similar problems with a few writers, and it's probably the most frustrating problem to have, because it doesn't necessarily make me dislike the book, but it also doesn't pull me in. I did really like Tigana, and it had some scenes I thought were excellent, and still think about. The only other GGK book I've read is The Lions of Al-Rassan, so I feel like I need to read more before judging him too harshly 😅 His settings sound really interesting usually, so there's a lot to choose from.

[@thefantasynuttwork]

@@annak_reads I totally understand what you’re saying! Idk if this book does much different in that regard from Lions so it may be something to consider if you’d want to pick it up or not 😄

[@aerialruin8568]

Is this a good book to start on for GGK, I have bought many but have yet to get them, soon though.

[@thefantasynuttwork]

Yup!

[@nihad-m]

Wow. It's one of my all time favorites.. I was waiting for toy to read under heaven. Did you make a review for it?

[@thefantasynuttwork]

I didn’t but wouldn’t mind rereading it and doing one!

[@nihad-m]

@@thefantasynuttwork well .. I guess you didn't have enough thoughts to warrant a review 😅 Maybe you could point me to the wrap up on the month you read it...

[@thefantasynuttwork]

@@nihad-m I actually did I just didn’t have time. Maybe I’ll go over my notes and write up a a review 👀

[@thefantasynuttwork]

@@nihad-m I loved UH and gave it 5 stars I believe

[@benjamincrowhurst5998]

Niceeeee can’t wait to start this

[@thefantasynuttwork]

If you hate it just pretend you never saw this plz

[@benjamincrowhurst5998]

@@thefantasynuttwork hahah don’t stress. Your chapter 3 spoiler was enough for a 5-star tbh

[@thefantasynuttwork]

@@benjamincrowhurst5998 oh you saw that 😂😅

[@allenrhys844]

Love GGK.. I've read them all but it's always nice to hear from another reader. Are you sure it's not pronounced ARE-BONN as it would be closer to the French - I think. At least that's the way I said it in my head.

[@thefantasynuttwork]

Oh it probably is, I’m just bad at pronouncing stuff. It’s my thing 😂

[@allenrhys844]

Try where GGK started after his work on for the Tolkien estate - the Fionivar Tapestry trilogy. There are plenty of missteps for you, but also glorious language and ideals.@@thefantasynuttwork

[@SwipeSide19]

quoted nick diaz? instant favorite fantasytuber

[@thefantasynuttwork]

STOCKTON!

[@finalfrontier001]

I like this book less than the Tigana one but it was a good read.

[@thefantasynuttwork]

I need to try Tigana still!

[@jeroenadmiraal8714]

Lol I am sure it is a fantastic book but I would recommend you to google how to pronounce the French town Arbonne in French. In any case it is not ar-bone. Great review anyway.

[@thefantasynuttwork]

This may come as a shock, but I don’t speak French lol

[@infishort0187]

I always thought it was pronounced “Arbohn” - like more French sounding - but have heard two reviewers in a row say “Arbown”. Not a criticism, just wondering if my Aussie self has been getting it wrong.

[@thefantasynuttwork]

I’m 99% sure I’m wrong

[@infishort0187]

@@thefantasynuttwork it’s probably ToMAYto, ToMAHto in the scheme of things anyway. Regardless, review was spot on (in my opinion anyway)! Now need to find your other Kay reviews…

[@Paul_van_Doleweerd]

Our bone? 😂

[@thefantasynuttwork]

My bone

[@Paul_van_Doleweerd]

@@thefantasynuttwork Biggest dog gets the bone... 😬 I think it's a short O, like Kruppe is a short U.

[@Paul_van_Doleweerd]

@@thefantasynuttwork Oh wait, you just came off a chat with Bookborn... 🤣

[@thefantasynuttwork]

@@Paul_van_Doleweerd r-bon?

[@Paul_van_Doleweerd]

@@thefantasynuttwork I'm going with that, it sounds very French to me.

[@andrewf7732]

How do you compare this with Sailing to Sarantium (if you've read that)? I'm about 2/3 of the way through that one and I'm a little disappointed. I loved Tigana and Lions of Al-Rassan, but Sailing to Sarantium seems to be a step down in terms of character, plotting, and writing. I still like it, but it's not the five star read I was expecting. There is a big focus on art in Tigana as well, so I think A Song for Arbonne will likely resonate with me. I think Sailing to Sarantium lacks the thematic richness in his other works I read.

[@thefantasynuttwork]

I have unfortunately not read that one before!

[@jakebishop7822]

I think Arbonne has a lot more pay off than Sailing to Sarantium. Which has a lot more setup than most GGK books, as it is paving the ground for Lord of Emperors

[@andrewf7732]

@@jakebishop7822 that makes sense. Sarantium does feel like a lot of setup as there isn’t a central conflict and I’m almost 80% through the book.

[@LawOfOne_Elris]

Reddit wave incoming!! Woo!!

[@thefantasynuttwork]

Did someone post this on Reddit? Haha

[@osoisko1933]

I prefer pizazz over smut.

[@osoisko1933]

But for real, this sounds like a really good book.

[@thefantasynuttwork]

I think it is!