Books of promise

by Guy Gavriel Kay

This is more ‘classic’ Kay - a historical fiction/fantasy. In this case, there are some interesting themes from a Pagan viewpoint

The dominant tension is between two kingdoms: Gorhaut, who worship Corannos (a god), and Arbonne, who workship both Corannos and Riane (a god and goddess, in other words). Arbonne, in addition, is much like the Aquitaine of Eleanor of Aquitaine’s day: a healthy and vibrant troubrador and jongleur culture, courts of love, and other aspects of the time.

I adore Kay’s dense plotting, but more than that, in this book, I found the different approaches to power absolutely fascinating. You have various noble lords, who handle their power and responsibilities differently (and some far better than others.) You have the ruling widowed countess of Arbonne) and her daughter, now ruler over the Court of Love. You have priestesses, knights, jogleurs, and all sorts of intrigue and interrelationship.

Worth reading for the views on power, responsibilty, and ethics - even without the excellent story.

by Guy Gavriel Kay

All books are fodder for my brain - but this was a lovely example of ‘picking up the right book at the right time’.

This is a hard book to define. It has a 15 year old protagonist, and it includes a fairly substantial coming-of-age plot (which could put it squarely in the Young Adult genre). It has a strong sense of place (and of history). It has what is either a mythological underpinning, a fantastical one, or both (depending on how you view some aspects.) It has a lot of qualities I’d describe as urban fantasy (in terms of approach to magical and fantastic acts within the story), except that the setting is not really urban.

If I had to go for just one, I’d probably pick mythic fiction. But it’s a hard choice.

What I particularly like about this book is threefold: the evocation of place and that place’s history, the approach to “Yikes! Odd stuff happening!”, and the fact that it presents no easy answers. The writing is descriptive, and evocative. The challenges faced have no easy answers. And there are a lot of questions and discussion about what matters most - and when it’s time to let old gripes and grudges go.

It was, in short, a great book to be reading just before I got my 3rd degree.