Kays the lions of alrassan falls into the category of books to read when i want to read but cant handle anything serious. 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. 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. 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. Buy the lions of alrassan by kay, guy gavriel from amazons fiction books store. 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. The lions of alrassan by guy gavriel kay tenacious reader. 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. 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. 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.
Jun 25, 2016 four years ago i binged on books and drama as a way of finding my way out of a difficult time. 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 lions of alrassan by guy gavriel kay free download. You sound like a marsh frog, she said, moving to stand before his chair.
Ive read a few bestselling fantasy seriesharry potter, the lord of the rings, his. The lions of alrassan is a gripping tale that leaves you with plenty to think about. The novel concentrates on the relationships between the three peoples. Andrew tupper karen, most of guy gavriel kays books are in this historical. 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. 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. Its an outlier, and i wasnt a fan of the premise, but its got all the heartbreaking pathos and heartwarming heroism as the rest. 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 alrassan ebook written by guy gavriel kay. 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 audiobook by guy gavriel kay. All 3 of these books are elegant, graceful, beautiful, like seeing a rose bud slowly open. Still a really good book and i do look forward to reading more of his. To the mods who even though we all gripe about you at some.
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. The book was published in multiple languages including english, consists of 528 pages and is available in paperback format. Just makes my heart happy to know a contemporary writer can write this. 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. The first edition of the novel was published in 1995, and was written by guy gavriel kay. The lions of alrassan is a work of historical fantasy novel by canadian writer guy gavriel kay. 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. This is what is known as historical fantasy and there are few better exponents of this genre than guy gavriel kay. Kay elevates the tension and drama by using cliffhangers, intentionally withholding information, and even playing a trick on the reader in the epilogue. Three novels a song for arbonne, the lions of al rassan, and the last light of the sun guy gavriel kay. 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. 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. 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.
The lions of alrassan by guy gavriel kay librarything. The best fantasy books for adults who arent into fantasy yet. I wont discount you saying lions of al rassan is the best, as i certainly rank it very highly myself. The lions of alrassan by guy gavriel kay lowercasesee. Sometimes its a book that feels very deep and meaningful, and sometimes its just. Understanding the story of alrassan is a bit like, if i may indulge in. When we read about battles of young wizards against a tyrant like. 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. 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. The lions of alrassan by guy gavriel kay nook book.
Kays fiction is resonant and powerful, almost impossible to put down, satisfying the reader on multiple levels. 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. Goodreads members who liked the lions of alrassan also liked. 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. King almalik of cartada, the largest of the three asharite kingdoms in alrassan, has a number of his enemies slain in one afternoon. The lions of alrassan by guy gavriel kay goodreads. His closest friends, jehane, her parents, and ammar, lived in al rassan. Free download or read online the lions of alrassan pdf epub book. Like the recommendations for the lions of alrassan. Books like the lions of alrassan or tigana are hard to pigeonhole as fantasy because they offer fastpaced adventure, psychological and. The lions of al rassan is a work of historical fantasy novel by canadian writer guy gavriel kay.
The lions of alrassan guy gavriel kay astounding yarns. Guy gavriel kays lions of alrassan is a sprawling tale of love, loyalty, tribal conflict. 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. Books go search best sellers gift ideas new releases deals store. This is a grand novel with the scope of lawrence of arabia and the immediacy of todays mideastern headlines. His stories are like spirals within spirals constantly in motion captivating both the heart and mind of the reader into spellbinding surrender. 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. First because all these books are on about a fourthgrade reading level, and.
As to those books specifically they are my top two and hard to chose between, but its lions all the way down. 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. Everyday low prices on a huge range of new releases and classic fiction. Guy gavriel kay home to three very different cultures, al rassan is a land of seductive beauty and violent history. I like lions but the epilogue alone makes what could have been a masterpiece one of. Use features like bookmarks, note taking and highlighting while reading the lions of alrassan. Theres thousands of books that sound like how to deal with anxiety. The lions of alrassan is the second book ive read by guy gavriel kay, the first being tigana. The lions of al rassan by guy gavriel kay at the best online ebook storage. Join our community of taste explorers to save your discoveries, create inspiring lists, get personalized recommendations, and follow interesting people.
Books like lions of alrassan or tigana are hard to pigeonhole as fantasy because. 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 lions of alrassan by guy gavriel kay 4 stars the reconquest of alrassan is at hand. The lions of alrassan by guy gavriel kay she reads novels. A song for arbonne arbonne and gorhauttwo lands as different as the sun and the shadowed moon. 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. 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. 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. 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. The lions of al rassan could have used a little more action. 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 feel like id need more wine than is healthy to go through all his work like that.
The lions of al rassan may be the best fantasy book ever. The patterns of history reflected in novels like tigana and the lions of alrassan continue to map onto events in the modern worldwherever national or linguistic heritages are being erased or competing religions wage endless wars against each other. Download and read online for free the lions of al rassan by gavriel kay. The lions of alrassan by guy gavriel kay nook book ebook. 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. To ask other readers questions about the lions of alrassan, please sign up. 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.
This gives kays novels, according to sometime michael ondaatje scholar douglas barbour. Download it once and read it on your kindle device, pc, phones or tablets. The jaddites are pretty plainly christians, the kindath are jewish, and the asharites are muslims more or less. 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. 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 alrassan by gavriel kay free download.
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. Many a blond, northern moonrise, like a muted reflection, will softly remind me and remind me again and again. This is a sprawling fantasy story covering multiple kingdoms and their disparate religions and spanning across years. The asharite empire has splintered into decadent citystates led by warring petty kings.
Books by guy gavriel kay authors like guy gavriel kay what should i read next register for free to build your own book lists. 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. Books by guy gavriel kay authors like guy gavriel kay. 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 lions of alrassan is a 1995 fantasy novel by guy gavriel kay. Sep 28, 2014 also, at times the chapters felt like a series of strungtogether blog posts. Pdf the lions of alrassan book by guy gavriel kay free. Guy gavriel kay discusses his new novel a brightness long ago. It unfolds so perfectly, at precisely the right time and in precisely the right way, revealing and concealing all at once. Hauntingly evocative of medieval spain, the lions of al rassan is both a brilliant adventure and a deeply compelling story of. I just finished the lions of alrassan by guy gavriel kay. The lions of al rassan may be the best fantasy book ever written.
The lions of alrassan takes a while to get going but you will be amply rewarded for your patience. Thats one of the things kay always does in his books, leaves me pondering with a bittersweet sense of loss and longing. In this tale, there are two moons looking over a planet which is home to the country of esperana. If you dont mind some digging, there are nuggets aplenty to be found here. As the world communicates more and more via texts, memes and sound bytes, short but profound quotes from books have become more relevant and.
Download for offline reading, highlight, bookmark or take notes while you read the lions of alrassan. Find books like the lions of alrassan from the worlds largest community of readers. 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. Kay elevates the tension and drama by using cliffhangers, intentionally withholding information, and even playing a. The lions of alrassan could have used a little more action. I asked hugh what he would recommend for someone like mea.
Discover other books like this, author exclusives, and more. The lions of alrassan kindle edition by kay, guy gavriel. Four years ago i binged on books and drama as a way of finding my way out of a difficult time. 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. Its hard to know whether to classify the lions of al rassan as fantasy or imaginative historical fiction.
Peace among the jaddites, asharites and kindath is a precarious, elusive thing, made so by the. 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. The lions of alrassan by guy gavriel kay about a book. 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. Lions of al rassan is vying with the sarantium books as my favourite. The tone is darker than that of the previous two novels, with themes of revenge, violence, the. 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. These weaknesses were frustrating from time to time, but the rest of the book is so good they can also certainly be ignored. Three novels a song for arbonne, the lions of al rassan, and the last light of the sun by guy gavriel kay. Children of earth and sky had it, possibly, in that one characters dead grandfather persists in her head and talks to her. Download and read online for free the lions of al rassan by guy gavriel kay. 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 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.
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