Rating: 
Summary: Fantasy? I think not
Review: Once again, I must give Kay below a ten. But it still leaves a good gap between him and other authors. He's still the best. I must disagree with other reviews and say that the Lions of Al-Rassan is NOT a fantasy. Kay has obviously been trying to make a distinct departure from this genre, while trying to be sensitive towards the Dungeons and Dragons crowd. The only hint of something beyond the earthly is the use of unfamiliar names. But very little magic is spoken of. In any case, Kay's style is still brilliant. However, the ending made me cry...and not the classic oh-mr-kay-you've-moved-me-beyond-words cry but a good-lord-what-happened-to-my-favorite-author cry. The ending contains a not-very-subtle trying-to-hide-the-result-of-the-previous-chapter twist. He's trying to be witty, to make you guess what happened...like a Melrose Place episode (or that cheesy season finale on friends where you try to figure out whether Ross chose Rachel or his bald girlfriend). And the plot is one straight plot...which is kind of disappointing...you'd expect more than the ordinary from Kay. The writing style still carries the naked emotions of his other books, however. I still would recomment this to anyone. Just read it before you read the others, so you won't be too disppointed
Rating: 
Summary: An intelligent fantasy,thoughtful insights
Review: This is a "can't put it down " novel that spans the imagination and time. The characters grow into real people. They learn, they love they suffer as we all do. The struggles of these characters become your own. Fantasy is the wrong word for Kay's book it is in fact reality written in beautiful prose. Kay creates a picturesque world with expressive passages. He creates haunting love stories set against war, prejudice and death. There is such truth and such beauty in this novel that I personally recommend it to all lovers of history and to all readers of philosophy and to all readers who enjoy a damn good read
Rating:
Summary: Classic Kay. A near perfect novel to immerse yourself in.
Review: Once again, Guy Gavriel Kay fashions a world similar to our own, weaving history and fantasy into an unforgettable tapestry of
strong men and women in time of holy war. Conflicts between duty and the heart are given bittersweet voice in a setting
reminiscent of Moorish Spain. Palaces, walled cities, murder and betrayal provide the backdrop for an unforgettable climax,
which will result in a life taken and a culture transformend.
Rating:
Summary: a fantastic adventure, with politics and love at its heart
Review: I am not a romance reader and this book is not a romance. But the heart of this novel is love and romance, along with religion, assassinations, war, power and politics thrown in
to boil the pot. It is a story of strong loyalties to ones
friends, lovers, religion and political ties and what happens when they come in conflict. Guy Gavriel Kay has written many fine books but this is the best by far. The setting in medieval
Spain was perfect for the tone of the storyline, which moved smoothly and quickly. But not quick enough for me, I
read it in as near a single sitting as I could. I was so enthralled by the book that I could not start reading another for a few days until I had finished mulling over and re-reading parts of the book.
Rating:
Summary: Evocative, good characters-best heartbreaking book I've read
Review: I usually don't like books that can be described as "bittersweet" or "heartbreaking". I loved this one. I re-read the Prologue twice before beginning the book, and re-read several times in the book proper.
Characterization: Kay just gets better and better. Plot: This is tragedy in the classic sense: good people on both sides of a question, each fighting for what they believe in.
Background: It's not really that fantastic, though magic does play a part at one point. He did research on mediaeval Spain for this (e.g, the Day of the Ditch and the twitching eye actually happened in Toledo). It has made me want to read up on the era.
Rating:
Summary: Classic Kay. A near perfect novel to immerse yourself in.
Review: Once again, Guy Gavriel Kay fashions a world similar to our own, weaving history and fantasy into an unforgettable tapestry of strong men and women in time of holy war. Conflicts between duty and the heart are given bittersweet
voice in a setting reminiscent of Moorish Spain. Palaces, walled cities, murder and betrayal provide the backdrop for an unforgettable climax, which will result in a life taken
and a culture transformend.
Rating:
Summary: Fantastic
Review: Although not set in our world, this rates for me as historical fiction. The plot and action are built around the characters instead of the other way around and because of that, it is an engrossing read that is hard to put down. Each one of these characters will draw you in and leave wanting more of their story.
Based in a story of external struggle, the internal struggles of loyalty and faith in this story are what move it.
A great read.
Rating:
Summary: Fantastic
Review: With each book that Kay writes, he shows a great skill in creating a culture and world that is unique and highly fascinating, but one that remains greatly relateable. The Lions of Al-Rassan is no exception. In the book, it is clear that the author is constantly aware of the culture and the characters, all which remain consistent in their inconsistency. This book is textured and moving and you should give it a read or two. Or five if you are anything like me.
Rating: 
Summary: Stunning plot, great prose, poor characterization
Review: I've read nearly all of Kay's novels. This one and The Fionavar Tapestry are my favorites. The Lions of Al-Rassan shows Kay at his best in terms of plot construction and narrative beauty. The plot is tightly woven, and Kay deftly strikes the right balance between suspenseful unpredictability and a sense of inevitability as the story unfolds--the characters are constantly being surprised by particulars but are fatalistically aware of general patterns. Nonetheless, I felt compelled to subtract one star for poor characterization and another for ineffective moralism. Kay is very good at drawing noble, infallible characters who are unerringly clever and infuriatingly superlative in just about everything. Enter Rodrigo, unsurpassable warrior-general, genius diplomat, incorruptible husband and landowner, blindingly handsome. Enter also Khammar, genius poet, assassin extraordinaire, unsurpassable warrior-general, irresistible Casanova. Finally, enter Jehane, genius doctor, irresistibly beautiful, always willing to share her bed, inerrant observer of politics, also the perfect bridge between cultures. Kay simply can't resist the urge to draw characters whose sheer perfection must only heighten dramatic tension to a hopeless tragic pitch. This is the worst of Kay's narrative tics; he demonstrates it to a lesser degree in all his novels, but here it grates simply because there are too many flawless characters running around. Finally, the moralism of the book--i.e., that all religions promote fanaticism, and wisdom lies only in irreligion--is too heavy-handed to be effective. Kay's perspective is hopelessly facile and ahistorical.
Rating:
Summary: Touching, beautifully written, powerful and thoughtful book!
Review: I will not mince words - this book takes a while to get going. But a thing as true is that few books are as worth the wait as this one. The story tells of a woman named Jehane and two men, Rodrigo and Ammar. Jehane is a doctor, Rodrigo - a military hero, and Ammar - a legendary monster. Jehane lives by her doctor's oath. Rodrigo fights with as much honor as flesh-carving work can encompass. Ammar weaves his way through court intrigue, soiled by it to the point of no return. Yet he persists, not for his own honor, for little remains of that, nor for his own survival, but for the survival of his culture - the culture of Al-Rassan. Three people - each touched by the hand of a ruler; three lives twisted forever by the touch. Jehane's father, the most renowned physician in two generations, kept his doctor's vow at the cost of cruel punishment by the hand of the king he helped. Rodrigo stayed loyal to a dead king and was exiled by the new one - exiled away from his land, away from his sons, away from the woman he loves madly - whom every man loves madly, having once laid eyes on her. Ammar killed a ruler to put another in his place - killed an inept ruler, replacing him with a better. It was done to keep Al-Rassan breathing. It shattered his life, branded him a monster. Now, a man who once turned the fate of a kingdom is at the mercy of a cruel, power-mad ruler - a ruler he brought to power. And Ammar is still the favored royal scapegoat. Jehane, Rodrigo, Ammar - each defined by a role and a task; none fully encompassed by a single role. Jehane, sworn to protect life, seeks to take one, in bloody revenge. Rodrigo, who lives by his loyalty and honor, seeks to return home, knowing that to return to his wife's arms he must also embrace a traitorous king. Ammar, who is lost in the eyes of the world, seeks to right his monumental mistake, to save his world and, perhaps, to shed light on those who had shifted their crimes to his shoulders. Three people, each different, each haunted, are thrown together. With never a reason to wish each other's acquaintance, they see each other's complexities and, against all odds, find comfort, and friendship, and love. And through it all, a question looms over them like a dark cloud - will the world come calling them back to their narrow, ill-fitting - but undeniable - roles? Kay is a master. He creates three exceptional people - exceptional, and exceptionally real. He weaves an engrossing story and a rich world that will not bend to accommodate the wishes of three mere mortals. What's more, he tells the story of the fall of Granada, the last Muslim state in Spain, with life, passion and a deep respect for the truth, for it is Historical Fantasy that is Guy Gavriel Kay's domain. He captures three very different cultures with never a move to simplify them to something less than they were, to stereotypes. The same can be said for his characters - not just the three, but all his characters. Vivid, beautifully told, heart-warming, heart-rendering, and healing - such is the story of The Lions of Al-Rassan.
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