Rating: 
Summary: classic kay
Review: i think that kay has written some of the greatest books you will ever read. tigana, al rassan, the sarantinium mosaic, and this book are all superb examples of what fantasy should be. like all of kay's works, arbonne features fantastic characters. every person in a kay novel is a distinct character with a history, unique personality, and their own "feel". no stock characters in a kay novel. like all kay novels the plot of arbonne is epic, yet it never overshadows the characters. every twist and turn and action in the novel feels real because the charcters are real. when reading kay i get the feeling that he is not writing the book, the characters he has created are writing it. like all kay novels there is a twist at the end that complete sense. everything in a kay novel always feels so right and after reading arbonne there is a feeling of satisfaction because everything about the book fits together perfectly. the only problem i have with kay is that after reading a novel like arbonne other books feel so fake. read this book and be prepared to be up all night because you wont want to put it down.
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Summary: Kay's Best Work?
Review: I have greatly enjoyed Guy Gavriel Kay's writing, and even found "The Fionavar Tapestry" engaging, if not equal to his later, more mature work. Kay is certainly one of the best and most original writers fantasy has to offer, and this work remains a favorite. Like "The Lions of Al-Rassan" and "Sailing to Sarantium ", the story is loosely based upon a historical period and culture, in this case the troubadour era of Mediterranean Europe. Kay interweaves his tale with the customs of medieval knighthood as well as the conflicting worship of a patriarchal sun god and an older, magical veneration of a goddess familiar to anyone having studied Robert Graves. Interlaced into these plot motifs are elements of court intrigue, mystery, and familial skeletons in the closet. Yet out of this seeming disparate stew Kay is able to distill a complicated tale of conflict that is not only believable but attains a life of its own. Unlike much fantasy fiction, the characterization is mature and complex, both in thought and motivation, and Kay's characters evolve with the story. Further, neither the plot nor the players always follow what is expected, yet at no time does the action become contrived or a stretch of one's credulity. Kay obviously loves the unforeseen twist, and cleverly calls it to use. And I think you'll find the aftermath to "A Song for Arbonne" an unsuspected delight.
Rating:
Summary: Love Song for Country
Review: This is one of my favorite Kay stories, and one of the most female-oriented. Like the women of Sarantium, the women of Arbonne have shaped their country and their court. It may seem that they need a man's strength to preserve what the women have created, but in the final twists, you see that is not quite so. Mirrored by the partnership of their gods, male and female share in the protection of their country. I love the music and the lyrical writing. The scene when the old joglar sings a love song to his country brings me to tears. I love the way we see much of the story through the eyes of secondary characters. I love the plot twists and surprises, although a careful reader is given plenty of clues so the surprises shouldn't be unfair. Ademar and Galbert are the most evil of villains, immediately shown as such in the most grotesque manner. There are no shades of grey with them, unlike other villains from Kay's stories. They are Stalin or Hitler - desiring only to dominate and destroy. It is the good characters who have shades of grey. Aelis's selfishness causes the near destruction of her country. Dukes Bertran and Urte are unable to let the past go. Those three annoyed me intensely. But Blaise, Signe, Beatritz, Ariane, Rudel, Lisseut, Valery, Daufridi, and Rosala captured my heart.
Rating: 
Summary: Kay Does Provence
Review: A Song For Arbonne
by Guy Gavriel Kay Guy Kay's status as one of the finest contemporary fantasy novelists is due largely to the beauty of his prose, his substantial powers of description, and the depth of his characters - all traits of the fine fiction writer not normally associated (for shame!) with the fantasy genre. That his books are still shelved in the fantasy section of your local bookstore is due largely to his first efforts (The Fionavar Trilogy, Tigana) which are firmly within the fantasy tradition. A Song For Arbonne marks a decided step away from that tradition, as Kay almost completely eschews magic in this book (and those that follow) and concentrates more on the political and personal relationships between his characters. The strongest argument for categorizing Kay as a fantasy writer is that his stories inhabit imaginary worlds. Kay's international bestseller Tigana was very loosely set in an imaginary Italy (he wrote part of the book in Tuscany) and with A Song For Arbonne and the books that follow, the extent that art imitates life becomes increasingly pointed, as Kay develops a place of his own to write books that fall somewhere between the fantasy and historical fiction genres. A Song For Arbonne is Kay's hommage to Medieval France (he wrote most of the book in Provence) and the Court of Love. If the book lacks the epic sweep of Tigana, Kay makes up for it in his loving evocation of Arbonnais culture. It is this "flavor" of an imagined time and place that is one of Kay's hallmarks as a writer, and he is in fine form here. The conflict in the novel exists on three planes: a religious struggle between the Sun God-worshipping Gorhautians (brutal northerners) and the Moon Goddess-worshipping Arbonnais, a complex political struggle not only between these two countries but within each also, and personal conflicts of honor and love amongst the characters as individuals. All this conflict keeps the action of the story moving along at a nice clip. The religious conflict, however, is not as well developed as the other strands of the story; Kay's description of a misogynist patriarchy seeking to annihilate a benevolent, liberal matriarchy lacks depth, as apt an analogue to European religious history as it may be. As in all of Kay's novels, the protagonist characters (both male and female) are well-developed and sympathetic. Blaise, the Gorhautian soldier turned Arbonnais-sympathizer, presents the focal point of the story, and his exploits (on the battlefield and in the bedroom) and acceptance of the beauty and humanity of the Arbonnais and their Court of Love over the course of the novel is well done. If there is a lack of strong character writing in this book it is in the development of the antagonists: the power-mad King of Gorhaut and Galbert de Garsanc, High Elder of Corannos, his Chief Counselor, are somewhat two-dimensional, and did not hold this reader's interest as well as villains in other Kay novels. Despite these weaknesses, A Song For Arbonne is a lovely novel, and if not as strong as some of Kay's other work, it is still Vintage Kay, any of whose books stand head and shoulders above the imitative, formulaic writing that plagues the fantasy genre. Recommended for readers of literate fantasy.
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Summary: A romance fairy tale with blood & guts
Review: Guy Gavriel Kay has undoubtedly woven a deeply passionate and complex work of art with A Song For Arbonne. Love, betrayl, nobility, religion, passion and patriotism are just a few themes captured in this book. Right from the start you feel drawn into this different world of the land of Arbonne. The touching tale of the love affair of the Duke of Talair and the unloved wife of the Duke of Miraval spins its web through time, holding the entire fate of a country to ransom many years later. Within a few pages of meeting each character the reader begins to know them in an intimate way, understanding or perhaps just "knowing" the very real and complex human emotions that drive these characters. From the power crazed High Priest of Corrannos to the boyish flirtations of the Duke of Talair we are taken into the depths of human emotions and driving forces. The haunting image of the Arch of the Ancients stands as a monument unchanged by time, showing that no matter what time-era, what "fantasy" world, what country, what race, people are always the same. The course of human nature always treads the fine line between self-interest and world-loyalties. This book is a must read for anyone, whether or not they read "fantasy". Kay's tapestry woven in Fionavar is reflected in the world of Arbonne with just as much skill and artistry. I'm sure that I am just one of many many fans eagerly awaiting the next weaving of the Guy Gavriel Kay magic ...... make it soon !
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Summary: Fights, Love, War & Music !
Review: Guy Gavriel Kay here reaches new heights of eleqouence in prose and poetry. Simply put, he manages to introduce you to characters who show that all sides in love and war are much more complex than we'd like to think them - and he teaches you sympathy and interest for everyone involved - the "good guys" and the "bad". He shows both the darkness and the light in love and hate - and how closely to two are linked. If you like romances,Kay shows you love scences and love stories that are much more than "thrustings" in the dark. If you like battle-adventure stories, and are fond of Tolkein, you enjoy some great fight scenes that show not only great action, but great emotion. More depth than Goodkind - try it for an exciting and romantic read!
Rating:
Summary: fast story in a believable complex world
Review: Kay has written a single volume story that is taking place in a world that is as complex, intricate and detailed as any other in the fantasy genre. Basing many of his books on historic periods (in this case late medieval Provence) allows Kay, to create a consistent detailed scenery within a single volume. On top of this, Kay's well versed prose makes the book a pleasure to read.
The story itself is the story of a seemingly weak, cultured society that has to defend itself from its militaristic neighbour. Kay focuses on the subtle political plots and personal problems that are overcome, rather than on the battles and battle preparations. His main character is in search of himself, while other major characters are struggling to cope with past errors. The carefully measured existence of magic makes that the reader experiences the belief in the gods and the mysticism as the characters do, while at the same time it does not take over the main story.
Kay is one of my favourite writers and this is my favourite among his books.
Rating:
Summary: so worth the time
Review: I've read all of Guy Kay's books several times, and they are always worth the hours spent. A Song for Arbonne is no different in that aspect. I don't want to give away the plot line because I know I couldn't do him justice, so let me just say that anyone who like history, fantasy or romance (in the literary sense, not the bodice ripper sense) should give this one a try. And once you've read Arbonne, you should check out his other books. No other author writes such amazing and believable characters and his settings are always rich and well described. All I can say is that you should read his books.
Rating:
Summary: I'm not quite sure what to think.
Review: This book definately had good aspects to it .It had a good deal of cultural development,much character development as well,very intrigueing plot ,but there were a couple things that were not very good.
1.There was a bit too much sex.Anyone who cannot bare excplicit sex will definately not like this.
2.There were many pointless characters.
3.There were many pointless paragraphs of discriptions.
4.Too many flashbacks.
But otherwise ,this is a very good book.I've had the Summer Tree reccomended to me ,so I will definately read that.
Rating:
Summary: Excellent book
Review: The beginning was a little slow, and the names were difficult at first for me. However, this is a great book. It is so good in fact that I think will read the rest of Kay's works to see if they are as good. It would be hard to give details of the story without revealing some its mystery. It's best to say, read it. In the first portion of the book very little happens, but it is essential to setting up the world and how its people live. Once the adventure begins, you are in for a wonderful treat.
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