A Song for Arbonne

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Summary: And I usually don't like fantasy!
Review: It used to be, when someone mentioned that they had read a fantasy novel, a picture of a paperback, sporting a leather-clad, sword- wielding amazon on its cover flashed through my mind. Through years of seeing friends carrying around such books, and reading excerpts from their pages, I had developed this stereotype. Fortunately, one day I could not find a book that interested me, and so ventured into the fantasy section of my local library. I looked at the books propped up on display. Then I proceeded to do what everyone taught not to do from kindergarden on, I judged a book by its cover. I picked up the book with the most fully dressed characters on its cover and read the inside jacket. Hmmm...it sounded pretty interesting, war, love, music, power. So I checked it out. That evening I was carried away into the country of Arbonne. The book was, and still is, completely mesmerizing. The characters are vivid and the plot is engrossing. That Mr. Kay used history as inspiration only serves to make the novel more real, not at all pretentious. After reading this novel, I became less wary of the realm of fantasy fiction. I can honestly say that it is one of the best books I have ever read

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Summary: [e-mail]
Review: This is the only book of Kay's I've given anything below a 10 to. It's not Kay at his best, but it's still a h*lluva lot better than the other contract-and-deadline-bound crap other authors pass off as fine fantasy. It's still a very, very good book, and the only reason I gave it a 9 instead of 10 is because Tigana is a 10, and although A Song for Arbonne is good, it could not possibly compare to Tigana. Actually, Kay makes a slight departure from fantasy in this one. Only the slightest hint of magic. His writing style is still...well...let's just say when I read him, I find it hard to breathe sometimes because it's so moving. But the plot isn't as...INVOLVED...as Tigana's. It's still good, mind you; unlike so many other authors, Kay's style does not decline through time. But you get the feeling a deadline might be hovering close, since he obviously didn't take as much time to fully develop kazillions of different mini-plots like he did in Tigana and the Fionavar Tapestry.

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Summary: A very fine fantasy novel
Review: This book was the best fantasy novel I had read for a long time. O. K. , with nowaday's Fantasy this doesn't mean much, but I was very intrigued by it. Before I had tried to read The summer tree and stopped after the first chapter, because it was boring. Afterwards I read Tigana, and it was average to me. I don't know how Mr. Kay has managed to write three novels that are that differently written. OK, he stole medieval Troubadour France and and some Italian Medici Something, but as long as somebody manages to turn these things into a good book, I don't mind them stealing. There was nothing of that usual sorcery stuff in it what turned up in Tigana, but that was allright, I don't care for that stuff very much. Still, it was enchanting anyway, even If I didn't like it as much when I read it for the second time.

Rating:
Summary: A classic
Review: I would only recommend this book to you if you like well developed characters and an interesting & suspenseful plot. I think that all Kay's books are exceptional, but I feel that this is his best work to date (I am, however,looking forward to more in the future!). Buy many volumes of this book and give it as gifts; you will not regret it.

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Summary: Quite possibly the best novel ever written!
Review: In this beautifully written and emotionally wrenching novel, Kay shows us a world in conflict. In the Summer Country of Arbonne, where women rule from the Court of Love, a young mercenary from the north must come to terms with his past and take his place in the future of his world. Caught in the bitter web of his father's ambitions, Blaise has fled his northern homeland of Gorhaut. But when he finally ends up in Arbonne on the eve of a war with Gorhaut, he faces a terrible choice between loyalty to his homeland and love for the doomed valiance of Arbonne
Kay draws on the history of Burgundian France to create a fascinating and familiar world. Arbonne is a beautifully rendered idealization of the Provencal culture of southern France, with its courtly ways and gracious beauty. The Court of Love and the delicate and deadly intrigues of the nobility recall the court of Alienor d'Acquitaine as well as the writings of Marguerite de Navarre.
This is a novel that will make you cry, for joy as well as sorrow. Every time I read it, I am taken again by its power and I find myself alternatively cheering, weeping, laughing, and shivering with emotion. In the end, as always, I am left stunned by the experience. In my opinion, there is no book anywhere that compares to "A Song for Arbonne."

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Summary: Kay's best work, IMHO. A novel of medieval times.
Review: A wonderful novel, about the conflict of two societies that embody two very different pictures of medieval times -- Arbonne is the seat of chivalry and romance, the medieval world we often imagine, while Gorhaut is a cold and feudal realm, probably far more realistic and much less appealing. The characters are believable and inspire emotion, and the answers they find are never formulaic. Plot, characterization, descriptive writing, and original ideas all mesh perfectly.

I consider this Kay's best work; The Fionavar Tapestry is a bit derivative and Tigana simply wasn't as compelling, although I enjoyed them both and would recommend them to any fantasy fan. This one, however, I would recommend to anyone looking for a good read. I literally wept over the story.

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Summary: No man is an island, his actions will always touch others.
Review: Remember our history lessons of Eleanor of Aquitaine, Knights ofcourtly love, The barbarians contrasted with the French sophisticate? Guy Gavriel Kay captures the magic, romance, and heartbreak inherent in such a world. Set in a fantasy based Provence, France we follow the twists in history caused by Aelis, Bertran, and Urte. We see what heartbreak their youthful, heedless love brings their country.

Gorhaut,The country to the north has its own tradgedy tearing it apart. The King, Ademar has approved a cowardly treaty. His Spiritual Counselor the power behind the throne, is seeking to use it for his own fanatical goal. He means to destroy heretical Arbonne. In the midst of all this Blaise, seeking to follow the true path of his god, refuses the evil ways of his father, the spiritual counselor. As he enters Arbonne all the strands of their gods twist into one strand of fate to make the most wonderful tale of love, hate, war, with just a little magic. I sat up reading this book all night.

Rating:
Summary: Just what I needed
Review: This book is exactly what I needed after having read the excess of, how to put this, junk that can be found in the fantasy genre. This book is magnificent! It has loyalty and love, honor and courage, battles and beauty- all the stuff of the greatest epics. The characters are great- elegant, relateable and strongly layered. A Song for Arbonne, perhaps unsurprisingly because of its title, is a lyrical and musical piece, which only augments the beauty of the prose. The buildup in this book is artfully done, and by the climax, I was anxiously sitting on the edge of my seat, reading as fast a my eyes would allow. Without a doubt, this book deserves the five-stars I gave it!

Rating:
Summary: could have been, SHOULD have been better
Review: My second book from Gavriel Kay. The first one was Lions of Al-Rassan and I have to admit, I really liked that one. Not LOVED, due to some details that this one shares, but liked. Better than Song for Arbornne.

First off, the history and research behind these projects are really fascinating. You can tell that Kay has done his homework and he has done it well - unlike some other fantasy authors out there who just throw in anything just so they can compose a story to their liking.

Second, his language and writing is, I think, very good. He has a somewhat poetic style and it goes with the selected topics of his works immensely. Some said that the change of perspective in the middle of some important happenings is confusing. I have to object - I think that not only is this more interesting, but it also helps us to understand the events better.

Then why give it three stars? The thing that bothered me in Lions of Al-Rassan is here again - all the characters seem to be so...weak. Well-drawn, no doubt, but almost all of them weak in the matters of physical lust (I refuse to call this love, as Kay does so fondly) or financial gain or simple power. I know - such is the real world, but in the real world people -at least some of them- still have principles, moral values and definite wants. The characters in these novels seem to be drifting from place to place and ending up being manipulated by one or two of the arch-characters, who are always enigmatic, cool, charming to a fault and make a point of sleeping with every woman in sight (but we are supposed to feel sorry for them, because this is just a way to express their inner sorrow and unfulfillment). This sleeping around thing is practiced by many and in different combinations with the different characters and it seems perfectly all right for a reason that evades me. The same is true for manipulations. Often I just wanted to yell at certain people that they should have some pride and NOT let themselves be used but it seemed futile. They were used. And that's not even the worst part. The worst part is that they seemed ok with that, as well. Believe me when I say that I was cheering Gorhaut in the end so that the vile women of Arbornne and all their false life composed of 'love', 'art' and 'peace' can be burned for now and always. It would have eased my mind, because throughout the entire book Kay was offering defense for these qualities of Arbornne but all I could see was debauchery and some sort of modern Sodom and Gomorrah that all of us should be hailing or something. I am a very open-minded person, but I believe that some values should matter to humans, since we so proudly put ourselves apart from the whole family of apes and the larger family of mammals.

Sigh...I think I am difficult to please. But honestly, with such skill in prose and such professional attitude, I would have expected Kay to be a bit less sensitive about these things.

But I will not end my review without saying that it is a flowing book, very well written and overall hard to put down.


Rating:
Summary: Classic Historical Fantasy
Review: I have read many Guy Gavriel Kay's books. For me A Song for Arbonne is his best. Kay has mastered crafting memorable adventures. In some ways writing a happy ending is an easy way out. The ending for A Song for Arbonne has stuck with me for years, had it ended the usual way I would have long forgotten the characters, their struggles, and their dreams.

As a fantasy novel it stands for me as the best single fantasy novel I have ever read. I know many Kay fans will look at Tigana as the flag bearer for all his works, but for me A Song for Arbonne is Guy Gavriel Kay's best. Like all his novels there is a great deal of attention paid to the historical time period that the fictitious events take place. A Song for Arbonne has something for everyone; it's romantic, funny, adventurous, and unforgettable.