I am so mad at myself right now. Guy Gavriel Kay is an author that many people in my life have recommended I read. I always put it off because I always had other books to read that seemed more interesting and so this book kept being pushed back farther and farther. That was such a mistake.
I think you can probably tell how this review is going, but just to clarify: I LOVED THIS BOOK SO MUCH. On the surface it doesn’t seem that interesting. It involves Five men and women find themselves flung into a magical land and (of course) they all have a role to play in the upcoming drama and conflict. On the surface this seems so cliche and boring. It is far from that. The writing is fantastic. Guy Gavriel Kay pulled me into each of the characters lives and inner conflicts so easily that I was concerned and sad and apprehensive as the overarching plot started to pull them all in and change their lives. Kay’s writing is basically magical. The story starts out slow but soon enough it crystallizes into something hauntingly beautiful.
Beware though, this is a FANTASY story with all the tropes and trappings that this kind of story usually entails. This is a very Tolkien style story, with a band of people from different areas and cultures working together to defeat ultimate evil. Perhaps when the book was first published in 1984 this sort of thing wasn’t totally played out. It is Kay’s writing that elevates it from Tolkien rip-off to a beautiful story of an adventure.
This is only the first book in the series (of three) and I am so excited to read further.
I actually finished this book a while ago but couldn’t find the words to articulate how much i liked this book. Just saying, ” It’s amazing, go read it!” doesn’t really do it justice. but:
It’s amazing, go read it!
Booksplosion 