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Under Heaven Audiobook by Guy Gavriel Kay
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Title: Under Heaven
Author: Guy Gavriel Kay
Narrator: Simon Vance
Format: Unabridged
Length: 19 hrs and 32 mins
Language: English
Release date: 06-03-10
Publisher: Penguin Audio
Ratings: 4.5 of 5 out of 758 votes
Genres: Fiction, Historical
Publisher's Summary:
In his latest innovative novel, the award-winning author evokes the dazzling Tang Dynasty of 8th-century China in a story of honor and power. Inspired by the glory and power of Tang dynasty China, Guy Gavriel Kay has created a masterpiece.
It begins simply. Shen Tai, son of an illustrious general serving the Emperor of Kitai, has spent two years honoring the memory of his late father by burying the bones of the dead from both armies at the site of one of his father's last great battles. In recognition of his labors and his filial piety, an unlikely source has sent him a dangerous gift: 250 Sardian horses.You give a man one of the famed Sardian horses to reward him greatly. You give him four or five to exalt him above his fellows, propel him towards rank, and earn him jealousy, possibly mortal jealousy. Two hundred and fifty is an unthinkable gift, a gift to overwhelm an emperor. Wisely, the gift comes with the stipulation that Tai must claim the horses in person. Otherwise he would probably be dead already.
Critic Reviews:
"Kay writes deftly of women who are sexually suborned by their societies, neither minimizing their constraints nor denying their agency, and the complex intrigues of poets, prostitutes, ministers, and soldiers evolve into a fascinating, sometimes bloody, and entirely believable tale." (Publishers Weekly)
Members Reviews:
Impressive!
The author uses luminous description and knowledge of ancient China to weave a rich, textured story with some supernatural twists. You feel like you have a small window focused on the scene at hand, say in a sedan chair, but widening out from that focal point is a world full of intertwining background activity. The characters are for the most part varied and interesting, in a few cases a little flat. The plot offers its share of surprises, yet I found myself a little annoyed at times by some improbable or awkward scenes. Still, this book merits 5 stars just for the poetic beauty of the writing.
A fabulous, sweeping epic
Although this novel is set in an imaginary country, that country is VERY closely based on Tang dynasty China. It's an elegant, refined but also often heartless world, with a strong code of honor. The hero is given the insanely generous gift of 250 perfect horses by a foreign princess, and this propels him into court life and the very complex and unpredictable political world around the emperor. There's a little bit of the supernatural in this, but not a lot. People who like George RR Martin and Jacqueline Carey will mostly like love it. The writing is sublime, very much capturing the deceptively simple, melancholy poetry of the era.
One of Kay's best
Highly recommended. For fans of Kay, a must read. For those who haven't read him before, he writes highly literary fantasy that is usually modeled on and highly influenced by real places and cultures. Here, Tang dynasty China is the model. For someone who minored in Chinese and Chinese culture and history, I have to say he nailed so many aspects. The poetry, culture, rituals, and general outlook feel real, and though obviously Chinese-influenced, as always Kay does more than just copies the culture in question; it's more about the feel than the details. It is fantasy after all. The story is excellent, though it does take a while to get going, so stick with it.
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Title: Under Heaven
Author: Guy Gavriel Kay
Narrator: Simon Vance
Format: Unabridged
Length: 19 hrs and 32 mins
Language: English
Release date: 06-03-10
Publisher: Penguin Audio
Ratings: 4.5 of 5 out of 758 votes
Genres: Fiction, Historical
Publisher's Summary:
In his latest innovative novel, the award-winning author evokes the dazzling Tang Dynasty of 8th-century China in a story of honor and power. Inspired by the glory and power of Tang dynasty China, Guy Gavriel Kay has created a masterpiece.
It begins simply. Shen Tai, son of an illustrious general serving the Emperor of Kitai, has spent two years honoring the memory of his late father by burying the bones of the dead from both armies at the site of one of his father's last great battles. In recognition of his labors and his filial piety, an unlikely source has sent him a dangerous gift: 250 Sardian horses.You give a man one of the famed Sardian horses to reward him greatly. You give him four or five to exalt him above his fellows, propel him towards rank, and earn him jealousy, possibly mortal jealousy. Two hundred and fifty is an unthinkable gift, a gift to overwhelm an emperor. Wisely, the gift comes with the stipulation that Tai must claim the horses in person. Otherwise he would probably be dead already.
Critic Reviews:
"Kay writes deftly of women who are sexually suborned by their societies, neither minimizing their constraints nor denying their agency, and the complex intrigues of poets, prostitutes, ministers, and soldiers evolve into a fascinating, sometimes bloody, and entirely believable tale." (Publishers Weekly)
Members Reviews:
Impressive!
The author uses luminous description and knowledge of ancient China to weave a rich, textured story with some supernatural twists. You feel like you have a small window focused on the scene at hand, say in a sedan chair, but widening out from that focal point is a world full of intertwining background activity. The characters are for the most part varied and interesting, in a few cases a little flat. The plot offers its share of surprises, yet I found myself a little annoyed at times by some improbable or awkward scenes. Still, this book merits 5 stars just for the poetic beauty of the writing.
A fabulous, sweeping epic
Although this novel is set in an imaginary country, that country is VERY closely based on Tang dynasty China. It's an elegant, refined but also often heartless world, with a strong code of honor. The hero is given the insanely generous gift of 250 perfect horses by a foreign princess, and this propels him into court life and the very complex and unpredictable political world around the emperor. There's a little bit of the supernatural in this, but not a lot. People who like George RR Martin and Jacqueline Carey will mostly like love it. The writing is sublime, very much capturing the deceptively simple, melancholy poetry of the era.
One of Kay's best
Highly recommended. For fans of Kay, a must read. For those who haven't read him before, he writes highly literary fantasy that is usually modeled on and highly influenced by real places and cultures. Here, Tang dynasty China is the model. For someone who minored in Chinese and Chinese culture and history, I have to say he nailed so many aspects. The poetry, culture, rituals, and general outlook feel real, and though obviously Chinese-influenced, as always Kay does more than just copies the culture in question; it's more about the feel than the details. It is fantasy after all. The story is excellent, though it does take a while to get going, so stick with it.