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89th out of 1,564 books
—
10,513 voters
A Song for Arbonne
by
Guy Gavriel Kay (Goodreads Author)
Based on the troubadour culture that rose in Provence during the High Middle Ages, this panoramic, absorbing novel beautifully creates an alternate version of the medieval world.
The matriarchal, cultured land of Arbonne is rent by a feud between its two most powerful dukes, the noble troubador Bertran de Talair and Urte de Miraval, over long-dead Aelis, lover of one, wife...more
The matriarchal, cultured land of Arbonne is rent by a feud between its two most powerful dukes, the noble troubador Bertran de Talair and Urte de Miraval, over long-dead Aelis, lover of one, wife...more
Paperback, 512 pages
Published
November 5th 2002
by Roc Trade
(first published January 1st 1992)
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Insert rant about the many reasons why I really like a lot of Kay's early work here.
4.5 stars
Due to the acquisition of GoodReads by Amazon on March 28, 2013 and my existing and continuing boycott of all things Amazon, the review I wrote after reading this book has been relocated to my blog and can be found in its entirety by following this link: http://bit.ly/Z5dzeq
Due to the acquisition of GoodReads by Amazon on March 28, 2013 and my existing and continuing boycott of all things Amazon, the review I wrote after reading this book has been relocated to my blog and can be found in its entirety by following this link: http://bit.ly/Z5dzeq
Mar 05, 2010
Chris
rated it
5 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
Everyone
Shelves:
guy-gavriel-kay,
speculative-worlds
I am in awe. This might be the best book I've read this year. It might be one of the best books I've ever read.
If you like epics, this is for you. Romance, intrigue, artistic expression, mystery, combat scenes, sex, violence, passion, compassion, bitter revenge, redemption. It's all here.
This book was what makes fantasy great. It is what makes historical fiction great. A perfect blend of the two, with very human elements there to give life to the characters. The reader is constantly on the edge...more
If you like epics, this is for you. Romance, intrigue, artistic expression, mystery, combat scenes, sex, violence, passion, compassion, bitter revenge, redemption. It's all here.
This book was what makes fantasy great. It is what makes historical fiction great. A perfect blend of the two, with very human elements there to give life to the characters. The reader is constantly on the edge...more
ORIGINALLY POSTED AT Fantasy Literature.
Blaise, a sellsword from Gorhaut (a violent and chauvinistic northern country), has moved to the warmer country of Arbonne. Blaise doesn’t have much appreciation or tolerance for Arbonne’s womanly culture which is highly influenced by the Court of Love. He also doesn’t have much hope that Arbonne – which values singers over soldiers, and troubadours over troops – will put up much of a fight if Gorhaut decides to try to eradicate Arbonne’s goddess worship....more
Blaise, a sellsword from Gorhaut (a violent and chauvinistic northern country), has moved to the warmer country of Arbonne. Blaise doesn’t have much appreciation or tolerance for Arbonne’s womanly culture which is highly influenced by the Court of Love. He also doesn’t have much hope that Arbonne – which values singers over soldiers, and troubadours over troops – will put up much of a fight if Gorhaut decides to try to eradicate Arbonne’s goddess worship....more
Lyrical prose; developed characters; but not enough happening! Not enough wonder or plot; it's more like a Historical epic; I never liked any of his characters and he meanders too much on the prose for my tastes; a lot of people love him though; if you loved LOTR then you may very well like this one . . . while I can appreciate his style, he isn't for me; if his pacing was faster, there would have been promise.
I enjoyed this much, much more than Tigana. Where I felt the writing was a bit choppy in the beginning, either I got used to Kay's style or became so swept up in the story it didn't matter. I loved all the twists and turns the story took, the subtle discoveries of hidden agendas and politics, the world, the sociology of the people, gee I think I just loved it all! I particularly liked the sociology of the Arbonnais people with their love of music and the concept of "the court of love". I particu...more
This was my first exposure to Kay's work, and I've to say that I've already fallen in love with his writing.
In A Song for Arbonne, he created a dazzling and extraordinary tale of mere mortals, whose life were entangled by malevolence, political intrigue and love. From this overtly distinct mix, Kay managed to weave such a convoluted story that acquire a life of its own. This, coupled with the story's multi-layered characters, interesting plot and Kay's very own magnificent prose produced an awe...more
In A Song for Arbonne, he created a dazzling and extraordinary tale of mere mortals, whose life were entangled by malevolence, political intrigue and love. From this overtly distinct mix, Kay managed to weave such a convoluted story that acquire a life of its own. This, coupled with the story's multi-layered characters, interesting plot and Kay's very own magnificent prose produced an awe...more
This was my first Kay novel, and I was extremely impressed. I'll definitely be reading more from him, and soon! It was beautifully written, and had an very engaging plot. The characters were very well drawn, and I found myself connecting to all of them. For me that's definitely essential in a book - if I don't care about the characters I won't care about the story. That certainly wasn't an issue here. I can't wait to read more from Kay! Highly recommended.
May 20, 2011
Margaret
rated it
4 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
fantasy-and-science-fiction,
authors-kl
Guy Gavriel Kay is one of my favorite authors, but I have to admit that I've never been as fond of A Song for Arbonne as of most of his other books; on my last reread, I tried to figure out why.
In Kay's alternate version of medieval Europe, Arbonne is a rich and beautiful land, ruled by Signe, countess of Barbentain, whose people love poetry and music and worship the goddess Riannon; to the north lies the patriarchal kingdom of Gorhaut, ruled by the corrupt king Ademar and his advisor, Galbert...more
In Kay's alternate version of medieval Europe, Arbonne is a rich and beautiful land, ruled by Signe, countess of Barbentain, whose people love poetry and music and worship the goddess Riannon; to the north lies the patriarchal kingdom of Gorhaut, ruled by the corrupt king Ademar and his advisor, Galbert...more
Feb 08, 2008
Zgirnius
rated it
5 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
Anyone who will read fantasy; I might also push it on a fan of historical fiction
Kay is one of my favorite fantasy authors, and this is possibly my favorite book by him, though it would be a tough call to make. He creates fantasy worlds based loosely on cultures/events from European history.
In 'A Song for Arbonne' a country (loosely based on the troubador culture of the South of France in the middle ages) faces the possibility of conflict with a more warlike neighbor to the north. The main character is a northerner who spends time in the south and comes to appreciate the be...more
In 'A Song for Arbonne' a country (loosely based on the troubador culture of the South of France in the middle ages) faces the possibility of conflict with a more warlike neighbor to the north. The main character is a northerner who spends time in the south and comes to appreciate the be...more
Really enjoyed the writing & plotting in this story. 'Arbonne' is one of those books where you can lose time reading it because the characters & time period come alive, including a few harsh scenes that I wish weren't part of my memory now! I thought at first the story would be pure escapism but there are plenty of details that I had to read and re-read in order to follow the story completely. A map at the beginning is extremely helpful for following the political storylines and where th...more
I had read GGK's fantasy Fionavar Tapestry series at school and had enjoyed it, but it was only many years later I discovered that Kay had written this series of alternative history/historical fantasy novels. The first one I bought and read on a whim was this book.
If I had reviewed it right at the time, when I was heavily into straight fantasy and knew little of the wondrous mix of history and fantasy that is possible, I would still have given it four stars plus.
The characters in the novel stood...more
If I had reviewed it right at the time, when I was heavily into straight fantasy and knew little of the wondrous mix of history and fantasy that is possible, I would still have given it four stars plus.
The characters in the novel stood...more
Feb 13, 2012
Christy Ford
rated it
3 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
fantasy-scifi-other-dorky-stuff
3.5
A pleasant, leisurely book. I went in looking for something a bit more literary and romantic than your standard fantasy, and it delivered well. This isn't something that glues you to the pages and keeps you up at night with it's tension and brilliance, but it is certainly enjoyable.
I fully believe that this isn't the author's best work. It felt well-crafted*, but a little soft and uninspired. Which was precisely what I was in the mood for at the time, but I fully believe Kay isn't reaching hi...more
A pleasant, leisurely book. I went in looking for something a bit more literary and romantic than your standard fantasy, and it delivered well. This isn't something that glues you to the pages and keeps you up at night with it's tension and brilliance, but it is certainly enjoyable.
I fully believe that this isn't the author's best work. It felt well-crafted*, but a little soft and uninspired. Which was precisely what I was in the mood for at the time, but I fully believe Kay isn't reaching hi...more
This is the second book of Kay's that I have read; the first was The Lions of al-Rassid. A Song for Arbonne isn't, in my view, quite up to the level of The Lions, but it's close. (For the most part, my review of The Lions could apply to Arbonne.)
Like The Lions, this is sword & sorcerer fantasy, but without the sorcerer. It is set in a fictional world that resembles 13th-14th Century western continental Europe; Arbonne is a stand-in for Provence, and other countries are intended to resemble N...more
Like The Lions, this is sword & sorcerer fantasy, but without the sorcerer. It is set in a fictional world that resembles 13th-14th Century western continental Europe; Arbonne is a stand-in for Provence, and other countries are intended to resemble N...more
A Song for Arbonne is a lovely book, and Kay is on his way to becoming one of my favorite fantasy authors.
The book focuses on the conflict between Arbonne (inspired by Provence, with a troubadour culture and a goddess and women in some powerful positions) and northern Gorhaut (a warrior-based culture that brutally oppresses its women). I was a little concerned by what the bookjacket built up as a war of the sexes, but in reality the focus is on the conflict between two very different cultures....more
The book focuses on the conflict between Arbonne (inspired by Provence, with a troubadour culture and a goddess and women in some powerful positions) and northern Gorhaut (a warrior-based culture that brutally oppresses its women). I was a little concerned by what the bookjacket built up as a war of the sexes, but in reality the focus is on the conflict between two very different cultures....more
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it,
click here.
I think one of the things I like about GGK is that he is so much different than what I read the rest of the time within the fantasy genre. Sweeping, multi-tome epics that get too big for their authors are fun to read. A grand story, a huge world, battles between good and evil and all that. These are fun, even if I get stuck waiting six years for Dance with Dragons. Something else that's fun is to be swept up in a fantastic story that plays out in 500 pages.
If you've read Tigana, you can't help b...more
If you've read Tigana, you can't help b...more
Jul 24, 2010
Snail in Danger (Sid) Nicolaides
rated it
3 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
fantasy-fiction,
theme-religion
This was one of the first religious fantasy books I read. (And when I say "religious fantasy" I mean "fantasy fiction with religion as a major theme or motif.") It may have even been the first; I read The Mists of Avalon around the same time, if my memory serves me correctly (~1994).
I loved this book when I first read it. Upon re-reading, many of the characters are somewhat shallow (though some are fantastic and it's a shame they don't get more page time). The story seems to rely a little too mu...more
I loved this book when I first read it. Upon re-reading, many of the characters are somewhat shallow (though some are fantastic and it's a shame they don't get more page time). The story seems to rely a little too mu...more
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it,
click here.
It is perhaps surprising that the novels of Guy Gavriel Kay, a man who cut his fantasy teeth editing JRR Tolkien’s unpublished work including The Silmarillion, are so lacking in traditional fantasy elements. Aside from his first complete work — the three-part Fionavar Trilogy — his historical fantasies are bereft of the familiar tropes of elves, dwarves and firebolt-wielding, bearded magicians. Instead, Kay’s work comes with its own unique set of archetypes and cliches.
As in his previous book Ti...more
As in his previous book Ti...more
Really well done-- good writing, great story, interesting charecters. There are just three things bothering me:
1. So Blaise is going to go back to Gorhaut now and strike up a war against the north to get hteri land back? and all the other countries are totally cool with this? Bwha? Or is he just going to sit around doing nothing? I'm confused.
2. They should have either not included Lisseut as much as they did, or they should have made her a more important character. I kept wondering why this ran...more
1. So Blaise is going to go back to Gorhaut now and strike up a war against the north to get hteri land back? and all the other countries are totally cool with this? Bwha? Or is he just going to sit around doing nothing? I'm confused.
2. They should have either not included Lisseut as much as they did, or they should have made her a more important character. I kept wondering why this ran...more
This was my first Guy Gavriel Kay, and I was not disappointed. I would recommend this book for any fans of emotional, historical epics. There's really not too much fantasy here, besides that the story takes place in a fictional world with two moons. This story centers around Gorhaut, a God-worshipping, male dominated nation that recently went through an upheaval in leadership, and Arbonne, it's neighbor. Arbonne is a Goddess worshipping nation in which troubadours are greatly admired and women h...more
Story-epic; storytelling-heroic; mechanics-so so.
A simple proofreading might have saved the reader a few rambling sentence fragments and improved the readability. Those who devour books may not notice.
A simple proofreading might have saved the reader a few rambling sentence fragments and improved the readability. Those who devour books may not notice.
It is interesting how the first series of books by GGK (The Fionavar Tapestry) was somewhat deceiving, in a sense that, as a fantasy trilogy, it established GGK as one of the greats of that genre, but also created an expectation that his subsequent books would fit into the same mold. They really don't; they are history novels that use a transparent trick of taking place in a parallel world where the familiar elements of human civilization develop under different names, with a (very) light sprink...more
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it,
click here.
The reason why I give this book four not five stars is not because it is not a well written book but simply, like in other novels by the same author, I feel there is some dept missing to consider it an excellent book. (By dept, I mean philosophical or metaphysical aspect of a writing.) Nevertheless, I really like the novel and consider the medieval atmosphere wonderfully accomplished. Contrast between culture dominated by man and women is very interesting. In particular,the portray of troubadour...more
Nov 14, 2010
Sian Jones
rated it
3 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
fantasy-scifi,
third-person-narrator
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it,
click here.
A solid story, A Song for Arbonne has compelling characters, good pacing, and a fun (if sometime a little exaggerated) setting. While the plot is thoroughly typical, there's no thinly-veiled attempts to surprise the audience with plot twists: the story instead progresses naturally, the possibilities honestly exposed so that the can freely guess before events turn one way or the other.
More than anything, though, I appreciated that the novel had a clearly-defined beginning, middle and end. So many...more
More than anything, though, I appreciated that the novel had a clearly-defined beginning, middle and end. So many...more
Jun 16, 2010
Marcia
rated it
5 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
fantasy,
owned-and-read
As an avid reader and aspiring writer, there are a few authors who, when I read them, I am left so dumbfounded, so inspired, that I'm jealous that I didn't write that. Guy Gavriel Kay is at the head of that group. A Song for Arbonne is just... breathtaking. Set in a world like medieval France, where troubadours write songs of courtly love for their ladies, it's a beautiful tapestry of politics, war, music, and love. There's not a lot of magic like in Tigana, and the book reads more like excellen...more
I liked this book quite a bit. I didn't give it 5 stars because it didn't enthrall me. I think that 5 star books should be those that you just CAN'T put down. Some parts of this book were like that but others weren't. If I read this book again in the future my opinion may change.
I like how this story reads, it is like poetry but not so much that I couldn't read it. I'm not a fan of poetry as it is usually above my head but through this book I was able to appreciate it more. I like the undercurr...more
I like how this story reads, it is like poetry but not so much that I couldn't read it. I'm not a fan of poetry as it is usually above my head but through this book I was able to appreciate it more. I like the undercurr...more
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Guy Gavriel Kay is a Canadian author of fantasy fiction. Many of his novels are set in fictional realms that resemble real places during real historical periods, such as Constantinople during the reign of Justinian I or Spain during the time of El Cid. Those works are published and marketed as historical fantasy, though the author himself has expressed a preference to shy away from genre categoriz...more
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“We must be what we are, or we become our enemies. ”
—
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“For all his frustrations and his chronic sense of being overburdened. He was proud of that; he’d always felt that it was worth doing a task properly if it was worth doing at all. That was part of his problem, of course; that was why he ended up with so much to do. It was also the source of his own particular pride: he knew--and he was certain they knew that there was no one else who could handle details such as these as well as he.”
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