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Under Heaven (Under Heaven #1)

by Guy Gavriel Kay (Goodreads Author)

4.11 of 5 stars 4.11 · rating details · 3,993 ratings · 719 reviews

Shen Tai is the son of a general who, 20 years before, led the forces of imperial Kitai in that empire’s last war against its western enemies from Tagur. Forty thousand men on both sides were slain beside a remote mountain lake. General Shen Gao himself died recently. To honour his father’s memory, Tai has spent two years in official mourning, alone at the battle site amon...more

576 pages

Published April 29th 2010 by HarperVoyager (first published March 10th 2010)

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May 04, 2010 Kelly rated it 3 of 5 stars Recommends it for: diehard Kay fans

Recommended to Kelly by: only got my own obsession to blame on this one

Shelves: 21st-century, fantasy-and-scifi, fiction, east-and-central-asia, owned

(Dear Goodreads friends I may have deceived with my initial status updates on this book, please to accept my profound regrets and the below revised retraction- if you don't mind some spoilers...

With apologies,
Kelly...)

So, you guys saw Clerks, right? Actually, I think it might’ve been Clerks II, but anyway: there’s one part where some characters pose a very important nerd battle: Star Wars trilogy vs. LOTR trilogy. The major points are as per usual, Darth Vader and lightsabers, BOOM EXPLODING PLA...more

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Apr 01, 2013 Jon added it · review of another edition

Recommended to Jon by: Beyond Reality Dec 2010 Fantasy Selection

Shelves: fantasy, fiction, historical-fiction, read-in-my-40s, starset-kingrise-poem

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/16eReyj

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Nov 27, 2010 Kat Hooper rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: audiobook

ORIGINALLY POSTED AT Fantasy Literature.

Guy Gavriel Kay’s latest historical fantasy, Under Heaven, is gorgeous. If you’re already a fan of GGK, you know exactly what kind of delight you’re in for. Under Heaven is every bit as wonderful as Tigana, A Song for Arbonne, and The Last Light of the Sun. Every bit.

Under Heaven takes place in Kitai — an alternate Tang Dynasty (but not so alternate that you won’t recognize the names of many of the characters if you read just a brief history of the Tang Dy...more ORIGINALLY POSTED AT Fantasy Literature.

Guy Gavriel Kay’s latest historical fantasy, Under Heaven, is gorgeous. If you’re already a fan of GGK, you know exactly what kind of delight you’re in for. Under Heaven is every bit as wonderful as Tigana, A Song for Arbonne, and The Last Light of the Sun. Every bit.

Under Heaven takes place in Kitai — an alternate Tang Dynasty (but not so alternate that you won’t recognize the names of many of the characters if you read just a brief history of the Tang Dynasty). The civilization and culture is experiencing a golden age and family honor is one of the highest ideals. Shen Tai, in order to honor his dead father, has spent two solitary years burying the bones — and silencing the ghosts — of thousands of men who died in a battle between Kitai and neighboring Tagur. Just as his mourning period is about to end, three strange things happen almost simultaneously: a friend shows up with urgent news from the capital city Xinan, an assassin is sent to kill Shen Tai, and the princess of Tagur gives Shen Tai 250 Sardian horses — an incomprehensibly valuable gift that instantly catapults him to the highest ranks of Xinan society. Now Shen Tai must journey back to Xinan, he’s got assassins on his tail, he doesn’t know who he can trust, and he has no idea that war is brewing and his return may be the catalyst.

I’ve already said that Under Heaven is just as gorgeous as Kay’s previous historical fantasies: It’s well-researched, carefully constructed, tightly plotted, and beautifully written. The mingling of the real and the magical is delicate — there are no wizards or wands, but just the acknowledgment of the existence of the supernatural and the weird. Most impressively, GGK’s work is always full of poetry, passion, and life. His characters, those who play major roles and minor ones, feel like real people and, whether we like them or not, we come to understand their histories, motivations, frustrations, and desires. We smile when they laugh, our hearts race when they’re afraid, and we cry when they mourn.

Another feature that sets Kay’s historical fantasies apart from others is his ability to completely immerse us in a real culture without telling us that he’s doing so. Some historical writers feel the need to drop names, exposit, and lecture. In contrast, Guy Gavriel Kay brings a historical period to life without making us feel like we’re reading a textbook or that we’re required to admire his research and knowledge. Since we spend most of our time in Mr. Kay’s characters’ heads, I also appreciate that these characters are all fictional (Mr. Kay explains why he does it this way in the introduction and I completely agree with his philosophy).

I read Penguin Audio’s version of Under Heaven, narrated by Simon Vance. For years Mr. Vance has been one of my favorite narrators, and he’s wonderful here, as usual. If you’re an audiobook reader, you’ll definitely want to try this version read by the incomparable Mr. Vance. Regardless, you don’t want to miss Under Heaven — it may be the best fantasy novel of 2010.(less)

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Aug 01, 2010 Nancy rated it 3 of 5 stars

Be it known that I am a fan of this author; his prose and style put him high on my list of authors I love. (I have been known to get a new book and not read it immediately, simply to extend the anticipation.) This book did not move me to the levels of previous books, and I don't think the writing was as powerful, but it is still an appreciated addition to my library.

While Kay has mined the history of several different places and times, he does have certain themes which he revisits, often being (...more Be it known that I am a fan of this author; his prose and style put him high on my list of authors I love. (I have been known to get a new book and not read it immediately, simply to extend the anticipation.) This book did not move me to the levels of previous books, and I don't think the writing was as powerful, but it is still an appreciated addition to my library.

While Kay has mined the history of several different places and times, he does have certain themes which he revisits, often being (imho): 1) society on the cusp of change; 2) the power of belief and/or loyalty to drive people and change (not good guys/bad guys but people who are sure of the rightness of their cause); 3) the friendship/respect between honourable men who, because of their loyalties/allegiances end up as combatants and 4) that the history of a person is connected to the small parts of the larger history of others.

This story seemed to set itself up in that direction, to some extent, at the beginning, but did not play out quite like that. The societal changes were simply too large and not personal enough to create the framework upon which Kay's stories are usually hung, which create the tension driving the story (e.g. the feud in Arbonne, the loss of identity in Tigana, the religious schism in Sarantium, the battles between faiths in Lions, the cultural conflicts in Sun). This reduced the emotional impact of the societal events which occurred, as they were simply not as personal or as pertinent to the main character. This can also be said for the inter-personal conflicts, as they seemed somewhat muted and less fully developed or delved into than in past books.

I think that setting the framework and the formality of the society, affected the prose stylistically (as some people complained about with Sun but which I though suited that book), and also required more description (maybe?) which took more space. The style allowed for poetry, but reduced the poetical prose I was anticipating, although the very last page was beautifully done. In addition, I am not sure why he included some parts about the historians; maybe to try and place the conflict within a larger framework and to show the limitations of really understanding history, but I don't think it was pertinent to the story itself. The story lines were wrapped up rather abruptly and certainly with less poignancy than usual.

Ideally, I would like to give this a 3.5, as reading lesser Kay prose is still better than reading a lot of other writing as, when I look at my other Kay ratings, I just don't feel I can go with a 4.(less)

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Jul 20, 2012 Xdyj rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: poc, o, rtw, sfhf_challenge

A fantasy novel very loosely based on An Shi rebellion. It is pretty well-researched IMO & the author was able to quote a few classical Chinese poems and stuff, & conveyed a sense of cosmopolitanism as well as brutality of that period. The first 3/4 is sort of slow IMHO & the protagonist Shen Tai doesn't seem to be a very interesting comparing w/ several supporting characters. Maybe I'm biased b/c I've seen lots of stuff written or set in Tang dynasty China, but I do find the whole s...more

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Oct 09, 2012 Tracey rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasy, horses

The story begins with one Shen Tai, second son of a great general who has just, two years and a half ago (not quite), died. The mourning period is that long, two and half years, and requires complete withdrawal from society. And Tai, as part of his mourning, to honor his father, has come back to Kuala Nor, where his father won a great victory. That victory cost his people 40,000 Kitan men – and cost the enemy, the Tagurans, 60,000 men. None of these soldiers received burial, and an unburied body...more

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Feb 19, 2013 Bob Milne rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy-historical, canadian

When I sit down to immerse myself in a book, the overall narrative style is important in drawing me into the author's world, but it's generally the sophistication of the overall plot and the strength of the characters that makes me want to stay there. As such, I don't usually wax poetic about the lyrical language of a story, the smoothly coursing flow of words, or the layered beauty of sentences and paragraphs.

Well, this is one of those exceptionally notable exceptions.

Under Heaven is, far and a...more When I sit down to immerse myself in a book, the overall narrative style is important in drawing me into the author's world, but it's generally the sophistication of the overall plot and the strength of the characters that makes me want to stay there. As such, I don't usually wax poetic about the lyrical language of a story, the smoothly coursing flow of words, or the layered beauty of sentences and paragraphs.

Well, this is one of those exceptionally notable exceptions.

Under Heaven is, far and away, the finest work of fiction to come from the pen of Guy Gavriel Kay. It's a book that is perfect in almost every respect, so much so that I was sorry to turn that last page and lay it down, finished. It is definitely a long book, and one best enjoyed at a leisurely pace, but it could have continued on for another five or six hundred pages and I would not have voiced a word of complaint.

In terms of plotting, it's an odd tale, and one that requires a unique sort of patience on behalf of the reader. The story at the forefront of the tale initially seems a little light, given the length of the book, but the story behind that is so deep, so heavily layered, that you don't quite realize precisely how much is going on until Kay shakes us out of our complacency and thrusts us into the final part of the book. Most of the book revolves around Shen Tai, second son to a celebrated general of the imperial army, who has spent the last two years burying bones and laying souls to rest around a mountain lake to honour his father's passing. In honour of his efforts, he finds himself granted a gift of impossible value - 250 Sardian horses - that makes him a major player in the political upheaval that threatens to bring about and end to a dynasty.

Along his journey to the capital in answer to a summons from the Emperor, Tai is targeted by assassins, wooed by rebels, betrayed by his elder brother, loved by his protector, befriended by the generation's greatest poet, and drawn into a game of politics that he's never wanted to play. He is forced to rise above his station, to demand the respect accorded to his honours, and to play a shocking role in the transition of an empire. He is a remarkable character, an admirable young man to whom the reader can almost relate - if only he weren't so spectacularly worthy of the highest esteem.

What makes the story so exquisite is the fact that the characters surrounding Tai are so well developed, they they're worthy of being main characters in their own right. In fact, his sister's magical journey is a story all on its own, escalating a young woman to royalty and shipping her off to a barbarous marriage, only to see her rescued by a man more wolf than man. Wei Song, Kanlin warrior and protector to Tai, is another strong woman, one who is largely responsible for seeing him to his destiny, while Wen Jian, Precious Consort of the Emperor, is a woman as dangerous as she is beautiful, and almost dizzying in her grasp of the game of politics.

Like I said, it's a long story, told at a leisurely pace, and narrated almost exclusively in the present tense. It makes for an unusual read, almost too literate for the genre, but the reader's patience is more than amply rewarded. The subtlety of the telling is exceeded only by the intricacy of the schemes and plots, with a myriad of small events commingling to change the course of history. It's a read that leaves me almost reluctant to read River of Stars, since it's almost unimaginable that an author could manage to capture such lyrical magic twice in a row, but if anybody can do it, it's Kay.

Originally reviewed at Beauty in Ruins(less)

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Jun 10, 2010 Cow rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: canada, spec-fic, toronto

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. This review contains spoilers. I can't figure out how to talk about this book otherwise.

If I were to graph my rating-stars through the course of the book, it would start around 3, drop to 1.5 through the first half (1-star ratings are reserved for books I quit midway through; this got close a few times, but didn't quite get there), slowly climb up to about 4 through the second half, and then drop back down to about -5 right at the end.

So, 2, I guess? I didn't quit reading it, and it really, real...more

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Apr 22, 2013 Lisa Schmeiser rated it 3 of 5 stars

I bought this novel and downloaded it to my Kindle on the day I was scheduled to have a c-section. I figured that medical establishments are not exactly famed for alacrity, so I'd be able to read one last book before plunging into motherhood.

The joke was on me: the doctors were early and I had barely made it through a chapter before being wheeled into the OR and meeting my daughter. So I read the book over the next four days and then, when not stupid with new-parent exhaustion, reread it on a bu...more

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Apr 07, 2013 Thisgurl rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I thought this was a very good story! From watching a lot of foreign films, especially those from China and somewhere in this time period, I'm used to endings that don't tie everything up in a big pretty bow. The X doesn't always get the Y. The characters we've come to love don't act in the ways we want them to act. And isn't that just like real life.

Simon Vance's narration made the story of Shen Tai vivid and exciting. Not at all over done in cheesy Asian-like accents.

I cheered as Tai and his f...more

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Apr 02, 2013 GEPL Staff Picks rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: chris-recommends

You can feel the influence of Tang Dynasty poetry in Guy Gavriel Kay's lovely writing. I had to keep stopping in the beginning and appreciate his beautiful descriptions! This is a historically based fantasy set in an alternate 10th century China. Shen Tai's father, a former imperial general, has died and for this second son's year of mourning instead of staying home as expected he travels to a remote battlefield and begins burying the thousands of dead. As he buries the bodies, the restless ghos...more

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Mar 27, 2013 Dorothy rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasy, female-protagonist, historical-setting

This book was the February selection for our SF Book Club. Though known for his “fantastical” books, Under Heaven is less a fantasy book than a historical period piece. Kay’s books each have different styles, and are set in very different eras. This one is less lyrical than his other work, which for me was a good thing.

Set in a fictional world that closely mirrors China in the T’ang Dynasty, it is a story about what constitutes honour, duty, and loyalty. Told primarily from the perspective of Ge...more

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Jan 27, 2013 Lauren rated it 5 of 5 stars

4.5

Like most of Kay's books "Under Heaven" features beautiful writing in a pseudo-historical setting. "Under Heaven" is a fictionalized account of the An Shi Rebellion in Tang China. What struck me most about this book is that it doesn't focus on the wider military and political implications of the rebellion, but on the more human aspects of such an upheaval. What struck me most about "Under Heaven" was how well Kay showed the inherent instability of power. In the beginning of the novel we are i...more

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Jan 10, 2013 Sarabeth rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Purchased by myself.
Poetry, horses, dancing and wolves!
Even though there is a copy of 'Tigana' sitting patiently on my TBR shelf this was my first Guy Gavriel Kay book and I was blown away! Writing so vivid and expressionary you can't help but feel as if you are right there experiencing dreams and nightmares with the characters as the story unfolds. Kay's vision of ancient China curls off the page in a whisper of smoke wrapping you in the majesty and mystery of all that was the Tang Dynasty. Th...more

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Dec 18, 2012 Melissa Proffitt rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: to-buy, fantasy, alternate-world, oriental-mythology, favorites

I'm a fan of Kay's history-derived fantasies, like the Sarantine Mosaic, and this one is outstanding. I had trouble putting it down and couldn't stop thinking about it when I did. The Chinese-analogue empire of Kitai is powerful, but covets the horses of the western Tagur Empire. Shen Tai is only fulfilling his years of mourning for his father by burying the dead of Kuala Nor, but his courage in facing the restless spirits brings him to the attention of a wife of the Taguran Emperor, formerly a...more I'm a fan of Kay's history-derived fantasies, like the Sarantine Mosaic, and this one is outstanding. I had trouble putting it down and couldn't stop thinking about it when I did. The Chinese-analogue empire of Kitai is powerful, but covets the horses of the western Tagur Empire. Shen Tai is only fulfilling his years of mourning for his father by burying the dead of Kuala Nor, but his courage in facing the restless spirits brings him to the attention of a wife of the Taguran Emperor, formerly a princess of Kitai's Imperial Family. She's so moved by his sacrifice that she makes him a present of some of their finest horses.

Two hundred and fifty of them.

This extraordinary gift makes Shen Tai a marked man, putting him in danger not only from ordinary men and government officials, but from the Son of Heaven, who might decide Shen Tai is a threat to his power. Tai has to figure out a way to get from the distant Kuala Nor to the palace, convince the Emperor of his good intentions, and, oh yeah, not get killed in the process.

Tai's problem is like a stone dropped into a particularly muddy lake, as other political concerns are affected by it. His sister Li-Mei has been effectively sold as a bride to the barbarians of the steppe, something that the newly-powerful Tai objects to. The antagonistic presence of those barbarians on the northern border has created political and social turmoil within the Imperial court. And on a personal level, Tai has to deal with seeing the girl he loves become a concubine to his hated rival, cousin to the Emperor's most-loved consort.

Something I look for in a long novel with multiple viewpoint characters is whether I care equally about all of them. I've learned that I get dissatisfied with the whole book if I'm more interested in one or two POV characters; it doesn't matter if they're all well-written if I just don't care about the others. Under Heaven passed this test brilliantly. I never got bored with any section. I'm also a fan of Kay's writing style, as well as his ability to evoke a particular historical culture without sounding derivative. It's a long book that to me never felt long. There are a couple of really good love stories, just enough action, and a lot of excellent political intrigue. This book was recommended to me by a friend, and I think it's the best recommendation I've had all year.(less)

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Oct 27, 2012 Cora rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasy, asia, china, historical-fantasy

After his father, a general who led the forces of imperial Kitai in its last great war, passed away, Shen Tai chooses to honor his memory by traveling to the battle field that haunted his father in later life. So many soldiers from both sides died that the dead were left where they fell. Since no one buried the bodies, the ghosts of the soldiers were never able to pass to heaven and during the nights around the site of their death they yell and moan and cry out. Shen Tai spends two years of his...more After his father, a general who led the forces of imperial Kitai in its last great war, passed away, Shen Tai chooses to honor his memory by traveling to the battle field that haunted his father in later life. So many soldiers from both sides died that the dead were left where they fell. Since no one buried the bodies, the ghosts of the soldiers were never able to pass to heaven and during the nights around the site of their death they yell and moan and cry out. Shen Tai spends two years of his life, during the mourning period for his father, burying the bodies of the soldiers from both sides. It is an impossible job to complete and after two years he has barely made a dent. He has, however, earned the respect of people from both sides who take turns bringing him supplies. When his mourning period came to an end, The White Jade Princess Cheng-Wan, seventeenth daughter of the Emperor of Kitai, sent west after this last battle to seal the peace with Tagur (the former enemy), decides to present Shen Tai with an enormous gift, two hundred fifty Sardian horses. One of these legendary horses would have brought Shen Tai great prestige and riches, 250 of them is unthinkable and could put Shen Tai's life in danger. The gift plunges Shen Tai into the political quagmire of Kitai and into the fast flowing history of the empire.

I really enjoyed this historical fantasy novel. I liked the political intrigue and enjoyed being immersed in a different culture. The characters were interesting and complex. I thought Kay could have taken the story deeper, it felt like he took a lot of time to set up the story and then the end seemed to be rushed to me. Perhaps that is because I am used to series in this genre, and this is a stand alone novel. However, I have read Tigana by Kay, which was also a stand alone epic historical fiction novel, and that one is one of my favorites and did not feel rushed at the end. That aside, I really liked Under Heaven and I would definitely recommend it to anyone with an interest in historical fiction.(less)

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Aug 19, 2012 Adam Wiggins rated it 4 of 5 stars

Poetic, serene, thoughtful -- and yet full of drama, action, and intrigue. I greatly enjoyed this book.

It appears to take place in ancient China (though never named as such), so I suppose it's historical fiction. However, the combination of hero's-journey elements, Machiavellian court politics, and mild supernatural elements could qualify it as low fantasy.

I'm inclined to call this an Asian-themed Game of Thrones (which is probably unfair to both works).

Beauty is woven into every element. Little...more

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Aug 19, 2012 Justine rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I have to admit that the four stars rating is not 100% objective. I've consumed a fair amount of media that is set in/discusses China and for some reason western authors cannot think of China (especially historical China) without making everyone a caricature of some Asian stereotype. They are overly sensuous, irrationally dutiful, impossibly shameful, freakishly zen, etc. etc.* In short - Asians in media are almost a different species and rarely ever, ever, do they exhibit the same free will or...more I have to admit that the four stars rating is not 100% objective. I've consumed a fair amount of media that is set in/discusses China and for some reason western authors cannot think of China (especially historical China) without making everyone a caricature of some Asian stereotype. They are overly sensuous, irrationally dutiful, impossibly shameful, freakishly zen, etc. etc.* In short - Asians in media are almost a different species and rarely ever, ever, do they exhibit the same free will or sense of humor and irony found in Western literature.**

Herein we find Under Heaven, Kay's first work that ventures out of the European sphere and tackles a setting that is an analogue for Tang dynasty China (with some random Mongols, Tibetans, Central Europeans, a lone Arab, and various horsepeoples of the central Asian steppes thrown in). While there is some mysticism and magic, the work is more akin to historical fiction than fantasy, and the sheer amount of statecraft discussed is fascinating and delicious. His characters, while being recognizably Asian (as in consistent with the background, culture, and values with which I was brought up), are also fully believable.***

There are three things I love about the work:
1) How well Kay seems to understand the life and culture of Tang dynasty China
2) How little the book relies upon magic, sorcery, etc. to drive the plot
3) How much he uses the great Tang dynasty poets Li Bai (badass) and Du Fu and brings to life the incredible literary history very few people know of or understand.

As a testament to how well Under Heaven is researched, Kay includes a bibliography of sorts in the afterword. You will see all of those added to my booklist shortly

* Case in point: The Good Earth. Could there be a more fucking tedious book? Shockingly it was written by the daughter of missionaries. wah wah wah.

** Notable exceptions to this rule include The Thousand Autumns of Jacob De Zoet and Kung Fu Panda. No joke.

*** Small exception in the description of most women. They are unbearably sensual and a bit too love-you-long-time for my taste. I am 85% convinced Kay has the yellow fever. (less)

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Aug 18, 2012 YT629 rated it 5 of 5 stars

Under Heaven is a historical/fantasy novel set in reimagined Tang Dynasty China called the Kitan Empire. The protagonist Shen Tai spends 2 years burying the dead of both sides from the last great war fought between the Kitans and the Tagurans. As a result, the Taguran Consort sends him a gift of 250 Sardian horses, an immeasurably extravagant gift. This gift throws him headlong into Kitan politics as everyone from the First Minister to the Emperor's Consort wants their hands on those horses.

The...more Under Heaven is a historical/fantasy novel set in reimagined Tang Dynasty China called the Kitan Empire. The protagonist Shen Tai spends 2 years burying the dead of both sides from the last great war fought between the Kitans and the Tagurans. As a result, the Taguran Consort sends him a gift of 250 Sardian horses, an immeasurably extravagant gift. This gift throws him headlong into Kitan politics as everyone from the First Minister to the Emperor's Consort wants their hands on those horses.

The biggest worry I had approaching this book was because it was set in an reimagined asian country. Being Asian American myself, I understand there are vast differences in sensibilities and mentalities between Asian people of 900 years ago to Caucasians and even Asians of today. Their concept of destiny for instance, isn't the "star-crossed-lovers-we're-meant-to-be-together!" kind of destiny. Rather, it's more comparable to seeing each person's life as a thread that interweaves with other threads, other lives. Some are meant to cross only once, others cross each other many times. I worried that a clunky, clumsy handling of the subject matter would just make me cringe repeatedly. Anyway I shouldn't have worried. The writer is Guy Gavriel Kay! Of course I shouldn't have expected anything other than the most delicate and subtle handling of the worldview and approach of the Kitan people.

In terms of vibe, I would have to say that it can most accurately be described as an interesting cross between a Chinese Wuxia film with a historical korean drama (those long 100 episode series with intricate politics and back stories). The characters speak in the slightly stilted sounding, formal language appropriate for that setting. Excerpts of the writing style:
"There is a long tradition in Kitai, all the way back to the Cho Master himself, of a strong man striving to balance the desire to be of service, party of the court, 'in the current'.....and the opposite yearning for quiet, for rivers and mountains and contemplation, away from the chaos of the palace."

And of course, the poetry:
"Full moon is falling through the sky.
Cranes fly through clouds.
Wolves howl. I cannot find rest
Because I am powerless
To amend a broken world."

Overall, I give this novel a 4.5. It's a book that probably would have benefited by being split into 2, the way the Sarantine duology was. It's also a book that benefits from a second reading. You can see how Guy Gavriel Kay builds up to a certain momentum and why the book had to end the way it did. There are also a number of memorable characters, most of whom are women. Shen Tai, Wen Jian, Spring Rain, Li mei, and Wei Song were each expertly crafted and developed as multifaceted individuals. This book is now tied with the Lions of Al-Rassan as my favorite Kay book.

(less)

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Aug 12, 2012 aPriL MEOWS often with scratching rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasy, historical-fiction, soap-opera

Entertaining. Book one is five star, but then it becomes more pedestrian. Even so, Kay combines actual history with some fantasy elements, throws in a taste of the machinations of court life in one of the Chinese eras, and by following a dozen characters has an interesting book. I think the story lost strength in the last Book because the author decided to divert attention from his fictionalized history into an authorial voice discussing the uncertainty of history when trying to put together the...more

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Jul 27, 2012 Yawatta Hosby rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasy

This 4 part, 29 chapter fantasy novel was the first one I’ve ever read. I’ve never been excited for this genre in novels or movies, so take my opinion with a grain of salt.

This book opened up with a list of characters and a map, which scared me at first. I thought it’d be hard to keep track of everything. However, it was fairly easy. The author did an amazing job with characterization and setting. The female characters (especially Wei Song and Shen Tai’s sister) were my favorite. I liked how the...more

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Apr 19, 2012 Beaulah Pragg rated it 5 of 5 stars

I tend to know a book is good when I put it down and then realize it is 5:30am. This story, of the young second son, Shen Tai, his family and the fall of the glorious Tang empire was as sprawling and exciting an epic as any English or European historical fantasy. Based on a considerable amount of research, this story immerses the reader in the danger, subtlety and opulent splendour of one of China's 'golden ages'. So different, yet containing the same human passions and failings, it was I book I...more

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Dec 27, 2011 Rebecca rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasy, historical-fiction

The richness of this book swept me away. Kay clearly did an enormous amount of in-depth research, and then used it to build his own fantastical world. His prose is gorgeous, his world-building immersive, and his characters deeply appealing.

I have to admit, I was quite pleased with myself for realizing the parallels to the fall of the T'ang dynasty before I was told. (The obese foreign general being swaddled like a baby by the Emporer's concubine for the amusement of the court tipped me off.) App...more The richness of this book swept me away. Kay clearly did an enormous amount of in-depth research, and then used it to build his own fantastical world. His prose is gorgeous, his world-building immersive, and his characters deeply appealing.

I have to admit, I was quite pleased with myself for realizing the parallels to the fall of the T'ang dynasty before I was told. (The obese foreign general being swaddled like a baby by the Emporer's concubine for the amusement of the court tipped me off.) Apparently I've been doing a good job in my self-imposed history lessons. But you would not have to know anything at all about Chinese history to appreciate this book, and enough is a departure from the real story that scholars will not already know what will happen.

I think part of what I found so appealing is that there is an implicit assumption that the myths and superstitions of the time are true and both as relevant and as non-central as anything else that happens away from the capital. Angry ghosts and enchanting fox-women have as much influence on the court as foreign warlords and Silk Road traders--a part of life and occasionally the impetus for action, but generally not as important as political manuevering and poetry (which is itself political manuevering.)

Tai begins the novel not so much simple as deliberately naive. He learns to play the games with great reluctance but not without skill. He is not perfect, but he's a deeply likeable protagonist.

I very much appreciated how gracefully Kay employed his female characters. One of the difficulties, I think, of writing historical fiction is that many cultures truly have treated women more as valued animals than people. Authors either buy into the mindset and forget that despite their status, women still had minds and spirits of their own, or they make anyone likeable anachronistic in their attitudes. The women in this novel, for the most part, know their place in their world, and also know that if they are clever, they can use that position. Wen Jian, the emporer's concubine, pushes her influence as far as she dares. Spring Rain, Tai's old flame, finds herself much more constricted and gracefully acquieses--while making her own plans. Tai's sister chafes and rebels and finds rather more than she was looking for. The monk assassin who protects Tai is the least historically accurate, but she comes from a monastic tradition made up of whole cloth (and reasonably understandable in the world created).

Overall, the politics, the ancient history, the painstaking research weaves together into a fascinating, compelling, completely enthralling world. The ending is bittersweet, but I think entirely appropriate. And gorgeous to the last word.(less)

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Nov 19, 2011 Ms.pegasus rated it 5 of 5 stars Recommends it for: anyone interested in great writing, historical fiction, china

Shelves: history, china, fiction

A handful of characters depicted with nuance and complexity; total immersion in a subtle and conflicted society – these are the primary elements of this unforgettable novel set in the Tang Dynasty. The primary character is Shen Tai, honoring his recently deceased father by secluding himself for the traditional two year mourning period. The seclusion is more than contemplative. His father, General Shen Gao's greatest triumph and sorrow was at this site; 40,000 soldiers died here. A symbolic gestu...more A handful of characters depicted with nuance and complexity; total immersion in a subtle and conflicted society – these are the primary elements of this unforgettable novel set in the Tang Dynasty. The primary character is Shen Tai, honoring his recently deceased father by secluding himself for the traditional two year mourning period. The seclusion is more than contemplative. His father, General Shen Gao's greatest triumph and sorrow was at this site; 40,000 soldiers died here. A symbolic gesture of personal loss is transformed into an ultimate inquiry into humanity as Shen Tai works to bury the dead from this battlefield.

UNDER HEAVEN abounds with dualities and balances: “The world could bring you poison in a jewelled cup, or surprising gifts. Sometimes you didn't know which of them it was.” Shen Tai himself is described as a person between worlds. He trained as a warrior and a scholar, but walked away from both paths. His temperament seems to defy categorization. However, the same might be said of his siblings. His sister, Shen Li-Mei is almost obsessively curious. Even General Shen viewed this in his daughter with both pride and misgiving. His brother Shen Liu is the most enigmatic. He is viewed only through the eyes and actions of others. Yet, his role is pivotal to recalibrating the imbalances that drive the plot forward.

Even minor characters are imbued with life and purpose. Their paths intersect and their choices seem to flow from the understanding we've been given about who they are. Sometimes we regret those choices, and that is what elevates our barely perceived sense of tragedy. At the same time, the author juxtaposes these primal emotions against a larger backdrop. Each action has a consequence, we are ceaselessly reminded.

The writing is powerful enough to make a world before scientific explanation seem real. Darkness is kept at bay by fire. Shape-shifters and ghosts haunt the world. Sorcerers cloak themselves in vestments of metal mirrors and bells. At this world's center is a sophisticated court expressing realities through protocol, poetry, and above all, politics. Myth and art are expressions of cultural obsessions -- fierce hungers. Think about that the next time you view a sculpted ceramic horse from the Tang era.
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Sep 13, 2011 Scott rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: owned-physical

It feels weird to marking this book down so low. In part I think that it is a case of poor expectation management - had it been someone else it probably would have been three stars. But it isn't.

The book ends 100 pages too early for all that it ranks in at 567 pages. The ending comes suddenly, abruptly, and feels like there should be another movement. I'm reminded of Sean Russell's Initiate Brother's duology which I love, which has many of the same tropes as Kay uses, with less beautiful langua...more It feels weird to marking this book down so low. In part I think that it is a case of poor expectation management - had it been someone else it probably would have been three stars. But it isn't.

The book ends 100 pages too early for all that it ranks in at 567 pages. The ending comes suddenly, abruptly, and feels like there should be another movement. I'm reminded of Sean Russell's Initiate Brother's duology which I love, which has many of the same tropes as Kay uses, with less beautiful language and more direct plot. Though that isn't hard.

The standard political intrigue tropes are here - the outsider's perspective - half a book of setting up dominoes just waiting to see them fall, and they do fall, suddenly, but it seems like steps are skipped, movements are missed in the song and dance of the novel - as if an editor came along and said "You, cut it down to X pages." I'd be curious to hear if this was ever conceptualized as a duology, like Sarantium Mosaic series was - the feel and movements were very similar, echoes of each other.

Echoes abound in the book from Kay's previous works - "Oh this is like this scene...", "heh, he's revisiting with a twist the concepts from...." and I wonder if perhaps that's my problem, I know his works fairly well, and I'm looking for him to engage in them in ways he doesn't seem to be interested in engaging in his works - they are becoming more and more indistinguishable from historical fiction, and less obviously inspired by, which is ironic considering the Author's Note is a discussion of why he does not write historical fiction.

So do I recommend it? Kinda, sort of. It is more technically proficient than most of what's out there, but it has some of the problems that I had with Kay's The Last Light of Sun - the passions and plot and feeling seems missing, briefly resurfacing in Ysabel - it isn't Kay's best work by far, and I'm guessing that 2010 was a slow year for the ALA (it won the ALA Best Fantasy Novel in 2010). There are others of his that I recommend far more readily. It isn't bad, there is just better, from Kay, from Russell, that you could read instead.(less)

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Aug 31, 2011 Wealhtheow rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy, historical, pocmaincharacters

Historical fiction heavily influenced by the Chinese Tang Dynasty, with a faint brush of the fantastical.

Shen Tai has spent the last two years mourning his father and burying the the dead of a decades-old battle ground. It's a quiet, mostly solitary life, punctuated by monthly supply runs from both countries that fought the war (who seek both to honor his work and to outdo each other in courtesy) and by the wails of the dead. But at last, an old friend visits, bringing news from the capital.

Tai...more Historical fiction heavily influenced by the Chinese Tang Dynasty, with a faint brush of the fantastical.

Shen Tai has spent the last two years mourning his father and burying the the dead of a decades-old battle ground. It's a quiet, mostly solitary life, punctuated by monthly supply runs from both countries that fought the war (who seek both to honor his work and to outdo each other in courtesy) and by the wails of the dead. But at last, an old friend visits, bringing news from the capital.

Tai is swept up into the plots and schemes of his empire, while yearning desperately for a way to reclaim his lost love and rescue his sister from a political marriage to barbarians.

This book should have been a lot better than it actually was. The poetry is not particularly good, which is a huge problem when so much of the book is poems. When characters catch their breath at the transcendent beauty of a poem, those poems better be more eloquent than any teenager's fumbling attempts to copy a haiku. The characters themselves are interesting, but Kay doesn't seem all that excited by or emotionally attached to them, and neither was I. The pacing of the plot was rather haphazard--nothing much happens for 400+ pages, and then suddenly WAR and DEVASTATION and FAMINE. (It's so grim and realistic, guys. Ooh, how bout another half-assed poem to capture the ~sorrow~ of it all?) A mob of armed men demands someone's death, and Tai and another character have a THREE PAGE conversation while everyone else stands there watching them. I get that it's a formal, stylized sort of culture, but geez, no mob is going to calmly wait while you have a three page heart-to-heart. The Kanlin (ninja mercenaries with a precise understanding of honor and loyalty) are nearly a deus ex machina at times. And the writing is so damn stilted that I nearly gave up on this book. He loves fragments. He loves comma splices. He loves to have characters exchange words the reader doesn't hear, and then refer to this conversation in self-important tones for chapters until all the juice of the ~enigma~ has been milked out. Blargh!

All that said. This is still Guy Gavriel Kay. Even when his characters are pale retreads of other characters, his poems clunky, his plot less clever than he thinks it is, it's still a damn sight better than the vast majority of fantasy out there. I don't know how closely he followed the Tang dynasty, but he describes a culture in vivid and alluring detail. And there are scenes (as when Tai thinks about his complicated relationship with his brother) that feel true and are eloquent indeed. It's not a book I'd recommend to everyone, but it's worth it for those looking for an ambitious piece of historical fiction.(less)

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Aug 11, 2011 Jessica Strider rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Pros: lyrical writing, interesting characters, detailed history/world, political intrigue

Cons: ending is a bit long

Under Heaven tells the story of Shen Tai, second son of a famous general. Upon the passing of his father, Tai decides to spend his time in mourning burying the dead from a battle site that brought his father sorrow. For this service he is gifted with 250 Sardian horses. This gift propels him into a role of importance in the country, and will either save him from assassination attemp...more

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Jul 26, 2011 Stuart rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy

What a great book by Guy Gavriel Kay. Once again, he has imagined an alternative world, this time based in Medieval China. This ranks up there with the "The Lions of Al-Rassan" and the "Sarantine Mosaic", which beautifully re-imagined, respectively, ancient Spain and Byzantium.
In this book, the hero is Shen Tai, son of a famous general, who recently died. Shen Tai has for two years been honoring his dead father's memory by burying some of the tens of thousands of bodies left behind from a previ...more

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Jul 19, 2011 AJ rated it 5 of 5 stars

Hmmm, the cover image they show for this must be from the UK edition or something. The U.S. cover is gorgeous, and far less cartoonish. In any case, there is nothing this man has ever written that I don't highly recommend. Even his weaker books are lovely, and this is not a weak book. Kay is typically found in the sci-fi/fantasy section of the bookstore, although this is probably a holdover from his earlier work, which was more traditionally fantasy. This book is more an imaginary historical nov...more

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Jul 11, 2011 Peggy rated it 4 of 5 stars

[This review originally appeared at RevolutionSf.com]

Under Heaven is the story of Shen Tai, second son of a famous Kitan general, who mourns his father's death by traveling to the site of his father's greatest battle and burying the dead of both sides. For two years he puts the ghosts to rest, then he gets a gift to cement a treaty: 250 of the finest horses. One would be an honor. Five would be worthy of a gift to the Emperor. 250 is life-changing.

Shen Tai must head back to his former life to tr...more

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About Guy Gavriel Kay

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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Books by Guy Gavriel Kay

The Summer Tree (The Fionavar Tapestry, #1)

The Wandering Fire (The Fionavar Tapestry, #2)

The Darkest Road (The Fionavar Tapestry, #3)

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“How we remember changes how we have lived.
Time runs both ways. We make stories of our lives.” — 29 people liked it

“The world could bring you poison in a jewelled cup, or surprising gifts. Sometimes you didn't know which of them it was.” — 13 people liked it

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