I got my copy of the Canadian author Guy Gavriel Kay‘s « Under Heaven » a few days after his visit to Ottawa for the book’s tour. Sadly, I could not attend the event, but my good friend @macdonst was kind enough to get me a signed copy. I finished reading the book last month, so here is my review.
As most of Guy Gavriel Kay’s books, »Under Heaven » takes place in an alternate version of an historic age of our world, this time, the Tang Dynasty of medieval China. Usually, Kay’s universes involve magic. In « Under Heaven », magic is present but subtle, misunderstood and dark. It plays a significant part, but never in a way that could relinquish characters and drama to a second level. The characters’ development, interactions and the political struggles they take part in are really what « Under Heaven is about. The slow reader I am had to work through the first fifty pages, but after that I could not stop reading.
« Under Heaven » is the story of Tai, who returns from about two years of living as an hermit, mourning his father and putting ghosts to rest on a remote battlefield. But he does not come back to the civilized world empty-handed; before heading home, he receives a gift of an obscene value: 200 Sardian horses, a gift worthy of kings and emperors! This gift puts his life at risk, and Tai will have to demonstrate intelligence, subtlety, strategy, and even his skills at poetry, to stay alive. With the emperor growing old, the nomination of a new prime minister, and military leaders acquiring too much power, this is a time where 200 Sardian horses could make a difference.
The world depicted by Guy Gavriel Kay in « Under Heaven » is civilized but cruel. I’m no expert on medieval China, but the themes and the ambiance were convincing. The book left me longing for more Chinese epic tales. If you like epic fantasy stories, « Under Heaven » is definitively worth buying. It is among the very best books I have read this year.