An epic tragedy set in a decadent fantasy version of the Song Dynasty. It started slow and the ending was a little unsatisfying, but the middle part was quite strong. I especially liked the byzantine court politics. ( )

This follow up to Under Heaven, set 400 years after that book but still in a works echoing with the great changes wrought in its pages, is another shining example of Kay's unparalleled lyricism and emotional charge. The grand scope of history is grounded in characters that and breathe even as they shoulder the burden of world-shaking ambition.

And yet, somehow, this offering from Kay feels somehow bleaker than any of his others. Kay's work often deals with the tragedy of human endeavors, while still celebrating the struggle and valorizing those who strive on. However, River of Stars send to go very heavy on the loss side of this equation, and the glint of hope at the end is merely that: a glint.

It has beauty, but more sorrow than I bargained for. ( )

Once again, Guy Gavriel Kay has written about a historical time period, in this case the Song Dynasty, and fictionalized it, changed names and events and timelines, but more or less giving us a vision of what that time period could have been like, but also with very rare appearance of a ghost or a fox-spirit. Like a lot of his work, it is largely tragic, but it is about change and how societies rise and fall and how the major players are involved. I found myself wanting to learn more about the real historical people and their lives and how the invading Mongol army changed their world. This novel tries to stay as authentic to that time period including all of the social mores at the time, good or bad, like how sexist the society was. But then he will write about people who went against the norms and how they lived their lives to find a place in such a society. He writes believable, likeable (and also unlikeable) characters. But I also feel that they are awash in the flow of the world, and are unable to change the current of events, they can only make a splash, with some ripples being larger than others, but ultimately they cannot alter their course. And that's what makes these stories tragic. You learn to love these characters and suffer when they suffer. But you also feel joy and happiness when they do too. That's one of the great qualities of Kay's writing. ( )

Guy Gavriel Kay returns to ancient China, or a fantasy version of it anyway, with a sweeping epic. I admire more than I can say how he deftly weaves culture and character without losing the thread of story. This is not a fast paced book, it is a steady and alluring tale, a romance, a political tapestry and a haunting celebration of time. ( )

At first thought not as good as Lions of Al-Rassan, but changed my opinion by the end. Just as good. ( )