A Song for Arbonne (Paperback)
Staff Reviews
There's something incredibly unique going on in A Song for Arbonne, and it stands out in fantasy literature for many reasons. There is little magic to be found here, it reads at times like historical fiction yet it's set in a fictional continent inspired by 12th Century France. The threat of war strums and beats in the background of everything but the true heart of the book lies in its admiration for the bards and troubadours whose lyrics and poetry loom large over all goings-on in Arbonne, and the main character (a mercenary-for-hire named Blaise) enters the country as a stranger and through his lens we learn all about the lyrical country and the excellent and compelling characters, moral conflicts, and cultural divides and he soon finds himself at the center of all of it. I loved this book and I look longingly at the future when the time is right to read it again. A true diamond-in-the-rough for the genre!
— NickBlaise of Gorhaut is a warrior. He fought for his king and country, until the king died with an arrow in his eye at the battle of Iersen Bridge, and a dishonorable treaty ceded a good part of his country to foreign hands. He has broken relations with his father, adviser to the king of Gorhaut, and abandoned the use of his family name.
Now, Blaise is a mercenary. He never expected to work for the lords of Arbonne, the warm, fertile lands south of Gorhaut, whose people praise the love of women—they even worship a goddess, instead of the god. They are a soft people, or so he thought. But for all their nonsense about love, their troubadours and songs, they will fight for their country, when invasion comes from the north.
“One of those books you wish would never end. A thoughtful, literate adventure filled with rich details and vivid characters, high drama and graceful prose.”—San Francisco Chronicle
“For anyone who appreciates that rarest of literary treasures: the ideal novel.”—Charles de Lint
“Rarely has a book come along that fulfils on so many levels...Kay skillfully and lyrically paints a portrait of a land and the human hearts that inhabit it.”—The Palm Beach Post
“A novel of epic sweep and panoramic romance provides a sensual and stirring feast for readers.”—South Bend Tribune
“Based on the troubadour culture that rose in Provence...this panoramic, absorbing novel beautifully creates an alternate version of the medieval world...a vivid world of love and music, magic and death.”—Publishers Weekly
More Praise for the Novels of Guy Gavriel Kay
“[Read] anything by Guy Gavriel Kay...His strengths are strong characters and fantastic set pieces.”—The New Yorker
“Kay shows why he’s the heir to Tolkien’s tradition.”—Booklist
“History and fantasy rarely come together as gracefully or readably as they do in the novels of Guy Gavriel Kay.”—The Washington Post Book World
“Kay is a genius. I've read him all my life and am always inspired by his work.”—#1 New York Times bestselling author Brandon Sanderson
“A storyteller on the grandest scale.”—Time Magazine, Canada