I was
given this book many years ago by my daughter. She had read it, loved it and
recommended it to me. I kept it and intended to read it many times but because
it’s quite a hefty tome, I put it off. Finally, because I was already reading a
novel for my book club, I decided to try it on Audible. Aside from initially
trying to keep up with the multiple characters and their names (this resolved
quickly), it was wholly satisfying. I
loved this book as well. It is an epic fantasy, full of magic, a new world, a
war for freedom, survival and hope. It also explores more than one unusual love
story.
It
has everything, but the thing that stood out for me was not only the beautiful
writing but the characterizations. Each character is unique and multi-faceted.
Each character takes a significant journey and each surprises.
Guy
Gavriel Kay tells us at the end of the novel what inspired him. He says it was primarily
memory; that without memory, without nostalgia for what “used to be,” men could
live peacefully and without pain. I could not help but draw comparisons to the
struggle of the American Revolution. Both were about a country struggling
against tyranny. The difference was one sought to recapture what it used to be,
the other was fighting to reach for what it could be. The novel reminds us of
the power of good, integrity and the unbreakable human spirit.
Recommend.
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