Particularize Books In Pursuance Of River of Stars (Under Heaven #2)
| Original Title: | River of Stars |
| ISBN: | 0451464974 (ISBN13: 9780451464972) |
| Edition Language: | English |
| Series: | Under Heaven #2 |
| Literary Awards: | Locus Award Nominee for Best Fantasy Novel (2014), Sunburst Award Nominee for Adult (2014), Prix Aurora Award Nominee for Best Novel (2014), Goodreads Choice Award Nominee for Fantasy (2013), Prix Elbakin.net for Meilleur roman fantasy traduit (2017) Copper Cylinder Award for Adult (2014) |
Guy Gavriel Kay
Hardcover | Pages: 639 pages Rating: 4.12 | 6051 Users | 698 Reviews
Declare Appertaining To Books River of Stars (Under Heaven #2)
| Title | : | River of Stars (Under Heaven #2) |
| Author | : | Guy Gavriel Kay |
| Book Format | : | Hardcover |
| Book Edition | : | Anniversary Edition |
| Pages | : | Pages: 639 pages |
| Published | : | April 2nd 2013 by Roc (first published April 1st 2013) |
| Categories | : | Fantasy. Historical. Historical Fiction. Fiction. Historical Fantasy. Cultural. China |
Chronicle During Books River of Stars (Under Heaven #2)
In his critically acclaimed novel Under Heaven, Guy Gavriel Kay told a vivid and powerful story inspired by China’s Tang Dynasty. Now, the international bestselling and multiple award-winning author revisits that invented setting four centuries later with an epic of prideful emperors, battling courtiers, bandits and soldiers, nomadic invasions, and a woman battling in her own way, to find a new place for women in the world – a world inspired this time by the glittering, decadent Song Dynasty.Ren Daiyan was still just a boy when he took the lives of seven men while guarding an imperial magistrate of Kitai. That moment on a lonely road changed his life—in entirely unexpected ways, sending him into the forests of Kitai among the outlaws. From there he emerges years later—and his life changes again, dramatically, as he circles towards the court and emperor, while war approaches Kitai from the north.
Lin Shan is the daughter of a scholar, his beloved only child. Educated by him in ways young women never are, gifted as a songwriter and calligrapher, she finds herself living a life suspended between two worlds. Her intelligence captivates an emperor—and alienates women at the court. But when her father’s life is endangered by the savage politics of the day, Shan must act in ways no woman ever has.
In an empire divided by bitter factions circling an exquisitely cultured emperor who loves his gardens and his art far more than the burdens of governing, dramatic events on the northern steppe alter the balance of power in the world, leading to events no one could have foretold, under the river of stars.
Rating Appertaining To Books River of Stars (Under Heaven #2)
Ratings: 4.12 From 6051 Users | 698 ReviewsCriticize Appertaining To Books River of Stars (Under Heaven #2)
*** 4.44 ***I just finished, and honestly, this book has left me completely depressed! Almost more than the second Malazan, and this is saying something, because that one had me crying for days... The complete helplessness of regular people and their lack of control over their own lives, is absolutely devastating... The storytelling was gorgeous as always, but I feel like crying... The human drama and tragedy is so overwhelming... I need a drink, or at least a week of fluff and comedy...3.5 starsKay revisits Kitai, the land/empire featured in Under Heaven, some 400 years later. The people still carry the scars from those long ago events and they mar every decision the imperial government makes going forward. Kay's writing is still elegant and eloquent and his inspiration this time is the Chinese Jin-Sun wars. I appreciated the chance to learn some history that was previously unknown to me. That said, I never felt much of a connection with any of the characters in this book
I have been a fan of Guy Gavriel Kay's writing since the first book I read from him and he does not disappoints me.He has an uncanny ability to tell very moving tales of people caught in key moment of history ( the end of the Muslims presence in Spain in the Lions of Al Rassan, the end of a certain way of life in the middle ages in A Song for Arbonne ).This book is another of those tales with the setting being 12th century imaginary China and the end of the Northern Song Dynasty following the
He'd been told that Xinan, the capital of glorious dynasties, had held two million people once, and that only a hundred thousand or so lived there now, scattered among rubble. Well, so much for the glory of the Ninth Dynasty we saw in Under Heaven. Turns out civil war will do that to a society. River of Stars picks up Under Heaven's world several hundred years later. It isn't so much a direct sequel, given that all of the characters from Under Heaven are long dead by the time River of Stars
2.5I havent read any Guy Gavriel Kay hes been on my interest list until his two China books. Underwhelmed with them, when I had quite high expectations of Kay, I take into account a number of reviews from fans who feel he does not live up to himself in these, that they lack in character or have become self-important. I did not find the people in these books deeply-drawn or engaging, and his portentous tone drove me up the wall. Observations along the lines of: Sometimes that happens, Some days
With every Kay book I read I'm tempted to say: 'This is the best one yet!' River of Stars is no exception. It may be only the fact that it is fresh in my memory, but I believe the author has reach a new height in his quest to conjure and breath life into ancient histories. I have also noticed that the supernatural elements feature less and less with each new novel, as if the actual events that served as inspiration are enough in themselves to interest the modern reader and we don't need
This is a weird review to write, in a way. Because if I ran into this book by just about any other author, I'd probably be falling all over myself right now. However, this by Guy Gavriel Kay, and Under Heaven was just an astounding achievement of a book, and I don't think River of Stars is quite as good. Don't get me wrong - River of Stars is very, very good. It is merely great instead of a masterpiece.Note: The rest of this review has been withdrawn due to the changes in Goodreads policy and
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