Book Review
Jul. 16th, 2022 09:13 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
kenjariYsabel
by Guy Gavriel Kay
This book is quite a bit different from Kay's usual: instead of a fantasy based on real medieval history, he gives us a modern day setting with something of a reverse portal fantasy when an ancient story from the past bleeds through to mid-2000s Aix-en-Provence. Ned Marriner, teenaged son of a famous photographer, tags along on one of his father's shoots. While there, Ned meets Kate, a cool exchange student and finds himself increasingly involved with three people from the distant Celtic past who reappear during Beltaine to play out an old tale of love and conflict.
While this wasn't quite as good as Kay's other novels, I did enjoy it. The characters were very likeable, and the modern day group was a very good ensemble. I liked how Kay kept the ancient story and characters mysterious while still explaining enough so that it wasn't too opaque. That and the sense of something old and powerful and just beyond the main characters' understanding, plus the slow reveal made it read a lot like an Elizabeth Hand novel.
by Guy Gavriel Kay
This book is quite a bit different from Kay's usual: instead of a fantasy based on real medieval history, he gives us a modern day setting with something of a reverse portal fantasy when an ancient story from the past bleeds through to mid-2000s Aix-en-Provence. Ned Marriner, teenaged son of a famous photographer, tags along on one of his father's shoots. While there, Ned meets Kate, a cool exchange student and finds himself increasingly involved with three people from the distant Celtic past who reappear during Beltaine to play out an old tale of love and conflict.
While this wasn't quite as good as Kay's other novels, I did enjoy it. The characters were very likeable, and the modern day group was a very good ensemble. I liked how Kay kept the ancient story and characters mysterious while still explaining enough so that it wasn't too opaque. That and the sense of something old and powerful and just beyond the main characters' understanding, plus the slow reveal made it read a lot like an Elizabeth Hand novel.
