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msagaraThe new Guy Gavriel Kay novel -- the ARC, at any rate -- arrived yesterday.
Ysabel is a contemporary fantasy set in Provence, and I loved it. I will say nothing more about it then that, except this: I recognized two names, when I had hit page 366, which made me smack the wall -- with my head -- in order to better align the remaining fragments of what might be called intelligence. For me, the book would have read differently* to that point had I actually, you know, caught the obvious when it was introduced. I love it when reading reminds me that I'm stupid.
* in this case, different = better, but betterly is not a word
Ysabel is a contemporary fantasy set in Provence, and I loved it. I will say nothing more about it then that, except this: I recognized two names, when I had hit page 366, which made me smack the wall -- with my head -- in order to better align the remaining fragments of what might be called intelligence. For me, the book would have read differently* to that point had I actually, you know, caught the obvious when it was introduced. I love it when reading reminds me that I'm stupid.
* in this case, different = better, but betterly is not a word
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Date: 2006-10-26 07:18 pm (UTC)What's been your favorite Kay novel, so far?
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Date: 2006-10-26 07:36 pm (UTC)This one is a hard one, because I liked them all to a greater or lesser degree. I think I would have to go with Song for Arbonne, because I think it's a structurally perfect book. But I also loved Tigana and Lions and the Fionavar Tapestry.
This book takes place in the here-and-now, and for that reason, it starts sooner. By which I mean that there is always a point in a Kay novel at which the narrative suddenly clicks for me, at which the book suddenly wounds me, and from that moment on, I can't put it down. Song for Arbonne didn't click for me until page 125ish, but I tend to read Kay with the certainty that everything I've read so far has meaning, even if it doesn't drag me kicking and screaming into the Story.
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Date: 2006-10-26 07:57 pm (UTC)TIGANA, OTOH...man. I love that book beyond reason. My husband says it's my favorite book. He might well be right. :)
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Date: 2006-10-26 10:01 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-10-27 09:58 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-10-31 07:12 am (UTC)