Song for Arbonne [Paperback]

Guy Gavriel Kay (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: February 1, 1994

A peaceful, gentle, and passionate kingdom named Arbonne is invaded by ruthless northern warriors, and Arbonne's goddess and Arbonne's people must band together to fight the invaders. Reprint. PW.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Based on the troubadour culture that rose in Provence during the High Middle Ages, this panoramic, absorbing novel beautifully creates an alternate version of the medieval world. As in Tigana , it is a world with two moons. The matriarchal, cultured land of Arbonne is rent by a feud between its two most powerful dukes, the noble troubador Bertran de Talair and Urte de Miraval, over long-dead Aelis, lover of one, wife of the other and once heir to the country's throne. To the north lies militaristic Gorhaut, whose inhabitants worship the militant god Corannos and are ruled by corrupt, womanizing King Ademar. His chief advisor, the high priest of Corannos, is bent on wiping out the worship of a female deity, whose followers live to the south. Into this cauldron of brewing disaster comes the mysterious Gorhaut mercenary Blaise, who takes service with Bertran and averts an attempt on his life. The revelation of Blaise's lineage and a claim for sanctuary by his sister-in-law set the stage for a brutal clash between the two cultures. Intertwined is the tale of a young woman troubadour whose role suggests the sweep of the drama to come. Kay creates a vivid world of love and music, magic and death in a realm that resembles ours but is just different enough to enrich the fantasy genre. 25,000 first printing; major ad/promo.
Copyright 1992 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Review

“For anyone who appreciates that rarest of literary treasures: the ideal novel.”
—Charles de Lint

“This panoramic, absorbing novel beautifully creates an alternate version of the medieval world of love and music, magic and death.”
—Publishers Weekly

“A richly ornamented and tightly woven tapestry… War, love, assassination, deception, kindness, heroism, loyalty, friendship, and magic mix…in startling, unexpected, and satisfying ways.”
—Locus

“An exhilarating epic…a powerful tale of great events in a richly drawn magical kingdom.”
—Kirkus Reviews

“Rarely has a book come along that fulfills on so many levels…Kay skillfully and lyrically paints a portrait of a land and the human hearts that inhabit it, complete with their failures and epiphanies.”
—Palm Beach Post --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 512 pages
• Publisher: Roc (February 1, 1994)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0451453328
• ISBN-13: 978-0451453327
• Product Dimensions: 6.9 x 4.2 x 1.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (88 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #227,013 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

28 of 29 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Kay Does Provence, December 30, 2001

By 

Jisetsu "beancurdsbooks" (Rivendell) - See all my reviews

This review is from: A Song For Arbonne (Paperback)

A Song For Arbonne
by Guy Gavriel Kay

Guy Kay's status as one of the finest contemporary fantasy novelists is due largely to the beauty of his prose, his substantial powers of description, and the depth of his characters - all traits of the fine fiction writer not normally associated (for shame!) with the fantasy genre. That his books are still shelved in the fantasy section of your local bookstore is due largely to his first efforts (The Fionavar Trilogy, Tigana) which are firmly within the fantasy tradition. A Song For Arbonne marks a decided step away from that tradition, as Kay almost completely eschews magic in this book (and those that follow) and concentrates more on the political and personal relationships between his characters.

The strongest argument for categorizing Kay as a fantasy writer is that his stories inhabit imaginary worlds. Kay's international bestseller Tigana was very loosely set in an imaginary Italy (he wrote part of the book in Tuscany) and with A Song For Arbonne and the books that follow, the extent that art imitates life becomes increasingly pointed, as Kay develops a place of his own to write books that fall somewhere between the fantasy and historical fiction genres.

A Song For Arbonne is Kay's hommage to Medieval France (he wrote most of the book in Provence) and the Court of Love. If the book lacks the epic sweep of Tigana, Kay makes up for it in his loving evocation of Arbonnais culture. It is this "flavor" of an imagined time and place that is one of Kay's hallmarks as a writer, and he is in fine form here.

The conflict in the novel exists on three planes: a religious struggle between the Sun God-worshipping Gorhautians (brutal northerners) and the Moon Goddess-worshipping Arbonnais, a complex political struggle not only between these two countries but within each also, and personal conflicts of honor and love amongst the characters as individuals. All this conflict keeps the action of the story moving along at a nice clip. The religious conflict, however, is not as well developed as the other strands of the story; Kay's description of a misogynist patriarchy seeking to annihilate a benevolent, liberal matriarchy lacks depth, as apt an analogue to European religious history as it may be.

As in all of Kay's novels, the protagonist characters (both male and female) are well-developed and sympathetic. Blaise, the Gorhautian soldier turned Arbonnais-sympathizer, presents the focal point of the story, and his exploits (on the battlefield and in the bedroom) and acceptance of the beauty and humanity of the Arbonnais and their Court of Love over the course of the novel is well done. If there is a lack of strong character writing in this book it is in the development of the antagonists: the power-mad King of Gorhaut and Galbert de Garsanc, High Elder of Corannos, his Chief Counselor, are somewhat two-dimensional, and did not hold this reader's interest as well as villains in other Kay novels.

Despite these weaknesses, A Song For Arbonne is a lovely novel, and if not as strong as some of Kay's other work, it is still Vintage Kay, any of whose books stand head and shoulders above the imitative, formulaic writing that plagues the fantasy genre.

Recommended for readers of literate fantasy.

15 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars An introspective song of human drama, November 11, 2000

By 

Barry C. Chow (Calgary, Alberta Canada) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Song for Arbonne (Paperback)

This is the first of Kay's works where the conventions of fantasy are largely abandoned. In his preceding work, Tigana, he has already dropped the plethora of non-human and mythical entities that are an obligatory part of most fantasy settings. Here, he further reins in the role of magic. In A Song for Arbonne, magic is reduced to a completely subsidiary function. It is used only to supply a motive for one kingdom's conflict with another.

This is an entirely good thing. By divesting himself of fireballs, voodoo and the most overwrought elements of the supernatural, Kay has freed himself to play to his strengths: his gift for characterization, his lyrical voice and his facility with evocation.

This is not to say that there is anything wrong with a basic blood-and-guts sword and sorcery epic. Some of my favourite tales are Howard's original Conan stories. But Kay is a different writer. He is strongest when depicting the human condition. He does not paint dragons or demons convincingly. But his balladeers are so real that you swear he must have lived as one in a prior life.

It is not a perfect work. The changing tenses are confusing and unnecessary. Allusions are sometimes indulgent. The main character arrives at his redemption a tad too easily. The antagonists are not fleshed out deeply enough. Some of the secondary characters need more to do. But these are quibbles. They are noticeable only because Kay has achieved such a high standard throughout, that any criticism must focus on the niggling stuff. However, they are distracting enough to prevent a perfect score.

So what is there to recommend this book? Kay has produced a world so textured and substantial that we are intrigued more by the imaginary land of Arbonne than the real land of Provence after which it is modelled. We care not only for the main characters, but for all its inhabitants. A land so given to music and courtly love brings out the romantic within us. And Kay presents it with such grace and moderation that it is never forced or affected. As a result, the inner journey of the main protagonist from dour cynicism to compassionate nobility is entirely believable.

Kay's writings are not for everyone. His later work, especially, strays further and further from the comfort zone of fantasy, and this alienates many readers who are attracted to fantasy precisely because of the comfort zone. It is as if a mystery writer neglected to include a murder or a romance novelist foreswore any scenes of heartbreak. Kay appeals more to the introspective sort who appreciates human drama, in whichever setting it may take place, and feels at home with departures from the formula. For such a reader, this is a treasured find.

16 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Kay's Best Work?, June 12, 1999

By 

Elyon (Mesilla, New Mexico) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Song for Arbonne (Paperback)

I have greatly enjoyed Guy Gavriel Kay's writing, and even found "The Fionavar Tapestry" engaging, if not equal to his later, more mature work. Kay is certainly one of the best and most original writers fantasy has to offer, and this work remains a favorite. Like "The Lions of Al-Rassan" and "Sailing to Sarantium ", the story is loosely based upon a historical period and culture, in this case the troubadour era of Mediterranean Europe. Kay interweaves his tale with the customs of medieval knighthood as well as the conflicting worship of a patriarchal sun god and an older, magical veneration of a goddess familiar to anyone having studied Robert Graves. Interlaced into these plot motifs are elements of court intrigue, mystery, and familial skeletons in the closet. Yet out of this seeming disparate stew Kay is able to distill a complicated tale of conflict that is not only believable but attains a life of its own. Unlike much fantasy fiction, the characterization is mature and complex, both in thought and motivation, and Kay's characters evolve with the story. Further, neither the plot nor the players always follow what is expected, yet at no time does the action become contrived or a stretch of one's credulity. Kay obviously loves the unforeseen twist, and cleverly calls it to use. And I think you'll find the aftermath to "A Song for Arbonne" an unsuspected delight.