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    River of Stars
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    River of Stars
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    River of Stars
    Audiobook20 hours

    River of Stars

    Written by Guy Gavriel Kay

    Narrated by Simon Vance

    4/5

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    About this audiobook

    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 – 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.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherHarperCollins
    Release dateOct 29, 2015
    ISBN9780008168575
    Unavailable
    River of Stars
    Author

    Guy Gavriel Kay

    Guy Gavriel Kay was born and raised in Canada. He lives in Toronto, although he does most of his writing in Europe. His novels include ‘The Fionavar Tapestry’ trilogy (described by ‘Interzone’ as ‘the only fantasy work… that does not suffer by comparison with ‘The Lord of the Rings’), ‘Tigana’ and ‘A Song for Arbonne’.

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    Reviews for River of Stars

    4/5

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    • 5/5
      This was a good book. Excellent development, and a fun sequel. I hope that he continues to write in this universe.
    • 4/5
      The scene opens with young Ren Daiyan whipping his wooden sword around a bamboo grove, battling imaginary barbarians, imagining great things while the Empire is in decline all around him. Suddenly, a small seemingly insignificant decision sets his life and dreams into motion. How does one man rise as a Empire falls?In Under Heaven, Kay described life in 8th Century China. In River of Stars he returns to China four Centuries later, in his fictionalized version of the Song Dynasty.Kay's writing is as poetic and sublime as ever. The first paragraph sets the tone:"Late autumn, early morning. It is cold, mist rising from the forest floor, sheathing the green bamboo trees in the grove, muffling sounds, hiding the Twelve Peaks to the east. The maple leaves on the way here are red and yellow on the ground, and falling. The temple bells from the edge of town seem distant when they ring, as if from another world" (3).My only problem with River of Stars is Kay's tendency to overstate one of his favourite themes: that apparently small random choices have the power drastically change the course of a life and the history of a nation. The theme is interesting, but he mused on it so often, it felt overstated in such a subtle novel.River of Stars is a gripping account of one man's life as chaos, war, affluence, and political subterfuge swirl around him. Kay is clearly at the height of his literary prowess.
    • 4/5
      This follow up to Under Heaven, set 400 years after that book but still in a works echoing with the great changes wrought in its pages, is another shining example of Kay's unparalleled lyricism and emotional charge. The grand scope of history is grounded in characters that and breathe even as they shoulder the burden of world-shaking ambition.

      And yet, somehow, this offering from Kay feels somehow bleaker than any of his others. Kay's work often deals with the tragedy of human endeavors, while still celebrating the struggle and valorizing those who strive on. However, River of Stars send to go very heavy on the loss side of this equation, and the glint of hope at the end is merely that: a glint.

      It has beauty, but more sorrow than I bargained for.
    • 4/5
      Once again, Guy Gavriel Kay has written about a historical time period, in this case the Song Dynasty, and fictionalized it, changed names and events and timelines, but more or less giving us a vision of what that time period could have been like, but also with very rare appearance of a ghost or a fox-spirit. Like a lot of his work, it is largely tragic, but it is about change and how societies rise and fall and how the major players are involved. I found myself wanting to learn more about the real historical people and their lives and how the invading Mongol army changed their world. This novel tries to stay as authentic to that time period including all of the social mores at the time, good or bad, like how sexist the society was. But then he will write about people who went against the norms and how they lived their lives to find a place in such a society. He writes believable, likeable (and also unlikeable) characters. But I also feel that they are awash in the flow of the world, and are unable to change the current of events, they can only make a splash, with some ripples being larger than others, but ultimately they cannot alter their course. And that's what makes these stories tragic. You learn to love these characters and suffer when they suffer. But you also feel joy and happiness when they do too. That's one of the great qualities of Kay's writing.
    • 4/5
      Guy Gavriel Kay returns to ancient China, or a fantasy version of it anyway, with a sweeping epic. I admire more than I can say how he deftly weaves culture and character without losing the thread of story. This is not a fast paced book, it is a steady and alluring tale, a romance, a political tapestry and a haunting celebration of time.
    • 3/5
      A good sequel to Under Heaven - distantly connected across a large amount of time. Similar to the first one, it is strange and a little disorienting to read, as its characters adhere to many ideas and concepts of an eastern philosophy that is strange to the eyes of a western audience.

      The story is well told. But I am ambivalent about the whole thing; possibly because of how different it is. Not something I would unreservedly recommend. But if you enjoy Kay's other novels and are looking for something similar but different, this is a worthwhile read.
    • 5/5
      River of Stars is an epic read, written by one of my favorite fantasy authors. It's based on ancient China, incorporating the history of the Chinese emperors as well as the horsemen of the plains. I think tribes such as the Mongols, Tartars, and Koreans were referenced though since this is also a fantasy setting, it's not exactly as history would have it. There are poets, bandits, prime ministers, and farmers whose lives intersect in this fascinating story. The main characters are Daiyan, the bandit who is good with a bow, and Shan, the woman educated like a man. Shan's husband Wai is a minor character but a particular favorite of mine due to his archeological efforts. But every character is a treat to read about, each dealing with court intrigues and warfare in different ways. I liked Under Heaven very much, the previous book in this series, but I think I enjoyed this story more. It's a great read and I recommend it highly.
    • 5/5
      Historical fiction from an alternative earth with a dash of fantasy. I had trouble putting it down. It starts as a series of vignettes introducing the characters and joins them together into the larger story. Sometimes the story would drag a bit but never for very long. The ending makes you think as it leaves alternatives that could have happened. It was consistent with the overall story even though it wasn't the heroic or epic ending I had been hoping for. Very well written with characters that I cared about deeply.
    • 4/5
      Set 400 years after Under Heaven, this semi-sequel is slightly more traditional fantasy in that the main character does have some effect on the world and events around him. As always, lyrically written by Kay.
    • 5/5
      River of Stars by Guy Gavriel Kay is the second book that he has set in his version of an alternative China. This book follows his previous novel, Under Heaven and takes place some 400 years later. I have loved every one of this author’s novels and this one was no exception. He writes of epic battles, violent deaths and profound love and delivers a multilayered emotionally intense story he has drawn from the history of China’s Song Dynasty.The country of Kitai has become corrupt, weak and luxury loving over the last few generations. Soldiers are not revered and armies are not being trained properly. When the country is suddenly facing invasion by barbarians from the north, a hero is badly needed. One young man does arise to fulfill this need and thus the legend of Ren Daiyan is born. He firmly believes that it is his destiny to restore Kitai to it’s former glory but unfortunately, there also comes a time when Emperors and politicians find heroes more dangerous than their actual enemy.River of Stars is a powerful story with a complex plot and multifaceted characters that explores an entire culture while still managing to make this a story about two lovers who are, perhaps, born at the wrong time. This book was a wonderful reading experience that totally captivated me with it’s depth of emotion and lyrical writing.
    • 5/5
      This was a good book. Excellent development, and a fun sequel. I hope that he continues to write in this universe.
    • 4/5
      First let me say I love this man's writings. He could do the blurb on a package of Kleenex and make it sound like poetry. But I have to say this time that I was briefly left wanting. At least for the first half of the book. His strength is not just in his exquisite writing but in his flawless characters and the emotions they evoke in the reader; but it took a very long time before we were given a chance to know the main characters in River of Stars and all of the background to this hefty tome was a deterrent, for this reader anyway, to getting lost in the worlds Mr Kay creates so wonderfully.
      That being said the second half of this book I read in less than two days and it gave me that "un-put-down-able" feeling I get from this author's novels.
      Guy Gavriel Kay always manages to be the best devil's advocate in his writings; presenting complicated characters in difficult situations where the outcome is never easy or comfortable, never wholly good or bad, where you end up loving and hating in equal measure.
      Thank you again, Guy, for giving us novels that educate, entertain and squeeze our hearts for all they are worth.
    • 5/5
      I'm not familiar with Chinese history, let alone the dynamics of each dynasty, so I'm not aware of how close to the actual Song dynasty RoS goes. However, Kay's masterful prose and use of a long historical perspective (events in the novel are periodically referenced as being elaborated by historians or argued over cups of wine by students) make for a compelling narrative.
    • 5/5
      beautiful, fully realized version of Song Dynasty China told as fantasy. second in a series of works on early China, the first one, Under Heaven, set in the Tang Dynasty. the language is spare and poetic, matching the landscape and the times.
    • 4/5
      Another lovely work by Kay. It has an epic, heroic scale, while simultaneously delving deep into characters yet keeping the story paramount, and also capturing the little moments in life. I find his books such a joy - Kay has such a gift for details, for scope both big and large, for surprise - or maybe for not giving you what you wanted or expected.I liked the characters, complex and nuanced. I think Kay does a good job writing strong women, which I appreciate, but this is a very male story.
    • 4/5
      dense and flowing, atmospheric, but somehow, the setting maybe, the realism of it taking away from a traditional "high romantic fantasy" ending. As with Kay's other books, things will become more clear for me on re-reading, somewhen.
    • 5/5
      Excellent historical fiction set in ancient China, with only a light hint of fantasy in the form of mythological elements. I love nearly all of GGK’s books. This may not be his best, but it’s definitely up in the top 50% of his works.

      The story is not fast-moving (although it has action-filled moments), rather it builds slowly, like a tapestry carefully growing on a loom… weaving the tales of two people, and those they touch…

      Ren Daiyan grows from an ambitious boy, to an outlaw, to a military man whose decisions may change the fates of empires.

      Lin Shan is an exceptional woman, a poet whose work is a mild scandal due to her gender, but whose words reach the ears of the Emperor himself.

      It’s a time when invading Mongols threaten the Empire; where bureaucracy has ascended over the martial way, and when an oblivious Emperor unwittingly sows misery and destruction in his pursuit of the creation of a beautiful garden. But with all its flaws, this civilization does have beauty and value to it.

      The book is rather philosophical, and is told at a slight remove, as if a poet told a tale from history. But it’s also full of convincing, authentic characters, with plenty of intrigue, and builds to a powerful climax that was simultaneously unexpected but satisfying.

    • 3/5
      River of Stars is a historical fantasy novel based on Song era China. This book would probably appeal to historical fiction readers more than those looking for fantasy. Magic is limited to a few ghosts and spirits as well as an overall sense of destiny.According to the back cover blurb: “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.”River of Stars has a large cast of characters but spends the most time with Ren Daiyan and Lin Shan. Ren Daiyan has dreamed of reclaiming Kitai’s lost provinces since he was a boy, but after a fateful military uprising hundreds of years before, Kitai’s elites keep the army deliberately weak. Daiyan sets off on a path from outlaw to solider to legend, always focused on the prosperity of Kitai above all else. Lin Shan is the daughter of a court gentleman and a rare female poet. She was raised as if she were a son and occupies a strange position at court.While the back of the cover suggested this was both Daiyan and Shan’s stories, River of Stars really belongs to Daiyan. Shan is intelligent and educated, but she has little impact on the overall events of the novel. In the end, it felt like she had little role outside of being a love interest. She’s also pretty much the only female character. There’s a couple of other women who have one scene each, but none of these reappear or even interact with Shan. Shan never speaks to another named female character, and it’s justified in the narrative by saying that other women dislike Shan because they feel she acts outside the proper role of a woman. Still, Shan has to speak to another woman at some point. Servants? Her mother-in-law? Other court ladies? The “other women don’t like Shan” would be a lot more believable if we saw any of them actually have a conversation with her.While I’m on the subject of gender, there’s also a lot of objectification and sexual violence going on in the background. While rape is never explicitly described, it’s going on in the background. I got the feeling that Kay was trying to make a point about how horrible this time period was for women, but to do so I think he needs to have actual conversations between women, female characters who impact the plot, or heck, just more female characters in general.Oh, there’s only one gay character, and he dies. Fortunately, his death isn’t a direct result of his sexual orientation but know this going in.This is the second novel I’ve read by Kay, the first being The Lions of Al-Rassan, which I really enjoyed. Like River of Stars, The Lions of Al-Rassan was long and started off slow. Unlike River of Stars, the ending contained a sense of overwhelming urgency and tragic destiny. At the end of River of Stars, the only feeling I got was an annoyance that I’d stuck with this one for six hundred pages.Other people may very well like this one better than I did. As I said above, people looking for historical fiction may very well like it. However, I would suggest avoiding it if you prefer books where female characters have a role outside of love interest or evil, scheming (and shortly dead) wives.Originally posted on The Illustrated Page.
    • 5/5
      This author's name kept coming up, and I thought I should try one of his books. I don't know how typical River of Stars is, but I can say that it is extremely impressive. No brief plot summary could remotely do it justice. It's not that the plot is in any sense weak or conventional; it's just that what makes this work truly exceptional is execution. You have to read at least a substantial portion of it to fully grasp what Kay is doing. He is painting a huge canvas, with strokes that are sometimes broad, sometimes narrow, sometimes minutely detailed, but always carefully placed to give us a living picture of his characters, their actions, their thoughts, their world. Kay has an odd habit of switching back and forth between present-tense and past-tense narration that I found distracting, though it wasn't very long before I didn't care because the story had me in its grip. Oddly, it was the past-tense parts that felt most direct and immediate to me. The present-tense parts felt more distant, in a sense, as if I was floating there, watching. Another quirk is the frequent insertion of little parentheticals that illuminate what surrounds them like tiny flashes of light. If he has a weakness it is that he sometimes belabors things beyond what I feel is necessary for his purpose. I always want stories to make sense, and I have a tendency in my own writing to over-explain. Kay, I think, is a writer who wants to explain things even more than I do. This is not a happily-ever-after story. It is described as historical fantasy. There are supernatural elements that force the "fantasy" label, and the story really is fiction, although Kay draws heavily on his historical research – here, into Song Dynasty China. Whereas many writers would use fantasy as a vehicle to spin a yarn with an improbable feel-good conclusion, Kay pulls relatively few punches. This is not a place and time that makes things easy for people and Kay is very clear about that. He is an omniscient narrator who takes us into many characters' heads, sometimes so deeply that we can lose ourselves, but we also hear his voice, more or less, throughout. He is our clear-sighted, expert, and insightful guide.
    • 4/5
      I enjoyed this book a great deal more than Under Heaven, the previous book by the same author in the same (fictionally Chinese) setting. What made the difference for me was that this book had a clearer arc of growth for its primary protagonist, more interesting themes, and more pleasant minor characters. The story was unpredictable, but easy to follow, with humor, action, romance, and plenty of twists.

      As usual what makes Kay's books really unique is the way that he weaves thematic ideas together with an exciting story and how he conveys depth in characters with very few words. I think the central theme of this book was whether destiny (or one's sense of destiny) is a blessing or a curse, and how one should react to disappointment, opportunity, and change. He presented a wide variety of views, and left the conclusions open to the reader. I also appreciated the way that different sorts of love and loyalty (romantic, filial, professional, and national) were examined, tested, and questioned.
    • 5/5
      I'm a huge Guy G. Kay fan, so I can't really give an unbiased review. I love his stuff. I don't always know why I love them until a second reading. Last Light of The Sun was like that for me. It grew on me after thinking about it.

      As for River of Stars I have two non-plot-related thoughts on it. The first is that it feels like a prediction. Kay's choice of the fall of the Song Dynasty from a decadent civilization to anarchy is deliberate. Our decadent civilization may be falling to internal and external discord. The second is Kay's use of the legend as a literary format. At first I was a bit thrown by the impersonal treatment of the protagonist. He was much less of fleshed out person than previous Kay protagonists. In his acknowledgements at the end, Kay mentions the legend as a literary format and how he intentionally wrote a character informed by multiple re-tellings over the years. It is a bit jarring, but I want to think about it. I'd almost prefer he had chosen to tell the story of Zhao Ziji and Shao Pan, two side characters who appeared more human than the epic legendary characters Ren Daiyan and Lin Shan. Kay was doing something intentional with the scope of these two, something I'm going to have to process. I'm glad he's stretching himself as an author, I don't want to read rehashes of old successes or the same stories in slightly different settings. It is just going to take me a while to process what went on in River of Stars.

      I should note that I really loved the book and was emotionally engaged by the story. It deserves its five stars, I just have to think more deeply about it to process.
    • 5/5
      GGK can always be relied on for an interesting and absorbing read and River of Stars gives you that.It is written in his usual lyrical style which I'm sure many people would hate but I love.A historically interesting time which I knew nothing about. Unfortunately, being able to look up instantly the real history of the time was a mistake as it pulled me out of the story.I did enjoy it and thought it better than Under Heaven.But he still seems to have lost his ability to make you really care about his characters. I used to be able to guarantee that a GGK book would make me cry at some point but his China books are just not doing that for me. Too many viewpoints? Too alien a culture? Not sure why.But any GGK fan is not going to want to miss this.
    • 4/5
      Kay is known for his immersive historical fiction with great, well-developed characters, and River of Stars certainly delivers on those counts. The protagonist Ren, his renaissance-woman paramour Lin, the master politician Hang, and even the short-sighted Emperor are all very intriguing characters, and as a reader, I felt very invested in their fates. However, the story begins with their disparate backgrounds, and the early novel feels a little disjointed as we learn about characters who have no connection to one another. The background of Song dynasty China seems very well-researched, but on the whole it seems like a rather depressing topic, as it's a period when the leaders are either too introspective or too self-interested, no one knows how to address external threats or the dissatisfaction of commoners, and everyone agrees that the nation is in decline. While the book's plot does nothing to ameliorate any of these (in fact, it tells of the disasters that can result), I do find myself particularly satisfied with the ending. Ren's ultimate choices do little to mitigate the fall of civilization, but they do immortalize him as a shining beacon of loyalty in a country with a long history of anything but.
    • 4/5
      Meets expectations. I got through it while still caring about the characters, which I don't think I've managed with some of his other historicalish books.
    • 4/5
      Guy Gavriel Kay is one of my favorite authors and I particularly loved and would highly recommend his previous novel, Under Heaven. River of Stars takes place in China several hundred years after Under Heaven. The story is interesting and the characters are well drawn, but the novel is slow to develop and is bogged down by too much detail. The author also much too frequently uses parenthetical asides to various characters thoughts and this technique becomes annoying after a while. Overall, River of Stars is disappointing and not up to the standards of Kay's best works.
    • 3/5
      It pains me to give only three stars to one of my favourite authors, Guy Gavriel Kay. The story Kay relates takes up events several hundred years after the fall of the great dynasty in a China-like world Kay created in Under Heaven, revolving around, primarily, an unorthodox and intelligent woman, an unwitting and reluctant warrior/hero, and the usual cast of supporting intellectuals and likable villains.I could not help but feel, however, Kay revisited what have become familiar and comfortable character-types and plot constructions, and thus the experience of reading River of Stars lacked lustre. His heroine is of course intelligent, an unorthodox woman in an orthodox society. His hero is caught in both political and magical nets. Both characters can easily be found in any of Kay's previous impressive canon. And thus, by now, one could hope for something new, something fresh from that highly literate and artistic mind of Kay's.Certainly Kay's writing remains evocative and lyrical, with some breath-taking images and descriptions that cannot help but move the spirit. Yet even that was marred by Kay's understandable love of poetry and the poetic form, so that much of the narrative ended up lost beneath esoteric discussions that stopped all action. Beyond that, Kay has chosen a narrative style in this novel wherein many subsidiary characters are introduced in detail, so that the reader is set up to believe this is a character which will continue throughout the novel because of the level of detail devoted to them, only to find by the close of the chapter they've been exiled, or killed, or in some manner marginalized, their complete future revealed and summarized and ended. By the second or third introduction of such a character, the reader no longer invests either attention or interest, longing to return to the main thrust of the story. Most readers, I suspect, will enjoy River of Stars. Indeed there is much here to enjoy. But this reader, who longs to be surprised, found only the familiar, relatively well-executed tale, but without that lingering bouquet of a fine story-telling.
    • 4/5
      Beautifully written book. If you enjoyed "Under Heaven", then you would really enjoy this as well. In typical Kay fashion, he retells with added detail and a very human touch a historical event - in this case the conflict from Song dynasty in China between a cripped and frail Imperial China and her northern barbaric neighbors from the northern steppe. Wonderfully rouded with interesting characters and gorgeous details.
    • 5/5
      River of Stars is one of the literary ‘hits’ of the summer and possible one of the best books of 2013. What Guy Gavriel Kay has created is a well researched beautifully written fantasy that will be read and loved by all who dip insides the pages. This is the first Kay book I have read and will be reading more after River of Stars as what I found was a complex, wide-ranging fantasy that just draws you in and feel as if you are there in the middle of the story.The two central characters of this novel, Ren Daiyon and Lin Shan we watch them grow and how their intertwined stories become one. River of Stars themes, characters and events are based on China’s Northern Song Dynasty one can see the mirror of these characters inspired by real people. Instead of China the state is called Kitai and this is the story of how Ren Daiyen will become a legend amongst the Kitai for his heroic skills as a soldier and commander. How in the end he does the right and honourable thing that will be the end of him, or is it? You will have to read to find out!River of Stars is a book that you can very easily disappear in to and enjoy the fantasy as this beautiful story washes over you. This is a wonderfully vivid and very powerful story that was inspired by the Tang Dynasty. This is a wonderfully fantasy based on fact and history that fires the imagination. The words used by Kay evokes powerful imagery that is stunningly beautiful at the same time. I cannot recommend this book highly enough; it is a big book with a powerful story but well worth taking your time with it.
    • 3/5
      More of a Chinese history lesson than was Under Heaven. The two books are only related by their setting, not by any plot or characters. There are many characters in River of Stars and it's difficult to keep the plot straight between the chapters.
    • 4/5
      I couldn't wait to read this book, and it didn't disappoint. Kay is at home in his Chinese setting, and I love learning about real history from him this way. It always amazes me just how much of his stories really happened! The story hooked me in as usual, and although the characters weren't as compelling as in some of his other books, they were still a sufficiently interesting cast. That said, his habit of foreshadowing literally everything that is going to happen in the book is starting to really annoy me. It seems like every three pages there's a sentence along the lines of "but that was not, in fact, how it turned out. How strange it is that the course of history can be changed by such a small thing", again and again and again. I get it! Any halfway intelligent reader will be able to appreciate when a plot turns on a slight coincidence, without neon signs pointing you at it. As a device I think it can be effective, but only if it isn't overused. I'll go back and read Under Heaven now, as it's been a couple of years since I read it. The plots of Kay's books are so complicated it's hard to remember what happened, and I suspect these two books will blur into one otherwise.