Name: Under Heaven
ISBN: 9780451463302

Guy Gavriel Kay

In his latest innovative work, an award-winning author evokes the dazzling Tang Dynasty of 8th-century China in a story of honor and power.

Under Heaven

Shen Tai has mourned his father living like a hermit at the edge of the Kitan Empire next to a lake where a terrible battle was fought. Now peace has been bought by the bartering of the imperial Princess Cheng-wan and Tai has been gifted 250 Sardian horses which can bestow the owner power and wealth but thus must come at a price.

altlovesbooks

I really liked this book, my first by Guy Gavriel Kay. I took my time in reading it because it seemed like a book that deserved to be savored. The detail was great, as were the character developments. The ending was very bittersweet, but complete and satisfying.

Kayla Ndife

This was the first book I'd read by this author, so a lot of the negative points that I've read in reviews posted by his other readers who are familiar with his work didn't really occur to me at all.

I could not put this book down, first of all. Kay creates a lovely, detailed world that seems to more or less be ancient China, a setting I can always get behind.

While the main character is *presented* as Shen Tai, the recipient of an absurd number of fancy horses (I was never entirely sure what made the horses so fancy, but hey), I got the feeling that the characters that were truly important were the women. I liked watching them use their places in society -- usually as "lesser" citizens simply because they had a uterus -- and their limited power to shape their situations and sometimes even manipulate the entire damn empire using the tools given to them.

Others complained about the ending being suddenly rushed, but I think those people are kind of missing the point. I saw this as a story about transitions in one's life, and not necessarily SHEN TAI IS COMING TO SAVE THE DAY. It's about fate, I think, and not QUASH THE REBELLION or SAVE THE GIRL or KILL THE DUDE. 

I loved the voice Kay used, and the inclusion of poetry and the cultural elements that he chose to illustrate the culture and the characters. Sima Zian was probably my favorite character.

I'll definitely be reading the next book in the series.

Loved this even me the second time around. Can't wait to get to the second one.

Natalie

Review in the May 2010 issue of Romantic Times.

Cindy Lieberman

Political and family intrique during the 9th Han dynasty in China. Interesting and well written.

Jenna Kathleen

DNF at ~100 pages (~150 if you count skimming).

I read around 100 pages and then started skimming. I decided to go back to the beginning and I just couldn't do it. Sad to DNF this as I really like other works I've read by Kay.

Les Reynolds

This book was enthralling for about two thirds, a very interesting story of political intrigue in ancient China. But there were also dry parts.

In a setting that evokes the dazzling Tang Dynasty of 8th-century China, Shen Tai has been sent a mysterious and dangerous gift: 250 Sardian horses in recognition of his service to the Emperor of Kitai. Wisely, the gift comes with the stipulation that the horses must be claimed in person--otherwise, he would probably be dead already.