Saturday 10 March 2012

Info on Guy Gavriel Kay's new novel

Guy Gavriel Kay has released some info on his next novel, following up on 2010's well-received Under Heaven. His new novel will retain the Chinese-style setting of his previous book, but will this time be based around the Song Dynasty. It sounds like the book will be set in the same world as Under Heaven, but four centuries later.

From Kay's website, Brightweavings.com:
Guy Gavriel Kay's new novel is once more inspired by Chinese history, this time during the Song Dynasty, almost four centuries after the story told in his bestselling Under Heaven. The dazzling elements of the Song - cultural brilliance, vicious political rivalries, warfare against nomadic peoples, court mandarins versus the military - are rich ground for Kay's unique blending of fantasy and themes of history. Vivid among a large cast, a young man with a dream of regaining the empire's lost 'rivers and mountains' and a brilliant woman trying to shape a space for herself outside the 'inner quarters', where women are expected to live out their lives, confront the challenges and dangers of a world in turmoil. The Song Dynasty's legacy is prominent in the way Westerners imagine Chinese history to this day and Kay weaves a story that captivates on both an epic scale and within the intimate lives of his characters.

The new novel will be published in 2013 by Roc in the United States.

4 comments:

Paul Weimer said...

Interesting that he is staying "in China". I guess Under Heaven wasn't enough to explore a 5000 year old complicated civilization!

MarkS said...

Cool. GGK is an author whose books I'll buy on day one of release, regardless of subject matter.

Unknown said...

Good to hear - I'm enjoying Under Heaven more than his last 3 or 4 books.

Blake Charlton said...

yes! we loves the GGK. great news. thanks wert.