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Ysabel

By Guy Gavriel Kay

(16)

| Hardcover | 9780670043217

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Book Description

In this exhilarating, moving new work, Guy Gavriel Kay casts brilliant light on the ways in which history—whether of a culture or a family—refuses to be buried. Ned Marriner, fifteen years old, has accompanied his photographer father to Provence for a six-week "shoot" of images for a glossy coffee-tContinue

In this exhilarating, moving new work, Guy Gavriel Kay casts brilliant light on the ways in which history—whether of a culture or a family—refuses to be buried. Ned Marriner, fifteen years old, has accompanied his photographer father to Provence for a six-week "shoot" of images for a glossy coffee-table book. Gradually, Ned discovers a very old story playing itself out in this modern world of iPods, cellphones, and seven-seater vans whipping along roads walked by Celtic tribes and Roman legions. On one holy, haunted night of the ancient year, when the borders between the living and the dead are down and fires are lit upon the hills, Ned, his family, and his friends are shockingly drawn into this tale, as dangerous, mythic figures from conflicts of long ago erupt into the present, claiming and changing lives.

Critics

  • Ysabel By Guy Gavriel Kay

    Guy Gavriel Kay is justifiably renowned for his historical fantasies, but after a family trip to France he has produced what could be a breakout book for him, his first contemporary fantasy in many years, Ysabel. Ned, 15-year-old son of famous photog ... (read full critics)

    bookpage published on Thu, 16 Sep 2010

  • Ysabel

    by Guy Gavriel Kay With this new novel, Toronto writer Guy Gavriel Kay returns to a more mythic storytelling approach, following several books that embraced the historical over the fantastic. This is not, however, the epic fantasy of the Fionavar Tap ... (read full critics)

    quillandquire published on Tue, 14 Sep 2010

2 Reviews

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  • "Never again will a single story be told as though it were the only one"

    I can't be totally fair about this book. First, because it's my first Kay reading after "The Fionavar Tapestry", and I LOVE that trilogy. Deeply. Second, is quite the same reason: you can find in "Ysabel" two "Fionavar"'s ... (continue)

    "Never again will a single story be told as though it were the only one"

    I can't be totally fair about this book. First, because it's my first Kay reading after "The Fionavar Tapestry", and I LOVE that trilogy. Deeply. Second, is quite the same reason: you can find in "Ysabel" two "Fionavar"'s characters, Kimberly Ford and Dave Martyniuk. And I loved them DEEPLY (but was there a character I didn't love that way in Fionavar? Maybe the villain. Yeah, maybe).
    But I think that don't be able to stop reading something is usually a sign of how good a book is. And this is NO love story (even if love is the main fuel for all the action).
    I think also that "Fionavar" was best, more complete written. "Ysabel" writings is light and funny and I really loved it, but sometimes I felt light something was missed. Maybe it was the "mostly dialogues" thing :)

    Btw, the story is about a normal teenager from Montreal, Ned, having to spend his summer in Provence because in father is a world-wide-known photographer and his mother is in Sudan with "Medecins sans frontieres". He meets an American girl in a cathedral. But that's just the beginning, because they'll meet someone else, someone who clearly doesn't belong to this world. Then there're magic, mysteries, Celtic tales, impossible loves, Provence and much much more. To save someone he cares for, Ned'll have to learn WHY and HOW he's special, and how to find her.

    As "Fionavar" was, this is a deeply bittersweet book.

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    Juls said on Sep 16, 2008 about the Paperback edition | Add your feedback

  • *** This comment contains spoilers! ***

    An unexpected delight.

    While Guy Gavriel Kay has charmed me with each new work, this one was an unexpected and emotionally charged delight.

    While I was aware that all of his works are deftly woven together either through lore, history or symbolism, I was stunned at the reappearance of beloved characters from one of ... (continue)

    While Guy Gavriel Kay has charmed me with each new work, this one was an unexpected and emotionally charged delight.

    While I was aware that all of his works are deftly woven together either through lore, history or symbolism, I was stunned at the reappearance of beloved characters from one of his previous oeuvres. It startled me into reaching for his previous books to be certain that I was in fact remembering names correctly.

    The book is a lovely story, rich in detail which takes you to France to take part in the adventures of 15 year old Ned. It paints a textured picture of Province while he and his Father, a reknown photographer, takes in the sites for possible shots for an upcoming coffee table book.

    The events that follow force Ned out of his "normal life" and into the hands of something unexpected and dangerous.

    The story is even more rich having read his previous books, so if you are in mid-read and finding this review, be sure to pick up his previous works and give this a re-read. You won't regret it.

    Is this helpful?

    kdot said on Jan 22, 2008 about the Mass Market Paperback edition | Add your feedback

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