The Lions of Al-Rassan

By: Guy Gavriel Kay

Narrated by: Euan Morton

The ruling Asharites of Al-Rassan have come from the desert sands, but over centuries, seduced by the sensuous pleasures of their new land, their stern piety has eroded. The Asharite empire has splintered into decadent city-states led by warring petty kings. King Almalik of Cartada is on the ascendancy, aided always by his friend and advisor, the notorious Ammar ibn Khairan - poet, diplomat, soldier - until a summer afternoon of savage brutality changes their relationship forever.

Meanwhile, in the north, the conquered Jaddites' most celebrated - and feared - military leader, Rodrigo Belmonte, driven into exile, leads his mercenary company south.

In the dangerous lands of Al-Rassan, these two men from different worlds meet and serve - for a time - the same master. Sharing their interwoven fate - and increasingly torn by her feelings - is Jehane, the accomplished court physician, whose own skills play an increasing role as Al-Rassan is swept to the brink of holy war, and beyond.

Hauntingly evocative of medieval Spain, The Lions of Al-Rassan is both a brilliant adventure and a deeply compelling story of love, divided loyalties, and what happens to men and women when hardening beliefs begin to remake - or destroy - a world.

©1995 Guy Gavriel Kay (P)2012 Audible, Inc.

Superb

My first GGK novel, and wow. What lyrical language! And a good story to boot, leaving the reader thinking, something I always appreciate in a book. Looking for my next GGK novel now!

sensational

absolutely loved it. amongst the top 'fantasy ' I've read. my only gripe would be ambiguous perspective shifts

This book is incredible

I'm 80% through. This book is just so touching and incredible.
Another book I tried to read of this author had a lot of magic in it and I quit reading it.
This book does not have magic. The stories are simply astounding.

There are no words!

This book has become my all-time favorite, and I am a voracious reader. Every work of G.G.K. is as much poetry as prose, but these characters have never dimmed nor faded with age. In heaven I hope our favorite heroines and heros live again, for I long to be reunited with my friends in these pages.

Interesting from start to finish

Reader was fantastic, story was interesting and overall an enjoyable experience . Extra words to get to fifteen

Lots of drama

In the turbulent region that used to be the stable empire of Al-Rassan, petty kings vie for power. Each of these rulers is ambitions and clever, but none of them has been able to acquire his position without the help of others — crafty advisors, brave army commanders, brilliantly inventive doctors, devoted wives and children — and sometimes the same people who have served them well are the same ones who may later cause their downfall.

The Lions of Al-Rassan is the story of a few of these people, how they worked for (and sometimes against) the rulers they pledged to serve, and how they brought about the rise and fall of nations. The infamous Ammar ibn Khairan — King Almalik’s soldier, advisor, assassin, and poet — is known as the man who assassinated the last Khalif of al-Rassan. The notorious Rodrigo Belmonte — King Ramiro’s best commander — is the most feared soldier in the region. Jehane bet Ishak, a woman who’s ahead of her time, is the stubborn but brilliant daughter of a famous physician. These three, who share different religious beliefs but the same uncompromising personal standards, will have a profound effect on each other and the fate of an empire — not just because of what they do, but also because of their influence on the people they meet along the way.

Like Guy Gavriel Kay’s other works, The Lions of Al-Rassan is well-researched historical fiction (this one hardly counts as fantasy). The setting is similar to the Reconquista and the Crusades of Moorish Spain, though the religions Kay uses are not actually based on Christianity, Judaism and Islam (even though the character and place names sound like they are). Also like Kay’s other stories, The Lions of Al-Rassan is full of political intrigue, romance, poetry and lots of passion. The setting is epic, the characters are epic, and the conflict is epic, but rather than focusing on the grand picture with its galloping armies and bloody battles, Kay has us view a series of small significant moments in which the acts of our three heroes, who learn to love each other despite their differences, influence the big events.

If you’ve read any GGK at all, you know that he loves to create vivid characters that are worthy of the grand settings they find themselves in. His villains are ambitious, brutal, and ruthless. His heroes are brilliant, clever, subtle, witty, dangerous, ahead of their time, and multi-talented (e.g., Ammar ibn Khairan is an excellent fighter, diplomat, advisor, scholar, poet, and lover). Nobody wants to read about dull characters, but Kay’s characters are so impressive that they stretch the bounds of belief. They’re also incredibly introspective and philosophical. They regularly spend pages at a time talking to themselves in their own heads — considering their feelings, reflecting on their past successes and failures, analyzing the motives and behaviors of others, and contemplating the future.

As much as I admire Kay’s characters, sometimes I wish they would stop thinking and just get a move on. The Lions of Al-Rassan could have used a little more action; much of the conflict resolution actually occurs off-screen between the last chapter and the epilogue. Kay elevates the tension and drama by using cliffhangers, intentionally withholding information, and even playing a trick on the reader in the epilogue. While I’ve read most of Guy Gavriel Kay’s work, I haven’t been able to completely embrace his style which is somewhat melodramatic and manipulative and, therefore, intrudes into the story as if it were a character in its own right.

If you’re a fan of Kay’s work, The Lions of Al-Rassan will almost certainly please you — Kay uses the same formula here, just in a different setting with a different plot. His characters are bold and full of life, and they live and love in a tumultuous world.
The audio version of The Lions of Al-Rassan, recently produced by Audible Frontiers, is outstanding. Euan Morton, who also read A Song for Arbonne, has the required strong masculine voice, yet reads the female roles well, too. His voice is suitably dramatic (yet not overly so) and his pace and cadence are flawless. This was a great production and highly recommended. I do suggest having a list of character names to view, however, because many of them sound similar at first.
Originally posted at FanLit.

The poetry of Al-Rassan

My only real complaint is that the main characters were too perfect/heroic. This book was beautiful. Poetry was moving and the drama was excellent. The way the story was told was also interesting. Definitely more character driven.

One of the Best

This story is one of the best I've ever read/listened to. The ending... wow are you kidding me! Why isn't GGK more discussed? Is a travesty!

liked it better the second time

I'm a huge GGK fan, I think his imagery and writing are second to none, across all genres and time periods. He is also not afraid to explore all emotions; his books explore joy, terror, love, loss ... and often there is a melancholy note of what could have been or is lost. On to this book - the love triangle bothered me the first time as these never end well ... and I think of all his books this one hits a little trite in the middle with the main story line, but recovers both of these plot lines by the end. The themes are heroes and heroines, and Renaissance men, as always based on historical events ... and also fathers and sons ... the legacy fathers want to build and leave, and the difficulty living in the shadow of a great father. These storylines are masterfully written from multiple perspectives. Throw in some combat, some romance, what is not to like ... and reflect on if you are so inclined. it also made me go spend a couple hours on Wikipedia reading about the real Reconquista.

Epic story

Extremely well written with a worthy performance. I do wish however that there was an attached PDF glossary of character names. I had some difficulty keeping track of who was who.