The Lions of Al-Rassan

By: Guy Gavriel Kay

Narrated by: Euan Morton

Length: 19 hrs and 39 mins

Publisher's summary

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.

Magnificent story let down by the narration

If you could sum up The Lions of Al-Rassan in three words, what would they be?

Brutal, Beautiful, Compelling

Who was your favorite character and why?

My favorite character is Jehane bet Ishak, a Kindath physician, because she is a very powerful female character.

What three words best describe Euan Morton’s performance?

Inconsistent, Clear, Emotive

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Yes, absolutely! I wish I could have listened to The Lions of Al-Rassan in one sitting.

Any additional comments?

This story is magnificent, but the narration threw me out of the story often. Unfortunately, the narrator tried to speak dialogue in accents and he mixed up the voices and it was difficult to track who was speaking, or what accent that character had.

I will definitely buy the book to read.

Stunning!

Absolutely fantastic- I highly recommend it! My favorite bit is how masterly the characters are written…they will surprise you as they surprise them selves, as this beautiful story unfurls.

Wonderful Adventure!

What did you like best about this story?

Wonderful book, well written. A fast moving adventure that sweeps you away to a land of danger, intrigue, betrayal, romance and honor.

Strong female characters, developed carefully, with promise and regard. Male characters equally thought out, satisfying.

At times difficult to maintain character names, but worth the focus and time.

Beautifully descriptive!

Superb! Very compelling

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

As I listened I was thinking - who else can I tell about this wonderful book? People need to know about it!

What did you like best about this story?

Perhaps the best part of this book is the beauty of the language. It is almost like reading poetry or prose, not just a story. And the wonderful narrator enhances the joy of listening to this immensely.
The story was excellent - complex at times and required attention and the willingness to follow it carefully, but the payoff for doing so was great.
I was struck by the way the author could get behind the eyes of each character so thoroughly. As each person spoke you saw the world from their perspective. It wasn't so much as story about people and what they did as it was about what each main character thought and felt and how they perceived and related to each other. Yes there was action, but in my mind it was secondary to the telling of each character's true nature.

Beautiful

I am admittedly not a sophisticated listener'; basically, I just like to be entertained. I had to listen a second time to try to keep the regions, kings, religions, and characters straight. Despite that, the writing is so lyrical and the narration so smooth and the characters so fascinating that I enjoyed the second listen as well as the first. I will say, though, that I was not always able to distinguish the different characters from the narrator's voice alone. I did particularly enjoy his portrayal of Ammar ibn Khairan.

I loved that the characters were honorable remained loyal and true to themselves. I am going to search for another Guy Gavriel Kay book in hopes that I find another gem.

A marvel of storytelling

Although the sound mixing was poor, Euan Morton is an excellent narrator. Kay’s sumptuous prose translates very well into the audio format, and the characters practically leap from the page with how real they felt.

The writing is gorgeous

Guy has a way with words. So incredibly beautiful. I prefer my fantasy to be, more fantastic, but despite this, I love this book. It’s definitely not the genre for me, but the gorgeous writing more than made up for it.

One of the great books of the 20th century

This is my 5th time through this book in nearly 30 years. No book for a thinking person which is a thinly-fictionalized story of the reconquest of medieval Spain could possibly be described as a “happy” one, but Kay balances love and tragedy and beauty in lavish amounts. Rereading in a decade where our world is once again tearing itself apart, I felt even greater poignancy.

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.