All the Seas of the World

By: Guy Gavriel Kay

Narrated by: Simon Vance

Returning triumphantly to the brilliantly evoked near-Renaissance world of A Brightness Long Ago and Children of Earth and Sky, international bestselling author Guy Gavriel Kay deploys his signature ‘quarter turn to the fantastic’ to tell a story of vengeance, power, and love.

On a dark night along a lonely stretch of coast a small ship sends two people ashore. Their purpose is assassination. They have been hired by two of the most dangerous men alive to alter the balance of power in the world. If they succeed, the consequences will affect the destinies of empires, and lives both great and small.

One of those arriving at that beach is a woman abducted by corsairs as a child and sold into years of servitude. Having escaped, she is trying to chart her own course—and is bent upon revenge. Another is a seafaring merchant who still remembers being exiled as a child with his family from their home, for their faith, a moment that never leaves him. In what follows, through a story both intimate and epic, unforgettable characters are immersed in the fierce and deadly struggles that define their time.

All the Seas of the World is a page-turning drama that also offers moving reflections on memory, fate, and the random events that can shape our lives—in the past, and today.

Not his best - but still good

It is still worth the read. I like how he blends the 3 stories together

Kind of a sequel

When I started this book I was disturbed because it didn’t seem to follow Children of Earth and Sky, but thankfully I was wrong. It is more a contemporaneous story, involving characters introduced in the other book, not specifically a sequel, but related. Excellent world building and characters, with a hint of supernatural.

Excellent from beginning to end

I only discovered Kay this year, and he has become my favorite author. He writes characters with such humanity that I feel I know them, and his worldbuilding is so rich that I feel as if I am there. I probably prefer A Brightness Long Ago only because it was my first Kay book, but this one is really equally good. I’d suggest anyone starting with Kay read ABLO first (set a bit earlier) and follow up with this. There are also allusions to events and characters in other books (almost Easter Eggs), and while it’s not necessary to understand them, it does enrich the reading experience.

Seas

I am in awe.

I felt that this author understood some things about life that spoke to me in many ways. The way Kay captured life and how the decisions we make can affect others and at times chart our course in life was excellent.

There is more I want to say, but I know I can't explain or put into words the experience I had while reading this book. I will say buy the book or audio, and allow yourself to go on an adventure.

Epic Fantasy

I love the story. It was complicated, which can be a challenge, but I thoroughly enjoyed it. The characters were fantastic and as usual the world building was intricate and highly entertaining.