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River of Stars  By  cover art

River of Stars

By: Guy Gavriel Kay
Narrated by: Simon Vance
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Publisher's summary

In his critically acclaimed novel Under Heaven, Guy Gavriel Kay told a vivid and powerful story inspired by China’s Tang Dynasty. Now, the international best-selling and multiple award-winning author revisits that invented setting four centuries later with an epic of prideful emperors, battling courtiers, bandits and soldiers, nomadic invasions, and a woman battling in her own way, to find a new place for women in the world - a world inspired this time by the glittering, decadent Song Dynasty.

Ren Daiyan was still just a boy when he took the lives of seven men while guarding an imperial magistrate of Kitai. That moment on a lonely road changed his life...in entirely unexpected ways, sending him into the forests of Kitai among the outlaws. From there he emerges years later - and his life changes again, dramatically, as he circles toward the court and emperor, while war approaches Kitai from the north.

Lin Shan is the daughter of a scholar, his beloved only child. Educated by him in ways young women never are, gifted as a songwriter and calligrapher, she finds herself living a life suspended between two worlds. Her intelligence captivates an emperor - and alienates women at the court. But when her father’s life is endangered by the savage politics of the day, Shan must act in ways no woman ever has.

In an empire divided by bitter factions circling an exquisitely cultured emperor who loves his gardens and his art far more than the burdens of governing, dramatic events on the northern steppe alter the balance of power in the world, leading to events no one could have foretold, under the river of stars.

©2013 Guy Gavriel Kay (P)2013 Penguin Audio

Critic reviews

"Kay has the uncanny ability to depict the grand sweep of historical events through the eyes of those living through them...What’s even more amazing is how through his careful rendering of character and environments we are drawn into this history...River of Stars is an exceptional piece of work.” (Seattle Post-Intelligencer)

“From whatever angle you approach it, River of Stars is a major accomplishment, the work of a master novelist in full command of his subject. It deserves the largest possible audience.” (The Washington Post)

What listeners say about River of Stars

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  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars

Kay is a great writer, but there's a pattern...

Would you listen to River of Stars again? Why?

No. It's the ending. There's only so much frustration and anti-climax I will willingly endure.

Who was your favorite character and why?

Ren Daiyan, the main protagonist. Yes, he's a "man of destiny," but I never feel like that's a plot crutch. He's a delight to follow because of his combination of drive, cleverness, humor, and creativity--an extraordinary individual in a world that has embraced mediocrity as a prime virtue.

Which character – as performed by Simon Vance – was your favorite?

Oh, Vance is top-notch, as always. Hard to distinguish any one character performance as better than another.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

(Part of the disadvantage of audio books is that it's tricky to look up character names... and it's been a while since I listened.) There is a scene where the home of our protagonist's friends and loved ones comes under attack during a greater war. Without spoilers, the events that unfold are extremely powerful and poignant.

Any additional comments?

Kay is an amazingly gifted writer and willing to do unconventional things with his storytelling, and I love that. He creates a deep sense of immersion in an ancient and unfamiliar world, and everything flows seamlessly. I'm sometimes surprised that he is not more widely recognized for his mastery of the craft.

Perhaps it's because of his endings. I haven't read all of Kay's writings, but from what I have seen he likes a particular structure. He builds you up for an outcome with tremendous promise and possibility, only to pull it all down by the end and make you watch it all crumble. He certainly did the same thing with "The Sarantine Mosaic" books. In the end, beauty and vision fall beneath the weight of pettiness and mediocrity, and the characters you've come to love have to scrape what solace they can out of the wreckage of all their lost dreams.

A pessimist might call that "realism." I call it fatalism. And as much as I love pretty much everything else about Kay's writing, I'm hesitant about picking up another of his books.

NOTE for fans of "Under Heaven." It's fair to say that "Under Heaven" and "River of Stars" are two books in the same series, albeit separated by hundreds of years. "Under Heaven" did not end as such a downer, I thought, and I quite enjoyed that book. Unfortunately, what we see in "River of Stars" is that the long-term consequences of the events from "Under Heaven" have basically wrecked the world we came to know, leaving it a pale shadow of its former glory. In that sense, it's like the miserable ending of "Under Heaven" was deferred to "River of Stars." You might be better off stopping with "Under Heaven." I sort of wish I had.

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11 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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Masterpiece

If you could sum up River of Stars in three words, what would they be?

A genuine masterpiece

What was one of the most memorable moments of River of Stars?

The private interview between the hero and the prime minister

Which scene was your favorite?

The heroine meets the poet.

If you could rename River of Stars, what would you call it?

I would not rename it.

Any additional comments?

"River of Stars" is a masterpiece. Because Kay writes historical fantasies, I doubt that he will gain the recognition he deserves as a truly great novelist. This work is a tapestry of richly individual characters, clashing cultures, battles and complex motives, all with an overarching theme of the place of the individual, both famous and unknown, in the process of history. I am reminded of Tolstoy, more than any other writer. but Tolstoy without the ridiculous lectures about freemasonry, and with a consistently gripping sequence of events. Let those who think I am overstating the case read the book, or listen to it.

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  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
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    2 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

A methodically told tale of honor

Would you recommend this book to a friend? Why or why not?

I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys historical fiction. It is not high action, so I'd be sure to let them know that this story unfolds very slowly and carefully.

What was one of the most memorable moments of River of Stars?

The most memorable moment was when Commander Ren Daiyan has his army poised to take back the Capital City, but he receives orders to withdraw. It is a very tense moment, while he decides if he will follow the command or his heart.

Would you be willing to try another one of Simon Vance’s performances?

Simon Vance has a good voice, however, in this case, his pace was just too slow and laid back for some scenes.

Could you see River of Stars being made into a movie or a TV series? Who should the stars be?

River of Stars would make an interesting series because it incorporates so many characters and rich imagery 12th Dynasty China. There are so many characters and different stories upon which script writers could draw. I don't think it would play out as well for a movie.

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

Familiarity does not breed contempt.

What did you love best about River of Stars?

Kay is one of those writers who is extremely deliberate. Call it meta-writing, but there is so much more to his novels than what is on the page. When he repeats himself, it's not because he's run out of words nor because he's not paying attention, it's for a purpose, whether one realizes it while reading or not.

What was one of the most memorable moments of River of Stars?

Every victory of a main character is unexpected, although not because of surprise, but rather that the reader knows that Kay has no problem keeping his characters from "winning." At least, not storybook success, anyway. Oft times it is a spiritual or historical success, not what one would find from a typical narrative. Most fantasy stories are comedies, either ending with a return to the green world or a wedding. Kay does tragedy the way tragedy should be done, wherein it is only when one thinks back upon the original goals of the characters does one realize that they have failed. Failed is the wrong word. Descended? Found a different goal amidst adversity? Anywho, Kay's tragedies are more Shakespearean than sad, and more immersive than escapist. You can get lost in his writing, but not so much in the world he has created but instead within the hearts and minds of his characters. It's not all touchy-feely, though, and there's plenty of blood and guts to remind the reader of the fragility of the human body as well as the timelessness of the human soul.

Have you listened to any of Simon Vance’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

Yes. Comparable.

If you could take any character from River of Stars out to dinner, who would it be and why?

The Fox Woman, for obvious reasons.

Any additional comments?

Kay does royal court politics like nobody else. If there's one thing that's hard to believe, it's the idea that one extremely-intelligent character could be oblivious to the machinations of another extremely-intelligent character. Hard, but not impossible. Kay does a great job of explaining motivation from both the characters' point-of-view as well as from that of outside observers.

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    2 out of 5 stars
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Not my Favorite Guy Gavriel Kay Book

I just couldn't get into this book. Tigana is one of my all time favorites and Under Heaven was great but I just didn't like this. This may have been one time where a book is better in print than in audio form. I couldn't really establish who was who as far as the characters go which is why I never really connected with any of them. I also never really understood what was the main goal of the book. Simon Vance is an ok narrator I enjoyed him for Under Heaven but for Brent Week's books he narrates I only think he's ok. He kind of puts me to sleep and doesn't inflect to convey tone or excitement and doesn't vary character voices enough for my taste.

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    1 out of 5 stars
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    1 out of 5 stars

A novel that promises but doesn't deliver

What a disappointment! I was attracted to this title and author based on other reviews and by narrator Simon Vance, my favorite narrator of all time. (An aside: No one narrates Dickens like Simon Vance. Listen to his David Copperfield and you'll be smitten!)

The book started out with some very interesting characters, settings, and story line. I was intrigued by the world that the author was constructing. But the author started repeating story elements that had already happened (numerous times) in what seemed an effort to build up the importance of events but ended up being boring. And the plot started to feel contrived with staged scenes rather than developing organically. Vance's narration was appropriately pompous, reflecting the style of the novel but annoying all the same. And the ending! That's IT??? I will ask for my credit to be refunded.

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    3 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars

My least favourite GGK book so far

Any additional comments?

I have to say this is the Guy Gavriel Kay book I've liked LEAST so far. It's still an interesting book, but it doesn't come anywhere close to his earlier sweeping epics like Tigana or the Lions of Al Rassan. Basically it reads like historical political fiction, and doesn't really have a plot per se; it's more just a recounting of the events in the kingdom of Kitai, centering around the outlaw and then soldier Ren Daiyan. If you can have a fictional biography, it's kind of that. It's still interesting, and is apparently based on early dynasties in China which may explain the strong historical feel. But it also seems to meander around a lot and the plot such as it is is very anticlimactic. If you love historical China and fiction based in those times then you'll probably enjoy this; but generally I'd recommend Kay's other works before this one.

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Disappointing beyond belief

What a shameful waste. Perhaps that's the point?

15 words 15 words 15 words

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

One of Kay's best

I think this book ranks up there with the Sarantium pair, or perhaps exceeds it. The female characters are much more fully and believably drawn, and the plot rollicks along beautifully, with just a touch of the trademark other-worldy incursions we know and love from Kay's other books.

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    4 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

A master at his craft

What made the experience of listening to River of Stars the most enjoyable?

Simon Vance's unique take on characters.

Who was your favorite character and why?

Ren Daiyan, obviously. Well-developed, three-dimensional, complex... everything for a thinking person to chew over when reading this novel.

What about Simon Vance’s performance did you like?

Virtually everything. He's absolutely on of the best narrators out there.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

No, my emotions never wavered too much from amusement and satisfaction with Kay's prose.

Any additional comments?

Guy Kay is a master of fantasy masquerading as historical fiction, and "River of Stars" does not seem him break his streak of wonderful books.

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