Kay is one of my favorite authors. Lions exemplifies most of the things I love about his novels: carefully drawn characters who interact in credible ways, and whose self-awareness enables the author to tell us a lot about what they are thinking and feeling; lovely prose; a story that puts interesting people into situations that require them to make difficult choices, and makes it easy for us to care what they choose. The book also reflects the flaws that affect all his work: he's a bit too much in love with his cleverness, and when he grabs hold of a theme, he tends to flog us with it. Here is is concerned with the nature of disguises and mistaken or unclear identity. He uses this to great effect in some scenes (e.g., the tragic death of a loyal and attractive character), but ruins the effect by overusing it in the epilogue.

In spite of this flaunting, the book is a wonderful story. Kay has clearly done extensive research into the history and cultures of medieval Spain, and he draws representatives of the thinly veiled (sorry!) Catholic, Muslim, and Jewish communities very nicely. He looks at what happens when we care too much about our cultures, and too little. None of the groups get a free pass when it comes to avarice, cruelty, and violence, but each shows its virtues as well. A nice, and characteristic, pairing of passages in which first an Arab leader and then a Catholic king pray for the same things is a good example of both his intention and his technique.

Ammar ibn Khairan, one of the triad of lead characters (another Kay staple), is wonderfully drawn, but still I sense that Kay didn't quite "catch" him. I suspect that Kay identifies with Ammar to an extent, probably moreso than any of his other characters except Crispin the crabby artisan. A poet as well as a diplomat, soldier, connoisseur of fine things, Ammar is a Renaissance man. He is a great character in that we have trouble deciding what to think of him; we see why he does most things, but still we may not approve of everything he does.

There is very little reason to call this book a fantasy; the only elements that are not completely realistic are the second moon and the psychic gift of one young man. Kay has established himself as a fine writer of historical romances, with differing amounts of magic or fantastic elements. This one has some transcendent moments and Kay's signature inevitable heart-wrenching tragedy. I think it was a step beyond his prior works in terms of literary craftmanship, and I'm not sure he has bettered it since. ( )

Like his The Last Light of the Sun, this is a fantasy story that reads exactly like historical fiction...the only difference being that the history isn't real. The setting is the thinly-disguised Iberian peninsula during the 13th century as the Jaddites (Christians) attempt to break the Asharite (Moorish) caliphate, with the Kindath (Jews) watching and knowing that "whichever way the wind blows, rain falls on the Kindath."

I don't think this is his best book, but I also think that second-rank G. G. Kay is better than most of the other stuff out there and well worth the time to read. When it comes to simply writing beautiful language, his ability to draw moments and evoke emotions particularly appeals to my tastes.

The story line is well done—intelligent, intriguing, colorful—with all of the characteristic Kay bittersweet resolutions. It also is typical of his work in not glossing over the brutal realities of war, rape, murder and torture. The political and religious machinations which form the basis of the story are well-described and you find yourself actually taking sides and caring about the results.

What set this book a notch down from his best was, in my opinion, the characters. They are just a little too weakly separated from the "consummate general", "beautiful maiden", "cultured warrior-poet" archetypes. As a result, while I did like them and did care for them a bit, I was less involved with them than I have been in other books of his. A death was sad, not a wrench at my emotions. Kay's writing covers this to a great extent when I compare this book in my mind to another author, but it shows when I compare it to his other works.

Also, I could have done without the poetry—suffice it to say that ibn Khairan is portrayed as the greatest poet of the Asharite world...and G. G. Kay is not. ( )

a rare and exquisite work: There aren't a lot of truly supreme books, ones that eloquently speak and resonate through the human condition; that, aside from conveying their truths elegantly, are also interesting literary exercises with layers and complexities that move and challenge. This is such a book. Gay Gavriel Kay is an exceptional writer and this one plows through the insipid inanities of genre and sings. The characters are astoundingly wrought, even minor ones will make you weep. The plot with such finesse weaves around and back in upon itself, intriguing, but never frustrating the reader and the layers of meaning connect, inspire, and deeply satisfy. This is only my second Kay novel; YSABEL was also very good, but not quite up to LIONS. I did try The FIONAVAR TAPESTRY, but found it flat and not of interest. As a librarian I know a lot of readers shy away from anything labelled "historical" or "fantasy". In this case especially that's truly tragic. Readers of such literary novels as SOUL MOUNTAIN, THE SATANIC VERSES, ONE HUNDRED YEARS OF SOLITUDE, and WAR AND PEACE, even Proust, would find much to enjoy here.

A fantasy story that is heavily based on Andalusian Spain under Muslim rule. An original take that manages to go beyond its novelty to present a very solid story of war, love, trust, and friendship under the fire of cultural differences. ( )

Beautifully written by Guy Gavriel Kay and well-researched, he gives his readers, through a story which is entirely speculative, a condensed version of the Spanish Reconquista, a glimpse of the life of El Cid and the tragic end of the Moorish society that has given so much beauty, culture and learning to the Iberian peninsula. He does this through the stories of well-defined characters, both primary and supporting, each representing the best and the worst of their cultures. Beautifully written, funny at times and also heart-rending, The Lions of Al-Rassan is a story that will leave images for the reader to contemplate for a long time. (more) ( )