Guy Gavriel Kay has taken the best and most beloved elements of the genre and woven them seamlessly into a beautiful masterpiece. All of us who enjoy reading at one time or another wish we could be a part of the stories read; Kay makes the impossible seem possible! ( )

Published as a trilogy, this was Guy Kay's first book, and it shows in the occasionally overwrought prose, gaping plot holes, and 80s fantasy cliches. But, the artful mix of humor and tragedy, the awareness of politics and power, and the often beautiful phrasing show the promise of near-perfection that he achieved with his very next book and has more or less maintained ever since. ( )

http://www.lonelymountain.net/books/f... ( )