http://tamaranth.blogspot.com/2010/02... ( )

This is not one of my favourites of his novels - I think because he doesn't quite hit the mythic arc as beautifully as he does in 'Tigana' and the 'Fionnavar Tapestry', but it's still rather wonderful and I cry at the bit with the twin boys in trouble even more now I have a son. Also, it's very nice to have a love triangle where all three sides are strong. ( )

This is not one of my favourites of his novels - I think because he doesn't quite hit the mythic arc as beautifully as he does in 'Tigana' and the 'Fionnavar Tapestry', but it's still rather wonderful and I cry at the bit with the twin boys in trouble even more now I have a son. Also, it's very nice to have a love triangle where all three sides are strong. ( )

A lesson in the fact that whatever our religions or convictions we are first and foremost human beings. There are bad people of every faith all over the world, however this does not mean we should judge a whole group of people by these individuals. In this novel Kay shows that however hard it may be to look past the bad, we must focus on the good. A moving story, richly depicting the nuances and consequences of war and religion. ( )

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. ( )