Guy Gavriel Kay: Under Heaven

Under Heaven is the latest novel by author Guy Gavriel Kay. Kay writes fantasy-historical fiction - that is, he incorporates light elements of fantasy into a fictional world that closely resembles a period of history. In this case, the setting is the 8th Century Tang Dynasty in China; his world is named Kitai. Many of his characters are modeled after actual people during the time: for example, Emperor Taizu's real-life counterpart is Emperor Xuanzong, and his consort Wen Jian is modeled after Xuanzong's consort Yang Yuhuan.

The novel begins with Shen Tai, the second son of recently deceased general Shen Gao. Tai spends his two official years of mourning burying dead soldiers in the famous battleground of Kuala Nor, in which the Kitans defeated their Taguran neighbors and started twenty years of peace. When his mourning is almost over, he receives a gift from the Taguran princess - 250 Sardian horses.

You give a man four or five Sardian horses to exalt him, propel him towards rank, and earn him (possibly mortal) jealousy. Two hundred fifty is an unthinkable gift, overwhelming for an emperor. Tai finds himself drawn quickly into Kitan politics, immersed in a web of intrigue and outmaneuvering that threatens to plunge the empire into chaos.

The worldbuilding in this novel is outstanding. Told from the perspectives of multiple characters, you feel like you are actually journeying in this China-esque world of Kitai, from the steppes of the Bogü tribes to the sprawling urban mess of Xinan. The plot is very grand and sweeping, despite the very personal perspectives we are given. Although most of the story is seen through Tai's eyes, hints of a much larger system of events are easily found, and the intrigue and politics are complex and realistic. The story starts off slow, but establishes a framework that draws the reader in more and more, until events become frantic and reach a climax.

As always, Kay's greatest strength lies in his characters. The protagonist, Tai, is very well constructed, and the supporting characters are all deep and three-dimensional. Characters like the Kanlin warrior Wei Song, Tai's sister Li-Mei, and the Prime Minister Wen Zhou are all portrayed in depth, even if they are not given much screen time. Even minor characters play a large role, and the tragic deaths of relatively unimportant characters still strike chords within the reader. Towards the climax, we understand each character's internal motivations and personalities deeply, which make the ultimate result carry all the more emotional force. The ending, although short, wraps everything up nicely, and provides a satisfying conclusion for all the characters.


Under Heaven is one of those novels that you can just keep on reading, regardless of length. Weighing in at over 500 pages, I nevertheless finished the book wanting 500 more. The story Kay tells is exquisitely fascinating and resounding, a work of fantasy and historical fiction that nevertheless feels real. Besides it intricate structure, its characters are perhaps its strongest point - the reader grows to empathize for them greatly. Everything is so well-drawn and fleshed out, and nothing feels off or lacking. Simply put, a superb, one-of-a-kind novel.

Rating (10/10)