Review of Under Heaven by Guy Gavriel Kay

South of us Xinan lies under a sickle moon.
Lanterns will soon be bright in the spring night.
Laughter and music and rich wine poured.
Far to the west where all roads end.
Cold stars shine on white bones.
Beside the stone shores of a lake.
In the valley of Kuala Nor, beside the waters of a lake, Shen Tai, the […]

Filed under: Historical Fantasy, Historical Fiction, Fantasy, Book Reviews on August 9th, 2010 | No Comments »

Novel Update - Excerpt Included

I started working on my novel again this week. It’s the first time I’ve written something new in months. I’m re-writing the first scene entirely, and this is what I have so far (always subject to change, of course):
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He knows the truth. Cobus held the parchment next to the flame on his desk, the red […]

Filed under: Historical Fantasy, Historical Fiction, Novel, Fantasy, Creative Writing on November 12th, 2009 | 9 Comments »

Featured Medieval Historical Fiction Novel: A Song for Arbonne

A Song for Arbonne by Guy Gavriel Kay
Paperback: 512 pages
Publisher: Roc Trade (November 5, 2002)
ISBN-10: 0451458974
Editorial Review from Publishers Weekly:
Based on the troubadour culture that rose in Provence during the High Middle Ages, this panoramic, absorbing novel beautifully creates an alternate version of the medieval world. As in Tigana , it is a world with […]

Filed under: Historical Fantasy, Middle Ages History, Medieval History, Historical Fiction on September 12th, 2009 | No Comments »

Medieval Historical Fantasy Novel: The Lions of al-Rassan

The Lions of al-Rassan by Guy Gavriel Kay
Paperback: 528 pages
Publisher: Eos (June 2005)
Average Customer Review on Amazon: 4.5 stars (108 Reviews)
Editorial Review from Publishers Weekly:
Canadian attorney Kay has eschewed the courtroom thriller for fantasy (A Song for Arbonne, etc.). Here he draws on the crumbling empire of medieval Spain to inspire this tale of brutality […]

Filed under: Historical Fantasy, Middle Ages History, Medieval History, Historical Fiction, Fiction on October 6th, 2008 | 1 Comment »

Review of Acacia

David Anthony Durham steps into the world of fantasy with his latest novel Acacia: Book One: The War With the Mein. Most known for his historical fiction novels — Gabriel’s Story, Walk Through Darkness, and Pride of Carthage — Durham seems born for the fantasy genre. His characters are compelling, always changing, complex, and the […]

Filed under: Historical Fantasy, Fiction, Fantasy, Book Reviews on June 16th, 2008 | 1 Comment »

Medieval Historical Fiction Novel of the Week

The Last Light of the Sun by Guy Gavriel Kay
Paperback - 512 pages
Publisher - Roc Trade (April 5, 2005)
Average Customer Review on Amazon - 4 stars
Editorial Review from Publishers Weekly:
In this wonderfully imaginative historical fantasy from Kay (A Song for Arbonne), seemingly random deeds connect Erling (Viking) raiders and Anglcyn (English) and Cyngael (Welsh) princes: […]

Filed under: Historical Fantasy, Medieval History, Historical Fiction, Fiction on May 13th, 2008 | No Comments »

What is Historical Fantasy?

What is the definition of historical fantasy? How does it differ from historical fiction? Fantasy? I’ve often seen the term ”historical fantasy” to classify a certain subgenre of literature but have never really understoood what, exactly, that refers to. What types of works are classified in this category? I did a little bit of research on […]

Filed under: Historical Fantasy, Historical Fiction, Fiction, Fantasy, Creative Writing on February 5th, 2008 | 2 Comments »