The Lions of Al-Rassan [Mass Market Paperback]

Kay has a very select and unique skill of making his characters so real and indelible in one's psyche that their humanity in all its gore and glory deeply resonantes within the mind and heart, so much so that one may find that they cannot soon forget them. The powerful, bittersweet feelings evoked by the poetic message in the final few lines of the book when the three full cups of wine are deliberately placed by Jehane, Ammar and Alvar on the rim of the fountain of water are wrenchingly haunting.

They return one's thoughts to similar moments of their time in King Badir's court in Ragosa and flow on to other scenes within the story. Once again to experience that shadowed battle between the young lions Ammar and Rodrigo on the plains at sunset in their unwanted fight to death when time is suspended in a breathless, dreamlike sequence and to feel the pain and profound sense of loss of one of them.

Kay has that rare ability of writing in a way that invites a sense of mental freedom within the reader and permits one to savor and interpret his imagry without being bludgeoned by common or heavy handed verbosity. He never overdoes and he never stoops to coarseness or explicit vulgarity. His stories are like spirals within spirals constantly in motion captivating both the heart and mind of the reader into spellbinding surrender.

The Lions of Al-Rassan is a hard story of a hard time in history yet the lyricism and poetry of that time is also present through the words of the poet-warrior Ammar ibn Khairan. They soften and touch the story with sweetness, and an invitation to reflect upon the deeper, more gentle philosophy of their way of life. The beauty of the poetry is stark contrast to the hatred between the warring nations with their different gods, religious dogmas and practices all within the matrix of the power conflicts between petty kings as they face off against one another in their conquest of land and dominance.

Mr. Kay posesses a wellspring of depth, refinement and keen intellectual mastery within himself and as a writer. It is also obvious that his own parents were wonderfully nurturing for he speaks with that clear, refreshing voice of one who has few, if any, emotional hangups or axes to grind in his writing. His unforgettable story The Lions of Al-Rassan is absolutely a must read for those who appreciate the very best and Mr. Kay truly is non-pariel.

The story tells of a woman named Jehane and two men, Rodrigo and Ammar. Jehane is a doctor, Rodrigo - a military hero, and Ammar - a legendary monster. Jehane lives by her doctor's oath. Rodrigo fights with as much honor as flesh-carving work can encompass. Ammar weaves his way through court intrigue, soiled by it to the point of no return. Yet he persists, not for his own honor, for little remains of that, nor for his own survival, but for the survival of his culture - the culture of Al-Rassan.

Three people - each touched by the hand of a ruler; three lives twisted forever by the touch. Jehane's father, the most renowned physician in two generations, kept his doctor's vow at the cost of cruel punishment by the hand of the king he helped. Rodrigo stayed loyal to a dead king and was exiled by the new one - exiled away from his land, away from his sons, away from the woman he loves madly - whom every man loves madly, having once laid eyes on her. Ammar killed a ruler to put another in his place - killed an inept ruler, replacing him with a better. It was done to keep Al-Rassan breathing. It shattered his life, branded him a monster. Now, a man who once turned the fate of a kingdom is at the mercy of a cruel, power-mad ruler - a ruler he brought to power. And Ammar is still the favored royal scapegoat.

Jehane, Rodrigo, Ammar - each defined by a role and a task; none fully encompassed by a single role. Jehane, sworn to protect life, seeks to take one, in bloody revenge. Rodrigo, who lives by his loyalty and honor, seeks to return home, knowing that to return to his wife's arms he must also embrace a traitorous king. Ammar, who is lost in the eyes of the world, seeks to right his monumental mistake, to save his world and, perhaps, to shed light on those who had shifted their crimes to his shoulders.

Three people, each different, each haunted, are thrown together. With never a reason to wish each other's acquaintance, they see each other's complexities and, against all odds, find comfort, and friendship, and love. And through it all, a question looms over them like a dark cloud - will the world come calling them back to their narrow, ill-fitting - but undeniable - roles?

Kay is a master. He creates three exceptional people - exceptional, and exceptionally real. He weaves an engrossing story and a rich world that will not bend to accommodate the wishes of three mere mortals. What's more, he tells the story of the fall of Granada, the last Muslim state in Spain, with life, passion and a deep respect for the truth, for it is Historical Fantasy that is Guy Gavriel Kay's domain. He captures three very different cultures with never a move to simplify them to something less than they were, to stereotypes. The same can be said for his characters - not just the three, but all his characters. Vivid, beautifully told, heart-warming, heart-rendering, and healing - such is the story of The Lions of Al-Rassan.

But as the book progresses, it just came off as sloppy. Throughout, the story lacks a human element. The characters are all so cliched, and noble, that the novel feels like a pulp historical romance novel. The country is given breadth by introducing a large cast, and a number of cities, by name. But it doesn't let readers get to know these extra characters and cities, and I was constantly referring to the character listings, and country map, at the beginning of the book. The end of the book, before the tacked-on epilogue, is ridiculously anti-climactic, describing the seige and conquest of cities that haven't been even touched upon before. Who cares?

The author repeatedly brings up themes on the ability of cultures to co-exist. I think it clumsily done, and I don't understand why the author modified the Judaic religions into closely corresponding sun/star/moon worship, a device which keeps the debate distanced from the real world, but still prejudices readers.