All the Seas of the World
- Author Guy Gavriel Kay
- Narrator Simon Vance
- Publisher Hodder & Stoughton
- Run Time 18 hours and 5 minutes
- Format Audio
- Genre Fantasy, Historical fiction.
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What to expect
Returning to the near-Renaissance world of A Brightness Long Ago and Children of Earth and Sky, international bestselling author Guy Gavriel Kay deploys his signature 'quarter turn to the fantastic' to tell a story of vengeance, power, and love.
On a dark night along a lonely stretch of coast, a small ship, the Silver Wake, sends two people ashore to a stony strand. Their purpose is assassination. They have been hired to do this by two of the most dangerous men alive. The consequences will affect so many lives both great and small, and possibly alter the balance of power in the world.
One of those arriving on that night strand is a woman abducted by corsairs from her home as a child, escaping that fate, that destiny, years after, now trying to chart her own course - and bent upon revenge. Another figure, on the boat, bringing it to meet the secretive landing party at the city where they are going, is a merchant who still remembers being exiled as a child with his family from their home, for their faith.
Returning triumphantly to the brilliantly evoked near-Renaissance world of his most recent novels, international bestseller Guy Gavriel Kay deploys his signature 'quarter turn to the fantastic' to offer listeners a wide-ranging, vividly memorable set of characters in a story of vengeance, power, and love, built around profoundly contemporary themes of exile, loss, and memory.
In a narrative of high drama, All the Seas of the World also offers moving reflections on choices, fate, and the random events that can shape our lives.
(P) 2022 Penguin Audio
Critics Review
Praise for Guy Gavriel Kay
Tragic, stirring, romantic, meticulous, comic, rueful, worldly-wise, and written in the intimate, deceptively nonchalant voice of a storyteller offering up his great gift, All the Seas of the World is classic Kay, and to this reader, at least, there can be no higher praise.
Kay is a genius. I’ve read him all my life and am always inspired by his work
Guy Gavriel Kay has a wonderful talent. He tells stories in an invented world that is so rich in historical echoes that I found myself smiling with pleasure as I heard the echoes, while engrossed in the story. Warmly recommended
History and fantasy rarely come together as gracefully or readably as they do in the novels of Guy Gavriel Kay
Kay is peerless in plucking elements from history and using them to weave a wholly fantastical tale
The finest in his field
By making the familiar ever so slightly strange, GGK breathes new life into historical fantasy. Beautifully faceted, jewel-like scenes carry us beyond the doublets and daggers to create an emotionally charged, high-stakes world of love and hate, threat and reward
This is an immersive reading experience; readers will taste the dust in their mouths, see the high seas from the deck of a merchant ship, feel the bustle of the city market. What results is necessary sustenance for the starving reader. A masterpiece from a master of the craft
All the Seas of the World is as rich a tapestry as we’ve come to expect from Kay – perhaps one of the richest
Combined with Kay’s masterful storytelling skills, these elements help make All the Seas of the World both an amazing story, and a beautiful examination of the nature of home and finding your place in a tumultuous world. A truly wonderful book which will enthral and delight readers over and over again.
A compelling historical fantasy, the novel depicts a world on the cusp of change, exploring both the heights of power and those affected by the decisions of the powerful. Steeped in detail and flush with memorable characters, it is a fine example of how Kay has become something of an institution in the world of speculative fiction, with works translated into nearly two dozen languages, a rucksack full of awards, and an appointment to the Order of Canada to his credit.
There’s a moment in this book that had this cynical old reviewer trying to hold back the tears – and failing. That it comes halfway through is a testament to the novel’s richness and depth. The story is epic and gorgeously detailed, warm and ruthlessly chilling as it follows her progress through battles and bedrooms to an ending that is exactly what she deserves, and we want.
Meticulously crafted in structure, pace, language, dialogue…. but crafted not just with skill but with heart … so one is both saddened and gladdened in turn, moved and inspired throughout
Gorgeous, generous, humane and deeply aware of the intricacies of human desire and attachment, All the Seas of the World is another masterpiece from Kay
A very interesting and layered novel, which draws you in and keeps you wanting more
I came away from it with spirits lifted and a smile on my face, whilst feeling a wistful sense of regret that the reading experience was over. You can’t ask more from a book than that
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