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PAGE 20 â€" WATERLOO CHRONICLE, WEDNESDAY, JUNE 21, 1995 This new book continues that movement foward historical fiction, but with a quality of the moreâ€"thanâ€"real about it. Part of that sense comes from the period of time Kay is working with. It suggests medieval Spain. We watch a civilization teetering on the edge of greatness. The accomplishments of that world are threatened by pf!y ambitions, by zealots of various kinds, and by shortâ€"sightedness. Much of the conflict in the book brings to mind current world conflicts in the Middle East and elsewhere. »af"'i'i;;}g:"iafilty and difficult choices 1 have just finished reading The Lions of Alâ€"Rassan by Guy Gavriel Kay. It was a Mother‘s Day present, because my houseâ€" hold knows that I have always enjoyed Guy Kay‘s work. A new book of his is an advenâ€" ture. Guy Kay is a Canadian writer who worked with the Tolkien family to gather together and edit many of J.R.R. Tolkien‘s papers. His first booksâ€"the Fionavar trilogyâ€"were clearly influenced by that task. â€" Those early books blended mythology and history, creating rich fantasy novels. Kay‘s books have become steadily more like hisâ€" torical novels and less like fantasy novels, but they retain fantasy‘s sense of the heroic and the speculative. nold knows that ! have always enjoyed hublcallibbisticendt AlcAddiialb ididbaiiieltinat Kay‘s work. A new book o(axs is an ad;et'b-fuy “Jl'c‘, ; Kay‘s books, I have come to understand, ture. J always make a plea for the civilizedâ€"for Guy Kay is a Canadian writer who worked l“ beauty, for art. It is one of the characteristics with the Tolkien family to gather together _ .. : about them which | most treasure. On the andeditmanyo”.R.R.Tolkien’spapers.Hls ooooonoooooooocoooo-ooooo-ooo".oo eveot'almos(cenaindestmction,acounsel- first booksâ€"the Fionavar trilogyâ€"were lor looks around him at a beautiful room: clearly influenced by that task. in a way he could not if he wrote more He looked, as if for the first time, at the Those early books blended mythology and _ "mainline" fiction. | fireplace with its mantle carved in a patâ€" history, creating rich fantasy novels. Kay‘s Certainly, the approach works in.this tern of grapes and leaves. He gazed at the books have become steadily more like hisâ€" â€" novel. We know that it is taking ?ace' in a wine itself, and the beautifully worked torical novels and less like fantasy novels, world very like the medieval Iberian peninâ€" * goblets, at the white candles in their but they retain fantasy‘s sense of the heroic . sula, but it echoes into other places and golden sconces, the tapestries from Elvira, and the speculative. times. the carved ivory figures on the sideboard This new book continues that movement The characters are engaging. The central and mantelpiece. He smelled the incense toward historical fiction, but with a quality _ character, Jehane, is a woman and a physiâ€" imported from Soriyya burning in a copâ€" of the moreâ€"thanâ€"real about it. Part of that _ cian. it is refreshing to read about her deciâ€" per dish, observed the etched windows sense comes from the period of time Kay is _ sionsâ€"and her father‘sâ€"which are based on over the garden, the giltâ€"edged mirror on working with. It suggests medieval Spain. â€" loyalty to their medical oath and their the opposite wall, the intricately woven We watch a civilization teetering on the â€" patients‘ wellâ€"being, rather than on greed or carpets ... edge of greatness. comfort or even personal safety. One of the In a way, Mazur ben Avren thought, all The accomplishments of that world are _ most moving scenes in the b‘oe'ol is an aâ€" these delicate things were bulwarks, the threatened by pétty ambitions, by zealots of _ tion performed at the scene of a brutamy inngrmost defenses of civilized man various kinds, and by shortâ€"sightedness. . sacre. : against the rain and dark, and ignorance. Much of the conflict in the book brings to Two other main characters are Ammar ibn Mazur is all too aware, as he makes this mind current world conflicts in the Middle â€" Khairan, a poet and courtierâ€"warrior; and _ nostalgic inventory, that the crude and ignoâ€" East and elsewhere. Rodrigo Belmonte, a soldier, who is an honâ€" â€" rant see these treasures as the very things | have heard Kay insist that when he writes _ orable man. They meet and move together which must be destroyed. They do not this kind of fiction, which he thinks of as _ for a time. understand the labor which they represent, speculative, he can address universal themes The lives of all three principal characters (Continued on page 22) ..........Q.‘..C.......'............C. l 100 Kime St. $, Warizmoo OprosiTE WarErL00 Square Mon.â€"Fri. 9â€"9; Sat. til 6 Sun. 125 884â€"BOOK (2665)‘ SINCE 1984 Main Stage Sponsored by Certainly, the approach works in.this novel. We know that it is taking place in a world very like the medieval Iberian peninâ€" sula, but it echoes into other places and times. The characters are engaging. The central character, Jehane, is a woman and a physiâ€" cian. it is refreshing to read about her deciâ€" sionsâ€"and her father‘sâ€"which are based on loyalty to their medical oath and their patients‘ wellâ€"being, rather than on greed or comfort or even personal m.Onedthe most moving scenes in the is an m tion performed at the scene of a brutal sacre. : Two other main characters are Ammar ibn Khairan, a poet and courtierâ€"warrior, and Rodrigo Belmonte, a soldier, who is an honâ€" orable man. They meet and move together e Murray McLauchilan Friday, June 30th 6 p.m. â€" midnight You‘re invited to celebrate Canada‘s Birthday on Frederick Street & in Market Square * Jack Soul â€" Steady Eddie us Mevwrnd on Supetier FAMILY ENTERTAINMENT JF and a Midnight Extravaganza a family faun, OW NTOW N intertwine. Jehane begins to wonder if it is a sin to love two men. All three of them face difficult and complex choices, as politics and history swirl around them. SwiIrl a e 0 e e 111 * . 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