A Song for Arbonne

A song for Arbonne is one of those rare novels that creates an entire world of its own, one which enfolds and enthralls us so strongly that we close its pages with a pang of regret. It is the finest novel so far from Guy Gavriel Kay, who has received international acclaim for his Fionavar Tapestry trilogy and the epic Tigana. The novel draws its ambience and inspiration from the sensuous culture of medieval Provence - the land of the troubadours and the courts of love.
Arbonne is a sun-blessed country of vineyards and olive trees, and the home of a passionate, goddess-centered culture. To the north is Gorhaut, a dour Kingdom of warriors led by a cruel, misogynistic lord who sees Arbonne as ripe for the taking. One man is caught between the two: Blaise, a rough-hewn northern mercenary who serves, bemusedly, in the courts of the south.
When the invaders sweep down from the mountains, the men and women of Arbonne face their darkest hour: They find the power of love and poetry tested against the might of fire and sword. And Blaise discovers that the fate of courtly Arbonne may lie in his rugged hands.
This is a dazzling imaginary history peopled with a vibrant array of characters, from the sardonic Blaise to the haughty queen of the Court of Love, to a beautiful minstrel girl whose life is forever changed by a chance encounter in a tavern. In the richness and complexity of its setting, A Song for Arbonne calls to mind The Name of the Rose; in its passion and romance, The Mists of Avalon and in its pace and sweep, such classic adventures as Ivanhoe or The Three Musketeers. This is storytelling at its very best, a novel to be savored and passed on with pleasure to one's fellow readers.