For author interviews and review copies, please contact:
Barbara Bower
Senior Publicist, Penguin Group (Canada)
(416) 928-2405
barbara.bower@ca.penguingroup.com
* Winner of the 2008 World Fantasy Award for Best Novel
* Chosen as one of the Locus Awards Finalist: Fantasy Novel
* Chosen as one of the top five books in the sci-fi/fantasy category in Library Journal’s “Best of the Year 2007” list.
“Kay’s Ysabel is a wonderful read for lovers of historical novels, and has all the qualities necessary to turn teenagers on to historical novels, and to history.”
-- Canadian Literature
http://www.canlit.ca/reviews-review.php?id=13992
“This is no Dan Brown mockery of depth; Kay is the real deal, interposing the bones of a relatively simple historical thriller with both an epic romance and a wrenching family drama.”
-- Intergalactic Medicine Show
http://www.intergalacticmedicineshow.com/cgi-bin/mag.cgi?do=content&article=home
“The macro-history of ancient Provence is nicely balanced with the newer micro-history of Ned's family secrets, and Kay skilfully bridges the gap between the fantastic and prosaic with nuanced characterizations of the mythic figures in the love triangle.”
—Maclean's
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“Even though this is the first time the author has set his story in modern times, Ysabel is classic Kay. [...] Love, honour and mythical history combine in a tale that has become my favourite fantasy novel of the last few years.”
—Good Reading Magazine (Australia)
“Ysabel is full of gorgeously realised magic as ancient myths come to life in the modern streets of Provence. [...] Kay does a beautiful job of representing the limbo state of not-quite-adulthood, and the shift to contemporary fantasy. Ysabel is a pure pleasure to read for fans of history, mythology or pure highspirited adventure. It works on all levels.”
—Interzone
“The wide appeal of Ysabel is more powerful because it is achieved by virtue of the book being well-written, not because the book is written to appeal to a big audience. Ysabel is a novel of history so powerful that the past pervades the present in a manner that one might be tempted to call supernatural, were it not rendered with the sort of conviction that forces one to set aside such considerations.”
—trashotron.com
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“An explorer of history and myths, Kay has a special affinity for the people behind the larger-than-life legends that persist through time. His latest fantasy blends time and place in a crossing of worlds and universal truths. Highly recommended.”
— Library Journal (starred review)
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“Outstanding characters, folklore, and action add up to another Kay must-read.”
—Booklist
"Blending historical fantasy and psychological thriller with a paranormal-powered coming-of-age tale, Ysabel will not only appeal to adult fantasy readers but also to adolescents who have enjoyed authors that feature compelling teen protagonists—such as J. K. Rowling and Christopher Paolini."
—Barnesandnoble.com
"Could be a breakout book ... a fantastic novel of modern people confronting ancient powers. Ysabel is a great way to kick off the year..."
—Book Page
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"Kay has fashioned a taut and moving thriller, which also happens to be a powerful story of the complexities of family love and loss. The suspense will hold readers in thrall to the surprising conclusion."
—Edmonton Journal
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NOTE: Contains strong spoilers
"Sweeps readers away...The story is compelling, the pace is tantalizing and Kay makes the most of the splendid south of France. You can just about taste it."
—The Calgary Herald
"Part fantasy, part history and all literary, Ysabel could only be written by a veteran novelist."
—The Calgary Herald
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"Kay is at his finest. There are many writers who have shown us the gods walking among us, the age-old stories alive in the modern world. Rare are those able to demonstrate that those gods, those stories, live within us, and are as essential to our existence as oxygen. Guy Gavriel Kay is one of those rare few, and Ysabel is a splendid addition to his body of work."
—The Globe & Mail
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"Ysabel, as much as the trilogy Kay was first known for, is an unpredictable, sometimes disquieting adventure—a Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe for adults."
—The Winnipeg Free Press
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NOTE: Contains strong spoilers
"Kay's language is poetic and thought-provoking, and his sensitively drawn characters are the perfect complement. This is a mythic tale that will linger in the reader's mind long after the book is finished."
January 2007 Top Pick
—Romantic Times
"Ysabel is possibly one of the most adult coming of age stories I've ever read...the focus is on how the character of Ned intersects with many stories that are not his own. As he grows, he begins to...impose his own story on the web that the author weaves. It is a beautiful and subtle process that is entrancing. Rarely in such a tale are we treated to such lyrical language and gorgeous scenery, and such a perfectly realized setting."
—Spiral Galaxy
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NOTE: Contains some spoilers
"As is usual for a Guy Gavriel Kay novel, the research is impeccable and historic details fascinating and seamlessly woven into the unfolding mystery. ... Like his character Ned, Kay has stepped over an invisible line and taken full responsibility for the emotions and feelings of his characters."
—BlogCritics
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"Streamlined, gripping and thoroughly entertaining."
—Eve's Alexandria
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NOTE: Contains some spoilers
"Ysabel is very much about what happens when mortals and immortals meet... What's appealing is how believable all the characters are... both humans and the not so human feel real, feel like folks one might encounter somewhere... How good is it? Let's just say it'll definitely make my Best of 2007 list a year from now. It's that good."
—GreenManReview.com
Ysabel is, at once, not what fans are accustomed to seeing from Kay, and yet everything that devoted readers have come to expect. Magic, modernity and truly compelling character conflict make this novel the first must-read of 2007 for anyone who loves to get lost in literature."
—Alternative Reality Web Zine
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"Guy Gavriel Kay's YSABEL is unlike anything he's written before...It's a love letter to Provence, that heavenly part of France with enormous history, beauty, and wonderful living as part of its geography. The travel field lost a fine writer when Kay went to fiction."
—Charles Brown, Locus
"A novel that any reader might pick up and enjoy...with luck, we'll see bookstores shelving YSABEL next to titles by Dean Koontz and Stephen King... A book you can read and get lost in."
—The Agony Column
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"I believe Ysabel to be Guy Gavriel Kay's best novel since The Lions of Al-Rassan, and it just may be one of his signature works."
—SpeculativeReviews
"The combination of a contemporary coming-of-age tale juxtaposed with a centuries-old love triangle makes for a powerful, engrossing read, which will satisfy Kay's many fans and newcomers alike.
—Quill & Quire
"Evocative writing ... fascinating characters ... will enthrall mainstream as well as fantasy readers."
—Publishers Weekly [starred review]
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"The pacing is superb, the hint of a countdown helping to push certain characters forward and give that sense of unease when the time really starts to diminish. The culmination of everything at the end ... is worth the buildup."
—FantasyBookSpot.com
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INTERVIEWS:
ARWZ interview with GGK
Guy Gavriel Kay discusses fantasy, reality, character and his newest novel, Ysabel.
Read the Interview
FantasyBookSpot interview with GGK
Guy chats about writing Ysabel and living in Provence, his online fanbase and an upcoming movie adaptation.
Read the Interview
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