This review will be as spoiler-free as possible, because I want to appeal to people who haven't yet read the book and try to encourage them to read it. It's a great work of art that should not be missed. I'm going to skip the ratings because they're obvious, - awesome all around.
River of Stars takes place in the same empire as Kay's previous Novel Kitai. If you're at all familiar with Guy Gavriel Kay's works you will know that this is because both novels take their inspiration from the same historical setting, which is in this case, China. The difference? River of Stars takes place about 400 years after Under Heaven. If the word historical unsettles you, don't worry. There are obvious hints and descriptions alluding to the wall of china and other small cultural things which make it clear that the inspiration is China, but the story is so well-crafted that you won't feel as if the history is intruding on it at all. Like Under Heaven - and every other Kay novel except his Fionavar trilogy - this one immediately earned a place on my favorite books list. In fact, I knew it would be up there with the best even before I read it.
The novel is epic in scope, spreading across a vast empire and the surrounding lands, but at the same time it's very intimate because you see it all through the minds of several key characters with varying, sometimes conflicting, wishes. While there is clearly a hero that we emphasize with and whose friends we grow to emphasize with as well, there are also several enemies of this hero and people who work against him that we also understand. It's great, and these masterful characterizations make the novel feel very real.
As always, Kay's prose is very poetic. In fact, I'd argue that I enjoy his poetic prose more than the few actual poems scattered through the novel. It's a slower pace than some readers might be used to, but trust me, you will not regret the leisurely pace once you read the end. It's a novel that leaves you wanting more, wanting to immerse yourself in the world again.
As a fantasy novel the "magic" elements are very sparse. There are tiny things everywhere in the world-building suggesting that the people in this world believe in magic and the way it is written the reader comes to accept that things happen in this world which can't really be explained except by magic, shamanism, etc, but you could almost ignore the fantasy element and read this as a very real, very immediate tale that could have happened anywhere in the real world.
The story plays a lot with the concept of fate. Fate and destiny are running themes in the novel, the way characters see their own destinies and the way they play out in the end. Throughout the novel you know that the fate of the empire hangs in the balance, will it regain past glory or will it fall? It's at a turning point in the empire's history and the fates of the individual characters are interwoven with this greater fate of the empire. Despite this theme the ending was, for me, quite unpredictable.
In terms of themes and concepts we also have the concept of power, where it lies and what different kinds of power different people can hold. We see very prominent political figures in the empire as well as the military side of power and the uneasy relationship between them. We also get a window into how power affects the individual, male or female, rich or poor.
Finally, I will say that I don't think it's necessary to re-read Under Heaven in order to comprehend or enjoy this novel. They are very much standalone novels although, of course, events from 400 years ago can't help having an effect on events in Kitai in this book. All I remembered about Under Heaven were a few vivid images and one vague event, but I found this book stood perfectly on its own two feet. It did make we want to go back and read both books again so I could re-immerse myself in the world again.
This is not a novel to miss no matter what kind of literature you normally enjoy. It's not only for Fantasy fans, but for all kinds of readers. Go read it and leave your comments below if you have any thoughts!
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