An ethereal tale set in an illustrious and ancient corner of the world, Ysabel is a remarkable achievement by one of Canada's most celebrated storytellers. The Cathedral of Saint-Sauveur of Aix-en-Provence is from a bygone age. Complex and full of secrets, it is the perfect monument for a celebrated photographer to shoot. For his teenaged son, Ned Marriner, it is a fascinating place to explore, but he soon discovers that the cathedral stands upon ancient ground. Long ago, when the roads of Provence were walked by Celtic ...
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An ethereal tale set in an illustrious and ancient corner of the world, Ysabel is a remarkable achievement by one of Canada's most celebrated storytellers. The Cathedral of Saint-Sauveur of Aix-en-Provence is from a bygone age. Complex and full of secrets, it is the perfect monument for a celebrated photographer to shoot. For his teenaged son, Ned Marriner, it is a fascinating place to explore, but he soon discovers that the cathedral stands upon ancient ground. Long ago, when the roads of Provence were walked by Celtic tribes and Roman legions, the land was plagued by warfare--and the past is still very much alive here. On one sacred, haunted night of the year, when the borders between the living and the dead disappear and fires are lit upon the hills, Ned finds himself drawn into an age-old story. A story in which dangerous, mythic figures erupt into the present, claiming and altering lives forever.
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Add this copy of Ysabel: a Novel to cart. $74.07, good condition, Sold by Bonita rated 4.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Newport Coast, CA, UNITED STATES, published 2016 by Penguin Canada.
Add this copy of Ysabel: a Novel to cart. $134.24, new condition, Sold by Bonita rated 4.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Newport Coast, CA, UNITED STATES, published 2016 by Penguin Canada.
Not in a good while have I been so slammed with plot and historical detail as I was by "Ysabel," by Guy Gavriel Kay. Ned, a realistically portrayed teenager, is abruptly drawn into a situation so confusing and urgent that events get moving with unstoppable speed long before he or the reader has a chance to process what the heck is going on. Many times I had to go back to earlier parts of the book when the importance of a tiny expository detail suddenly become clear and I needed a refresher. It is important to note, however, that this does not in any way prevent "Ysabel" from being a highly readable, enthusiastic novel with satisfyingly high stakes. I also appreciated the web of character relationships; Ned is not the lone teen hero who goes it alone in the face of disbelief from all sides. Instead, his family and friends have their parts to play and they are more than mere set dressing to populate Ned's background. All in all, I very much enjoyed this contemporary historical fantasy (there's a confusing genre for you), so don't be discouraged if you are utterly confused at the beginning of the story. Events clarify a little as the plot rushes onward, making for a rewarding read.
