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A Song for Arbonne
Author	Guy Gavriel Kay
Publisher	Crown
Publication Date	1992
Country	United States
Genre(s)	Fantasy
ISBN	ISBN 0451453328 ISBN 978-0-517-59312-7
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A Song for Arbonne is a fantasy novel by Guy Gavriel Kay.

The novel is set in a land inspired heavily by the Languedoc region of France during the Middle Ages. It is a story about courtly love, loyalty, and religion. The land of Arbonne is a kingdom rich in culture, exemplified by its traveling troubadours--poets and musicians who entertain nobles and common folk alike with tales of valor and chivalric romance. To the north of Arbonne lies the militaristic and uncouth kingdom of Gorhaut, whose corrupt king is influenced by the warlike church of Corannos. The church of Corannos is bent upon wiping out the pagan worship of the goddess Rian in Arbonne, leading to tensions between the two kingdoms. Within Arbonne, the kingdom is torn between two feuding Dukes: Bertran deTalair and Urte de Miraval, who are at odds over the memory of the beautiful Aelis, a woman both men passionately loved. With the kingdom divided in the face of an impending invasion from the north, a mercenary from Gorhaut named Blaise enters Duke Bertran’s service and saves the Duke from an assassination attempt. For a time, Blaise is a hero, but then his true lineage is revealed--he is the son of the king of Gorhaut. As events unfold and Blaise is compelled to make his own claim for the throne in Gorhaut, the stage is set for a tragic confrontation that will change Arbonne forever.

Drawing closely from the history of Languedoc and the Albigensian Crusade, Kay’s fantasy novel explores the glories of passion, religion, and art, and how deeply held beliefs can both inspire and debase the human condition.

External Links

• Bright Weavings review
• Review at SFFWorld.com

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