Mortification Factors: Null- This is the first book that evened out as to whether it was a book to brag about or a book that I'm ashamed to be seen with. Its sorting into the SciFi/Fantasy section in both bookstore and library forced its inclusion on this blog, but I am by no means ashamed of it.
- Amazing, in-depth recreation of Moorish Spain
- Examines the question of religion and identity from a fresh perspective
- Overriding theme: the ephemeral nature of life and power
- Amazing poetry; use of language
- Fantastic array of characters, many of whom are in opposition
- Set in the same world as the Byzantine Mosaic
- Historically accurate description of early medical practices
- Absolutely fabulous!
Set in Moorish Spain after the collapse of the Caliphate and shortly before the reconquest of the peninsula by the Jaddites (Christians), this magical-realism historical novel focuses on the lives of three main characters and a host of others. The three central figures are Jehane bet Ishak, a Kindath (Jewish) physician; Ammar ibn Khairan, a Asharite (Muslim) warrior-poet; and Rodrigo Belmonte, a Jaddite mercenary captain and lord. These three people meet on a day that becomes a turning point in all of their lives, and in the history of the Peninsula. They spend time in exile together and through the political maneuverings that ensue, they learn to love each other. The central tragedy is that there is no place in the world for people of intellect and tolerance at this point in time: the Kindath are feared and hated universally; the Jaddites long to reconquer the land; and the Asharites are so busy fighting amongst themselves that they are crumbling internally even without the external pressure from the Jaddites.
This book also is written from the perspective of the various kings and leaders of the age and presents them all from their own perspective without an author bias which would label any of them "villain". They strive against each other because it is their nature and the nature of the world in which we live. The political intrigue is gripping and entirely realistic and accurate historically. The religious subtext is fascinating: the Kindath worship the sun and his two sisters, the two moons; the Jaddites worship the sun; and the Asharites worship the stars. By presenting his versions of the three major Mediterranean religions in this format, Kay manages to divorce the reader from his preconceived ideas of what it means to be Christian, Muslim or Jewish. At points in the book, I would stop and make a mental shift to think of Jehane as Jewish rather than as Kindath. The fact that this was a mental shift made me aware of my own preconceived ideas about religion as identity. Also, by re-sorting the religions in this way, Kay makes it clear to the reader that these are all just people who by reason of their geography and upbringing, worship three equally ridiculous celestial bodies. Wonderful.
I love love loved this book. I adore the thoughts that Kay inspired after I read this book. I'm still absorbing it and plan to read the other book set in this same world, The Last Light of the Sun. I highly recommend this book to any thinking individual. Enjoy!
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