Ysabel: A Novel Audiobook

" I don't know that Kay's style quite fits with a younger protagonist or a contemporary setting, but this novel is still enjoyable and well-written (it's Kay, so that's a given). "

" Ysabel is usually not the kind of book I pick up at my book store, but since it was written by one of my favourite author I did read it. First off the bat I always love his style of writing which keeps me engross in the book even though some part kind of bored me. The story is interesting and kept me captivated while I got invested in the character. The only problem I have is that during the whole book I felt like I was waiting for something big to happen only to be disappointed from the anti-climatic ending. Not a bad book, but will never read it again. "

" This wasn't my favorite of Kay's, and not just because of the contemporary setting. I found it difficult to dive into the point-of-view character's...point of view. Lovely, because everything he writes is lovely, but lacking the poignancy of some of the other books he's written. Note that I hold him to an extremely high standard; he's one of my favorite authors. "

" I really liked this book until I got to the ending (which I thought was weak). I especially enjoyed the return of some of the characters from the Fionavar Tapestry - very nice surprise. "

" I don't understand why this is considered his best book. There are way too many characters, all too underdeveloped, and almost all of them completely inconsequential. Not only that, they spend the first quarter of the book building up this grand mystery about Ysabel and the guy in the cathedral. Well it turns out that the grand ol' mystery was that an old timey Bella-Edward-Jacob love triangle loved/hated each other so much that they return from the dead every year. And every year, she picks one of them to sleep with and then somehow, a lot of people die and this changes the history in the region. Or something. The historical bits are very fragmented and have little depth. They hint at some past tragedies, but they're mentioned in passing. It's more like a placard at a museum about the defeat of the Celts than a story about an actual tragedy. And all the events in the modern storyline have little meaning on their own. So really the only worthwhile storyline in this book is the one between Ned's mother and his aunt. It takes up about 10 pages of the whole book. "

" This was slow going and not particularly interesting . "

" I liked this a lot. I read The Fionavar Tapestry years ago and was a big fan. This one takes place in contemporary France but pulls in elements from eras past. I really like books that mess around with time and stories. "

" Have just finished reading and thoroughly enjoyed it. Have to say at times I found it a bit confusing however all in all very good story. Would recommend to everyone that enjoys a good read. "

" I really like historical fiction but have not ventured into historical fantasy. I plan to read another one of Kay's books which I don't do unless I really like an author and want to see what he/she does with a different story. "

" a young adult book and a fast read...someone left it in my store and I was bored...but I liked it for a teen book :-) "

" Guy Gavriel Kay makes writing seem so effortless. Although the beginning was a little slow for me, once the story got going, it left me breathless. A definite for the favourites shelf. "

" I read it back in the summer of 2008 and, maybe, remember it better than I would have predicted, judging by what I said about it at the time. Based on that, I'm almost tempted to give it a re-read ... "

" Terrible. Very disappointing. "

" I loved this book. It was full of history, intrigue, and magic. The author held my interest from the first chapter to the last. The characters really drew me in. I would love to see back stories for some of them. "

" One of the author's weaker books. The premise was interesting, but the lead was dull, and too much time was spent on him when we could have been following Ysabel herself. Also, I found Melanie's ultimate fate dissatisfying. "

" An excellent YA book set in France around Glanum. There must be something magical and very inspiring about the place- Margaret Atwood's first short story in the new Moral Disorder collection is also inspired by it. "

" Creepy, culturally rich and suspenseful. "

" Didn't finished it. I gave up at some 100 pages before the end. I didn't liked the story. I enjoyed Kay's novels before, but Under heaven and Ysabel weren't good for me. "

" I really liked this book - Provence sounds like an amazing place to visit. "

" A wonderful book! Nobody mixes history and fantasy like Kay! But he alludes to history, he doesn't explicate it. If you know your history, this book is deliciously rich. If you don't, Kay makes you want to go learn. "

" A wonderful book. I really enjoyed it. A young Canadian gets embroiled in a a story retold over two thousand years. This was aimed at young adult readers as there is a fair amount of teen angst over sex and their place in an adult world. It is typical high quality writing by Kay. "

" Reads like an annotated screenplay for a Nicholas Cage flick....complete with middle aged men saying, "I'm getting too old for this!" Rather disappointing for an award winning book. "

" I have to say, I rather liked this book. It's hard for me to say exactly why, but I guess Kay made me care about the characters. At points, it's a bit convoluted, but I rather liked it. Nice description, and maybe some day I'll go see Aix. "

" Great fantasy-set-in-the-modern-day kind of story, with a beautiful setting and some fairly well developed characters. A good coming-of-age/YA type book that is definitely worth a read for adults too. "

" Although this is not my favorite book by Guy Gavriel Kay, as usual he is masterful at blending history into fantasy. "

" I was an easy read. More along the lines of popular fiction. I am told by fans of Kay's work that this is not necessarily his best book. "

" I was alright. I'm not mad I read it. It was entertaining. "