Written on the Dark

De: Guy Gavriel Kay

Narrado por: Simon Vance

Both sweeping and intimate, a majestic novel of love and war that brilliantly evokes the drama and turbulence of medieval France

Thierry Villar is a well-known—even notorious— tavern poet, familiar with the rogues and shadows of that world, but not at all with courts and power. He is an unlikely person, despite his quickness, to be caught up in the deadly contests of ambitious royals, assassins, and invading armies.

But he is indeed drawn into all these things on a savagely cold night in his beloved city of Orane. And so Thierry must use all the intelligence and charm he can muster as political struggles merge with a decades-long war to bring his country to the brink of destruction.

As he does, he meets his poetic equal in an aristocratic woman and is drawn to more than one unsettling person with a connection to the world beyond this one. He also crosses paths with an extraordinary young woman driven by voices within to try to heal the ailing king—and help his forces in war. A wide and varied set of people from all walks of life take their places in the rich tapestry of this story.

A new masterwork from the internationally bestselling author of All the Seas of the World, A Brightness Long Ago, and Tigana, Written on the Dark is an elegant tour de force about power and ambition playing out amid the intense human need for art and beauty, and memories to be left behind.

©2025 Guy Gavriel Kay (P)2025 Penguin Audio

Reseñas de la Crítica

"An absolutely astonishing novel . . . by our greatest living writer of the fantastic. . . . Quite simply, a masterpiece."—JM Miro, international bestselling author of Ordinary Monsters

“Kay burnishes his reputation for worldbuilding with this believable, magic-tinged analogue for medieval France, complete with its own Hundred Years’ War and a Joan of Arc stand-in. While Kay’s fictional outcomes tend toward the happier, he plays fair with the suffering of his heroes and humanizes his villains. Longtime fans and new readers alike will be sucked in."—Publishers Weekly (starred review)

“Kay once again delivers a skillful blend of history and fantasy that captures both the beauty and brutality of the past with poetic precision. His sophisticated prose elevates every scene, intertwining fleeting joys and deep sorrows into a narrative that resonates long after the final page... In addition to being a profound meditation on history, identity, and the human condition, this novel stands as a testament to Kay’s unparalleled storytelling.”—Library Journal

not his best work

Guy Gavriel Kay is one of my absolute favorite authors, but this book didn't capture the heart of what makes his writing stand out to me. Unlike masterpieces like The Last Light of the Sun or Under Heaven, this book felt hasty and scattered. I didn't feel emotionally invested in any of the characters, who felt like charicatures more than anything. There wasn't enough time for characters of any real depth to develop.

I've noticed a trend in Kay's recent work towards shorter, action packed novels. I like action, but the plot doesn't feel believable when it's rushed like this -- unlike older, longer works where he captures a brilliant balance of narrative and random chance that makes the story feel real (and all the more gripping for it).

I wonder if the publishers are influencing this decision to sacrifice quality for faster pacing?

I do like what Kay is doing tying all these more recent Renaissance novels together, making them relate tangentially to each other. I enjoy the allusions to themes and characters from his other novels, and seeing how together they form a bigger story. I hope to see more of that -- but I can't help but feel that this story doesn't stand up on its own -- and so the emotional impact is lost.

Even so, I salute Kay for writing beautifully and for the magnitude of his work. I'm deeply impressed and for all that, Written on the Dark was still an enjoyable story to listen to!

best author and narrator

quintessential Guy Gavriel Kay...just wish it was longer! No other narrator can top Simon Vance!

Good but more of the same

I wish GGK would branch out a bit more. Who is our protagonist? Why yet another handsome poet. But at the same time, it’s still nice. I’d totally see this movie, so I can’t say he’s doing it poorly!

a little off his mark

he is one of my favorite authors. I have loved the way he alludes to characters and events in other novels. this one was a little more heavy-handed, and felt a little formulaic compared to his other work. I still enjoyed it, but it didn't really move me like his other works . Simon Vance is always my favorite narrator.

Vance always stands out! The writing is magnificent!

Well i was concerned that this book by my favorite modern author was a bit short ... and sadly it seemed short ... not the normal Kay details I think. Things happen quickly. oh well that is only me always wanting more. the words ... Kay's near poetry is stunning, stunning, stunning. I did want more! But I loved it... you will love it... I predict.

It's a really good thing...

... the Guy Gavriel Kay doesn't produce more material than he does.

My GAWD that man RUINS my productivity.

The depth. The writing. The intricacy and simplicity.

SO. WELL. DONE.

Beautifully written, beautifully read

Beautifully written story, losely based on medieval France, about ordinary people who find themselves, for a short time, at the center if events.

not his best effort

He's my all time favorite author, but ... like another reviewer, I preordered and was disappointed in how short it was. Then started listening and yes, it was pretty formulaic and perhaps trying too hard at modern themes? When Joan of Arc shows up, it feels very mish mashed - like the Fionavar Tapestry with totally unique characters until Lancelot and King Author crash the party ... these were my least favorite of his books before ... this. it's still way better than everything else being written, but there is just not enough there there in this longish short story.

Stale and formulaic

The GGK formula is to take an era in history, file the serial numbers off, and then tell a new tale in it. This has worked very well for multiple decades. Stories like the Sailing to Sarantium duology, The Lions of al-Rassan, or Tigana are examples, but that was from when the formula was fresh and GGK's prose craft really came into its own.

The best I can describe this book is, however, stale.

The prose craft is fine, for sure, though it digs a bit too much into the "What we know... what we don't know..." kinds of cliches at times and keeps side-pushing LGBTQ+ relationships and other modernisms into his fiction. To be clear I have no problems with them in our modern life, but the protagonists and their pals become "modern" in sensibility in a rather lazy way, leaving all the nasty medievalisms to the villains and the occasional side character.

The GGK formula worked a lot better when it's fresh because the story isn't nearly so well known. Senj? The nautical world of the Mediterranean after the Reconquista told partially from the perspective of an expelled Jew? These were fresh. Late Medieval France with some fairly weak love stories and all-too-predictable court intrigue? Stale.

I'd preordered it and was mildly disappointed that it was only 10 hours but honestly this story just doesn't merit more than that.

I don't know whether he has it in him now, but there are so many better eras near this one that could be explored: The Fourth Crusade, the various Sieges of Vienna (already alluded to but not really explored), more in the Middle East, more in Late Antiquity, I dunno, maybe get out of Europe for a while.

If you want good GGK and haven't experienced him before, go visit Sarantium when it was fresh and not circle around the tired near-corpse of the city that keeps getting mention-dropped. Or visit al-Rassan. Or... well there are a lot of choices.