
A Brightness Long Ago
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Narrated by:
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Simon Vance
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By:
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Guy Gavriel Kay
About this listen
In a chamber overlooking the nighttime waterways of a maritime city, a man looks back on his youth and the people who shaped his life. Danio Cerra's intelligence won him entry to a renowned school even though he was only the son of a tailor. He took service at the court of a ruling count - and soon learned why that man was known as the Beast.
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Overall
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Performance
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Story
The lands of Arbonne and Gorhaut are on the verge of an all-consuming conflict. When a devious high priest of Gorhaut seizes the opportunity to wage a holy war against residents of Arbonne, an epic clash between the two cultures ensues.
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Overall
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Performance
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Story
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-
Story
Crispin is a mosaicist, a layer of bright tiles. Still grieving for the family he lost to the plaque, he lives only for his arcane craft. But an imperial summons from Valerius the Trakesian to Sarantium, the most magnificent place in the world, is difficult to resist. In a world half-wild and tangled with magic, a journey to Sarantium means a walk into destiny. Bearing with him a deadly secret and a Queen's seductive promise, guarded only by his own wits and a talisman from an alchemist's treasury, Crispin sets out for the fabled city. Along the way he will encounter a great beast.
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Can't give a fair rating
- By Alyssa B. Goss on 10-16-15
By: Guy Gavriel Kay
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The Lions of Al-Rassan
- By: Guy Gavriel Kay
- Narrated by: Euan Morton
- Length: 19 hrs and 39 mins
- Unabridged
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The ruling Asharites of Al-Rassan have come from the desert sands, but over centuries, seduced by the sensuous pleasures of their new land, their stern piety has eroded. The Asharite empire has splintered into decadent city-states led by warring petty kings. King Almalik of Cartada is on the ascendancy, aided always by his friend and advisor, the notorious Ammar ibn Khairan - poet, diplomat, soldier - until a summer afternoon of savage brutality changes their relationship forever.
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Lots of drama
- By KH on 10-12-12
By: Guy Gavriel Kay
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Written on the Dark
- By: Guy Gavriel Kay
- Narrated by: Simon Vance
- Length: 18 hrs
- Unabridged
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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.
By: Guy Gavriel Kay
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Lady in Ermine
- The Story of a Woman Who Painted the Renaissance: A Novel About Sofonisba Anguissola
- By: Donna DiGiuseppe
- Narrated by: Nicol Zanzarella
- Length: 11 hrs and 54 mins
- Unabridged
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Stroke by stroke, color by color, the past comes alive as a young woman in Lombardy, Italy, trains to paint with the masters. Will her ambition be too much for them? Or will she secure her place in the world of Renaissance art, despite them? As Sofonisba struggles to make her name, the Spanish empire invades Italy. With Michelangelo as her mentor and her father as her champion, Sofonisba dreams of painting the Spanish king.
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Historical
- By Dena Moore on 01-22-25
By: Donna DiGiuseppe
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Equal of the Sun
- A Novel
- By: Anita Amirrezvani
- Narrated by: Simon Vance
- Length: 13 hrs and 48 mins
- Unabridged
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Iran in 1576 is a place of peace, wealth, and dazzling beauty. But when the Shah dies without having named an heir, the court is thrown into tumult. Princess Pari, the Shah's daughter and closest adviser, knows more about the inner workings of the state than almost anyone, but the princess's maneuvers to instill order after her father's sudden death incite resentment and dissent. Pari and her trusted servant, a eunuch able to navigate the harem as well as the world beyond the palace walls, are in possession of an incredible tapestry....
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A Woman in a Man's World
- By JGrace on 06-26-13
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Pulse
- By: Julian Barnes
- Narrated by: Simon Vance
- Length: 6 hrs and 47 mins
- Unabridged
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In these 14 brilliant stories, the Man Booker Prize-winning author of The Sense of an Ending examines longing and loss, friendship and love, the historical past and contemporary life - all with his trademark wit and sharply observant eye.
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A Little Bit Stiff Upper Lip
- By Kate Juliff on 06-30-21
By: Julian Barnes
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Song of the Beast
- By: Carol Berg
- Narrated by: Claire Christie, Jeremy Arthur
- Length: 12 hrs and 35 mins
- Unabridged
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Brutal imprisonment has broken Aidan McAllister. His music is destroyed, and with it the visions he once gave a kingdom ravaged by dragon war. Now, he risks his hard-bought freedom to uncover the truth behind his incarceration - and to meet his enemy face-to-face....
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Dragons rock!
- By MarilynArms on 08-15-13
By: Carol Berg
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Scaramouche
- By: Rafael Sabatini
- Narrated by: Cate Barratt, Simon Paxton, Amy Soakes, and others
- Length: 13 hrs and 18 mins
- Unabridged
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“He was born with a gift of laughter and a sense that the world was mad … “So begins this historical tale of romantic adventure. Andre-Louis Moreau is an orphan and cousin of the beloved Aline. He is raised by his godfather, the Lord of Gavrillac, and matures into an educated lawyer—while Aline sets her mind on marrying the rich but dishonorable Marquis de la Tour d’Azyr. But when Moreau’s closest friend is killed by the Marquis in a duel, Moreau vows vengeance. After publicly denouncing the aristocracy and stirring up the crowds, Moreau is forced to go into hiding.
By: Rafael Sabatini
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A Spy by Nature
- A Novel
- By: Charles Cumming
- Narrated by: Simon Vance
- Length: 11 hrs and 23 mins
- Unabridged
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Alec Milius is young, smart, and ambitious. He also has a talent for deception. He is working in a dead-end job when a chance encounter leads him to MI6, the elite British Secret Intelligence Service, handing him an opportunity to play center stage in a dangerous game of espionage.
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I highly recommend this little gem
- By Chou Young on 02-14-08
By: Charles Cumming
What listeners say about A Brightness Long Ago
Highly rated for:
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- MAC
- 01-15-23
A bit boring
The first two-thirds of the story are quite entertaining, but after the demise of (in my opinion) its best character, it goes steadily downhill. Battle scenes and commanders talking about strategizing and power, etc. I had to keep rewinding it because my mind would drift. I finally gave up with about two hours left.
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- Daniel Dwyer
- 12-11-19
Good
Guy Gavriel Kay and Simon Vance are beautiful. But this book isn’t up to the level of under heaven or tigana.
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- Joyce Eriksen
- 02-08-20
Very fine
This latest of my favorite living author has been a fine read. The characters take a lot from earlier parts of the story. They are not as strong as many have been but the tale carries them as Kays characters have often taken the weight of a story line. Nothing approaches the keenness of my favorites, Tigana and Under Heaven, surely the best of the best.
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- Allan H. Langille
- 07-10-19
Guy Gavriel Kay + Simon Vance = 5 STARS (Always)
The musings of Danio Cerra, regarding events in his life a generation ago, describe an intoxicating adventure that stayed with him for a lifetime... like the rain that misses the cloud as it falls throughout the world.
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11 people found this helpful
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- A. Griffin
- 11-25-19
never goes anywhere
You do come to like the characters as you here all of their points of view and back story but no real plot. I kept waiting for something.
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4 people found this helpful
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- RJ Stewart
- 07-21-21
Beautifully written, but not much by way of story
I wouldn't start here if you haven't read Kay before. This is character study without a large overarching storyline to back it up. I enjoyed it but this one will be quickly forgotten.
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- Richard P. Blackwell
- 09-21-23
Not fantasy
Great story, kept my attention but was waiting for some some kind of fantasy element. This is more of a historical fiction.
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- Brett
- 05-13-20
Extraordinary story telling.
A brilliant tableau of memorable characters and compelling plots exquisitely composed. As good as it gets.
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- G. Berton Latamore
- 11-17-19
A fine novel, well worth reading
This is a fine, enjoyable book and an exploration of the human condition. It is one of Guy Gabriel Kay's best and displays his talents in character development, sense of place, and realistic plotting fully. Simon Vance brings exactly the right tone to his portrayal of the main character and narrator. The book is set just before and during the fall of Byzantium and start of the Italian Renaissance. To get the most out of it, you should first read Kay's "Sailing to Sirantium" trilogy, set at the height of that great city and the construction of the Haggia Sophia. In a sense this is the conclusion of that series, although most of the references are subtle and this book can be read separately and should be seen on its own merits. Those who know the history and something of Italy may get amusement at identifying the cities, which he has renamed but otherwise left the same. Fiorenza, of course, is obvious, but clues are there for the identities of others as well. The main characters, of course, are fictional. Overall, this is among the finest of Kay's works, and I have read all but one, and well worth reading.
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6 people found this helpful
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- Jacqueline Hertz
- 09-07-20
An Excellent Marriage between Kay and Vance
Kay's lavish world building and lyrical prose continue to be at the head of the pack in this prequel to "Children of Earth and Sky," while Vance's narration is as on point as ever. The plot involves mercenaries and political maneuvering. "Children of Earth and Sky" is a slightly better book but this one is still an amazing fantasy novel especially for those who enjoy rich world building and prose.
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