The Last Light of the Sun
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| Author | Guy Gavriel Kay |
|---|---|
| Country | Canada |
| Language | English |
| Genre(s) | Fantasy |
| Publisher | Penguin Canada |
| Released | 2004 |
| Media type | |
| Pages | 592 |
| ISBN | ISBN 0143051482 |
The Last Light of the Sun is a 2004 fantasy novel by Guy Gavriel Kay. Like many of his books, it is set in a world that draws heavily upon real times, events, places and people. In this particular book, the period is the Viking invasions of Saxon England. The story concerns a young Erling's attempt to prove himself as a warrior, his father's attempts to make amends for his mistakes, a young prince searching for revenge and a King's attempt to transform his realm into a more civilized one that will resist attacks from the Erlings forever.
- The King character, Aeldred, is based clearly on Alfred the Great.
- The Erling culture is identical to that of the Vikings.
- The main religion of Jadism, the one hated by the Erlings, is clearly based upon Roman Catholicism.
The books main themes are revenge, violence, the passing of an era, clash of cultures, and love — especially between father and son.
The Last Light of the Sun is set in the same world as Kay's The Lions of Al-Rassan and The Sarantine Mosaic novels, but the chronological relationship between them is unclear. A passing reference to the mosaic Crispin created at the end of the "The Sarantine Mosaic" and to the works of Rustem implies that decades or perhaps centuries have passed, however.
[edit] Plot
The plot is set in a fantasy version of our world, during the age of Viking (here called Erling) raiders. Bern Thorkellson has stolen a horse that used to belong to the governor of Rabady Island, who has died. It is believed by the Erlings that stealing the horse from the dead governor would mean that his soul would not be freed. Thorkellson stole the horse because the governor arrested his father, Thorkell, and married Bern's mother, whilst confining him to poverty.
Bern travels to the local seer, who says she will give him a spell that will make him invisible if he has sex with her. Bern agrees. A girl who has recently joined the seer is related to Bern, and takes pity on him. She tells him that the seer was lying, and that he is not actually invisible. Bern is furious, but he manages to escape the island without being caught. Meanwhile Alun ap Owyn and his older brother Dai, along with some friends, come to stay at Brynnfell, the house of Brynn, a renowned fighter, after a cattle raid goes wrong. During the night Erling raiders attack the house, and Dai is killed. Among the Erlings is Bern's father.
