Written on the Dark

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

"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
"The brilliance of Written on the Dark is its capacity to be many things at once. It's a great story, or series of stories, moving from murder mystery to court drama to war epic to tale of love and loss and beyond, like a song changing keys."--The Globe and Mail(CA)
"There are more than a few flashes of brilliance in Written on the Dark, as well as some profoundly moving insights and some of Kay's most memorable characters."--Locus
Praise for the novels of Guy Gavriel Kay
"[Read] anything by Guy Gavriel Kay....His strengths are strong characters and fantastic set pieces."--The New Yorker