Set three years subsequent to the events of "A Brightness Long Ago," the story revolves around two formidable brothers who enlist Nadia and Rafel to undertake the assassination of a khalif, seeking to seize power. While the mission proves successful, an unforeseen twist of fate irrevocably alters the lives of these two merchants in unforeseen ways.

The narrative unfolds amidst a meticulously crafted historical fantasy landscape, rich with religious and geopolitical complexities that the characters must navigate. Reminiscent of Renaissance Italy, the tale leans heavily toward historical fiction, with the fantasy elements serving as subtle undertones.

The narrative's pacing fluctuates, with an initial barrage of information outlining the intricate web of religious factions and their conflicts. However, the story truly comes alive in the spaces between the beginning and the end, while the final stretch of the book feels somewhat sluggish.

Themes of exile, religion, identity, and memory permeate the narrative, imbuing it with depth and resonance. Guy Gavriel Kay's prose is undeniably elegant, though dense, demanding attentive reading. Abrupt shifts in point of view, often occurring within chapters, may require some adjustment.

While I wholeheartedly recommend exploring Guy Gavriel Kay's literary offerings, perhaps "All the Seas of the World" might be best appreciated after familiarizing oneself with its predecessors. Many thanks to Viking for graciously providing an ARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Fans of Guy Gavriel Kay will not want to miss this one. A truly engaging and enjoyable reading experience, this book is worth every second.

Guy Gavriel Kay distills the essence of an era in history and then recreates it in a fascinating alternate version with remarkable characters and intricate plots. He delivers again in All the Seas of the World.

The leads are accomplished assassins/spies Rafel and Nadia. After they succeed in an assassination that will change the balance of power in the world, they go to Batiara to sell two invaluable stolen items, a diamond and a book.

So begins a complex tale, in which they thread their way through a maze of violent plots among the most powerful of the day.

I loved getting lost in the world that Kay created. It was vast and so richly described that I felt like I was really there. I don’t read a lot of fantasy, but this one was absolutely stunning.

4.5⭐
GGK absolutely defies genre. This is fantasy in terms of being set in a place that doesn't technically exist, but it's so strongly reminiscent of the medieval/Renaissance Mediterranean area and the religious/cultural/politic struggles there it feels very real.

The story begins in a port city, with Rafel (a member of an outcast faith, and merchant) his partner Nadia (taken into slavery as a child and trained as a bodyguard before escaping) and the mysterious and treacherous Ghazzali attempting to kill a khalif they've been hired to assassinate. Jewels, piracy, wars, court intrigue, long-lost family members, secret identities..... the story has it all.

I don't know if I should call this story epic and overwhelming (there are SO many characters and such scope of years, geography and events) or intimate (the characters feel so real, we truly understand their histories, feelings, actions). GGK is the best male fantasy writer of female characters (even including Brandy Sandy IMO) and he makes every secondary - and even tertiary - character come alive. In his own words: "You can indeed die at the margins of a story, but you are as dead as if it were your own tale ending and never told." No one is insignificant in this world, because they each offer us a slightly different perspective on the world, which to me is the secret to GGK's amazing world building.

I think I would have enjoyed this tale with its themes of Love, revenge, exile, identity, religion and so much more, if I had realised that it was part of a trilogy and had read the other two books prior. Guy Gavriel Kay is a fantastic writer and deserves all the accolades he gets. The historical detail the character development and the research is amazing. I did feel like I was missing something here and there not knowing the background stories of the main characters but all in all it was a great read.

When a pirate, a mercenary, and a would-be scholar are hired to assassinate the leader of a city state, a chain of events is set into motion that will change the course of history as they know it.

Rafel ben Natan and Nadia, who’s true name is Lenia Serassa, are an unlikely pair. From different empires, different faiths, and with wildly different motivations, the casual observer would struggle to explain their partnership. But when these two come together, it just works – and good thing, too. These two merchants will need each other if they’re to survive among the highest ranking, most feared and influential figures of the three major faiths.

With more than a dozen perspectives, you might think that Rafel and Lenia’s voices would get lost in the noise, but Kay brings them to life beautifully. Both fully realized with complex personal histories and uncertain futures, it’s their stories that link together the seemingly disparate (but of course connected!) stories of All the Seas of the World. Almost every character here is in mid-life or old age, which is a refreshing change since so much fantasy fiction centres the young. Characters who’ve already lived through war, who have already loved and lost, they have a different outlook than your average twenty-year-old. Of course, there’s no age limit on foolishness and experience doesn’t always mean wisdom, so Kay’s characters are not immune to poor choices. Which is a good thing, because bad decisions are great for moving a plot forward!

I won’t attempt to explain the details of the plot because the events and the world of All the Seas of the World is truly epic in scope. History, religion, and geopolitics are all crucial elements of the story, so readers should be prepared. The vastness of the world might have been overwhelming if it didn’t borrow so heavily and from our world, but the parallels between Kay’s world and our own helped me find a sense of familiarity. In fact, much of the world is a direct mirror to our own, right down to the absence of magic. For me, the absence of magic from All the Seas of the World was disappointing and puzzling. Barring a few mysterious events explained away by religion, there’s nothing fantastical about this story at all.

As always, Guy Gabriel Kay’s prose is beautiful and poignant. All the Seas of the World is quite philosophical but the ideas are presented in an accessible way. The sweet bitterness of hoping for peace in a violent world brought tears to my eyes more than once. Kay can turn a phrase, there’s no doubt about that! Narratively, there were some choices that I found a little bizarre, including a few seemingly-random detours into metafiction. I got the impression that the metafictional aspect is a common thread from the other books Kay’s set in this world, but I haven’t read them so I can’t be sure. When you’re a master of your craft, I suppose you need to experiment to keep things interesting!

In spite of a few elements that didn’t work for me, All the Seas of the World is an engrossing read with memorable characters. Recommended.

I have heard amazing things of Guy Gavriel Kay, and with this being my first encounter with his writing I was not let down. An amazing read. Looking forward to more from this author. Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for granting me access to an e-arc.

Thank you so much for the opportunity to review this book. I had difficulty getting into it, but overall I found that it was worth it. I do love Kay's books and find this one, like his others, will stay with me for a long time. I'll be on the lookout for his next book.

Guy Gavriel Kay is an acclaimed Canadian fantasy writer with All The Seas of the World his latest historical fantasy offering. My first exposure to GGK's works was years ago with the Fionavir Tapestry which still remains one of my favourites and since then have steadily read through all his books with the exception of one of the two Tang Dynasty inspired ones. A Brightness Long Ago was the most recent one before this, each GGK book leaves an echo and lingering sigh.

The events of this current book do reference those from previous ones, such as The Lions of Al-Rassan, A Brightness Long Ago, Sailing to Sarantium. Having read those will add extra resonance to the poignancy of the story but it can also function as a stand-alone. I read this eARC book twice, five months ago and three months ago but alas, just did not have the time to write the detailed analytical review I wanted. The first go, I was immediately immersed in the story of a planned assassination but also extremely distracted trying to match up the cities and personages to their real life historical counterparts. Some were obvious eg. Batiara=Italy, Seressa city-state=Venice, Rhodias=Rome, Esperaña=España/Spain, Dubrava=Dubrovnik; others required some looking up eg. Osmanlis=Ottoman Turks, Ibn Tihon brothers=Barbarossa brothers. I had also read a nonfiction book about the expulsion of Jewish people from Spain in 1492 after the Catholic monarchs seized power so Rafel's backstory and other Kindath being forced out of Esperaña to seek refuge elsewhere or forced conversions in the book made me more alert to the mirrored history.

One unifying theme of GGK novels is the emphasis on kismet or a quirk of fate impacting the wheels of history. A random decision, a certain mood, a chance meeting - the cogs of time and happenstance intersect to effect outcomes. GGK expresses this beautifully time and again in these story tapestries that he weaves. There is no shortage of adventure here with assassinations, sea battles, stolen treasures, corsairs, political alliances, long lost family reunions but there's also room for quiet reflection and wonder. I really like the attention paid to interpersonal context, glances, unspoken thoughts, intention. GGK has a distinctive way of conveying all these, sometimes in a deliberately coy fashion but the flow of storytelling with all the disparate threads is always smooth and experienced.

Thanks to Penguin Random House Canada and Netgalley for providing an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review, my apologies for the tardiness of this review.

When I started reading this book my initial reaction was that the prose is something that people will either love or hate. Guy Gavriel Kay has a very distinctive style that will appeal to readers who enjoy side narratives and poetic, whimsical, if at times meandering, prose. Unfortunately, it didn't particularly appeal to me - I found the multi-page post-death ruminations by minor characters distracting, the sudden switching of narrators/POV jarring and the story somewhat aimless. I found the historical fantasy aspect somewhat contrived as well, but again, perhaps it just isn't my cup of tea. That being said, I have since read reviews that mention that you really should read the other books in the series first so maybe that would have increased my enjoyment (although I thought the book stood on its own just fine). All the Seas of the World was just too much of a random meander through a loosely woven storyline for me to feel drawn in and committed to the characters and their story.

Guy Gavriel Kay is one of my all time favourites so thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to read this latest. Following along after Children of Earth and Sky and A Brightness Long Ago, All the Seas of the World can be read on its own but it definitely helps to have read the other two first. Kay's worlds are so vast and immersive, it can be overwhelming and daunting to dive in but dive in you must. No one creates and spins and weaves the way he does. Such an elegant writer.

Intricately plotted and, of course, deeply researched, Guy Gabriel Kay returns to the alternate Europe he created years ago and fleshed out over several novels ("Sailing to Sarantium", "The Lions of Al-Rassan", etc.)

Following two characters, a former slave now assassin, and a merchant whose flight from his home because of his culture/religion has left him feeling unmoored for years.

The two become involved in a plot to destabilize one of the nations, which has ramifications throughout this collection of countries.


This is my first book by Kay after an absence of several years. I left his tales years ago because of what I found to be annoying: a tendency by the author to foreshadow tragic events heavy-handedly. Thankfully, Kay does not do that here, and I was pleasantly surprised by how interesting it was to return to this world Kay had created.

I was, however, hard-pressed to keep my attention on the narrative. I never really felt anything for the two main characters in this long book, and consequently, did not care much about the their outcomes, or those of the many supporting characters. And though I was impressed by the detailed political landscape, I wish had enjoyed this book more.

Thank you to Netgalley and to Penguin Random House Canada for this ARC in exchange for my review.

I have to admit this book wasn’t my type of book. From other reviews I can see that reading his previous novels might have helped make this one less overwhelming. Fans of the medieval fantasy genre and those who have read his other titles are sure to like this book. Although I found it long the story is well told and the use of descriptive language is excellent.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC of this novel.
I requested this book based on the description however I felt very much overwhelmed by the depth and complexity of the work - it was not at all what I was expecting. I struggled through the first couple of chapters but ultimately decided not to finish the novel as it clearly wasn’t for me.
However, I found upon it’s release that the author has a dedicated group of readers who wanted to purchase it on release day and I’ve had many conversations with customers who love this author.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC of All The Seas of the World
First I wish I had researched a little as there are books preceeding this book. I felt a little lost at the beginning with all the details, characters and their names being a little overwhelming. Not normally the type of book I would read, the description was what grabbed me, but once reading it was difficult for me to get through. I think as others have mentioned, reading one of this authors previous books would help.

I am once again in awe of Guy Gavriel Kay’s skill when it comes to writing historical fantasy. All the Seas of the World doesn’t disappoint.

In this story we are following two corsairs as they become embroiled in an assassination plot and the ensuing power plays that follow. While I would say they are the two main protagonists, as with all of GGK’s books we get the stories of many side characters along the way.

This book is not a starting point for Guy Gavriel Kay, but not because you have to read A Brightness Long Ago and The Children of Earth and Sky before picking this one up, but because GGK’s writing is complex and unique and if you aren’t prepared for that you likely won’t enjoy this. I disagree with the other reviewers who have called this a third book in a series, it really isn’t. It’s the third book in a setting, and while there are characters that overlap I don’t think there’s anything foundational in his last two books that you need to know going into this newest one.

Guy Gavriel Kay’s writing style is one of a kind and I think this is really what trips people up. But it’s his writing that captivates me every time I read something by him. I particularly love how his narrative is branching, following each new character to the end of their story even when it means departing the main narrative for awhile. I think people find this way of writing quite jarring if they aren’t prepared for it, but I love that I know the complete story for all of the characters. He also plays around with different tenses and often shifts POVs without much fanfare, which used to be much more common in fantasy in the past but has fallen out of use in more modern works. You won’t get chapter titles telling you who’s head you are in, you have to use context clues sometimes to figure it out which requires active reading.

I would also say don’t expect this to be very fantastical, most of his works aren’t. In fact the only reason they aren’t straight up historical fiction is because he changes all of the names so that he can blur and blend things together to make a more compelling world and story. This means that if you have some knowledge of the history of the time period he is basing his world on you will get so much more out of the story. For his last three novels he has been exploring the Mediterranean during the Renaissance period, right around the time of the fall of Constantinople to the Ottoman Turks. I have limited knowledge about this time period, but I thoroughly enjoyed googling things to figure out his historical references. With that being said, if you know nothing about the history it doesn’t matter because he does enough worldbuilding to convince you that he has created a real world filled with real people. Honestly his mastery of worldbuilding is another reason I keep coming back to his works.

This is a long review with not very much said about the actual book in question and that is because I find it very hard to pin down exactly what it is about this book that I liked, but I can tell you what didn’t work for me and that was the handling of themes. There are two major themes that I picked up on while reading this, exile, and how we shape stories and how they shape us. There are probably other themes I didn’t pick up on, but I hated how heavy handed he was on the theme of exile. By the end I was exhausted with how much time was spent bemoaning the life of an exile. It was just too much, too heavy handed. Similarly I felt there was too much philosophizing on stories and not enough tying it into the actual narrative. But really these are very nitpicky things. I really enjoyed this book and I look forward to reading whatever GGK publishes next.

This book is for the kind of fantasy reader who likes to think hard about what they are reading, that likes to pay attention to what they are reading and think about themes and symbolism and all of that stuff you had to do in high school English class. It is not a starting point for Guy Gavriel Kay, for the love of Jad go read A Song for Arbonne and then maybe A Brightness Long Ago, before coming back to this one.

4.5 rounded up to 5 stars.

I wasn’t sure I’d like this book when I first picked it up, but it won me over! When a book starts with a long list of characters and a map of an invented world my first reaction is “great, another author who thinks they’re JRR Tolkien”. Adding to that, the style of writing didn’t click for me right away. It felt too wordy at the start and I didn’t like the amount of described back story (as opposed to revealing background through the action).

I’m glad I stuck with it, though! It took a while but the characters grew on me and the action started to reel me in. The style of writing which bothered me at first became an extension of the era and the characters, adding to the mood of the book. I came to appreciate it by the end. This wide ranging story takes you across oceans, through cities and farms, into palaces and into war. You need to commit to it, but it’s worth it!

Before reading this book, I was not aware that there were two books before it. Looking back, I probably should've read those two books prior to this, but I was still able to understand the book without them. However, because of this, the book required much more focus to read, and there was a lot of information that had to be remembered in order to read it. The writing still was flowy and elegant, but the POV changes threw me off on multiple occasions, leaving me confused.

All in all, All the Seas of the World was a beautiful book that, although confusing at times, left me feeling satisfied when reading.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me an ARC for this book.

* Thanks to Penguin Random House Canada/Viking and Netgalley for an advance copy for review purposes *

It took me a while to finish this book, the pace is deliberate and the writing style begs to be savored rather than devoured. I also struggled a bit to get into this world, partly because I did not know this is a world the author has been building over several other books, but also because it is set on a fictional world loosely based on the Mediterranean around the Renaissance, and my mind kept trying to tie together the fictional places and characters to the historical ones (Florence, Rome, Venice, Marseille, Algiers, Tunis, Istanbul,...), pulling me out of the story. There were no fantastical elements of relevance to the story, so my expectations for fantasy were thwarted. Once my mind was able to make a peace with a world that is almost like but not quite like our own, I was able to get immersed into this book.

There are many beautifully constructed characters in this epic story. The two main ones, Rafel and Lenia, are a pair of merchants thrown into a life at sea after great losses. Rafel is an exile from Esperana, forced to leave his home as a child in an event eerily similar to the expulsion of Jews from Spain. Lenia, initially known as Nadia, is a Jaddite (Christian) woman, captured in a raid and enslaved as a child, and now escaped and looking for revenge against any of the people of her former captors.. An ambitious contract way beyond their usual trading deals throws them into a whirlwind of action that shapes their world, and themselves.

The book explores the themes of religious identity, belonging and exile. Many of the characters are displaced and the path they are on was not necessarily their choice (specially for women and religious minorities).. Throughout the story, wandering characters encounter each other in different places and circumstances, with each encounter playing a pivotal role in the shaping of the world of that time. And I can see how breaking away from the real history through the different naming helps explore those themes without all the baggage that comes with them.

In a nutshell, I really liked this book because of its characters and lovely writing, but I found the quasi-historical setting distracting at first (it kept pulling me out of the story for the first couple hundred pages), and the random musings of minor characters on their death felt a little out of place. I would read more books in this world now that I feel more immersed in it, I am quite interested in reading the Sarantium books and anything where Folco d'Acorsi appears.