Children of Earth and Sky
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 Front cover of the US edition | |
| Author | Guy Gavriel Kay |
|---|---|
| Language | English |
| Genre | Fantasy |
| Publisher | New American Library |
Publication date | 2016 |
| Publication place | Canada |
Children of Earth and Sky is a historical fantasy novel by Canadian writer Guy Gavriel Kay published in 2016. It was the first novel he wrote after receiving the Order of Canada.[1]
Kay's subsequent novel A Brightness Long Ago is a prequel to Children of Earth and Sky.[2][3]
The dust jacket cover art of the first Canadian and US editions was created by Larry Rostant.[4]
The book is set in the same fantasy world as The Sarantine Mosaic, but following the decline and fall of Sarantium.[1] Leaders of states that are Jaddite, having been greatly affected by an epidemic, are worried of an impending threat by the growing Osmanli empire whose cultural and religious traditions may eclipse their own.[1] Meanwhile, the duke of the Jaddite city of Seressa seeks to secure and strengthen his position.[1]
There are five principal and numerous secondary and ancillary characters.[5] The warrior Danica Gradek is a skilled archer seeking vengeance for the abduction of her brother Neven by the Osmanli; she is recruited by Senjan pirates. The young artist Pero Villani is ambitious and tries to court the spy Leonora Valeri, previously exiled by her father. The Dubrova merchant Marin guides them through the "political and physical hazards" of their eastward journey.[5][6] Pero is chosen to paint a western-style portrait of the khalif Gurçu, the principal Osmanli threat.[6] Danica and Leonora meet during a raid by the pirates, and develop a "survival friendship".[6]
Senjan is a nation state that opposes Osmanli expansion and has contemptuous regard for those who trade with them, raiding their ships.[7] Dubrova is an emergent trading nation that avoids antagonizing the powerful Seressa empire that dominates trade.[7] The latter maintains an extensive spy network.[8]
Concept
Kay states that while conducting research for his novels, he often acquires folkloric knowledge and learns the history of various places. For Children of Earth and Sky, he stated in an interview with Clarkesworld Magazine that among his favourites were learning about the origins of Venetian bookbinding and about the history of the Croatian city of Dubrovnik.[9]
The novel is based on 16th-century Europe, in which the cities of Sarantium and Seressa are analogues for Constantinople and the Republic of Venice.[1] In an "Ask Me Anything" interview on the r/Fantasy subreddit, Kay stated that the name Seressa was chosen as an echo of "La Serenissima",[10] a traditional name associated with the city state when it was considered a Most Serene Republic. The city of Dubrova is an analogue of Dubrovnik,[7] Senjen and its pirates an analogue for Senj and the Uskoks,[8] and Prague also has an analogue.[11]
The Osmanli empire is based on the Ottoman Empire and the Jaddite religion modelled on Christianity.[7]
