Every few years, usually in May, we're treated to a new Guy Gavriel Kay novel. He's by far my favorite author, and his unique blend of historical fiction with just a little bit of fantasy and his melancholic, thoughtful prose always resonate with me.

Written on the Dark is an excellent novel, but just a good GGK novel. It doesn't reach the heights of The Lions of Al-Rassan, Tigana, or A Brightness Long Ago, and falls distinctly in the Last Light of the Sun, Children of Earth and Sky tier of his novels. That said, this would be a career-defining work for most authors. It starts small and intimate, gradually expanding the cast and plot until it becomes a sweeping epic. It remains introspective throughout, and feels a bit like Kay reflecting on his career as a whole - several characters in the novel are writers and reflect on the nature of their work, and he mentions in the acknowledgements and in interviews how fortunate he is to do this for a career. 

I had a few small issues. The average sentence length seems oddly low. Kay has always leaned on repetition and almost-repetition to make his points - thoughts repeated, rhetorical questions asked - and a healthy dose of melodrama that can be a little much. That's no different here. Some of the side characters lack a distinct voice and have personalities that can blend into those of the main cast.

Guy Gavriel Kay has never published a bad novel, and this is no exception. The tone of this novel makes me nervous that Kay knows he's near the end of his career, and I hope that's not true.