Written on the Dark
From the bestselling author of the groundbreaking novels Tigana and Under Heaven
Published on 21. May 2026
Book
Paperback/Softback
320 pages
978-1-3997-4707-3 (ISBN)
Description
'Kay is a genius. I've read him all my life and am always inspired by his work' BRANDON SANDERSON
A sweeping new novel of love and war that brilliantly evokes the drama and turbulence of medieval France from the internationally bestselling author of Tigana, All the Seas of the World, and A Brightness Long Ago.
Thierry Villar is a well-known - even notorious - tavern poet, intimately 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 swept into 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 power struggles merge with a decades-long war to bring his country to the brink of destruction.
As he does, he meets his poetic equal in an aristocratic woman and is drawn to more than one unsettling person with a connection to the world beyond this one. He also crosses paths with an extraordinary young woman driven by voices within to try to heal the ailing king - and help his forces in war. A wide and varied set of people from all walks of life take their places in the rich tapestry of this story.
Both sweeping and intimate, Written on the Dark is an elegant tour de force about power and ambition playing out amid the equally intense human need for art and beauty, and memories to be left behind.
PRAISE FOR GUY GAVRIEL KAY'S NOVELS
'Tragic, stirring, romantic, meticulous, comic, rueful, worldly-wise, and written in the intimate, deceptively nonchalant voice of a storyteller offering up his great gift' MICHAEL CHABON
'Kay is a genius. I've read him all my life and am always inspired by his work' BRANDON SANDERSON
'A wonderful talent. He tells stories in an invented world that is so rich in historical echoes that I found myself smiling with pleasure as I heard the echoes, while engrossed in the story. Warmly recommended' EDWARD RUTHERFORD
'History and fantasy rarely come together as gracefully or readably as they do in the novels of Guy Gavriel Kay' THE WASHINGTON POST BOOK WORLD
'By making the familiar ever so slightly strange, Guy Gavriel Kay breathes new life into historical fantasy. Beautifully faceted, jewel-like scenes carry us beyond the doublets and daggers to create an emotionally charged, high-stakes world of love and hate, threat and reward' DAILY MAIL
'An immersive reading experience; readers will taste the dust in their mouths, see the high seas from the deck of a merchant ship, feel the bustle of the city market. What results is necessary sustenance for the starving reader. A masterpiece from a master of the craft' BOOKLIST
'Gorgeous, generous, humane and deeply aware of the intricacies of human desire and attachment, All the Seas of the World is another masterpiece from Kay' JAMES BRADLEY
'I came away from it with spirits lifted and a smile on my face, whilst feeling a wistful sense of regret that the reading experience was over. You can't ask more from a book than that' PARSEC
A sweeping new novel of love and war that brilliantly evokes the drama and turbulence of medieval France from the internationally bestselling author of Tigana, All the Seas of the World, and A Brightness Long Ago.
Thierry Villar is a well-known - even notorious - tavern poet, intimately 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 swept into 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 power struggles merge with a decades-long war to bring his country to the brink of destruction.
As he does, he meets his poetic equal in an aristocratic woman and is drawn to more than one unsettling person with a connection to the world beyond this one. He also crosses paths with an extraordinary young woman driven by voices within to try to heal the ailing king - and help his forces in war. A wide and varied set of people from all walks of life take their places in the rich tapestry of this story.
Both sweeping and intimate, Written on the Dark is an elegant tour de force about power and ambition playing out amid the equally intense human need for art and beauty, and memories to be left behind.
PRAISE FOR GUY GAVRIEL KAY'S NOVELS
'Tragic, stirring, romantic, meticulous, comic, rueful, worldly-wise, and written in the intimate, deceptively nonchalant voice of a storyteller offering up his great gift' MICHAEL CHABON
'Kay is a genius. I've read him all my life and am always inspired by his work' BRANDON SANDERSON
'A wonderful talent. He tells stories in an invented world that is so rich in historical echoes that I found myself smiling with pleasure as I heard the echoes, while engrossed in the story. Warmly recommended' EDWARD RUTHERFORD
'History and fantasy rarely come together as gracefully or readably as they do in the novels of Guy Gavriel Kay' THE WASHINGTON POST BOOK WORLD
'By making the familiar ever so slightly strange, Guy Gavriel Kay breathes new life into historical fantasy. Beautifully faceted, jewel-like scenes carry us beyond the doublets and daggers to create an emotionally charged, high-stakes world of love and hate, threat and reward' DAILY MAIL
'An immersive reading experience; readers will taste the dust in their mouths, see the high seas from the deck of a merchant ship, feel the bustle of the city market. What results is necessary sustenance for the starving reader. A masterpiece from a master of the craft' BOOKLIST
'Gorgeous, generous, humane and deeply aware of the intricacies of human desire and attachment, All the Seas of the World is another masterpiece from Kay' JAMES BRADLEY
'I came away from it with spirits lifted and a smile on my face, whilst feeling a wistful sense of regret that the reading experience was over. You can't ask more from a book than that' PARSEC
Reviews / Votes
An absolutely astonishing novel about poetry, and war, and what it means to be human, by our greatest living writer of the fantastic. Written on the Dark shines with its own unearthly light: Guy Gavriel Kay has given us, quite simply, a masterpiece * J.M. Miro, international bestselling author of Ordinary Monsters and Bringer of Dust * Kay is a genius. I've read him all my life and am always inspired by his work * Brandon Sanderson, #1 New York Times bestselling author * Guy Gavriel Kay has a wonderful talent. He tells stories in an invented world that is so rich in historical echoes that I found myself smiling with pleasure as I heard the echoes, while engrossed in the story. Warmly recommended * Edward Rutherfurd, New York Times bestselling author of Sarum * Tragic, stirring, romantic, meticulous, comic, rueful, worldly-wise, and written in the intimate, deceptively nonchalant voice of a storyteller offering up his great gift, All the Seas of the World is classic Kay, and to his reader, at least, there can be no higher praise * Michael Chabon, Pulitzer prize-winning author of The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and CLay * As with any Kay book, there is beauty of language and intelligent observations. This is a book to be savoured . . . This is a book that I will continue to think about for days to come * Robin Hobb, New York Times bestselling author of The Farseer Trilogy * 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 * A tale that combines intrigue, mystery, mysticism and romance in one satisfying feast. . . . Will appeal as much to those who enjoy historical novels as to those who love fantasy. It is all so deftly done! * Robin Hobb, New York Times bestselling author of Fool's Assassin *More details
Language
English
Place of publication
United Kingdom
Publishing group
Hodder & Stoughton
Product notice
Paperback (UK-B)
Illustrations
N/A
Dimensions
Height: 195 mm
Width: 127 mm
Thickness: 23 mm
Weight
230 gr
ISBN-13
978-1-3997-4707-3 (9781399747073)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Other editions
Additional editions
Guy Gavriel Kay
Written on the Dark
From the bestselling author of the groundbreaking novels Tigana and Under Heaven
E-Book
05/2025
Hodderscape
€4.49
Available for download
Person
Guy Gavriel Kay has published 13 novels which have been translated into 30 languages and have appeared on bestseller lists around the world. He is also the author of the acclaimed poetry collection, Beyond This Dark House. His most recent work is Children of Earth and Sky. Before beginning his career as a novelist, Kay was retained by the Estate of J.R.R. Tolkien to assist in the editorial construction of The Silmarillion, the first and best-known of the posthumously published Tolkien works. Called to the Bar of Ontario in 1980, he has also been principal writer and associate producer for the CBC's award-winning crime-drama series, The Scales of Justice. Kay has twice won the Aurora Award, is a multiple World Fantasy Award nominee, and won that award in 2008 for Ysabel. He has also won France's Prix Elbakin for both Under Heaven and River of Stars, and is the recipient of the International Goliardos Prize, presented in Mexico City, for his contributions to the literature of the fantastic.