I did like the storyline with Tai’s sister. Flash forward to historians looking back and how they agree that this should have happened but something else happened instead.

It happens randomly through the rest of the book. Don’t resort to cheap tricks to keep me reading. You are a better writer than that, GGKay. “This was, in fact, the almost universally accepted opinion among historians of what should have happened.” And then we’re told what happened instead. The foreshadowing starts and it gets so clunky. About 2/3 of the way through, the story flashes way forward to historians looking back at what we’re reading. While I’m on what I didn’t like let me mention the clumsy foreshadowing. I’m not very politically minded and the word strategy is way beyond my straightforward self, so all of that just didn’t do much for me. It’s not his fault he’s dealing with the imperial court of what amounts to ancient China, and there’s not much that any individual could have done in his shoes. Tai just sort of went along, reacting to other people’s plans for him and his horses, unable to gain much of an initiative himself. But there’s usually some action going on somewhere. GGKay isn’t exactly about the action, he’s definitely more about the characters. I just kept waiting for the story to start. How could it be anything other than a 6++++ star book? I tried to temper them, knowing that I might be disappointed, but c’mon. Two hundred and fifty is an unthinkable gift, a gift to overwhelm an emperor.” Tai finds himself thrust back into the quick-moving world of court intrigue as he tries to do the right thing for his country, his family, and himself, while also trying to stay alive. You gave him four or five to exalt him above his fellows, propel him towards rank, and earn him jealousy, possibly mortal jealousy. “You gave a man one of the famed Sardian horses to reward him greatly. She honors him by gifting him 250 Sardian horses. Word of his epic task spreads throughout both countries until a Kitan princess married to the Taguran king hears of it. Tai decides to spend his two and a half years of mourning burying those dead to honor his father’s memory. 40,000 casualties lie unburied in the beautiful meadow at Kuala Nor. He won the battle but in his old age he came to realize that the cost was too high. Shen Tai’s father, the great Kitan general Shen Gao, died haunted by an epic battle he led against the neighboring country of Tagura.

Under heaven kay