The King's Last Song

by Geoff Ryman

In the shadow of Angkor Wat archaeologists make an astonishing discovery: the memoir of Cambodia's greatest king, preserved on leaves of gold for centuries. When the treasure is stolen, two ordinary Cambodians, a young moto-boy and a middle-aged ex-Khmer Rouge, join forces to recover it. But the spectre of Cambodia's violent past threatens both their fragile relationship and the success of their quest.

Genres: Fiction, Historical Fiction, Asia, Historical, Mystery, War, Book Club

434 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2007

About the author

Geoffrey Charles Ryman (born 1951) is a writer of science fiction, fantasy and slipstream fiction. He was born in Canada, and has lived most of his life in England.

His science fiction and fantasy works include The Warrior Who Carried Life (1985), the novella The Unconquered Country (1986) (winner of the British Science Fiction Award and the World Fantasy Award), and The Child Garden (1989) (winner of the Arthur C. Clarke Award and the Campbell Award). Subsequent fiction works include Was (1992), Lust (2001), and Air (2005) (winner of the James Tiptree, Jr. Award, the British Science Fiction Award and the Arthur C. Clarke Award, and on the short list for the Nebula Award).

Reviews

[Paulo (not receiving notifications)]

Geoff Ryman is one of the most complex and creative writers I have ever read. His earlier novels explored wildly fantastic and outright bizarre concepts, such as genetically enhanced lesbian polar bears in the far future, dire climatic changes creating a tropical London, and an experimental narrative featuring Oz's Dorothy as a bitter victim of sexual abuse.
With his most recent works, Ryman moved away from these SciFi endeavours to move to narratives more "Mundane" and set in a world much like our own, apart from some technological innovation perfectly credible under the physical and scientific constraints.
"Mundane" science fiction is a type of storytelling that focuses on the realistic use of technology and science in stories set on our real Earth. The "Mundane SF" movement was started in 2002 by Ryman and other authors.
“The Mundane Manifesto,” signed by Geoff Ryman and others in the 2004 Clarion West workshop, states the following (condensed version):

The Mundane Manifesto:

We, the undersigned, being pissed off and needing a tight girdle of discipline to restrain our SF imaginative silhouettes, are temporarily united in the following actions:
The Mundanes recognise and rejoice in the bonfire of the stupidities including, but not exclusively:

Aliens: especially those aliens who act like feudal Japanese/American Indians/Tibetan Buddhists/Nazis or who look or behave like human beings except for latex.
Alien invasions
Alien Jesus/enlightened beings
Flying Saucers
Area 51
Any alien who is a vehicle for a human failing or humour
Aliens who speak English
Devices that can translate any language
Radio communication between star systems
Travelling between galaxies without relativity effects on a consistent scale
Slipping sideways into worlds other than this one where just one thing or all of history is different, only the clothes look a bit better, the hero is more powerful, the drinks are more delicious, and Hitler… Continue at will.

We also recognise:

The harmless fun that these and all the other Stupidities have brought to millions of people.
The harmless fun that burning the Stupidities will bring to millions of people.
The imaginative challenge that awaits any SF author who accepts that this is it: Earth is all we have. What will we do with it?
The chastening but hopefully enlivening effect on imagining a world without fantasy bolt holes: no portals to medieval kingdoms, no spaceships to arrive to save us or whisk us off to Metaluna.
A new focus on human beings: their science, technology, culture, politics, religions, individual characters, needs, dreams, hopes and failings.
The awakening bedazzlement and wonder that awaits us as we contemplate the beauties of this Earth and its people and what will happen to them in time.
The relief of focusing on what science tells us is likely rather than what is almost impossible such as warp drives. The relief will come from a sense of being honest.
An awakening sense of the awesome power of human beings: to protect or even increase their local patrimony… or destroy it.
The number of themes and flavours open to Mundane fiction include robotics, virtual realities, enhanced genomes, nanotechnology, quantum mechanics… Please continue.
The number of great writers or movies which independently work within these guidelines indicates that the Mundane Manifesto produces better science fiction. These works include:

The greater part of the works of Philip K. Dick.
1984
Neuromancer
Blade Runner
Timescape

The Mundanes promise to produce a collection of mundane science fiction and to burn this manifesto as soon as it gets boring.

–Geoff Ryman; The Clarion West 2004 Class; & whomever will join us in Mundanity


"The King's Last Song" represents a further step in the stylistic transition that Ryman has started with" Air".
This novel is a historical one with two parallel threads set in Cambodia; it tells, alternating chapters, the story of a former Pol Pot's Khmer Rouge, and a young idealistic orphan "motoboy" as they search for the memoirs of the 12th-century king Jayavarman VII, found at Angkor Wat (a Hindu-Buddhist temple complex in Cambodia, considered the largest religious structure in the world by the Guinness) and that has been stolen by a former lieutenant of Pol Pot.
The novel starkly contrasts ancient Cambodia's opulence with the poverty and corruption of its modern counterpart.
There is a parallel between the wars Jayavarman VII fought to establish Cambodian independence against invaders and internal conflicts and the political and social disaster the Khmer Rouges civil war under Pol Pot's leadership, was for Cambodia
The book is an exploration of Cambodia's wounded soul; of how the nation and its individuals have found to cope with their dark and violent history, and of the ways in which that history comes back to haunt them

Jayavarman VII is generally considered, by historians, the most powerful and enlightened of the Khmer monarchs. Under his guidance, many projects including hospitals, highways, rest houses, and temples where built. With Buddhism as his motivation, King Jayavarman VII is credited with introducing a welfare state that served the physical and spiritual needs of the Khmer people.
On the other hand (or the other thread), Pol Pot and his Khmer Rouge wanted to turn the country into an agrarian socialist republic emptying the cities and forcing Cambodians to relocate to crop fields in the countryside, where mass executions, forced labour, physical abuse, malnutrition, and disease were rampant. By January 1979, 1.5 to 2 million people had died due to the Khmer Rouge's policies,
1975 "Year Zero" for Cambodia, was effectually an attempt by the Khmer Rouge to erase history and reset Cambodian society, removing any vestiges of the past. It was the dawn of an age in which there would be no families, no sentiment, no expressions of love or grief, no medicines, no hospitals, no schools, no books, no learning, no holidays, no music, no song, no post, no money – only work and death.
The alternating chapters between the 12th century Cambodia's history and the 20th one, illustrate and highlight the contrast between the two different Cambodia with the ironically astonishing perception that the "past" Cambodia" was far more developed and civilized than the corrupted and disrupted actual one.

The book is well-written and features detailed and interesting characters. It provides a good introduction to Cambodia for Western readers unfamiliar with the country. For those of us with little knowledge of Cambodian history, it would help to understand the current state of the country. I believe one of the author's intentions is to evoke sympathy for the Cambodian people, and for me, it succeeds quite well.
However, Ryman, in his words, makes it clear that he is a foreigner (Barang is a Khmer term meaning French - the locals will often simply assume people of European ancestry to be French and refer to them as barang.) in Cambodia. He loves the country and depicts a story, between the far past and the most recent events to figure out the destiny and fate of a country in search of identity between the bloody past, the more bloody present and the uncertain future. To Ryman, Cambodia is an "empty" country, striped clean like an empty shell, in search of healing its damaged soul and identity.

Geoff Ryman is the kind of writer (for me) that is beyond "like" and "don't like". Everything he wrote I found intriguing and interesting.

PS:
I still owe the review of "Air" that a read a while ago but I didn't dare write anything about it due to its complexity and depth. Perhaps one day.

[Allison · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've only ever written (e-mailed) three fan letters, and they've all been to fantasy writers. My husband says he always wants to meet people he admires, because he has this fantasy that he'll be able to come up with something witty and brilliant to say that will impress them and make him memorable. The only time I've ever handed an author I loved a book to be autographed, I just stood there beaming like a slightly backward three-year-old after one too many trips to the sundae bar until she cleared her throat politely and said "um... what's your name?"

Anyway, one of my fan letters was to Geoff Ryman for his book The Child Garden, which was amazing -- one of the few books that makes you feel like you've truly never read anything like this before. He wrote back and was very gracious (all three of them were). Unfortunately (for me) I didn't love his next few books as much. Still, one of the things I admired about him was how he could differ in style and approach so much from book to book -- he's the furthest thing you can find from a formulaic writer. The Child Garden was fantasy -- subversive and thought-provoking fantasy, dealing with themes of social engineering, thought control and repression, among others. The King's Last Song moves between fiction and historical fiction. The modern narrative deals with the archeaological discovery of an ancient book written on gold leaves at Angkor Wat. Luc Andrade, a professor who grew up in Cambodia, is kidnapped along with the book. William, Andrade's motoboy, guide and friend, and Map, an ex-Khmer Rouge member, are two of the men involved in the attempt to rescue Andrade and the book. The other narrative is the story of Jayavarman VII, the Buddhist King who ruled Cambodia in the twelth century.

Usually when a book alternates narratives, especially one in the present with one in the distant past, I find myself rushing through one of them in order to get back to the other. I didn't feel that way in the least with this book -- both stories are equally riveting, and wrenching. Perhaps Ryman's greatest strength is his characterization. His characters are so fully realized, so nuanced and multi-dimensional, that you can almost see them right in front of you. There are no types here -- good people commit unthinkable atrocities, and evil men are capable of amazing feats of generosity. Ryman also evokes Cambodia vividly, its heat and beauty and poverty and desperation.


I've heard that connecting something you're learning with a strong emotion makes it much more likely that you'll retain it. I feel as if the events and characters in this book are burned into my mind permanently. Luc Andrade, the French professor who grew up in Cambodia -- he's taken prisoner, held hostage and in fear for his life, and he still cares more about the people of Cambodia and protecting the book than he does about himself. William, the touchingly earnest motoboy who keeps files on everyone he meets in order to learn from them, who "buys fruit and offers you some, relying on your goodness to pay him back. When you do, he looks not only pleased, but justified." Map, who confronts every situation with a frightening zeal and hilarity, who acts with the single-minded fearlessness of someone who has nothing at all left to lose. Jayavarman, the prince who becomes a slave and then a King, a rare King who thinks about the lives and needs of all of his people. Jayarajadevi, his first wife, wise and enlightened but tormented by the need to accept the second wife he brings home from his period of enslavement. Rajapati, the king's son, born with twisted legs and struggling to temper his bitterness by finding a way to be useful.


Nothing happens the way you expect it to in this book, which I guess is also one of the themes. At one point it says that 1985 was the worst year of Map's life, and then a number of good things happen, which naturally you read with a sick feeling of foreboding because clearly something horrifying is coming. The Khmers Rouges committed unthinkable atrocities, and yet many of them were just poor, uneducated young boys who joined the army out of desperation or ignorance. The book is full of searing moments of honesty and unlikely friendships that make small redemptions seem possible, in the midst of despair, which seems the very best one can hope for. For which one can hope? It is a passionate, eloquent, moving, disturbing story. I am now going to buy a copy (I got it from the library) and obnoxiously demand that everyone I know read it.

[Shannon · Rating 3 out of 5]

The King's Last Song tells two parallel stories, the first set predominantly in 2004 (with flashbacks to the 60s and 80s) around a great find at an archeological dig at Angkor Wat: a book of golden leaves, a hundred and fifty-five leaves of gold inscribed with the personal story and history of one of Cambodia's greatest kings: Jayavarman VII, a Buddhist who brought the Path to all levels of Cambodian society, built great temples and other structures, and treated the lowliest of categories (castes) as well as the noblest. The leader of the UN dig team, a Frenchman who grew up in Cambodia, Professor Luc Andrade, goes with the army - led by General Yimsut Vutthy - to airlift the precious find to Siem Reap, there to be restored, translated and displayed. The move is kept secret because chances are high that the treasure will be stolen and sold off in pieces, but on the way to the airstrip the worst happens: a gunfight breaks out, Luc and the General are taken captive along with the book, and whisked off to a small, smelly boat where they're kept locked up in the hull.

The Professor made friends among the Cambodian locals, and while the army, the Patrimony Police and APSARA, the organisation that protects Cambodian artefacts and monuments, handling tourist agencies and art thieves, all launch into investigation mode, two of Luc's friends and helpers - William, a smart and charismatic motoboy who works for the UN dig team, and Loak Tan Map, an ex-Khmer Rouge killer who now works for the Patrimony Police, start their own investigation to find their friend.

The other story is interwoven between the present-day story and tells a fictionalised history of Jayavarman in 12th-century Cambodia - the author's notes at the end explain which parts are based on known fact and which he took liberty with to create the story.

While I did find Jayavarman's story interesting, I felt much more detached from it and found it hard to follow at times - the people and place names are tricky and I could have used a map of 12th century Cambodia (and modern-day Cambodia too) to understand the movement of armies and invaders and alliances. The modern-day story I found more compelling, more tragic and more ... humanising.

Despite the lack of maps which really help me orient myself and the characters within the story, there is a fantastic sense of place here. Sure Cambodia is completely foreign to anything I've lived in, including Japan, but it's more than that - it's the fine details and the care Ryman takes to share the beauty of the land and the poverty, the resilience, the innovativeness of the people. The modern-day story goes into the heart and hearth of people and their homes, their histories and their cares and their culture. I really don't know much about Cambodia, and my understanding hasn't really improved for having read this, despite all the detail and no doubt honest depiction of the people - I can only ever really see them through my white colonial eyes as long as the only voice I'm hearing is a white colonial one, but that doesn't mean I can't be sympathetic. The parts of the modern-day story that really resonated with me were those that grasped the larger context, the tragic modern history, and showed a people yearning to be whole again.

Where the novel disappointed me was in the writing. Ryman was often able to render a scene or a character's feelings or thoughts into a kind of abstract visual art, yet more often than not the prose was needlessly vague, unconnected and confusing. It was not a cohesive narrative by any means, and it gave me the impression of an author who's not in complete control of his craft. The words were mastering Ryman, instead of the other way around. This impression isn't helped by the poorly copy-edited text, rife with typos, missing adverbs, and a weird mishmash of Canadian and British English spelling that did my head in.

(Also, it did strike me that even when the characters are speaking their native language, Khmer, to each other, we're getting it in English - broken English, which makes them all sound a bit stupid. There's no need to drop articles if they're speaking in their own language, even if it's written in English. It seemed a bit patronising.)

There was also the issue of trying to follow events - not just the general plot, which was mostly straight-forward if confusing because of the difficulty in keeping track of some minor characters; but Cambodia's recent political past. Through the character of Map, we get a vivid example of what it was like back in 80s with the Khmer Rouges running rampant. But I have no idea what was going on, I couldn't follow the political structure (of government and rebels) at all, the Vietnamese equation only seemed to worsen my confusion, and because there was no map of the region I couldn't tell up from down. Passages like this (from the 80s section) attempt to give some context but fail miserably:

Cambodia was at war and not at war. Every day five or six things happened: a city would be shelled, land mines would explode, or someone would be kidnapped. Prince Sihanouk's rebel force, the ANS, had an agreement with the government's army not to shoot each other. But the Sihanoukists still fought the Vietnamese. On April 13, perhaps to celebrate the start of New Year, the ANS had blown up the Vietnamese gas depot in Samrong. (p.118)

Which is then followed by one of Ryman's vivid descriptions:

Phnom Penh town was in worse shape than anyone had told them. Many buildings still had no roofs. The roads were lined with rusty hulks, cars that had been abandoned thirteen years before. There were no streetlights. At night it was pitch black and dangerous. You'd hear people peeing, crying, fighting, shouting abuse, and see nothing. It smelled of rotting leaves, rotting fruit, and excrement. The children's clothing hung in strips. Hungry eyes followed them, and even Map and Veasna walked closer together, guns at the ready. (p.118)

But when I could follow the political machinations, the revelations were astute and made me wish I knew more. Towards the end, one ex-Communist leader has this to say about the war:

"Pol Pot, he's got the Vietnamese fighting with him! Four divisions show up to make him king. But Pol Pot is crazy, out of his mind, so in 1971 the CPK Congress names Vietnam..." Pich has to stop and draw a long breath. "And these are the actual words, 'the long-term acute enemy'! Saloth Sar kills about a thousand trained, sensible, politically aware, intelligent Cambodian Communists because, only because, they've lived in North Vietnam. And he passes ... oh! ... passes the party over to twelve-year-olds. And he wins! But only because the Americans were SO STUPID. He takes over the country. He's so incompetent; he kills a million people without even knowing he's done it! How do you kill one million people by mistake and not know?" Pich is shouting. "And now nobody, nobody in all Southeast Asia, wants Communism ever again. They don't want socialism ever again! They don't want liberalism ever again. It all smells of death to them. So who was dumb and who was smart and who won? The Americans!" (p.337)

Even if I only get some of those references, the meaning is still clear, and makes me remember just how little I know about the region's history. In fact, it's not all that popular a topic of study, is it. I didn't know Cambodia was caught up in the Vietnam war, for instance - which is what I deduce from the above. Australia went to war for America in Vietnam, but it doesn't get taught much in schools. It's sad: we're more likely to study (because it's offered) the Tudors and the French Revolution than arguably more important conflicts, on both political, ideological and geographical fronts, that occurred not so long ago and not so far away either.

I haven't said much about the characters, and that's mostly because the main character is Cambodia itself, but William the motoboy and Map definitely carry their parts of the story well. Luc is interesting but more of a plot device, fleshed out but only in service to the plot. There are other characters, some more subtly portrayed than most, but there are so many you get a sea of Cambodian faces in your head, and they start to blur together. The 12th century story was less dynamic, and the characters were both more simplistic and harder to follow, especially when dealing with the Chams (who I think are now called Vietnamese?) and all the numerous princes. Though I did like the creation of a character who didn't really exist, the king's deformed son by his consort, who gave a more human and bitter perspective of Jayavarman. Even heroes have flaws and make bad decisions.

[Joe · Rating 5 out of 5]

The King's Last Song at first blush looks like another entry in the "Da Vinci Code" genre: protagonists make important historical find, setting off contest between those who wish to expose it, and those who wish to hide it. But the book really brings home the tragedy of modern Cambodia by contrasting it with its ancient history - I found it moving and beautifully written

[Michael · Rating 5 out of 5]

Geoff Ryman is a fantastic writer and this book is no exception. I am loving it.

[Zen Cho · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good book. Annoyed by Jayavarman's several wives -- I know, I know, historical fact and all that, but the imbalance of this sort of thing always annoys me. Liked Map.

[Andrea · Rating 5 out of 5]

I didn't think I'd love this book as much as I did, but it was moving, engaging, entertaining, and historical. I laughed aloud and even cried. A great read.

I read it while traveling in Myanmar and Loas, and while this story takes place in Cambodia, I was able to visualize the setting perfectly bases on my surroundings. The perfect book at the perfect time!

[Jaymee · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's been a long while since I've read a book that has become a favorite. I am saddened not to have heard of this book until now, and I am grateful and happy that the country which this book is about carried this title. Sometimes, you find books at the right place and at the right time.

The book, a historical fiction, jumps from the 12th century, during the time of Jayavarman, to the reign of Khmer Rouge, and to the present, when an archaeologist supposedly finds wrapped gold leaves with inscriptions, written by and about the life of Jayavarman. We then see the rise and fall of kingdoms, of people, and a complicated history of a nation that has been put under one king to another, one dictator to another leader.

I'm surprised at how easily the whole thing flowed. There was no difficult part to follow, each storyline seemed to introduce a character whom one could easily empathize with, no matter how evil. Hence the point of this book: evil and good can be confused for the other, depending on one's perspective, and no matter how grand, kings die and cities fall into ruins. So what comes out of a country such as Caambodia which has been a playground of war and deceit by their own kings/leaders and other countries? Ryman seems to show forbearance and that history, no matter how bleak, should belong to them. Their story should be theirs to tell, and not others. Which may be ironic, given that the French and other nationals are rebuilding the ancient kingdoms, and that this book alone is told by a foreigner. Cambodia is still building itself, but the idea is to help them bring back their voices, so one day, they will know themselves again (for those who forgot) and start writing on 'gold' again (gold, which nothing can destroy) their stories, so that no one will ever forget. Highly, highly recommend this book to anyone interested not just in Cambodian history, but also where one's humanity resides, between rising and falling kingdoms. A story of the 12th century and earlier, and how a thousand years later, the same things continue. Best read after a visit to the temples themselves, so you can imagine them as described!

[Thinn · Rating 3 out of 5]

The King’s Last Song _ Geoff Ryman

I like how the author slowly explained why Map was acting madly around. Before you know Map, you might think how unreasonably Map was. However, the author slowly showed what happened to Map and how the war had affected him. Well … not only Map but also all the Cambodians who passed through the Khmer Rouge era. Everyone was more or less wounded. I secretly hoped that William was Map’s nephew. But it turned out he was not and Map even killed William’s parents during the Khmer Rouge. I wonder what happened to Map’s nephew. I also like how Map became friends with people who hated him before.

I don’t understand Professor Luc. Why did he run away from the people who came and rescued them? He even died before he finished translating all the gold leaves.
I even thought he suffered from Skethome syndrome.
For me, I don’t like flashbacks about King Jayavarman. It was not necessary to explain the origin of golden leaves. I, personally, don’t like monarchy so I don’t give an interest in what happened to them. After all, the King would kill anyone to maintain his power. So I was not impressed to read those parts.

While I was reading this, I realized that there were a lot of reconstructions (both physically and mentally) after the war. Cambodia was a special place for me. I remember that I felt numb after I visited one of the ‘Killing Fields’ and ‘S-21.’ A lot of flashbacks memories about Cambodia while I was reading this. I bought this book the last time I visited Cambodia.

“‘What now, Jayavarman?’ Map asks. By now, out of respect, he can only look at the reflection on the road as the King keeps pace with him.
For Cambodian, says the King.
Luc didn’t want it to go to other people. He wanted it to go to a Cambodian person. That’s what he said first.
He wants us to have it; he doesn’t want it to be a book like a western book, one of those guides in English, French, and German but not in Khmer.”

#TheKing’sLastSong #GeoffRyman #readingwiththinn📚 #fiction #Cambodia #KhmerRoudge

[kelly miller · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was an interesting book that I picked up at the airport in Cambodia. I love to read books about the places I travel to during those travels. So, I was excited to find this book in English. We had just been through Ankor Wat and learned about some of their most famous kings, including Jayavarman whom this book of historical fiction is partially about. I bought a beautiful little statue of this famous Cambodian King at our hotel near Ankor Wat.

This book also tells the aftermath of the Cambodian war, which we also learned more about during our travels and was just horrific to learn about. I absolutely loved my time in Cambodia, and this book had threads of all we learned throughout it.

[Brenda · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was gifted to me by a friend who knew I was making a trip to Cambodia and Vietnam later this year. The author wrote about the years of turmoil, war and deprivation. The book is historical fiction and the author did portray the struggles and extreme brutality of the times. There was great information on the construction of many of the temples including Angkor Wat and Angkor Thom, Peak Nean and many more I will be visiting as well as noting how and why these same places suffered massive damage. This was a great read.

[Leslie · Rating 2 out of 5]

ISpotted this in the airport at Siem Reap and thought it would be a perfect end to my vacation in Cambodia. I wanted to like this more than I did. I preferred the modern story - found the historical story so boring that every time I reached the end of a modern chapter I would stop reading because I dreaded the historical part. Very disappointing.

[Louisa Blair · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read this while at Angkor Wat and in northern Cambodia and it was like a trame de fond for everything I saw; a great story that links modern and ancient history of Cambodia and makes you ask why do some people seem to have a warrior vocation and what makes us care enough to stay alive? If you have the answer please keep it to yourself.

[Ma · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the most beautiful book I’ve read in a long time. Full of love and compassion. Every character is fully realized, their sacredness and their evil, all the complexity of human life revealed to the reader. A must read.

[glenda · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting read.

[Michael Heath-Caldwell · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well written book dealing with the aftermath of Cambodia's crazy long civil wars and the people from the various sides of it ending up having to get along and work together.

[Kurt Strobach · Rating 4 out of 5]

a great book in an unusual format. a bit tedious at times but that's probably just my age. well worth the read

[Concertgebouw93 · Rating 4 out of 5]

Un intreccio di tre storie, ambientate una nel 2004, una durante il perido dei Khmer Rossi e quella di Jayavarman VII, il re a cui si devono molti degli edifici di Angkor e la diffusione del buddhismo.
Colta nel segno la descrizione dei Cambogiani

[Jennifer (JC-S) · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this novel.

In this novel, Geoff Ryman moves between the 12th century life and times of Cambodia’s King Jayavarman VII (c 1120 – c1215) and the 20th century lives of Luc, Map and William.
When archaeologists discover an ancient book written on gold leaves at Angkor Wat, everyone wants to be involved.

‘The gold leaves have slept for a thousand years.’

The precious artefact is stolen and its guardian, Professor Luc Andrade is kidnapped with it. The search for Luc and the precious book brings together a number of people, including the young motoboy William, and the ex-Khmer Rouge cadre Map both of whom are also victims of Cambodia’s recent history. The book itself contains the wisdom of King Jayavarman VII, the Buddhist ruler who, through uniting a war-torn Cambodia in the 12th century, was able to create a kingdom that was a relative haven of prosperity and learning.
This is one of the best novels I have read this year. The mystery surrounding the book, the contrasts and similarities of Cambodia across the centuries and the urgency of the mission to find Luc are brought together very well. The sense of history, the desolation of war and the dislocation of lives is also handled well, and many of the characters are finely drawn.

For me, the love and respect of Professor Luc Andrade and King Jayavarman VII for Cambodia is the central theme that unites the two major threads of the novel. Each of them, by looking to a brighter future, can see a hope for Cambodia that cannot have been apparent to most living through the turmoil in either century. This novel will stay with me a long time, and has awakened a desire to learn more about Cambodia both past and present.

‘They walked into night and a different history.’

[Natasha · Rating 4 out of 5]

It took a couple of chapters to get used to the writing style in this book. There are two parallel story lines told here, one of Map and William in modern Cambodia (in the 90's anyway), and one of Jayavarman VII and his wives in the 12th century. The story of Jayavarman is loosely based on the bas-reliefs found in temples, it is sometimes fairy-tale like, sometimes disjointed, but pretty interesting none-the-less. I think the story of Map really is the heart of this novel . He, more than any other character, is fully developed, rounded, showing the duality of human nature, good and bad - in Map's case, very very bad. There's definitely a lot of uncomfortable topics here that may be difficult for some: a lot of violence, and sad stories; homosexuality, negative views on Americans in the Vietnam war. There are interesting segways into other parts of Cambodian history in this book, the rise of Pol Pot, and the Khmer Rouges. Really fascinating story. I think there's some benefit in reading at least a bit about recent Cambodian history before reading this book. I wish the book also included an word list on the Khmer words it used.

[Psychophant · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a double book, both taking place in Cambodia. The main one deals with Jayavarman, king on the XIIth century. The supporting one (though it could be accepted it is the opposite way round, but that is my own view) presents Cambodia as it enters the XXIst century, after the horrors of the previous century.

I find the present better handled than the past, as the style and language are not different enough from the present, and some concerns are also quite modern.

The background is superb, as usual with Ryman. The character of Map robs the scenes where it appears, and weakens those where he is not. The tale is one of wonder, love for the country and over all, searching for redemption, for forgiveness. Something Cambodia needs too.

Two incomplete books, even if good, and a powerful setting, does make great scenes but not necessarily a great novel. For once, it would have been better if a bit longer.

[Kim Fay · Rating 4 out of 5]

I had to save this book to read until I finished writing my own novel about the Cambodian temples---I was afraid of being influenced. Wow! What a great book about Cambodia. The story travels back and forth between the modern day (2004) and the reign of King Jayavarman VII. The connecting link is the king's diary, written then, discoveredd now. But what struck me about this book is the author's imagination. I have read much about ancient Cambodia, and Ryman has put all of the many fragmented pieces together to realisically portray what life was like during the time of Angkor. As for his contemporary characters, they are heart-breaking and feel true, based on the Cambodians I have known. A definite must for anyone traveling to Cambodia.

[Shannon · Rating 4 out of 5]

Solid 3.5 stars for me. I bogged a bit about 3/4 through otherwise would have been a 4 or 4.5 star.

Two stories, once set in the 1100's and one in the early 2000's in Cambodia. Many parallels although the two stories are quite different. I did like the linkages between the two stories and how history does (perhaps especially in the case of Cambodia) repeat itself.

I liked how slowly characters were revealed and we got a much better understanding of them.

Quite good and would recommend to my friends who enjoy settings in exotic locales and/or historical fiction. The kidnapping and theft of the golden leaf book was also interesting but not enough to hold the book on its own.

[Charlyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

So a couple of days ago I started reading this 400+ pages novel that I purchased In Siem Reap Cambodia. It is a story that weaves 2 separate timeliness simultaneously, one set in 1100+ AD during the time of the Jayavarman the Khmer Universal King, and the other set in modern times with the effects of the Khmer Rouge shadowing it. Surprisingly it was a hard book to read, having being transported back and forth from the different timelines. However, I can appreciate how everything ties in together at the end. Not a book I will recommend to beginner readers, but if someone wants a challenge, this is a book to read. #ireadbooksactually

[Lorina Stephens · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ryman's novel, The King's Last Song has to be one of the best novels I've read in some time. Beautiful, spare language married to skilled character development and impeccable historical research all converge in a tragic, desperate telling of Cambodia's ancient and modern history. Here is an author, and a novel, worthy of awards, proof that small presses throughout the world are publishing jewels overlooked by the giants. And this novel certainly is a jewel. If you haven't read The King's Last Song, you should.

[Jillian · Rating 3 out of 5]

The writing style of this book is very nonoriginal - after reading lots of nifty creative brilliant books it is kind of an intellectual downer. The plot is good though. It was especially cool to read this book after having visited Angkor Wat - I could picture a lot of the scenes that occurred in ancient and modern Cambodia with striking clarity. I'm not sure if it's really worth reading if one lacks an emotional tie to the region though.

[Rhiannon · Rating 4 out of 5]

Tells a fictionalized story of King Jayavarman VII of Cambodia, and about an archaeologist who discovers a gold book that tells Jayavarman's story, and is subsequently kidnapped with his find. His friends Map, an ex-Khmer Rouge, and William, a boy who grew up after the Pol Pot era, set out to find him.

Really nicely done - manages to convey a great amount about Cambodian history by focusing on some compelling characters who have lived through different parts of it.

[Sarah · Rating 3 out of 5]

an interesting dual timeline story. I do not know much history of Cambodia other than the headline-grabbing pieces. I did visit the Siep Reap/Angkor area in 2003 so I have that visual in my head. I enjoyed the stories, it would have helped me locate the action if the book had contained some geographical maps of the SE Asia of Jayavarman VII's time & the Cambodia of today. Some timelines might also have helped me stay focussed. I relied on my guidebooks for much factual information.

[Jenne · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was pretty amazing. Not at all the kind of thing I usually read but I loved his other books so I picked this one up despite the lack of sciencefictional elements.
Half of it takes place in modern-day Cambodia, and half is about 800 years ago. I really didn't know much about Cambodia before, so it was cool to learn a bit about it. Also, his writing as usual is evocative and compassionate. I definitely recommend!

[Jafar · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a very good novel for a book and an author that I didn’t know what to expect from. In one half of the story you get a glimpse into the history of Cambodia around the time when Angkor Wat was built. The other half deals with the contemporary Cambodia and its recent brush with the genocidal Khmer Rouge. The writing is not the best, but the great plot and the background insight into Cambodia that it provides make up for it.