Customer Reviews

Lady in Gil (Gil trilogy, Book 1)

5 star:		(19)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

Years ago, before the advent of internet shopping, I used to journey to the city a few times a year, to visit bookstores that carried imported British science fiction. This book, first published in Britain, reminds me why British fantasy remains among the best.

In "Lady in Gil" Rebecca Bradley has managed to take that classic fantasy plot of the reluctant hero, and turn it in to something that is uniquely and wholly her own.

From the first, the reader suspects that the scholarly and hopelessly unathletic Tigrallef will make a far better hero than his musclebound and unimaginative brother. The wonder of the story is in how Tigrallef achieves this transformation, as the author turns familiar cliches on their head, culminating in Tigrallef being transformed into something that even he did not expect-- a genuine hero, who achieves success for his people, but at a terrible cost to himself.

Here's hoping that Ace will soon release the sequel in the US.

Lady in Gil is the first of a trilogy that follows the adventures of Tigrallef. Told in first person narrative, the novel has a punch lacking in quite a few fantasy novels with a quest storyline. Put simply, a nasty group of conquerors, the Sherank, have brutally acquired Tig's homeland. The conquered native people are treated viciously, but a group of exiles keeps trying to retake what was once theirs.

Within the boundaries of the conquered kingdom lies a statue said to have powers that would defeat the Sherank if only one of the exiled Scions could but get his hands on it. Unfortunately, the first string Scion has a mishap that sidelines him. His brother Tig, a glorified librarian/historian, is selected to replace him as a last resort.

Lady in Gil is a stand alone book. One does not need to read the other two books that follow, but most will feel compelled to continue reading about Tig and his misadventures. Rebecca Bradley does a masterful job of characterization, but her strongest point is plot development and pace. She is a savvy writer that delivers a completely satisfying story full of love interest, betrayal, humor, despair, and perhaps one of the most intriguing harems ever detailed within any fantasy work.

Tig is a reluctant 'hero'. He thought he had escaped the duty of the princes of his family by becoming a librarian - something he loved. However, an unfortunate accident by his very heroic elder brother leads him being sent to find the 'lady in gil' and save his homeland island of Gil from invaders who have held for the last 70 years.

Tig is great character, intelligent and sceptical of heroics - and their ability to get you killed quick. The story is told with a realism and a regard for the consequences of actions rare in fantasy novels. The author has also given Tig a great dry sense of humor.

I'm reading the second book at the moment, and it's also excellent. So far these have been much better than your 'average' fantasy. An author whose work I intend to keep an eye out for from now.

This review contains minor-medium spoilers.

Lady in Gil is really a wonderful book. Not only is the story captivating, the writing is good as well. It's not overly intellectual, making the reader feel stupid; nor is it simplistic barely bolstering a shaky plot. The thrust of the story is simple: generations of Scions struggle to overtake their captured ancestral land. Lord Tigrallef would most likely not have seen combat -- had his brother not lost his leg. Tigrallef (Tig as he becomes known) journeys to the cesspit land of Gil to find the ancient divine artifact known as "the Lady".

In Tig, one sees the process of character development clearly; the maturing of a character as he struggles through trial and tribulation. He is an alienated person thrust into an alienated land, and the outcome is most interesting. If you'd like a good read that doesn't take too much time, Lady in Gil is for you. My only regret was that the book was not longer. It's definetly an "I can't quite put this down just yet" affair with words.

To be sure, there were a few minor problems. The Lady seems absurdly powerful at the end, even though what was going to happen was set up from around mid-book. What ended up happening with Shree, while hinted at, seemed too sudden. I would have loved to see more chapters, more character development. In a way, the pace of the book suited the crumbling city of Gil; someone hesitant with a bright flash here and there making you eager to streak past some of the more sedate parts. The rest of the ending, what happened with Tig's circumstance and the Flamen attitude towards the city as well as the reactions of the world, were very realistic.

It is definetly worth at least one read. I found it worth more than that; you may as well. Despite some slowness, I am very eager to read the next two books.

I've only just started this book, but I love it already. Tigrallef, a young clumsy and bookworm-ish memorian, is content spending his life surrounded by books. His people, the Scions, have been exiled from their lands----and the only way to re-claim them is to find the legendary Lady of Gil----a statue of mytical powers. When Tigrallef's brother loses a leg (the brother put his leg armour on backwards and broke his leg in three places, eventually leading to it being amputated), no one but Tig is left to go on this quest. And so he goes . . . reluctant but accepting! Tig reminds me of myself . . . awkward and clumsy, but at least intellegent and with a remarkable sense of humor. This book is wonderfully ironic, yet at the same time Rebecca Bradley spins a magnificent fantasy yarn. This is a great book for anyone who likes imaginative, ironic, and fun yet serious fantasy. Read it!

Lady in Gil is the first novel in the Gil series. About a thousand years before, Oballef the first came to Gil in a rowboat, climbed to the top of the Gilgard, a great flat-topped plug of volcanic rock, held over his head a glowing object about the size and shape of his forearm, and a golden cloud emitted from the object rolled across the entire surface of the island. Where the cloud passed, the yellow clay turned to black soil, new plants sprung from the ground, and clear springs arose. The natives unanimously installed Obaleff as King and High Priest and worshipped the glowing object as the Lady in Gil.

Nine hundred and twenty-seven years later, the barbarous Sherank invaded the Kingdom of Gil by stealth, caught the current Priest-King, Oballef the Eleventh, and most of his court, away from Gilgard Castle, butchered them, and then occupied the island. Despite their successful invasion, the Sherank failed in their efforts to find the Lady in Gil.

In this novel, seventy-two years have passed and the Gil Exiles have created a tradition of sending the Scions, descendants of Obaleff, one by one back to Gil to find the Lady. Tigrallef is a Memorian who is happy recording facts and filing scrolls, but his brother has a training accident and Tig suddenly finds himself selected as the twentieth Scion to venture forth to Gil. He doesn't impress anyone as a likely candidate, but the Primate insists on his selection. He is been put through a vigorous course of physical, mental and moral instruction. Six months later, finally able to swing a sword without endangering himself or his allies, he is taken to Gil by fishermen and put ashore. Hiding behind a stack of barrels by the sea-wall, Tig observes the current residents of Gil and notices his clothes are in too good a condition. Moving cautiously through back alleys, he finds another hiding place in a semi-demolished shed near the main street and then occupies himself converting his clothes to filthy rags.

In the evening, Tig ventures out for a bite of noisome stew and is accosted by an old man with only one eye, one hand, and one leg. The old man says that he knows Tig, knows what he is, calls him "Scion", and then tells him to follow. Thinking murderous thoughts, Tig does follow and finds himself among the Web, an underground movement started by the old man, Bekri, the only surviving priest on Gil. Tig agrees to accept their help, which none of his predecessors had done, and, with the help of Calla, the old man's great-granddaughter, is taught disguise, current maps and many other things pertinent to his survival. They make plans to insert him within Gil Castle, but then he catches the Gil-gut, a disease that, combined with the necessary medicine, lays him out for three days.

When he recovers from his sickness, Bekri sends him to witness an execution by the Sherkin. Within the market square, the Sherkin construct an elaborate device which allows a clutch of pointed rods to slowly descend upon the victim and pierce most of the way through his body. However, a faction within the Web kills the intended victim with a poison dart shortly after he is placed within the device, expecting the Sherkin to react with anger and start slaughtering the crowd of Gilmen; this faction is ready to kill as many Sherkin as possible with their poison darts, hopefully triggering an uprising. However, Lord Shree, an anomalous Sherkin noble, covertly disposes of the dart, dismisses the Gilman crowd, and orders the Sherkin to let them leave.

Bekri is old and tired and has finally found a Scion who is willing to listen. While Tig has yet to enter Gil Castle, Bekri has already begun to abdicate his Web leadership to the Scion. All the hopes of Gil are focused on his efforts. Tig is beginning to feel the pressure.

This novel begins as a simple heroic quest for a magic object, but the hero is less than heroic and the enemy are worse than villainous. The story becomes a tale of cunning and stealth, more like a thief's story. The author throws in a few genuine heroes for contrast; Hewelli, for example, is willing for the entire population to die so that the Gilmen can recover their dignity in a great uprising.

Since this story is much more realistic than most quest tales, the hero and heroine are far more believable and therefore the vicarious impact is more immediate. Tig's attitude reminds one of the worldview of General William T. Sherman. He will never be a classical hero, but may become a wise leader. His character has great potential for development in the sequels.

Highly recommended for anyone who enjoys fantasy stories wherein the characters grow and mature within a intricate plot.

-Arthur W. Jordin

An ordinary person thrust into the role of hero is a fantasy standard these days. But Lady in Gil stands out because of the originality of its plot and the depth Rebecca Bradley brings to her characters.
Tigrallef is one of the Scions of Oballef, one of the hereditary rulers of the island of Gil. When Gil was invaded by the Sherank, the magical artefact that guaranteed their power, the Lady in Gil, was lost and most of the Scions were slaughtered. Seventy years later, Gil is a hellhole under the brutal rule of the Sherank, and the Scions are well and truly under the control of the Flamens, the priesthood of the Lady in Gil. Every so often, the Flamens send a Scion off to Gil to try to find the Lady so that they can all return in triumph to Gil and reclaim their lost power. But now, the bookish Tig, who was so unpromising a heroic prospect that no-one ever bothered to train him, is the only Scion available for the latest mission.
Tig might not be a hero of the type the Flamens wanted, but he is well educated and has a very sharp mind. So when he arrives in Gil and realises how woefully underprepared he really is, he is more disillusioned with the Flamens and the Heroic Code than ever, and decides to do things his way. And then he meets some unexpected allies . . .
Bradley does an excellent job of bringing the clever, but oddly innocent Tig to life, and showing how he grows into the role of a hero without ever losing the qualities that made him so unique and likeable in the first place. Lady in Gil is very much a character-driven story, with the choices Bradley's characters make the source of the action and pathos in the story. It's certainly not just another find-the-artefact-and-save-the-world story. Supporting characters such as Calla and Hawelli, Shree and Lissula, are very well drawn too, and highlight the different responses people can make to the tragedies in their lives.
Does Tig succeed in his quest? Well, sort of . . . I was stunned by the ending - and then very glad to find that there was a sequel. Read this book. It's definitely a cut above the rest.

I've been on a pop-fantasy kick for a month or so now, due to stress and the need for some escapism :-). Limited myself to books of 300 pages or less; no trilogies, must have characters speaking in modern-not-archaic English, that sort of thing. Mind candy. So imagine my shock when this particular bit of mind candy turned out to be unique, thought provoking, and ultimately borderline Greek-tragic.

Bradley takes your biggest, hugest, most dusty-hoary fantasy cliche of all time -- unlikely hero must find talisman to free the land from evil -- and turns it upside down simply by injecting a bit of reality into it. A cold dash of fist-to-the-gut realism. The evil empire is not magic, for one (nice!). And what happens when the upheaval is over? No happy-go-lucky jaunt off into the perfect sunset for these revolutionaries.

Of course now I hop onto Amazon to gush in surprise, only to find that this is indeed a trilogy and now I'm hooked. Darn.

Just an FYI for an issue I've seen raised -- "Primate," though it sounds odd, IS actually a religious term. (It's one of the titles of the Archbishop of Canterbury, for a start. Means "first," from the Latin "Primus.") And a "flamen" is an ancient priest of Rome. So don't let the odd terms bother you -- Bradley has actually done research and is not merely making up stuff for the heck of it.

(I also have to point out -- the cover art has no bearing on the story whatsoever. Also the book is short, therefore very plot-driven, less of the character-driven stuff I generally prefer. But you know what? I needed a break -- this was it.)

My hands wouldn't let me close this book once I had it open. Rebecca Bradley has an excellent voice in her characters when she writes, and I strongly recommend this book to anyone looking for a good story, interesting characters, and good laughs (the time our hero spends hiding away in the concubines' sleeping chambers gave me a great number of laughs). The subtleties that Bradley puts into her characters to make them so unique and distinct paints such a realistic portrait of the world you dive into that it puts you directly in it.
Go pick up this book. I highly doubt you'll regret it.

Why, why is John Grisham famous, or Danielle Steel, or Robert Jordan, when Rebecca Bradley languishes relatively undiscovered?

Lady in Gil is one of those marvellous books where one begins reading without expectation, becomes delighted partway through the first paragraph, and by the turn of the first page know that one is in the hands of a great, not good, writer.

I'm not ordinarily a fan of secondary world fantasy, but those I read I read in the hopes of their being half as good as this book is--funny, poignant, charming, exciting, different. The protagonist is an archivist, forced into hero-ness after all the previous, better-suited heroes had failed at their task. The story is suprising, exceedingly well-written, and the subsequent two novels do not disappoint.

Please, read it. Then tell two friends.

Note: a 3 star ranking from me is actually pretty good; I reserve 4 stars for tremendously good works, and 5 only for the rare few that are or ought to be classic; unfortunately most books published are 2 or less.