Customer Reviews

Scion's Lady (Gil trilogy, Book 2)

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

 

 

This book is a brilliant sequel to the "Lady in Gil". I didn't think that Rebecaa Bradley would be able to pull off a secons installment that was as good as, if not better than the "Lady in Gil", but she has accomplished that task handsomely. This novel is a worthy successor and possesses many of the same qualities that made the "Lady in Gil" so memorable: a good plot that is tautly paced, a prose style that is so lyrical that you actually read every word, and those brilliant flashes of ironic humour that has you in stitches!

"Scion's Lady" is another tale of treachery and deception. It's been 6 years since Tig, the scholar hero of the "Lady in Gil", liberated Gil; (and together with the Lady in Gil) sank the continent of Sher into the ocean; and lost his true love Calla. Nowadays, Tig and his friends, Shree and Angel, spend their time in the archives cataloging and reviewing ancient scrolls. Tig and Shree also spend their nights keeping an eye on the many mushrooming religious cults. Quite suddenly however Tig's rather mundane life takes a turn for the different. First he and Shree are attacked by some professional assassins at one such cult meeting; and then Tig is informed by his brother, the King of Gil, that a marriage has been arranged for Tig with the Princess Rinn of Miishel, a beautiful but unfortunately rather spoilt and highly strung young woman.

Miishel seeks an alliance and Tig has been chosen to cement this condedracy. Tig will of course than have to leave Gil and reside with Rinn in Miishel. At first Tig refuses marry Rinn. However the Primate, the power behind the throne, promises to sell the archives unless Tig agrees to the marriage. So in no short order Tig finds himself married and setting sail for Miishel, with only Shree for company. During the voyage however, another attempt is made on Tig's life. Someone is really out to get Tig. But is it a faction form Gil or Miishel?

This book was a great read. And there is a wonderful surprise in the book, (I'm not divulging what it is, suffice it to say that it wonderful). The scenes between Tig and Rinn are hilarious! Tig is at his literary best in this sequel -- it is so refreshing to read of a hero who uses his intellect instead of great fighting skills or magic to get out of jams. I look forward to reading the third installment with great anticipation.

There seems to be a lot of positive comments about this book, so I felt compelled write this review in order to show that someone disagrees. First 'Scion's Lady' is not as good as the first book 'Lady in Gil'. Bradley's unique writing style which made the first book interesting is still in evidence but in a diluted form. The hero Tig is there, the same as in the first book but the things that made him unique has been diluted. In the first book he starts his adventures because his brother broke his leg and nobody else was available. He doesn't try to storm the enemy stronghold, he goes in disguised as a kitchen slave. He is no knight in shining amour, he disguises himself in rags so that nobody pays attention to him. The contrast between the typical hero we expect from fairy tales and the one we get here was what made the first book so appealing. In 'Scion's Lady' Tig is still a smart guy but not as remarkable as in the first book. He is almost a normal hero. Some of the elements are there; for example Tig is made to marry a girl he does not particularly care for and he is not bothered when the girl starts taking numourous lovers. Instead he starts thinking about how to turn the relationship to his advantage. This is typical hero behavior we come to expect from Bradley's characters. However the intensity present in the first book is gone. In the first book we had Tig's brother (he is a typical knight in shining amour) to remind us how a normal hero is suposed to act. The contrast between Tig and his brother was what made the first book unique. In the second book we get much less of this.
So I rate this book three stars only. It is a good read and I will probably buy the third book in the trilogy because I want to find out what happens but I do not burn to buy the third book as I probably would if the second had been as interesting as I hoped it would be.

This book takes place 6 years after the events in the first book in this trilogy 'Lady in Gil'. Tig, Shree and Angel are all happily working in the archives on Gil (with Tig haunted by Calla's death), until the chief Flamen forces Tig into a political marriage.

Unfortunatley, for Tig, the "too-good-to-be-true" treaty was forced on Gil because the prospective in-laws knew something about Tig that he didn't know about himself. Things get INTERESTING from there on in.

This is an EXCELLENT sequel. These books have been an unexpected fantasy gem. The author writes with a sense of 'realism' rare in fantasy, and there's not a dragon, fairy or vengeful sword in sight. Refreshing. Read this to make some of the events in the first book click into place. You may get a few suprises - after all the 'lady in gil' is only 1/3rd of the story.

Any author would be proud to name this book among her works - especially considering that Ms. Bradley is a relatively new writer.
"Scion's Lady" is a marvelous follow-up (in fact, an improvement) to "Lady in Gil", filled with engaging characters and a fast-paced plot that is clear but not predictable. Bradley's writing style is fantastic, conveying the appropriate mood for each scene. Her dry wit perfectly complements the plot, giving the main character a very distinct voice.
Bradley's book has wonderful themes, especially the idea that power corrupts no matter how good one's intentions. Also, magic is portrayed as something that comes at great cost that should be used only in dire need.
Before reading this book, one should finish "Lady in Gil", also a good book; without this background "Scion's Lady" would not make as much sense.
"Scion's Lady" is incredibly addictive - don't start it after midnight or you'll be up past three. This book is among my favorites and is a wonderful introduction into the world of fantasy and an enjoyable experience for a fantasy connoisseur.

If you haven't read Lady in Gil, read it. (Or at least go to the reviews for it and see if it's your cup of tea.)

This is the follow-up, and it's just as stunning an achievement. Few authors are able to find their balance between great writing, engaging plots, memorable characters, yada yada yada, but Bradley has it hands down.

It's a good book. It's fun. It's exciting. It doesn't talk down to you. It's like Dickens, with magic, and fewer first-person descriptions of weather.

Oh, what's the use--go read the first book. If you do, you won't need any convincing to buy the second (or third).

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.

Set six years after the close of "Lady in Gil," Bradley's sequel succeeds where many such books have failed. She takes the foundation which was laid in the first book and builds a very solid literary structure atop it.

SIMILARITIES: If you enjoyed the steady pace, wry humor and well-developed characters of "Lady in Gil", you will be happy to know the same can be found in "Scion's Lady." I especially enjoyed her ability to foreshadow the conflict that arises between Tig and the Lady, much the same way she did with the abject poverty and debasement of Sherkin occupied Gil. She continues to bring vivid descriptions of the characters surroundings as well.

DIFFERENCES: Where "Lady in Gil" was set primarily in Gil City, "Scion's Lady" takes the reader on a trip across much of the known world. Also, Bradley takes the opportunity to delve even deeper into the theogony of the 'Lady in Gil.' Tig is no longer a scared adolescent 'in over his head,' but a disgruntled young adult shouldering enormous guilt and regret. This transformation is quite well-done by the author and adds great depth to the protagonist.

If you like reluctant heroes who don't fit the typical heroic mold, you'll like this book. Where most fantasy heroes use swords or magic to defeat their enemies, Tig's main weapons are his knowledge of books and scrolls most people think are too boring to read and his knack for schorlarly analysis.

I gave this book a try after reading a couple of the other reviews here. I ran across Scion's Lady in the bookstore, but they didn't have "Lady in Gil"--but I thought, OK, try the second book first, if you don't like it, no problem.

I liked it. I ordered Lady in Gil shortly after trying to get more. My only complaint is that I think the books could be a bit more substantial...I would dearly love to have more development of Shree's character for example. Scion's Lady added another character, Chasco, who might have some potential, but I'm still hungry for more of the previous characters. Tigrallef is the focus of the books, of course, and his character is a refreshing change of pace.

The other reviews give a good summary of some of the plot--I hesitate to do so because I always tell more than other people like to hear. It doesn't matter to me, since I can read the end of the book first (and usually do!) without spoiling the it for me, as long as the book itself is good--with a sound plot and strong characters. My experience has been that a good book is still good even if I know how it turns out!

All in all, I hope Ms. Bradley can deliver a third installment that will do justice to the first two--without dragging this into a dozen installments aka the Wheel of Time!

The First book was a little better...

This book tells the story of Tig and his Bossy but beautiful New bride and a Dangerous trek across the ocean. It is a Little slow going at places but i think sets the reader up for the 3rd book nicely, with the surprise twist towards the end of the book. the humour was not as good in this book as the fist one, and Tig seemed to lack the Cleverness from book #1, but this was still a very nice read...

Relic113

Bradley is pretty inventive. She's not the most sophisticated writer but the stories are always good. I enjoyed the Gil Trilogy a lot. This book is fairly good, book three is the best!