Tigana [Paperback]

Guy Gavriel Kay (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: November 4, 2002

One by one, the divided provinces of The Peninsula of the Palm had fallen, conquered by the armies and the sorcery of the two Tyrants. Now, Alberico of Barbadior holds the provinces of the Eastern Palm while Brandin of Ygrath rules the West, and normality of a sort has returned to the peninsula. But for one province there can be no peace. For there is one land that dared to spill the blood of Brandin's beloved son. A land that has been broken and burned, its towers razed and its people crushed, and through the dark magics of the Tyrant of Ygrath, had its very name erased from the world. It falls to a small band of exiles from this shattered land to attempt to achieve what nine provinces could not, and bring down not one, but two, tyrants. Driven by fierce pride, love and the memory of what was, this brave handful of men and women will risk all that they have to return freedom to the Palm, and to hear once more the music of a forgotten name: Tigana.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Guy Gavriel Kay's unique take on historical fiction has won him legions of admirers and made him an international bestseller. He is the author of nine highly acclaimed novels, including THE SARANTINE MOSAIC books and the acclaimed TIGANA. At the age of 20, he was asked by the Tolkien estate to help Christopher Tolkien with the editing of the Silmarrillion - the first and only time the estate has ever made such a request. His work has been translated into 21 languages, and he has twice won the Aurora Prize, is a three-time World Fantasy Award nominee, and is the recipient of the International Goliardos Prize for his contributions to the literature of the fantastic. Guy Gavriel Kay lives in Toronto. Visit his website, www.brightweavings.com

Product Details

• Paperback: 704 pages
• Publisher: Earthlight (November 4, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0743450116
• ISBN-13: 978-0743450119
• Product Dimensions: 6.8 x 4.4 x 1.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #696,684 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars complex web of personality, April 23, 2006

By 

A. Saunders (Denver, CO) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Tigana (Paperback)

Tigana falls under that genre labled fantasy but where most fantasy is a story told about a fantasy world, Guy Gavriel Kay writes about people who happen to inhabit a fantasy world. If you think the difference is academic you really need to read this book along with "A Song for Arbonne" and some of this authors other works.

Kay writes fantasy based on medieval times in Moorish Spain, southern France, and Italy which is slightly refreshing compared to all the Arthurian and Roman based fantasy out there. Still the most important part of this book are the characters. How to describe them? They are humans who make mistakes and misunderstand the true situation with tragic results as happens in real life- yet they are also somewhat mythic because the tragedy in their worlds is on a scale few people could ever experience in real life.

I really enjoyed this book even though I didn't connect with a single character and to me more than anything else that is an indicator of the quality of writing here. If you are bored with the overly trite and tired books populating the shelves today, yet enjoy the fantasy setting, this book with satisfy you.

5.0 out of 5 stars Brilliant and Magical, Truly Original, May 25, 2009

By 

Lola. M - See all my reviews

This review is from: Tigana (Paperback)

In this masterpiece, Guy Gavriel Kay manages to blend elements of fantasy and historical fiction (based loosely on Renaissance Italy) into a symphony of lyrical beauty. The characters are complex and multi-dimensional, the setting is well crafted and the story engrossing from start to finish.

I loved the fact that Guy Gavriel Kay manages to humanize the so called "evil" characters. Just as Dianora falls in love with Brandin of Ygrath, the "evil" sorcerer of the west - you come to sympathize with this complex, cultured and multi-faceted character. Similarly, the "good" characters have to engage in unsavory acts for their own purposes and confront their own fallibility - I'm thinking of Alessan binding the wizard Erlein against his will. When it comes to the final confrontation between "good" and "evil" I found myself torn between both sides. Rarely does a novelist achieve this level of emotional complexity for me.

Furthermore, Guy Gavriel Kay's use of language is superb - he writes for an intelligent, reflective audience. There were many times when I had to re-read paragraphs to appreciate the multi-layered poetic symbolism.

All in all, a truly satisfying experience with unforgettable characters (notably Brandin of Ygrath), a complex, well-crafted story, and resonating themes of identity, loss and love. Highly recommended!