Tigana is a 1990 fantasy novel by Canadian writer Guy Gavriel Kay. The novel is set in a region called the Peninsula of the Palm, which somewhat resembles Renaissance Italy as well as the Peloponnese in shape.
A very good work of fantasy playing with deeper concepts than “magical secret orphan prince” tropes. The long time I spent reading it is unrelated to its quality (but more related to my brain's bandwidth capacity these last 6 months).
The characters are compelling, the Aragorn-type is way more human than Tolkien’s Aragorn and the bad guys are well rounded and have interesting motivations. On the other hand I don’t remember if the book passes the Bechdel Test and the women roles could have been bigger.
I discovered this from the Esquire 50 Best Fantasy Books of All Time. A lot of books I wasn't familiar with in that list, this was one. The books I did know I generally agreed with, and in fact I've now read a couple of others from it as well.
Possible that my 4 star review is slightly unfair, I enjoyed it a lot. I suspect if a book like that came out within the past few years, it would've been broken up into 3 volumes. Call it 4 1/2 stars.
One thing that made me enjoy it, completely unrelated: Love Death & Robots season 3 came out while I was in the middle of it, and somehow Jibaro became my mental palette as I read.
I enjoyed the world building and the writing, but there a few things that bugged me. Almost every female character had to be described as beautiful and sexy when introduced. I hope more modern fiction gets away from that. I felt some ambiguity about the main quest, restoring Tigana to the way it was 20 years before; and the methods used to do this. All the factions we led by men who had their own ambitions and didn't care much for the common folk. The lead character was very much the best of the them, but ... In the afterword the author addresses this and I understood his intentions better. It still bugged me.
There are no wrong turnings. Only paths we had not known we were meant to walk.
Tigana accomplishes in one book what others take two or three to complete.
A single standalone fantasy book may be overlooked because it is simple or not complex enough but that isn't the case here. There is a heavy layer of political and geographical conflict with just enough mystery about Ember Nights and the limited sorcerers to keep the reader engaged.
This was one of the most entertaining high/epic fantasy stories I've read and the fact it is contained within a single story is admirable.
The story doesn't handhold the reader. Kay writes long sentences that can get burdensome but each packs details and significance. If I rushed a sentence I had to stop myself and re-read it because everything matters. I was quick to judge this book because it was written in the …
There are no wrong turnings. Only paths we had not known we were meant to walk.
Tigana accomplishes in one book what others take two or three to complete.
A single standalone fantasy book may be overlooked because it is simple or not complex enough but that isn't the case here. There is a heavy layer of political and geographical conflict with just enough mystery about Ember Nights and the limited sorcerers to keep the reader engaged.
This was one of the most entertaining high/epic fantasy stories I've read and the fact it is contained within a single story is admirable.
The story doesn't handhold the reader. Kay writes long sentences that can get burdensome but each packs details and significance. If I rushed a sentence I had to stop myself and re-read it because everything matters. I was quick to judge this book because it was written in the 90's but it is a mature, well executed and not too dependent on magic to move the story along.
This book was amazing. It's rare that you see such a well-developed epic tale in a single volume (ie, not part of a trilogy or larger series). The plot and setting are great, but it's the characters that really make the story shine. They are intricate and feel utterly real. Kay is an amazing author and has crafted an epic masterpiece in Tigana. Despite being one of the first few books I've read in 2013, I'm confident that it will be among the top 5 books I read all year. I will certainly have to pick up his latest work, River of Stars, some time soon.
Saccharine sweet and formulaic. Kay tries to give the impression that these dudes have been building this conspiracy for years but it just seems kinda shallow. Meh. I'll not be reading the rest of the series.
I'd say the style and themes would be fine for a YA audience but Kay has a few outlandish sex/love scenes that keep this out of that demographic. Not because they are too steamy; more because they aren't at all believable. They are setup more like crappy porno scenes but don't have the good payoff and descriptions that you would expect of real erotica. It's just kind of an awkward book.
Tigana has been one of my favorite fantasy books since the first time I read it fifteen or more years ago.
It has far more depth than most fantasy books, both in the the complexity of the characters it presents and in the politics of the world that it presents. But that depth doesn't in any way hinder the main plot. For all the darkness and sadness the book somehow remains a light read.
At it's core the book's plot turns on two things: pride and memory. Guy Gavriel Kay gives us example after example of pride and the things it makes people do but it is often memories that feed that pride.
There's really no hero in the traditional sense and not precisely a villain either though one of the two tyrants is clearly the more selfish, both of them do despicable things.
But so do the protagonists. Lying, …
Tigana has been one of my favorite fantasy books since the first time I read it fifteen or more years ago.
It has far more depth than most fantasy books, both in the the complexity of the characters it presents and in the politics of the world that it presents. But that depth doesn't in any way hinder the main plot. For all the darkness and sadness the book somehow remains a light read.
At it's core the book's plot turns on two things: pride and memory. Guy Gavriel Kay gives us example after example of pride and the things it makes people do but it is often memories that feed that pride.
There's really no hero in the traditional sense and not precisely a villain either though one of the two tyrants is clearly the more selfish, both of them do despicable things.
But so do the protagonists. Lying, manipulating, killing. They do whatever they feel they must in the service of their cause. Are they good because we are made to sympathize with that cause?
Not really. Kay plays a clever trick here and soon has us sympathizing with one of the tyrants too. Even while horrifying us with the depth his need for revenge.
And in the end there is no evidence that anyone really learned from their experiences. Right up to the end Brandon the tyrant feels that he is a victim. "See what you make me do!" he cries out.
But this is background. You can enjoy the book on the surface even while these elements play out. There is a simple and exciting adventure story overlaying the deeper elements of the plot. And if there is tragedy, there are also signs of hope.
The book is steeped in magic, but it isn't about magic. In fact we really never find out how magic works in this world. There's a depth to the culture too, much of it never fully explained. It is background that enriches the story without getting in the way.
In the end Tigana is sophisticated fantasy that doesn't need to beat you over the head with its sophistication. It's also a must read for any fantasy fan.
