Eight of the nine provinces of the Peninsula of the Palm, on a world with two moons, have fallen to the warrior sorcerers Brandin of Ygrath and Alb...
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Nov 30, 2011
mark
rated it: 
oh Tigana! 20 years ago, the warring lands of the peninsula known as The Palm were conquered by two opposing Tyrants, and split into two. during this time of war and magic, one land was punished, transformed, forgotten.
20 years later, a band of men and women fight to reclaim that land, its history, their memories. oh Tigana!
SPOILERS FOLLOW
memories of a distant life are a strange and beautiful and sorrowful thing. i can remember places, scenes, people in the l More...
20 years later, a band of men and women fight to reclaim that land, its history, their memories. oh Tigana!
SPOILERS FOLLOW
memories of a distant life are a strange and beautiful and sorrowful thing. i can remember places, scenes, people in the l More...
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Jul 31, 2011
Jon
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A parent's grief at the death of their child can be a terrible thing. When that parent is the world's most powerful wizard, and his beloved son dies in battle in one of the last provinces to be conquered, the grief becomes an all encompassing spell. And so starts the drama that is Tigana and the struggles for independence and remembrance against Brandin (the Tyrant and sorcerer).
My first thoughts when I started reading this story were of events in our own history where tyrants ha More...
My first thoughts when I started reading this story were of events in our own history where tyrants ha More...
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Aug 04, 2011
Brad
rated it: 
The greatest strength of Tigana -- Guy Gavriel Kay's masterpiece -- is the "ambiguity" of his characters' ethics. Fantasy, as a genre, suffers from the widespread simplicity of its expressions of good and evil. Kay consistently transcends this genre weakness, and Tigana marks his first and greatest break with the good vs. evil tradition. Tigana is full of characters who struggle with their decisions and the impact those decisions have on others.
Alessan, the "hero" More...
Alessan, the "hero" More...
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Aug 04, 2011
Richard
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This was the Fantasy selection for the Goodreads SciFi and Fantasy Book Club for the month of May 2009. Visit this link to see all of the discusions, group member reviews, etc.
If Goodreads had half-stars, I would have dropped this to only 4-1/2, but more on that below.
Tigana is among the handful of fantasy novels that can make me wonder whether Tolkien is as good as I remember him, or as good as his reputation. It has been many years since I read Lord of the Rings, and I More...
If Goodreads had half-stars, I would have dropped this to only 4-1/2, but more on that below.
Tigana is among the handful of fantasy novels that can make me wonder whether Tolkien is as good as I remember him, or as good as his reputation. It has been many years since I read Lord of the Rings, and I More...
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Aug 04, 2011
Martine
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There was no way I was not going to love this book. Experience has shown that I love Guy Gavriel Kay and the characters he comes up with. They are, without exception, passionate people, and I love reading about passionate people, especially when they have a Cause. And boy, do the characters in this book have a cause. Can you say, epic cause?
Tigana is the name of one of the countries of the Palm, a peninsula loosely based on Renaissance Italy. Divided and distrustful of one another, a More...
Tigana is the name of one of the countries of the Palm, a peninsula loosely based on Renaissance Italy. Divided and distrustful of one another, a More...
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Aug 04, 2011
Kelly
rated it:
It says that I read this back in January 2000. It would be more accurate to say that I've read this book /since/ January 2000. I've read this book no less than ten times. I own the 10th Anniversary Edition as well now, because I expect my first one to fall apart very soon. It's lost at least one cover being passed around among all my friends throughout high school.
Guy Gavriel Kay writes among the only books that I loved when I was 13, and I can still appreciate a decade later. (Aside More...
Guy Gavriel Kay writes among the only books that I loved when I was 13, and I can still appreciate a decade later. (Aside More...
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Jul 22, 2008
Shannon
rated it:
This is the first book by Kay I've ever read, and one of only three books on my shelves signed by the author (one of only two signed specifically to me, and the only one I actually got myself). Its size is daunting if you're not a regular fantasy reader, but it's a stand-alone novel and would be disappointing if it were any shorter.
Tigana is about a great many things, but the central plot and theme of the novel is the subjugation of the people of the Peninsular of the Palm (modelled More...
Tigana is about a great many things, but the central plot and theme of the novel is the subjugation of the people of the Peninsular of the Palm (modelled More...
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Aug 04, 2011
Chris
rated it:
I really can't decide whether to rate this a 4 or 5 star, but I'll go with 5. There is more that I like about this book than dislike.
Overall, I love the story. It is quite the epic, and it seems a waste of great worldbuilding to contain it to one volume. On the other hand, it is good to see such a marvelous work that stands on its own, without a dozen sequels, prequels, and hard to find novellas. In fantasy, that is a rare treat.
Still, this is a world I'd like to visit ag More...
Overall, I love the story. It is quite the epic, and it seems a waste of great worldbuilding to contain it to one volume. On the other hand, it is good to see such a marvelous work that stands on its own, without a dozen sequels, prequels, and hard to find novellas. In fantasy, that is a rare treat.
Still, this is a world I'd like to visit ag More...
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Jan 10, 2012
Brad
rated it:
This review was written in the late nineties (for my eyes only), and it was buried in amongst my things until recently when I uncovered the journal in which it was written. I have transcribed it verbatim from all those years ago (although square brackets may indicate some additional information for the sake of readability or some sort of commentary from now). This is one of my lost reviews.
I loved being surprised like this. Every once in a while someone out of the ordinary suggests a b More...
I loved being surprised like this. Every once in a while someone out of the ordinary suggests a b More...
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Aug 04, 2011
Ron
rated it:
It was good...really good, but the authors ponderous, occasionally convoluted style prevents him getting a five. Ten percent shorter, this would have been an even better book.
Rich, involved plot with complex characters--more than needed perhaps. Evokes more Robert Jordan than J.R.R. Tolkien even though he assembled a band of odd personages reminiscent of the Fellowship of the Ring.
Midway, Kay seemed to lose lost track of his own plot for the fun of developing ancillary ch More...
Rich, involved plot with complex characters--more than needed perhaps. Evokes more Robert Jordan than J.R.R. Tolkien even though he assembled a band of odd personages reminiscent of the Fellowship of the Ring.
Midway, Kay seemed to lose lost track of his own plot for the fun of developing ancillary ch More...
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Oct 23, 2011
Traci
rated it:
Tigana is a land forgotten by most through magical means. The naming of which unlocks the memories of those who belonged to it. I feel at the end of this book as though something has been unlocked in me. A coming home to something I didn't know I loved.
Yes, I liked it this much. It is an experience I want to share with others who have journeyed here before me. And that I wish to gift to someone who has not yet gone.
One of the best fantasy book I have ever read and quite possibly of any More...
Yes, I liked it this much. It is an experience I want to share with others who have journeyed here before me. And that I wish to gift to someone who has not yet gone.
One of the best fantasy book I have ever read and quite possibly of any More...
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Aug 04, 2011
Nikki
rated it:
August 2009.
This is still such a beautiful, beautiful book. This is my first reread, but I can tell you already that it won't be my last. The writing is gorgeous, and the imagery and the politics and the characters are all amazing. The careful laying of the plot, with the different subplots that weave in, like the Carlozzini and Dianora's own plans, is amazing. There are so many points in the book where I found tears coming to my eyes that I don't even know how many times it happened More...
This is still such a beautiful, beautiful book. This is my first reread, but I can tell you already that it won't be my last. The writing is gorgeous, and the imagery and the politics and the characters are all amazing. The careful laying of the plot, with the different subplots that weave in, like the Carlozzini and Dianora's own plans, is amazing. There are so many points in the book where I found tears coming to my eyes that I don't even know how many times it happened More...
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Sep 05, 2008
Siria
rated it: 
I really liked the ideas behind this story—the power of names in the face of colonialism, in the face of enforced forgetfulness—but there was just too much in the writing that worked against my enjoyment of it. Kay's style has improved from what it was in the Fionavar series, but it's still clunky and laboured (and desperately in need of some commas), while the world-building is pedestrian and two-dimensional. Many of the better-drawn characters are unengaging, and most of the cast are such clic
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Aug 04, 2011
Justin
rated it:
I remembered reading this in high school, and being captivated by it. I'm glad I took the time to re-read it.
This is a wonderful fantasy book. Not perfect, by any means, but it's very easy to overlook the few flaws it does have in favor of the engaging story, unique setting, and epic characters.
The novel focuses on a band of characters attempting to free their land (a peninsula painstakingly based on Renaissance-era Italy, a wonderful break from the usual fantasy norm) fr More...
This is a wonderful fantasy book. Not perfect, by any means, but it's very easy to overlook the few flaws it does have in favor of the engaging story, unique setting, and epic characters.
The novel focuses on a band of characters attempting to free their land (a peninsula painstakingly based on Renaissance-era Italy, a wonderful break from the usual fantasy norm) fr More...
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Aug 04, 2011
Melody
rated it:
I liked this book every bit as well as I remembered. It's as layered as an onion, complex, full of satisfying and memorable characters deployed in a world that's rich and believable.
The magic is well-thought out. There are plot twists in plenty- as there should be when there's a dispossessed Prince in a band of itinerant musicians. There are brave and noble women with complicated lives.
Beyond the well-told story, though, what this book seems to me to be is an exploration More...
The magic is well-thought out. There are plot twists in plenty- as there should be when there's a dispossessed Prince in a band of itinerant musicians. There are brave and noble women with complicated lives.
Beyond the well-told story, though, what this book seems to me to be is an exploration More...
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Feb 21, 2009
Stephen
rated it:
I bought this book based on the recommendations of the people in my scifi/fantasy goodreads group after I had complained that I could not find Fantasy novels that dealt with "larger issues" the same way the Science Fiction does. tigana did not disappoint. This is not a typical "boy finds sword, vanquishes evil, wins girl" fantasy novel. It is as much a thought experiment as any good SF book.
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Feb 04, 2009
Maryanne
rated it:
I hadn't thought anyone could top Tolkien for world-building and engaging my passions in characters... and then I found Kay. For me, the question is only how to choose a favorite between Tigana, Arbonne, and Lions. Tigana has the advantage of having been first. I still remember how it caught my eye in the window of the used bookstore in Flemington as I was going in; I can remember the feeling of the sun on my legs sitting in the yard behind the courthouse at lunchtime wishing I never had to g
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Jan 08, 2012
Seone
rated it: 
This is the fourth book by the author that I have read so far and it's the one I've enjoyed the most but that's honestly not saying much. I've tried to give Kay a fair go but I've come to the conclusion that I just don't like his style.
The premise of the book is very interesting and it is clear from the beginning that this story is about the preservation of memory and history and the perpetration and consequences of cultural genocide.
Unfortunately, the book is let down b More...
The premise of the book is very interesting and it is clear from the beginning that this story is about the preservation of memory and history and the perpetration and consequences of cultural genocide.
Unfortunately, the book is let down b More...
Nov 30, 2011
papasteve
rated it:
There's a lot I liked about this book:
1) I would describe the writing style as "lush." There's a lot of flourish and color to Kay's writing style. Almost like a Bard were speaking it in an orally dramatic fashion. There were times I would read certain paragraphs out loud just to see how the words rolled off my tongue.
2) I liked that, as with other fantasy genre writers, Kay didn't keep rehashing, or restating the storyline as if all us readers are dolts and have forgotte More...
1) I would describe the writing style as "lush." There's a lot of flourish and color to Kay's writing style. Almost like a Bard were speaking it in an orally dramatic fashion. There were times I would read certain paragraphs out loud just to see how the words rolled off my tongue.
2) I liked that, as with other fantasy genre writers, Kay didn't keep rehashing, or restating the storyline as if all us readers are dolts and have forgotte More...
Nov 28, 2011
Yvette
rated it:
How do I review a book that was so important to my teen years? A book that even now fifteen years later has the same profound affect? This is no small book at 600 odd pages but it is far weightier than could be imagined at first glance. This adventure will pull you in and keep you returning until the stories are all resolved.[return][return]The plots dance around each other drawing you ever further into the richly described world and the lives of the memorable characters. It’s a tale of struggle
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Nov 23, 2011
Grant
rated it:
This book is quite good. The beginning is really good, but it kind of lingers in the middle. The end felt a little rushed and awkward.
A lot of it was really good, like the great characterization and the flowing prose. I like that Devin wasn't a total idiot like the traditional character in his position would be (in other books). I like that the treatment of love was excellent. <spoiler>It isn't like "everyone only has one true love" which I thought was dumb in a lot o More...
A lot of it was really good, like the great characterization and the flowing prose. I like that Devin wasn't a total idiot like the traditional character in his position would be (in other books). I like that the treatment of love was excellent. <spoiler>It isn't like "everyone only has one true love" which I thought was dumb in a lot o More...
Nov 02, 2011
إديث
rated it:
While it’s not a bad book, this novel is (for me) a study of what prevents a fantasy novel from attaining the heights of mastery. It looks like Kay had learned during this process while working on this book, and delivered The Lions of al-Rassan six years later, which I loved. That result was a focused, compelling work without extraneous and distracting events or characters. As for this, I skimmed the last 2/3. Nevertheless, writing a review helps me think through what worked and what didn’t in n
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Oct 14, 2011
A.E.
rated it:
If you want more stories like the Lord of the Rings, with a scruffy, even-tempered lost prince fighting to regain his homeland from sorcerers, then Tigana is for you. In this case, one sorcerer has even eradicated the name of his homeland, and only with his death will it be remembered.
However, said sorcerer is not portrayed as evil, and to me, this is where the story grew interesting. He was simply angry over the death of his son in battle, and in grief he enacted his revenge against More...
However, said sorcerer is not portrayed as evil, and to me, this is where the story grew interesting. He was simply angry over the death of his son in battle, and in grief he enacted his revenge against More...
Aug 04, 2011
Kristina
rated it:
I enjoyed the richly imagined world, full of different regions, the people that inhabited it, the folklore. I found most of the characters likable (even one of the villans!) and my curiosity was piqued by the idea of a nameless home and a lost generation. I can tell a lot of thought went into this world, the political aspect, the characters, the plot, etc and I was able to appreciate both the author and the story more for it.
Yes, there were sorcerers and wizards, but unless it was po More...
Yes, there were sorcerers and wizards, but unless it was po More...
May 22, 2011
Oroboros72
rated it:
Tigana has one thing that I love in fiction, moral ambiguity. I was really astonished at how well my emotions were manipulated. There were actions that Alessan, the hero, took which made me grimace and doubt his entire cause. In addition, I grew to like Brandin, Alessan's nemesis and even got to a point where I felt that he would make a good ruler of the Palm. These feelings were done and undone several times throughout the book. This unclarity of who to root for really drew me in.
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Apr 02, 2011
Margaret
rated it:
"This is one of those stories in which the very extremes of human emotion can tear the reader apart."
Said the review on Amazon.com. My own impression was something more along the lines of meh. I'd give this book maybe a 3 or a 4 on the Richter scale, you know, the sort of earthquake that rattles the windows a bit, and people who felt it have something to talk about for the next day or two (I'm from California originally.)
The premise for the book is really a pretty cool curse. While Kin More...
Said the review on Amazon.com. My own impression was something more along the lines of meh. I'd give this book maybe a 3 or a 4 on the Richter scale, you know, the sort of earthquake that rattles the windows a bit, and people who felt it have something to talk about for the next day or two (I'm from California originally.)
The premise for the book is really a pretty cool curse. While Kin More...
Jan 11, 2011
Ithlilian
rated it:
Tigana has been mentioned as one of the greatest fantasy books of all time, a staple in the genre, and an absolute must read for fantasy fans. It is described as lyrical, poetic, heartfelt, and beautiful. How could I not give it a try?
We are thrown into the middle of things at the beginning of the book and have to work out what is going on for ourselves. You have to really pay attention and remember little details to be able to understand later conversations, yet even then the dialogue More...
We are thrown into the middle of things at the beginning of the book and have to work out what is going on for ourselves. You have to really pay attention and remember little details to be able to understand later conversations, yet even then the dialogue More...
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Nov 27, 2010
Jasmine
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This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers.
To view it, click here
Nov 22, 2010
Cécile
rated it:
Tigana is probably not going to shatter my views on world literature, but I couldn't put it down. It has all the right ingredients for an extremely enjoyable novel: sympathetic characters with reasonable depth and evolution, a complex world with carefully-plotted politics, and above all the realism, high ideals, princes in disguise and lots of honourable deeds. Don't expect archaic, legendary figures like Tolkien's, but don't expect GRR Martin's gritty realism either. Tigana is just in between,
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Sep 29, 2010
Kathleen
rated it:
After reading Guy Gavriel Kay's excellent Under Heaven, this book felt like a bit of a step backwards in my admiration for the author. While Under Heaven seemed to effortlessly walk the tightrope between action and love and philosophizing about the paths that men and women take in their search for meaning in their lives, this story seemed more forced, and definitely more violent. I almost put it down several times, but was sucked in enough to have to read to the ending.
And I have More...
And I have More...
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