booksiloved.com - Book reviews of books the reviewer really liked

A review of Tigana

by Guy Gavriel Kay

The triumph of the human spirit over injustice and oppression.

Reviewed by: April Dawn Duncan
About April Dawn Duncan

Tigana I hope that when I have finally passed from this world I will be remembered in name and deed if not by many, at least by those whom I have loved. I would venture to say that this might be every person's hope. How then would we feel if we were denied that because we had fought and died for our freedom?

We would feel as the shepherd Alessan, the singer Catriana, the mistress Dianora, and others of their lineage feel. They are the descendants of a country whose very name cannot be uttered, whose memory has been stripped from the world. Their people, their culture, and their home has been exiled from existence by the very tyrant who conquered them. Now they struggle to free themselves from his mystical curse and restore what is rightfully their heritage. They will not cease until they can shout the name "Tigana" and hear it ring throughout the lands. They will not falter until the memory of their beloved homeland is restored.

Guy Gavriel Kay has a gift for taking real-world cultures and their histories and using them as a framework for his novels. For those of us who love history, it makes Kay's stories all the more realistic while still remaining fantastical. In "Tigana", he pays homage to a truly creative and innovative people. The country of The Palm is based on the idea of the Italian city-states during the Renaissance Period both in form and in politics. The Florentine and Venetian passion for art is reflected in the Tiganese, a proud people full of a zest for life and a love for all things beautiful. It is then no wonder that though they have been scattered to the winds they keep fighting for their freedom.

"Tigana" is a majestically written and carefully orchestrated story of political intrigue, tragic loss, desperate love, vengeance, and redemption. I must say that this is one of my favorite books of all time. Many of its elements speak to the romantic in me. In this magically woven tale, Kay boldly deals with moral quandaries, deep and meaningful themes, and characters that have a life of their own. His steady pace and captivating language made me read this book from cover to cover in one sitting. For all of the romantics out there, this one is for you. And for those of you who are not romantics, this book might well transform you.

Click here to buy this book, or read more about it at Amazon.com: Tigana

Copyright © by April Dawn Duncan, 2003

Reviewed by April Dawn Duncan:
--Threshold: A Novel of Deep Time - by Caitlin R. Kiernan
--Yarrow: An Autumn Tale - by Charles de Lint
--The Morgaine Saga - by C. J. Cherryh
--Tigana - by Guy Gavriel Kay
--Ender's Game - by Orson Scott Card
--Foreigner: A Novel of First Contact - by C.J. Cherryh
--Guilty Pleasures - by Laurell K. Hamilton
--The Laughing Corpse - by Laurell K. Hamilton
--Circus of the Damned - by Laurell K. Hamilton
--The Lunatic Cafe - by Laurell K. Hamilton
--Bloody Bones - by Laurell K. Hamilton
--The Killing Dance - by Laurell K. Hamilton
--Burnt Offerings - by Laurell K. Hamilton
--Blue Moon - by Laurell K. Hamilton
--Obsidian Butterfly - by Laurell K. Hamilton
--Narcissus in Chains - by Laurell K. Hamilton









Home ------- All the Reviews