It was more tragic than Lions of Al-Rassan, but one needs that sometimes.

You just want to revel in how tragic the characters are for a few hundred pages.

GGK's prose is as lovely as always, and I still appreciate the moral ambiguity of all the characters and their motivations. I may also be too influenced by modern takes on slavery, since this book is almost 30 years old now. I also still haven't resolved the slavery thing, I'll keep thinking on that for a while. Catriana comes the closest to having a reason to exist in the book besides her romantic relation to a man. Which is part of her character, but I didn't like it. That scene with Catriana in the beginning of the book tainted my view of her for the rest of the book, even though she never slept with anybody else. Gradually the scene is set for both conquerors to destroy each other and free a land.I hate it when you notice one thing and then can't divorce that judgment from the rest of the book.įor instance: all of the women are beautiful, all have a rather extended sex scene (maybe not Alais). Meanwhile, at Brandin's court, Dianora, his favorite concubine and-unknown to anyone, another survivor of Tigana-struggles between her growing love for the often gentle tyrant and her desire for vengeance. At the center of these activities are Devin, a gifted young singer Catriana, a young woman pursued by suspicions of her family's guilt and Duke Sandre d'Astibar, a wily resistance leader thought dead. Years later, a small band of survivors, led by Alessan, last prince of Tigana's royal house, wages psychological warfare, planting seeds for the overthrow of the two tyrants. After sweeping down and destroying the remnants of their army, burning their books and destroying their architecture and statuary, he makes it so that no one not born in that province can even hear its name. Brandin's younger son is slain in a battle with the principality of Tigana, which the grief-stricken sorcerer then destroys. Sword & Laser Podcasts and Videos: Kick Off: S&L Video 5 Check In: S&L 102 Wrap Up: S&L Video 6 Tigana by Guy Gavriel Kay Įight 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 Alberico of Barbadior.

Sword & Laser Goodreads Group Discussion of Tigana It won a poll of Sword &Laser's Goodreads Group members. Tigana by Guy Gavriel Kay was the 37th official Sword and Laser Book Club selection.