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A review by richardrbecker
Tigana: Anniversary Edition by Guy Gavriel Kay
adventurous
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
As an epic, Tigana has plenty going for it. And there is plenty not going for it.
The concept that a country could cease to exist, erased of having any history and ripped from the memories of nearly everyone in the known world, seems like it would make for a very promising fantasy. And it might have, if only the story of Tigana, the land so erased, didn't so overtly overshadow every individual actor in the book. Even the exiled Alessan, who hopes to regain the throne, seems like a supporting player. And therein lies why I didn't love Tigana.
The setting steals the show — the history, religions, folklore, local customs, and magical rites — and sweeps over the characters we should care about. But I never really did, especially because they never lived up to my expectations of being the rebels I thought they might be, even as they tempt their enemies into killing each other. Only Devin comes close to becoming a worthy protagonist as a singer identified as a potential hero. (Although I do appreciate Brandin's depth as a tyrant with a heart of sorts.)
Despite being a master world builder and a wonderful writer, Guy Gavriel Kay focuses too much on the macro world to care about the micro world of individuals and their frailties. The formality of the telling, and he often prefers telling over showing, is elegant but also melodramatic, especially the dialogue. If it were a play, one might say it is over-reheased. If it were a movie, overwritten.
Still, I suppose it works well enough for what it is meant to be. It's a story about people and their memories in the aftermath of a political conflict, as well as a new one when a few people resurrect a forgotten past. But not so fast, exactly. The Tigana victims are not as pure as one might assume, propped up by suddenly remembered stories of old, saying nothing of their shortcomings. It is subtext, I think, that convinces so many people to fall in love with Kay's world.
So, while it won't be joining the majority who praise the work, it does deliver on its promise. And if you are looking for that promise — an epic fantasy with a fully realized world — you will likely love it.
The concept that a country could cease to exist, erased of having any history and ripped from the memories of nearly everyone in the known world, seems like it would make for a very promising fantasy. And it might have, if only the story of Tigana, the land so erased, didn't so overtly overshadow every individual actor in the book. Even the exiled Alessan, who hopes to regain the throne, seems like a supporting player. And therein lies why I didn't love Tigana.
The setting steals the show — the history, religions, folklore, local customs, and magical rites — and sweeps over the characters we should care about. But I never really did, especially because they never lived up to my expectations of being the rebels I thought they might be, even as they tempt their enemies into killing each other. Only Devin comes close to becoming a worthy protagonist as a singer identified as a potential hero. (Although I do appreciate Brandin's depth as a tyrant with a heart of sorts.)
Despite being a master world builder and a wonderful writer, Guy Gavriel Kay focuses too much on the macro world to care about the micro world of individuals and their frailties. The formality of the telling, and he often prefers telling over showing, is elegant but also melodramatic, especially the dialogue. If it were a play, one might say it is over-reheased. If it were a movie, overwritten.
Still, I suppose it works well enough for what it is meant to be. It's a story about people and their memories in the aftermath of a political conflict, as well as a new one when a few people resurrect a forgotten past. But not so fast, exactly. The Tigana victims are not as pure as one might assume, propped up by suddenly remembered stories of old, saying nothing of their shortcomings. It is subtext, I think, that convinces so many people to fall in love with Kay's world.
So, while it won't be joining the majority who praise the work, it does deliver on its promise. And if you are looking for that promise — an epic fantasy with a fully realized world — you will likely love it.