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Summary: One of the 4 books I'll always take
Review: If I was stranded on a desert island forever, I'd want 4 books with me. The first is "Lord of The Rings." The others are "Tigana", "Song for Arbonne" and 'Lions of Al-Rassan". To me, GGKs books are sheer miracles --- but watch out ! He doesn't write to entertain, he writes to make you weep ! His books pierce your heart with the sheer beauty of language-- and the lines between joy and pain get blurred. And you are never quite the same again. Incidentally, I'm desperately looking for GGK fan-clubs etc. on the net. By the look of the comments on this page, mine wasn't the only heart pierced !
Rating: 
Summary: So what?
Review: Nothing really new here. Another united-we-stand-divided-we-fall plot. The storyline contains a few welcome surprises, but the characters are never really developed and a preoccupation with sex mars it quite unnecessarily. At the end, when GGK apparently figures it's gone on long enough, the ending is as abrupt as the beginning was leisurely. Comparing this to Tolkien is just rediculous. Don't bother.
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Summary: The best book i've read inspite of the niggling problems
Review: I loved _Tigana_. I loved the characters, story, use of magic, etc. Even though i was confused a couple of times (e.g. what's with the dreamwalker sequences? where do they fit in?) I still love book, have re-read it several times, and will re-read it several more. People seem to always complain (or at least comment) that "Kay's no Tolkien!" No kidding! He's his own writer! all i'm saying is this: Read TIGANA once. if you don't like, don't re-read. If you do, you will recommend it to everyone you know. I did.
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Summary: A brilliant fantasy
Review: One of my favorite novels! There are no simple characters. Most are forced to choose among two or more distinct life paths by potent yet delicately revealed forces. The language is lyrical, the conflicts are complex, the relationships are anything but cookbook, and the scale is huge... Find yourself a copy ASAP for a real treat! :)
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Summary: Undeniably the most moving book you will read...ever!
Review: I remember the day I first picked up Kay's Tigana. It was for an English course in University. I had never heard of Mr. Kay before this, and looking back on it now, I have to wonder just what the heck I was doing with my time! I am an avid reader, with the Fantasy genre easily comprising the majority of my reading time. I can honsetly say that after reading Tigana, my entire philosophy regarding Fantasy novles, nay, novels of all genres, has been turned upside down. I now see that a writer can write a novel that causes all others to pale in comparison. I am an aspiring novelist, and after reading Tigana I firmly believe that, if at some point in my future I write a novel that can be regarded as being "half as good" as Tigana, I will be overcome with Joy. Mr. Kay, if by some chance you read this, please know that by writing Tigana you have given me the necessary motivation to reach for my goals. Thank you.
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Summary: This book has single-handedly salvaged fantasy literature!
Review: For the longest time, fantasy books have been mere Tolkein rip-offs or poor showings, such as Mercedes Lackey's recycling of the SCA. Guy Gavriel Kay has created a work here set in a not-quite-Italy, that is bold, imaginative, and a pure joy to read. The quest to restore the very name of a nation is not only boldly innovative, but was so poingantly created in the prologue as to touch the heart. The most powerful statement I can make about this book is that not only are the heroes understandable, but so are the villains. They are not, as in so many books, evil because they are evil, but rather feel that they, too, are following a correct course of action, even if their veiws are somewhat skewwed. From beginning to end this book is a wealth of detail, rich in a fantasy that partakes of wordly reality. I would also suggest reading his Lions of al-Rassan, done in an equally splendid manner but in a not-Spain, as oppossed to not-Italy. Kay's works are masterful in plotting, use of language, but most importantly in an inherent sense of what it means to be a human being under dire circumstances. Bravo, bravo, bravissimo!
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Summary: The Best Book I've Ever Read
Review: I've read many books, both in English and Spanish. I've read translations of Russian books, of German books, and of French books. I've read fantasy, mystery, sci-fi, horror, historic fictions, just about every genre there is. I have never, in my entire life, been moved the way I was when I read Tigana.In 4 years, I've read Tigana 5 times. Every time I've cried in it; I've never cried in any other book I've read. I've never cried in a movie, or for a piece of music. The book reads so smoothly that you want to read every word, rather than skim it for the general gist of what's going on. The words are gorgeous, painting an image of a world that is so plausible, the reader wishes he could see more of it. Yet part of what makes Kay such an excellent author is that he comprehends the notion of brevity. In his relatively short masterpiece, he develops a moderately sized cast of characters better than any other fantasy author has ever done. He creates a world that is richer than Tolkein's... What can I say? If you don't read this book, you're shooting yourself in the foot. You're buying something that will last you for life. I haven't found a better deal yet.
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Summary: Hands down, the best book I have read in the past 10 years
Review: What can be said about this book that has not been said tenfold. I often felt as though Mr. Kay had led me by the hand from point A to point B, but then suddenly we had arrived at another destination, thus far unimagined. I felt each characters emotions as if they were my own. I have lent my copy to 8 of my friends, and each of them agreed that this is an intelligent, insightful journey. I still remember re-reading over and over again, at various stages in the story, just out of pure disbelief: and each time I would argue out loud with Mr. Kay because of events that were unfolding in front of me that I couldn't believe he would allow too happen in this world he had created. Having read this book in my early teens had a far greater impact than any novel read for school. It is not a typical fantasy novel where magic exists as a substitute for religion or science. Although a magic spell is the major source of conflict in this book, I don't think that the story could be told without it. And yet, at the same time, the story has nothing at all to do with magic: the characters supercede it. Once again, if you have not read this book, you may gladly borrow my copy. I promise you that you will not be disappointed.
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Summary: My choice for Greatest Fantasy Ever.
Review: And I do not say so lightly. I read it first a number of years ago, and was blown away by everything about the book. The characters are fully realized, every single one, even the villains; it is rare that an author can make you so sympathize with his villain that you can imagine yourself, in his position, doing exactly as the author had him do -- and hating yourself for it, even as Brandin does. The basic plot is nothing new -- a band of freedom fighters struggling against tall odds to throw off an oppressive foreign yoke -- but then, the Bard himself stole virtually all of his material. And what is done within that framework is fresh and original, captivating and engrossing enough that I read it in one sitting (and this is a 400+ page novel). The setting is, as others have noted, loosely based on the historical balkanized Italy (and he has gone to Spain and France in Al-Rassan and Arbonne, since then). This is perhaps the only place where Kay does not measure up to others in the fantasy craft; Tolkein, Williams, and LeGuin have proven their ability to pull worlds out of whole cloth. But even if Kay has plagiarized history in his foundation, the fact that it is historical makes it firmer, and the details that he builds atop it glitter without threatening to collapse under its own weight. The wordsmithing is worthy of a master of the craft. It is clear that Kay learned something from his work in Fionavar, which I thought was good but not great; this was great. And back to the characters, again. The characters are the heart of the story, and what makes everything, ultimately, work. There have been two novels that I have read to date that have made me cry while reading them. One was Hugo's Les Miserables; the other was Tigana. Kay knows how to tug the heartstrings and cut to the quick, but all the pathos in the world will do nothing if the reader does not believe in the character; Kay makes you believe. Read this book, if you have not already.
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Summary: The most beautiful book I have ever read
Review: This is an exquisitely heart-breaking novel, and it makes me cry every time I read it. It is the genious portrayal of the the complexities of character, both good and evil, that are present in all people, and the moral dilema of a woman torn between love of a man and love of her country. Beautifully characterized and very well written, Tigana wins hands down as my favorite book of all time.
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