Rating: 
Summary: COOL!!!
Review: This is what books are supposed to be, nice light reading, with humour and adventure to take a person away from thier real life. This book does just that and more! I cant wait to read the sequel. Buy this book for the next time its raining and you wish to be taken away....
Rating: 
Summary: Reluctant Hero
Review: This is your typical reluctant hero story. It was interesting enough to keep me reading and finish the book. I gave it three stars because it was a good story, but it lacked the gripping feeling that leaves me wanting more.
Rating:
Summary: Intelligent fantasy at its finest.
Review: This review contains minor-medium spoilers.Lady in Gil is really a wonderful book. Not only is the story captivating, the writing is good as well. It's not overly intellectual, making the reader feel stupid; nor is it simplistic barely bolstering a shaky plot. The thrust of the story is simple: generations of Scions struggle to overtake their captured ancestral land. Lord Tigrallef would most likely not have seen combat -- had his brother not lost his leg. Tigrallef (Tig as he becomes known) journeys to the cesspit land of Gil to find the ancient divine artifact known as "the Lady". In Tig, one sees the process of character development clearly; the maturing of a character as he struggles through trial and tribulation. He is an alienated person thrust into an alienated land, and the outcome is most interesting. If you'd like a good read that doesn't take too much time, Lady in Gil is for you. My only regret was that the book was not longer. It's definetly an "I can't quite put this down just yet" affair with words. To be sure, there were a few minor problems. The Lady seems absurdly powerful at the end, even though what was going to happen was set up from around mid-book. What ended up happening with Shree, while hinted at, seemed too sudden. I would have loved to see more chapters, more character development. In a way, the pace of the book suited the crumbling city of Gil; someone hesitant with a bright flash here and there making you eager to streak past some of the more sedate parts. The rest of the ending, what happened with Tig's circumstance and the Flamen attitude towards the city as well as the reactions of the world, were very realistic. It is definetly worth at least one read. I found it worth more than that; you may as well. Despite some slowness, I am very eager to read the next two books.
Rating:
Summary: Exceptional
Review: This was an exceptional book. It was okay for most ages, it reminded me of Marion Zimmer Bradley books, but Rebecca has a style of her own. The unlikely hero thing was great, Tigrallef was funny and serious, all at once. It was great.
Rating:
Summary: Great Writing and Great Characters
Review: Tig is a reluctant 'hero'. He thought he had escaped the duty of the princes of his family by becoming a librarian - something he loved. However, an unfortunate accident by his very heroic elder brother leads him being sent to find the 'lady in gil' and save his homeland island of Gil from invaders who have held for the last 70 years. Tig is great character, intelligent and sceptical of heroics - and their ability to get you killed quick. The story is told with a realism and a regard for the consequences of actions rare in fantasy novels. The author has also given Tig a great dry sense of humor. I'm reading the second book at the moment, and it's also excellent. So far these have been much better than your 'average' fantasy. An author whose work I intend to keep an eye out for from now.
Rating:
Summary: You'll finish the series
Review: Very well written book with well-rounded characters. There was even a touch of dry humor, which made the main character easier to relate to. What I liked most about the story was that the characters were not the most beautiful, intellegent, and outstanding physique all wrapped up in one body. I also didn't expect the story to end in the way it did, which is always a good thing, since I'm the queen at guessing the end on almost every book I read. Definite worth your time.
Rating:
Summary: Great Realism but Horrid Predictability
Review: Well, I was immediately taken to the bookworm-turned-reluctant-hero. After all, those of us who read fantasy are usually all bookrooms secretly wanting to be heroes. The grungy realism of Gil and the political situation on the island transported me there, faster than most other books. I was afraid not only for the characters, but also felt the danger to myself. Kind of spooky! I don't want to ruin the tale for anyone, but the revelation of some of the characters toward the end was a bit predictable and too pat. All that said, I stayed up until 2:00 a.m. finishing this book--evem when I had to go to work at 7:00 a.m. the next day! It held me spellbound for the entire evening. If you are looking for a few hours' escape from this world which will lead you back appreciating your own world much more--this is the book! Read this book and enjoy!
Rating:
Summary: One of the Great Undiscovered Works
Review: Why, why is John Grisham famous, or Danielle Steel, or Robert Jordan, when Rebecca Bradley languishes relatively undiscovered? Lady in Gil is one of those marvellous books where one begins reading without expectation, becomes delighted partway through the first paragraph, and by the turn of the first page know that one is in the hands of a great, not good, writer. I'm not ordinarily a fan of secondary world fantasy, but those I read I read in the hopes of their being half as good as this book is--funny, poignant, charming, exciting, different. The protagonist is an archivist, forced into hero-ness after all the previous, better-suited heroes had failed at their task. The story is suprising, exceedingly well-written, and the subsequent two novels do not disappoint. Please, read it. Then tell two friends. Note: a 3 star ranking from me is actually pretty good; I reserve 4 stars for tremendously good works, and 5 only for the rare few that are or ought to be classic; unfortunately most books published are 2 or less.
Rating: 
Summary: a disappointment
Review: with the addition of carol berg's books i was hoping that amazon was finally reccommending stuff for me that i would like, but lady of gil turned out to be a real disappointment. it is extremely plot driven, whereas i prefer character driven work. in addition, the characters are unbelievable and the plot cheesy. the author seems entranced with her own cleverness, and i didn't think she was very clever. figures with authority have titles like "primate". there is no reason to feel fear or care about the characters and i put the book down before finishing.
Rating:
Summary: Beautifully told fantasy
Review: Years ago, before the advent of internet shopping, I used to journey to the city a few times a year, to visit bookstores that carried imported British science fiction. This book, first published in Britain, reminds me why British fantasy remains among the best. In "Lady in Gil" Rebecca Bradley has managed to take that classic fantasy plot of the reluctant hero, and turn it in to something that is uniquely and wholly her own. From the first, the reader suspects that the scholarly and hopelessly unathletic Tigrallef will make a far better hero than his musclebound and unimaginative brother. The wonder of the story is in how Tigrallef achieves this transformation, as the author turns familiar cliches on their head, culminating in Tigrallef being transformed into something that even he did not expect-- a genuine hero, who achieves success for his people, but at a terrible cost to himself. Here's hoping that Ace will soon release the sequel in the US.
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