Reviews with content warning for War - Tigana

Reviews tagging 'War'

Tigana by Guy Gavriel Kay

11 reviews

birdkeeperklink's review against another edition

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dark sad tense slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

1.5

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megan1002's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging dark emotional tense slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

This story was really not what I expected. I honestly came here looking for the political intrigue that often came with books about war and the intricate magic of high fantasy—both of which I didn't get. Instead, what I got is the bone deep and inter-generational trauma of colonization and genocide and the ultimate greyness of humanity's morality. This isn't what I expected but I can't say I hate it. Somehow this story, despite being fiction, felt real. Though, until the end I still felt confusion—as compared to how about 20% through other stories I have enough of an understanding of the worldbuilding to get what's going on—I don't hate it? This books, is filled to the brim with history, not only of its world, but the individual lives in it. There is so much going on, rich stories in every page, interwoven together, and inner monologues of characters that force you to confront the greyness of your own morality, that you just can't help but feel confused. And I think it adds to the experience. That one sex scene made me uncomfortable though.

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benditlikebecka's review against another edition

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adventurous dark emotional inspiring mysterious reflective sad tense slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

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risaleel's review against another edition

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adventurous reflective tense slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.5

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pineapplesurvivor's review against another edition

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adventurous hopeful lighthearted slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

1.75

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darikoz's review against another edition

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adventurous dark emotional mysterious reflective tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.0

problematic elements overshadow beautiful prose, and interesting plotlines

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novelideea's review against another edition

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dark medium-paced

2.0

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thecriticalreader's review against another edition

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adventurous dark emotional hopeful inspiring reflective tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

Why I Read It:

I borrowed Tigana by Guy Gavriel Kay from my library because I loved A Song for Arbonne.

Review:

Guy Gavriel Kay is an amazing storyteller, and Tigana exemplifies his abilities. Despite the book’s grand scope and numerous point-of-view chapters, the central thread of the story remains strong. The characters are so complex and well-written that at times Kay made me root for the villain and denounce the heroes. Their actions serve as fascinating explorations into trauma and grief’s role in morality. His world feels real and textured, but he does not indulge in any unnecessary paragraphs describing aspects of the world just for the sake of it. Kay also has a strong grasp of how politics—both at the macro and micro level— are shaped by the environment, the actions of individual rulers, chance, and the actions of common people.

My favorite part of Tigana is the ending. It is rare that I find a book with an ending as perfect as this one. He somehow manages to produce a satisfying, dramatic, well-earned ending (with a twist!) that perfectly balances between triumph and believability, conclusion and open-endedness.

My only complaints about this book lie in minor details. There is a wholly gratuitous (non-consensual) sex scene that probably should not have made the final cut, mostly because it feels like a horny indulgence on the part of the author rather than a scene in service of the story. Additionally, the choice to have the only character of color actually be a white person in disguise gave me pause. These sorts of problems did not really detract from my enjoyment of the story, but I could see why someone else might take issue with them.

The Run-Down:

You will probably like Tigana if:

· You like epic fantasy books

· You appreciate a well-told story with complex characters, strong worldbuilding, and a masterfully crafted plot

You might not like Tigana if:

· You don’t like reading books with multiple point-of-views

· You struggle to keep track of multiple characters and storylines

· You prefer morally “clean” protagonists

· You’re not in the mood for a dark story

A Similar Book:

A Song of Ice and Fire by George R.R. Martin. Similarities between these books include:

· Fantasy setting