Tigana

Springtime morning in Avalle
And I don't care what the priests say;
I'm going down to the river today
On a springtime morning in Avalle.

When I'm all grown up, come what may,
I'll build a boat to carry me away
And the river will take it to Tigana Bay
And the sea even further from Avalle.

But wherever I wander, by night or by day,
Where water runs swiftly or high trees sway,
My heart will carry me back and away
To a dream of the towers of Avalle.

A dream of my home in Avalle.

The story:
Two sorcerers have split the Palm between them; four countries each, and the last remains free. But for one of the countries this is more than an occupation. For they killed the sorcerer Brandin's son, and for that, a terrible price has been paid.

With his magic, Brandin has torn away the memory of their country, and noone not born in Tigana can hear, or remember, its name.

Into this conflict, young Devin is thrown. To kill one of the tyrants will only permit the other to gain control over the whole penisula. So they must both die at the same time.

And Devin teams up with Alessan, who is the son of the prince of forgotten Tigana, in a fight to conquer the tyrants and to win back the name of their home country.

Thoughts about the book:
I think this is so far his best book. After Fionavar, he has taken off in his own direction. Though the characters might still be close to perfect, there is the same depth in them as in the characters of the Fionavar Tapestry.

The story is slightly more original, and he has some twists that makes it new, and exciting. And what I really like is the end. There are a few surprises; oh, of course, the big plot line, like, the good guys win, is not a surprise, but the way it happens, and what happens to various characters, that might be a bit surprising.

The book is my list of "must read"-books.

About the author Guy Gavriel Kay

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