Tigana

August 29, 1990
Kay ( The Fionavar Tapestry ) brings to life a layered, pragmatic world of magic and difficult choices, where brutality and beauty coexist. Eight of the nine provinces of the Peninsula of the Palm, on a world with two moons, have fallen to the warrior sorcerers Brandin of Ygrath and Alberico of Barbadior. Brandin's younger son is slain in a battle with the principality of Tigana, which the grief-stricken sorcerer then destroys. Years later, a small band of survivors, led by Alessan, last prince of Tigana's royal house, wages psychological warfare, planting seeds for the overthrow of the two tyrants. At the center of these activities are Devin, a gifted young singer; Catriana, a young woman pursued by suspicions of her family's guilt; and Duke Sandre d'Astibar, a wily resistance leader thought dead. Meanwhile, at Brandin's court, Dianora, his favorite concubine and--unknown to anyone, another survivor of Tigana--struggles between her growing love for the often gentle tyrant and her desire for vengeance. Gradually the scene is set for both conquerors to destroy each other and free a land. Tolkien protege Kay's brilliant and complex portrayal of good and evil, high and low, will draw readers to this consuming epic.

Only those who were born in Tigana can speak or hear its name and remember their homeland. But a small resistance band begins to gather in hopes of driving out the sorcerer who tried to wipe out Tigana. Simon Vance is a consummate storyteller. His characterizations are vivid and nuanced. Through an extensive repertoire of accents and judicious use of pace and tone, he differentiates a large number of characters. Vance creates a feeling of intimacy that is effective in maintaining a sense of engagement with the characters and the events that are unfolding. His narration skills are particularly welcome in a book of this length. J.E.M. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award (c) AudioFile 2011, Portland, Maine