I have read a few of Guy Gavriel Kay's books and enjoyed them very much; they are in fact vastly superior to the usual wizard and sword epics. His writing style is smooth and elegant, the turns of his plot often surprising and the worlds he conjures up seem real and convincing - probably because he bases them on what we know of ancient societies. The author understands that magic on its own is boring; to be effective supernatural elements need to be just a small part of the interplay between character, plot and atmosphere.



However, I found Tigana very disappointing.At first I was intrigued to see a gay character play a vital - and heroic role - but disappointingly this interesting character was killed off very quickly and we were left with the usual fantasy crew of lost princes, grumpy wizards, loyal friends and impossibly beautiful women. It seems that all male fantasy writers find it easier to imagine a man capable of slipping out of his body than a woman who looks well, just like a woman. And these heroic women - as well as stunning every man they meet - have sex and never worry about getting pregnant, never struggle with their periods and they are all so annoyingly knowing and arch. They are male fantasy figures, not real people and since the author is trying to bed his spells and sorcery in reality this matters.

Also, it is all a bit too easy for our gallant band of lost princes and supermodels - I think the novel would have benefited from more struggle and hardship - and too many strands are left dangling and unexplored. The night walkers appeared out of nowhere and disappeared again, and why did one of the wizards do something for one character but not for another; that was an interesting theme that was just abandoned.

There was one satisfying twist at the ending, but overall the last few chapters were rushed and unconvincing.

I hope one day that this talented author writes a book peopled by reluctant heroes, gay characters and women who can't bring a market place to a halt just by buying a pair of gloves.