This was an interesting one for me - I admired it a lot, the complexity, the detail, the thought clearly put in - but I never loved it. It felt too technical for that, and I felt the author's presence manipulating the threads of the story too much. But I still liked its scope, and I admired the skill it took to write.
I consider Tigana to be the first of Kay's more "typical" books, of which Under Heaven is probably the best. The Fionavar Tapestry is definitely a different sort of thing entirely, and Ysabel has more in common with it than with the rest of Kay's work. So you've read a somewhat unrepresentative sample. Tigana is the most like A Song for Arbonne, I think; later books move away from explicit fantasy and towards a slightly fantasy-tinged alternate-world historical.
Despite quite liking Tigana, it's in the bottom half of Kay's books for me. That's because the other ones are so good.
When I first heard of Kay, the writer who was singing his praises described his work as "fake historical fantasy." So I definitely get what you mean. I've got quite a ways to go to catch up on his work!
I have not read Tigana in years, but I have a few clear memories of it. I remember really liking it, and not liking the rest of Kay's work nearly as much as Tigana. I recall being completely and utterly TICKED that there were no more books in this series. This never felt like a stand-alone novel to me, and while the ending wasn't a cliff hanger, it was unsatisfying to me. It was so damn good though that I still recommend it to folks.
So I read this book for the first time this month. Like you, I've had it in my TBR pile for several years now and was glad for an excuse to get to it.
I really liked it. I especially like Dianora's emotional complexity, but I also enjoyed the Devin POV. I agree that there were parts of the book that were a bit infodumpish. I thought those parts were well-done, but it took me a while to get through them.
As far as the role of women goes, I do note that both Dianora and Catriona exert power through the sexual manipulation of men. That makes me a little uneasy, but I find myself accepting it because both women are complex characters with real motivations and not cardboard figures just there to have an effect on men.
Dionara and Catriona do both seem really isolated from other women though. This book just BARELY passes the Bechdel test.
As far as the role of women goes, I do note that both Dianora and Catriona exert power through the sexual manipulation of men. That makes me a little uneasy, but I find myself accepting it because both women are complex characters with real motivations and not cardboard figures just there to have an effect on men.
Good call. Devin's a horndog, but he's just giving into hormones. Dianora, Catriana, and Alienor (sp?) all use sex as a means of something more. Though the latter, I'm still not quite sure what she's getting at....
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http://www.eyrie.org/~eagle/reviews/books/0-451-45115-5.html
I consider Tigana to be the first of Kay's more "typical" books, of which Under Heaven is probably the best. The Fionavar Tapestry is definitely a different sort of thing entirely, and Ysabel has more in common with it than with the rest of Kay's work. So you've read a somewhat unrepresentative sample. Tigana is the most like A Song for Arbonne, I think; later books move away from explicit fantasy and towards a slightly fantasy-tinged alternate-world historical.
Despite quite liking Tigana, it's in the bottom half of Kay's books for me. That's because the other ones are so good.
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When I first heard of Kay, the writer who was singing his praises described his work as "fake historical fantasy." So I definitely get what you mean. I've got quite a ways to go to catch up on his work!
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Ysabel's was obvious. I don't recall noting anything in Under Heaven....
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I really liked it. I especially like Dianora's emotional complexity, but I also enjoyed the Devin POV. I agree that there were parts of the book that were a bit infodumpish. I thought those parts were well-done, but it took me a while to get through them.
As far as the role of women goes, I do note that both Dianora and Catriona exert power through the sexual manipulation of men. That makes me a little uneasy, but I find myself accepting it because both women are complex characters with real motivations and not cardboard figures just there to have an effect on men.
Dionara and Catriona do both seem really isolated from other women though. This book just BARELY passes the Bechdel test.
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Good call. Devin's a horndog, but he's just giving into hormones. Dianora, Catriana, and Alienor (sp?) all use sex as a means of something more. Though the latter, I'm still not quite sure what she's getting at....
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