Tigana
Tigana, by Guy Gavriel Kay.
Made me cry three or four times. Just beautiful.
Tigana doesn't exist anymore. The King of Ygrath took away the name of the place, from the memory of everyone else in the Peninsula. But those who were too young to fight in the last battle still know the name that no one else can even hear when spoken aloud.
The two sorcerers who have conquered the Peninsula between themselves are each playing long-term games, risking their lives and their lands and their futures, but then, so is everyone else. Some to kill, some to protect, some to raise up the magic of a land never known for it, some -- unwillingly, unplanned -- for love.
And here is the thing that will rock your world if you've never read Kay: even the bad guys are dimensioned characters.
Incredible. Certainly, the theme -- of the importance of name and language and memory -- are things that resonate deeply with many of us. To name a thing is to know its true nature (and so on). Kay takes this idea and builds something truly unique. I am so glad
Chris turned me onto Kay when we first met.
