Tigana

I don't think epic/high fantasy is for me, I thought, shortly after starting Tigana. I was so confused. There were so many characters and multiple locations and timelines. I kept at it, though, and what I realised is that reading this book was like making a new friend. In the beginning, a lot of their life experiences make no sense because I have no context. Over time, I'm able to fit all the little bits ‘n' bobs into a whole that gives me a better understanding of and closer relationship to that person.

A lifetime of experience was squashed into this dense, emotional novel. It is beautifully written and most of the story is told very well. I couldn't get into the sections about Alberico; they were boring. The ending wasn't entirely satisfying. I like things wrapped up neatly at the end, and it bothered me greatly that Scelto defied Dianora and didn't tell the prince the truth about his father. It bothered me also that after half a lifetime of yearning, brother and sister were not only not united, but that Baerd missed Dianora by mere moments and never discovered the truth of the choices she made and all that she sacrificed.