Guy Gavriel Kay: Tigana

The Peninsula of the Palm has been divided between two sorcerous tyrants. There's a peace, now, as the tyrants rule and people gets on with their lives. Only one province has no peace. The forces of Tigana killed the son of one of the tyrants. In revenge, there's a dark spell over Tigana, wiping its name out of existence as soon as the last living person from Tigana dies.

There's an underground resistance movement, of course, fighting for Tigana. But how can a group of people, working under cover, defeat the tyrant - and the other tyrant at the same time - when the armies of the nine provinces failed in that task?

Tigana is Kay at his best: epic fantasy for adults. It's a wonderful mixture of gloomy events, glimpses of hope and moments of triumph. This one's highly recommended; it's a very good starting point if you're interested in Kay's work. [ Tigana at Amazon.co.uk ] [ Tigana at LibraryThing ]