Lady in Gil

Lady in Gil is the first of a trilogy that follows the adventures of Tigrallef. Told in first person narrative, the novel has a punch lacking in quite a few fantasy novels with a quest storyline. Put simply, a nasty group of conquerors, the Sherank, have brutally acquired Tig's homeland. The conquered native people are treated viciously, but a group of exiles keeps trying to retake what was once theirs.Within the boundaries of the conquered kingdom lies a statue said to have powers that would defeat the Sherank if only one of the exiled Scions could but get his hands on it. Unfortunately, the first string Scion has a mishap that sidelines him. His brother Tig, a glorified librarian/historian, is selected to replace him as a last resort.Lady in Gil is a stand alone book. One does not need to read the other two books that follow, but most will feel compelled to continue reading about Tig and his misadventures. Rebecca Bradley does a masterful job of characterization, but her strongest point is plot development and pace. She is a savvy writer that delivers a completely satisfying story full of love interest, betrayal, humor, despair, and perhaps one of the most intriguing harems ever detailed within any fantasy work.

This review contains minor-medium spoilers.Lady in Gil is really a wonderful book. Not only is the story captivating, the writing is good as well. It's not overly intellectual, making the reader feel stupid; nor is it simplistic barely bolstering a shaky plot. The thrust of the story is simple: generations of Scions struggle to overtake their captured ancestral land. Lord Tigrallef would most likely not have seen combat -- had his brother not lost his leg. Tigrallef (Tig as he becomes known) journeys to the cesspit land of Gil to find the ancient divine artifact known as "the Lady". In Tig, one sees the process of character development clearly; the maturing of a character as he struggles through trial and tribulation. He is an alienated person thrust into an alienated land, and the outcome is most interesting. If you'd like a good read that doesn't take too much time, Lady in Gil is for you. My only regret was that the book was not longer. It's definetly an "I can't quite put this down just yet" affair with words.To be sure, there were a few minor problems. The Lady seems absurdly powerful at the end, even though what was going to happen was set up from around mid-book. What ended up happening with Shree, while hinted at, seemed too sudden. I would have loved to see more chapters, more character development. In a way, the pace of the book suited the crumbling city of Gil; someone hesitant with a bright flash here and there making you eager to streak past some of the more sedate parts. The rest of the ending, what happened with Tig's circumstance and the Flamen attitude towards the city as well as the reactions of the world, were very realistic. It is definetly worth at least one read. I found it worth more than that; you may as well. Despite some slowness, I am very eager to read the next two books.

Tig is a reluctant 'hero'. He thought he had escaped the duty of the princes of his family by becoming a librarian - something he loved. However, an unfortunate accident by his very heroic elder brother leads him being sent to find the 'lady in gil' and save his homeland island of Gil from invaders who have held for the last 70 years.Tig is great character, intelligent and sceptical of heroics - and their ability to get you killed quick. The story is told with a realism and a regard for the consequences of actions rare in fantasy novels. The author has also given Tig a great dry sense of humor.I'm reading the second book at the moment, and it's also excellent. So far these have been much better than your 'average' fantasy. An author whose work I intend to keep an eye out for from now.

Years ago, before the advent of internet shopping, I used to journey to the city a few times a year, to visit bookstores that carried imported British science fiction. This book, first published in Britain, reminds me why British fantasy remains among the best.In "Lady in Gil" Rebecca Bradley has managed to take that classic fantasy plot of the reluctant hero, and turn it in to something that is uniquely and wholly her own. From the first, the reader suspects that the scholarly and hopelessly unathletic Tigrallef will make a far better hero than his musclebound and unimaginative brother. The wonder of the story is in how Tigrallef achieves this transformation, as the author turns familiar cliches on their head, culminating in Tigrallef being transformed into something that even he did not expect-- a genuine hero, who achieves success for his people, but at a terrible cost to himself.Here's hoping that Ace will soon release the sequel in the US.

I've only just started this book, but I love it already. Tigrallef, a young clumsy and bookworm-ish memorian, is content spending his life surrounded by books. His people, the Scions, have been exiled from their lands----and the only way to re-claim them is to find the legendary Lady of Gil----a statue of mytical powers. When Tigrallef's brother loses a leg (the brother put his leg armour on backwards and broke his leg in three places, eventually leading to it being amputated), no one but Tig is left to go on this quest. And so he goes . . . reluctant but accepting! Tig reminds me of myself . . . awkward and clumsy, but at least intellegent and with a remarkable sense of humor. This book is wonderfully ironic, yet at the same time Rebecca Bradley spins a magnificent fantasy yarn. This is a great book for anyone who likes imaginative, ironic, and fun yet serious fantasy. Read it!