THE DRAGONBONE CHAIR: MEMORY SORROW THORN - REVIEW
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- Опубликовано: 10 мар 2020
- My review of Memory Sorrow Thorn's The Dragonbone Chair, by Tad Williams.
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Hey, Daniel, a little behind the scenes info for you. Tad & Pat Rothfuss & myself all have the same literary agent. And this particular agent specializes in large epic fantasy with well-written prose. So good on you for spotting the high high level of quality writing in both Tad & Pat.
Well now I want to read something of yours. Which book should I start with?
The Forgetting Moon & The Blackest Heart are books #1 & 2 in my Five Warrior Angel series. They kinda go together. U can find them at any Barnes & Noble or on Amazon or Audible. And thanks!!
@@B.LEE.DbrianleedurfeeREVIEWS Hey, no problemo! Always looking for new authors, and if you share a literary agent with authors of that pedigree... well, I'm in!
Brian Lee Durfee Reviews just picked it up on Audible. Looking forward to checking it out!
Yes! Your book was the one that help me discover Tad Williams. Your book shelf video had me taken aback. You're a really dedicated reader 📚
I have a soft spot for Tad Williams. He wrote another series called 'Otherlands' and it was refreshing and nice to see characters from South Africa portrayed in the way he did.
I read the first Otherlands when it first came out but I had trouble getting part 2. I really do need to revisit that series.
Otherland series is AMAZING!!! His scope and near prophetic look into tech mixed with the -no spoilers- fantasy elements is something truly special!
A few years back, I read The Dirty Streets of Heaven and was pleasantly surprised, I didn't think of Tad Williams as an urban fantasy writer. I highly suggest this book and the sequels, Bobby Dollar is as entertaining a character as anything you'll find in Neil Gaiman or Jim Butcher....
John Lance agreed.
add my adulation to the Otherland series
I read this nearly 30 years ago. I loved it so much, I and named my son Josua.
My brother is named Simon because my mom loves it too.
Who are the Norns really and what do they want?
@@arthurcosta9482 Have you read the other books? It’s still a legit question if you have, but if you haven’t I wouldn’t want to spoil it.
@@fenzelian Man I can't read English, and MS&T hasn't been translated into Portuguese yet but I know the plot itself and yes I know that Inuluki despite being the GOD of the Norns he was the son of a Sith. I happen to be a fan of ASOAIF and IN CASE you don't know ASOAIF is derived from MS&T, the Others are a COPY of the Norns hauahuauh the only thing I want to understand is what the connection of the Norns with the
dragons. What do they really want and why?
@@fenzelian What was Nabban's Empire? And there are only three dragons in the main quadrilogy?
I never got around to getting into Memory, Sorrow, and Thorn but man oh man his Otherland series was so so good.... :D
Finally Memory, Sorrow & Thorn
I can't believe he is reviewing this in 2020!
A tip : watch movies at flixzone. Me and my gf have been using them for watching lots of of movies these days.
I admit I was hesitant to watch this since The Dragonbone Chair is one of my favorite fantasy novels ever, so I am glad you liked it😆📚 I hope you enjoy the rest of the series enough to make a series review down the line. Thanks for doing this!
I had the exact same hesitation.
I WANT SPOILERS" Who is Norns and what WERE NABBAN?
Tad William's is one of the best writers working today. He takes so many influences from non-fantasy works, lots of historical fiction love.
Who are the Norns really and what do they want?What's their story? I can't read english so well
Memory, Sorrow, and Thorn is definitely one of my favorites. Once you get into the sequels you will be able to see how it expands and becomes more than your usual classic story. I must say that the pacing of the first book is rather slow and does turn people off. On the other hand, one of my favorite things about Tad William's are the characters. Even the side characters get a great arch. I think once you get into the series more, the characters will grow on you.
Well said
Im one of those people! Lol. Cant get over the incredibe slow slow pace.
On the subject of side characters, I love how two thirds of the way through the first book, the third person limited shifts to occasionally focus on Deornoth, a character who, up until then, was only mentioned in passing, and Deornoth, a relatively minor character, proceeds to serve as one of the three characters who the third person limited focuses on for the second and third book.
Fun fact: I looked up when this was published and it was released on October 25th 1988 which was my 9th birthday
My dad read me this trilogy when I was 10 years old-my mind was literally blown because it really change did a lot about what I knew of fantasy-the classic Good vs Evil dichotomy, etc. since my only prior exposure was Harry Potter and LOTR-and it honestly established a lot of my taste. I probably didn’t understand most of it, and I should definitely reread, but it really was foundational for me and my taste in fantasy :)
This is probably my favorite epic fantasy series from start to finish. I love the cultures Williams created and how they interact. Glad you’re enjoying it!
I know a lot of authors and other creators have described the Hero's Journey and we all have our favorites (Luke Skywalker, Frodo Baggins, Rand, etc, etc....), but Simon's growth in this trilogy from a lowly kitchen boy to grown man is a work of art, I found myself going back to the first book again and again to remind myself of how humble Simon's beginning really was. I consider it the gold standard for this well-established but still meaningful trope.
PLEASE continue with the individual reviews for Malazan!
The Iron Throne, The Dragonbone Chair...
Can't wait for the Mythril Couch.
Where do you think GRRM got his "inspiration" from?
Or The Adamantine Stool
The Carbon Rocker
The daedric LaZBoy
The porcelain throne, from where I rule my household
I read this 16 years ago while riding the school bus and listening to my first Underoath cd. Any time I want some nostalgia, I play Underoath and I swear I can smell the book book glue, feel the bus rumbling, it’s wild.
That's an interesting combination. Did the CD happen to be The Changing of Times, or one of the newer ones?
Guy Gavriel Kay might be another author worth looking into for amazing prose. I just finished reading Tigana a couple months ago and it was absolutely fantastic.
Agreed. GGK has the most eloquent, graceful prose of any author I have read within the fantasy genre.
I was just about to recommend him too, but you beat me to the punch.
Williams' prose is absolutely great, but I think Kay has the best prose in the business right now. (And if it helps, Brandon Sanderson agrees with me; his recommendation is how I started reading Kay.) Plus, the "exhaustive historical accuracy, but with the names and a few elements changed, plus some magic" that he's famous for is a really interesting paradigm. Even when he's writing more traditional fantasy (i.e. the Fionavar Tapestry) you can tell he thoroughly researched everything, and built the setting from the ground up based on an understanding of history and mythology, much like Tolkien. But yeah, all that aside, the prose is amazing.
Tigana is such a beautiful story, every detail is still stuck with me, even after 5 years.
I was troubled by the portrayal of some of the women in Tigana, but other than that, it was a pretty good read! The ending has some of the most masterfully executed elements I've ever experienced, and it added so much depth to the story (if you've read it, you know what I mean).
Prose was pretty good, but I sometimes felt as though it was a little flowery for the sake of being flowery. That's just personal preference, though.
Yes, GGK is so good. I would recommend skipping Fionovar Tapestry as it was pretty derivative and just plain bad (at least what I read, got disgusted and quit), but I chalked that up to being his first novel and he was still learning the ropes. Fortunately Tigana was my first GGK read so I knew what he was capable of. Lions of Al Rassan was probably my favorite.
This Review makes me so happy. I have a soft spot for this series. It was basically my introduction into epic fantasy. But your review actually mirrors the feelings I had after first reading. It truly gets even better in future. Just an example: I almost cried when I began reading the following Series, set 30 Years after the events of the first Books, just because of meeting the old characters again.
Omg I bawled my eyes out reading the first book of the Last King of Osten Ard. It felt like meeting old friends. I was obsessed with MS&T when I was I a teenager. His new books got me reading fantasy again (got me reading at all actually), which I did not do for a couple of years. I have so much love for his work
So excited to finally hear your thoughts on this! Memory, Sorrow, and Thorn was the first non-Tolkien Fantasy I read as a kid and it directly turned me into the Wheel of Time (Tad Williams was cited as a comparison in a NY Times review if I remember correctly). Thanks for posting this; criticism and all. I think you’ll be surprised at how much the next book opens things up...
I'm so glad you're doing Tad Williams. His books are what got me into epic fantasy. I would love you're take on Otherland but they are dense books :) highly recommended though
Also, those side plots definitely become emotionally impactful and wonderful.
Thanks for the review. I really enjoyed this book and I've collected a couple more Tad Williams books from another series. This is the kind of fantasy I like best. I promise to start reading WOT soon.
Yay!!!!! FINALLY!!!
Ok,
So hang in there on the character work. Apart from Nynaeve, Simon ended up being my favorite character ever. This is very much a growth.
Also be mindful these were published in the late 80’s....soooo not really “modern” times then but today’s standards.
Lastly, Williams is SOOOOOO NICE and would almost def do an interview. He’s literally behind Jordan and Sanderson on my favorites list. 3rd.
How is Nynaeve your favorite character? She was my least favorite of the main WOT cast, to the point where i couldnt stand her at some points
arte0021 because I understand her. If you don’t like her you don’t GET her.
Let’s layer this...
She’s 27 years old. Worked her ass off to get where she’s at and deeply cares for her people. But she looks 15. People still call her “child”.
Then, someone who she doesn’t trust comes along and snatches 4 young folks who are somewhere in between her own kids and her younger siblings.
She’s protective, pissed, disrespected, feels obligated to leave the rest of her flock. Then, she’s better at 90% of things than most other people ...and they still don’t listen.
At the end of the day, despite her pride, despite her anger issues, she’s frustrated because she cares SO MUCH and rarely do things go they she needs them to. She is the ONLY ONE to ALWAYS see Rand for Rand first and foremost...even above his destiny (spoiler free attempt here). She is also the only one power user he trust implicitly throughout the series because he knows her heart because her heart sees him.
As the sister to 3 younger dumbass brothers who I love with my whole heart and won’t ever listen to me to save their lives....I FEEL this woman.
This was a very insightful character analysis.
@@tracib.7725 just reading that makes me like her more!
Courtney King wonderful! ❤️
Funny you should mention recommending this to people who don't like WoT. I've tried to read WoT twice and both times never made it to the end of the third book. I'd put the book down intending to get back to it but wouldn't ever pick it back up again. I didn't care about any of the characters. With Williams' series, his wonderful prose immediately sucked me in and I adored almost all of the characters. I sped through books one and two and am now happily reading To Green Angel Tower. ❤
I am SO glad you finally got around to reviewing this series. It’s one of my favorites and highly under-appreciated.
When I read this, a long time ago, it became my favorite. It had a very satisfying build to a truly epic conclusion. Very satisfying!!! Looking forward to you talking more about this great series.
I just ordered the series, exited for them to come in. Hopefully covid19 doesn’t mess with the delivery date 🤞🏼
Edit: Sorry for language-mistakes, my native language is German.
Really nice to see a review of one of my alltime favourites. Williams is a big deal here in Germany. (I think it derives from the fact, that the is published by the same publisher like the German translation of Lord of the Rings over here but that is just a guess.) Considering his huge buildup I love to see Williams'works as a promise. Neraly every fact mentioned over this 1000 of pages will pay of in one way or another. Especially in his first books, which can be quite hard to read for some sections (I mean the Dragonbone chais is like 1/4 just the childhood of Simon) this is a goodthing to remember. I also agree on Daniels take on Wiiliams's prose. His novels are not just good fantasy, the are also good literature in general. (I read them translated, but the language still comes throuh). As a historian I also love the authentic feel of Osten-Ard as a wold. Just the words he uses to describe his more fantastic elements make me believe in legends of Sthi-elves in the forests, I love how grounded in history structures, speach patterns and way of thinking can be. I have to admit, that his caracters are no the deepest ore most oroginal one might ever encounter. Simon and Miriamael are straight out tropes, Binabik breaks with some mentor/fried clishees but still remains classic, the prince can be a by the book edgelord but honestly, it never bothered me that much. Williams' world just "feels" and the cahras for me were more vessels to show me, how the world feels.
What I personlly was annoyed by in the dragonbone chair, was the depiction of female characters. I don't want to strat some internet culture war here, but i could feel a lot of (unintended) sexism thrue the book. Most females make emotional, not rational decisions, they take more time to grow and their mistakes are portraied much more severe. (Compare Simons and Miramales journey). Also the last book had some conflict, concerning sexual purity, that i consideres kinda poorly handled. I don't mean, that a medieval world has other stands on these points than our present society, but the fact how it was expressed in a way, that felt just weird and not sure, if it was about innerworldly or general morals.
In William's defence, i never ahd such issues with his books again ald loved especially Otherlad for its female chars.
Hell yeah, MS&T needs more love!
Memory, Sorrow and Thorn are amazing. If you've enjoyed the first book it's a really positive sign as the large amounts of setup done in it allows for more emphasis on plot and character in the subsequent books. I'm not a big lover of Otherland, but I love Shadowmarch, and if you want prose that bridges the gap between fantasy and literary fiction it's a must. I also have a soft spot for War of the Flowers.
I was *_ecstatic_* to see you review this book for several reasons, first and foremost because it is one of my all time favorite books of all time, and the trilogy is one of my favs as well. I was also extremely pleased to see a review of an older book, something that was older than a decade. I fully agree with you that Tad Williams' prose is top notch; I've been saying for years now that this trilogy is the _most_ _beautifully_ _written_ _Fantasy_ I have ever read (yes, Rothfuss is up there, and gives Williams the run for his money, and probably _does_ beat him out, but I've read this trilogy three times and "Kingkiller" once, so I am probably a little biased, having sort of "grown up" with this one).
I do understand most of your "negatives" of this book, and one or two of them seem to stem more or less from the fact it is the first book in the trilogy, and I think once you've completed the set you will feel differently (this will especially be true of the "cutting away to another side story" aspect you discussed").
I found a bit of synchronicity in the fact that you reviewed this at this time, as I am currently reading *The* *Witchwood* *Crown,* the first book in the follow-up trilogy "The Last King of Osten Ard" (there's also a novella that takes place between the two trilogies, right after the end of "Memory, Sorrow and Thorn" titled *The* *Heart* *of* *What* *Was* *Lost.* )
Unfortunately, I haven't gotten around to other stuff by Williams, but they are on my TBR for 2020.
Ah, 90s nostalgia. Love this series :) In my opinion it also just keeps getting better. Definitely read the whole series! Guess I know what I'll reread once I've finished Warbreaker :)
Really appreciate the thoughtfulness you show at the end. I think doing First Book reviews and WYSRs/series reviews is a good idea. Usually I go back and watch the reviews of other sequels in a series if I am catching up but I typically avoid sequel reviews until I do. You’re very good at stating when you are about to drop a spoiler and good at avoiding them in non spoiler reviews. Appreciate you and your channel.
The fact that you came out of The Dragonbone Chair as positively as this is a great sign. I think much of his purpose with it was to emphatically ground the reader in the peaceful, apparently benign state of Osten Ard, so that it's deconstruction over further books is that much more powerful. He is very interested in Arthurian myths here, especially the Fisher King.
and don't forget the connections with "Faerie" and Celtic mythology. The alien qualities of the Sidhe is done so well.
Glad to see you finally review this book. A little salty that my review of it will get next to no views but I love your reviews so this will be a fun listen when I get off work! :)
Daniel, I'd definitely recommend the audiobook for this read by Andrew Wincott. Not only is the narration good but background music/soundscapes are added which helps draw the listener in even more. Not up to the level of a graphic audio production, but it definitely adds to the experience.
This is the series I read in high-school, not long after I read LotR, cementing my love of fantasy. Binabik (Binbinaqegabinik?) is still one of my top 10 favorite characters, along with !Xabbu from his Otherland series. The over-all plot was slow to develop and only had a few climactic moments, yet so many poignant scenes throughout the series are ingrained in my mind as examples of what good writing is. His attempts to raise the standards of fantasy was appreciated after having to pour through dozens of simple D&D derived stories. Instead of ripping off Tolkien's ideas, he respectfully created new races, cultures, and even languages akin to the master. Also, the original cover for the third novel is still one of my favorite monitor wallpapers - top-tier book cover art for sure.
Not related at all, but you really need to read the licanius trilogy. I know you didn’t think much of the first book, but the third is sitting at nearly 4.5 on goodreads and it absolutely deserves it. It has one of the most spectacular endings to a series in recent memory. I would love it if you could give it a second chance.
Tarrant Hightopp oooh yes! That trilogy is one of my favorites now! It’s so good! I really hope he gives it a second chance, that series deserves it.
My fucking word, that end of he second book was absolutely GLORIOUS!
Gonna finish Darkdawn and then reread the first two Licanius books and then start the 3rd.
I'm really glad to see you getting into this series. I read it about the same time as I was reading the Wheel of Time series and I was glad that this wrapped everything up in just 3 books. There was no slog just a great story. I've recently started his sequels to the original trilogy, and I envy your opportunity to read this for the first time. I look forward to a series review in due course.
Glad to see a book review for the first in a series.
I know I am 2 years late, but I just came across this video, and you have no idea how happy I am to find someone on booktube who has read Memory Sorrow and Thorn. I am glad you enjoyed it, and I hope you enjoyed books 2 and 3. I know you said you don't typically do a sequel video, but I hope I can find one of your videos where you maybe mentioned how you liked them. I am currently re-reading the trilogy, ( lost track of how many times I've read them) and tackling the beast that is To Green Angel Tower.
The first time I'd even heard of Tad Williams was from one of your unboxing videos and looked the guy up only then to realized how prolific he was in the genre. I really like discovering new (well in this case, legendary) authors thru your channel 📖
I've heard those comments about the characters in TDBC consistently. I always tell people to keep reading.
A lot of people say TDBC is boring in the beginning. I love that about it. The day to day life stuff in the beginning is soothing to me.
Thank you for this review, I was considering reading this book and now I know I should move it higher on my TBR list.
The comparison of Tad Williams prose to Patrick Rothfuss' writing, sold this for me.
I haven't read these since high school, But the Tad Williams book I seem to remember the most was the cat one. Tail Chaser's Song, maybe? Because in middle school, I was all about Watership Down and the Red Wall (at the time) Trilogy.
I also loved Redwall as a Kid and still reread Watership Down every now and then, and I'm liking these so far as well, so maybe I'll check that one out.
I am totally interested in picking this up, I have a long backlog of classic fantasy to read.
Love this series! I actually picked up the first book almost entirely because of the title. One of the best titles for a fantasy book!
Glad you finally got to this series. I’ve actually just started rereading this book this week since been 15 years. Character wise Simon becomes one of my favorites. Just have to keep on reading. This series has always been in my top 5 behind The Belgariad (#1) by David Eddings and WoT (#2). For WoT I still remember driving to the store with the flu to get the last book since I had to wait years for it to come out. Nothing better than having that last book finally. Finished the last book and went back and reread it all again!! Great review!
Why do have a desire to read every book with dragon in the title
Because dragons are cool
Dragons rule man, they just rule.
@@Ryan_Thompson_Guitarist Cant argue with that!!
Read “A Natural History of Dragons” - so different, and so dragon centered!
@@secondaccount1688
I don't know if it was that particular book or one of the others in the series (had "dragon" in title) but I was so disappointed. Got quite a bit into it and there were no dragons.
I will say the sequels do focus a lot on more on character, particularly with the princess from the first book who becomes one of my favorite characters. If there’s one thing I feel tad Williams excels at it is letting you be in a world and explore it with the characters. However, that does make it a bit jarring whenever there is significant progress with the plot. Still an amazing trilogy that I really want to read the sequel series for. Have fun, Daniel!
This book should have been in the Fantasy books titles tier list video. And it should have been an S tier
Love this series, can’t wait to see more about these books on your channel!
one of the first I read when i was a wee fantasy newbie in my early teens, always evokes fond memories
Enjoyed this review...Binibik (troll character) is one of my favorite fantasy characters. I agree with your thoughts on the other characters. Simon's cool, but I also had trouble with the pacing. I look forward to your future reviews of this series!
Read this a couple months ago and I’m going to pick up the second book soon. Wanted to read some classic fantasy and this hit the spot. I wasn’t gripped with the story, but intrigued to see where it develops.
I'm so excited to see you are reading this series. The first book was my least favorite because Simon is young. I get annoyed with young characters. I hope you stick with it because It really picks up in the next books. I think you'll start to connect with the characters soon :) I even had a couple of book slam/walk away to collect myself moments...and that doesn't happen often for me.
It is interesting how newer readers of fantasy (and in terms of your reading life to mine you "newer" but very well read) that magic SYSTEMS are so important. I don't mind them, but don't require them. Magic is a tool, but I don't need a deep system to cling on to for me to like fantasy. Story, characters, plot matter far more.
THE! episode Ive been waiting for since I found and subscribed to your channel. My favorite fantasy by my favorite author.
I am excited to see how your reviews develop as you go through this trilogy. I loved it, I don't judge those that don't. I did find out that he is writing NEW books for this world.
I discovered this book series by browsing a wallpapers website that linked to the artists' webpages, then browsed the artist's portfolio, then saw the description of a really cool picture and saw it was a commission for a book cover. Oh? Looked up the book. Huh, sounds a little interesting. Did anyone I know on booktube review it? Daniel Greene?! You don't say!
Tad's Bobby Dollar series is modern and approachable but with his same legendary level of prose.
Everyone needs to read that series. Today.
I and my flatmates were fortunate enough to spend a few hours with Tad WIlliams when he visited New Zealand sometime around 1990. I am so glad you enjoyed his work, I do too, he is a pretty damn good wordsmith. I know it doesn't mean much about his works, but he's also a really nice guy.
I read this series and felt pretty similar to how you described your first book experience.
I will say that for me, his "Otherland" series is a pretty epic sci/fi read.
And as far as s/f authors go, HIGHLY recommend Alistair Reynolds..... Really, read "Diamond Dogs, Turquoise Days", small book of stories in his universe that will let you know if you want to read his bigger stuff :-)
Always like watching ur videos!!! thanks for the book review!!
Tad Williams’ Otherland is my absolute favorite sci fi book series
It is epic! The opening paragraphs sucked me in instantly. Of course, I was already a MS&T fan. Tad Williams if my absolute favourite author EVER!!
Besides the book talk I really look forward to these morning videos just to hear that beat drop at the end lol
*timidly raises hand*
But what about “The Dragonbone Throne?” Too rhyme-y?
Do you want to sit on my draggin' bone throne?
Favorite position.
***Spoiler***
Not too rhymy, too pretentious. At the end it ended up being just a fucking fancy chair the whole time.
Your comments at 3:51 sum up my thoughts very nicely, it made it very difficult for me to stay engaged in the book.
I read it around the time it come out and enjoyed it at the time but had all but forgotten about it until this review. Had to google Tad Williams to get a refresher on it and may put it on my TBRe-read list.
Dragon Bone Chair was one of my first fantasy book series after reading The Chronicles of Narnia, I need to go back and read it again. I remember it being very good.
The Swedish translation of this book becomes "The Throne of Dragonbone"... I think it's because it's used as a throne in the book, maybe....?
I can't decide which one sounds better
I read Dragonbone Chair a few years ago and still need to continue it. I highly enjoyed Dragonbone Chair, definitely a slow burner at the beginning but man does the action and epicness pick up!
I did get attached to the characters! You gave me ideas to think about when I reread it. I read it 9 years ago but it feels like a lifetime since.
Will most certainly be giving this a try when I can pick it up.
I read this at 15 or 16, it was the first adult fantasy I ever read and I loved it. It's the book/series that started everything!
glad you liked it. i read this series half my life ago and have been meaning to give it a re-read. tad williams, between this series and "the war of the flowers" is one of my fave authors for nuanced prose who's worked in fantasy. the others are probably leguin and maybe chabon (if you can squeak "the yiddish policemen's union" into your def of fantasy, as alternate history with some heavy religious mysticism).
Another one of my favorite series! Love this trilogy! It is in my top 5 along side WoT, LoTR, Dark Tower and one you really need to read, The Deathgate Cycle. It is what got me into reading in fantasy.
I can have trouble gwtt8ng going reading Williams, but he does certainly have aome of the best prose of any fantasy author, one of the best ever.
Yesss XD Memory, Sorrow and Thorn is my favourite saga just behind The Lord of The Rings. I am just waiting for The Navigator's Children to be released. It was an amazing surprise to know that Tad Williams had decided to write a trilogy to continue Memory, Sorrow and Thorn almost 30 years later, with a linking book in between, The Heart of What Was Lost...
Wow. I am rereading this book now! Thanks. Agree with your review.
My all time favourite series, first read it in 2004. Well it was, I recently finished The Realm Of The Elderlings by Robin Hobb and that surpassed it for me, and right now I'm reading Wheel Of Time (I'm on The Shadow Rising) and loving that too
I read this series when I was 12, and it was my first non-YA fantasy series. I absolutely loved it and it got me into the genre.
I love this Series. I read the books in 15 days. Note at the time I was working 50 to 60 hours a week.
Daniel, are you doing a fantasy standalone top 5 books? as much as I love reading long series sometimes a good one and done is refreshing.
Thanks!
Your comment about the transition is spot on from classical fantasy from 70s and 80s to being bolder and different with fantasy like Martin, Sanderson, etc. The series will continue to follow the traditional fantasy plot and use classic tropes. But each classical character archetype and trope is subverted. Everything feels familiar to other classical fantasy and so the reader makes assumptions that are later destroyed by the author. It's a great read with a very satisfying ending.
I read a bunch of Tad Williams books when I was younger and loved them, but they never really stuck with me. I don't even really remember much about Memory Sorrow Thorn. I still have them on my bookshelf, along with a stand alone novel by him about cats called Tailchaser's Song, and someday I'll dive back into them to see if they still grab me. The one series he did called Otherland, however, I have read through a bunch of times and it's so good. It's a sci-fi book about virtual reality and it is definitely up there with my favorite sci-fi books list.
I've read several books by Tad Williams because the prose is wonderful and they always feel like they have so much potential in the beginning, but they always leave me unsatisfied. The seeds he sows almost never have satisfying payoffs and I suspect some of it is just thrown in to create the appearance of an intricate plot.
Oh, finally, Daniel reviews Tad Williams! The lack of his work on this channel was very disturbing...(settles in to watch)
Man, I look forward to you getting to the rest of the "trilogy". The raw enjoyment skyrockets exponentially.
I've been looking forward to this review to see how you liked it. Can't wait to see how you like the other books in my opinion it just gets better.
Hopefully this gets the film or TV treatment at some point, such an underrated series.
Glad you got around to this one! It's a really solid trilogy that I have been revisiting for years. I think I first read it in the late 90s while at university, after reading Shadow Rising and while waiting for Fires of Heaven. It's an easy, enjoyable read with some really good moments. But I love how the series builds and develops, and I think the payoff is worth it.
Read this back in college before Wheel of Time and A Song of Ice and Fire were a thing and it really got me into reading fantasy.
Tailchaser’s Song deserves some love, barely any reviews on YT.
If you like authors that write brilliant prose, may I suggest Guy Gavriel Kay. He's an amazing author. His Fionavar Tapestry trilogy is the most like a "traditional" (but not) fantasy story. Tigana is also more fantasy. After that, his books start to gradually take on more of the "historical" aspects of his historically-based fantasy, but are still amazing and so, so well written. I can't recommend his stuff enough to those who love a more literary style to their fantasy.
And you should keep going with Tad Williams. Not just the rest of this trilogy, but everything he's written. This was his first series, his writing keeps getting better and better from here. Especially if you like other styles of fantasy. Shadowmarch and War of the Flowers are still "fantasy", but Otherland has a more sci-fi/fantasy style and the Bobby Dollar series is urban fantasy. And he knocks both of them out of the park.
One other thing I should mention, this book was written in an era when almost every Fantasy series/book had what Sanderson calls a "soft magic system" (I think the closest to a "hard system" at that time was in David Eddings' "Belgariad" and "Malloreon" series with "the Will and the Word" but even _that_ was rather "soft"). Yes, magic is _involved_ in the _final_ resolution (not giving any spoilers as to who, what, where, when, how or why), but magic is not the go-to solution throughout the series; it is not a crutch for the characters as magic seems to be in so much of modern Fantasy these days (something I lay at the feet of Robert Jordan, as much as I love and respect him and "The Wheel of Time").
There seems to have been a shift in Fantasy over the last couple of decades from main characters that were (using D&D style terminology here) primarily Fighters and Rogue to characters that were Mages and Sorcerers. I'm wondering if in the next couple of decades we will see a shift towards Clerics and Druids (I know that in my own writing there is some religious aspects to some of the main characters, and I have seen that influence in some characters in Fantasy, but some of those are older books, namely Elizabeth Moon's "The Deed of Paksennarion" series showcasing a woman who becomes a Paladin; I've also gotten the impression that several other modern Fantasy series have main characters that are parts of religious orders of some sort, or so it seems from the discussions/reviews I've watched).
Im reading through Chapter 29 of "The Dragonbone Chair" and it has been quite a drag for me. Following the rather slow-paced journey of Simon, despite the slower tempo, I'm holding out hope that the narrative will pick up, and the promises of significant events and revelations will come to fruition as per peoples reviews.
I've read multiple books you have recommended :) but I'm uncertain with this book, any pointers?
I've tried sitting with a cup of tea, to listening to the audio book while driving. as you have mentioned in this review, first book is tricky to invest into with the progression.
Halfway through this book and New Spring, loving both!
I first read this series 30 years ago. When I was a teenager. It helpede get a understanding of true fantasy.
please please read the next two books.
Nice way to add the green lights to reflect the book’s cover!