Your review is on par with my feelings. I’m not well versed in the fantasy genre. However, I feel MS&T should be one of the pillars of the fantasy genre. I’m glad you’re giving it the exposure it needs. And also, thank you for adding the art work. It’s baffling for me to see soo little art based on MS&T. Thanks Petrik for your awesome and thoughtful reviews!!
Thank you so much, Luis! I had a great time reading this trilogy. And yes, this deserves its title as one of the pillars of the fantasy genre. So many fantasy series, consciously or not, are inspired by this.
I finished Otherland 4 last week. I enjoyed it as a whole, although you could easily remove half the scenes - maybe up to three-quarters, and lose nothing of the story or character development. The first book introduces you to some great characters, but the plot bloat is the most extreme i've ever come across. Over 3000 pages, FFS!
Read this series a couple of years ago, and the worldbuilding is the best ive ever come across. The names of the people and places from each part of the world are impeccable!
Not even gonna lie Petrik, by the end of your glowing, beautiful review, I had little tiny tears in my eyes. I have been a fan of Tad Williams since the 90s when my ex-brother in law gave me MS&T as a birthday present. My world was ROCKED. ROCKED I tell you. I had, by then, read all the famous Fantasy of the time. I was neck deep in all the good old series' stuff. I had no idea how *excellent* this was going to be and it was a paradigm shift. I have been a die hard fan of Williams (and indeed, Tolkien) ever since and it has been so... so... SO.. PAINFUL to see other authors get kudos and fame and money and... Tad Williams deserves it all. He deserves to be on the platform with Tolkien and his worlds created for us to watch on screen.. and it's just... beautiful to see anyone else fall in love with it too. To notice just how excellent it is, how beautiful it is, how well-crafted it is. And *everything* Tad writes is so. He never slags off. He gives quality and quality and quality. Otherland is peerless and if you want a Faerie-based fantasy (because, after all Tad Williams is a devotee of Tolkien in every possible way) add Shadowmarch to your TBR. Tad can be added to Tolkien and Susannah Clarke, Neil Gaiman, Lord Dunsany and Hope Mirlees who fully grasp what Faerie is, and give us something magical.
Thank you so much, Jennifer! I'm late to Tad Williams' books, but I'm glad to be here now. Will be reading more of his books for sure. I think I will read the rest of his books eventually once I'm done with Osten Ard Saga! I agree, though... It's crazy how relatively few people talk about his books now. Thank you for sharing your stories. Always great to hear other readers falling in love with a series. :)
I am so glad you enjoyed the trilogy as a whole, the slow pacing could be an issue but I think Tad Williams set up such a great base for the story to flow into the world that I could never really complain. I re-read this trilogy earlier this year and possibly next month, I will start the sequel series.
Just finished the witchwood crown and Holly hell I loved it. It does have a really steady pace that can feel slow but once you get to the end it fully clicks into place once you realise what Williams is doing with certain characters and storylines. Also Is it Wrong that I really really love these books and wish they got more recognition but don’t want Hollywood touching them at all. I kinda like that it’s a nice little underground fantasy world quietly influencing the genre rather then a franchise With adaptations that will get milked to death and mine it for all it’s worth
I probably won't get to read The Witchwood Crown this year, but I will read the entire Last King of Osten Ard next year! Great to hear you loved it! :)
A little late for comments, but so happy got to enjoy this book. This was my first love fantasy as a youth, I still remember running to my bookstore every day to the hopes that this would appear all those decades ago. After my wife finished reading Robin Hobbs (her favorite series). I figured it would be time for her to give Memory, Sorrow, Thorn a try. Only wished she could have read my original hardback from my youth. The only books I carried with me into adulthood, but lost after a hurricane.
Never too late for comments! I'm the late one. I only read this series last year! 😅 That's a good plan. I think if your wife love Robin Hobb's books, like I do, she'll enjoy Memory Sorrow and Thorn as well! Argh, it would be cool, though, if she could read the books using your original hardback!
How did i miss this video?!?! Oh well! Im devouring Cahill atm and its making me long for Osten Ard next, i came across this video and you're reminding me how much this book means to me.
@@PetrikLeo I sampled the prequel novel Brothers Of The Wind last night. I think i will spice my Osten Ard reread by starting with that for new flavour. There is also a short story that came out years ago in an anthology called The Burning Man. Worth seeking out.
@thelibraryladder did a very good video 4 months ago about Tad Williams, apparently he is a very underrated and ahead of his time author, and some of his other works are also really good! I want to read this trilogy too, but man the enormity of the last book is scary. Thanks for the review Petrik, keep up the awesome work!
Thank you for watching, and I will keep doing my best! I will have to watch Library Ladder's video again. I watched that video a few months ago but I thin I can appreciate it more now. :)
Excellent review. As criticisms, the wandering in tunnels became a bit tedious at points. At times I thought, "Come on tad, lets move this along." The battle at the end with ineluki seemed abrupt. Without spoiling, I feel like i missed a key piece of info somewhere.
It was wonderful to re-read this trilogy after so many years. I am looking forward to reading The Last King of Osten Ard, you have to get that on the schedule. You still need to read the Otherland series. I think Williams is so underrated.
Thank you for rereading the series with me, Frank! I will make sure to let you know the schedule. I probably will read The Heart of What Was Lost novella in November or December! :)
Great series. It starts very slowly but I found it very immersive and beautifully written with interesting characters. Tad Williams' books were one of my gateways to fantasy.
It is really terrific. I think the last 200 pages is some of the most climactic I've ever read. Even with that momentum, it never loses that unique, atmospheric feeling. I think that's why Osten Ard is probably my favorite series of all time. It combines the scope of epic fantasy and the intimacy of a character driven work. I really loved the two novellas as well. I read them before the new trilogy and it adds a very strong emotional foundation. Heart of What Was Lost is good, but I adore Brothers of the Wind so much. It's his most character driven and, imo, accomplished work. There's a lot there that reminds me of Remains of the Day, both structurally and narrative wise. As a final note, it does seem odd calling MST underrated, though I do get where you're coming from. It was a massive commercial and critical success when it came out, but the final book came just before the internet/fandom boom of the mid-ninties. I think if Tad had kept publishing Osten Ard books into the 2000s, the series would've generated that strong ASOIAF/WOT style internet fandom. But then, we wouldn't have had a complex, large scale series that actually contained itself to three books. The newer stuff is definitely underrated though. People are spreading the gospel and, hopefully, it'll become more popular.
Glad you regard this series that highly!! I can certainly understand why. I think for classic fantasy, it's not often we get to read an epic fantasy this character-driven, too. I will be reading The Heart of What Was Lost in November or December before I read The Witchwood Crown next year! Yeah, I can't say for the time pre-internet boom. But at this moment and in the past few years, I very rarely see Memory, Sorrow, and Thorn gets mentioned by readers on the net. And now that I've read it, that's crazy! I feel it should be discussed more often, especially with another book still coming in the world of Osten Ard!
Thank you so much, Casey! I think as long as you're in the mood for a slow-burn epic fantasy where you want to appreciate the prose and immersive world-building, this is for you! :)
Love the bookshelves Petrik! Thank you for this review. It appears that you have convinced me to by another series even though my TBR includes finishing Malazan Book of the Fallen, Wheel of Time, and Realm of the Elderlings.
I think a lot can be take from Tad Williams' prose today, although I do respect Sanderson's approach of making everything simpler so everyone can get into everything a lot easier (I mean it did make him quite popular lol). I just wish people did appreciate it more and took more time to add in that effort
Glad you enjoyed MS&T! It's my favourite fantasy series. I've heard from many that the Last King of Osten Ard is even better! Can't wait to read it later this year.
A round of applause for finishing that BEAST of a book!! I am so glad to hear that you found it a worthwhile read, I hope I will feel the same whenever I may get around to this one! Great review as always!
Received the last book yesterday. Will start this series sometime this year. Thanks for your review setting appropriate expectations. I had no problems with Farseer or even the slow pacing in the beginning of The Way of Kings. However, I did have many issues with the the first 6 books I've read of Wheel of Time. So I hope I'll end up liking it. I hope you'll continue the remaining Osten Ard books in the future. Looking forward to your review of those before I decide if I'll buy them when they're on sale or not.
Thank you and you're welcome! I think this should be good for you, then. The pacing in Wheel of Time is, for me, worse than this trilogy. There were a few parts in To Green Angel Tower that reminded me of reading Wheel of Time but not for long. I will read the remaining books in Last King of Osten Ard for sure next year! :)
Aaaah, you did it, Petrik!! 🙌😄 Congrats!! And what a great & thoughtful review! So happy you enjoyed this series and I totally agree: it's definitely a classic and Simon a special character that stays with you. I have yet to pick up To Green Angel Tower to finish my reread - I've been slumping a bit lately ^^ - but I will hopefully do so soon 🤓
Thank you for reading it with me, Karin! Feels great I managed to finish this trilogy. Looking forward to reading The Last King of Osten Ard! Take your time rereading To Green Angel Tower. It is not a book to read when you're feeling slumpy! :D
Great review, Petrik. Not just of To Green Angel Tower, but in a sense the entire trilogy. I just finished To Green Angel Tower a couple of weeks ago and thoroughly enjoyed it. Overall, Memory, Sorrow and Thorn is probably the second most important epic fantasy story ever written, only behind The Lord of the Rings. As you said, you can see its influences across so many more modern books/series in the genre. While not a perfect trilogy, it's a great story that every SFF reader should at least try in their lifetime.
Thank you so much! Yeah, I think this is an important series in the genre. That's why I'm shocked how relatively few people talk about it online. Feels like a series that should be talked about as often as Lord of the Rings and A Song of Ice and Fire.
THIS. It really is second to only Lord of the Rings. YES! It feels so magnificent to read this on an internet comment when most of the time people don't even know WHO Tad Williams is! Drives me nuts!
Damn it! I’m too curious for my own good and you are the greatest marketing this trilogy could ever had because it’s so sincere and unbiased ! Another one to add to the never ending list, I guess ! 😅
My reading may slow down a bit, as I'm back to full-time working. However, I will have to add yet another possibility to my fantasy reading 📚. Thanx, Petrik 🤣🤣🤣
I just want to thank you for reading all the long tedious but beautifully written books for me Tad Williams Prose is like no other very beautifully written but sometimes I just want to bang on the wall because nothing is happening I read the first book and you finished the series for me thank you so much now I know pretty much how good it was and that's all that matters😂😂😂 another wonderful video from the best booktuber on RUclips I'm doing a reread of The Rage of Dragons by Evan Winter I want to read Fires of Vengeance so I'm rereading book one again I'm so glad I'm re-reading this book is pedal to the floor Full Throttle can't wait to see how this series goes
Thank you so much! Hahaha, I get what you mean. It takes a relatively lot of pages before something crucial happens in this trilogy! I look forward to reading Evan Winter's newest book in The Burning next year. Maybe I'll do a reread of The Rage of Dragons and Fire of Vengeance, too!
@PetrikLeo LOL, the new book coming out next year is called The Lord of Demons. The name of the series is called The Burning LOL you read so much you forget the small details completely understandable
Thank you for the review… I’m looking forward to reading the last book in this series too.. Tad Williams is one of my favourite authors too! Happy reading to you!! 🎉
Read those 4 books in the late 90's. It was a slow start, but once it kicked in, I loved the series. Recently tried the newer ones, but they couldn't keep my interest. Am I missing something...?
Really? I've read only The Witchwood Crown and I think it's still a strong entry. I will start Empire of Grass soon! Maybe give it a try again someday! :D
If you're going to read some other Tad Williams, Petrik, i enjoyed the Bobby Dollar trilogy. A lot of fun, and a well-told tale. (Also, way shorter than Otherland ;) ) I follow you on Goodreads, and you can see my reviews and ratings for these 3, and the Otherland 4.
I only read the first and at that time, the pacing turned me off. But with the Grim Oak publication (which I’m buying and hope they are quick to release the other two) I need to finish it, maybe rereading the first. 530,000 words is so massive that some editions split To Green Angel Tower in two
I loved the series when I read it and I'm planning to read the new series once the final book is out. Remember to pick up the novella The Heart Of What Was Lost, as it is supposed to bridge the two series.
I had a headstart on you and I'm still only 40% through haha Although I got burned out at 33% and took a break by reading Sharon Kay Penman historical fiction (btw, highly recommend, she's very masterful and well-researched)
I reread this recently and loved it, then continued on to the Last King of Osten Ard, which to me was even better. Absolutely my favorite series at the moment. I will absolutely recommend the bridge novel 'The Heart of What Was Lost' before jumping into the Last King. 'Brothers of the Wind' can be read at any point after you've read the first trilogy, but there is a related short story that you may want to read afterwards.
Glad to hear that! I'm thinking of reading The Heart of What was Lost in November or December! I will be reading The Witchwood Crown in January of February! :)
I'll have to bump this up on my priority list! Only problem is... I'm finishing up the 2nd Malazan book, and now I've fallen in love with the series -- despite being skeptical after the 1st book 🤣🤣 But I may force a break just so I don't burn out, I guess.
Excellent review. For something a little different try " Otherland " by Tad. It took me several times before I actually sat down and said I'm going to knock this series out. And I really enjoyed it. I agree with you about " Memory, sorrow, and thorn " a great read. A little slow but worth it all. Thank you Sir. 👍😎
Answer me thid petrik...when you compare the pace to ROTE do you mean like Royal Assassin? Or Assassins Quest? Because if its as slow as AQ then i may just not pick up the series. I thought Assassins Apprentice and Royal Assassin was fantastic though
If it's like Assassin's Quest, I would die reading this. 🤣🤣 I am not a fan of Assassin's Quest. Royal Assassin is a good and other Hobb's books in RotE is a better comparison! 😄
Hmm I’m conflicted the comparison with the Robin Hobb slow burn gives me cold feet. The fact that Martin took inspiration from it on the other hand, is making me curious. Knowing myself my curiosity always triumphs over my intolerance for unnecessarily stretched out stories. (I did read the first assassin trilogy to completion after all, which is six books in the French edition, it was back when I wasn’t that fluent in English) and it did feel longer than the Riyria Revelations Omnibus. Then again it might be the pacing of the journey MJ Sullivan does not F around, it moves at a healthy pace and the (humour/mystery/action juggling act is masterfully done in perfect dosages) What the hell ! maybe I’ll give it a try after I finish the pre-existing list. Petrik you’ll be the death of me 😅 I’m a slow reader and I have earthly duties, I need 3 life times to read all of your recommandations. 😂
Hahaha, all I can say is give it a try see how you feel about it! Just don't expect events to happen rapidly in this trilogy. As I said, Robin Hobb's slow burn is a good comparison! :)
Can anyone tell me if there are spoilers in this video? And haven’t started the series yet but would like to. And I would also like to get Petrik’s take on it, but not if it’s gonna spoil anything.
I wish I was grabbed by this book like so many others seem to be. I'm about 150 pages from finishing The Dragonbone Chair, on my second attempt to read this book, and I'm just not getting it. It's getting boring quickly. Don't know if I'm even going to finish it. At page 586, I just don't really care what happens from here.
@@PetrikLeo It won't? So far, it's taken about 500 plus pages for the actual story - the journey for the three swords - to begin. Everything else before this point has been excessive world building, expansive back story, an excessive and sometimes seemingly irrelevant introduction of way too many characters, and an almost asinine amount of pointless song lyric presentations - you mean there's more of that in book two? I would honestly continue reading this series if the actual story kicks into high gear in book two, but if it's just another Dragonbone Chair...you might be right about just dropping it. I'm honestly hoping that you would say it's worth pushing through with book two.
Since it's slow and has a lot in common with the realm of the elderlings I know it's not for me Thank you, I would rather never to read a series than reading and DNF ing it
This series is goated. I still think about this series often, especially the ending of the whole thing. Tad Williams is a madman.
Yeah, it's incredible. Definitely will read Last King of Osten Ard next year!
Your review is on par with my feelings. I’m not well versed in the fantasy genre. However, I feel MS&T should be one of the pillars of the fantasy genre. I’m glad you’re giving it the exposure it needs. And also, thank you for adding the art work. It’s baffling for me to see soo little art based on MS&T. Thanks Petrik for your awesome and thoughtful reviews!!
Thank you so much, Luis! I had a great time reading this trilogy. And yes, this deserves its title as one of the pillars of the fantasy genre. So many fantasy series, consciously or not, are inspired by this.
This series is soooo underrated. Mindblowing. Glad you enjoyed
It's a mystery why it isn't talked about more these days. Such an underrated classic.
Finally, this series is getting some mainstream attention. Tad is such a great writer. You should give his Sci-Fi series Otherland a shot!
Once I'm done with the entirety of Osten Ard, I think I'll tackle Tad's other books! :)
You will NOT be disappointed with Otherland. Oh my GOD please read it. --- a decades long Tad Williams fan@@PetrikLeo
I finished Otherland 4 last week. I enjoyed it as a whole, although you could easily remove half the scenes - maybe up to three-quarters, and lose nothing of the story or character development. The first book introduces you to some great characters, but the plot bloat is the most extreme i've ever come across. Over 3000 pages, FFS!
Read this series a couple of years ago, and the worldbuilding is the best ive ever come across. The names of the people and places from each part of the world are impeccable!
Yeahh, so much care and thought are put into building the world and characters. Loved it! :)
Not even gonna lie Petrik, by the end of your glowing, beautiful review, I had little tiny tears in my eyes. I have been a fan of Tad Williams since the 90s when my ex-brother in law gave me MS&T as a birthday present. My world was ROCKED. ROCKED I tell you. I had, by then, read all the famous Fantasy of the time. I was neck deep in all the good old series' stuff. I had no idea how *excellent* this was going to be and it was a paradigm shift. I have been a die hard fan of Williams (and indeed, Tolkien) ever since and it has been so... so... SO.. PAINFUL to see other authors get kudos and fame and money and... Tad Williams deserves it all. He deserves to be on the platform with Tolkien and his worlds created for us to watch on screen.. and it's just... beautiful to see anyone else fall in love with it too. To notice just how excellent it is, how beautiful it is, how well-crafted it is. And *everything* Tad writes is so. He never slags off. He gives quality and quality and quality. Otherland is peerless and if you want a Faerie-based fantasy (because, after all Tad Williams is a devotee of Tolkien in every possible way) add Shadowmarch to your TBR. Tad can be added to Tolkien and Susannah Clarke, Neil Gaiman, Lord Dunsany and Hope Mirlees who fully grasp what Faerie is, and give us something magical.
Thank you so much, Jennifer! I'm late to Tad Williams' books, but I'm glad to be here now. Will be reading more of his books for sure. I think I will read the rest of his books eventually once I'm done with Osten Ard Saga! I agree, though... It's crazy how relatively few people talk about his books now. Thank you for sharing your stories. Always great to hear other readers falling in love with a series. :)
I am so glad you enjoyed the trilogy as a whole, the slow pacing could be an issue but I think Tad Williams set up such a great base for the story to flow into the world that I could never really complain. I re-read this trilogy earlier this year and possibly next month, I will start the sequel series.
Thank you! I agree with what you said. I will be reading the sequel series in 2024! :)
The end of this book devastated me. I stayed up until 2am on a work night to finish and it wrecked me.
It was pretty much the same for me. I finished it at 3am. Ridiculous. All hells break loose. 😅
Just finished the witchwood crown and Holly hell I loved it. It does have a really steady pace that can feel slow but once you get to the end it fully clicks into place once you realise what Williams is doing with certain characters and storylines. Also Is it Wrong that I really really love these books and wish they got more recognition but don’t want Hollywood touching them at all. I kinda like that it’s a nice little underground fantasy world quietly influencing the genre rather then a franchise With adaptations that will get milked to death and mine it for all it’s worth
I probably won't get to read The Witchwood Crown this year, but I will read the entire Last King of Osten Ard next year! Great to hear you loved it! :)
A little late for comments, but so happy got to enjoy this book. This was my first love fantasy as a youth, I still remember running to my bookstore every day to the hopes that this would appear all those decades ago.
After my wife finished reading Robin Hobbs (her favorite series). I figured it would be time for her to give Memory, Sorrow, Thorn a try. Only wished she could have read my original hardback from my youth. The only books I carried with me into adulthood, but lost after a hurricane.
Never too late for comments! I'm the late one. I only read this series last year! 😅 That's a good plan. I think if your wife love Robin Hobb's books, like I do, she'll enjoy Memory Sorrow and Thorn as well! Argh, it would be cool, though, if she could read the books using your original hardback!
How did i miss this video?!?! Oh well! Im devouring Cahill atm and its making me long for Osten Ard next, i came across this video and you're reminding me how much this book means to me.
Better late than never! Thanks for watching, Michael. I'm already looking forward to get back to this world. 😁
@@PetrikLeo I sampled the prequel novel Brothers Of The Wind last night. I think i will spice my Osten Ard reread by starting with that for new flavour. There is also a short story that came out years ago in an anthology called The Burning Man. Worth seeking out.
Oh love the new backdrop 👏👏
Thank you so much, Johan! :D
@thelibraryladder did a very good video 4 months ago about Tad Williams, apparently he is a very underrated and ahead of his time author, and some of his other works are also really good! I want to read this trilogy too, but man the enormity of the last book is scary. Thanks for the review Petrik, keep up the awesome work!
Thank you for watching, and I will keep doing my best! I will have to watch Library Ladder's video again. I watched that video a few months ago but I thin I can appreciate it more now. :)
Excellent review.
As criticisms, the wandering in tunnels became a bit tedious at points. At times I thought, "Come on tad, lets move this along."
The battle at the end with ineluki seemed abrupt. Without spoiling, I feel like i missed a key piece of info somewhere.
@@jasonblodgett8769 yeah, I get what you mean about the tunnels. That was longer than it should be. 😆
This was one of the best series I've ever read!
I can't believe I read it only now. 😂 So good!
It was wonderful to re-read this trilogy after so many years. I am looking forward to reading The Last King of Osten Ard, you have to get that on the schedule. You still need to read the Otherland series. I think Williams is so underrated.
Thank you for rereading the series with me, Frank! I will make sure to let you know the schedule. I probably will read The Heart of What Was Lost novella in November or December! :)
Great series. It starts very slowly but I found it very immersive and beautifully written with interesting characters. Tad Williams' books were one of my gateways to fantasy.
Totally agree. It's incredibly immersive and the prose is stunning. :)
It is really terrific. I think the last 200 pages is some of the most climactic I've ever read. Even with that momentum, it never loses that unique, atmospheric feeling. I think that's why Osten Ard is probably my favorite series of all time. It combines the scope of epic fantasy and the intimacy of a character driven work.
I really loved the two novellas as well. I read them before the new trilogy and it adds a very strong emotional foundation. Heart of What Was Lost is good, but I adore Brothers of the Wind so much. It's his most character driven and, imo, accomplished work. There's a lot there that reminds me of Remains of the Day, both structurally and narrative wise.
As a final note, it does seem odd calling MST underrated, though I do get where you're coming from. It was a massive commercial and critical success when it came out, but the final book came just before the internet/fandom boom of the mid-ninties. I think if Tad had kept publishing Osten Ard books into the 2000s, the series would've generated that strong ASOIAF/WOT style internet fandom. But then, we wouldn't have had a complex, large scale series that actually contained itself to three books.
The newer stuff is definitely underrated though. People are spreading the gospel and, hopefully, it'll become more popular.
Glad you regard this series that highly!! I can certainly understand why. I think for classic fantasy, it's not often we get to read an epic fantasy this character-driven, too. I will be reading The Heart of What Was Lost in November or December before I read The Witchwood Crown next year!
Yeah, I can't say for the time pre-internet boom. But at this moment and in the past few years, I very rarely see Memory, Sorrow, and Thorn gets mentioned by readers on the net. And now that I've read it, that's crazy! I feel it should be discussed more often, especially with another book still coming in the world of Osten Ard!
This series has been near the top of my list for a long time, but this glowing review really gives me the motivation to take the plunge.
Thank you so much, Casey! I think as long as you're in the mood for a slow-burn epic fantasy where you want to appreciate the prose and immersive world-building, this is for you! :)
Wonderful review as always. Thanks so much for your thoughtful words.
Thank you so much! Now I can start Light Bringer in peace tomorrow!
@@PetrikLeo I think you will love it. So far probably my book of the year. My review if you need renewed hype for it is a gushfest and spoiler free.
Thanks for the video, Petrik! I think given my love of Hobb that this series and author will work for me. Cheers!
Yesss! I think this will be suitable for you, Josh! Cheers. 😁
Love the bookshelves Petrik! Thank you for this review. It appears that you have convinced me to by another series even though my TBR includes finishing Malazan Book of the Fallen, Wheel of Time, and Realm of the Elderlings.
Thank you so much! Haha, I, too, still need to finish reading The Wheel of Time. Good luck with the three massive series! :)
So happy you loved this and feel the same about the series as I do!!!
Thank you so much, Dino. Feels great to have read this series! :)
A wonderful review of a favourite fantasy series by one of my favourite fantasy writers. Thank you so much. 🙏🏽
Thank you so much, Paromita! :)
I think a lot can be take from Tad Williams' prose today, although I do respect Sanderson's approach of making everything simpler so everyone can get into everything a lot easier (I mean it did make him quite popular lol). I just wish people did appreciate it more and took more time to add in that effort
That's something I can agree with, as a fan of both author's work! 😄
Glad you enjoyed MS&T! It's my favourite fantasy series. I've heard from many that the Last King of Osten Ard is even better! Can't wait to read it later this year.
It’s my favorite as well. I never get bored with it.
Thank you! Very excited to read the sequel series next year! :)
Another amazing video!!! Thank you Petrik!!!
Thanks again! :)
A round of applause for finishing that BEAST of a book!! I am so glad to hear that you found it a worthwhile read, I hope I will feel the same whenever I may get around to this one!
Great review as always!
Thank you so much, Esmay! It's definitely a slow-burn. Make sure to read it in the right reading mood! :)
Received the last book yesterday. Will start this series sometime this year. Thanks for your review setting appropriate expectations. I had no problems with Farseer or even the slow pacing in the beginning of The Way of Kings. However, I did have many issues with the the first 6 books I've read of Wheel of Time. So I hope I'll end up liking it. I hope you'll continue the remaining Osten Ard books in the future. Looking forward to your review of those before I decide if I'll buy them when they're on sale or not.
Thank you and you're welcome! I think this should be good for you, then. The pacing in Wheel of Time is, for me, worse than this trilogy. There were a few parts in To Green Angel Tower that reminded me of reading Wheel of Time but not for long. I will read the remaining books in Last King of Osten Ard for sure next year! :)
Aaaah, you did it, Petrik!! 🙌😄 Congrats!! And what a great & thoughtful review! So happy you enjoyed this series and I totally agree: it's definitely a classic and Simon a special character that stays with you. I have yet to pick up To Green Angel Tower to finish my reread - I've been slumping a bit lately ^^ - but I will hopefully do so soon 🤓
Thank you for reading it with me, Karin! Feels great I managed to finish this trilogy. Looking forward to reading The Last King of Osten Ard! Take your time rereading To Green Angel Tower. It is not a book to read when you're feeling slumpy! :D
Awesome review, brother!! I can’t wait to try this soon!
Thank you so much, brother!! 😄
Brilliant review!! I need to read this series soon as possible.
Thank you so much, Krishna! I hope you will like it! 😄
Great review, Petrik. Not just of To Green Angel Tower, but in a sense the entire trilogy. I just finished To Green Angel Tower a couple of weeks ago and thoroughly enjoyed it. Overall, Memory, Sorrow and Thorn is probably the second most important epic fantasy story ever written, only behind The Lord of the Rings. As you said, you can see its influences across so many more modern books/series in the genre. While not a perfect trilogy, it's a great story that every SFF reader should at least try in their lifetime.
Thank you so much! Yeah, I think this is an important series in the genre. That's why I'm shocked how relatively few people talk about it online. Feels like a series that should be talked about as often as Lord of the Rings and A Song of Ice and Fire.
THIS. It really is second to only Lord of the Rings. YES! It feels so magnificent to read this on an internet comment when most of the time people don't even know WHO Tad Williams is! Drives me nuts!
Damn it! I’m too curious for my own good and you are the greatest marketing this trilogy could ever had because it’s so sincere and unbiased !
Another one to add to the never ending list, I guess ! 😅
Hahah thank you for the kind words! It's not a flawless book, but the greatness made up for them. I hope you'll enjoy it! 😄
My reading may slow down a bit, as I'm back to full-time working. However, I will have to add yet another possibility to my fantasy reading 📚. Thanx, Petrik 🤣🤣🤣
Hahaha you're welcome. Take your time. Good luck with your work and reading! 😄
@@PetrikLeo thank you!
I just want to thank you for reading all the long tedious but beautifully written books for me Tad Williams Prose is like no other very beautifully written but sometimes I just want to bang on the wall because nothing is happening I read the first book and you finished the series for me thank you so much now I know pretty much how good it was and that's all that matters😂😂😂 another wonderful video from the best booktuber on RUclips I'm doing a reread of The Rage of Dragons by Evan Winter I want to read Fires of Vengeance so I'm rereading book one again I'm so glad I'm re-reading this book is pedal to the floor Full Throttle can't wait to see how this series goes
Thank you so much! Hahaha, I get what you mean. It takes a relatively lot of pages before something crucial happens in this trilogy! I look forward to reading Evan Winter's newest book in The Burning next year. Maybe I'll do a reread of The Rage of Dragons and Fire of Vengeance, too!
@PetrikLeo LOL, the new book coming out next year is called The Lord of Demons. The name of the series is called The Burning LOL you read so much you forget the small details completely understandable
@@Heathennation1976 huh? I said "I look forward to reading Evan Winter's newest book in THE BURNING next year." That's the name of the series. 😅
I absolutely adore this series and cannot wait until the final book comes out. I hope more people will give these books a chance. They are so good!
Yeah! I hope so, too. My plan is to read the remaining books in The Last King of Osten Ard until The Navigator's Children is out!
Thank you for the review… I’m looking forward to reading the last book in this series too.. Tad Williams is one of my favourite authors too! Happy reading to you!! 🎉
Awesome! Happy reading to you, too, Safina. The last book is longggg 😆
What a fantastic review, Petrik! I can't wait to start this series. Maybe I'll find room for it right in between the Wheel of Time and Mistborn series
Thank you so much! I need to continue reading Wheel of Time, too. To Green Angel Tower took longer than I expected to finish this month. 🤣
Fantastic review. I agree that it's an underated classic.
Thank you, Jen!!
Read those 4 books in the late 90's. It was a slow start, but once it kicked in, I loved the series. Recently tried the newer ones, but they couldn't keep my interest. Am I missing something...?
Really? I've read only The Witchwood Crown and I think it's still a strong entry. I will start Empire of Grass soon! Maybe give it a try again someday! :D
Finally got my copy of the series have to make thime to read it can't read as much books as you do it will take me a while to read this series
Take your time. There's no rush. The books are worth savoring anyway! :)
I found the ending and character development to be very satisfying. Underrated indeed!
Hear hear! 😄
Hm... Now I'm curious. Will definitely keep this on my radar!
I hope you'll love it! :)
If you're going to read some other Tad Williams, Petrik, i enjoyed the Bobby Dollar trilogy. A lot of fun, and a well-told tale. (Also, way shorter than Otherland ;) )
I follow you on Goodreads, and you can see my reviews and ratings for these 3, and the Otherland 4.
Nice! The plan is to read all of his books. I'm in the middle of Last King of Osten Ard! 😄
@@PetrikLeo The Dragonbone Chair has been on my radar since it came out, so I hope to get around to reading it soon :)
I think I need to read A Song of Ice and Fire first before this one😅..you got me intrigued but damn....those books are looong😂
Hahaha yeah! To be fair, A Storm of Swords is very long, too! Though this one is 100k longer than A Storm of Swords... xD
@@PetrikLeo 🙈😅
I only read the first and at that time, the pacing turned me off. But with the Grim Oak publication (which I’m buying and hope they are quick to release the other two) I need to finish it, maybe rereading the first. 530,000 words is so massive that some editions split To Green Angel Tower in two
Understandable! And yeah, I think it is the right choice to divide it into two volumes. I certainly felt the length of it in the middle of the bookA
I loved the series when I read it and I'm planning to read the new series once the final book is out. Remember to pick up the novella The Heart Of What Was Lost, as it is supposed to bridge the two series.
Definitely! I think I will read The Heart of What was Lost two months from now. Taking a little break from the world at the moment! :)
I had a headstart on you and I'm still only 40% through haha
Although I got burned out at 33% and took a break by reading Sharon Kay Penman historical fiction (btw, highly recommend, she's very masterful and well-researched)
Yeah, it is a MASSIVE book. Take a break whenever you need! I need to read Sharon Kay Penman's book. I have Sunne in Splendour by her on my TBR! :)
Definitely check out the Shadowmarch series by Tad Williams. Criminally underrated and the series still has his beautiful writing!
Oh yes, that's another series by him I have to check out someday! :)
@@PetrikLeo It was my first introduction to Tad Williams, still have MS&T on my TBR. After this video, it’s definitely moving up!
I can’t wait to get into this series! It will likely be the next big series I tackle after I finish Realm of the Elderlings in the next few months!
Sounds like a great plan! should be on time, too, because Navigator's Children will be released in November 2024! :)
@@PetrikLeo That’s the plan! I hope to be caught up for the release of the final book!
That was grate! Il see what i can do to get it. Who knows.
Thank you! :)
I almost stopped reading 200 pages into the first book because it was sooo slow. I’m so glad I didn’t because it’s one of my favorite fantasy series!
I'm glad you continued. Frankly, I highly enjoyed the first 200 pages of the first book, though! :D
What’s funny is I like my info dumps to be more obviously info dumps. Give me a student sitting in a classroom being taught about the kingdom haha.
Beautifuly said, Petrik
Thank you!!
I reread this recently and loved it, then continued on to the Last King of Osten Ard, which to me was even better. Absolutely my favorite series at the moment.
I will absolutely recommend the bridge novel 'The Heart of What Was Lost' before jumping into the Last King. 'Brothers of the Wind' can be read at any point after you've read the first trilogy, but there is a related short story that you may want to read afterwards.
Glad to hear that! I'm thinking of reading The Heart of What was Lost in November or December! I will be reading The Witchwood Crown in January of February! :)
I'll have to bump this up on my priority list! Only problem is... I'm finishing up the 2nd Malazan book, and now I've fallen in love with the series -- despite being skeptical after the 1st book 🤣🤣 But I may force a break just so I don't burn out, I guess.
Hahaha! Take your time. Malazan is already a big commitment! :D
Excellent review. For something a little different try
" Otherland " by Tad. It took me several times before I actually sat down and said I'm going to knock this series out. And I really enjoyed it.
I agree with you about " Memory, sorrow, and thorn " a great read. A little slow but worth it all.
Thank you Sir. 👍😎
Thank you so much! I have to try reading Otherland by Tad Williams someday. Possibly after I finished all the books in Osten Ard Saga! :)
I am wondering if Jordan Mechner and his team were familiar with "To green angel tower", when they were developing "The prince of Persia" (2003)...
Who knows, that could be the case!
Answer me thid petrik...when you compare the pace to ROTE do you mean like Royal Assassin? Or Assassins Quest? Because if its as slow as AQ then i may just not pick up the series. I thought Assassins Apprentice and Royal Assassin was fantastic though
If it's like Assassin's Quest, I would die reading this. 🤣🤣 I am not a fan of Assassin's Quest. Royal Assassin is a good and other Hobb's books in RotE is a better comparison! 😄
Hmm I’m conflicted the comparison with the Robin Hobb slow burn gives me cold feet. The fact that Martin took inspiration from it on the other hand, is making me curious. Knowing myself my curiosity always triumphs over my intolerance for unnecessarily stretched out stories. (I did read the first assassin trilogy to completion after all, which is six books in the French edition, it was back when I wasn’t that fluent in English) and it did feel longer than the Riyria Revelations Omnibus. Then again it might be the pacing of the journey MJ Sullivan does not F around, it moves at a healthy pace and the (humour/mystery/action juggling act is masterfully done in perfect dosages)
What the hell ! maybe I’ll give it a try after I finish the pre-existing list. Petrik you’ll be the death of me 😅 I’m a slow reader and I have earthly duties, I need 3 life times to read all of your recommandations. 😂
Hahaha, all I can say is give it a try see how you feel about it! Just don't expect events to happen rapidly in this trilogy. As I said, Robin Hobb's slow burn is a good comparison! :)
Second read is soo Good!
I bet! From the content, I have a feeling it will be better. 😄
Will you read Shadowmarch and Otherland?
Most likely yes! After I'm done with Osten Ard Saga. 😄
Petrik does it get better after the first book cause the first book was such a slog to get through?!?
If you don't like the first book, the rest of the series won't be for you. Tad Williams books are all slow-burn. 🙂
@@PetrikLeo Thx for the advice!😘😘😘
Can anyone tell me if there are spoilers in this video? And haven’t started the series yet but would like to. And I would also like to get Petrik’s take on it, but not if it’s gonna spoil anything.
I purposefully tried to make everything spoiler-free! I will let other viewers decide, though, whether it is spoiler-free. :)
I wish I was grabbed by this book like so many others seem to be. I'm about 150 pages from finishing The Dragonbone Chair, on my second attempt to read this book, and I'm just not getting it. It's getting boring quickly. Don't know if I'm even going to finish it. At page 586, I just don't really care what happens from here.
@@JK-tc2ts i recommend dropping it if by then you still don't like it! The rest of the series won't improve for you.
@@PetrikLeo It won't? So far, it's taken about 500 plus pages for the actual story - the journey for the three swords - to begin. Everything else before this point has been excessive world building, expansive back story, an excessive and sometimes seemingly irrelevant introduction of way too many characters, and an almost asinine amount of pointless song lyric presentations - you mean there's more of that in book two? I would honestly continue reading this series if the actual story kicks into high gear in book two, but if it's just another Dragonbone Chair...you might be right about just dropping it. I'm honestly hoping that you would say it's worth pushing through with book two.
I agree it’s a slow burn but very good writing!
Very true! The prose is wonderful!
I told you so
You were right 😆
Honestly I'd have to disagree with you when you say that what GRRM took DOESN'T feel like he just copycatted Tad Williams.
I talked about this more in my review of Dragonbone Chair, but to me it felt more like homage tbh. Feel free to disagree, though! 😁
Hot take, I thought the first half of TGAT was far superior to the second half. The ending soured the series for me.
That is indeed a hot take! :O
Nothing wrong with that, though. It's your opinion, after all!
Since it's slow and has a lot in common with the realm of the elderlings I know it's not for me
Thank you, I would rather never to read a series than reading and DNF ing it
No worries! Better read something more suitable for you! :)
Petrik party
Come have a drink! 😆
@@PetrikLeo 😅