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3.93 AVERAGE
3.93 AVERAGE
Really a fantastic epilogue on the events in MS&T, and clever setup (I assume) for things moving forward into the new series. I enjoyed getting a ground-view of the Norns as their hierarchy and social structure is on display here like it's never been before.
Just a really enjoyable new dip into Osten Ard, and makes me even more excited to read The Witchwood Crown!
Well done Tad! Amazing.
Just a really enjoyable new dip into Osten Ard, and makes me even more excited to read The Witchwood Crown!
Well done Tad! Amazing.
it has been years since I read the first Osten Ard trilogy. back then I was a young high school student getting into fantasy books and roleplay. now years later I read this new book that concludes that Osten Ard story ans and saws the seeds for the next one.
In an earlier remark I thought I knew the course of the story. But I have to admit that I was wrong. This book has a bigger story to tell then only the military part of a war.
I'm not going to talk about the story but I can state that this book comes highly recommended for everyone who loved the original trilogy.
In an earlier remark I thought I knew the course of the story. But I have to admit that I was wrong. This book has a bigger story to tell then only the military part of a war.
I'm not going to talk about the story but I can state that this book comes highly recommended for everyone who loved the original trilogy.
This was not a bad novella by any means, I just struggled to get into it and didn't care about any of the characters
There was very little question in my mind that I was going to enjoy this sequel-prequel novel, yet I kept putting it off until I needed to read it for a challenge it fit. Why? I wanted to reread Memory, Sorrow, and Thorn first, and that's a big commitment that I never managed to make time for. I've read those books at least seven or eight times, but not recently, probably not for at least five or six years. Maybe longer. I was afraid I wasn't going to remember what had happened clearly enough to follow along.
That was an absolutely needless worry. Williams reminds his readers at key points, mostly seamlessly, of the important events that bear relevance to the story. Only the high points matter--did you remember who the enemy was? Did you remember the tower fell? Did you remember who became king and queen? So it's all there in this, when necessary, for context. (In fact, I think one thing is over-emphasized, Isorn's death, because one of the main characters here is his father Isgrimnur and it seems he can't have a single scene without bringing it up. Which in one way is fair, because he's still grieving deeply, but in another way is also flat-out repetitive. Compared to all the strengths of this, that's an incredibly minor quibble for me, though.)
I was not expecting and deeply enjoyed and appreciated having a Norn POV character. The insight into their society, mostly unknown until now, was fascinating, and this story sets up interesting questions about what direction the new trilogy will take us. I devoured every bit of history text the chronicler set out before the Viyeki's scenes, and he was a truly sympathetic character, with his doubts and worries and slightly alien (but still strong) sense of honor and conduct.
I finished this and was so excited by it, so happy to slip back into such a familiar and vivid setting, that I went and broke my current book-buying ban to pick up a copy of The Witchwood Crown. Osten Ard is back, baby!
That was an absolutely needless worry. Williams reminds his readers at key points, mostly seamlessly, of the important events that bear relevance to the story. Only the high points matter--did you remember who the enemy was? Did you remember the tower fell? Did you remember who became king and queen? So it's all there in this, when necessary, for context. (In fact, I think one thing is over-emphasized, Isorn's death, because one of the main characters here is his father Isgrimnur and it seems he can't have a single scene without bringing it up. Which in one way is fair, because he's still grieving deeply, but in another way is also flat-out repetitive. Compared to all the strengths of this, that's an incredibly minor quibble for me, though.)
I was not expecting and deeply enjoyed and appreciated having a Norn POV character. The insight into their society, mostly unknown until now, was fascinating, and this story sets up interesting questions about what direction the new trilogy will take us. I devoured every bit of history text the chronicler set out before the Viyeki's scenes, and he was a truly sympathetic character, with his doubts and worries and slightly alien (but still strong) sense of honor and conduct.
I finished this and was so excited by it, so happy to slip back into such a familiar and vivid setting, that I went and broke my current book-buying ban to pick up a copy of The Witchwood Crown. Osten Ard is back, baby!
adventurous
dark
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
If I hadn't read the Memory, Sorrow and Thorn trilogy, I would not have bothered finishing this book. The characters were flat and the story was tedious. This was a big disappointment.
dark
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
adventurous
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
challenging
dark
reflective
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
dark
informative
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes