Take a photo of a barcode or cover
3.93 AVERAGE
3.93 AVERAGE
Was I too far removed from the original series that I loved so much? It didn't quite spark as much, but was interesting.
I'll start with saying that this doesn't stand on its own. Some recollection of Memory, Sorrow, and Thorn is necessary, in my opinion. That being said, this was a pretty fun little book, featuring minor characters from the previous novels. It sets the stage for the next book in the series (due out this summer, I believe) and I can't wait to get back into this world.
The only emotion to be greater than the joy I had when I started this book was the sadness when I finished it.
Cannot wait for the Witchwood Crown!
Cannot wait for the Witchwood Crown!
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
What a joy to re-enter Osten Ard! Love the various points of view of this novel, though I felt following a Norn character stripped some of the sense of alien-ness of that race. For all I know, that was Mr. Williams's point.
It has always been Memory, Sorrow and Thorn's strongest point that it paints the villain, or, let's say, the enemy, in such a sympathetic light. Now Tad Williams extends the courtesy to what before, although never depicted as purely evil, was nevertheless little more than a homogenous mass of minions. As we learn more about the Norns' history and the desperate situation into which they were half driven and half drove themselves, we are given a chance to empathize with and care about them, and begin to feel excited about learning more about their fate. It stands to hope, though, that the new trilogy's viewpoint characters are a little less off-the-rack and a whole lot more engaging than the ones in this book. Otherwise I will soon stop caring again.
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
dark
sad
slow-paced
This is a book filled with death, of many terrible kinds. Death in battle, death in slow degrees by a poisoned wound, the death of a soul by too many shocks, the death of potential by the inability to let go of the past.
By the end of the book, you have the feeling that no-one, not the immortals nor the mortals, actually learned anything from the terrible battles. The end is just a putting off of the end, a kind of peace that brings no peace, and nothing will change, and the children of these poor people will have to do it all again.
By the end of the book, you have the feeling that no-one, not the immortals nor the mortals, actually learned anything from the terrible battles. The end is just a putting off of the end, a kind of peace that brings no peace, and nothing will change, and the children of these poor people will have to do it all again.
An army led by Isorn hunting down the last remnants of the Norn invaders back to their mountain home, trying to eliminate them once and for all. In just 200 pages an epic dramatic story unfolds up in the harsh, but beautiful, North, amongst the ruins of the once proud Norn lands.
Apart from Isorn and his men, we get a generous insight to the society of the Norns. A race cold, harsh and scheming but also proud, fierceful and elegant. They might have been the villains in M,S & T but in this book we get to know what they really are. How they live. What drives them etc, making the struggle feel much more grey than the typical good vs evil stuff. I consider them my fave elven race, along with Tolkien's, and definately one of my favorite fantasy races in general.
This might be a short book, but it is really epic in mood and scope and serves perfectly as the bridge between the old classic Memory, Sorrow and Thorn books and the new series that follows The Last King Of Osten Ard.
Apart from Isorn and his men, we get a generous insight to the society of the Norns. A race cold, harsh and scheming but also proud, fierceful and elegant. They might have been the villains in M,S & T but in this book we get to know what they really are. How they live. What drives them etc, making the struggle feel much more grey than the typical good vs evil stuff. I consider them my fave elven race, along with Tolkien's, and definately one of my favorite fantasy races in general.
This might be a short book, but it is really epic in mood and scope and serves perfectly as the bridge between the old classic Memory, Sorrow and Thorn books and the new series that follows The Last King Of Osten Ard.