The Dragonbone Chair. Book 1 of Memory, Sorrow and Thorn

The first time I read this series (on the advice of a friend), I found it hard to get through the first half of 'The Dragonbone Chair'. At the time, the only fantasy I had read was Tolkien and a select few mixed series. I was ready to read an epic fantasy, with all the battles and magic to match. What I found Myself reading was a less-than-epic story of the mundane exploits of a kitchen-boy. Or so I thought. After I got the "feel" for the book It really opened up. For the first time I found Myself actually caring for the characters I was reading about (something even Tolkien's Masterpiece didn't entirely do for Me). Tad Williams writes with a very personal style, actively and effortlessly making you a part of his tale, while bringing such a sense of reality to the unreal it's uncanny. Almost nothing in this series seems completely unbelieveable. From the undying Sithi, to the little folk of the 'Troll-Fells', every character in these books seem like someone you know (or wish you knew). How they act. How they think. You're in their heads for better or worse. And the reality of it is dazzling! All My Gung-ho loyalties aside, this was an amazing series. As afore-mentioned, What really hooked Me with this series was the realism. I'm sure for some of the die-hard fantasy readers out there, this may sound like an affront on the flashy/Magic-laden fantasy that has been a staple of their literary cuisine. But with Mr. Williams in the kitchen, fantasy and reality mesh into a most enjoyable morsel that goes down easy and leaves you ravenous for more. And yes this series does contain magic. But even magic is given a realistic twist (for the most part). Usually being referred to as "the art", and being applied through the means of natural law. Nothing terribly new, but executed with beautiful precision. In all, this is the best Fantasy series I have read to date. But, I must urge anyone who picks this series up to fight through the first half of "DBC". It is slow, yet at the same time very rich. This is where you meet the players that will entertain you for the duration of your stay in 'Osten Ard'. Get to know them. Don't blow through looking for 'the good parts'. It is all 'the good parts'. You just won't realize it until it's over. So before I really get carried away...just try it!What have you got to lose?

People who have picked up this book fall into two categories: those who gave up after 100 pages or so, saying that it was too slow and didn't hold their interest, and those who stubbornly stuck it out through the slow parts and to their delight, found themselves in the middle of one of the best epic fantasies written so far. Yes, the beginning of the series is a bit long and drawn-out, but it is really worth sticking with.The basic plot of this book - of this entire series - is nothing new. Those who have read a lot of fantasy will find a lot of familiar elements - the standard young hero coming of age, a mysterious nonhuman race driven out of the land when men first arrived, an ageless wisewoman who seems to know everything, a king corrupted by evil, and magical artifacts of all sorts. The brilliant thing about Tad Williams is that he rises above the cliches to create a story that is more original and less predictable than it should be.The world of Osten Ard is detailed and very real, and the characters even more so. The cast of characters is very large, yet somehow easy to keep track of (and if the reader gets confused as to who is who, there is an appendix at the end of the book listing all of the names with tips on how to pronounce them). Simon, the main protagonist, grows and changes in the time-honored fashion of kitchen-boys-turned-heroes everywhere, yet the story never feels old or cliched. Williams is a master storyteller. I would recommend this series to any fan of epic fantasy.

The Memory, Sorrow & Thorn Trilogy is by far the best Fantasy series that I've read to date (actually, I've read it three times). The depth and complexity of the story and characters, combined with superb writing makes this trilogy a "must" for any serious fantasy reader. The only possible down-side may be the slow pace at the beginning, in The Dragonbone Chair, to the extent that even some accomplished readers found the book "hard to get into". My reply to them, and anybody who reads the book and finds it "boring" is that the beginning of the trilogy sets the foundations for the best Fantasy saga the world has seen. Any perceived "slowness" is definitely well worth it. This trilogy should be savoured like a good wine, however there will always be those few who prefer soft drinks...

That was my reaction, anyway, to the MS & T series as a whole. Just when I had come to the conclusion that modern fantasy books had become nothing more than cheap rip-offs of Tolkien and popular movies. This series is not for the faint of heart or the inexperienced fantasy reader. As other reviews say, it creates a world of such magnitude as I have never seen crammed into three (four)books before. Unlike in most fantasy, stuff does not happen just to entertain you . . .90% of the time is spent on character and plot development. But the excitment when it comes seems incredibly richer and more intense as a result. (Also unlike in most series, the sword does not spare a character just because he is a good guy, or hasn't said his line yet). The detail was insightful and powerful. Sure, it wasn't necessary, but it adds a lot of flavor if you have a subtle enough mind to appreciate it. Better, than LOR in my opinion, but not better than Middle Earth. The principal difference between Osten Ard and Middle Earth, in my opinion, is that Mr. Williams made his world for his books, whereas Tolkien made his books for his world. It is incredibly high quality, but if anything, the ending seemed to wrap up too much for my taste. I would order you to read these books, but that would be rude, so instead I will strongly, strongly, strongly * 10 recomend it.

This book was excellent and a breeze to read despite its nearly seven hundred pages. Its vivd, engaging prose swept me right up into the scenes and made them come alive. I also enjoyed the lively dialogue and charming characters, especially the whining protagonist, Simon. Though sometimes lacking emaotional depth, the relationships between characters are satisfylingly complex, and plenty of romance, heroism, and betayal is included in the mix. The land of Osten Ard and its people have a complete, intruiging background. The ages-past invasion of the Rimmersman and their defeat of the Sithi and Hernystiri provide a reallistic backdrop for the current ill-feeling between Rimmersman and other peoples including the Yiqanuc, much as the tradgedy involving the two princes and the woman they loved sets the stage for their conflict in this book. The author provides motivations for every action and by doing so makes us believe in his characters and plot. However, a few things about the novel bothered me. After the amount of hints given to the readers about the nature of the enemy, the reality is a bit disappointing, and not as deliciously shocking as I had hoped it would be. The appendix in the back, including lists of characters, translations of passages in native languages, and guides to pronunciation, was very helpful in sorting everything out. The Tolkienesque use of songs and poems was another nice touch. Also, the author has stuck surprisingly close to the reality of our world when crafting his own. Names of months and holidays are nearly close identical to the ones used here, and the Norse, Celts, and Anglo-Saxons are easily identified in the ethnic groups created by Willliams. He writes of a Church differing from the Christian one mainly in the names of its symbol, a Tree instead of a cross, and its messiah, called Usires Aedon rather than Jesus Christ. Perhaps Williams wanted to use a historical setting without the restrictions of reality or actual events, but I think he could have been slightly more creative in doing this. But these slight imperfections hardly detracted from my enjoyment of a well-wriiten and expertly crafted adventure that all fantasy junkies should read.