I read Memory, Sorrow, and Thorn many years ago -- probably more than twenty years ago -- and loved it. I am long overdue for a reread. It's great to hear you discussing The Dragonbone Chair, Petrik!
Oh, my goodness. I love that book, too. It's not my favorite, but I could never get it out of my mind. Memory, Sorrow and Thorn, Otherland and War of the Flowers. I have to give Shadowmarch another go.
I will admit; I’m a big fan of this series. I read it last year and was blown away. The first book is a bit of a slog but I promise everyone get through it because the payoffs are very satisfying by the end of the series. And heck, I like this series more than GOT. Because I like epic fantasy with a darker hint but is still epic fantasy. And Tad Williams prose is fantastic.
It's incredible, isn't it? I read it last year, and I can't believe it took me this long to get to it. Stone of Farewell has a bit of a middle book syndrome, but To Green Angel Tower is amazing!
The begining is incredibly slow, but that baseline makes Simons growth so much more impactful. This series is the only one I have read where the MC was SO unlikable at the beginning but then grew into a proper hero, but that makes sense considering he is a legit child at the begining. Although lets be honest, Binabik and Qantaqa are the best characters in the series.
I agree with what you said. But for me, I liked Simon immediately from the beginning. I think the fact he was a child and truly behaved like one made him a more believable character to me. And I loved reading about his development! Can't deny what you said though, Binabik and Qantaqa are the best characters in the series! :D
I grew up as a kid with ADHD (though, a lot better educational opportunities than Simon had, of course), so I really identified with his wandering mind and curiosity and impatience.
I’m up to chapter 31 and I am really enjoying this book. It’s on it’s way to becoming one of favorite fantasy series. So bummed I missed out on that special edition. I did manage to hunt down 1st edition hardcovers of the trilogy. The 1st book is absolutely beautiful and 1 of my prized possessions. Tad Williams deserves so much more recognition.
Great to hear that! Once you finished this, I think you'll treasure that 1st edition hardcover even more haha. I agree that Tad Williams deserves so much more recognition! :)
The topic of pacing for the dragonbone chair in particular has always been an interesting one for me. I can even remember as a teen back in the 90s friends friends taking issue with the pacing, or the start. For me the start of the book, or its pacing, was/is perfect. The story and Tad's prose is what allowed me, and so many others, get to know these characters and become so beloved to us, like Simon. And getting to know the world so we that much more immersed. Switching gears, Jeffrey Archer (non fantasy) is an author I sometimes read and he almost never puts any building into the characters. There's just not much there for your mind's eye to build these characters, physically and then their personality. Anyway, I always love hearing perspectives on tad williams' 2 work, hence I'm on this video. I'm not a primary fantasy reader, but I do read them and dragonbone chair is most definitely among some of my favorite books of all times. It's one I certainly cherish and re-read every 5 years or so.
Glad to hear how much you loved it! I completely agree with you. I have no nostalgia factor toward this series, but I was so surprised by how much I enjoyed the beginning portion, which is mixed received by readers now. The slice-of-life portion was incredibly well-written. It really felt like I was with Simon throughout the series! :)
Thank you! I was going to start the sequel series before the end of 2023, but I might have to wait and see when will be the final publication date for Navigator's Children! :)
Osten Ard will be the next world I dive into after I finish Realm of the Elderlings and I cannot wait to see what it's all about! This review made me even more excited than I already was. Great review, Petrik!
I’m so glad that you enjoyed The Dragonbone Chair! This is my favorite epic fantasy series and I’m impatiently waiting for the Navigator’s Children. I love seeing other people finally discovering Tad Williams and his books. I also love the Otherland series and need to reread that. -Amy
Ah, it's so incredible, Amy. I can't believe it took me this long to dive into this book. I look forward to reading all of Tad Williams' books. Not only the fantasy series, but Otherland as well! :)
I’m so glad you loved it as much as I did. I mean, you perfectly expressed what I feel for this book. I for one loved the first part of the book and could have also read 100 pages more of it. Tad Williams’s characterization, worldbuilding and beautiful prose made me love this book and immediately keep reading book 2 & 3. Having just finished book 3, I can say that MS&T is one of my all time favorite series! It’s a shame it’s not talked about more in the fantasy community. Thank you Petrik for your amazing review! ❤
Thank you so much, my friend! I'm pleased to hear everything I expressed here is similar to your thoughts and feelings on the book. It's no wonder you end up loving this book and series very much. I expect I will be in the same boat as you once I finished To Green Angel Tower! :D
Hi Petrick. I always felt that The Dragonbone Chair was over shadowed by The Wheel of Time. I agree that the story is compelling especially the glimpses we are given of the history of Osten Ard. I’ve read it twice now and I can see me reading it again once I reduce my ever expanding TBR.
Even though it has that slow burn in the beginning, it’s still my favorite book out of the whole series. It’s so good and I am happy to hear that you liked it! 👍
Couldn't agree with you more, Petrik! Williams' prose immediately sucked me into this world and endeared most of the characters to me while making me loathe others. I'm happily reading "To Green Angel Tower" now and I haven't been disappointed with the journey so far.
I've been listening to Dragonbone chair for awhile now. I have a tendency to get distracted while listening and have had to re-listen to significant portions of the story to absorb every rich detail and bit of worldbuilding. It has been a treat to do so as every single scene is beautifully written.
Tad Williams is my favorite fantasy author - one of my favorite authors period. His prose is top notch. The Memory, Sorrow and Thorn books are amazing. I just finished rereading that trilogy - again - and the novella The Heart of What Was Lost. I am about to start on the Witchwood Crown (I I agree that some books now tend to focus on constant action at the cost of character or building tension. It's good to slow it down from time to time and focus on those things - which Tad does very well.
Exactly. I've read only the first book and I can already feel that he's going to become one of my favorite authors. The prose is beautiful, and it made it easy to absorb and enjoy the slower moments. 😁
@@PetrikLeo It has many of the elements I think are important for a sustained popular series. Action, intrigue, likable heroes, despicable, and terrifying villains and monsters. Quests, hope amid seemingly overwhelming odds. I'm starting to get hyped for a series that doesn't exist. Also, room for easily making it more adult oriented, or toning that down for broader audiences.
Thank you for this great review! I had already thought that Tad Williams will be an author for me, your detailed analysis reinforced that. The Dragonbone Chair is on the physical TBR, so I need to get to it soon!
Great to hear - this will be my next read I hope, though my library doesnt have this series, but only the Otherland series by Tad Williams. I'll check out other libraries here. Thanks for the review
Great review Petrik! My experience is that To Green Angel Tower is the best of the original three, so you are in for a treat. I'm all caught up, and waiting for the final book to be released.
I’ve been waiting for your review of this ever since you posted your review of the Grim Oak edition. I’m glad you enjoyed it and I feel confident in saying that you’ll love just about every page you have left in MS&T. Tad Williams is an absolute master of the genre and I totally agree- it’s shameful how little recognition he gets.
Thank you for the encouragement. I have no doubt, based on how much I enjoyed The Dragonbone Chair, I'll love the remaining books in Memory, Sorrow, and Thorn! :D
Just finished first re-read of whole series since I read it 25yrs ago and its aged beautifully - incredible series and its great to hear someone's first reaction to this. I really hope you enjoy the remaining books - it just gets better and better :)
I never read these and finally thought I’d check them out. Yesterday on Amazon I saw your review and bought book 1 right after. There’s a review I can trust! Now I’m waiting for it to arrive and can’t wait! Thanks for honest reviews. You’ve shared some incredible series I never previously read & I loved like The Ash & Sand trilogy! Thank you
You're welcome! Always glad to hear my recommendations clicking with you and other readers. Fingers crossed Dragonbone Chair will be a win, too! I believe this is my first review on Amazon haha. I need to update that review!
So glad you loved it! It is one of my favorites and now I listen to it on audible. I got my husband to settle down and hear it by taking a road trip from Ohio to Washington State. He loved the characters as well! I have read all the books now and think you will love them too! Think they will ever make movie.
Thank you so much! I think it will be hard for the next books to disappoint me. This was incredible already. Glad to hear it's one of your favorites, too! :)
Hey, nice review! I'm glad you liked the book, the series is one of my favorites. Read it at least 20 years ago, but the characters still stick out in my mind. "Avi Stetto" indeed...
So delighted to see you covering this series. Great discussion. Tad Williams is such a good writer and he creates this beautiful sense of melancholy through words which is so poignant and has stayed with me long after I finished reading. Will there be a discussion? Looking forward to your thoughts on the MS&T series.
Excellent review Petrik, and welcome to the amazing world of Osten Ard! Memory, Sorrow and Thorn has long been my favourite series of all time… - More complex and nuanced than other ‘classic’ fantasy, such as Shanarah or Sword of Truth; - Less convoluted than Game of Thrones or Malazan; - More interesting, layered character development than Wheel of Time; - Better prose than any of them. Loved this series when it came out and looking forward to a re-read upon release of Navigator’s Children!
Thank you so much! What an absolutely incredible book. I heard Navigator's Children is delayed to 2024. But no worries. I look forward to reading them all. And I think I will be rereading this series multiple times in the future! :)
@@PetrikLeo yes I was disappointed to hear about the delay. Rest assured however that Tad has a solid reputation of completing his series in a timely fashion, so I would be shocked if this delay becomes a protracted one.
Jimmy in the past and now your seal of approval had made this a must read for me! Thanks Petrik. Still have RotE, Dark Tower, and Faithful and the Fallen to get through but then this!
You're welcome, Danny! This is definitely worth a try. That said, RotE and Faithful and the Fallen are amazing, too. You have many amazing books waiting for you! 😁
I'm so glad you liked it. I am in the middle of my reread of this book, as I have waited for the Last King of Osten Ard to be completed. As I have read this book 20 years ago, I did forget some of the details, and in some ways it's like rediscovering it anew. When is the discussion scheduled?
Thank you! I think that's the right time to reread the books. Navigator's Children has been delayed to 2024, but no official release date yet. I'm nailing the schedule down with Alex right now, but should be this Friday or next Monday! :)
I'm looking forward to your take on The Stone of Farewell and To Green Angel Tower (divided into Siege and Storm for the paperback editions). In my opinion, they more than fulfill the promise of The Dragonbone Chair!
I am so happy you enjoyed the MST. I have read these books more than 15years ago and still remember the lushness of its wtiting and the worldbuilding. Like you I loved the slow beginning as it helped the immersion into the book even more for me. Unfortunately i have never read the last book of the series as my library did not have it at that time. I ll have to reread the whole series if i want to finish now.
I am so happy (and relieved) for you that this ended up being such a hit! I mean, it's nice to have a gorgeous edition on your shelves, but it's even better when you actually adore the story inside haha. Give me all the slow-burn set up, I love it when I get the time to get emotionally invested in the characters and just immersed in the world. Great review Petrik, I hope the sequels are just as good, if not better!
I haven't even finished this video yet and I love it. I agree with every word! Now I am finally hearing from someone else about the story that I have loved and that has lived in my mind for almost 2 decades. After so many years of wondering why no one else had heard of this wonderful book, how could no one else love this, I hear your wonderful words, Petrik. Thank God it finally happened. "Jingizu.... so much sorrow" You'll love the rest, Petrik, if you've loved it this far. And excited, you'll be excited. I was too excited to stop, too excited to sleep before I turned one more page, too excited not to read the series 3 or 4 times within the space of 1 year. I really loved it.
Thank you so much, Jen! It's a bit insane how relatively few people are talking about Memory, Sorrow, and Thorn. This really feels like a series that should be talked about much more often. That Jingizu scene... Incredibly vivid and powerful!
Well not me binge watching videos all over TH-cam regarding my favourite writer Tad Williams! Guess who caved and bought the Broken Binding editions? MEEEEEEE
@@PetrikLeo the new art has fully grown on me. My friend showed me the back endpaper of Stone Of Fairwell and I was awed. Love it! Fantastic job all round, especially the cover of the last book!
All the references and notes I have made so far in “The Dragonbone Chair”: Prester John: Mythical Medieval Christian King in the “East” (Asia/Africa), many the Portuguese Expeditions to India and East Africa sought to find him and his kingdom as a potential trade partner and ally against the Ottoman Turks, leading to the Christian Portuguese-Ethiopian Alliance against the Muslim alliance of the Ottoman Empire and the Adal Sultanate in the Ethiopian-Adal War from 1529 to 1543 Erkynland: Anglo Saxon England Hernystir: Celts Rimmersmen: Vikings Nabban: Italy Beornoth: Ætheling mentioned in the Anglo Saxon Chronicle Colmund: Ceolmund, 8th Century Bishop mentioned in the Anglo Saxon Chronicle Eahlstan: 9th Century Bishop mentioned in the Anglo Saxon Chronicle Eglaf: 11th Century Swedish Nobleman mentioned in the Anglo Saxon Chronicle (Elian, brother of Ulf Jarl) Ethelferth: Royal herdsman mentioned in the Anglo Saxon Chronicle Freawaru: Daughter of King Hrodgar in “Beowulf” Haestan: Hastein/Hastingus/Hæsting, Viking (Danish) Chieftain mentioned in the Anglo Saxon Chronicle, raided France & the Mediterranean with Bjorn Ironside, defeated in England by King Alfred Hephzibah: Hebrew “my delight (is) in her”, 1) Queen of Judah, wife of King Hezekiah 2) In Jewish Medieval Apocalyptic Literature the Warrior Wife of Nathan, son of King David and Bathsheba, slayer of multiple enemy kings and mother of the coming Messiah Hruse: Old English “ground”, appears in Anglo Saxon Texts such as “Beowulf” & “The Wanderer” Malachite: Copper carbonite hydroxide green mineral Ordmaer: Ordmær, Anglo Saxon Earl and Father-in-Law of King Edager and Grandfather of King Edward the Martyr Sangfugol: Norwegian “Songbird” (Bokmål: “Sangfugl”, Nynorsk: “Songfugl”, dialect: Songfoggel) Towser: Sargent Towser in “Catch 22”, Major Major’s assistant and de facto head of the Squadron Bagba: The Dagba of Irish Mythology (+ Togo Spirit mentioned in James Frazer’s “The Golden Bough”) Cryunnos: Cernunnos, Celtic Horned God Hern: (King) Herne the Hunter, the leader of the Wild Hunt in British Myths Hernystir: Tir “Land” in Gaelic, so “Hern’s Land” Murhagh One-Arm: Nauda Airgetlam/“Silver-hand” Rhynn: Lost God in Michael Moorcock’s “Corum” stories: The Magical Eye of Rhynn is given to Corum to replace his lost eye Bindesekk: Norwegian “Bounded rucksack” Dror: Thor Einskaldir: “Ein skald”, “a skald/bard” in Norwegian (NN) Fingil: Fingal (Finn McCool) in James MacPherson’s “Ossian” Frayja: Freya/Frigg Hengfisk: Hengist Ingen Jegger: Norwegian “ingen jeger” (“no hunter”)/ “ingen jeg er” (“I am Nobody”, akin to Odysseus’ alias when meeting the Cyclops) Isbeorn: Norwegian “Isbjørn” (“Ice Bear”- Polar Bear) Jarnauga: Norwegian (NN) “Iron Eye” Löken: Loki/e plus Logi (“Fire”) whom he loses to when challenged at Utgard-Loke Memur: Mimir, the Wisest Jotun Nisse: Norwegian Folklore Creature Udun: Odin + Idun, provider of the Apples of Immortality for the Norse Gods (+ Udun, fortress of Morgoth in the “Silmarillion” & valley of Mordor in “Lord of the Rings”, Sindarin “Dark Pit”/“Underworld”) Adeon: Adonai, one of the Hebrew names of God Nuanni: Neptune (with a Mesopotamian twist?) Lector Ranessin: Pope Adrian IV (born Nicholas Breakspear), only English Pope to date Sulis: Celtic Water Diety worship at Bath Usies Adeon: “Sired by Adonai”? (+Adeon appears as a name in the Welsh “Mabinogion”) Sithi: Aos Si/Aes Sidhe, Irish name of a Mythical Supernatural Older Race of Elves/Fairies (“daoine sith” in Scottish Gaelic), “Sidhe” ancient “otherworldly” hills & barrows tied to Aos Si Amerasu: Amaterasu, the Sun Goddess of Japanese Shinto Mythology
I began MST by reading Brothers of the Wind. I highly recommend doing so before reading the next two because they get more complicated bringing up Old Gods conflicts that underlie much of the next two volumes. MST is indeed a great Epic Story. I’m glad you enjoyed. I also have the Grim Oak DBC…. Love their publications. Love Tad Williams too!
Thank you for the kind words and recommendation! I will have to discuss this with Alex from Tall Guy Reads. We're trying to read everything by publication order. But we'll see. Glad to hear how much you loved Memory, Sorrow, and Thorn! :D
Petrik, you have no idea how happy this makes me! This is my favourite book of all time, and I was sure you'd love it! The first part of this novel could have carried on for 900 pages. Not even exaggerating.😊
@@PetrikLeo oh definitely, it's not an easy book to recommend, but I think it's always worth a try! I DNFd WoT many times before I finally clicked with it. And oh boy...talk about pacing issues lol
I am very excited that you are reading this series. It’s one of my favorites! It just gets better and better. I think I need to do a reread before the last book comes out. I love this world and the characters, good or bad.
Thank you so much! I had such a great time reading The Dragonbone Chair. Already excited to read the sequel next month. I heard Navigator's Children has been delayed to 2024. There is plenty of time to reread the series! :D
I'm sooo excited that you loved The Dragonbone Chair!! 🙌 This really is such an underrated series, I feel like I've only recently seen people start talk about it (the stunning Grim Oak edition might've helped ^^). But hopefully - especially after your glowing review - more people will be inspired to pick it up! And thank you for finally making me reread this book! 😊 I'm about 3/4 through and so happy to see it's holding up - I have such fond memories of my first read 2 decades ago. Can't wait to continue on with the journey!!
Thank you so much, my friend! Yeah, for its classic status and immense influence, it's surprising how Memory, Sorrow, and Thorn remain so underrated. I hope I can convince more readers to pick it up. And hey, thank YOU for joining the read-along for the series! Glad to hear the reread is going well for you! :)
I read the series about 30 years ago as a kid. I don't remember any of the plot, but I still remember the feeling I had while reading. I remember that I loved it and considered it one of my favorite series for a very long time. I was hesitant to reread the books because I didn't want to ruin my first impression but thanks to your video I'm in the mood to do it.
This book is near the top of my stack and now I am really excited to read it. Everything you described about it matches my taste in fantasy books. -Palmer
Glad you enjoyed it, especially if you bought that Grim Oak edition. Looking forward to hearing your thoughts with Tall Guy but especially what you think of the next few books. I do admit I think Stone of Farewell is the weakest of the three books but one that grows on rereads - it's where the series turns into a full on ensemble which can be kind of surprising at first and you don't generally know the shape of the story so some of it can seem like kind of a lot. Green Angel Tower, though, is seriously impressive, one of my favorite fantasy novels (alongside Storm of Swords and others), an Epic with a capital E.
Thank you so much, Andrew! The discussion with Tall Guy will be full of spoilers. Looking forward to it! As long as there is a huge payoff in the concluding volume, I don't mind wading through a relatively inferior middle novel. Hearing you ranking Green Angel Tower up there Storm of Swords is great to hear. Honestly, though, just having the chance to read more of Tad's prose will be delightful to me! :D
If you loved the first one, you’re in for a treat because I’m currently reading book three and it blows the first two out of the water. I personally found the first two a little tough to get through, even though I enjoyed them overall.
It's just an incredible series. It has the atmosphere and prose of a literary classic like Gormenghast, the sense of adventure of a classic epic fantasy, and the narrative and character complexity of a modern dark fantasy. One of those lighting in a bottle type works. One of my most reread passages is when Simon and Miri first drift through those elven ruins on a small boat. The thoughts they feel have stuck with me years after reading The Dragonbone Chair. PS: If you ever do a reread, the audiobook is very immersive
I'm also so glad you mentioned the pacing. I think a lot of popular genre books have created a mindset in readers that everything needs to be plot driven, that it's an inherent negative if something is deliberately paced. That's why people criticize anything that isn't a full "scene" as useless. There's just as much beauty in "moments" as full scenes. And Tad nails those moments. And he did eventually wrap up a large scale Epic Fantasy with multiple POVs in three books anyway :)
Thank you very much! It's an incredible book, really. And I haven't even finished reading Stone of Farewell and To Green Angel Tower. I think many fantasy books now have made it harder for readers to appreciate the slower moments. Something always has to happen quickly. Personally speaking, beauty in nothingness can be a wonderful thing when they're executed with this kind of prose. :)
I read this trilogy a year ago and loved it, especially the beautiful writing. I'm glad to hear you loved it too. The fancy edition looks amazing ... I was wondering how much difference that would make for you, and you answered my question!
Thank you! It's such a great book. The beautiful edition definitely increased my enjoyment. And knowing that I will be reading this book multiple times in the future, seems like the gamble to buy the book pays off for me. :)
So happy you enjoyed it! I've just finished it a few weeks ago myself, and I loved it too. I don't have exclusive reading time and I read whenever I have free time, so I suffer more from the slow pacing of the first part. The other thing I have gripes with is the religion Williams created. It's really just Christianity from another world. Kinda wished it was more creative. These are just small problems, and at the end I find myself really hyped for the second book! Also also, it's really cool to see some possible inspirations that other works pulled from MST like Qantaqa and Nighteyes, or Storm King and Night King, or Qantaqa and the Starks' direwolfes! I really wanted to jump straight to Stone of Farewell but my copy of both that and To Green Angel Tower hasn't arrived yet (possibly in july). Hope this series will only get better and better😄
Yeah, I totally get what you're saying! The religion created isn't the most original out there, but I like to think it's merely because this was a book published in 1988. Great nods on the possible inspirations, though. I completely agree with what you said! Hopefully Stone of Farewell will be as good! :)
Glad you liked it Petrik. So if this book was published before you were born, my copy of The Dragonbone Chair is also older than you. Ive sent many books back out into the world to live with new owners, or donated them to independent book stores, but Dragonbone is one amongst a few i kept with me. Ive only read it twice. But im tempted to dive in again. Im apprehensive about starting the new Osten Ard novels as i believe continuing a series so long after it was finished just feels....strange.
Thank you so much! Hhaaha I guess that's true. Your copy of Dragonbone Chair is older than I am! I totally get your worry. A sequel series is always tricky. Most of the time, it doesn't do well or failed to capture the magic of the first series. :)
I've always ranked this series second, behind LoTR. It's just so well written, the characters and cultures are incredibly lifelike, and the way the story pulls together is incredible. It really is underrated, probably because people don't have the patience to get through the first 200 pages.
I think people are missing out a LOT on this series. Not only the first 200 pages were superbly written, but they also set up Simon's character and the tone of the world beautifully. Loved it very much.
I think The Dragonbone Chair has been on my tbr pile for several years as well :' ), oops. I'll definitely make work of it this year, might start it after 'The art of prophecy'! Great video per usual, Petrik!
I so Happy 😀 you finally read this, also I did reread Malice from John Gwynne as per our bet .. liked it better the second time around. I hope all is well for you and your family!
My Grimoak copy finally arrived this week. I also never read this series but I reckon that if I won't like it I'll be able to sell it for the obtaining price including shipping, anyway. Waited a month for it but on the bright side there were no custom fees upon arrival. It's gorgeous and I hope I get to read it this summer but life is in the way at the moment, along with finishing Last Argument of Kings and Malice.
That was my thought, too. Thankfully, I do love this book. I hope Grim Oak Press will be able to do something with their insane shipping fee. Like you, though, I didn't have to pay for any more custom fees. No idea what actually decided that.
Navigator's Children is not the last book in the world of Osten Ard, Tad Williams has a contract for two more Osten Ard books, standalones, beyond it. The first will be titled "The Splintered Sun", the second doesn't have a title yet.
This was actually the very first fantasy book I ever read when I was 14 years old. Most people say I ended up setting my bar way too high for following fantasy series but I don't mind.
@@PetrikLeo it's absolutely still my favorite fantasy and Tad Williams my second favorite writer next to Gene Wolfe but just because you watched Godfather doesn't mean you can't enjoy Goodfellas or Scarface ya know?.
Easily my favourite series! Happy you like it as well! 🙂 Although I bought Brothers of the Wind when it was released, I have decided not to read it until after I have read Navigator's Children.
@@PetrikLeo I had wanted to finish the entire Osten Ard series before reading the prequel. But since Navigator's Children has been postponed another year I will risk reading it now. Might lose some of the suspense in the current series but oh well. I've already been waiting 10 months to read it, don't want to wait another 17 months now.
Glad you enjoyed it Petrik! I want to read this as well but keep getting put off as im a plot before character reader and im not a fan of slow pacing which is something i hear alot about this!
Thank you so much, Liam! Ah I understand your situation. That will be difficult. The book is definitely character-driven and relatively slow. If you're a plot-driven reader, you might find the first 200 pages excruciatingly slow, like many readers did. 😅
@@PetrikLeo yeah sounds like i need to be in the right place before i start reading it! Id really like to one day though as if all they authors have it as an influence it has to be excellent. Im reading john gwynne for the first time so going from that to dragonbone might not be the best idea haha
ayyyyy, I also started my reading journey of this series this year. Currently switching between MST (read two books, and will be reading prequel novella before reading finale) and second trilogy in Kushiel's Universe (would also recommend highly)
@@PetrikLeo Kushiel writing style is gorgeous, too. Politics are really good and somewhat easy to follow IF you take time to learn/understand who is who in first ~30%. And the sex element is really not that bad (not that much of it) AFTER the first ~25% or so, and isn't big at all in all further books.
I look forward to reading The Last King of Osten Ard, too! I heard the last book is getting delayed, though. I might be getting to that one next year instead.
i'm with you on having characterization and a bit of world building at the start, rather than action/danger right away. For similar reasons: i want to care about the characters so that i have concerns when dangers do occur. I want to know how things work so i understand the stakes of the conflicts as they occur. i don't know about 100 pages of it though XD maybe.
Glad you agreed, Rachel! Hahaha, this one isn't 100 pages of character and world-building. It's 200 pages long! The prose, imo, definitely made it so worthwhile! :)
@@PetrikLeo that is a bit encouraging. In writing my own novels, i do get worried that readers will think it's dull because there's a lot of focus on character and internalized thought and reflections (especially this new one i've nearly completed)
Tad Williams Otherland series is one of my all time favorites, but for some reason his fantasy series doesn't work for me! I don't know why, I do read a lot of fantasy by other authors.
I read this book years and years ago probably the early 2000s it is beautifully written I will definitely give it that and no it is not action-oriented but there is action and adventure I only read book 1 I probably wouldn't go back to it even though I do remember liking it then my preferences now have changed I feel it was definitely overshadowed by Robert Jordan's Wheel of Time that I have never read and probably never will anyway another great video by the best booktuber on TH-cam
@@PetrikLeo awesome. Perhaps you've already read it, but I cannot boast enough about The Warlord Chronicle By Bernard Cornwell. It's historical fiction, but with a heavy dose of grimdark fantasy added to it. If you enjoy reading close quarter combat scenes, nobody, in my opinion, does it better than Cornwell. Happy reading, and cheers from Vancouver BC.
Ok, Petrik, I will give this series a go, because I was honestly thorn, I don't do well with classic fantasy: (WoT, Feist, Wars of Light and Shadow were my failed attempts) . I am character reader, so what you said about slice of life parts and characterization felt like you spoke directly to me. It was never the language that bothered me, it's that I couldn't connect to characters at all. Thanks for review, your perspective was incredibly helpful. :)
I hope you'll love this as much as I did! I haven't tried Wars of Light and Shadow yet, but I have mixed feelings on Wheel of Time and Riftwar (love Empire trilogy so much, though) so far. As far as the first book goes, this one is certainly my favorite of the three! :)
@@PetrikLeo Yes, wierdly, Empire trilogy was great, but I just couldn't get into Feist and Wurts in their solo work and Mara was the reason I tried. I already ordered The Dragonbone Chair and I'm keeping my fingers crossed. :)
Ive yet to dinish this. I got more than halfway done last year but didnt end up finishing it for some reason. Sometime next year I'll likely take the dive
@Petrik Leo I loved what I was reading, but has to return the book to the library. I've since bought all the ebooks and audiobooks, so once I decide to dive back in, I'll get through it quick haua
I just read it this month too, what a coincidence. I didn't think it was slow either. I don't really like stories with such a young protagonist but this didn't give me YA vibes too bad, so it felt fine in that respect.
Great to hear! I didn't think it felt YA at all. The main character is a teenager but the narrative style and conflict is adult fantasy reader oriented! 😄
I thought you would finish at the end of May. I am still doing my re-read. Now I feel like a bit of a looser lol, Glad you loved the book. I should warn you, the Navigator's Children got delayed.
Thank you so much! You're not a loser. I just end up finishing this sooner than I thought. I will be doing a live discussion with Alex at the end of the month. You have time! AND WHAT!? Seriously??? I didn't know about this!
@@PetrikLeo Yeah I listen to Tad's livestreams. Basically, he finished the first draft (which for him is 90% of the work) but then his mother died and for a variety of reasons he had to move. Amazon changed the date to November of 2024, but I am pretty sure it is a placeholder.
I’m always happy to see more classic fantasy series get attention. A lot of them deserve just as much fame and praise as Lord of the Rings and Wheel of Time (:
I really loved the series so much. Though the story is slow paced never did it feels like the author is dragging the story along. In short, it's beautiful and EPIC.
I am so glad you enjoyed it! It is sooooo underrated! It is the series I judge all others off of.
I can't believe how relatively underrated this series is! 🥲
What series would you say was as good or better?
@@adampender2482 considering it is My favorite book/series , I read it every year….. none. But I guess that makes me biased as well 😅😅😅
I read Memory, Sorrow, and Thorn many years ago -- probably more than twenty years ago -- and loved it. I am long overdue for a reread. It's great to hear you discussing The Dragonbone Chair, Petrik!
Thank you so much, Philip! I'm glad I read this. Better late than never, right!? Happy to hear you loved it, too! :D
The best of fantasy.
You would also like The Riddlemaster of Hed by Patricia McKillip and The Anvil of Ice by Michael Scott Rohan
I definitely plan to read The Riddlemaster someday! I own the book already! 😁
@@PetrikLeo hey there you go lol. Just from how you spoke about this series, I can tell you would also enjoy these others.
I am reading Tad Williams "The War of the Flowers" and without doubt I can say he is slowly but steadily becoming my all time favourite author.
I have a feeling he will become one of my favorite authors, too! :D
Oh, my goodness. I love that book, too. It's not my favorite, but I could never get it out of my mind. Memory, Sorrow and Thorn, Otherland and War of the Flowers. I have to give Shadowmarch another go.
@@jenb9742 I struggle with ShadowMarch. I was flabbergasted it took 4 books. 😭😭😭. I was so confused
So true you can see the influence of this trilogy in so many modern fantasy series!!!
Definitely!
I will admit; I’m a big fan of this series. I read it last year and was blown away. The first book is a bit of a slog but I promise everyone get through it because the payoffs are very satisfying by the end of the series. And heck, I like this series more than GOT. Because I like epic fantasy with a darker hint but is still epic fantasy. And Tad Williams prose is fantastic.
That's wonderful. Hearing there will be satisfying payoffs is always great! Here's hoping I'll love this more than A Song of Ice and Fire! :)
I read the Dragonbone Chair this month(January 2024) and it was a wonderful reading experience,5 out of 5 stars for sure!
It's incredible, isn't it? I read it last year, and I can't believe it took me this long to get to it. Stone of Farewell has a bit of a middle book syndrome, but To Green Angel Tower is amazing!
@@PetrikLeo Thanks for the info, I'll keep that in mind
You won't be disappointed at all. Every single thing Tad puts his hand to is brilliant and incredibly well crafted. You will love it.
I'm confident I'll love the rest of the series! :)
The begining is incredibly slow, but that baseline makes Simons growth so much more impactful. This series is the only one I have read where the MC was SO unlikable at the beginning but then grew into a proper hero, but that makes sense considering he is a legit child at the begining. Although lets be honest, Binabik and Qantaqa are the best characters in the series.
I agree with what you said. But for me, I liked Simon immediately from the beginning. I think the fact he was a child and truly behaved like one made him a more believable character to me. And I loved reading about his development! Can't deny what you said though, Binabik and Qantaqa are the best characters in the series! :D
I grew up as a kid with ADHD (though, a lot better educational opportunities than Simon had, of course), so I really identified with his wandering mind and curiosity and impatience.
I’m up to chapter 31 and I am really enjoying this book. It’s on it’s way to becoming one of favorite fantasy series. So bummed I missed out on that special edition. I did manage to hunt down 1st edition hardcovers of the trilogy. The 1st book is absolutely beautiful and 1 of my prized possessions. Tad Williams deserves so much more recognition.
Great to hear that! Once you finished this, I think you'll treasure that 1st edition hardcover even more haha. I agree that Tad Williams deserves so much more recognition! :)
The topic of pacing for the dragonbone chair in particular has always been an interesting one for me. I can even remember as a teen back in the 90s friends friends taking issue with the pacing, or the start. For me the start of the book, or its pacing, was/is perfect. The story and Tad's prose is what allowed me, and so many others, get to know these characters and become so beloved to us, like Simon. And getting to know the world so we that much more immersed. Switching gears, Jeffrey Archer (non fantasy) is an author I sometimes read and he almost never puts any building into the characters. There's just not much there for your mind's eye to build these characters, physically and then their personality. Anyway, I always love hearing perspectives on tad williams' 2 work, hence I'm on this video. I'm not a primary fantasy reader, but I do read them and dragonbone chair is most definitely among some of my favorite books of all times. It's one I certainly cherish and re-read every 5 years or so.
Glad to hear how much you loved it! I completely agree with you. I have no nostalgia factor toward this series, but I was so surprised by how much I enjoyed the beginning portion, which is mixed received by readers now. The slice-of-life portion was incredibly well-written. It really felt like I was with Simon throughout the series! :)
Glad you liked it, I loved reading this trilogy last year. I plan to start the sequel series before the end of 2023.
Thank you! I was going to start the sequel series before the end of 2023, but I might have to wait and see when will be the final publication date for Navigator's Children! :)
Osten Ard will be the next world I dive into after I finish Realm of the Elderlings and I cannot wait to see what it's all about! This review made me even more excited than I already was. Great review, Petrik!
Thank you so much! This world is so diving into. I'm so amazed with it from the first book! 😁
I’m so glad that you enjoyed The Dragonbone Chair! This is my favorite epic fantasy series and I’m impatiently waiting for the Navigator’s Children. I love seeing other people finally discovering Tad Williams and his books. I also love the Otherland series and need to reread that. -Amy
Ah, it's so incredible, Amy. I can't believe it took me this long to dive into this book. I look forward to reading all of Tad Williams' books. Not only the fantasy series, but Otherland as well! :)
I’m so glad you loved it as much as I did. I mean, you perfectly expressed what I feel for this book. I for one loved the first part of the book and could have also read 100 pages more of it. Tad Williams’s characterization, worldbuilding and beautiful prose made me love this book and immediately keep reading book 2 & 3. Having just finished book 3, I can say that MS&T is one of my all time favorite series! It’s a shame it’s not talked about more in the fantasy community. Thank you Petrik for your amazing review! ❤
Thank you so much, my friend! I'm pleased to hear everything I expressed here is similar to your thoughts and feelings on the book. It's no wonder you end up loving this book and series very much. I expect I will be in the same boat as you once I finished To Green Angel Tower! :D
Hi Petrick. I always felt that The Dragonbone Chair was over shadowed by The Wheel of Time. I agree that the story is compelling especially the glimpses we are given of the history of Osten Ard. I’ve read it twice now and I can see me reading it again once I reduce my ever expanding TBR.
I know right? As far as first book goes, this in my opinion is vastly better than Eye of the World. :D
Even though it has that slow burn in the beginning, it’s still my favorite book out of the whole series. It’s so good and I am happy to hear that you liked it! 👍
Thank you so much! I loved this one so much already. Can't wait to find out how good the remaining two will be! :)
Couldn't agree with you more, Petrik! Williams' prose immediately sucked me into this world and endeared most of the characters to me while making me loathe others. I'm happily reading "To Green Angel Tower" now and I haven't been disappointed with the journey so far.
Exactly. I can't get enough of the prose. I look forward to reading Stone of Farewell next month and then To Green Angel Tower the month after! 😄
Hi Petrik. Glad you liked the book. I haven't read the series in years, so I might try to start it at some point 2023.
Thank you so much, Samuli! Join the read along if you can! 😄
I've been listening to Dragonbone chair for awhile now. I have a tendency to get distracted while listening and have had to re-listen to significant portions of the story to absorb every rich detail and bit of worldbuilding. It has been a treat to do so as every single scene is beautifully written.
Yeah! Tad Williams has a special quality to his writing. So beautiful and rich, but without it feeling heavy to read. So good!
Tad Williams is my favorite fantasy author - one of my favorite authors period. His prose is top notch. The Memory, Sorrow and Thorn books are amazing. I just finished rereading that trilogy - again - and the novella The Heart of What Was Lost. I am about to start on the Witchwood Crown (I I agree that some books now tend to focus on constant action at the cost of character or building tension. It's good to slow it down from time to time and focus on those things - which Tad does very well.
Exactly. I've read only the first book and I can already feel that he's going to become one of my favorite authors. The prose is beautiful, and it made it easy to absorb and enjoy the slower moments. 😁
George R. R. Martin named this series as an inspiration. I am somewhat surprised no one has picked it up to make a series.
Same here. It could totally work well!
@@PetrikLeo It has many of the elements I think are important for a sustained popular series. Action, intrigue, likable heroes, despicable, and terrifying villains and monsters. Quests, hope amid seemingly overwhelming odds. I'm starting to get hyped for a series that doesn't exist. Also, room for easily making it more adult oriented, or toning that down for broader audiences.
Really glad you enjoyed this one. I love this trilogy ❤
Thank you very much! I look forward to reading the sequels! :D
Just bought this book. You have caused me to move it up to next on my TBR. Thank you. Great quote!!!
You're welcome! I hope you'll enjoy it! :)
Thank you for this great review! I had already thought that Tad Williams will be an author for me, your detailed analysis reinforced that. The Dragonbone Chair is on the physical TBR, so I need to get to it soon!
Thank you so much! You're a fan of Hobb's writing, too, so I think you'll really love this one! 😁
Great to hear - this will be my next read I hope, though my library doesnt have this series, but only the Otherland series by Tad Williams. I'll check out other libraries here. Thanks for the review
You're welcome! I hope you'll love this as much as I did. I need to check out Otherland by Tad Williams, too! :)
I really enjoyed this video. So glad you are on the Osten Ard journey! Easily my favorite series of all time!!!
Thank you so much! I look forward to reading the sequel next month!
Be good to hear a review of the whole series when you're done!
That's the plan!! 😁
Great review Petrik! My experience is that To Green Angel Tower is the best of the original three, so you are in for a treat. I'm all caught up, and waiting for the final book to be released.
Well that is superb news for me. Seems like many agree with To Green Angel Tower is the best of the three! I will read Stone of Farewell soon!
I’ve been waiting for your review of this ever since you posted your review of the Grim Oak edition. I’m glad you enjoyed it and I feel confident in saying that you’ll love just about every page you have left in MS&T. Tad Williams is an absolute master of the genre and I totally agree- it’s shameful how little recognition he gets.
Thank you for the encouragement. I have no doubt, based on how much I enjoyed The Dragonbone Chair, I'll love the remaining books in Memory, Sorrow, and Thorn! :D
Just finished first re-read of whole series since I read it 25yrs ago and its aged beautifully - incredible series and its great to hear someone's first reaction to this. I really hope you enjoy the remaining books - it just gets better and better :)
I recently finished Memory Sorrow and Thorn trilogy and yes, i loved it! Book 1 and 3 are my favorites of the series. Beautiful books! 😁
I never read these and finally thought I’d check them out. Yesterday on Amazon I saw your review and bought book 1 right after. There’s a review I can trust! Now I’m waiting for it to arrive and can’t wait! Thanks for honest reviews. You’ve shared some incredible series I never previously read & I loved like The Ash & Sand trilogy! Thank you
You're welcome! Always glad to hear my recommendations clicking with you and other readers. Fingers crossed Dragonbone Chair will be a win, too! I believe this is my first review on Amazon haha. I need to update that review!
SO happy you enjoyed this Petrik! I also love the prose and pace of the trilogy!
Thank you, Dino!! :)
So glad you enjoyed it. I remember my most favorite instalment was Stone of Tears, but all of them were fabulous, IMO.
Thank you so much, friend! Let's see which one ends up being my favorite in the trilogy! :D
So glad you loved it! It is one of my favorites and now I listen to it on audible. I got my husband to settle down and hear it by taking a road trip from Ohio to Washington State. He loved the characters as well! I have read all the books now and think you will love them too! Think they will ever make movie.
Thank you so much! I think it will be hard for the next books to disappoint me. This was incredible already. Glad to hear it's one of your favorites, too! :)
Hey, nice review! I'm glad you liked the book, the series is one of my favorites. Read it at least 20 years ago, but the characters still stick out in my mind. "Avi Stetto" indeed...
It's SO GOOD. Will read Last King of Osten Ard soon! 😊
So delighted to see you covering this series.
Great discussion.
Tad Williams is such a good writer and he creates this beautiful sense of melancholy through words which is so poignant and has stayed with me long after I finished reading.
Will there be a discussion? Looking forward to your thoughts on the MS&T series.
Thank you so much, Paromita! I agree so much with what you said. And yes, there will be a discussion. I should probably pin that. 😅
Excellent review Petrik, and welcome to the amazing world of Osten Ard! Memory, Sorrow and Thorn has long been my favourite series of all time…
- More complex and nuanced than other ‘classic’ fantasy, such as Shanarah or Sword of Truth;
- Less convoluted than Game of Thrones or Malazan;
- More interesting, layered character development than Wheel of Time;
- Better prose than any of them.
Loved this series when it came out and looking forward to a re-read upon release of Navigator’s Children!
Thank you so much! What an absolutely incredible book. I heard Navigator's Children is delayed to 2024. But no worries. I look forward to reading them all. And I think I will be rereading this series multiple times in the future! :)
@@PetrikLeo yes I was disappointed to hear about the delay. Rest assured however that Tad has a solid reputation of completing his series in a timely fashion, so I would be shocked if this delay becomes a protracted one.
Jimmy in the past and now your seal of approval had made this a must read for me! Thanks Petrik. Still have RotE, Dark Tower, and Faithful and the Fallen to get through but then this!
You're welcome, Danny! This is definitely worth a try. That said, RotE and Faithful and the Fallen are amazing, too. You have many amazing books waiting for you! 😁
I’m so happy you read this! One of my favorite books of all time!
Thank you! It's amazing. I will read the sequels ASAP! :)
Incredible book! An all time favourite for sure. Such an immersive read, I was sucked in from the very first couple of pages.
Exactly. Immersive is truly the right word for it! :)
I'm so glad you liked it. I am in the middle of my reread of this book, as I have waited for the Last King of Osten Ard to be completed. As I have read this book 20 years ago, I did forget some of the details, and in some ways it's like rediscovering it anew.
When is the discussion scheduled?
Thank you! I think that's the right time to reread the books. Navigator's Children has been delayed to 2024, but no official release date yet. I'm nailing the schedule down with Alex right now, but should be this Friday or next Monday! :)
I'm looking forward to your take on The Stone of Farewell and To Green Angel Tower (divided into Siege and Storm for the paperback editions). In my opinion, they more than fulfill the promise of The Dragonbone Chair!
@@aaronzegas5270 i read them already. I loved them all! 😁 I posted my thoughts in my Green Angel Tower video!
I am so happy you enjoyed the MST. I have read these books more than 15years ago and still remember the lushness of its wtiting and the worldbuilding.
Like you I loved the slow beginning as it helped the immersion into the book even more for me.
Unfortunately i have never read the last book of the series as my library did not have it at that time.
I ll have to reread the whole series if i want to finish now.
Thank you so much! I am looking forward to reading the second and third book ASAP. I expect your enjoyment will only increase with further rereads! :)
I am so happy (and relieved) for you that this ended up being such a hit! I mean, it's nice to have a gorgeous edition on your shelves, but it's even better when you actually adore the story inside haha.
Give me all the slow-burn set up, I love it when I get the time to get emotionally invested in the characters and just immersed in the world.
Great review Petrik, I hope the sequels are just as good, if not better!
Thank you so much, Esmay! Yeah, thankfully this is a hit. Otherwise the beautiful book will become a piece of furniture on my bookshelves. 😂😂
I haven't even finished this video yet and I love it. I agree with every word! Now I am finally hearing from someone else about the story that I have loved and that has lived in my mind for almost 2 decades. After so many years of wondering why no one else had heard of this wonderful book, how could no one else love this, I hear your wonderful words, Petrik. Thank God it finally happened.
"Jingizu.... so much sorrow"
You'll love the rest, Petrik, if you've loved it this far. And excited, you'll be excited. I was too excited to stop, too excited to sleep before I turned one more page, too excited not to read the series 3 or 4 times within the space of 1 year. I really loved it.
Re-reading THAT scene gave me chills
Thank you so much, Jen! It's a bit insane how relatively few people are talking about Memory, Sorrow, and Thorn. This really feels like a series that should be talked about much more often. That Jingizu scene... Incredibly vivid and powerful!
Well not me binge watching videos all over TH-cam regarding my favourite writer Tad Williams!
Guess who caved and bought the Broken Binding editions? MEEEEEEE
@@MichaelSmith-zx5lw hahaha! You caved! 😂 Also, approved you watching videos on Tad Williams books!
@@PetrikLeo the new art has fully grown on me. My friend showed me the back endpaper of Stone Of Fairwell and I was awed. Love it! Fantastic job all round, especially the cover of the last book!
I am so happy you loved it too!! It’s one of my all time favourite series!
Thank you! It's so damn good! 😁
Been waiting for this for so long! You’ve finally read my fave. Great review as always, Petrik!
Thank you so much, Camille! It has been a long time coming. And I'm so happy to have read this wonderful book!
All the references and notes I have made so far in “The Dragonbone Chair”:
Prester John: Mythical Medieval Christian King in the “East” (Asia/Africa), many the Portuguese Expeditions to India and East Africa sought to find him and his kingdom as a potential trade partner and ally against the Ottoman Turks, leading to the Christian Portuguese-Ethiopian Alliance against the Muslim alliance of the Ottoman Empire and the Adal Sultanate in the Ethiopian-Adal War from 1529 to 1543
Erkynland: Anglo Saxon England
Hernystir: Celts
Rimmersmen: Vikings
Nabban: Italy
Beornoth: Ætheling mentioned in the Anglo Saxon Chronicle
Colmund: Ceolmund, 8th Century Bishop mentioned in the Anglo Saxon Chronicle
Eahlstan: 9th Century Bishop mentioned in the Anglo Saxon Chronicle
Eglaf: 11th Century Swedish Nobleman mentioned in the Anglo Saxon Chronicle (Elian, brother of Ulf Jarl)
Ethelferth: Royal herdsman mentioned in the Anglo Saxon Chronicle
Freawaru: Daughter of King Hrodgar in “Beowulf”
Haestan: Hastein/Hastingus/Hæsting, Viking (Danish) Chieftain mentioned in the Anglo Saxon Chronicle, raided France & the Mediterranean with Bjorn Ironside, defeated in England by King Alfred
Hephzibah: Hebrew “my delight (is) in her”, 1) Queen of Judah, wife of King Hezekiah 2) In Jewish Medieval Apocalyptic Literature the Warrior Wife of Nathan, son of King David and Bathsheba, slayer of multiple enemy kings and mother of the coming Messiah
Hruse: Old English “ground”, appears in Anglo Saxon Texts such as “Beowulf” & “The Wanderer”
Malachite: Copper carbonite hydroxide green mineral
Ordmaer: Ordmær, Anglo Saxon Earl and Father-in-Law of King Edager and Grandfather of King Edward the Martyr
Sangfugol: Norwegian “Songbird” (Bokmål: “Sangfugl”, Nynorsk: “Songfugl”, dialect: Songfoggel)
Towser: Sargent Towser in “Catch 22”, Major Major’s assistant and de facto head of the Squadron
Bagba: The Dagba of Irish Mythology (+ Togo Spirit mentioned in James Frazer’s “The Golden Bough”)
Cryunnos: Cernunnos, Celtic Horned God
Hern: (King) Herne the Hunter, the leader of the Wild Hunt in British Myths
Hernystir: Tir “Land” in Gaelic, so “Hern’s Land”
Murhagh One-Arm: Nauda Airgetlam/“Silver-hand”
Rhynn: Lost God in Michael Moorcock’s “Corum” stories: The Magical Eye of Rhynn is given to Corum to replace his lost eye
Bindesekk: Norwegian “Bounded rucksack”
Dror: Thor
Einskaldir: “Ein skald”, “a skald/bard” in Norwegian (NN)
Fingil: Fingal (Finn McCool) in James MacPherson’s “Ossian”
Frayja: Freya/Frigg
Hengfisk: Hengist
Ingen Jegger: Norwegian “ingen jeger” (“no hunter”)/ “ingen jeg er” (“I am Nobody”, akin to Odysseus’ alias when meeting the Cyclops)
Isbeorn: Norwegian “Isbjørn” (“Ice Bear”- Polar Bear)
Jarnauga: Norwegian (NN) “Iron Eye”
Löken: Loki/e plus Logi (“Fire”) whom he loses to when challenged at Utgard-Loke
Memur: Mimir, the Wisest Jotun
Nisse: Norwegian Folklore Creature
Udun: Odin + Idun, provider of the Apples of Immortality for the Norse Gods (+ Udun, fortress of Morgoth in the “Silmarillion” & valley of Mordor in “Lord of the Rings”, Sindarin “Dark Pit”/“Underworld”)
Adeon: Adonai, one of the Hebrew names of God
Nuanni: Neptune (with a Mesopotamian twist?)
Lector Ranessin: Pope Adrian IV (born Nicholas Breakspear), only English Pope to date
Sulis: Celtic Water Diety worship at Bath
Usies Adeon: “Sired by Adonai”? (+Adeon appears as a name in the Welsh “Mabinogion”)
Sithi: Aos Si/Aes Sidhe, Irish name of a Mythical Supernatural Older Race of Elves/Fairies (“daoine sith” in Scottish Gaelic), “Sidhe” ancient “otherworldly” hills & barrows tied to Aos Si
Amerasu: Amaterasu, the Sun Goddess of Japanese Shinto Mythology
Underrated masterpiece if you ask me
Can't disagree with you!
I began MST by reading Brothers of the Wind. I highly recommend doing so before reading the next two because they get more complicated bringing up Old Gods conflicts that underlie much of the next two volumes. MST is indeed a great Epic Story. I’m glad you enjoyed. I also have the Grim Oak DBC…. Love their publications. Love Tad Williams too!
Thank you for the kind words and recommendation! I will have to discuss this with Alex from Tall Guy Reads. We're trying to read everything by publication order. But we'll see. Glad to hear how much you loved Memory, Sorrow, and Thorn! :D
Petrik, you have no idea how happy this makes me! This is my favourite book of all time, and I was sure you'd love it!
The first part of this novel could have carried on for 900 pages. Not even exaggerating.😊
Ah, it's just so wonderful, Michael. I understand the complaint about the pacing, but it's not applicable to me. Thankfully. Loved it very much. :)
@@PetrikLeo oh definitely, it's not an easy book to recommend, but I think it's always worth a try! I DNFd WoT many times before I finally clicked with it. And oh boy...talk about pacing issues lol
I am very excited that you are reading this series. It’s one of my favorites! It just gets better and better. I think I need to do a reread before the last book comes out. I love this world and the characters, good or bad.
Thank you so much! I had such a great time reading The Dragonbone Chair. Already excited to read the sequel next month. I heard Navigator's Children has been delayed to 2024. There is plenty of time to reread the series! :D
I'm sooo excited that you loved The Dragonbone Chair!! 🙌 This really is such an underrated series, I feel like I've only recently seen people start talk about it (the stunning Grim Oak edition might've helped ^^). But hopefully - especially after your glowing review - more people will be inspired to pick it up!
And thank you for finally making me reread this book! 😊 I'm about 3/4 through and so happy to see it's holding up - I have such fond memories of my first read 2 decades ago. Can't wait to continue on with the journey!!
Thank you so much, my friend! Yeah, for its classic status and immense influence, it's surprising how Memory, Sorrow, and Thorn remain so underrated. I hope I can convince more readers to pick it up. And hey, thank YOU for joining the read-along for the series! Glad to hear the reread is going well for you! :)
Hi 👋 look forward to reading this book Tad Williams is one my favourite authors!! Happy reading to you!! 🎥📚
Seems like he will become one of my favorite authors, too!
Read this in 4th grade for the first time. Changed my life. If you love fantasy, please read. That is all.
Well said! 😁
I finished the first three novels. While they are a bit slow at times, I enjoyed them.
That's wonderful. I look forward to reading the next two books in the trilogy! :)
I read the series about 30 years ago as a kid. I don't remember any of the plot, but I still remember the feeling I had while reading. I remember that I loved it and considered it one of my favorite series for a very long time. I was hesitant to reread the books because I didn't want to ruin my first impression but thanks to your video I'm in the mood to do it.
I have a feeling you'll love this book just as much as on re-read! :D
Thank you so much for sharing this one! I hadn't heard about it, and it actually sounds quite interesting!
You're welcome! Thank you for watching! 😊
This book is near the top of my stack and now I am really excited to read it. Everything you described about it matches my taste in fantasy books. -Palmer
Woohoo! Let me know your thoughts on it as you go through it. Here's hoping you'll have a great time reading it! :D
TBR pile for 5 years? I bought this book waaaay back in 2003. it was on my to read pile for 20 years!
Damn. Crazier than me! 😂😂
Glad you enjoyed it, especially if you bought that Grim Oak edition. Looking forward to hearing your thoughts with Tall Guy but especially what you think of the next few books. I do admit I think Stone of Farewell is the weakest of the three books but one that grows on rereads - it's where the series turns into a full on ensemble which can be kind of surprising at first and you don't generally know the shape of the story so some of it can seem like kind of a lot. Green Angel Tower, though, is seriously impressive, one of my favorite fantasy novels (alongside Storm of Swords and others), an Epic with a capital E.
Thank you so much, Andrew! The discussion with Tall Guy will be full of spoilers. Looking forward to it! As long as there is a huge payoff in the concluding volume, I don't mind wading through a relatively inferior middle novel. Hearing you ranking Green Angel Tower up there Storm of Swords is great to hear. Honestly, though, just having the chance to read more of Tad's prose will be delightful to me! :D
Man i was waiting for this review for so long, glad you liked it. I'm planning to read it this year, so will see how it goes.
That's great! I hope you'll love it as much as I did! 😄
Great prose, relatable characters and a plot that entangles me into that world is all I ask from any book I read. Tad Williams has that ability.
I can certainly agree with that! 😁
If you loved the first one, you’re in for a treat because I’m currently reading book three and it blows the first two out of the water. I personally found the first two a little tough to get through, even though I enjoyed them overall.
That sounds amazing. I already loved this one very much. Can't wait to get to the other two! :)
I've almost finished my first read through of Malazan
Looking for a new fantasy series so might look more closely at Tad Williams
Definitely worth reading! Especially if you're in the mood for classic fantasy!
It's just an incredible series. It has the atmosphere and prose of a literary classic like Gormenghast, the sense of adventure of a classic epic fantasy, and the narrative and character complexity of a modern dark fantasy. One of those lighting in a bottle type works.
One of my most reread passages is when Simon and Miri first drift through those elven ruins on a small boat. The thoughts they feel have stuck with me years after reading The Dragonbone Chair.
PS: If you ever do a reread, the audiobook is very immersive
I'm also so glad you mentioned the pacing. I think a lot of popular genre books have created a mindset in readers that everything needs to be plot driven, that it's an inherent negative if something is deliberately paced. That's why people criticize anything that isn't a full "scene" as useless. There's just as much beauty in "moments" as full scenes. And Tad nails those moments.
And he did eventually wrap up a large scale Epic Fantasy with multiple POVs in three books anyway :)
Thank you very much! It's an incredible book, really. And I haven't even finished reading Stone of Farewell and To Green Angel Tower. I think many fantasy books now have made it harder for readers to appreciate the slower moments. Something always has to happen quickly. Personally speaking, beauty in nothingness can be a wonderful thing when they're executed with this kind of prose. :)
I agree with you that this story is criminally underrated. I am trying to change that.
For its status and influence, I feel it should be talked about much more.
@@PetrikLeo So do I. Booktubers seem to avoid it like the plague, but maybe that is just me imagining things.
I read this trilogy a year ago and loved it, especially the beautiful writing. I'm glad to hear you loved it too. The fancy edition looks amazing ... I was wondering how much difference that would make for you, and you answered my question!
Thank you! It's such a great book. The beautiful edition definitely increased my enjoyment. And knowing that I will be reading this book multiple times in the future, seems like the gamble to buy the book pays off for me. :)
So happy you enjoyed it! I've just finished it a few weeks ago myself, and I loved it too. I don't have exclusive reading time and I read whenever I have free time, so I suffer more from the slow pacing of the first part. The other thing I have gripes with is the religion Williams created. It's really just Christianity from another world. Kinda wished it was more creative. These are just small problems, and at the end I find myself really hyped for the second book!
Also also, it's really cool to see some possible inspirations that other works pulled from MST like Qantaqa and Nighteyes, or Storm King and Night King, or Qantaqa and the Starks' direwolfes!
I really wanted to jump straight to Stone of Farewell but my copy of both that and To Green Angel Tower hasn't arrived yet (possibly in july).
Hope this series will only get better and better😄
Yeah, I totally get what you're saying! The religion created isn't the most original out there, but I like to think it's merely because this was a book published in 1988.
Great nods on the possible inspirations, though. I completely agree with what you said! Hopefully Stone of Farewell will be as good! :)
Glad you liked it Petrik. So if this book was published before you were born, my copy of The Dragonbone Chair is also older than you. Ive sent many books back out into the world to live with new owners, or donated them to independent book stores, but Dragonbone is one amongst a few i kept with me. Ive only read it twice. But im tempted to dive in again. Im apprehensive about starting the new Osten Ard novels as i believe continuing a series so long after it was finished just feels....strange.
Thank you so much! Hhaaha I guess that's true. Your copy of Dragonbone Chair is older than I am! I totally get your worry. A sequel series is always tricky. Most of the time, it doesn't do well or failed to capture the magic of the first series. :)
I've always ranked this series second, behind LoTR. It's just so well written, the characters and cultures are incredibly lifelike, and the way the story pulls together is incredible. It really is underrated, probably because people don't have the patience to get through the first 200 pages.
I think people are missing out a LOT on this series. Not only the first 200 pages were superbly written, but they also set up Simon's character and the tone of the world beautifully. Loved it very much.
@@PetrikLeo 100%. Hopefully we'll get a screen adaptation some day...this story is absolutely more filmable than ASOIAF or the Wheel of Time.
I think The Dragonbone Chair has been on my tbr pile for several years as well :' ), oops. I'll definitely make work of it this year, might start it after 'The art of prophecy'! Great video per usual, Petrik!
Thank you so much! I hope you'll love The Dragonbone Chair, too. Art of Prophecy is another book that I really want to read! :D
@@PetrikLeo I'll be looking forward to your review when you've devoured that one! :D
I so Happy 😀 you finally read this, also I did reread Malice from John Gwynne as per our bet .. liked it better the second time around. I hope all is well for you and your family!
Oh, that's great! I hope the rest of the series will click better for you. And thank you! Hope everything is well with you and your family, too! :D
This series got me into fantasy, which is now my favourite genre by far. Time for a reread...
I think it would've done the same for me! 😁
My Grimoak copy finally arrived this week. I also never read this series but I reckon that if I won't like it I'll be able to sell it for the obtaining price including shipping, anyway. Waited a month for it but on the bright side there were no custom fees upon arrival. It's gorgeous and I hope I get to read it this summer but life is in the way at the moment, along with finishing Last Argument of Kings and Malice.
That was my thought, too. Thankfully, I do love this book. I hope Grim Oak Press will be able to do something with their insane shipping fee. Like you, though, I didn't have to pay for any more custom fees. No idea what actually decided that.
You should listen the audiobook too. It really takes the story to another level.
I don't usually do audiobook, but I'll remember that! :D
Navigator's Children is not the last book in the world of Osten Ard, Tad Williams has a contract for two more Osten Ard books, standalones, beyond it. The first will be titled "The Splintered Sun", the second doesn't have a title yet.
As far as I know, it is the conclusion to Osten Ard Saga right? The other two, Splintered Sun being one of them, will be standalone prequels?
@@PetrikLeocorrect.
This was actually the very first fantasy book I ever read when I was 14 years old.
Most people say I ended up setting my bar way too high for following fantasy series but I don't mind.
Whoa! That's great. It is indeed a very high bar to top. 😄
@@PetrikLeo it's absolutely still my favorite fantasy and Tad Williams my second favorite writer next to Gene Wolfe but just because you watched Godfather doesn't mean you can't enjoy Goodfellas or Scarface ya know?.
Easily my favourite series! Happy you like it as well! 🙂
Although I bought Brothers of the Wind when it was released, I have decided not to read it until after I have read Navigator's Children.
Thank you! I plan to read The Osten Ard Saga in publication order! :D
@@PetrikLeo I had wanted to finish the entire Osten Ard series before reading the prequel. But since Navigator's Children has been postponed another year I will risk reading it now. Might lose some of the suspense in the current series but oh well. I've already been waiting 10 months to read it, don't want to wait another 17 months now.
Glad you enjoyed it Petrik! I want to read this as well but keep getting put off as im a plot before character reader and im not a fan of slow pacing which is something i hear alot about this!
Thank you so much, Liam! Ah I understand your situation. That will be difficult. The book is definitely character-driven and relatively slow. If you're a plot-driven reader, you might find the first 200 pages excruciatingly slow, like many readers did. 😅
@@PetrikLeo yeah sounds like i need to be in the right place before i start reading it! Id really like to one day though as if all they authors have it as an influence it has to be excellent. Im reading john gwynne for the first time so going from that to dragonbone might not be the best idea haha
You will love Brothers Of The Wind it greatly expands on the epic world building.
Yesss! The story of Ineluki and Hakatri, based on this book alone, was so intriguing already.
This is an amazing trilogy - both epic and intimate somehow at the same time
Well said! There's a melancholic quality to the writing and story, I love it very much! :)
ayyyyy, I also started my reading journey of this series this year. Currently switching between MST (read two books, and will be reading prequel novella before reading finale) and second trilogy in Kushiel's Universe (would also recommend highly)
Awesome! Glad to hear you're reading this, too, right now. And Kushiel's Universe is a series I plan to tackle next year! :D
@@PetrikLeo Kushiel writing style is gorgeous, too. Politics are really good and somewhat easy to follow IF you take time to learn/understand who is who in first ~30%. And the sex element is really not that bad (not that much of it) AFTER the first ~25% or so, and isn't big at all in all further books.
I really enjoyed the Memory, Sorrow, and Thorn trilogy. I've been reading The Last King of Osten Ard and it's really good too.
I look forward to reading The Last King of Osten Ard, too! I heard the last book is getting delayed, though. I might be getting to that one next year instead.
i'm with you on having characterization and a bit of world building at the start, rather than action/danger right away. For similar reasons: i want to care about the characters so that i have concerns when dangers do occur. I want to know how things work so i understand the stakes of the conflicts as they occur.
i don't know about 100 pages of it though XD
maybe.
Glad you agreed, Rachel! Hahaha, this one isn't 100 pages of character and world-building. It's 200 pages long! The prose, imo, definitely made it so worthwhile! :)
@@PetrikLeo that is a bit encouraging. In writing my own novels, i do get worried that readers will think it's dull because there's a lot of focus on character and internalized thought and reflections (especially this new one i've nearly completed)
Tad Williams Otherland series is one of my all time favorites, but for some reason his fantasy series doesn't work for me! I don't know why, I do read a lot of fantasy by other authors.
Ah, that's too bad! But for me, I will try his Otherland series once I'm done with Osten Ard Saga! :D
I read this book years and years ago probably the early 2000s it is beautifully written I will definitely give it that and no it is not action-oriented but there is action and adventure I only read book 1 I probably wouldn't go back to it even though I do remember liking it then my preferences now have changed I feel it was definitely overshadowed by Robert Jordan's Wheel of Time that I have never read and probably never will anyway another great video by the best booktuber on TH-cam
Thank you so much! I think for a first book of a series, this topped over Eye of the World in every possible way. :)
"Memory, Sorrow, and Thorn, The Last King of Osten Ard, and The Warlord Chronicle" by Bernard Cornwell are my favourite series of all time.
That's awesome! I should be done with Memory Sorrow and Thorn today. 😄
@@PetrikLeo awesome. Perhaps you've already read it, but I cannot boast enough about The Warlord Chronicle By Bernard Cornwell. It's historical fiction, but with a heavy dose of grimdark fantasy added to it. If you enjoy reading close quarter combat scenes, nobody, in my opinion, does it better than Cornwell.
Happy reading, and cheers from Vancouver BC.
@@nickfoster9350 Already did! It's one of my favorite series. I think it's Cornwell's best series! :)
Ok, Petrik, I will give this series a go, because I was honestly thorn, I don't do well with classic fantasy: (WoT, Feist, Wars of Light and Shadow were my failed attempts) . I am character reader, so what you said about slice of life parts and characterization felt like you spoke directly to me. It was never the language that bothered me, it's that I couldn't connect to characters at all. Thanks for review, your perspective was incredibly helpful. :)
I hope you'll love this as much as I did! I haven't tried Wars of Light and Shadow yet, but I have mixed feelings on Wheel of Time and Riftwar (love Empire trilogy so much, though) so far. As far as the first book goes, this one is certainly my favorite of the three! :)
@@PetrikLeo Yes, wierdly, Empire trilogy was great, but I just couldn't get into Feist and Wurts in their solo work and Mara was the reason I tried. I already ordered The Dragonbone Chair and I'm keeping my fingers crossed. :)
I love this book and the whole series.
Nice! Seems like it will be the same for me! :)
Have you read 'Wizard's First Rule' by Terry Goodkind? It is another great 90's fantasy series.
I did but I DNFed that book. Couldn't click with it. 😅
Ive yet to dinish this. I got more than halfway done last year but didnt end up finishing it for some reason. Sometime next year I'll likely take the dive
No worries. The series will be here when you're ready!
@Petrik Leo I loved what I was reading, but has to return the book to the library. I've since bought all the ebooks and audiobooks, so once I decide to dive back in, I'll get through it quick haua
I just read it this month too, what a coincidence. I didn't think it was slow either. I don't really like stories with such a young protagonist but this didn't give me YA vibes too bad, so it felt fine in that respect.
Great to hear! I didn't think it felt YA at all. The main character is a teenager but the narrative style and conflict is adult fantasy reader oriented! 😄
I’m really curios abotu this author and Books, so Epic;)
It's pretty damn good, imo. :)
I thought you would finish at the end of May. I am still doing my re-read. Now I feel like a bit of a looser lol, Glad you loved the book. I should warn you, the Navigator's Children got delayed.
Thank you so much! You're not a loser. I just end up finishing this sooner than I thought. I will be doing a live discussion with Alex at the end of the month. You have time! AND WHAT!? Seriously??? I didn't know about this!
@@PetrikLeo Yeah I listen to Tad's livestreams. Basically, he finished the first draft (which for him is 90% of the work) but then his mother died and for a variety of reasons he had to move. Amazon changed the date to November of 2024, but I am pretty sure it is a placeholder.
@@jackbharucha1475 Damn... That's totally understandable. :/
I’m always happy to see more classic fantasy series get attention. A lot of them deserve just as much fame and praise as Lord of the Rings and Wheel of Time (:
I personally think this is better than Eye of the World or Fellowship of the Ring. No kidding. 😅
@@PetrikLeo I read Eye of the World and I agree x100
@@jackbharucha1475 I’ve read Eye of the World and I also agree haha. I think a lot of classic fantasy series are better than both honestly.
@@nightmarishcompositions4536 it’s kind of like I can excuse Lord of the Rings because it is so old and it started it all.
I really loved the series so much. Though the story is slow paced never did it feels like the author is dragging the story along. In short, it's beautiful and EPIC.
Totally agree with your analysis! :)
What the heck man I thought there was gonna be a read along!!! 😢 I still haven't started my copy yet interested to hear your thoughts.
Huh? There will be. This is just my spoiler free thoughts. At the end of the month there will be a full spoiler discussions to chat with all of you. 🙂