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Memory, Sorrow, and Thorn #3 part 2
To Green Angel Tower, Part 2
The evil minions of the undead Sithi Storm King are beginning their final preparations for the kingdom-shattering culmination of their dark sorceries, drawing King Elias ever deeper into their nightmarish, spell-spun world.
As the Storm King’s power grows and the boundaries of time begin to blur, the loyal allies of Prince Josua struggle to rally their forces at the Stone of Farewell. There, too, Simon and the surviving members of the League of the Scroll have gathered for a desperate attempt to unravel mysteries from the forgotten past.
For if the League can reclaim these age-old secrets of magic long-buried beneath the dusts of time, they may be able to reveal to Josua and his army the only means of striking down the unslayable foe....
As the Storm King’s power grows and the boundaries of time begin to blur, the loyal allies of Prince Josua struggle to rally their forces at the Stone of Farewell. There, too, Simon and the surviving members of the League of the Scroll have gathered for a desperate attempt to unravel mysteries from the forgotten past.
For if the League can reclaim these age-old secrets of magic long-buried beneath the dusts of time, they may be able to reveal to Josua and his army the only means of striking down the unslayable foe....
815 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 1993
119 people are currently reading
4991 people want to read
About the author
Tad Williams
345 books7,733 followersTad Williams is a California-based fantasy superstar. His genre-creating (and genre-busting) books have sold tens of millions worldwide, in twenty-five languages. His considerable output of epic fantasy and science fiction book-series, stories of all kinds, urban fantasy novels, comics, scripts, etc., have strongly influenced a generation of writers: the ‘Otherland’ epic relaunches June 2018 as an MMO on steam.com. Tad is currently immersed in the creation of ‘The Last King of Osten Ard’, planned as a trilogy with two intermediary novels. He, his family and his animals live in the Santa Cruz mountains in a suitably strange and beautiful house. @tadwilliams @mrstad
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 478 reviews
June 15, 2017
This is the final instalment in this classic fantasy series and it was a long overdue read for me. I have been marathoning the 2nd-4th books over the last few weeks in preparation for the new series Williams is about to launch into in the same world, and it was quite the experience to just dive in...
This book was certainly the most enjoyable of the four for me, although I think the series gets stronger as it goes. Of course these books have a ver classic vibe to them, taking after LoTR and big epic quests, so I kind of knew it would be a slow start with an epic end, but Williams takes that to the extreme :)
This book is part two of the climax where everything is coming together. I do think there was a lot for Williams to handle in this story, and it still had to be exciting and readable, and I think he did manage that. My only slight complaint was the Maegwinn (sp?) storyline really didn't feel that climactic to me and I would have liked to see something different done there, but as her story was largely side-lined that's not the focus of the plot.
I really enjoy the combination of races and people in this book. There's a lot of magical creatures and types of people who all get drawn into the conflict, and although it's slow to build I did definitely enjoy the last 100ish pages where everything was madness.
I think that since writing this series Tad Williams has probably only gone from strength to strength and I know I loved the Otherland series by him, so I am looking forward to reading more set in this world with his new book. I definitely think if you are a classic fantasy fan you may well want to try some Williams very soon :) 4*s for this one!
This book was certainly the most enjoyable of the four for me, although I think the series gets stronger as it goes. Of course these books have a ver classic vibe to them, taking after LoTR and big epic quests, so I kind of knew it would be a slow start with an epic end, but Williams takes that to the extreme :)
This book is part two of the climax where everything is coming together. I do think there was a lot for Williams to handle in this story, and it still had to be exciting and readable, and I think he did manage that. My only slight complaint was the Maegwinn (sp?) storyline really didn't feel that climactic to me and I would have liked to see something different done there, but as her story was largely side-lined that's not the focus of the plot.
I really enjoy the combination of races and people in this book. There's a lot of magical creatures and types of people who all get drawn into the conflict, and although it's slow to build I did definitely enjoy the last 100ish pages where everything was madness.
I think that since writing this series Tad Williams has probably only gone from strength to strength and I know I loved the Otherland series by him, so I am looking forward to reading more set in this world with his new book. I definitely think if you are a classic fantasy fan you may well want to try some Williams very soon :) 4*s for this one!
June 30, 2017
I am finally done my re-read. It took longer than I would have liked (I read a few books in between) but have literally just closed the covers on this final volume.
I have to admit, I don't really know how to express any of my feelings. These books have been of such HUGE importance to me as I grew up that I feel like anything I write here will not give it it's due reward. I suppose I should start by saying thank you.
Thank you, Tad. The Memory Sorrow and Thorn trilogy is a gift that I will never be able to pay you back for. It is a story that I will forever hold close and will always find myself falling back into. Osten Ard has been a part of my life for so long now that I don't ever really remember a time that it wasn't a part of me. Your mastery of the written word has gifted me a place of magic and character that is so real and so personal that I am flabbergasted that it is not a real thing - but something made up by a normal person with an un-normal imagination. You are a gifted individual and I am forever in your debt for sharing this story with me.
Normally I would say that the worst part of finishing this series is that the story is over and there isn't anymore.
Well smack my ass and call me a donkey cuz now there's more. The whole reason I embarked on this epic re-read was so that I could dive into The Heart of What Was Lost and then the start of a new trilogy, The Witchwood Crown. And by all that's holy, that's what I'ma do. Right this second. So...bye!
PS: Read this series. It's good. It is great. It's one of the best! I would give up chocolate if I had to. Maybe even cheese - although that would be pushing it.
I have to admit, I don't really know how to express any of my feelings. These books have been of such HUGE importance to me as I grew up that I feel like anything I write here will not give it it's due reward. I suppose I should start by saying thank you.
Thank you, Tad. The Memory Sorrow and Thorn trilogy is a gift that I will never be able to pay you back for. It is a story that I will forever hold close and will always find myself falling back into. Osten Ard has been a part of my life for so long now that I don't ever really remember a time that it wasn't a part of me. Your mastery of the written word has gifted me a place of magic and character that is so real and so personal that I am flabbergasted that it is not a real thing - but something made up by a normal person with an un-normal imagination. You are a gifted individual and I am forever in your debt for sharing this story with me.
Normally I would say that the worst part of finishing this series is that the story is over and there isn't anymore.
Well smack my ass and call me a donkey cuz now there's more. The whole reason I embarked on this epic re-read was so that I could dive into The Heart of What Was Lost and then the start of a new trilogy, The Witchwood Crown. And by all that's holy, that's what I'ma do. Right this second. So...bye!
PS: Read this series. It's good. It is great. It's one of the best! I would give up chocolate if I had to. Maybe even cheese - although that would be pushing it.
April 9, 2025
While I do feel the final book (the two parts combined) of this book series is (like the series) a bit bloated, this was a strong ending. The finale to this story has some of the finest world-building in the genre. While I enjoyed all of the history and lore that was revealed throughout the trilogy, the portions in this finale were of the best. Overall I think this is a good book series with a very good finale, and one that definitely will lead me to reading more of this author in this world in the future. 4.5/5
April 20, 2023
Fantastic ending.
June 5, 2019
Had I known before this edition of the trilogy had Green Angel Tower split in two books I would likely search for another edition, because I don't really like when books are split in two parts.
I was also bit cautious to pick up William's older high fantasy books. I read his UF series Bobby Dollar some years ago and me and that series has a complicated relationship. But I'm a curious girl and wanted fantasy books.
This series was not all what I expected it to be. In one way I thought it would have more similarities to Feist's Magician in that Simon would learn magic from Morgenes like Pug would from Kulgan (for the sole reason both boys were "apprenticed" to a court magician ). I liked the turn the series took though. It's a fun, easy read journey with your good old fantasy tropes.
I liked the characters a lot. Especially Binabik and Qantaka (but I will always love an animal companion) and Simon came to grew on me through the series. He remains a mooncalf throughout the series but he' still very precious .
I was also bit cautious to pick up William's older high fantasy books. I read his UF series Bobby Dollar some years ago and me and that series has a complicated relationship. But I'm a curious girl and wanted fantasy books.
This series was not all what I expected it to be. In one way I thought it would have more similarities to Feist's Magician in that Simon would learn magic from Morgenes like Pug would from Kulgan (for the sole reason both boys were "apprenticed" to a court magician ). I liked the turn the series took though. It's a fun, easy read journey with your good old fantasy tropes.
I liked the characters a lot. Especially Binabik and Qantaka (but I will always love an animal companion) and Simon came to grew on me through the series. He remains a mooncalf throughout the series but he' still very precious .
August 26, 2018
*** 4.35
A wonderful Fantasy written in the classic tradition, entertaining and emotionally gripping! I really enjoyed reading all the volumes of this epic series, but one thing I could have done without - the teenagers being and acting like real life hormonal teenagers do. Yes, I think the author hit it spot on with how immature and annoying they can be! And in this last part of this arc, the attraction between two of those teenagers, as sweet as it was, brought way too much angst for my liking, despite the realism. I rather have more attention to the main story, which is very good and interesting by itself.
As I said, this is a very traditional Fantasy, complete with the kitchen boy dreaming to be a knight, a run away princess, dark and light Elves, magic swords, dragons, dwarves, good and bad guys working on their plans for their side to gain power and destroy their enemies... Despite it following in the footsteps of previous great works, this series succeeds in remaining fresh and enchanting, making it a must read for the fans of the genre. There is a follow -up series in the works and I am looking forward to reading it as well!
Now I wish you all Happy Reading and may you always find what you need in the pages of a Good book!
A wonderful Fantasy written in the classic tradition, entertaining and emotionally gripping! I really enjoyed reading all the volumes of this epic series, but one thing I could have done without - the teenagers being and acting like real life hormonal teenagers do. Yes, I think the author hit it spot on with how immature and annoying they can be! And in this last part of this arc, the attraction between two of those teenagers, as sweet as it was, brought way too much angst for my liking, despite the realism. I rather have more attention to the main story, which is very good and interesting by itself.
As I said, this is a very traditional Fantasy, complete with the kitchen boy dreaming to be a knight, a run away princess, dark and light Elves, magic swords, dragons, dwarves, good and bad guys working on their plans for their side to gain power and destroy their enemies... Despite it following in the footsteps of previous great works, this series succeeds in remaining fresh and enchanting, making it a must read for the fans of the genre. There is a follow -up series in the works and I am looking forward to reading it as well!
Now I wish you all Happy Reading and may you always find what you need in the pages of a Good book!
February 14, 2025
Some more thoughts: Although it's said this series was a major influence on Game of Thrones, I feel like I see a lot of it influence Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, particularly with the magical items fake-out.
This took me a long time to finish. I would say that the last 100 pages are probably the most interesting. The ending hit the emotional notes it needed to make! Someone on Reddit said the reunion with Rachel is so heartwarming and it truly was 😭 And the one year later epilogue with Eolair 😭😭😭
Without spoiling, my guesses about Simon’s heritage were completely wrong, but I was right about one thing!
As well, Simon matures in like the last 20 pages, and comes off mature, not pretentious.
Miramiele is an example of Not Like Other Girls, and this annoyed me a lot because the reader was supposed to view this favourably. Not wanting to be seen as a princess (girl you is powerful!) but a “normal girl” not on a pedestal. It was plain sexist to say that Miramiele just couldn’t be the leader… the only shining lights were Rachel the Dragon, Vorzheva, and Maegwin who were shrewish delights!
I honestly felt that the action was more interesting in the previous books. To Green Angel Tower is split up into two parts, and I felt that part two could have been condensed down.
This took me a long time to finish. I would say that the last 100 pages are probably the most interesting. The ending hit the emotional notes it needed to make! Someone on Reddit said the reunion with Rachel is so heartwarming and it truly was 😭 And the one year later epilogue with Eolair 😭😭😭
Without spoiling, my guesses about Simon’s heritage were completely wrong, but I was right about one thing!
As well, Simon matures in like the last 20 pages, and comes off mature, not pretentious.
Miramiele is an example of Not Like Other Girls, and this annoyed me a lot because the reader was supposed to view this favourably. Not wanting to be seen as a princess (girl you is powerful!) but a “normal girl” not on a pedestal. It was plain sexist to say that Miramiele just couldn’t be the leader… the only shining lights were Rachel the Dragon, Vorzheva, and Maegwin who were shrewish delights!
I honestly felt that the action was more interesting in the previous books. To Green Angel Tower is split up into two parts, and I felt that part two could have been condensed down.
September 28, 2020
Одна з улюблених серій фентезі ❤️ Якою ж прекрасною була ця подорож 💔
July 21, 2015
Loved it madly, embarrassingly sad to have it end, excited and nervous beyond belief for The Witchwood Crown!
Oddly, I do always seem to hit a snag around the 200-page mark in this particular volume (which I suppose translates to something like a mid-book lull if taking TGAT as a single book), but before and after that, I could hardly put it down. The build-up to the final climax is epic and the way all these plot strings come together is just a joy to read.
I also remain in awe at Tad's trope subversion skills - I'll never forget the first time I read this and how I marvelled at how some of these events should be predictable or clichéd but never are:
I have a lot of feels and can't even express them properly. Let me just say that I love books that leave you like this: properly shattered, achingly happy, so sad to turn the final page but so content to leave them there. Reading experience perfection.
BRING ON WITCHWOOD CROWN AND WHATEVER DELIGHTFUL MIDLIFE CRISES, MAGICAL OR MUNDANE, AWAIT.
Oddly, I do always seem to hit a snag around the 200-page mark in this particular volume (which I suppose translates to something like a mid-book lull if taking TGAT as a single book), but before and after that, I could hardly put it down. The build-up to the final climax is epic and the way all these plot strings come together is just a joy to read.
I also remain in awe at Tad's trope subversion skills - I'll never forget the first time I read this and how I marvelled at how some of these events should be predictable or clichéd but never are:
I have a lot of feels and can't even express them properly. Let me just say that I love books that leave you like this: properly shattered, achingly happy, so sad to turn the final page but so content to leave them there. Reading experience perfection.
BRING ON WITCHWOOD CROWN AND WHATEVER DELIGHTFUL MIDLIFE CRISES, MAGICAL OR MUNDANE, AWAIT.
February 7, 2014
This book was just ok. A lot of it bothered me and only some of it was good. A few characters were interesting, but most got on my nerves. Miriamele was by far the most annoying. Her lack of common sense was mind numbing. And it was way too long. It dragged for most of it. How many times did a character begin to tell me something before being interrupted or deciding that the character they were talking to could be told the important information later. Things took so long to be explained that characters were yelling at other characters to get to the point. The climax ends abruptly and the next chapter takes place several hours later and somebody else explains the rest of what happened. Just weird. It was a very frustrating book.
The first one in the series hooked me, the next two dragged but kept my interest and this last one annoyed me.
The first one in the series hooked me, the next two dragged but kept my interest and this last one annoyed me.
December 2, 2024
Loved this book. Amazing end to an amazing series. Love how it ended. Great battle, wrapped up well and loved the post climax scenes. Perfect! Will absolutely read more Williams!
March 15, 2025
Díky Tade!
Za těch dva tisíce osm set pomalých stran.
Za přátelský svazky dýchající i v těch nejtemnějších hodinách.
Za svět, kterej si beru za svůj.
I za tu občasnou husinu, která věděla, kudy přesně si ke mně vyšlapat cestičku.
Bylo to náramný, úžasný a nezapomenutelný.
Už teď se těším, až si spolu zase vyrazíme!
Za těch dva tisíce osm set pomalých stran.
Za přátelský svazky dýchající i v těch nejtemnějších hodinách.
Za svět, kterej si beru za svůj.
I za tu občasnou husinu, která věděla, kudy přesně si ke mně vyšlapat cestičku.
Bylo to náramný, úžasný a nezapomenutelný.
Už teď se těším, až si spolu zase vyrazíme!
October 23, 2018
Wow I cannot believe it's over! Gah I'm sad lol I also cannot believe I finished this book in a couple weeks, it is a massive brick of a book XD I loved it alllllllll I don't even know what to say... I'm going to read the 2017 novella next
December 26, 2019
Mein Fazit: Am Anfang gibt es wieder eine Zusammenfassung der vorherigen Ereignisse - ein perfekter Einstieg für den finalen Band, der mich sehr begeistert hat!
Hier hat wirklich alles gepasst und auch wenn mich die vorherigen Bücher schon begeistert haben, fand ich den letzten Band am besten. Der Aufbau war wieder sehr spannend und alle Ereignisse, die sich angebahnt haben, wurden logisch zusammengeführt und endeten in einem aufregenden Finale.
Trotz der komplexen Zusammenhänge hat man nie den roten Faden verloren und an abwechlsungsreichen und überraschenden Momenten hat es nicht gefehlt.
Die Charaktere haben immer mehr Tiefe gewonnen, auch in ihrer Entwicklung und grade auch die kleinen Makel oder negativen Gefühle der Einzelnen haben sie umso authentischer gemacht.
Entscheidungen zu treffen ist oftmals schwer - aber sie müssen getroffen werden, auch wenn man sie nicht absehen kann und manchmal, ja sogar meistens, gehen sie einen völlig anderen Weg als man sich gedacht hat. Auch wenn es scheinbar nicht immer zum guten ist weiß man nie, ob es nicht doch am Ende auch seinen Sinn und sein Gutes hatte.
Ich kann sehr gut verstehen, warum diese Reihe so viele Fans gefunden hat und ich freu mich schon sehr auf die weiteren Bände aus dem Lande Osten Ard!
"Die größten Wahrheiten liegen im Inneren, immer im Inneren.
Sie können niemandem geschenkt werden. Man muss sie finden." Seite 275
Hier hat wirklich alles gepasst und auch wenn mich die vorherigen Bücher schon begeistert haben, fand ich den letzten Band am besten. Der Aufbau war wieder sehr spannend und alle Ereignisse, die sich angebahnt haben, wurden logisch zusammengeführt und endeten in einem aufregenden Finale.
Trotz der komplexen Zusammenhänge hat man nie den roten Faden verloren und an abwechlsungsreichen und überraschenden Momenten hat es nicht gefehlt.
Die Charaktere haben immer mehr Tiefe gewonnen, auch in ihrer Entwicklung und grade auch die kleinen Makel oder negativen Gefühle der Einzelnen haben sie umso authentischer gemacht.
Entscheidungen zu treffen ist oftmals schwer - aber sie müssen getroffen werden, auch wenn man sie nicht absehen kann und manchmal, ja sogar meistens, gehen sie einen völlig anderen Weg als man sich gedacht hat. Auch wenn es scheinbar nicht immer zum guten ist weiß man nie, ob es nicht doch am Ende auch seinen Sinn und sein Gutes hatte.
Ich kann sehr gut verstehen, warum diese Reihe so viele Fans gefunden hat und ich freu mich schon sehr auf die weiteren Bände aus dem Lande Osten Ard!
"Die größten Wahrheiten liegen im Inneren, immer im Inneren.
Sie können niemandem geschenkt werden. Man muss sie finden." Seite 275
April 13, 2025
Definitely a bit bloated, like the rest of the series, but I cried no less than 3 times in the final few chapters.
Amazing character work and payoff in that regard.
Amazing character work and payoff in that regard.
May 31, 2017
Awesome epic series BR with Richard, a great fellow knight of Osten Ard.
A brilliant end to a brilliant series! A fantasy masterpiece of epic proportions! I loved every bit of it and highly recommend it.
A brilliant end to a brilliant series! A fantasy masterpiece of epic proportions! I loved every bit of it and highly recommend it.
December 24, 2022
What a satisfying series:
Tad Williams has such lush and visceral prose. It's a shame that so much of today's fantasy has moved away from smart stylized writing to simple contemporary prose as it sacrifices a lot of gravitas to the mythic qualities of fantasy. Williams reminded me of how good it used to be. My only real complaint with this installment was the constant bickering between Miriamele and Simon on their travel back to Hayholt. It made them start to become insufferable for me.
I started this series in 1993 and finished the first two books, but did not read this final installment until now, making it one of the longest series for me to complete. I am glad to have finally gone back and done so; I look forward to reading the sequel series sometime soon.
Tad Williams has such lush and visceral prose. It's a shame that so much of today's fantasy has moved away from smart stylized writing to simple contemporary prose as it sacrifices a lot of gravitas to the mythic qualities of fantasy. Williams reminded me of how good it used to be. My only real complaint with this installment was the constant bickering between Miriamele and Simon on their travel back to Hayholt. It made them start to become insufferable for me.
I started this series in 1993 and finished the first two books, but did not read this final installment until now, making it one of the longest series for me to complete. I am glad to have finally gone back and done so; I look forward to reading the sequel series sometime soon.
April 23, 2023
Panie Tadku, ależ się Pan spisał ❤
May 14, 2023
Naprosto dechberoucí závěr celé série. Všechny ty hodiny strávené čtením stály za to, jak jsem všechny ty strasti prožívala spolu s hlavními postavami, bylo neskutečné. Doporučuji s radostí všem, co mají rádi pomalejší fantasy, kde vám autor nedá nic jen tak. Ted Williams se přidává k mým vůbec TOP autorům a těším se, až se dostanu k jeho další tvorbě.
October 24, 2014
I did really enjoy this trilogy. My impression during the first book was that it was eloquent but got off to a slow start, but ending on an exciting note. The second book tried to bring too many threads together and ended up having lots of viewpoints from seemingly disconnected people. The third book(s) brought people together so there were fewer "groups" to follow, and wrapped everything up pretty nicely, for the most part. The ending can be described as nothing short of epic, with a very vivid scene and wound up nicely with the hope of rebuilding. It was a clean trilogy and very, very enjoyable. If I was a huge Tolkien fan, I'm quite certain that this would be pure gold for me. I really liked the book and would recommend it.
That said, there were a few things that in my opinion lacked some polish (they might seem numerous but they are really more of nitpicks):
A few things off the top of my head that I didn't think were really answered: what the drink continually served to Elias was doing to him (unbinding his soul? I don't know). Why was Prester John's body completely preserved? What was it about Camaris that Towser did not tell? His sin?
A few complaints?
There was a foreshadowing of Simon's ancestry (Miriamele thought his face looked like someone she'd seen before) but it wasn't something anyone reading could have guessed. Sort of out of the blue there.
Bright-Nail turned to dust (said in passing in the midst of everything else). Nothing said of the other swords or even why that happened. Not much focus on it and no one even talks about the swords later.
The timeline for Simon's ancestor (Eahlstan) didn't make sense to me. He apparently ruled hundreds of years before, but died killing the dragon, at which time John took up the throne. One would have expected the king to have been at most Simon's great-grandfather, but how could that be if it was many hundreds of years earlier? And in either case, Why would Simon have such a strong resemblance to his ancestor of 500 years ago, so much so that the statue in the throne room reminded people of Simon? I also didn't feel like there was ample reason given why Simon wasn't told this by before by all the people who knew about it.
There didn't really seem to be a strong redemption or forgiveness for Miriamele. She had confessed her sin to Simon, they both seemed a little hard toward each other, and then suddenly she asks him to not leave her, he says he loves her, and they have sex. I would have liked to have seen her "purified" or "redeemed" somehow.
The last paragraphs wrap up with Eolair being told about Maegwin's sacrifice, which I suppose is nice that he knows but it was an odd note to end on and I didn't really feel like it gave Eolair closure, relief, or joy.
So maybe I should just make up my own ending and wrap up all these things :)
That said, there were a few things that in my opinion lacked some polish (they might seem numerous but they are really more of nitpicks):
A few things off the top of my head that I didn't think were really answered: what the drink continually served to Elias was doing to him (unbinding his soul? I don't know). Why was Prester John's body completely preserved? What was it about Camaris that Towser did not tell? His sin?
A few complaints?
There was a foreshadowing of Simon's ancestry (Miriamele thought his face looked like someone she'd seen before) but it wasn't something anyone reading could have guessed. Sort of out of the blue there.
Bright-Nail turned to dust (said in passing in the midst of everything else). Nothing said of the other swords or even why that happened. Not much focus on it and no one even talks about the swords later.
The timeline for Simon's ancestor (Eahlstan) didn't make sense to me. He apparently ruled hundreds of years before, but died killing the dragon, at which time John took up the throne. One would have expected the king to have been at most Simon's great-grandfather, but how could that be if it was many hundreds of years earlier? And in either case, Why would Simon have such a strong resemblance to his ancestor of 500 years ago, so much so that the statue in the throne room reminded people of Simon? I also didn't feel like there was ample reason given why Simon wasn't told this by before by all the people who knew about it.
There didn't really seem to be a strong redemption or forgiveness for Miriamele. She had confessed her sin to Simon, they both seemed a little hard toward each other, and then suddenly she asks him to not leave her, he says he loves her, and they have sex. I would have liked to have seen her "purified" or "redeemed" somehow.
The last paragraphs wrap up with Eolair being told about Maegwin's sacrifice, which I suppose is nice that he knows but it was an odd note to end on and I didn't really feel like it gave Eolair closure, relief, or joy.
So maybe I should just make up my own ending and wrap up all these things :)
January 19, 2020
Ein starker Abschlussband einer fantastischen Saga. Für mich bleibt zwar der dritte Band der Beste da es dort am wenigsten Längen gibt, aber das Finale allein ist schon fünf Sterne wert.
Dass die Lösung letztendlich so simpel ist, hat mich überrascht aber auch überzeugt. Bei all den großen, geheimen Plänen von Utukku und dem Sturmkönig haben sie eine ganz einfache Kleinigkeit übersehen. Das kann verwundern, wirkt aber durchaus logisch.
Einige liebgewonne Figuren schaffen es leider nicht bis zum Ende, trotzdem erhalten wir ein zufriedenstellendes, glückliches Ende.
Ob ich die Fortsetzungen lesen werde, weiß ich ehrlich gesagt noch nicht. Ich habe zu viel Angst dass ich mich dann von Charakteren verabschieden muss, die zu meiner Erleichterung bis zum Schluss durchgestanden haben.
Dass die Lösung letztendlich so simpel ist, hat mich überrascht aber auch überzeugt. Bei all den großen, geheimen Plänen von Utukku und dem Sturmkönig haben sie eine ganz einfache Kleinigkeit übersehen. Das kann verwundern, wirkt aber durchaus logisch.
Einige liebgewonne Figuren schaffen es leider nicht bis zum Ende, trotzdem erhalten wir ein zufriedenstellendes, glückliches Ende.
Ob ich die Fortsetzungen lesen werde, weiß ich ehrlich gesagt noch nicht. Ich habe zu viel Angst dass ich mich dann von Charakteren verabschieden muss, die zu meiner Erleichterung bis zum Schluss durchgestanden haben.
September 3, 2017
Wow. Just.... wow
I don't really know what to say, how to sum up this book, and the series as a whole in a coherent manner. Just.. epic. In scope, in world building and especially in characters. As with any series about war there where deaths that where extremely sad, more than a few tears where shed. SO many twists and turns from the small to the amazing. I don't really know what to say I want to rave about this book but I don't want to spoil it for anyone else
Suffice to say its truly amazing
I don't really know what to say, how to sum up this book, and the series as a whole in a coherent manner. Just.. epic. In scope, in world building and especially in characters. As with any series about war there where deaths that where extremely sad, more than a few tears where shed. SO many twists and turns from the small to the amazing. I don't really know what to say I want to rave about this book but I don't want to spoil it for anyone else
Suffice to say its truly amazing
September 9, 2020
Such a great, captivating final instalment in this series.
There were many times when I wish this book — and series — had been shorter and less dense. But when I got to the final act of this one, I didn’t wish it anymore. The characters and their development arcs really stand out here. It’s a great book with a great, really meaningful ending for everyone.
The author really kept his cards close to his chest for this entire series. More is kept secret than in any other fantasy series I’ve ever read, especially for a longer time too, and it was really rewarding to see everything fit into place and make sense at the very end.
This finale was so good that it improved this series’ ranking in my mind, which is saying something because I was a big fan of it already.
There were many times when I wish this book — and series — had been shorter and less dense. But when I got to the final act of this one, I didn’t wish it anymore. The characters and their development arcs really stand out here. It’s a great book with a great, really meaningful ending for everyone.
The author really kept his cards close to his chest for this entire series. More is kept secret than in any other fantasy series I’ve ever read, especially for a longer time too, and it was really rewarding to see everything fit into place and make sense at the very end.
This finale was so good that it improved this series’ ranking in my mind, which is saying something because I was a big fan of it already.
October 5, 2022
The ending really saved this one for me. All in all a great ride with Simon and friends 😁
May 21, 2023
Another huge book 800 pages to conclude this epic fantasy. I had a blast reading about the adventures of kitchen boy, Simon, Binabik, Jiriki, and others. I hope to see some of these characters in the next trilogy.
February 16, 2022
No era el final que esperaba, pero me ha gustado. Quizás es un poco precipitado, aunque se lo perdono. Es una saga muy buena.
November 11, 2018
KUMSKI BOOK CLUB 2018 - 8
So I finally finished it! It really took me a while. At first, the book was sooo boring and I had to put it down. I continued reading a whole month later. It kind of didn't pull me to reading. And later, after I continued to read, there were parts that were uneventful and I would say redundant. For example, parts in which Simon and Guthwulf wandered through the corridors of Hayholt, or the length of the siege of Naglimund. The ending compensated to it all. It was so action-packed as if I were watching an action movie. The idea of combining the two worlds was very good.
As for the characters, I loved reading how Simon evolved and also how some of the other characters changed. I found Miriamele rather annoying and I think she was not fair to Simon throughout most of the last book. That was one other reason why it took me longer to finish reading. There were several deaths which saddened me profoundly, esp. Maegwin's. I kind of very romantically hoped Eolair and her would have a happy ending. But apparently it wasn't meant to be. I loved Isgrimnur and Isorn too and I was sad for them. Luckily we also experienced a couple of turnovers just at the moment we thought all was lost. So there were still some happy endings.
Now that I finished the whole series, I'm sad that it's over and I wish there were more to read about Joshua and Simon and Binabik and Miriamele. But I definitely liked Shadowmarch series much more than this one.
Konačno sam ju završila! Trebalo mi jako puno vremena. U početku mi je bila toliko dosadna da ju nisam mogla čitati. Tek nakon mjesec dana sam je se ponovo uhvatila. Jednostavno me ništa nije vuklo čitanju. I za vrijeme tog drugog pokušaja, bilo je dijelova u knjizi koji su mi bili dosadni, bez nekih pravih događaja i iskreno suvišni. Primjerice dijelovi u kojima su Simon i Guthwulf hodali podzemnim hodnicima dvorca ili dužina opsade Naglimunda. Ali kraj je to sve nadoknadio. Toliko je bio napet i nabrijan, kao da sam gledala neki akcijski film. Ta ideja spajanja dva svijeta mi je bila stvarno dobra.
Što se tiče likova, uživala sam čitajući kako se Simon razvijao te također kako su se neki od likova mijenjali. Iako, recimo Miriamele mi je baš išla na živce u ovom dijelu, mislim da uopće nije bila fer prema Simonu. To je još jedan razlog zbog kojeg mi je duže trebalo da pročitam knjigu. Nekoliko smrti u knjizi me baš rastužilo. Posebno Maegwinina. Nekako sam se kao prava romantičarka nadala da će ona i Eolair imati sretan kraj. Ali izgleda da im nije bilo suđeno. Isgrimnur i Isorn su mi također bili odlični likovi pa sam i zbog njih bila tužna. Srećom, dogodilo se i nekoliko preokreta u trenutku kad se sve činilo izgubljeno. Tako da su na kraju neke stvari ipak završile sretno.
Sad kad sam napokon završila cijelu seriju, žao mi je što je gotova i voljela bih da ima još koja knjiga o Joshui, Binabiku, Simonu i Miriamele. Ali ipak mi se u globalu više svidio Williamsov serijal Sjenovita međa.
So I finally finished it! It really took me a while. At first, the book was sooo boring and I had to put it down. I continued reading a whole month later. It kind of didn't pull me to reading. And later, after I continued to read, there were parts that were uneventful and I would say redundant. For example, parts in which Simon and Guthwulf wandered through the corridors of Hayholt, or the length of the siege of Naglimund. The ending compensated to it all. It was so action-packed as if I were watching an action movie. The idea of combining the two worlds was very good.
As for the characters, I loved reading how Simon evolved and also how some of the other characters changed. I found Miriamele rather annoying and I think she was not fair to Simon throughout most of the last book. That was one other reason why it took me longer to finish reading. There were several deaths which saddened me profoundly, esp. Maegwin's. I kind of very romantically hoped Eolair and her would have a happy ending. But apparently it wasn't meant to be. I loved Isgrimnur and Isorn too and I was sad for them. Luckily we also experienced a couple of turnovers just at the moment we thought all was lost. So there were still some happy endings.
Now that I finished the whole series, I'm sad that it's over and I wish there were more to read about Joshua and Simon and Binabik and Miriamele. But I definitely liked Shadowmarch series much more than this one.
Konačno sam ju završila! Trebalo mi jako puno vremena. U početku mi je bila toliko dosadna da ju nisam mogla čitati. Tek nakon mjesec dana sam je se ponovo uhvatila. Jednostavno me ništa nije vuklo čitanju. I za vrijeme tog drugog pokušaja, bilo je dijelova u knjizi koji su mi bili dosadni, bez nekih pravih događaja i iskreno suvišni. Primjerice dijelovi u kojima su Simon i Guthwulf hodali podzemnim hodnicima dvorca ili dužina opsade Naglimunda. Ali kraj je to sve nadoknadio. Toliko je bio napet i nabrijan, kao da sam gledala neki akcijski film. Ta ideja spajanja dva svijeta mi je bila stvarno dobra.
Što se tiče likova, uživala sam čitajući kako se Simon razvijao te također kako su se neki od likova mijenjali. Iako, recimo Miriamele mi je baš išla na živce u ovom dijelu, mislim da uopće nije bila fer prema Simonu. To je još jedan razlog zbog kojeg mi je duže trebalo da pročitam knjigu. Nekoliko smrti u knjizi me baš rastužilo. Posebno Maegwinina. Nekako sam se kao prava romantičarka nadala da će ona i Eolair imati sretan kraj. Ali izgleda da im nije bilo suđeno. Isgrimnur i Isorn su mi također bili odlični likovi pa sam i zbog njih bila tužna. Srećom, dogodilo se i nekoliko preokreta u trenutku kad se sve činilo izgubljeno. Tako da su na kraju neke stvari ipak završile sretno.
Sad kad sam napokon završila cijelu seriju, žao mi je što je gotova i voljela bih da ima još koja knjiga o Joshui, Binabiku, Simonu i Miriamele. Ali ipak mi se u globalu više svidio Williamsov serijal Sjenovita međa.
February 7, 2017
(This review includes To Green Angel Tower, Part 1)
“Forever is a long time to carry grudges.”
Excellent. Successful and satisfying conclusion to a huge epic fantasy. Sixteen hundred pages (in this story) of complex plots, sub-plots and sub-sub-plots set in multiple, fully-realized cultures, many more than medieval Europe analogs. Language, history, clothing, religion, music, clothes, prejudices: the whole boatload. Immersive. Loads of quotable epigrams.
“If what we have experienced lately has been God’s way of showing his favor, I think I would be willing to try a little of his punishment, for a change.”
Religion is a major part of these cultures and the stories. The various faiths are treated respectfully. A realistic variety of responses by people to the religion of their and other cultures. Some are redeemed; some are lost.
“One day I would have to send my son off to do something I could not do. And I would never sleep again.”
What’s not to like? The 1600 pages may be a clue. Williams almost pulls a Robert Jordan. (Not a complement.) Basically, he lost control of his story. The best epic fiction is a balance between immersion and focus. Williams succeeded in volumes one and two, but the story seems to have gotten away from him here. Eight hundred pages should have been enough. Oh, it was great story-telling and wonderful detain, but the story got lost in there somewhere. (Some readers will disagree and want more. Well, Williams is accommodating you, too. More Osten Ard books are coming.) He pulled it together at the end, though he had to cheat a bit. (Some surprises; some obvious)
“You must forgive, starting with yourself.”
We view knights and knighthood with twenty-first century eyes, often Marxist or at least class warfare. Williams reminds us that for many knights it was a holy and honorable life. A way to serve as well as to accumulate wealth or power.
“All the choices seemed between one unpleasant possibility and another, with only the faintest reference to good and evil.”
Quibbles: The usual: horses that run 150 miles in a day. There’s a time mismatch in tunnels: Simon is there over a “fortnight,” others who enter right behind him are there less than a week.
“A banned book has a powerful fascination, but a truly evil book … draws the curious as honey lures flies.”
Uneven inking of the paperback book makes reading hard. No excuse for such sloppy quality control.
“Memory is the greatest of gifts.”
(Ebook buyers beware. My niece bought me Part One, thinking she was getting the entire book.)
“Forever is a long time to carry grudges.”
Excellent. Successful and satisfying conclusion to a huge epic fantasy. Sixteen hundred pages (in this story) of complex plots, sub-plots and sub-sub-plots set in multiple, fully-realized cultures, many more than medieval Europe analogs. Language, history, clothing, religion, music, clothes, prejudices: the whole boatload. Immersive. Loads of quotable epigrams.
“If what we have experienced lately has been God’s way of showing his favor, I think I would be willing to try a little of his punishment, for a change.”
Religion is a major part of these cultures and the stories. The various faiths are treated respectfully. A realistic variety of responses by people to the religion of their and other cultures. Some are redeemed; some are lost.
“One day I would have to send my son off to do something I could not do. And I would never sleep again.”
What’s not to like? The 1600 pages may be a clue. Williams almost pulls a Robert Jordan. (Not a complement.) Basically, he lost control of his story. The best epic fiction is a balance between immersion and focus. Williams succeeded in volumes one and two, but the story seems to have gotten away from him here. Eight hundred pages should have been enough. Oh, it was great story-telling and wonderful detain, but the story got lost in there somewhere. (Some readers will disagree and want more. Well, Williams is accommodating you, too. More Osten Ard books are coming.) He pulled it together at the end, though he had to cheat a bit. (Some surprises; some obvious)
“You must forgive, starting with yourself.”
We view knights and knighthood with twenty-first century eyes, often Marxist or at least class warfare. Williams reminds us that for many knights it was a holy and honorable life. A way to serve as well as to accumulate wealth or power.
“All the choices seemed between one unpleasant possibility and another, with only the faintest reference to good and evil.”
Quibbles: The usual: horses that run 150 miles in a day. There’s a time mismatch in tunnels: Simon is there over a “fortnight,” others who enter right behind him are there less than a week.
“A banned book has a powerful fascination, but a truly evil book … draws the curious as honey lures flies.”
Uneven inking of the paperback book makes reading hard. No excuse for such sloppy quality control.
“Memory is the greatest of gifts.”
(Ebook buyers beware. My niece bought me Part One, thinking she was getting the entire book.)
March 31, 2013
A majestic fantasy masterpiece of epic proportions which beautifully blends magic and adventure for a thrilling tale.
‘To green angel tower Storm’ is book 4 in the series “Memory, Sorrow and Thorn” by international bestselling author Tad Williams. This dazzling series of incredible worlds and deadly intrigue is greatly impressive and hugely ambitious, on such a breathtaking scale. I am constantly astonished by how vividly creative Tad’s world-building is and the sheer remarkable substance that is contained within his work, which epitomizes this genre in a nutshell. Assured and strong, ‘Memory, Sorrow and Thorn’ is a well-written saga of profound depth and cleverly crafted narrative that will delight from beginning to end. In book 4 one follows Simon’s journey as a Knight of Osten Ard, wherein terrible horrors and powerful dark magic unfolds. This splendid conclusion to a landmark series is intensely gripping, heart-pounding and so stunning as to leave you awed by the inspired plot.
Prepare to be taken on a long journey of discovery as you plunge into a complex world that is filled with refreshing originality and distinctive flair; unique to this author. ‘Storm’ I feel is certainly one of the most dramatic, memorable and supremely singular endings to any fantasy series and which lingers upon your mind long after finishing the book. I was drawn into a colorful world filled with interesting characters and brilliant storytelling, and so lost within this story I was sad when it finally came to an end. It felt as though the One Ring had at last been tossed into Mount Doom, and as Frodo and Sam lay on a rock his words “It’s gone. It’s done” were brought to mind as I finally read…
‘Firelight and the sound of laughing voices reached out to welcome them.’
- page 796
Simon and Miriamele’s dangerous quest across war-and-magic torn lands is really exciting, and I enjoyed being able to really get to know each character inside out. Utterly believable, compelling and simply fantastic the final installment within this brilliant series is the perfect end to an incredibly long story. It did seem like a terribly long wait until I was able to grasp hold of this book, but it was well worth it as I was so elated by how Tad Williams constructed the ending with such excellence. I would say that ‘Memory, Sorrow and Thorn’ has to be right at the top of my list for all-time favorite fantasy series of the epic kind!
‘To green angel tower Storm’ is book 4 in the series “Memory, Sorrow and Thorn” by international bestselling author Tad Williams. This dazzling series of incredible worlds and deadly intrigue is greatly impressive and hugely ambitious, on such a breathtaking scale. I am constantly astonished by how vividly creative Tad’s world-building is and the sheer remarkable substance that is contained within his work, which epitomizes this genre in a nutshell. Assured and strong, ‘Memory, Sorrow and Thorn’ is a well-written saga of profound depth and cleverly crafted narrative that will delight from beginning to end. In book 4 one follows Simon’s journey as a Knight of Osten Ard, wherein terrible horrors and powerful dark magic unfolds. This splendid conclusion to a landmark series is intensely gripping, heart-pounding and so stunning as to leave you awed by the inspired plot.
Prepare to be taken on a long journey of discovery as you plunge into a complex world that is filled with refreshing originality and distinctive flair; unique to this author. ‘Storm’ I feel is certainly one of the most dramatic, memorable and supremely singular endings to any fantasy series and which lingers upon your mind long after finishing the book. I was drawn into a colorful world filled with interesting characters and brilliant storytelling, and so lost within this story I was sad when it finally came to an end. It felt as though the One Ring had at last been tossed into Mount Doom, and as Frodo and Sam lay on a rock his words “It’s gone. It’s done” were brought to mind as I finally read…
‘Firelight and the sound of laughing voices reached out to welcome them.’
- page 796
Simon and Miriamele’s dangerous quest across war-and-magic torn lands is really exciting, and I enjoyed being able to really get to know each character inside out. Utterly believable, compelling and simply fantastic the final installment within this brilliant series is the perfect end to an incredibly long story. It did seem like a terribly long wait until I was able to grasp hold of this book, but it was well worth it as I was so elated by how Tad Williams constructed the ending with such excellence. I would say that ‘Memory, Sorrow and Thorn’ has to be right at the top of my list for all-time favorite fantasy series of the epic kind!
June 18, 2016
I waited until completing the entire series before writing a review to see if it would redeem itself somehow. It didn't. The point I enjoyed most was when it finally ended.
This story did not need four (long) books for its telling. The plot is unsophisticated. It could have been easily condensed into three books. This was clearly a scheme to milk it for all its worth. To say the plot moved at a snail's pace is an understatement. It's bogged down by the same rehashed descriptions of people and places and mindless monologues and dialogues that do not develop the plot whatsoever. The author never misses a chance to tell us how bird-like and graceful the Sitha are or how cold and alien the Norns are.
And Simon has got to be the worst protagonist to grace fantasy literature. The author failed to arouse in me even a shred of concern for the main character. There's nothing about him to like. He constantly wallows in self-deprecation. He has no self respect and is always pining for the attention and affection of others.
To top it off, the final showdown that had been alluded to for the entire series was severely anticlimactic. This was one of the worst endings I've ever read.
Do yourself a favour and obliterate this series from your 'want to read' list.
This story did not need four (long) books for its telling. The plot is unsophisticated. It could have been easily condensed into three books. This was clearly a scheme to milk it for all its worth. To say the plot moved at a snail's pace is an understatement. It's bogged down by the same rehashed descriptions of people and places and mindless monologues and dialogues that do not develop the plot whatsoever. The author never misses a chance to tell us how bird-like and graceful the Sitha are or how cold and alien the Norns are.
And Simon has got to be the worst protagonist to grace fantasy literature. The author failed to arouse in me even a shred of concern for the main character. There's nothing about him to like. He constantly wallows in self-deprecation. He has no self respect and is always pining for the attention and affection of others.
To top it off, the final showdown that had been alluded to for the entire series was severely anticlimactic. This was one of the worst endings I've ever read.
Do yourself a favour and obliterate this series from your 'want to read' list.
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