windrunner_nyy's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Content Warnings
Minor: War and Death
hilaryjsc's review against another edition
4.0
If the purpose of this novella is to make me really excited about Tad Williams' sequel series to Memory, Sorrow, and Thorn, it has demonstrably succeeded.
_tiffys_book_club_'s review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
informative
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
acardattack's review against another edition
adventurous
inspiring
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
Solid novella
Was hoping for more/only Isgrimnur and Rimmersgard POVs. The other groups I wasn't invested in
Was hoping for more/only Isgrimnur and Rimmersgard POVs. The other groups I wasn't invested in
barnaclethereal's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.25
Great quick read. Great to be back in Often Ard, got me derailed from other readings, now I guess I'm going to read the Last King of Osten Ard
isauldur's review against another edition
5.0
Below, my review is split into two parts. The first gives my general thoughts on the book, and the second details spoilers and major plot points. Be warned.
Part One: Overview
This novel, to my understanding, was written as a bridge between the original Osten Ard novels and the new trilogy that is currently in the process of being written/published. And it's some of the finest writing I've read in a very long time. Even if we were to ignore the fact that I have a full trilogy to be familiar with the world of Osten Ard, this book feels vivid and clear, and certainly it feels much longer than it actually is, but in the best way. Tad Williams, whose work I only found in the summer of 2017, is perhaps now one of my favorite authors. He never gives me what I expect, but more and better, and every time I finish reading one of his books, I feel as if I'd come back from vacation. This book is no different, though this vacation is a little darker than the others.
The Heart of What Was Lost details the last battles between Rimmersmen and the retreating Norns in the wake of the ending to Memory, Sorrow and Thorn. We see some familiar characters come back, such as Isgrimnur and Suldig, and we get to meet new people, namely two Perdruinese soldiers and some Norn characters.
There is little I can say about the novel without spoilers, so I will simply say that I'm glad that I found Tad Williams's work so late, so I won't have to wait as long to dive back into the world he created. This novel fits perfectly with its predecessors in both the series and fantasy in general. While not entirely a stand-alone, it's fairly independent of the previous trilogy and very different. This was a return to a familiar world without a re-read of a familiar story. Certainly one to read if you like fantasy at all.
Part Two: SPOILERS and In-Depth Discussion
After I'd finished about 50 or pages of the book, I thought that the two Nabbanai soldiers, Porto and Endri, were the weakest parts of the novel, but by the end I realized what they really were: people in war. We know something about them, enough to make us cheer for them, but they remain simply troops, two names in the crowd of soldiers that's assaulting Nakigga. Through their eyes, we see the field, the front lines, the crude fighting on the ground. They're no fancy lords with lineages or orphans with secretly important parents. They're regular people who got dragged to war. By the time I read the final page, I cried for them both. Endri's death was a little predictable, but I think it actually was supposed to be. At the end, you realize that their story was never about two men who become friends during war. It's about two men in this war. The ending, where Porto must deal with a spell-revived undead Endri is harrowing, and a very sad ending to be sure, but memorable.
My favorite part was that the Norns were finally given some depth as a people. In the original trilogy, they were not much different from orcs in every other fantasy: mere minions for the good guys to have a horde to fight. But here, we see them as they are, and they are indeed people. Heck, they're even human. Viyeki, my favorite character in this book, is a lesser noble in the ranks of the Norns, a builder, and at the beginning of the novel, retreating with his master and many of his kind. By the end, he's conflicted by the choices his superiors made, and unsure of his own future. General Suno'ku is what we've come to expect from a villain commander, but more. She has valid hatred for humans and wants nothing but their destruction. However, others inside of Nakigga see that this irrational hate would result in the extinction of the Norns. We see that there are good and bad people even among the villains, and we get to sympathize with them. By the time the two sides start to negotiate, it's very hard to know who to root for. It was very great to see this mysterious race of people finally be given some development as more than just "bad guys."
Finally, I was left with a strange sense of loss. The Norns survive as a race and the humans retreat after a landslide blocks the gates to the mountain, so, in a way, both sides end up with half victory. But something was lost. Porto lost a friend, the young man Endri that he befriended during the war. Viyeki lost his certainty and sureness of how his society works. This novel was absolutely vivid and interesting. It showed places of Osten Ard that we've never seen and introduced us to characters we never thought we'd meet. This is a short, but heavy, novel, and I can say for certain that I am eager to see where the story goes after this with The Witchwood Crown.
Part One: Overview
This novel, to my understanding, was written as a bridge between the original Osten Ard novels and the new trilogy that is currently in the process of being written/published. And it's some of the finest writing I've read in a very long time. Even if we were to ignore the fact that I have a full trilogy to be familiar with the world of Osten Ard, this book feels vivid and clear, and certainly it feels much longer than it actually is, but in the best way. Tad Williams, whose work I only found in the summer of 2017, is perhaps now one of my favorite authors. He never gives me what I expect, but more and better, and every time I finish reading one of his books, I feel as if I'd come back from vacation. This book is no different, though this vacation is a little darker than the others.
The Heart of What Was Lost details the last battles between Rimmersmen and the retreating Norns in the wake of the ending to Memory, Sorrow and Thorn. We see some familiar characters come back, such as Isgrimnur and Suldig, and we get to meet new people, namely two Perdruinese soldiers and some Norn characters.
There is little I can say about the novel without spoilers, so I will simply say that I'm glad that I found Tad Williams's work so late, so I won't have to wait as long to dive back into the world he created. This novel fits perfectly with its predecessors in both the series and fantasy in general. While not entirely a stand-alone, it's fairly independent of the previous trilogy and very different. This was a return to a familiar world without a re-read of a familiar story. Certainly one to read if you like fantasy at all.
Part Two: SPOILERS and In-Depth Discussion
After I'd finished about 50 or pages of the book, I thought that the two Nabbanai soldiers, Porto and Endri, were the weakest parts of the novel, but by the end I realized what they really were: people in war. We know something about them, enough to make us cheer for them, but they remain simply troops, two names in the crowd of soldiers that's assaulting Nakigga. Through their eyes, we see the field, the front lines, the crude fighting on the ground. They're no fancy lords with lineages or orphans with secretly important parents. They're regular people who got dragged to war. By the time I read the final page, I cried for them both. Endri's death was a little predictable, but I think it actually was supposed to be. At the end, you realize that their story was never about two men who become friends during war. It's about two men in this war. The ending, where Porto must deal with a spell-revived undead Endri is harrowing, and a very sad ending to be sure, but memorable.
My favorite part was that the Norns were finally given some depth as a people. In the original trilogy, they were not much different from orcs in every other fantasy: mere minions for the good guys to have a horde to fight. But here, we see them as they are, and they are indeed people. Heck, they're even human. Viyeki, my favorite character in this book, is a lesser noble in the ranks of the Norns, a builder, and at the beginning of the novel, retreating with his master and many of his kind. By the end, he's conflicted by the choices his superiors made, and unsure of his own future. General Suno'ku is what we've come to expect from a villain commander, but more. She has valid hatred for humans and wants nothing but their destruction. However, others inside of Nakigga see that this irrational hate would result in the extinction of the Norns. We see that there are good and bad people even among the villains, and we get to sympathize with them. By the time the two sides start to negotiate, it's very hard to know who to root for. It was very great to see this mysterious race of people finally be given some development as more than just "bad guys."
Finally, I was left with a strange sense of loss. The Norns survive as a race and the humans retreat after a landslide blocks the gates to the mountain, so, in a way, both sides end up with half victory. But something was lost. Porto lost a friend, the young man Endri that he befriended during the war. Viyeki lost his certainty and sureness of how his society works. This novel was absolutely vivid and interesting. It showed places of Osten Ard that we've never seen and introduced us to characters we never thought we'd meet. This is a short, but heavy, novel, and I can say for certain that I am eager to see where the story goes after this with The Witchwood Crown.
kriswasp's review against another edition
4.0
I am ever so slightly disappointed. Clearly not living up to the epicness of the ‘trilogy’ it follows, but as a filler book, it’s fine. It does it’s job well and quickly and doesn’t outstay it’s welcome. I loved the ending, although it would have hit much harder had we spent a bit longer with the characters. It all felt very forced.
Really enjoyed having chapters from the Norn’s point of view, adds a lovely little wrinkle into perceptions, and you know that’s his plan, so he plays with it beautifully. If this is what the follow up quadrilogy is like then I’m very much looking forward to it!
A few aspects fell a bit flat in this, mainly because of how short it was, and aside from some good set pieces it kinda didn’t really do a lot. I’m very conflicted because I did enjoy reading this book, but I just wanted more. I feel like this could have been longer. It didn’t need to be, but it could have been.
Really enjoyed having chapters from the Norn’s point of view, adds a lovely little wrinkle into perceptions, and you know that’s his plan, so he plays with it beautifully. If this is what the follow up quadrilogy is like then I’m very much looking forward to it!
A few aspects fell a bit flat in this, mainly because of how short it was, and aside from some good set pieces it kinda didn’t really do a lot. I’m very conflicted because I did enjoy reading this book, but I just wanted more. I feel like this could have been longer. It didn’t need to be, but it could have been.
disastrouspenguin's review against another edition
3.0
Sad, slow, serious. Not my typical jam, with very little overlap from the previous 3 books in the series, and threads I had hoped would be addressed in this book were not touched. It was interesting to see the inner workings of the Norns, and some of the interpersonal relationships made me want to know more. But then the story ended, fairly abruptly.
bookwormmuse's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
roksyreads's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0