zephyrusne's review against another edition
4.0
It took me some years until I finally finished this trilogy. It takes patience and understanding, but once you've read it, you can be sure you'll never forget its heroes. They're all admirable and, very fast, you grow fond of them. Tad Williams is a great writer even though he likes to stretch the plot. It was hard getting through some parts (the labyrinth scene in the first part !!! - you get the feeling like you're on LSD) but was worth it in the end. I never though I'd cry to this book - but I did - when Simon and Rachel finally have their rendezvous or when Quantaqua sees Simon after the battle! I'll probably never forget the Asu'a or Jao e-Tinukai'i or Hjeldin's Tower or the North and Rimmersgard, nor its people.
This book left a warmth in my heart.
This book left a warmth in my heart.
bloggingwithdragons's review against another edition
4.0
Originally posted on Blogging with Dragons
I read the Memory, Sorrow, and Thorn series for over a year, in between other books. I put off reading the last book in the series because I simply didn’t want this epic series to end. This was a huge change from when I initially began reading the series and barely made it through the first book, The Dragonbone Chair, because I found it so boring. I hated the main character Simon, whom I still haven’t really learned to like despite all of his heroic deeds (plus anyone who slays a dragon is dumb in my book—dragons are for riding into battle, etc.), and couldn’t find his life as a scullion at all worth my attention. But knowing that these books served as inspirations for George R.R. Martin for A Song of Ice and Fire, I kept pushing forward. And boy, was I glad I did.
The world building in this series is rich and complex, with the sense of impending doom surrounding three mystical swords, which decide the fate of the world, inescapable. The characters are flawed; Prince Josua is depressed and indecisive, the hero Simon attention-seeking and selfish, the Princess Miramele is snobbish and impulsive, and her father the evil King Elias, both sympathetic and utterly detestable. Pyrates, the dark sorcerer is the impetus for the end of the world, and is a repugnant evil villain, swathed in red robes and wielding magic and mystery from which all of the characters fear and cringe. Pyrates successfully ensnares King Elias with false promises in the very beginning, and plunges the world into ever-encroaching chaos. The evil beings the Norns that serve Pyrates are utterly chilling, the gardenborn Sithi majestic, and the League of Scrolls utterly joinable, what with its brilliant members who are dedicated to researching and deciphering the forces at work in the world of Osten Ard.
I was sad to read the last book, for I didn’t want to leave the world and its complex characters. However, in finally reading it, I was rewarded with my favorite book in the series. It was full of not only action, strife, and even romance, but also the eerie clashes between the Sithi and their evil counterparts, the Norns, which were fought via haunting songs, and even the final battle with the Storm King, Ineluki. Though I was disappointed with what I found to be the short appearance of the Storm King himself, he certainly made quite the entrance and impression. Pus, everything leading up to the confrontation was just as powerful as the pulse of the swords that drove Simon, Caramis, and Elias to their confrontation with the Elias, Pyrates, and the Storm King. Like our heroes, I was driven forward through the book and when I heard birds chirping and found it be 4am, I was stunned. But there was no way I was sleeping until I knew what happened!
The ending was a little too happy for my taste, and the final battle with Simon’s optimism defeating Ineluki, seemed far too simple. For Ineluki was so powerful, he turned the time of the world back to when he existed, allowing him entry into the body of long-suffering King Elias. In moments, the Storm King dissolved traitorous Pyrates, the most feared and powerful sorcerer of Osten Ard, into firey ash. So Simon simply defeating the Storm King with mere positive thoughts and sympathy, made me think of my similar disgust with Harry PotterView Spoiler »
Exaggerations aside, Simon did have some help from Miramele, who shot the white Sithi arrow into her father’s chest, hoping to put him out of his misery and freeing him from the Storm King’s possession at last. I was very happy and found it fitting that she played such a role, as she toiled as much as anyone in the hopes of saving the world and her father. Besides, I’ve always loved heroines who don’t sit back and leave the work to the men, and Miramele is the absolute definition of this, even to a fault, often putting herself and others around her in danger, but capably handling herself and her bow when things get rough.
And ultimately, I was glad to witness many characters find their own happy endings after all that they endured. I was most thrilled that Prince Josua found a way out of having to rule and could finally find his own happiness as a presumed “dead man.” I was also overjoyed that Jir’iki and Aditu survived their own battle with Utuk’ku, the Norn Queen, which was just as hauntingly and beatifically described as Simon’s own battle with Ineluki. It was also a wonderful, heartfelt touch for Cadrach to finally find his own redemption through sacrifice, which allows Simon, Miramele, and Binabik to escape the crumbling castle. Truly and heart-twistingly well done.
But conversely, I found it a little too convenient that Simon just happened to be the lost and rightful heir to the throne and that he could marry his beloved Miramele and finally receive the recognition and hero worship he so desperately craved. Though the stage had been set for Simon’s heritage throughout the series, I would have preferred that he live with the Sithi or Binabik for several years to help them rebuild or record all of what had transpired in Green Angel Tower, only to reemerge later, even more mature. Likewise, I would have preferred that Miramele be forced to take the throne and right her father’s wrongs on her own, as she was a strong-willed and capable woman. She could have fallen in love with Simon after his reappearance. It just seemed too much of a fairy tale ending for me after so much suffering and destruction.
But not all of the characters met similarly happy fates. I was quite sad that Maegwin and Eolair did not get their much longed for love. I was really rooting for Maegwin throughout the series, even after her descent into madness, and felt that she and Eolair deserved their happy ending more than Simon and Miramele. However, I was pleased how Simon made known to a bereaved Eolair of Maegwin’s sacrifice, which not only saved his life at the cost of her own, but also allowed him to move forward to defeat Ineluki. It was a touching tribute and showed Simon’s growth as a character. Though I could never quite like Simon, he was a very well-developed and flawed character, like the rest of the cast, and I am confident that Miramele, his queen, will be able to keep his “Mooncalf”-ness or childishness in line.
Though the series was over and the reader was able to glimpse the world a year after the final battle, I was still extremely interested in Osten Ard. For instance, what would become of Josua’s twins? After all, Aditu gave such a curious prophecy concerning them! I want to know more and I am hoping for another series where this question is answered! Plus, I would love to revisit the world of Osten Ard all over again. And with the Norn Queen still living, Josua’s twins growing, and the League of Scrolls still going strong, I imagine that author Tad Williams isn’t quite done with this world yet and I will be more than ready when he revisits it!
I read the Memory, Sorrow, and Thorn series for over a year, in between other books. I put off reading the last book in the series because I simply didn’t want this epic series to end. This was a huge change from when I initially began reading the series and barely made it through the first book, The Dragonbone Chair, because I found it so boring. I hated the main character Simon, whom I still haven’t really learned to like despite all of his heroic deeds (plus anyone who slays a dragon is dumb in my book—dragons are for riding into battle, etc.), and couldn’t find his life as a scullion at all worth my attention. But knowing that these books served as inspirations for George R.R. Martin for A Song of Ice and Fire, I kept pushing forward. And boy, was I glad I did.
The world building in this series is rich and complex, with the sense of impending doom surrounding three mystical swords, which decide the fate of the world, inescapable. The characters are flawed; Prince Josua is depressed and indecisive, the hero Simon attention-seeking and selfish, the Princess Miramele is snobbish and impulsive, and her father the evil King Elias, both sympathetic and utterly detestable. Pyrates, the dark sorcerer is the impetus for the end of the world, and is a repugnant evil villain, swathed in red robes and wielding magic and mystery from which all of the characters fear and cringe. Pyrates successfully ensnares King Elias with false promises in the very beginning, and plunges the world into ever-encroaching chaos. The evil beings the Norns that serve Pyrates are utterly chilling, the gardenborn Sithi majestic, and the League of Scrolls utterly joinable, what with its brilliant members who are dedicated to researching and deciphering the forces at work in the world of Osten Ard.
I was sad to read the last book, for I didn’t want to leave the world and its complex characters. However, in finally reading it, I was rewarded with my favorite book in the series. It was full of not only action, strife, and even romance, but also the eerie clashes between the Sithi and their evil counterparts, the Norns, which were fought via haunting songs, and even the final battle with the Storm King, Ineluki. Though I was disappointed with what I found to be the short appearance of the Storm King himself, he certainly made quite the entrance and impression. Pus, everything leading up to the confrontation was just as powerful as the pulse of the swords that drove Simon, Caramis, and Elias to their confrontation with the Elias, Pyrates, and the Storm King. Like our heroes, I was driven forward through the book and when I heard birds chirping and found it be 4am, I was stunned. But there was no way I was sleeping until I knew what happened!
The ending was a little too happy for my taste, and the final battle with Simon’s optimism defeating Ineluki, seemed far too simple. For Ineluki was so powerful, he turned the time of the world back to when he existed, allowing him entry into the body of long-suffering King Elias. In moments, the Storm King dissolved traitorous Pyrates, the most feared and powerful sorcerer of Osten Ard, into firey ash. So Simon simply defeating the Storm King with mere positive thoughts and sympathy, made me think of my similar disgust with Harry PotterView Spoiler »
Exaggerations aside, Simon did have some help from Miramele, who shot the white Sithi arrow into her father’s chest, hoping to put him out of his misery and freeing him from the Storm King’s possession at last. I was very happy and found it fitting that she played such a role, as she toiled as much as anyone in the hopes of saving the world and her father. Besides, I’ve always loved heroines who don’t sit back and leave the work to the men, and Miramele is the absolute definition of this, even to a fault, often putting herself and others around her in danger, but capably handling herself and her bow when things get rough.
And ultimately, I was glad to witness many characters find their own happy endings after all that they endured. I was most thrilled that Prince Josua found a way out of having to rule and could finally find his own happiness as a presumed “dead man.” I was also overjoyed that Jir’iki and Aditu survived their own battle with Utuk’ku, the Norn Queen, which was just as hauntingly and beatifically described as Simon’s own battle with Ineluki. It was also a wonderful, heartfelt touch for Cadrach to finally find his own redemption through sacrifice, which allows Simon, Miramele, and Binabik to escape the crumbling castle. Truly and heart-twistingly well done.
But conversely, I found it a little too convenient that Simon just happened to be the lost and rightful heir to the throne and that he could marry his beloved Miramele and finally receive the recognition and hero worship he so desperately craved. Though the stage had been set for Simon’s heritage throughout the series, I would have preferred that he live with the Sithi or Binabik for several years to help them rebuild or record all of what had transpired in Green Angel Tower, only to reemerge later, even more mature. Likewise, I would have preferred that Miramele be forced to take the throne and right her father’s wrongs on her own, as she was a strong-willed and capable woman. She could have fallen in love with Simon after his reappearance. It just seemed too much of a fairy tale ending for me after so much suffering and destruction.
But not all of the characters met similarly happy fates. I was quite sad that Maegwin and Eolair did not get their much longed for love. I was really rooting for Maegwin throughout the series, even after her descent into madness, and felt that she and Eolair deserved their happy ending more than Simon and Miramele. However, I was pleased how Simon made known to a bereaved Eolair of Maegwin’s sacrifice, which not only saved his life at the cost of her own, but also allowed him to move forward to defeat Ineluki. It was a touching tribute and showed Simon’s growth as a character. Though I could never quite like Simon, he was a very well-developed and flawed character, like the rest of the cast, and I am confident that Miramele, his queen, will be able to keep his “Mooncalf”-ness or childishness in line.
Though the series was over and the reader was able to glimpse the world a year after the final battle, I was still extremely interested in Osten Ard. For instance, what would become of Josua’s twins? After all, Aditu gave such a curious prophecy concerning them! I want to know more and I am hoping for another series where this question is answered! Plus, I would love to revisit the world of Osten Ard all over again. And with the Norn Queen still living, Josua’s twins growing, and the League of Scrolls still going strong, I imagine that author Tad Williams isn’t quite done with this world yet and I will be more than ready when he revisits it!
bookwormmuse's review
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
tense
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? It's complicated
5.0
davidlz1's review against another edition
2.0
The end to an incredibly long trilogy. The series has a bit of The Grapes of Wrath feel to it in that obstacles are constantly put in front of the character and sorry and misery is all that ever remains. Even when there is a glimmer of hope, something worse happens. However, unlike The Grapes of Wrath, this series does end with a happy ending (which was refreshing). The story itself is quite epic and at times I could not understand why I was investing so much time reading it. However, if you take a sneak peek at the author's comments about this series on his website, you'll find he was just as daunted with writing it. There's a whole lot of traveling and discovery and an incredible amount of mystery which can be quite frustrating. However, this final installment does finally bring it all together and it ends up being a worthwhile read in the end.
It took me almost 15 years to complete this read because I could not compel myself to read this final installment. Truly, I am glad that did.
It took me almost 15 years to complete this read because I could not compel myself to read this final installment. Truly, I am glad that did.
alexandriam_rose's review against another edition
5.0
I really loved this book and series. I could totally imagine myself reading this at a younger age and getting really attached to it. That being said, it is definitely going down as one of my favorite series. I really enjoy that it is a classic fantasy quest, just done really well. And so excited that I have a sequel series waiting to be read now as well! I would recommend it even without the additional story, but I won't complain to have more about this world and characters.
This second part of the final installment definitely takes the story and action up a notch. The characters face some crazy stuff. The scenes in the tunnels and in the ancient ruins of the Sithi castle got to a pretty creepy place, and not to mention a desperate place, that I really ended up liking. It lent a heavier tone and darkness to the story that made it stronger I felt. Also, love the 50 pages or so of revelations at the end, again classic. :)
This second part of the final installment definitely takes the story and action up a notch. The characters face some crazy stuff. The scenes in the tunnels and in the ancient ruins of the Sithi castle got to a pretty creepy place, and not to mention a desperate place, that I really ended up liking. It lent a heavier tone and darkness to the story that made it stronger I felt. Also, love the 50 pages or so of revelations at the end, again classic. :)
trask's review against another edition
adventurous
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? No
5.0
scarletine6's review against another edition
3.0
Where do i get my medal for finishing this behemoth?
I enjoyed the first three books, however book 3 part 2 was stretched like a hippo in Lycra pants. It wasn't pretty at all and at times i was about to DNF. I got to the stage that i was so bored with everything being dragged out, i didn't care what happened to the characters. I can't believe that these books weren't edited sufficiently that they fitted into three novels.
But I've finished at last. Yesss.
I enjoyed the first three books, however book 3 part 2 was stretched like a hippo in Lycra pants. It wasn't pretty at all and at times i was about to DNF. I got to the stage that i was so bored with everything being dragged out, i didn't care what happened to the characters. I can't believe that these books weren't edited sufficiently that they fitted into three novels.
But I've finished at last. Yesss.
tindomiel's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
slow-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
5.0
drdoctorsunshine's review against another edition
slow-paced
- Loveable characters? Yes
5.0
A fitting end to a good series. Yes, fantasy has evolved since this book was written. Yes, sometimes I was annoyed at Miriamele and Simon being pissed at each other. Did I love all of them still? Yes. Did the end satisfy me? Yes.
I had a great time!
I had a great time!