weaselweader's review against another edition
4.0
“We are none of us promised anything but the last breath we take”
THE WAR OF THE FLOWERS is a member of the rare breed of current novels in 21st century literature, a stand-alone fantasy. As novels within the fantasy genre go, much of Tad Williams’ novel is not a surprise – a magical portal to another world; an allegory representing good vs evil in one of its many forms; and romance, love, hate, courage, fear, strength, friendship, lust, greed, among a lengthy list of other feelings. But his pick of racism and xenophobia as the specific evil theme of choice to be pilloried and his use of goblins as the beleaguered “race” subject to slavery and the bigotry exhibited by the upper crust power elite in the world of Faerie was perfect. Modern readers will find these themes particularly relevant, timely, and appropriate in the aftermath of Trump’s presidency and the decline of democracy under McConnell’s grip on the US Republican party. His metaphors within the over-arching allegory even included weapons of mass destruction (dragons) and failure of infrastructure (loss of the entire world’s power grid) in a world war that provides the possibility of ending with no winners at all.
Some readers may criticize THE WAR OF THE FLOWERS as being wordy and excessively rambling, (and, frankly, I’m inclined to agree) but nobody will disagree with his take on the corruption exerted by power, privilege, wealth and influence. Well done, Mr Williams. Definitely recommended.
Paul Weiss
THE WAR OF THE FLOWERS is a member of the rare breed of current novels in 21st century literature, a stand-alone fantasy. As novels within the fantasy genre go, much of Tad Williams’ novel is not a surprise – a magical portal to another world; an allegory representing good vs evil in one of its many forms; and romance, love, hate, courage, fear, strength, friendship, lust, greed, among a lengthy list of other feelings. But his pick of racism and xenophobia as the specific evil theme of choice to be pilloried and his use of goblins as the beleaguered “race” subject to slavery and the bigotry exhibited by the upper crust power elite in the world of Faerie was perfect. Modern readers will find these themes particularly relevant, timely, and appropriate in the aftermath of Trump’s presidency and the decline of democracy under McConnell’s grip on the US Republican party. His metaphors within the over-arching allegory even included weapons of mass destruction (dragons) and failure of infrastructure (loss of the entire world’s power grid) in a world war that provides the possibility of ending with no winners at all.
Some readers may criticize THE WAR OF THE FLOWERS as being wordy and excessively rambling, (and, frankly, I’m inclined to agree) but nobody will disagree with his take on the corruption exerted by power, privilege, wealth and influence. Well done, Mr Williams. Definitely recommended.
Paul Weiss
dcbaker's review
4.0
This book was almost amazing, however there are a couple things about this book that kept from being truly great. The story is interesting and compelling, and the characters are believable and engaging. The main character, however, leaves something to be desired.
yak_attak's review against another edition
3.0
Very interesting book - I could see myself rating it a 3.5, or even 4 depending on mood. Very different than I thought it'd be at first, and though it continuously breezed along with smart easy writing and dynamic world building it also never really felt like it evolved beyond the initial concept? Like things come together at the end, but even then we're still mired in explanations and ensuring that the reader understands all the rules about this world and that everything that's happened makes sense? Characters are very likeable but not *loveable* plot is both smooth and stilted... I dunno. I figured I'd like this more at first, and it's not at all bad, but it's all pretty far off from what I was hoping.
levininja's review
4.0
War of the Flowers was a very satisfying read, for many reasons. It fulfills the expectations of fantasy readers, but it does it in original, quirky, and interesting ways. Its greatest strength is its majestic worldbuilding, which its author reveals gradually without getting too lost in the weeds, which is a difficult balance that he has perfected.
Its protagonist, Theo, is somewhat of an unwilling hero, but not in the traditional sense...he is unwilling because he knows the truth, that he has very little power in the world. This was a theme throughout the book, and I found it to be done very well. What little power he does have, he learns to use. And it does make a difference. So this isn't depressing or defeatist. No, it simply feels very grounded in reality: that's the case for most of us. Most of us aren't Aragorn who can take on armies singlehandedly. That's a nice escapist fantasy that doesn't translate at all to our real lives. No, most of us have a very limited influence on this life...but we DO have an influence and it DOES matter.
So many things are done well in this book. The dialogue, the pacing, the descriptions, the changes in the main character, the way he reveals the world a shade at a time. I could go on and on. This book was well-balanced, engaging, thorough, sometimes humorous, and overall, very satisfying. Bravo to the author for pulling off so many things at once.
Its protagonist, Theo, is somewhat of an unwilling hero, but not in the traditional sense...he is unwilling because he knows the truth, that he has very little power in the world. This was a theme throughout the book, and I found it to be done very well. What little power he does have, he learns to use. And it does make a difference. So this isn't depressing or defeatist. No, it simply feels very grounded in reality: that's the case for most of us. Most of us aren't Aragorn who can take on armies singlehandedly. That's a nice escapist fantasy that doesn't translate at all to our real lives. No, most of us have a very limited influence on this life...but we DO have an influence and it DOES matter.
So many things are done well in this book. The dialogue, the pacing, the descriptions, the changes in the main character, the way he reveals the world a shade at a time. I could go on and on. This book was well-balanced, engaging, thorough, sometimes humorous, and overall, very satisfying. Bravo to the author for pulling off so many things at once.
kxu65's review
2.0
I liked the first part of the book, but I stopped at the second when it got the faries. I'm not a big fan of them.
beccagomezfarrell's review
3.0
I really liked this fantasy novel. Normally, I'm not a big fan of "modern man goes to fantastic or historic realm" but the author handled that trope very well in this book. I was interested in Faerie and in most of the characters, even if it was assumed I would like some of them without a lot more than a cute dialect to sell me on them. But the world and plot was nicely thought out. Biggest complaint would be too much of a happy ending--happy endings are a plus but happy endings with everyone hooking up is a little too much of a plus.
carinasuarez93's review against another edition
3.0
Objectively good and well-written, but I don’t think I enjoyed it
bookfairy99's review
5.0
I love this book. Loved it when I first read it nine years ago, and love it just as much upon re-reading it today. I'm in awe of the way Tad Williams wrote such a complex story without ever losing a single plot thread. The way everything connected in the end is nothing short of pure genius. There are so many characters to keep track of, each with their own personality, history, and way of speaking -- and Williams does it beautifully. The thing I like most about reading fantasy is the way great epic fantasy parallels our lives. Sure, it might be set in a strange world and populated by odd beings, but at its heart, a fantasy story is about us. We can see ourselves reflected in the really good ones, and War of the Flowers is definitely such a book. It tackles subjects like prejudice, slavery, corruption, and oppression -- yet it does so delicately, under the guise of a fast-paced adventure story. Tad Williams is truly one of the masters of the genre, and this is by far his best work.