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Memory, Sorrow, and Thorn #1
The Dragonbone Chair
A war fueled by the powers of dark sorcery is about to engulf the peaceful land of Osten Ard—for Prester John, the High King, lies dying. And with his death, the Storm King, the undead ruler of the elf-like Sithi, seizes the chance to regain his lost realm through a pact with the newly ascended king. Knowing the consequences of this bargain, the king’s younger brother joins with a small, scattered group of scholars, the League of the Scroll, to confront the true danger threatening Osten Ard.
Simon, a kitchen boy from the royal castle unknowingly apprenticed to a member of this League, will be sent on a quest that offers the only hope of salvation, a deadly riddle concerning long-lost swords of power. Compelled by fate and perilous magics, he must leave the only home he’s ever known and face enemies more terrifying than Osten Ard has ever seen, even as the land itself begins to die.
After the landmark Memory, Sorrow, and Thorn trilogy, the epic saga of Osten Ard continues with the brand-new novel, The Heart of What Was Lost. Then don’t miss the upcoming trilogy, The Last King of Osten Ard, beginning with The Witchwood Crown!
Simon, a kitchen boy from the royal castle unknowingly apprenticed to a member of this League, will be sent on a quest that offers the only hope of salvation, a deadly riddle concerning long-lost swords of power. Compelled by fate and perilous magics, he must leave the only home he’s ever known and face enemies more terrifying than Osten Ard has ever seen, even as the land itself begins to die.
After the landmark Memory, Sorrow, and Thorn trilogy, the epic saga of Osten Ard continues with the brand-new novel, The Heart of What Was Lost. Then don’t miss the upcoming trilogy, The Last King of Osten Ard, beginning with The Witchwood Crown!
672 pages, Paperback
First published October 25, 1988
About the author
Tad Williams
342 books7,197 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 2,990 reviews
May 24, 2023
This review is a copy of the transcript of my video review on The Dragonbone Chair.
Incredible. The Dragonbone Chair is an absolutely brilliant transition from classic to modern epic fantasy.
To say I was excited to read The Dragonbone Chair is an understatement. The Dragonbone Chair and the entire Osten Ard Saga has been in my TBR pile for five years now. It's not like I didn't want to read it sooner. But I've been waiting for the completion of The Last King of Osten Ard, the second series in The Osten Ard Saga, to be completed before I start reading the series. And now that The Navigator's Children, the final book in The Osten Ard Saga, is slated to be released soon, this feels like it is the right time for me to start my journey into the world of Osten Ard. I don’t regret reading The Dragonbone Chair. If there’s a tiny seed of regret, it would have to be why didn’t I read this sooner. I had a lot of high expectations going into The Dragonbone Chair, and all of it was met or exceeded. People have told me I would love The Dragonbone Chair, the first book in Memory, Sorrow, and Thorn trilogy, or The Osten Ard Saga, and they were right. They were absolutely right. Not including books I reread, I believe this is the fourth book to receive a 5-star rating from me this year. And I have no doubt I will reread The Dragonbone Chair, and I’m assuming the rest of the series as well, again and again in the future.
A war fueled by the powers of dark sorcery is about to engulf the land of Osten Ard as John the Presbyter—the Lord of Erkynland and High King of all Osten Ard and bane of the dragon Shurakai—is near his death. A civil war for The Dragonbone Chair is about to start. The vengeful undead ruler of the Sithi, The Storm King, aims to seize this chance to return and regain his lost realm. And Simon—a kitchen boy in the royal castle of Hayholt—will involuntarily find his fate tangled in all the chaos to unfold caused by the inevitable death of John, the scourge of the Sithi and wielder of the sword Bright-Nail. This is more or less the premise of The Dragonbone Chair, the first book in Memory, Sorrow, and Thorn trilogy by Tad Williams. If you have heard about this book or this series, you might have heard about three things. First, it is a seminal fantasy work that inspired some of the most successful fantasy authors like Patrick Rothfuss, George R. R. Martin, and Brandon Sanderson. Second, it is often stated that Memory, Sorrow, and Thorn felt like a series that paved the way from the classic fantasy to the modern epic fantasy series we have these days; I can agree with that simply from having read The Dragonbone Chair. But I want to address the third thing you might have heard about The Dragonbone Chair first: the pacing.
Everyone has their own reading taste and preference, but based on my experiences and everything I've heard, the negative reception of the pacing felt exaggerated. The Dragonbone Chair was written and published before I was born, and right from the start, it is more compelling than many modern fantasy books I've read. But it is true that if you, like me a few days ago, are a reader who hasn't started your journey into the classic fantasy world of Osten Ard, it is worth knowing that Part 1 of 3 of the novel, or the first 200 pages, can be categorized as the slice-of-life portion. Also, if you love Robin Hobb's prose in The Realm of the Elderlings, as I do, there is a good chance Tad's prose will suck you into the story with ease. I knew about these two points thanks to my viewers before I started reading it, and it was helpful for me to make sure I was in the correct reading mood for a fantasy book with prose to savor. But this does not mean the beginning portion was boring, not from my perspective and experience.
This beginning section was cleverly utilized to gradually introduce the main characters, world-building, and history of Osten Ard with minimal conflicts and actions. Though, in the first place, I don't think I ever heard anyone call Memory, Sorrow, and Thorn an action-oriented fantasy series, definitely not for The Dragonbone Chair. And I am so thankful for this. Not only do I rarely get to read a writing style as exquisite as Tad Williams', but lately, whether it's due to a streak of bad luck or not, it seems rarer to find modern fantasy books that take their time to introduce the characters and the world first before plunging them into danger all the time. This is coming from me as a reader who, comparatively, prefers reading modern epic fantasy books published after the late 90s rather than classic fantasy books. But here is the thing, action scenes being prioritized, especially from the beginning of a series, over characterizations is an effortless way to make me lose interest in a fantasy book quickly. And honestly, I feel like this is happening more frequently lately. Some people mentioned they couldn't stand the slice-of-life portion of The Dragonbone Chair, and I respectfully disagree. I could've read Simon's time at Hayholt for another 100 pages; Tad's prose was that good, and the storytelling was surprisingly very character-driven, just the way I prefer.
Picture: The Dragonbone Chair by Tad Williams
The character-driven narration was a surprise for me. I mentioned earlier that I tend to not click with many classic fantasy books I tried, and the main reason was because of this. Not for all classic fantasy books, of course, but from the ones I have read, the characterizations in many of these books weren't good or compelling enough. Plus, the writing style implemented into these books often leans toward omniscient and head-hopping, and they are not my preference for reading. These are not the case with The Dragonbone Chair by Tad Williams. Head-hopping or omniscient is close to non-existence, and it was easy for me to tell which character's thoughts and POV I was reading from. Most importantly, I felt invested in Simon's, Binabik's, Josua's, and all the character's predicaments and struggles quickly. Right from the beginning, Simon's personality, actions, and relationship with his mentor, Morgenes, and caretaker Rachel were sufficient to make me care about him. I feel like Simon behaved and reacted genuinely like a teenager his age, and things only improved with each page turned. Especially after Simon meets Binabik and his animal companion, Quantaqa. The themes of justice, war, vengeance, honor, friendship, and life and death in this coming-of-age epic fantasy were beautifully told through the character's perspectives. And I'm not exclusively talking about the protagonists. I found the antagonists intriguing, too, thanks to the super strong foundation and background established by world-building and lore.
I am utterly impressed by the world-building. The way the past and lore are integrated into the current plotline and conflict was incredibly well-written. The best kind of world-builders, in my opinion, can pull me inside the world they made, and in the first book of their series, they can make me feel like I am not missing anything from starting the series there. However, at the same time, they can make me realize the wealth of stories that can be crafted from the rich history is there, and should the author choose to do so, it will be possible to do it right. Some popular fantasy series examples for this are J.R.R. Tolkien with The Lord of the Rings and Silmarillion, or George R.R. Martin with the current five books in A Song of Ice and Fire and the prequel novels, Fire and Blood and A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms. This notion has been achieved magnificently in The Dragonbone Chair. I believe Tad Williams has indeed published a prequel novella titled Brothers of the Wind detailing the story of Ineluki the Storm King. And I already look forward to reading that prequel novella. I was so engrossed in the intricate history of Osten Ard. Every moment of reading the tale of The Sithi, the dragons, The Green Angel Tower, the rivalry between John Presbyter and the last prince of Nabbanai Royal House, Camaris-sa-Vinitta, and of course, the three Great Swords that become the name of the series—Memory, Sorrow, and Thorn—were superbly engaging. I am serious. Every description and passage related to the forging and legends of the three great swords, specifically on Sorrow (Jingizu in the Sithi language) and Thorn in this book, made me so excited. Here's one small example:
Wasn't that so badass!? For the lack of a better word, I think it is so damn cool, and that's only a taste of Tad's breathtaking prose. There were also Buddhist and Japanese-inspired names like Shurakai (meaning "world of asuras") and Hidohebhi the Black ("horrible serpent") that I enjoyed reading. Another example is Jiriki, which means "One's Own Strength" in Japanese Buddhist terms. It is a term for self-power or the ability to achieve enlightenment, and yes, this is a fitting name for the character. You have to find out the rest for yourself. But just from the first book of the series alone, the world of Osten Ard felt more fleshed out than most modern fantasy books I read lately. Once again, I love reading modern epic fantasy novels. Many of them have their own captivating world-building. But to find one as detailed, livable, and immersive as the world of Westeros, Middle-Earth, Roshar, Dara, and Osten Ard are always a challenge. And the settings inside this book... They're wondrous to witness. The glorious Dragonbone Chair in The Hayholt, a thousand nails of Naglimund, the forest, the snowy landscape or Urmsheim, to the majestic Da'ai Chikiza, it felt like a blessing and honor to read a transportive epic fantasy of this caliber.
Picture: Da'ai Chikiza by Donato Giancola
Before I end this review, I need to give my thoughts on using The Grim Oak Press edition of The Dragonbone Chair that I bought. As I mentioned in my unboxing video, this was the first time I purchased a limited special edition of a book I hadn't read yet. I have no doubt I would end up loving The Dragonbone Chair if I had read it from the standard physical copy or ebook edition, too. But I can't deny reading The Dragonbone Chair for the first time using the Grim Oak Press edition played a part in my increased reading enjoyment. The feel of the premium paper, the Smyth-sewn binding, and the illustrations by Donato Giancola all enhanced my reading experience. Donato Giancola is one of my favorite artists. The cover art and the six gorgeous interior artworks by Giancola made me take a risk at buying my first Grim Oak Press special edition, and the gamble paid off nicely. The cover art is one of the best I've ever seen, and although some readers understandably mentioned the cover art gives off the false impression that the book would be action-packed, the cover art IS from an action scene inside the book. I mentioned earlier that The Dragonbone Chair contains minimal action scenes, but rest assured, when these scenes take their spotlights, Tad Williams made them count.
Picture: The Dragonbone Chair cover art by Tad Williams
As you can probably tell, I absolutely loved The Dragonbone Chair. Not including books I reread, this is the fourth book I rated with a 5/5 star rating this year, and it is effortlessly one of the most stunning first books of a series I had the pleasure to read. For many years, I kept hearing how Memory, Sorrow, and Thorn inspired Sanderson, Martin, and Rothfuss to write their own magnum opus. But it is frankly shocking and sinful how The Dragonbone Chair or Memory, Sorrow, and Thorn to this day is not equivalent to the popularity of these three authors. I know I have not read The Stone of Farewell and To Green Angel Tower yet, but The Dragonbone Chair already strongly signals this is a book and series that should be discussed and praised as common as The Stormlight Archive, The Realm of the Elderlings, The Lord of the Rings, A Song of Ice and Fire, or The Kingkiller Chronicle. Not only that, whether voluntarily integrated or not, I saw the touch and influence of Tad Williams' storytelling structure and atmosphere in many other modern epic fantasy series now. The Dragonbone Chair and The Iron Throne? The scene of a comet that bleeds across the sky reminded me of the prologue of A Clash of Kings. Simon’s apprenticeship under Morgenes felt similar to Fitz's apprenticeship under Chade. Or how reminiscent Simon's first time outside of Hayholt was of Kvothe's pre-Tarbean survival section. This is truly a classic epic fantasy bridge to modern epic fantasy. I am glad to have read this, and I look forward to reading the sequel, The Stone of Farewell, next month. I don't want to jinx it, but if all the sequels go well for me, Memory, Sorrow, and Thorn or the entire Osten Ard Saga might end up becoming one of my top favorite series.
You can order this book from: Blackwells (Free International shipping)
You can find this and the rest of my reviews at Novel Notions | I also have a Booktube channel
Special thanks to my Patrons on Patreon for giving me extra support towards my passion for reading and reviewing!
My Patrons: Alfred, Aliysa, Anastasia, Andrew, Andrew W, Annabeth, Arliss, Barbara, Brad, Cade, Casey, Chris, Diana, Donna, Dylan, Edward, Elias, Ellen, Gary, Hamad, Helen, Jenn, Jesse, Jimmy Nutts, Joie, Kristina, Luis, Lufi, Melinda, Michael, Michael, Miracle, Nicholas, Norbert, Radiah, Samuel, Sarah, Sarah, Scott, Shawn, Tori, Tracy, Wendy, Wick, Xero, Yuri, Zoe.
Incredible. The Dragonbone Chair is an absolutely brilliant transition from classic to modern epic fantasy.
“When you stopped to think about it, he reflected, there weren’t many things in life one truly needed. To want too much was worse than greed: it was stupidity—a waste of precious time and effort.”
To say I was excited to read The Dragonbone Chair is an understatement. The Dragonbone Chair and the entire Osten Ard Saga has been in my TBR pile for five years now. It's not like I didn't want to read it sooner. But I've been waiting for the completion of The Last King of Osten Ard, the second series in The Osten Ard Saga, to be completed before I start reading the series. And now that The Navigator's Children, the final book in The Osten Ard Saga, is slated to be released soon, this feels like it is the right time for me to start my journey into the world of Osten Ard. I don’t regret reading The Dragonbone Chair. If there’s a tiny seed of regret, it would have to be why didn’t I read this sooner. I had a lot of high expectations going into The Dragonbone Chair, and all of it was met or exceeded. People have told me I would love The Dragonbone Chair, the first book in Memory, Sorrow, and Thorn trilogy, or The Osten Ard Saga, and they were right. They were absolutely right. Not including books I reread, I believe this is the fourth book to receive a 5-star rating from me this year. And I have no doubt I will reread The Dragonbone Chair, and I’m assuming the rest of the series as well, again and again in the future.
“He who is certain he knows the ending of things when he is only beginning them is either extremely wise or extremely foolish; no matter which is true, he is certainly an unhappy man, for he has put a knife in the heart of wonder.”
A war fueled by the powers of dark sorcery is about to engulf the land of Osten Ard as John the Presbyter—the Lord of Erkynland and High King of all Osten Ard and bane of the dragon Shurakai—is near his death. A civil war for The Dragonbone Chair is about to start. The vengeful undead ruler of the Sithi, The Storm King, aims to seize this chance to return and regain his lost realm. And Simon—a kitchen boy in the royal castle of Hayholt—will involuntarily find his fate tangled in all the chaos to unfold caused by the inevitable death of John, the scourge of the Sithi and wielder of the sword Bright-Nail. This is more or less the premise of The Dragonbone Chair, the first book in Memory, Sorrow, and Thorn trilogy by Tad Williams. If you have heard about this book or this series, you might have heard about three things. First, it is a seminal fantasy work that inspired some of the most successful fantasy authors like Patrick Rothfuss, George R. R. Martin, and Brandon Sanderson. Second, it is often stated that Memory, Sorrow, and Thorn felt like a series that paved the way from the classic fantasy to the modern epic fantasy series we have these days; I can agree with that simply from having read The Dragonbone Chair. But I want to address the third thing you might have heard about The Dragonbone Chair first: the pacing.
“Books are a form of magic… because they span time and distance more surely than any spell or charm.”
Everyone has their own reading taste and preference, but based on my experiences and everything I've heard, the negative reception of the pacing felt exaggerated. The Dragonbone Chair was written and published before I was born, and right from the start, it is more compelling than many modern fantasy books I've read. But it is true that if you, like me a few days ago, are a reader who hasn't started your journey into the classic fantasy world of Osten Ard, it is worth knowing that Part 1 of 3 of the novel, or the first 200 pages, can be categorized as the slice-of-life portion. Also, if you love Robin Hobb's prose in The Realm of the Elderlings, as I do, there is a good chance Tad's prose will suck you into the story with ease. I knew about these two points thanks to my viewers before I started reading it, and it was helpful for me to make sure I was in the correct reading mood for a fantasy book with prose to savor. But this does not mean the beginning portion was boring, not from my perspective and experience.
“A piece of writing is a trap… and the best kind. A book, you see, is the only kind of trap that keeps its captive—which is knowledge—alive forever.”
This beginning section was cleverly utilized to gradually introduce the main characters, world-building, and history of Osten Ard with minimal conflicts and actions. Though, in the first place, I don't think I ever heard anyone call Memory, Sorrow, and Thorn an action-oriented fantasy series, definitely not for The Dragonbone Chair. And I am so thankful for this. Not only do I rarely get to read a writing style as exquisite as Tad Williams', but lately, whether it's due to a streak of bad luck or not, it seems rarer to find modern fantasy books that take their time to introduce the characters and the world first before plunging them into danger all the time. This is coming from me as a reader who, comparatively, prefers reading modern epic fantasy books published after the late 90s rather than classic fantasy books. But here is the thing, action scenes being prioritized, especially from the beginning of a series, over characterizations is an effortless way to make me lose interest in a fantasy book quickly. And honestly, I feel like this is happening more frequently lately. Some people mentioned they couldn't stand the slice-of-life portion of The Dragonbone Chair, and I respectfully disagree. I could've read Simon's time at Hayholt for another 100 pages; Tad's prose was that good, and the storytelling was surprisingly very character-driven, just the way I prefer.
“But remember this lesson, Simon, one fit for kings... or the sons of kings. Nothing is without cost. There is a price to all power, and it is not always obvious.”
Picture: The Dragonbone Chair by Tad Williams
The character-driven narration was a surprise for me. I mentioned earlier that I tend to not click with many classic fantasy books I tried, and the main reason was because of this. Not for all classic fantasy books, of course, but from the ones I have read, the characterizations in many of these books weren't good or compelling enough. Plus, the writing style implemented into these books often leans toward omniscient and head-hopping, and they are not my preference for reading. These are not the case with The Dragonbone Chair by Tad Williams. Head-hopping or omniscient is close to non-existence, and it was easy for me to tell which character's thoughts and POV I was reading from. Most importantly, I felt invested in Simon's, Binabik's, Josua's, and all the character's predicaments and struggles quickly. Right from the beginning, Simon's personality, actions, and relationship with his mentor, Morgenes, and caretaker Rachel were sufficient to make me care about him. I feel like Simon behaved and reacted genuinely like a teenager his age, and things only improved with each page turned. Especially after Simon meets Binabik and his animal companion, Quantaqa. The themes of justice, war, vengeance, honor, friendship, and life and death in this coming-of-age epic fantasy were beautifully told through the character's perspectives. And I'm not exclusively talking about the protagonists. I found the antagonists intriguing, too, thanks to the super strong foundation and background established by world-building and lore.
“Honor is a wonderful thing, but it is a means, not an end. A man who starves with honor does not help his family, a king who falls on his sword with honor does not save his kingdom.”
I am utterly impressed by the world-building. The way the past and lore are integrated into the current plotline and conflict was incredibly well-written. The best kind of world-builders, in my opinion, can pull me inside the world they made, and in the first book of their series, they can make me feel like I am not missing anything from starting the series there. However, at the same time, they can make me realize the wealth of stories that can be crafted from the rich history is there, and should the author choose to do so, it will be possible to do it right. Some popular fantasy series examples for this are J.R.R. Tolkien with The Lord of the Rings and Silmarillion, or George R.R. Martin with the current five books in A Song of Ice and Fire and the prequel novels, Fire and Blood and A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms. This notion has been achieved magnificently in The Dragonbone Chair. I believe Tad Williams has indeed published a prequel novella titled Brothers of the Wind detailing the story of Ineluki the Storm King. And I already look forward to reading that prequel novella. I was so engrossed in the intricate history of Osten Ard. Every moment of reading the tale of The Sithi, the dragons, The Green Angel Tower, the rivalry between John Presbyter and the last prince of Nabbanai Royal House, Camaris-sa-Vinitta, and of course, the three Great Swords that become the name of the series—Memory, Sorrow, and Thorn—were superbly engaging. I am serious. Every description and passage related to the forging and legends of the three great swords, specifically on Sorrow (Jingizu in the Sithi language) and Thorn in this book, made me so excited. Here's one small example:
“Haggard, sick to madness, yet full of grim resolve, he watched the master smiths of Asu’a flee before him and did not care. By himself he heated the forge fires hotter than they had ever been; alone he chanted the Words of Making, all the while wielding the Hammer That Shapes, which none but the High Smith had ever held before.
“Alone in the red-lit depths of the forge he made a sword, a terrible gray sword whose very substance seemed to breathe dismay. Such hideous, unholy magics did Ineluki call up during its forging that the very air of Asu’a seemed to crackle with heat, and the walls swayed as though struck by giant fists.”
Wasn't that so badass!? For the lack of a better word, I think it is so damn cool, and that's only a taste of Tad's breathtaking prose. There were also Buddhist and Japanese-inspired names like Shurakai (meaning "world of asuras") and Hidohebhi the Black ("horrible serpent") that I enjoyed reading. Another example is Jiriki, which means "One's Own Strength" in Japanese Buddhist terms. It is a term for self-power or the ability to achieve enlightenment, and yes, this is a fitting name for the character. You have to find out the rest for yourself. But just from the first book of the series alone, the world of Osten Ard felt more fleshed out than most modern fantasy books I read lately. Once again, I love reading modern epic fantasy novels. Many of them have their own captivating world-building. But to find one as detailed, livable, and immersive as the world of Westeros, Middle-Earth, Roshar, Dara, and Osten Ard are always a challenge. And the settings inside this book... They're wondrous to witness. The glorious Dragonbone Chair in The Hayholt, a thousand nails of Naglimund, the forest, the snowy landscape or Urmsheim, to the majestic Da'ai Chikiza, it felt like a blessing and honor to read a transportive epic fantasy of this caliber.
“You see… the land is a book that you should be reading. Every small thing,”—a cocky grin—“is having a story to tell. Trees, leafs, mosses and stones, all have written on them things of wonderful interest.”
Picture: Da'ai Chikiza by Donato Giancola
Before I end this review, I need to give my thoughts on using The Grim Oak Press edition of The Dragonbone Chair that I bought. As I mentioned in my unboxing video, this was the first time I purchased a limited special edition of a book I hadn't read yet. I have no doubt I would end up loving The Dragonbone Chair if I had read it from the standard physical copy or ebook edition, too. But I can't deny reading The Dragonbone Chair for the first time using the Grim Oak Press edition played a part in my increased reading enjoyment. The feel of the premium paper, the Smyth-sewn binding, and the illustrations by Donato Giancola all enhanced my reading experience. Donato Giancola is one of my favorite artists. The cover art and the six gorgeous interior artworks by Giancola made me take a risk at buying my first Grim Oak Press special edition, and the gamble paid off nicely. The cover art is one of the best I've ever seen, and although some readers understandably mentioned the cover art gives off the false impression that the book would be action-packed, the cover art IS from an action scene inside the book. I mentioned earlier that The Dragonbone Chair contains minimal action scenes, but rest assured, when these scenes take their spotlights, Tad Williams made them count.
“Neither War nor Violent Death… have anything uplifting about them, yet they are the candle to which Humanity flies again and again, as complacently as the lowly moth. He who has been upon a battlefield, and who is not blinded by popular conceptions, will confirm that on this ground Mankind seems to have created a Hell on Earth out of sheer impatience, rather than waiting for that original to which—if the priests are correct—most of us will eventually be ushered.”
Picture: The Dragonbone Chair cover art by Tad Williams
As you can probably tell, I absolutely loved The Dragonbone Chair. Not including books I reread, this is the fourth book I rated with a 5/5 star rating this year, and it is effortlessly one of the most stunning first books of a series I had the pleasure to read. For many years, I kept hearing how Memory, Sorrow, and Thorn inspired Sanderson, Martin, and Rothfuss to write their own magnum opus. But it is frankly shocking and sinful how The Dragonbone Chair or Memory, Sorrow, and Thorn to this day is not equivalent to the popularity of these three authors. I know I have not read The Stone of Farewell and To Green Angel Tower yet, but The Dragonbone Chair already strongly signals this is a book and series that should be discussed and praised as common as The Stormlight Archive, The Realm of the Elderlings, The Lord of the Rings, A Song of Ice and Fire, or The Kingkiller Chronicle. Not only that, whether voluntarily integrated or not, I saw the touch and influence of Tad Williams' storytelling structure and atmosphere in many other modern epic fantasy series now. The Dragonbone Chair and The Iron Throne? The scene of a comet that bleeds across the sky reminded me of the prologue of A Clash of Kings. Simon’s apprenticeship under Morgenes felt similar to Fitz's apprenticeship under Chade. Or how reminiscent Simon's first time outside of Hayholt was of Kvothe's pre-Tarbean survival section. This is truly a classic epic fantasy bridge to modern epic fantasy. I am glad to have read this, and I look forward to reading the sequel, The Stone of Farewell, next month. I don't want to jinx it, but if all the sequels go well for me, Memory, Sorrow, and Thorn or the entire Osten Ard Saga might end up becoming one of my top favorite series.
“Never make your home in a place… Make a home for yourself inside your own head. You’ll find what you need to furnish it—memory, friends you can trust, love of learning, and other such things.”
You can order this book from: Blackwells (Free International shipping)
You can find this and the rest of my reviews at Novel Notions | I also have a Booktube channel
Special thanks to my Patrons on Patreon for giving me extra support towards my passion for reading and reviewing!
My Patrons: Alfred, Aliysa, Anastasia, Andrew, Andrew W, Annabeth, Arliss, Barbara, Brad, Cade, Casey, Chris, Diana, Donna, Dylan, Edward, Elias, Ellen, Gary, Hamad, Helen, Jenn, Jesse, Jimmy Nutts, Joie, Kristina, Luis, Lufi, Melinda, Michael, Michael, Miracle, Nicholas, Norbert, Radiah, Samuel, Sarah, Sarah, Scott, Shawn, Tori, Tracy, Wendy, Wick, Xero, Yuri, Zoe.
February 14, 2015
“He who is certain he knows the ending of things when he is only beginning them is either extremely wise or extremely foolish; no matter which is true, he is certainly an unhappy man, for he has put a knife in the heart of wonder.”
- Qanuc Proverb
The Dragonbone Chair is chock and block full of wonder. If you have the patience to master this piece of work (it is incredibly dense and filled with first class world building and heaps of lore) you'll find it an extremely rewarding experience. It is a slow burner, especially the first third of the novel (titled Simon Mooncalf), but once the simmer turns into a boil there's no stopping the story.
Recommended for everybody who likes their fantasy served with a hefty dose of EPIC.
- Qanuc Proverb
The Dragonbone Chair is chock and block full of wonder. If you have the patience to master this piece of work (it is incredibly dense and filled with first class world building and heaps of lore) you'll find it an extremely rewarding experience. It is a slow burner, especially the first third of the novel (titled Simon Mooncalf), but once the simmer turns into a boil there's no stopping the story.
Recommended for everybody who likes their fantasy served with a hefty dose of EPIC.
March 19, 2018
A classic in the fantasy field, this is best suited for readers looking for the traditional orphan-identity quest. While I enjoyed it overall, I was able to set the book down and walk away, coming and going from the story until Simon reached the woods. I consider it a bad sign when I'm able to set a book down--my favorites have me locked into reading position until I reach the end page. Eventually it picked up and reeled me in, but there was skimming involved.
A combination coming-of-age and castle/kingdom political novel, I felt like the book would have benefited more from focusing on one or the other. As it was, the politics were mostly the side story, and I largely skimmed over those sections of the book without any real decrease in enjoyment of Simon's story. It's classic high fantasy, with full landscapes and world building, starting from the castle to underground tunnels to a deep forest, to a deserted Sithi (read elven) city, a highlands castle and a mountain. When the book ends with Simon and other adventurers sent on a journey for a missing sword, it's almost shocking that it's not a ring.
I like that Williams' world contains non-human races. There is the most interesting take on trolls that I've read yet--Binobik and his wolf quickly became my favorite characters. The white hounds and the Bakken bring nicely frightening elements to the story.
One frustration is that Simon's development seemed very uneven and unlikely to me, that parts of his political and intellectual consciousness seemed so limited even when being taught by the doctor. He does indeed behave like a fourteen year old boy at the beginning of the story, and credit to Williams for capturing that well enough to be annoying. Every time you turn around, he's complaining about reading, and his refrain lasts for some time even into his forest journey. However, . We very much get the "boy buffeted about by the winds of fortune" storyline, but he remains clueless every step of the way. Then suddenly he develops a sense of honor towards his kidnappers--that almost results in repeated injury by the Bakken. This was the Simon who had no honor towards shirking workloads in the castle, and who discovered a monk had fleeced him--twice--and has resolved to guard himself more closely? It's that kind of uneven characterization that makes him frustrating to root for as a lead, being so malleable and of almost no strong principles. I did like that he was open-minded enough to befriend a small person.
I didn't find the writing particularly impressive or beautiful, and it is odd to have bold and italicized words. The song lyrics are often distracting, but occasionally add some richness to the story. It feels like it was trying hard to be capital "E" epic, and the cliffhanger ending is an annoyance. I'll grab the next one from the library.
A combination coming-of-age and castle/kingdom political novel, I felt like the book would have benefited more from focusing on one or the other. As it was, the politics were mostly the side story, and I largely skimmed over those sections of the book without any real decrease in enjoyment of Simon's story. It's classic high fantasy, with full landscapes and world building, starting from the castle to underground tunnels to a deep forest, to a deserted Sithi (read elven) city, a highlands castle and a mountain. When the book ends with Simon and other adventurers sent on a journey for a missing sword, it's almost shocking that it's not a ring.
I like that Williams' world contains non-human races. There is the most interesting take on trolls that I've read yet--Binobik and his wolf quickly became my favorite characters. The white hounds and the Bakken bring nicely frightening elements to the story.
One frustration is that Simon's development seemed very uneven and unlikely to me, that parts of his political and intellectual consciousness seemed so limited even when being taught by the doctor. He does indeed behave like a fourteen year old boy at the beginning of the story, and credit to Williams for capturing that well enough to be annoying. Every time you turn around, he's complaining about reading, and his refrain lasts for some time even into his forest journey. However, . We very much get the "boy buffeted about by the winds of fortune" storyline, but he remains clueless every step of the way. Then suddenly he develops a sense of honor towards his kidnappers--that almost results in repeated injury by the Bakken. This was the Simon who had no honor towards shirking workloads in the castle, and who discovered a monk had fleeced him--twice--and has resolved to guard himself more closely? It's that kind of uneven characterization that makes him frustrating to root for as a lead, being so malleable and of almost no strong principles. I did like that he was open-minded enough to befriend a small person.
I didn't find the writing particularly impressive or beautiful, and it is odd to have bold and italicized words. The song lyrics are often distracting, but occasionally add some richness to the story. It feels like it was trying hard to be capital "E" epic, and the cliffhanger ending is an annoyance. I'll grab the next one from the library.
January 14, 2023
DNF @ 60%.
I know people say that the book picks up towards the end, but this is a huge book and I've lost all will to continue on. I'm bored to tears here people!
I know people say that the book picks up towards the end, but this is a huge book and I've lost all will to continue on. I'm bored to tears here people!
September 8, 2021
Ok, so I’ve decided to go back to my original rating of 2 stars even though I had given it 4 stars as it got a bit better later on. I have had the next books in the series for a few years and they just have to go. I’m not interested in continuing the series so in the trade box they go. Thank you and goodnight 😉. Ok, good day since it’s morning, but I digress!
********
4 Stars ⭐️
Okay, so I almost dnf’d this book BUT, I read a friends review that said the same thing but they pushed on and loved it. Soooo, I did the same thing with some skimming and decided I’m just here for the wolf and the troll. Okay, so I like some others but still! 😉
I love you Qantaqa! 🐺🐾. Even though she was a white babe turned grey, I have to use my black beauty Wolfen 😘🐺
Mel 🖤🐶🐺🐾
********
4 Stars ⭐️
Okay, so I almost dnf’d this book BUT, I read a friends review that said the same thing but they pushed on and loved it. Soooo, I did the same thing with some skimming and decided I’m just here for the wolf and the troll. Okay, so I like some others but still! 😉
I love you Qantaqa! 🐺🐾. Even though she was a white babe turned grey, I have to use my black beauty Wolfen 😘🐺
Mel 🖤🐶🐺🐾
November 25, 2023
New all-time favourite book. If you are a Robin Hobb fan - read this.
August 5, 2023
One of the seminal works of epic fantasy which, together with series by Robert Jordan and David Eddings, made the genre what it is today. Williams makes a virtue of starting small as we follow orphaned kitchen boy Simeon through his childhood in the castle of King Prester John. However, the king's death heralds an age of discord and Simeon finds himself drawn into valiant Prince Josua's rebellion against his increasingly despotic and magically deranged brother. The scope of the story expands with every succeeding chapter, escapes and battles abound as the conflict escalates, all expertly woven into a complex but satisfying whole by Williams' flawless prose and plotting. If you're a fantasy fan and you haven't read this, you're really not trying.
June 29, 2007
The opening to what is easily the best fantasy series I've ever read. Williams' Memory, Sorrow, and Thorn remains, IMHO, one of the most underread and underappreciated series out there. I suspect that the length of the novels scares some people off; Dragonbone Chair is the shortest, and it's still around 700 pages. The series as a whole incorporates most classical fantasy elements: an epic quest, dark sorcery, an unlikely hero, etc., but what makes it unforgettable for me is one main thing.
Williams nailed the world-building. While he retains a lot of traditional fantasy elements, they all show up in new ways and forms. I can't think of a single time where I thought, "This has been done before," and that's rare, considering the amount of fantasy literature I've read. The land of Osten Ard remains one of the most vivid locales in literature I've read, and its inhabitants are incredibly memorable as well.
Williams nailed the world-building. While he retains a lot of traditional fantasy elements, they all show up in new ways and forms. I can't think of a single time where I thought, "This has been done before," and that's rare, considering the amount of fantasy literature I've read. The land of Osten Ard remains one of the most vivid locales in literature I've read, and its inhabitants are incredibly memorable as well.
August 6, 2024
Books are a form of magic…because they span time and distance more surely than any spell or charm.
Ordinarily, I add a quote that encompasses the vibe of the book. But this time I added my favourite. Or one of my favourites. Because this book is massive.
I struggle to write extensive reviews for fantasy because it’s so heavily plot-driven and this is one of those books which is best to go in knowing nothing.
The book starts,
On this day of days there was an unfamiliar stirring deep inside the dozing heart of the Hayholt…We meet the main protagonist Simon Mooncalf. This little boy has my heart. I adore all his dumb glory.
In the midst of such industry, gawky Simon was the fabled grasshopper in the nest of ants. He knew he would never amount to much: many people had told him so, and nearly all of them were older—and presumably wiser—than he. At an age when other boys were clamoring for the responsibilities of manhood, Simon was still a muddler and a meanderer. No matter what task he was given to do, his attention soon wandered, and he would be dreaming of battles, and giants, and sea voyages on tall, shining ships…Buckle up, we have a chosen one folks.
I am no enemy of traditional fantasy tropes. Perhaps because I am something of a neophyte. Or, I don’t know, I don’t hate traditional tropes if executed brilliantly. Simon was also a breath of fresh air. He doesn’t know he’s a chosen one. He just wants to ask questions, roam the Hayholt and not be asked to think. Please don’t ask him to think. No, it was the doing and the thinking that tripped him up time and time again. If only they would leave him alone!
Aside from being a skinny apparition haunting the ceilings at the Hayholt, Simon’s favourite place to be was Morgenes’ labs. He was a Gandalfian mentor. A wizard who was well versed in magic, riddles and puzzles. He existed to teach Simon. To scold Simon. And to give Simon an excuse to escape his scullery chores.
The beginning of this book is said to be molassic. Perhaps in this day and age, slow books are something of an anomaly or an acquired taste. Honey, consider me a connoisseur. I LOVE slow going stories. I loved the Tolkienesque indulgence of life at the Hayholt. It’s one of the easiest most effective ways to ensure immersion. At no point did the real world penetrate its shadowy toxicity in this world that Williams created.
Getting to know Simon and Morgenes intimately got me to care about their fates and the destinies of those they came across. When a state leader’s death gets the plot going, and shit gets real, the reader then girds their loins because if fantasy has taught me anything, that’s when the suffering begins.
I adored the prose of this book. It’s a liberty I don’t see taken much these days. Perhaps its genre that allows this. Or the spirit of classic fantasy living on. Inasmuch as I loved The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms its prose while beautiful was very clinical, surgical. This one feels like being dropped in a Dickensian or Carrollian tale. Well-rounded characters who end up in a rabbit hole after rabbit hole and choices that have costly consequences.
God made young men stupid.Lord knows it’s not just the young ones.
Simon ends up on a quest… a matter of life and adventure.
The desire to see more of the world glowed within him like a low-banked fire.But Simon never had the delight of books to give him second hand adventure. A catastrophe had to trigger his excursion. He was delightfully self-aware, just doing what he has to. Simon knew he was more rabbit than rogue. A later companion of his is able to encompass the wistlessness we feel when subjugated to adulting. ...sometimes I wonder if I was born out of my time.
In this adventure novel there is murder, love, history, travel, political machinations, war, runaway princesses, a league of extraordinary gentlemen, warrior queens. There are giants, bukkens, dragons, wolves, fae. For those who seek action, this book has your back ”So many plots!” Isgrimnur groaned. “So many intrigues! It makes my head swim. I am not a man for such things. Give me a sword or an axe and let me deal blows!”
They’re coming Isgrimnur. And they’ll leave you—and I— blown away.
April 27, 2014
I came into this book a little forewarned by the good readers here at Goodreads: "that this book is a SLOW buildup".
0-20%, slow. 20-30%, something could happen, are we leaving yet? 30-35%, is this it? No, false start. 35-45% OK, we left the castle, something has to happen right? 45%-end: Bam! Fires, dragons, magic swords, trolls, elves, demons, mountains, crossing the map, wolves (good and bad), bad dreams/good dreams, death, sieges, magical storms, ships.......
The slow build-up eventually drops you off the cliff into a sea of epic fantasy and it is worth it. Looking forward to picking up where the 1st book left off and would recommend this book with the warning: it is indeed a slow build-up to what ultimately looks to be some good epic fantasy.
0-20%, slow. 20-30%, something could happen, are we leaving yet? 30-35%, is this it? No, false start. 35-45% OK, we left the castle, something has to happen right? 45%-end: Bam! Fires, dragons, magic swords, trolls, elves, demons, mountains, crossing the map, wolves (good and bad), bad dreams/good dreams, death, sieges, magical storms, ships.......
The slow build-up eventually drops you off the cliff into a sea of epic fantasy and it is worth it. Looking forward to picking up where the 1st book left off and would recommend this book with the warning: it is indeed a slow build-up to what ultimately looks to be some good epic fantasy.
July 2, 2018
Truly a masterpiece and probably my favorite Fantasy book of all time. The rest of the series is pretty awesome as well. Also, the most evil villain bar none of any Fantasy series I've ever read in Pryrates the evil priest. If you haven't read Memory, Sorrow, and Thorn in its entirety, you really must. This is what made me a Tad Williams fan for life.
December 31, 2018
This now officially holds the record for the book that took me the longest to finish: I've been reading it since February! And it was utter torture even in small doses each week, so boooooring and slow that it worked in place of a sleep pill (and I'm not prone to fall asleep reading).
Like most Fantasy from its time, it's another Tolkien derivative, so derivative it's easy to predict long before what's going to follow. To sum it up: legendary king is too old, his two sons hate each other, kitchen boy of uncertain parentage fools 'round, king dies, sons go at each other's throats, everyone suffers, kitchen boy flees, kitchen boy is found by magical 'funny' sidekick, politicking and war ensue, 'spunky' princess appears, magical eerie creatures threaten war, humans continue politicking and warring, kitchen boy's true identity is revealed to the shock of nobody, the end. I can see so clearly what Tad Williams lifted from the Professor, and in turn what George R. R. Martin lifted from Williams, that to entertain myself I began to play a game of Spot the Copied Element. That was probably the only fun that came out of the plot for me.
But I'm not rating this lower because of the worldbuilding, which is impressively detailed and believable. If Williams is sorely lacking in characterisation skills (and he seriously lacks them, all his characters are paper cut-outs and so shallow), he makes up for it with his worldbuilding. I do respect that, even though it isn't enough to me to continue reading the entire trilogy. Oh, well, at least I now can say some things from Martin's series make more sense seeing his source of inspiration, particularly the magical eerie creatures bit.
Like most Fantasy from its time, it's another Tolkien derivative, so derivative it's easy to predict long before what's going to follow. To sum it up: legendary king is too old, his two sons hate each other, kitchen boy of uncertain parentage fools 'round, king dies, sons go at each other's throats, everyone suffers, kitchen boy flees, kitchen boy is found by magical 'funny' sidekick, politicking and war ensue, 'spunky' princess appears, magical eerie creatures threaten war, humans continue politicking and warring, kitchen boy's true identity is revealed to the shock of nobody, the end. I can see so clearly what Tad Williams lifted from the Professor, and in turn what George R. R. Martin lifted from Williams, that to entertain myself I began to play a game of Spot the Copied Element. That was probably the only fun that came out of the plot for me.
But I'm not rating this lower because of the worldbuilding, which is impressively detailed and believable. If Williams is sorely lacking in characterisation skills (and he seriously lacks them, all his characters are paper cut-outs and so shallow), he makes up for it with his worldbuilding. I do respect that, even though it isn't enough to me to continue reading the entire trilogy. Oh, well, at least I now can say some things from Martin's series make more sense seeing his source of inspiration, particularly the magical eerie creatures bit.
January 13, 2022
I now have a Booktube channel! Find me at: The Obsessive Bookseller
This review is going to be more of a non-spoiler reading log. I hope you enjoy this journey a “tad” more than I did the one in the book.
Merely mentioning Dragonbone Chair in a recent video about all the unread books on my shelves, I was bombarded with a slew of comments saying I needed to read it ASAP. So I bumped it up a few years in the priority list and gave it a go.
Of all the popular classic fantasy, I think Williams is the only one I hadn’t read something from. I was excited to dive in. But I was also aware that classic fantasy has a tendency to be a bit long-winded and that the joy is often in the journey itself rather than in the destination. I’m not a patient reader, so with comments like “it takes a while to get going,” you can see how this may not be a good match for my tastes right from the start.
But it’s a classic. And beloved by many book friends who love a lot of the same stuff I do. So I gave it a go.
Truthfully, the beginning was about what I’d expected. Very slowly paced and all about immersing the reader in the often mundane aspects of castle life. The writing immediately jumped out to me as beautiful, relaxed, and well-flowing. Like getting a warm hug from your book. I really liked that aspect, so I was content to sit back and enjoy the journey for once. Then some amazing stuff happened for about one chapter and I was hooked!
…And then the novel proceeded to take over 120 pages for X character to get from point A to point B, and I was so disengaged that I started asking, “uh.. exactly when does this get better?”
I was truthfully considering a DNF. But remembering how relatively slow Hobb’s initial Farseer Trilogy was at first, and how many people abandon it before the magic really starts happening, I felt like there was a similar situation here, and if I just kept reading, eventually I’d see why so many love this series.
But, you see, there’s one distinct difference between my experience with this series and Hobb’s. I don’t mind slow plot progression in books as long as there’s a lot of deep character exploration. I’m totally on board for that type of story. However, with the Dragonbone Chair, the characters were interesting, but I really didn’t get a ton of depth from them. Their actions went a long ways towards developing character near the end, but for most of the book I liked them but didn’t feel particularly connected to them.
The overall handling of characters was weird for me. So, we get several hundred pages more or less focused on just a handful of people. I enjoyed reading about them quite a bit. And if nothing else got a connection of familiarity with them. However, we went from a handful of characters doing not much of anything but talking, to a massive influx of new people to keep track of without much time at all to build a connection with them. It felt like I’d picked up a totally different book at about the 75% mark. I wasn’t ready to keep track of so many names, and by the time I realized I needed to, I was already a bit lost.
So the story got way more interesting towards the end of the book, but any connection I had to most of the characters got lost in the jumble. To the point where something would happen to someone and my first thought would be, “holy $#%?, I didn’t even realize they were in this scene (or existed at all, in some cases).” Oye.
Perhaps my level of disengagement near the end was a result of how passive I already felt about the book up to that point.
Here’s the thing. I feel like I’m standing back, admiring a painting called “Blue Explosion,” appreciating that it’s a brilliant work of art and more or less enjoying looking at it, but can’t shake the thought, “but, does it really need that much blue?” The Dragonbone Chair is supposed to make you feel like you’re sitting around a campfire getting an epic tale told to you. It’s supposed to be all about the journey and the lore. While I’m over here wishing the plot had been more concise and the pacing more evenly distributed. That was a really long-winded way of saying that it just wasn’t written for my personal tastes but was still very well done.
So where do I go from here? Despite the rapid-fire of characters near the end, I found myself very interested in the politics. The battle scenes were good. I liked the quest aspect, even though I still couldn’t tell you exactly who’s on it or what their individual motives are. I find myself masochisticly willing to dive into the next book to see if my issues carry over. Perhaps it will keep the same decent momentum and all I need to do is care enough to keep the characters straight.
I started this book as a Buddy Read in my Goodreads group with a bunch of people. We lost a few right out the gate, but then they started dropping like flies until only myself and two others remained. Plodding diligently. We’ve agreed we’ll need the commitment of a BR to get to the next one and it’s currently scheduled for April. I’m still not sure I want to work that hard to read hundreds more pages for a series I’m just okay about atm. But that glimmer of potential is keeping me around. For now.
Recommendations: this is a beloved classic fantasy that would be a great match for those who love Tolkien and Jordan (…I’m not one of those people). It’s also the series that inspired George R.R. Martin, and you can totally see bits of influence throughout. The writing is beautiful and it’s more about the journey than the destination. It’s perhaps is a mite less engaging than I want, but I know it will work well for more patient readers.
Via The Obsessive Bookseller at www.NikiHawkes.com
Other books you might like:
This review is going to be more of a non-spoiler reading log. I hope you enjoy this journey a “tad” more than I did the one in the book.
Merely mentioning Dragonbone Chair in a recent video about all the unread books on my shelves, I was bombarded with a slew of comments saying I needed to read it ASAP. So I bumped it up a few years in the priority list and gave it a go.
Of all the popular classic fantasy, I think Williams is the only one I hadn’t read something from. I was excited to dive in. But I was also aware that classic fantasy has a tendency to be a bit long-winded and that the joy is often in the journey itself rather than in the destination. I’m not a patient reader, so with comments like “it takes a while to get going,” you can see how this may not be a good match for my tastes right from the start.
But it’s a classic. And beloved by many book friends who love a lot of the same stuff I do. So I gave it a go.
Truthfully, the beginning was about what I’d expected. Very slowly paced and all about immersing the reader in the often mundane aspects of castle life. The writing immediately jumped out to me as beautiful, relaxed, and well-flowing. Like getting a warm hug from your book. I really liked that aspect, so I was content to sit back and enjoy the journey for once. Then some amazing stuff happened for about one chapter and I was hooked!
…And then the novel proceeded to take over 120 pages for X character to get from point A to point B, and I was so disengaged that I started asking, “uh.. exactly when does this get better?”
I was truthfully considering a DNF. But remembering how relatively slow Hobb’s initial Farseer Trilogy was at first, and how many people abandon it before the magic really starts happening, I felt like there was a similar situation here, and if I just kept reading, eventually I’d see why so many love this series.
But, you see, there’s one distinct difference between my experience with this series and Hobb’s. I don’t mind slow plot progression in books as long as there’s a lot of deep character exploration. I’m totally on board for that type of story. However, with the Dragonbone Chair, the characters were interesting, but I really didn’t get a ton of depth from them. Their actions went a long ways towards developing character near the end, but for most of the book I liked them but didn’t feel particularly connected to them.
The overall handling of characters was weird for me. So, we get several hundred pages more or less focused on just a handful of people. I enjoyed reading about them quite a bit. And if nothing else got a connection of familiarity with them. However, we went from a handful of characters doing not much of anything but talking, to a massive influx of new people to keep track of without much time at all to build a connection with them. It felt like I’d picked up a totally different book at about the 75% mark. I wasn’t ready to keep track of so many names, and by the time I realized I needed to, I was already a bit lost.
So the story got way more interesting towards the end of the book, but any connection I had to most of the characters got lost in the jumble. To the point where something would happen to someone and my first thought would be, “holy $#%?, I didn’t even realize they were in this scene (or existed at all, in some cases).” Oye.
Perhaps my level of disengagement near the end was a result of how passive I already felt about the book up to that point.
Here’s the thing. I feel like I’m standing back, admiring a painting called “Blue Explosion,” appreciating that it’s a brilliant work of art and more or less enjoying looking at it, but can’t shake the thought, “but, does it really need that much blue?” The Dragonbone Chair is supposed to make you feel like you’re sitting around a campfire getting an epic tale told to you. It’s supposed to be all about the journey and the lore. While I’m over here wishing the plot had been more concise and the pacing more evenly distributed. That was a really long-winded way of saying that it just wasn’t written for my personal tastes but was still very well done.
So where do I go from here? Despite the rapid-fire of characters near the end, I found myself very interested in the politics. The battle scenes were good. I liked the quest aspect, even though I still couldn’t tell you exactly who’s on it or what their individual motives are. I find myself masochisticly willing to dive into the next book to see if my issues carry over. Perhaps it will keep the same decent momentum and all I need to do is care enough to keep the characters straight.
I started this book as a Buddy Read in my Goodreads group with a bunch of people. We lost a few right out the gate, but then they started dropping like flies until only myself and two others remained. Plodding diligently. We’ve agreed we’ll need the commitment of a BR to get to the next one and it’s currently scheduled for April. I’m still not sure I want to work that hard to read hundreds more pages for a series I’m just okay about atm. But that glimmer of potential is keeping me around. For now.
Recommendations: this is a beloved classic fantasy that would be a great match for those who love Tolkien and Jordan (…I’m not one of those people). It’s also the series that inspired George R.R. Martin, and you can totally see bits of influence throughout. The writing is beautiful and it’s more about the journey than the destination. It’s perhaps is a mite less engaging than I want, but I know it will work well for more patient readers.
Via The Obsessive Bookseller at www.NikiHawkes.com
Other books you might like:
May 15, 2023
An enjoyable and satisfying first entry into a fantasy series that I have been wanting to pick up for years, The Dragonbone Chair manages to capture all of the charm and coziness of traditional epic fantasy storytelling that made me fall in love with the genre in the first place, while also taking a few left turns and building an enthralling story and world that stands entirely on its own.
I’m going to be honest. I was a little nervous when I picked this one up simply because I had just finished Memories of Ice (which I absolutely loved) and was feeling a tiny bit burned out on epic fantasy and didn’t want that to affect my experience with this whatsoever. Luckily, this turned out to be the exact opposite of reality as it ended up reinvigorating my desire to read epic fantasy by providing a familiar story and atmosphere carried by wonderful prose and lore that I found myself continually getting lost in.
The middle chunk of this book certainly was a slow, slow burn and I had heard that going into this read, but I didn’t find that it negatively impacted my read through at all. I was really savoring everything Tad was throwing at me and as the story started to pick up (and phew, it really does), I was hooked and could not put this book down. The last 100-150 pages were a rollercoaster and I’m beyond excited to see where this story goes from here.
The Dragonbone Chair receives a huge recommendation for me. If you consider yourself a fan of epic fantasy with great characters, mysterious and intriguing lore, political maneuvering, grand quests, and more, you absolutely should check this one out.
9/10
I’m going to be honest. I was a little nervous when I picked this one up simply because I had just finished Memories of Ice (which I absolutely loved) and was feeling a tiny bit burned out on epic fantasy and didn’t want that to affect my experience with this whatsoever. Luckily, this turned out to be the exact opposite of reality as it ended up reinvigorating my desire to read epic fantasy by providing a familiar story and atmosphere carried by wonderful prose and lore that I found myself continually getting lost in.
The middle chunk of this book certainly was a slow, slow burn and I had heard that going into this read, but I didn’t find that it negatively impacted my read through at all. I was really savoring everything Tad was throwing at me and as the story started to pick up (and phew, it really does), I was hooked and could not put this book down. The last 100-150 pages were a rollercoaster and I’m beyond excited to see where this story goes from here.
The Dragonbone Chair receives a huge recommendation for me. If you consider yourself a fan of epic fantasy with great characters, mysterious and intriguing lore, political maneuvering, grand quests, and more, you absolutely should check this one out.
9/10
June 7, 2018
Dear Tad Williams,
I cannot thank you enough for writing a book...well, set of books...that I can read as a full-on grown-up and still enjoy as much as I did when I was an angsty teenager.
It has been hurtful to find so many of my favorite when-I-was-young reads (looking at you, Shannara and DragonLance) aren't actually good at all and that I must adore them from afar with only sentimentality stoking the fires of young love.
Thank you for not adding to that hurt. I appreciate the effort you put into this story, allowing it to be readable throughout different cycles of life.
Your fan,
Erica
I cannot thank you enough for writing a book...well, set of books...that I can read as a full-on grown-up and still enjoy as much as I did when I was an angsty teenager.
It has been hurtful to find so many of my favorite when-I-was-young reads (looking at you, Shannara and DragonLance) aren't actually good at all and that I must adore them from afar with only sentimentality stoking the fires of young love.
Thank you for not adding to that hurt. I appreciate the effort you put into this story, allowing it to be readable throughout different cycles of life.
Your fan,
Erica
November 21, 2023
Notes from 2023 reread: Didn't realised in first read just how much Martin's Winterfell was inspired by Hayholt. Also, Rimmersguards history is basically Nymeria's legendary sailing to Westeros and burning her Rhoynar ships, never to return back across the sea again.
I'm surprised that I actually thought the first story was slow. It is anything but slow. I just wasn't paying attention to it. So much is happening in the background, where you get bits and pieces of information; you can see decay of kingdom from various sources following king's death, and it builds tension perfectly where you feel the walls closing in on oblivious Simon.
__________________________________
“Books are a form of magic because they span time and distance more surely than any spell and charm.”
The Dragonbone Chair is the first book in Tad Williams’ Memory, Sorrow and Thorn series and an amazing coming of age story, which probably had big enough impact to shape and influence many of today’s popular writers of this genre.
For that alone, it is my opinion, that it should be visited at least once in a lifetime, no matter of someone’s preference in their genres.
A truly magnificent worldbuilding written with astonishingly beautiful prose.
Sadly, my own infatuation ends there, since Tad was focused on worldbuilding so much that he made character development feel almost secondary.
And if that is combined with the poor story we have already devoured on multiple iterations over decades with Tolkien, Feist and numerous others – finishing result is that this book seems only as a half measure of its actual worth.
2.91.
Story and Characters.
The main story follows our main protagonist Simon, a fourteen-year-old kitchen boy serving in the ancient castle Hayholt.
His story is divided into three parts: Simon Mooncalf, Simon Pilgrim and Simon Snowlock.
It’s the first part I want to focus on here, because it’s the one I actually enjoyed the most while reading.
Simon Mooncalf story carefully sets the groundwork to introduce readers with the world, its history, magic, set of characters and political currents surrounding them.
It’s a story about a boy living quite secure and boring life in a castle, all while his head is filled with wants and needs of becoming someone else.
A common, childlike desire that comes from listening all those legends of old and ‘stories about past’ – but not history, mind you – which preferably excluded those boring parts from them, such as names and years. Stories which were left with nothing but exiting heroic battles.
There is nothing that can persuade this boy from lazing around the castle, not a broomstick nor a bucket, not even apprenticeship with castle’s main doctor/wizard Morgenes to educate him to actually become something more than a kitchen boy.
Like any fourteen-year-old he is unable to recognize someone’s effort to help him and steer him into a right direction, because soldering and becoming a hero is all that preoccupies him, without having slightest notice what that actually means.
And in it there’s this beautiful relationship between Master and Apprentice which reminded me of that one of Merlin’s with Arthur’s in The Sword in the Stone, where one tries to teach the other of ways of life, but other keeps struggling with incomprehension and stays quite ignorant.
Until he is forced to learn the hard way.
And this is a repetition Tad will use quite regularly throughout the 800 pages of this book and other two stories, which is why this first one is a dearest one for me, because I couldn’t shake away the feeling how someone’s robing that special bond from them, whenever someone new would come into Simon’s life and tried to speak some sense and knowledge into that thick head of his.
Rest of the stories, and the book, I’m leaving for you to find out.
Worldbuilding and Prose.
I have seen that the most common complaint was actually this first story. Troubles were either its pacing or how slow it was or endless info-dumps.
I don’t agree with those complaints, but I understand why they are there.
I actually liked how history of this world was told through classes Simon had with Morgenes; how stories he would told him were filled with names and years; how he would describe some minor thing in details and the moment your head starts falling and you start dozing off, Morgenes would stop himself and ask if he was boring you, so that both Simon and you yourself, would feel slightly embarrassed for being caught wanting to hear about those magnificent heroic battles.
"I came here for battles, not boring facts, old man!"
But that’s part of Tad’s worlbuilding and his preparation of you to later distinguish why character A is doing something while character B is opposing.
Was it really necessary for world to be so vivid and described with so many details?
Of course it was.
But was it necessary to describe stains of papyrus which sits on a scratched, cobwebbed, bookcase that faces darker western corner of the room, impractically occupying enough space for front door to be opened completely – all of which is, obviously, mason’s mistake for making inner walls not just uneven but thin enough in the first place – while the only natural source of light comes from the southern window, too high to brighten the entire room?
Oh yes! Yes it was absolutely necessary!
That’s wordbuilding. Sure, there’s no need to describe in so many details, especially if author’s prose is slightly better than that of middle grader, but when an author has an ability to express what’s inside his mind so colorfully - that should be revered, not something to complain about.
Which reminds me – something to complain about.
Well… I won’t do that… much.
As I said, story is seen through many books since, and characters, even though many of them are present, only one seemed developed enough (main one).
But, this is a book published in 1988. My complaints aren’t actually complaints about the book itself.
I’m just, to a degree, saddened that epic fantasy as a genre made big progress since. But also, at the same time, in many things that this book excels, genre today still lacks.
Something to think about.
I'm surprised that I actually thought the first story was slow. It is anything but slow. I just wasn't paying attention to it. So much is happening in the background, where you get bits and pieces of information; you can see decay of kingdom from various sources following king's death, and it builds tension perfectly where you feel the walls closing in on oblivious Simon.
__________________________________
“Books are a form of magic because they span time and distance more surely than any spell and charm.”
The Dragonbone Chair is the first book in Tad Williams’ Memory, Sorrow and Thorn series and an amazing coming of age story, which probably had big enough impact to shape and influence many of today’s popular writers of this genre.
For that alone, it is my opinion, that it should be visited at least once in a lifetime, no matter of someone’s preference in their genres.
A truly magnificent worldbuilding written with astonishingly beautiful prose.
Sadly, my own infatuation ends there, since Tad was focused on worldbuilding so much that he made character development feel almost secondary.
And if that is combined with the poor story we have already devoured on multiple iterations over decades with Tolkien, Feist and numerous others – finishing result is that this book seems only as a half measure of its actual worth.
2.91.
Story and Characters.
The main story follows our main protagonist Simon, a fourteen-year-old kitchen boy serving in the ancient castle Hayholt.
His story is divided into three parts: Simon Mooncalf, Simon Pilgrim and Simon Snowlock.
It’s the first part I want to focus on here, because it’s the one I actually enjoyed the most while reading.
Simon Mooncalf story carefully sets the groundwork to introduce readers with the world, its history, magic, set of characters and political currents surrounding them.
It’s a story about a boy living quite secure and boring life in a castle, all while his head is filled with wants and needs of becoming someone else.
A common, childlike desire that comes from listening all those legends of old and ‘stories about past’ – but not history, mind you – which preferably excluded those boring parts from them, such as names and years. Stories which were left with nothing but exiting heroic battles.
There is nothing that can persuade this boy from lazing around the castle, not a broomstick nor a bucket, not even apprenticeship with castle’s main doctor/wizard Morgenes to educate him to actually become something more than a kitchen boy.
Like any fourteen-year-old he is unable to recognize someone’s effort to help him and steer him into a right direction, because soldering and becoming a hero is all that preoccupies him, without having slightest notice what that actually means.
And in it there’s this beautiful relationship between Master and Apprentice which reminded me of that one of Merlin’s with Arthur’s in The Sword in the Stone, where one tries to teach the other of ways of life, but other keeps struggling with incomprehension and stays quite ignorant.
Until he is forced to learn the hard way.
And this is a repetition Tad will use quite regularly throughout the 800 pages of this book and other two stories, which is why this first one is a dearest one for me, because I couldn’t shake away the feeling how someone’s robing that special bond from them, whenever someone new would come into Simon’s life and tried to speak some sense and knowledge into that thick head of his.
Rest of the stories, and the book, I’m leaving for you to find out.
Worldbuilding and Prose.
I have seen that the most common complaint was actually this first story. Troubles were either its pacing or how slow it was or endless info-dumps.
I don’t agree with those complaints, but I understand why they are there.
I actually liked how history of this world was told through classes Simon had with Morgenes; how stories he would told him were filled with names and years; how he would describe some minor thing in details and the moment your head starts falling and you start dozing off, Morgenes would stop himself and ask if he was boring you, so that both Simon and you yourself, would feel slightly embarrassed for being caught wanting to hear about those magnificent heroic battles.
"I came here for battles, not boring facts, old man!"
But that’s part of Tad’s worlbuilding and his preparation of you to later distinguish why character A is doing something while character B is opposing.
Was it really necessary for world to be so vivid and described with so many details?
Of course it was.
But was it necessary to describe stains of papyrus which sits on a scratched, cobwebbed, bookcase that faces darker western corner of the room, impractically occupying enough space for front door to be opened completely – all of which is, obviously, mason’s mistake for making inner walls not just uneven but thin enough in the first place – while the only natural source of light comes from the southern window, too high to brighten the entire room?
Oh yes! Yes it was absolutely necessary!
That’s wordbuilding. Sure, there’s no need to describe in so many details, especially if author’s prose is slightly better than that of middle grader, but when an author has an ability to express what’s inside his mind so colorfully - that should be revered, not something to complain about.
Which reminds me – something to complain about.
Well… I won’t do that… much.
As I said, story is seen through many books since, and characters, even though many of them are present, only one seemed developed enough (main one).
But, this is a book published in 1988. My complaints aren’t actually complaints about the book itself.
I’m just, to a degree, saddened that epic fantasy as a genre made big progress since. But also, at the same time, in many things that this book excels, genre today still lacks.
Something to think about.
January 6, 2022
The Dragonbone Chair is some 80s fantasy coming highly recommended to me by some people, and I have also been told it is watching paint dry.
This is a book that could probably have the most clishe cover quote of all time, but unlike with most books it would actually be somewhat true. The two series it reminds me most of are A Song of Ice and Fire, which it inspired, and The Lord of the Rings, which inspired it.
We follow your good old fantasy orphan of unknown parentage, we got a wise wizard, castles, dark lords, magic swords, songs, travelling, and quests, all that good stuff. Mixed in with that we have political maneuvering, scheming, difficulties coming from feudal inheritance, and family conflicts.
I am a fan of all of these things, except maybe the songs, although I will say as someone with 0 ounces of muscial talent, I think Tad Williams has better songs than a vast majority of other songs in fantasy.
One aspect that this series is famous for is the prose. It was really the primary thing I had heard praised about the series, so it is ironic that the prose was not my favorite. Keep in mind some people(including myself) use the term "not my favorite" to mean they dislike something. Here I just mean it literally, one book it, Tad's prose would not contend for my favorite. I think for some aspects it was amazing. The parts I loved where the scene setting, the atmosphere, the dream sequences, and general scenes that are a bit for lack of better word trippy, and also I really like Tad's dialogue. Which manages to balance the wise archaic tone of Tolkien, with more modern dialogue that is trying to sound more like people talking.
The things I didn't love it where that I thought especially early on there were a lot of adverbs that could be removed without changing the meaning of a sentence, and that just for me it took effort to picture things. My favorite prose writers, like Robin Hobb, GGK, and Ruocchio, write something beautifully, and my brain automatically creates an image. This did not feel as natural.
I want to say, I still would definitely say the prose added to my reading experience, and if I had never heard anything about the author I would probably be praising it a lot. However it was an element that for my experience did not meet the admittedly extraordinarily high expectations.
Now for the elements that were underhyped..... or basically everything else, cause all I hear about is the prose.
The actual you know...story. It was great. Despite being very slowly and deliberately paced at time I thought their was very little fat. I think essentially every chapter added something. Not all of them are going to be the types of chapters everyone enjoys, but I don't think their are any redundant chapters, as in no chapter that is just doing the same thing the last chapter did, but more.
I also thought the way Tad build the world was amazing. Lot's of classical fantasy stuff, but great takes on them, didn't feel info dumpy, but also I got a good idea of things pretty quickly I think.
I also really enjoyed the characters in this. I would say at this point he wouldn't be on my mount Rushmore of characters, but there are lots of characters who I enjoyed and were distinctive.
One minor criticism I am going to give is that there was a subplot in this book following a character very separate from the rest, and it just....was kinda boring to me unfortunately. It didn't take up a lot of time though.
Overall this book is what bad marketters want every book to be, LotR meets ASOIAF, and get's a 8.3/10 from yours truly.
This is a book that could probably have the most clishe cover quote of all time, but unlike with most books it would actually be somewhat true. The two series it reminds me most of are A Song of Ice and Fire, which it inspired, and The Lord of the Rings, which inspired it.
We follow your good old fantasy orphan of unknown parentage, we got a wise wizard, castles, dark lords, magic swords, songs, travelling, and quests, all that good stuff. Mixed in with that we have political maneuvering, scheming, difficulties coming from feudal inheritance, and family conflicts.
I am a fan of all of these things, except maybe the songs, although I will say as someone with 0 ounces of muscial talent, I think Tad Williams has better songs than a vast majority of other songs in fantasy.
One aspect that this series is famous for is the prose. It was really the primary thing I had heard praised about the series, so it is ironic that the prose was not my favorite. Keep in mind some people(including myself) use the term "not my favorite" to mean they dislike something. Here I just mean it literally, one book it, Tad's prose would not contend for my favorite. I think for some aspects it was amazing. The parts I loved where the scene setting, the atmosphere, the dream sequences, and general scenes that are a bit for lack of better word trippy, and also I really like Tad's dialogue. Which manages to balance the wise archaic tone of Tolkien, with more modern dialogue that is trying to sound more like people talking.
The things I didn't love it where that I thought especially early on there were a lot of adverbs that could be removed without changing the meaning of a sentence, and that just for me it took effort to picture things. My favorite prose writers, like Robin Hobb, GGK, and Ruocchio, write something beautifully, and my brain automatically creates an image. This did not feel as natural.
I want to say, I still would definitely say the prose added to my reading experience, and if I had never heard anything about the author I would probably be praising it a lot. However it was an element that for my experience did not meet the admittedly extraordinarily high expectations.
Now for the elements that were underhyped..... or basically everything else, cause all I hear about is the prose.
The actual you know...story. It was great. Despite being very slowly and deliberately paced at time I thought their was very little fat. I think essentially every chapter added something. Not all of them are going to be the types of chapters everyone enjoys, but I don't think their are any redundant chapters, as in no chapter that is just doing the same thing the last chapter did, but more.
I also thought the way Tad build the world was amazing. Lot's of classical fantasy stuff, but great takes on them, didn't feel info dumpy, but also I got a good idea of things pretty quickly I think.
I also really enjoyed the characters in this. I would say at this point he wouldn't be on my mount Rushmore of characters, but there are lots of characters who I enjoyed and were distinctive.
One minor criticism I am going to give is that there was a subplot in this book following a character very separate from the rest, and it just....was kinda boring to me unfortunately. It didn't take up a lot of time though.
Overall this book is what bad marketters want every book to be, LotR meets ASOIAF, and get's a 8.3/10 from yours truly.
July 6, 2021
I was 14 years old when I first read this book. I remember feeling like a boss when I turned that last page. I had done it. I had finished this monster of a book all on my own and all without anyone telling me I had to. Not only that but I really, really loved doing it too.
I wasn't a complete newb to SF/F - I had the Narnia books read to me, as well as The Hobbit, Lord Of The Rings, and A Wrinkle in Time. And while I loved those books - I had to share them with my family. I had to discover those stories on their time...which was usually after dinner sitting around the table for an hour or two each night. The Dragonbone Chair, however, was my own. It (along with Terry Brooks) popped my cherry. I remember picking it out in the bookstore solely off the way the cover art piqued my curiosity; I wanted to find out who the people on the cover were. I was also intrigued by all the made up words and names that I couldn't pronounce. I wanted to learn what they meant and how they sounded. It also helped that it was a large book and I needed something that would help me waste away the hours in the backseat of the car on yet another summer vacation family road trip.
And so it was, 28 years ago, I truly fell in love with genre fiction.
I haven't been back to Osten Ard since. At least, not until now. The series, and in the case of this review, The Dragone Bone Chair, has always made it onto my lists of 'Favorite Fantasy or top ten books read.' But in all honesty, I only vaguely remembered them and how they made me feel. I know I loved them - the exact reasons had just become fuzzy over the years.
With the announcement of Tad bringing new novels out in this world next year (2017), I knew that I needed to do a re-read. Not only that, but I was insanely curious to see what '42-year-old me' thought of them compared to '14-year-old me.'
I am happy to say that I was just as captivated this read through as I was when I first read it.
I was instantly swept up in the grandiose world of Osten Ard that Tad Williams had created. He slowly doled out the history of the lands and I could feel myself slipping away into this rich and detailed world wanting to know more and more and more. The characters were alive and real and I wanted to meet them all!
I wanted to sweep Doctor Morgenes floors as he told me stories of age-old battles or sit next to a campfire in the Aldheorte forest while Binabik played his bone flute. I wanted to meet the League of the Scroll and touch the secret pendants they all wore around their necks.
These books are a real live place that has lived inside of me for so long that I don't really remember them ever not being a part of me. The way a lot of people feel about Middle Earth is how I feel for Osten Ard.
The nostalgia is strong and the love is real. I just don't know why I have waited so long to read these again.
I wasn't a complete newb to SF/F - I had the Narnia books read to me, as well as The Hobbit, Lord Of The Rings, and A Wrinkle in Time. And while I loved those books - I had to share them with my family. I had to discover those stories on their time...which was usually after dinner sitting around the table for an hour or two each night. The Dragonbone Chair, however, was my own. It (along with Terry Brooks) popped my cherry. I remember picking it out in the bookstore solely off the way the cover art piqued my curiosity; I wanted to find out who the people on the cover were. I was also intrigued by all the made up words and names that I couldn't pronounce. I wanted to learn what they meant and how they sounded. It also helped that it was a large book and I needed something that would help me waste away the hours in the backseat of the car on yet another summer vacation family road trip.
And so it was, 28 years ago, I truly fell in love with genre fiction.
I haven't been back to Osten Ard since. At least, not until now. The series, and in the case of this review, The Dragone Bone Chair, has always made it onto my lists of 'Favorite Fantasy or top ten books read.' But in all honesty, I only vaguely remembered them and how they made me feel. I know I loved them - the exact reasons had just become fuzzy over the years.
With the announcement of Tad bringing new novels out in this world next year (2017), I knew that I needed to do a re-read. Not only that, but I was insanely curious to see what '42-year-old me' thought of them compared to '14-year-old me.'
I am happy to say that I was just as captivated this read through as I was when I first read it.
I was instantly swept up in the grandiose world of Osten Ard that Tad Williams had created. He slowly doled out the history of the lands and I could feel myself slipping away into this rich and detailed world wanting to know more and more and more. The characters were alive and real and I wanted to meet them all!
I wanted to sweep Doctor Morgenes floors as he told me stories of age-old battles or sit next to a campfire in the Aldheorte forest while Binabik played his bone flute. I wanted to meet the League of the Scroll and touch the secret pendants they all wore around their necks.
These books are a real live place that has lived inside of me for so long that I don't really remember them ever not being a part of me. The way a lot of people feel about Middle Earth is how I feel for Osten Ard.
The nostalgia is strong and the love is real. I just don't know why I have waited so long to read these again.
January 9, 2019
A bit disappointing. The First Law trilogy by Joe Abercrombie (ps. a follow-up trilogy in that series is dropping in 2019!) sets a pretty high bar for modern epic fantasy. And this is an example of another that fell short. To cut to the chase, it simply had too many elements that felt derivative from other fantasies and too many secondary characters that I couldn’t invest in. I found everything done tolerably well enough, but it just didn’t add up to a great book.
The story is centered around a youth named Simon and his abrupt growth into manhood as he is swept up in a political battle between the king and the king’s brother. This struggle is also linked to an ancient magical grudge between the undead elf-like Sithi and the humans who defeated them in war and forced them off their land.
Simon becomes the assistant to a wizard (of sorts) and then stumbles into a quest to help the king’s brother. He joins forces with a small agile mountain troll, some humans, and several Sithi who owe Simon a debt. They pursue a magic sword, and there are dragons involved. Which you might guess from the title.
Simon is a decent character who builds up some sympathy. But I can’t say that I connected very strongly to him. I found it rather contrived how Williams had the character constantly asking questions. He was a question-asker, always confused or not understanding the bigger picture, with many issues hidden from him. Other characters became annoyed with that trait and so did I, as a reader. Mostly because it seemed like an author’s technique to squeeze in exposition. And considering those other characters, my interest slacked further--too many characters and not enough time spent with them to develop any emotional connection or even interest.
Beyond that, I’m a bit sick of these epic fantasy novels being about angry men angry with each other doing angry war things. It may be Donald Trump’s world, and we’re just living in it, but I’m over reading about it unless you have something new to say. I think it’s just the clichéd background of most epic fiction. Men fighting wars. Bleh. Give me something new. I won’t be continuing this series.
The story is centered around a youth named Simon and his abrupt growth into manhood as he is swept up in a political battle between the king and the king’s brother. This struggle is also linked to an ancient magical grudge between the undead elf-like Sithi and the humans who defeated them in war and forced them off their land.
Simon becomes the assistant to a wizard (of sorts) and then stumbles into a quest to help the king’s brother. He joins forces with a small agile mountain troll, some humans, and several Sithi who owe Simon a debt. They pursue a magic sword, and there are dragons involved. Which you might guess from the title.
Simon is a decent character who builds up some sympathy. But I can’t say that I connected very strongly to him. I found it rather contrived how Williams had the character constantly asking questions. He was a question-asker, always confused or not understanding the bigger picture, with many issues hidden from him. Other characters became annoyed with that trait and so did I, as a reader. Mostly because it seemed like an author’s technique to squeeze in exposition. And considering those other characters, my interest slacked further--too many characters and not enough time spent with them to develop any emotional connection or even interest.
Beyond that, I’m a bit sick of these epic fantasy novels being about angry men angry with each other doing angry war things. It may be Donald Trump’s world, and we’re just living in it, but I’m over reading about it unless you have something new to say. I think it’s just the clichéd background of most epic fiction. Men fighting wars. Bleh. Give me something new. I won’t be continuing this series.
August 23, 2016
O what a ponderous tome! I've been wanting to read this book for a long time and was sorely disappointed. Tropes aside this book is so long winded and dull I could barely get through it!
I almost gave up on it a few times. The only thing that saved me is that every hundred pages or so something truly interesting would happen and then right back to boring ol' Simon and his boring bullshit!
One of the biggest problems with this book was it's scope. The cast of characters was too long and Mr. Williams just didn't have the talent to make any of them interesting. Even the undead sorcerer was two dimensional and dull.
And the long winded chats and explanations! Gollie! I'm always complaining about these puny 300 page fantasy novels but for once I wish Mr. Williams would've taken his head out of his ass and cut his page count in half. Perhaps that wouldn've helped a great deal.
If you're looking for a good epic fantasy, look for one written in this century. This book could have been fun if it didn't take itself so seriously!
Not Recommended!
I almost gave up on it a few times. The only thing that saved me is that every hundred pages or so something truly interesting would happen and then right back to boring ol' Simon and his boring bullshit!
One of the biggest problems with this book was it's scope. The cast of characters was too long and Mr. Williams just didn't have the talent to make any of them interesting. Even the undead sorcerer was two dimensional and dull.
And the long winded chats and explanations! Gollie! I'm always complaining about these puny 300 page fantasy novels but for once I wish Mr. Williams would've taken his head out of his ass and cut his page count in half. Perhaps that wouldn've helped a great deal.
If you're looking for a good epic fantasy, look for one written in this century. This book could have been fun if it didn't take itself so seriously!
Not Recommended!
March 12, 2023
96/100
An absolute joy of a book. Tad's writing has such a charm to it that I've never seen from any other author. His prose is in the uppermost tier of anything I've ever read while not being difficult to follow; it has a whimsical quality to it while also being able to hold incredible tension when needed.
The worldbuilding in this book is so interesting and unapologetically fantasy. There were some "info dumps" at times but nothing longer than two pages or so and I never felt overwhelmed with it.
The characters were also fantastic. Each one has a distinct voice and I really fell in love with many of them. Also Simon's character arc in just this first book alone is an incredible journey. Also wolf animal companion!!
In short, this is one of the best book ones I've ever read, and is rivalled only by A Game of Thrones, which I also gave 96/100. I can't wait to continue this journey with Simon and friends.
An absolute joy of a book. Tad's writing has such a charm to it that I've never seen from any other author. His prose is in the uppermost tier of anything I've ever read while not being difficult to follow; it has a whimsical quality to it while also being able to hold incredible tension when needed.
The worldbuilding in this book is so interesting and unapologetically fantasy. There were some "info dumps" at times but nothing longer than two pages or so and I never felt overwhelmed with it.
The characters were also fantastic. Each one has a distinct voice and I really fell in love with many of them. Also Simon's character arc in just this first book alone is an incredible journey. Also wolf animal companion!!
In short, this is one of the best book ones I've ever read, and is rivalled only by A Game of Thrones, which I also gave 96/100. I can't wait to continue this journey with Simon and friends.
November 23, 2023
My inner child rejoices. The older i grow the more I turn back...This tale came from my deepest dreams and wishes. A slow paced, yet greatly climacting epic story full of things I love. Great forests, tall snowclad mountains, ancient cities and ruins, vast labyrinthian keeps with mysterious caverns below. Dark magic and sorcerers, masters and their puppets, ancient evil, storms gathering, lots of winter and campfires in the night, Norsemen warriors, mysterious enigmatic elven people. So many things to number. All intertwined beautifuly with the wonderful lore that Williams has created resulting in a book i really loved. I can really understand why Martin was inspired by it to start his Song of Ice and Fire. You can even see direct influences. The coming of the Norns felt very similar to the descent of the Others. Fortunately I have the second book and I can start right on!!
June 18, 2022
This is a re-read.
Back during the 90s when I first got into Tad Williams for his SF, I thought it would have been great to read the fantasy that put him on the map. My first, second, and third impressions were all about how beautiful I found the language, how I loved the poetry -- in actual verse and structure -- and how it subverted my expectations.
What did I expect? Sword and sorcery, a longer kind of D&D novel. I wasn't really up on fantasy back then. I was an SF fan through and through. What did I actually get?
A sprawling, slow, immensely detailed fantasy world wholly grounded by a lowly scullion boy who isn't a child of destiny, getting caught up in a vast, long adventure. He doesn't become uber-powerful. He is gangly and weak but he takes up a task of knowledge, falling into a small group of scholars trying to unravel the mystery of three swords (perhaps cursed) and the coming of the Storm King.
The tale is so detailed, so grounded, and so realistic, even when we're immersed in this fantasy realm. This book in particular, with its sequels with their huge page counts, proved amazingly popular back in the late '80s and '90s. I think it's not too much of a stretch to say that they revolutionized the whole Fantasy genre toward a new kind of expectation.
Eight years later, GRRM's Game of Thrones, which closely resembles The Dragonbone Chair in grounded but lush detail, mimicked Tad William's success and because it was a bit more grim and unpredictable, it took off, cementing the new epic fantasy style in our minds.
And yet, after all these years, it needs saying.
Tad Williams deserves a great deal of praise for ushering in this style with its amazingly high page counts, its unusual choice of main characters, and its lyrical prose.
Yes, there are others who also did such as this, but I have to say Tad Williams is one of the very best. You might say his popularity made it possible for all those other huge doorstoppers by other authors to hit the market.
I'm looking at you, WoT, GoT, Malazan.
Back during the 90s when I first got into Tad Williams for his SF, I thought it would have been great to read the fantasy that put him on the map. My first, second, and third impressions were all about how beautiful I found the language, how I loved the poetry -- in actual verse and structure -- and how it subverted my expectations.
What did I expect? Sword and sorcery, a longer kind of D&D novel. I wasn't really up on fantasy back then. I was an SF fan through and through. What did I actually get?
A sprawling, slow, immensely detailed fantasy world wholly grounded by a lowly scullion boy who isn't a child of destiny, getting caught up in a vast, long adventure. He doesn't become uber-powerful. He is gangly and weak but he takes up a task of knowledge, falling into a small group of scholars trying to unravel the mystery of three swords (perhaps cursed) and the coming of the Storm King.
The tale is so detailed, so grounded, and so realistic, even when we're immersed in this fantasy realm. This book in particular, with its sequels with their huge page counts, proved amazingly popular back in the late '80s and '90s. I think it's not too much of a stretch to say that they revolutionized the whole Fantasy genre toward a new kind of expectation.
Eight years later, GRRM's Game of Thrones, which closely resembles The Dragonbone Chair in grounded but lush detail, mimicked Tad William's success and because it was a bit more grim and unpredictable, it took off, cementing the new epic fantasy style in our minds.
And yet, after all these years, it needs saying.
Tad Williams deserves a great deal of praise for ushering in this style with its amazingly high page counts, its unusual choice of main characters, and its lyrical prose.
Yes, there are others who also did such as this, but I have to say Tad Williams is one of the very best. You might say his popularity made it possible for all those other huge doorstoppers by other authors to hit the market.
I'm looking at you, WoT, GoT, Malazan.
December 11, 2022
Great, great epic fantasy! I don’t know why I postponed it for so long. Good thing I have the right friends here to open my eyes.
If you loved LOTR story, you’ll love this one too. It’s the story of a great quest, friendship transcending all barriers, brave companions in their struggle to save the world.
Simon, a kitchen boy is caught in a series of events which are beyond his comprehension. Fleeing for his life, he makes some unusual friends along the way. Even if the story unfolds quite slowly, it is filled with bits and pieces of the main puzzle, which keeps you turning page by page. In the second half, things start to hasten and becomes unputdownable.
If at first, I thought that some parts of it were too detailed, toward the end I began to see that all have their role in the main story.
And after reading so many other series before, I think I can say that this one had a major influence on others: Sullivan’s Legends of The First Empire, Brett’s Demons, Gwynne’s Faithful and the Fallen, GRRM’s Got and even Robin Hobb’s.
Can’t wait to see what the 2nd volume brings.
If you loved LOTR story, you’ll love this one too. It’s the story of a great quest, friendship transcending all barriers, brave companions in their struggle to save the world.
Simon, a kitchen boy is caught in a series of events which are beyond his comprehension. Fleeing for his life, he makes some unusual friends along the way. Even if the story unfolds quite slowly, it is filled with bits and pieces of the main puzzle, which keeps you turning page by page. In the second half, things start to hasten and becomes unputdownable.
If at first, I thought that some parts of it were too detailed, toward the end I began to see that all have their role in the main story.
And after reading so many other series before, I think I can say that this one had a major influence on others: Sullivan’s Legends of The First Empire, Brett’s Demons, Gwynne’s Faithful and the Fallen, GRRM’s Got and even Robin Hobb’s.
Can’t wait to see what the 2nd volume brings.
July 21, 2017
My very useful and coherent review:
April 26, 2015
“The Dragonbone Chair stood like a strange alter-untenanted, surrounded by bright, dancing motes of dust, flanked by statues of the Hayholt’s six High Kings..”
Last fall, my good friend and fellow A Song of Ice and Fire enthusiast, Cheryl Hall, invited me to join her in the reading of The Dragonbone Chair. I immediately said yes, for four reasons: Tad Williams was a new author for me, one I’d been curious about every since the 1998 publication of City of Golden Shadow, Book I in his Otherland series; I love the fantasy genre, and; I very much look forward to buddy read’s. But what really piqued my interest was the fact that Williams novel was a significant influence in George R.R. Martin's writing of A Song of Ice and Fire.
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Tad Williams impressed me almost instantaneously. His simplistic style lends the prose an ease of flow rarely seen in epic fantasy, without sacrificing its vivid nature, as well as other important qualities. And while the first half did drag somewhat, I found it quite compelling. The words used weren’t wasted, as Williams took the time and effort to develop Simon’s character, whom I grew to adore, alongside a select few supporting characters. However, I thought the lack of well-roundedness in some of the other characters left much to be desired. Hopefully we’ll get more backstory in the books to come.
But that isn’t all. He also provided some fascinating history of the peaceful land, Osten Ard, and especially that of the elvishlike Sithi. His world-building skills aren’t bad, either, though perhaps my expectations were too high. Unrealistic, even.
As Jarnauga intoned, there are “stories within stories,” here.
Things really began to take shape in Part Two, aptly entitled, Simon Pilgrim, and even more so in the next, Simon Snowlock. Particularly throughout the third section, the writing became more crisp, enriched with deep, meaning friendships between these characters as they journeyed forth. Tensions solidified, alliances were formed, the supernatural beautifully uplifted. Most intriguing of all, excluding the various political scheming and its ramifications (which I enjoyed almost as much,) was Williams incorporation of prophecy:
“And Shadows walk upon the road
When water blackens in the Well
Three Swords must come again..”
From Part Three onward, this California native recognized his strengths and kneaded them meticulously, until his mold became equally incredible and unexpected. And unbelievable, really. All this, and much more, wasn’t merely written for his benefit, but for his reader’s enjoyment, as well. None of it felt contrived, idealistic, or convoluted to me, either. In fact, it could have easily been more complex, and I wouldn’t have minded in the least. In addition, Williams obviously wrote it for the simple fact that there was nothing quite like it, upon publication in 1988. Essentially, he wrote something that he’d like to read.
“When Bukken from the Earth do creep
And Hunen from the heights descend
When Nightmare throttles peaceful Sleep..”
The author’s passion shines most brightly-like a sharp, gleaming sword– in the last three chapters. Nearly every element came into play (and those that didn’t, leave you gasping for more,) and soon escalated with the turn of a page. I couldn’t flip them fast enough, in all earnestness, resulting in an adrenaline-laced, on-the-edge-of-my-seat SHOCKER of an ending.
It’s almost uncanny when you think about just how good and awesome this final section is.
I am still in awe, my mind won’t stop reeling, and I desperately need the next book, Stone of Farewell. Very nicely done, Tad! Highly recommended!
“To turn the stride of treading Fate
To clear the fogging Mists of Time
If Early shall resist Too Late
Three Swords must come again.”
I miss you, Seoman, with all my heart..
January 12, 2022
I thoroughly enjoyed this book from beginning to end. I understand the complaints regarding its pacing ... and much like other fantasy epics (especially book 1's) I simply don't care. Tad Williams is an exceptional writer with fantastic prose - his use of language adds considerably to my enjoyment of the narrative, in much the same way that Hobb and Rothfuss are able to transport me into their worlds and the lives of their characters with their beautiful writing.
By far my favorite character in the story was the troll Binabik - his loyalty and friendship to the protagonist Simon was something I truly appreciated, and his backstory being slowly and methodically revealed was a pleasure to read.
I'm excited to continue the series through at least the trilogy in the read-along with Mike's Book Reviews, and will likely pick up the sequel trilogy soon thereafter.
By far my favorite character in the story was the troll Binabik - his loyalty and friendship to the protagonist Simon was something I truly appreciated, and his backstory being slowly and methodically revealed was a pleasure to read.
I'm excited to continue the series through at least the trilogy in the read-along with Mike's Book Reviews, and will likely pick up the sequel trilogy soon thereafter.
June 19, 2021
This 3-star rating is not a grumpy one at all; I feel I need to say that because often my 3-star ratings can be quite grumpy. It’s as much as anything a reflection of the fact that this weighty tome suffers from some serious pacing issues; however, I do think that Tad Williams is a gifted writer, and I greatly appreciate how much this 30-year-old work influenced what followed in the genre of modern epic fantasy. Quite specifically, it seems evident that George R. R. Martin lifted some major ideas whole cloth from what Williams created here.
I felt like I was in very capable hands in many ways; it’s clear to me that Williams knows his world and its history inside and out. And he interrogates the notion that legendary wars and warriors are meant to be blindly revered in a manner that feels like it was ahead of its time in epic fantasy. Several of his characters were vividly and memorably drawn, especially Binabik and his wolf, Morgenes, and Jiriki. Others, especially the endless parade of barrel-chested warriors, too easily blended together.
But I will continue this trilogy in time, because I do want to see how his various threads twine together, and because his work has been so influential. I’ve heard that the second and third volumes have better pacing. I just need to take a break first.
I felt like I was in very capable hands in many ways; it’s clear to me that Williams knows his world and its history inside and out. And he interrogates the notion that legendary wars and warriors are meant to be blindly revered in a manner that feels like it was ahead of its time in epic fantasy. Several of his characters were vividly and memorably drawn, especially Binabik and his wolf, Morgenes, and Jiriki. Others, especially the endless parade of barrel-chested warriors, too easily blended together.
But I will continue this trilogy in time, because I do want to see how his various threads twine together, and because his work has been so influential. I’ve heard that the second and third volumes have better pacing. I just need to take a break first.
July 19, 2021
Don't read this if you're planning to read with SFFBC and want no outside influence!
August 21, 2024
I must confess that this series has been sitting on my bookshelf for a very long time now and I have somehow always skipped over it, partly due to its bulkiness and also partly because of so many discouraging reviews. Curiosity won over eventually and I gave it a try.
From the beginning itself I didn’t really love it. The pace was extremely slow and practically nothing significant happened in the first half of the book. At times it felt like dragging. And the main hero Simon – a literally walking disaster from the very beginning! – skirting his chores and avoiding any responsibility while daydreaming about fame and glory and going from blunder to blunder – I couldn’t bring myself to like him regardless of how hard I tried.
Then why the 4 stars?
Because the world Tad Williams describes is extraordinary! So complex and beautiful and brilliantly rendered that you can practically see it! The magic, the trolls, the Sithi and the human kingdoms on the background of wonderful landscapes, they slowly but surely pull you in and do not let you go until you’ve reached the last page and even then you’ll find yourself wanting for more.
The Dragonbone Chair - cover art by Michael Whelan
As soon as you hit the halfway mark the pace of the book changes completely. Its tempo is rising and it becomes more and more complex as you go on until, when you get to the last few chapters you won’t feel like putting it down anymore.
Little irresponsible and naive Simon grows in front of your eyes and even though he is by far not perfect before this first instalment of the story is done he sort of gets under your skin and you eventually realise that you have somehow, somewhere started to really like him and even root for him.
The blunders of a little airheaded castle boy somehow turn into a wondrous fantasy tale: adventures through wild forests, wolf-riding trolls and magical Sithi, magic swords and witches, dragons and a hero’s quest as well as an epic battle against an ancient evil, this book has it all!
It is epic fantasy at its best and I highly recommend it!
Check out this review and more over at The Magic Book Corner
From the beginning itself I didn’t really love it. The pace was extremely slow and practically nothing significant happened in the first half of the book. At times it felt like dragging. And the main hero Simon – a literally walking disaster from the very beginning! – skirting his chores and avoiding any responsibility while daydreaming about fame and glory and going from blunder to blunder – I couldn’t bring myself to like him regardless of how hard I tried.
Then why the 4 stars?
Because the world Tad Williams describes is extraordinary! So complex and beautiful and brilliantly rendered that you can practically see it! The magic, the trolls, the Sithi and the human kingdoms on the background of wonderful landscapes, they slowly but surely pull you in and do not let you go until you’ve reached the last page and even then you’ll find yourself wanting for more.
The Dragonbone Chair - cover art by Michael Whelan
As soon as you hit the halfway mark the pace of the book changes completely. Its tempo is rising and it becomes more and more complex as you go on until, when you get to the last few chapters you won’t feel like putting it down anymore.
Little irresponsible and naive Simon grows in front of your eyes and even though he is by far not perfect before this first instalment of the story is done he sort of gets under your skin and you eventually realise that you have somehow, somewhere started to really like him and even root for him.
The blunders of a little airheaded castle boy somehow turn into a wondrous fantasy tale: adventures through wild forests, wolf-riding trolls and magical Sithi, magic swords and witches, dragons and a hero’s quest as well as an epic battle against an ancient evil, this book has it all!
It is epic fantasy at its best and I highly recommend it!
Check out this review and more over at The Magic Book Corner
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