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Most helpful customer reviews
4.0 out of 5 stars
A Return to Form for Williams,
By Aidan Moher "Editor of A Dribble of Ink." (British Columbia, Canada) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)
This review is from: Shadowrise (Hardcover)
My path to becoming a Tad Williams fan is a twisted affair. Not in the macabre sense, but in the I-got-lost-a-few-times-along-the-way sense. Way back in highschool, I was foolishly determined to like his books. I don't know what prompted it, I just had this idea in my head that I was a big Tad Williams fan. There was a problem, though: every time I tried to read Memory, Sorrow and Thorn, I put it down midway through. Sometimes I'd finish The Dragonbone Chair, sometimes I'd drop it half-way through, unfinished, unmotivated. I think I did this three times. No matter how hard I tried, no matter how hard I wanted it, the tale just wouldn't click with me.But, I'm a stubborn bugger, even at the best of times. Still determined to enjoy Williams' work, I eventually picked up Shadowmarch, the first volume in a new Epic Fantasy trilogy* and, finally, after years of trying, I really loved a Tad Williams novel. There were no more released volumes in that series, so I went back to The Dragonbone Chair for a fourth go around' and fell head-over-heels in love. After that, I burned through the rest of the trilogy and it stands, to this day, as my favourite completed Fantasy series of all time. I knew there was a Tad Williams fan inside of me, it just took a little bit of time and perspective to drag him out. So, the Shadowmarch novels hold a special place in my heart. I recognize now that they're not quite so genre-defying as Memory, Sorrow and Thorn (hell, those novels inspired George R.R. Martin to write A Song of Ice and Fire!), nor does it have the mythological gravitas that made Memory, Sorrow and Thorn so entrancing, but there's something special about the series that has become more evident in its third volume, Shadowrise. Williams has played with the idea of mythology and gods before, but the Shadowmarch series puts the concepts and philosophies at the heart of its story. In the first two volumes, the world's mythology was established, but it was hard as a reader to tell how the tragic, incestuous relationship between three fallen gods was really going to affect the overall plot of the series. There're no such problems after having read Shadowrise, the third volume in the series, which turns the focus from the wars (both Civil and Total) to really exploring the gods, their downfall and its relationship to Southmarch Castle and the mysterious Qar. Most notably, Williams explores the idea that even religions that share the same root mythologies can often warp and manipulate those tales to fit their political and spiritual needs. It's a very adult approach to religion and offers interesting social commentary by enhancing the plot, rather than getting in the way of proper storytelling. Unlike the second volume in the series, Shadowplay, there's noticeable progression towards the conclusion of the series. One might pin that on the series' roots as an episodic novel, released to subscribers on Williams' website, before being fleshed out into a traditionally published series. There's a sense that through the first two volumes that Williams was, perhaps, searching for the true story within the meandering plot. With Shadowrise it's clear that he's found that story and he's running with it. Secrets (of which there are many) are revealed and subsequently made even muddier when characters meet, part ways or stab each other in the back. It's a wonderful labyrinth of characters, mythology, family, love, war and anger. After the disappointment of Shadowplay, Shadowrise sets the series firmly back on track and promises for one hell of a conclusion with Shadowheart as all the world's forces collide outside the walls of Southmarch Castle. The real stars of the novel are the Qar. Williams' analogue to the mythological Tuatha Dé Danann, kicked from their ancestral home by ever ambitious humans; their history is melancholy and powerful and I was often left pondering who the true villains of the series are. It's the touch of a true world-builder and storyteller. Unfortunately, because Shadowrise was originally supposed to be the final volume in the trilogy, but was then split into two volumes, the novel just sorta ends. There's a big plot revelation in the final chapter, but no proper climax and denouement leading into Shadowheart. It's more a casualty of the publishing industry than an indictment of Williams' storytelling, however. The story ramps up with every chapter and the pace is much improved over Shadowplay. If you can't already tell, I was absolutely floored by Shadowrise. I went into the novel with some slight trepidation, but all my expectations were easily surpassed. If you've made it through the first two volumes of the series, rest assured that Shadowrise fixes all the ailments of its predecessor and though it might not be the best Williams has ever wrote, it's the best of the series so far. Cracking open a new Tad Williams novel is like sitting down with an old friend over beers, it's immediately familiar and takes only seconds to fall in love again. The finish line is in sight, and Shadowheart can't come soon enough. * It was a trilogy at the time, then divided into four volumes for publishing purposes
4.0 out of 5 stars
Good book but missing pages!,
This review is from: Shadowrise (Paperback)
This is the 3rd volume in the Shadowmarch series. Luckily there is a synoposis of the first 2 volumes in the book as this volume was released considerably after the second volume. The good news is that Volume 4, the conclusion, is already available as well. I am enjoying the 3rd Volume immensely, however when I got to page 420, I discovered that the book is missing the next 50 pages. I contacted Amazon for a replacement however they will not give me one because I am past their 30 day return policy. So if you order this book make sure you check that you have all the pages right away!
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4.2 out of 5 stars (37 customer reviews) 27 of 30 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
strongest one so far in a very good series--recommended,
By B. Capossere - Published on Amazon.com
This review is from: Shadowrise (Hardcover)
Shadowrise is Tad William's third and thus concluding novel of the Shadowmarch trilogy, begun in Shadowmarch and continued in Shadowplay. So in this final volume, wait, hold on, I'm being told Mr. Williams, clearly feeling a sense of fantasy author peer pressure, has decided that, yes, while this is the "concluding volume," it has in fact been split in two (hmmm, where have I heard that before), making the trilogy, in usual fantasy fashion, four books. At least. Maybe five. Who knows? In truth though, I've found the degree to which this sort of thing annoys me is in direct inverse relation to the quality of the books themselves. And I can't say I found myself particularly upset that Williams has extended Shadowmarch another five hundred pages or so. Or, you know, another thousand.Book one was a typical starter novel: relatively slow-paced so as to introduce character, setting, necessary background information, etc. and leaving the reader with more questions than answers. It had its issues, was a bit uneven in its treatment of character and various storylines, but I found it mostly compelling throughout and found that Williams' characteristically sharp writing more than compensated for the few flaws and found ways to make even the hoariest of genre tropes feel relatively fresh. Shadowplay picked up the pace quite a bit, evened out the quality among the numerous storylines, and improved the readability of several of the more annoying or weak characters from Shadowmarch. And Shadowrise continues in that same strong vein. Like the previous novels, Williams shifts point-of-view among several characters and plot lines, which are far too numerous and complex to go into at this stage of the series, save to say that narrative lines that seemed somewhat disconnected or even wholly separate are now starting to intertwine, in ways both expected and unexpected. The shifts themselves are fluid and easily followed, but more than in the others I felt a bit rushed through them at times and I found myself wishing Williams had let us spend some more time in each. Part of the reason for this, however, is that Williams is better here than in book one at offering up separate stories of equal narrative force. Part of what I enjoyed so much in Shadowrise is the way he does this in varied fashion. We follow several characters preparing for small-scale battle (and a few actual skirmishes), another character's lone (save for a talking bird) trek through a strange land, another character's singular focus on escaping her captor, another's first moves into the realm of political intrigue as well as romance and so on. Each strand is compelling and suspenseful though the means of evoking that interest varies greatly. While we're still working with some of the same-old, same-old fantasy tropes (twins, delvers, strange forests, etc.) as with the others, Williams puts enough of his own stamp on things and creates such fully fleshed characters that the standard forms don't detract from the reading experience. And they are more than offset by the segments in the twilight land where he lets his imagination run free. I said in my review of book one that this series doesn't match the genius of his Sorrow trilogy (it was, after all, "genius") but is his strongest work since then and compares favorably to nearly any epic fantasy going now (with only a few exceptions). Through three books, I see no reason to change my mind. I'm looking forward eagerly to the book four, the concluding volume. Or, you know, not. 17 of 19 people found the following review helpful
4.0 out of 5 stars
The best of the trilogy so far,
By N. Finney "Finn" - Published on Amazon.com
This review is from: Shadowrise (Hardcover)
This has been the best book of this trilogy so far, though it ends abruptly (as though the book were cut in half, which indeed it was. But fear not, the final volume should appear in a couple of months). Many loose ends are clarified, and obviously the story is converging on Southmarch - where a king who would be god, the disenfranchised 'fairies', the missing prince and princess, and a host of other characters are coming together. A reason I particularly liked this novel: in general, my beef with the other Shadowmarch novels, and indeed most mega-fantasy/sci-fi novels these days is the rapid switching between character POVs from chapter to chapter (sometimes within a single chapter). Perhaps this is a nod to short attention spans in the modern day, perhaps it's lazy writing, who knows. What impressed me in Shadowrise was that while this usually annoying switching went on as it always has, it was done so well, each character and its experiences so interesting, that for once it was almost a pleasure and not an irritant. This by no means vindicates this writing practice - only shows that in the hands of a skilled writer, it can work well.
11 of 13 people found the following review helpful
3.0 out of 5 stars
wait for paperback,
By J. Laydbak - Published on Amazon.com
This review is from: Shadowrise (Hardcover)
I devoured the first two novels as fast as I could. Ignoring friends, TV, and sleep I'd crammed every waking moment with reading and was tragically depressed when the 2nd novel ended. I was very impatiently awaiting the release of the third novel. In the forward, Tad Williams jokes about one day being able to write a trilogy without the third book spilling into a fourth installment. Upon reading the third book, I have one big question:Where is his editor? Unfortunately, and I hate to say it about a very favorite author of mine, this book suffers from a severe lack of judicious editing and restraint. Rather than be critical of a hotly selling author, they just let him publish THIS! It's not awful, but it starts very slow. There is a lot of stuff that just didn't need to be included. It could've been whittled down, sections reorganized, parts cut. I found it quite slow going and uninteresting in a lot of places. I know, so many fans are going to rave about how fantastic it is no matter how fantastic it isn't, but I am significantly disappointed in the third installment and not very enthusiastic about the fourth one. Wait for paperback, it just is not worth $30. Those answers you were dying for are not here. |
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