It’s one of the books genuine chilling moments as Simon cowers in terror from demons from the past, now taking terrible form in the present. ![]() We follow Simon as he flees his home, only to bear witness as the heir to the throne makes a pact with ancient evils. Simon’s no illegitimate heir or unknowing battery of wizardly power (although Morgenes seems to know something about his parentage, nothing is given away, so I may be proved wrong on that regard), but he’s an integral part of the story – our eyes and ears, if you will – more a victim of circumstance than a Chosen One. It’s here that the plot begins in earnest. He’s a daydreamer, and is treated as such, until he begins work for Doctor Morgenes. Simon is like many of us he has a job to do, but wishes he was doing something much more interesting. However fantastical it may be, it somehow remains believable and devoid of cliché.ĭespite all that’s going on in the grand scheme of things – the death of a king and the impending conflict between his two sons – the main focus of the book is Simon, a scullion in a castle built on the site of an ancient fortress. It’s fairly archetypal – complete with mighty warriors, dragons and mysterious elf-like beings that hunt in the forests – he’s done so from the grass roots level, imbuing this world with a deep history, its own myths and legends, religions that aren’t too far from our own. The plot, while not flying along at breakneck speed, never drags and there isn’t a scene that feels superfluous to the story, nothing tagged on just to ensure the weight of this tome.Īll this talent is put to use creating a living and breathing fantasy world. His prose verges on the poetic at times and, even creeping towards 1000 pages, no word feels excessive, no description too long or trite. Tad Williams is a superb writer, even more so considering this is his first novel. It’s been a long time since I’ve felt that way about a book. When not reading, I was thinking about it, looking forward to the next time I could sit down in silence and follow the adventures of Simon Mooncalf. I’ve been immersed in this novel it’s taken me less than two weeks to read over 900 pages (and the writing’s not too big, I can tell you), snatching time to do so whenever I could. With age comes wisdom, and as soon as I began the book, I knew I was onto something special. ![]() ![]() Nothing wrong with it as such a decent read, but nothing memorable or spectacular. I recalled it as a pleasant enough voyage, but I’d only ever made it through the first two books of the Memory, Sorrow and Thorn trilogy before heading back for home. I picked up The Dragonbone Chair at a second-hand bookshop a few weeks ago, twenty years or so after I first journeyed to the land of Osten Ard.
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