Jump to content

Tad Williams - The Witchwood Crown / Empire of Grass spoiler thread


kuenjato
 Share

Recommended Posts

10 hours ago, Lord Varys said:

Generally. But listening to him reading Otherland is kind of fun as well. Got stuck in the chapters on the Atasco conversation at the end of the first volume right now.

Not so much generally. I wish there was though. 

 

Besides the Tad readings each Sat/Sun and the updates he give prior to the readings, the only newish interview I've seen with him is this one. 

 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I finished it and enjoyed it.

I do get a bit lost trying to remember which Sithi and which Norn is related to each other, but it’s set up nicely for the last book.

Passevalles is, I think, disappointing as a villain.  Basically, a poor man’s Littlefinger.

The best parts are, IMHO, Lilia’s horrid adventures underground, Viyeki and the Norns, Morgan and Nezeru, and Miri.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

On 7/23/2022 at 9:06 PM, Ser Scot A Ellison said:

What the hell is the Red thing below the Castle?  I’m almost finished and I still haven’t a clue as to what it might be…

I think it is some kind of remnant of Pryates.      Perhaps it requires human flesh to fully regenerate.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 1 month later...

There's no doubt that whatever room or outdoor area I'm in when I'm reading the final 75 pages or so will become quite dusty more than once. Williams toes the line between saccharine and heartbreak just right with me. Seems like in each series, some character has an honorable death or heroic moment that has me cheering then blowing my nose.

Specific to this series, I'm quite excited to find out the conclusion - I honestly don't have any idea which way this is going to go. I have a fair idea of some likely big plot reveals, but I might be completely wrong. Looking back, both Memory, Sorrow and Thorn and Otherland had final acts that were completely disparate from what I expected.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

20 hours ago, Argonath Diver said:

There's no doubt that whatever room or outdoor area I'm in when I'm reading the final 75 pages or so will become quite dusty more than once. Williams toes the line between saccharine and heartbreak just right with me. Seems like in each series, some character has an honorable death or heroic moment that has me cheering then blowing my nose.

Specific to this series, I'm quite excited to find out the conclusion - I honestly don't have any idea which way this is going to go. I have a fair idea of some likely big plot reveals, but I might be completely wrong. Looking back, both Memory, Sorrow and Thorn and Otherland had final acts that were completely disparate from what I expected.

I know what you mean. I fear the ending of TLK because I love these characters (especially the original set, but Nezeru, Jarnulf, and Tzoja now feel like old friends). In the old series, the reunion with Rachel gets me every time. Every damn time. I have wondered why there even IS a Last King, and that phrasing has had me worried for four volumes, now.

Otherland's ending also went in a completely different direction than I expected, as well, but I do not re-read it every year, unlike MS&T.

Edited by Jiriki
Link to comment
Share on other sites

On 12/8/2022 at 9:23 PM, Ser Scot A Ellison said:

So, do we learn what “the Witchwood Crown” and “the Ogre” are quickly?

I cannot say, as I'm sworn to secrecy, but so far, this book is fucking brilliant. There may be things I don't like, as there were a few with TWC (but not EOG) , but so far, I have enjoyed every page. Tad's prose, even in draft, is very, very strong. It's easy to see why George would get so much inspiration from Tad.

Edited by Jiriki
Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 hour ago, Jiriki said:

I know what you mean. I fear the ending of TLK because I love these characters (especially the original set, but Nezeru, Jarnulf, and Tzoja now feel like old friends). In the old series, the reunion with Rachel gets me every time. Every damn time. I have wondered why there even IS a Last King, and that phrasing has had me worried for four volumes, now.

Otherland's ending also went in a completely different direction than I expected, as well, but I do not re-read it every year, unlike MS&T.

Oh, man. The last act of MS+T, with a good 150 pages of action to finish out several thousand pages of measured buildup with occasional big moments was something else. Rachel's finale was the hardest see-saw swing into the saccharine I mentioned, but I am here for it every re-read and I couldn't care less if it's a corny finale. The Dragon deserved her finale. 

Otherland is somewhat similar for me. I'm not sure of the word count, but that series to me drags on more than MS+T - partially because I don't ever enjoy some of the worlds the characters visit. But then, holy cow, after 3000 pages, what a finale. I'll admit I've not enjoyed the newest series as much as those two beloved ones, simply because Williams invests so much into the payoff. I fully expect the final volume to be an incredible read, but I think the earlier volumes suffer a bit when we are getting to know these characters so intimately and want to see their resolution. I blame that wholly on my own impatience.

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

21 hours ago, Argonath Diver said:

Oh, man. The last act of MS+T, with a good 150 pages of action to finish out several thousand pages of measured buildup with occasional big moments was something else. Rachel's finale was the hardest see-saw swing into the saccharine I mentioned, but I am here for it every re-read and I couldn't care less if it's a corny finale. The Dragon deserved her finale. 

Otherland is somewhat similar for me. I'm not sure of the word count, but that series to me drags on more than MS+T - partially because I don't ever enjoy some of the worlds the characters visit. But then, holy cow, after 3000 pages, what a finale. I'll admit I've not enjoyed the newest series as much as those two beloved ones, simply because Williams invests so much into the payoff. I fully expect the final volume to be an incredible read, but I think the earlier volumes suffer a bit when we are getting to know these characters so intimately and want to see their resolution. I blame that wholly on my own impatience.

 

The worlds I enjoyed most in Otherland were the Oz simulation and the Endless House. However, the final book has no simulations at all: just a grey void, and that dragged on me. I felt like the final volume could have been shorter, or we could have at least seen some "dead" simulated worlds or something.

I know what you mean about impatience. I do believe Tad has a good conclusion in store, although I really wonder about the end.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 weeks later...
  • 2 weeks later...

Why is basically every single conversation like this:

Character 1 saying/explaining something.

Character 2: "Hmm, I'm not sure I understand."

Character 1: Explaining the explanation.

Character 2 or 3: "Hmm, I still don't understand."

Character 1: Elaborating more and more.

These have got to be the some of the most long-winded info-dumps in the history of the genre.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

DAW Books Gets ‘Splintered’ with Williams

 

Quote

BETSY WOLLHEIM AT DAW BOOKS ACQUIRES TWO FANTASY NOVELS BY NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER TAD WILLIAMS

New York, NY (November 10, 2022): Betsy Wollheim, Publisher at DAW Books, has acquired North American rights to two fantasy books by Tad Williams, represented by Matt Bialer at Sanford J. Greenburger Associates. Williams is a New York Times bestselling author with a storied and extensive backlist of science fiction and fantasy with DAW Books, including the Memory, Sorrow, and Thorn trilogy, the Otherland quartet, and many more.

The first of the two books, scheduled for Fall 2024, is THE SPLINTERED SUN. Set in Williams’ beloved and well-known fantasy world of Osten Ard, THE SPLINTERED SUN follows the adventures of Robin Hood-esque figure Flann Alderwood and his band of misfit rebels in one of Osten Ard’s oldest and strangest cities, Crannhyr.

THE SPLINTERED SUN is a fast-moving adventure that will thrill newcomers diving into the world of Osten Ard for the first time, while weaving together many parts of previously unrevealed Osten Ard history for all the readers who are eager to delve into the pre-DRAGONBONE CHAIR history of Hernystir and Erkynland.

Short summary:
Set in the New York Times-bestselling world of Osten Ard, Tad Williams’s latest novel is an action-packed, fast-moving adventure following the mythic figure of Flann Alderwood and his band of misfit rebels. As the old King of Hernystir’s health worsens, the realm has been thrown into chaos—warlords divide the land up among themselves and questions about the heir to the throne continue to cause conflict. Flann, along with mysterious allies both common and noble, must aid the King’s one legitimate heir in his quest to receive his father’s blessing and attempt to return stability to the realm, while pursued by enemies eager to end his life.

THE SPLINTERED SUN will be published by DAW Books in Fall 2024.

 

I wonder what happened to The Shadow of Things to Come? It was supposed to be the next Osten Ard novel after TLKoOA was finished.

https://ostenard.com/books/the-shadow-of-things-to-come/

Link to comment
Share on other sites

10 hours ago, Jussi said:

DAW Books Gets ‘Splintered’ with Williams

 

 

I wonder what happened to The Shadow of Things to Come? It was supposed to be the next Osten Ard novel after TLKoOA was finished.

https://ostenard.com/books/the-shadow-of-things-to-come/

How mentioned in his Facebook livestreams he still plans to do it. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

 Share

×
×
  • Create New...