Stone of Farewell is all about preparation for the grand conclusion.

“Old cities and old stories were now part of his very life. It was strange how the future seemed tied inseparably to the past, so that both revolved through the present, a great wheel...”

Before I start my review, I want to say Tad Williams has been setting the correct example of what to include in sequels since the 90s. Stone of Fareweel begins with a recap of key points of events that happened in The Dragonbone Chair, and I find it a bit crazy that this hasn’t become a standard in epic fantasy series. Including this shows that the authors care and understand readers sometimes do not have the time to reread. And at the same time, this will be beneficial in making readers remember crucial moments from the previous book, which usually enriches the reading experience of the specific sequel. Did I need it? Not really for this one because I just read The Dragonbone Chair, but it is good to have it there for those who need it. If you have been following my recently, you will know I’m a recent fan of The Dragonbone Chair by Tad Williams. The first book in Memory, Sorrow, and Thorn trilogy, or the entire trilogy, is a series beloved by many epic fantasy readers but doesn’t seem to get the recognition it deserves. Especially when it has inspired several popular and highly acclaimed fantasy series The Kingkiller Chronicle and A Song of Ice and Fire to reach their eventual stardom. Considering how much I loved The Dragonbone Chair, it should be believable that I was so looking forward to reading its sequel: Stone of Farewell. And here it is, my full spoiler-free thoughts on it. I don’t think it’s as good as The Dragonbone Chair, but it was certainly another great book from Tad Williams that made me excited to read To Green Angel Tower ASAP.

“Not everyone can stand up and be a hero, Princess,” he said quietly. “Some prefer to surrender to the inevitable and salve their consciences with the gift of survival.”

Stone of Farewell is the second book in Memory, Sorrow, and Thorn trilogy. The story continues from where the previous book left off, and it was easy for me to feel immersed in the writing again. It is a delight and a joy to be reading Tad's writing. I have mentioned it several times; we fantasy readers need to spotlight Tad Williams' writing skills more frequently. Lyrical, beautiful, carefully crafted, and melancholic. It is not often I read a fantasy book that can conjure the same feeling of melancholia and nostalgia I get from reading Tolkien's writing, and that is what is delivered by Tad's prose. Added with a sense of modernity. And for the writing alone, it goes without saying that I had a wonderful time reading Stone of Farewell. But to go back to what I said earlier, let me get the things that did not work for me out of the way first, Stone of Farewell did suffer from a middle book syndrome occasionally encountered in epic fantasy trilogy.

“Hope… is the belly-strap on a king’s saddle—a slender thing, but if it snaps the world turns topside-down.”

What I meant by this is that the majority of Stone of Farewell revolves around the main characters being separated and located at a different place from one another, and each one of them is trying to get to their destination: Stone of Farewell. Because of this, Stone of Farewell is heavily filled with traveling montages and getting the characters to their respective destination so the story can presumably proceed toward an explosive ending in the next book. Although I don't usually mind characters being placed in different locations, it can be a bit of a struggle sometimes here because my favorite characters (Simon and Binabik) of the series don't share a scene together for hundreds of pages. In some sections of the book, we don't even get to read some of the other main character's POV chapters appearing for a long time. And then there were also Miriamele and Maegwyn (the M&Ms) chapters that often felt a slog to get through. I am generally not a fan of seafaring portions in my fantasy books, and here, approximately half of Miriamele's story takes place on a boat. It made her chapters feel more stagnant. As for Maegwyn, other than learning about the lore and world-building in her chapters, I did not find myself invested in her story. All of these, combined with the slow-pacing nature of the narrative, decrease my enjoyment of Stone of Farewell.

“Too often it is that men think those who serve are doing it from inferiorness or weakness… Folk who have those beliefs should ride a mount Qantaqa, who could eat them if she chose. They would then be learning humbleness.”

Fortunately, as I said, Stone of Farewell remain another superb installment in Memory, Sorrow, and Thorn thanks to the lovely writing, tremendous world-building, and likable main characters. The themes of friendship, love, legacy, responsibilities, leadership, good and evil, were strongly evident. Simon and Binabik may not share as many scenes as they did in The Dragonbone Chair, which is unfortunate and yet necessary, but the powerful scenes they shared together intensified my affection for the two of them. They are becoming one of my favorite duos or brotherhood in the genre. Simon, as a reluctant hero, went through many hardships and defining moments in his journey here. Sorrow, rage, regret, loyalty, and more. Tad showcased how much of a big deal it is to have a friend Binabik in his life. And the same situation, for reasons I cannot mention due to spoilers, can be applied the other way around for Binabik, too.

“Are you still my friend, Binabik?” he said at last.
The troll took the flute from his lips. “To death and beyond, Simon-friend.”

Of course, these two are not the only saving grace of the novel. Joshua was awesome. Jiriki's friendship with Simon was intriguing, Sludig is even more likable now, Cadrach surprisingly developed into a complex character, and some fascinating new characters Aditu were introduced. In a time of darkness, dread, and ultimate testing for the realm of Osten Ard, where terrifying minions of the undead Sithi ruler, Ineluki the Storm King, are spreading their seemingly undefeatable evil across the kingdom, alliances and friendships need to be formed. And these characters be integral to the fate of Osten Ard. Where their story stopped in Stone of Farewell made me incredibly excited to read To Green Angel Tower.

“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. That way it will go with you wherever you journey.

Lastly, the world-building in Osten Ard is starting to feel more expansive and immersive. We get to learn, quite extensively, further about the cultures and lore of the world. I loved how connected the past is to the present conflict. As I mentioned in my review of The Dragonbone Chair, the world of Osten Ard feels intricate, fantastical, and yet believable. I always consider it a positive sign when I read a fantasy book or series, and what I get to read in the present timeframe makes me eager to find out more about what happened in the past. This has been achieved stupendously in Memory, Sorrow, and Thorn. I mean, there were several times when the events of the past long gone made me want to read about them more than the current conflict. Especially when we're talking about Ineluki and the three great swords.

“There was little inspiration in the crumbling ruins of Enki-e-Shao’saye. They seemed only to demonstrate that even the Sithi were bound within the sweep of time; that any work of hands, however exalted, must come at last to ignoble result.”

There were revelations regarding one of the great swords, Memory, in this book, and it felt a thing I should've seen coming but did not. That's a testament to how immersed I was in the story and world that I forgot to think about this detail for a second. Speaking of Ineluki the Storm King, I did wish to witness more of his overwhelming hatred and vengeance in Stone of Farewell. But it seems this is being saved for the next book. Some readers have told me I should read Brothers of the Wind prequel novel for this, too, and I think I will do that after I finish reading To Green Angel Tower. Also, it was interesting to read the name Navigator's Children for the first time here. The Navigator's Children is the title of the upcoming fourth and final book in The Last King of Osten Ard series.

“Ineluki has changed… He has become something the world has not seen before, a smoldering ember of despair and hatred, surviving only to redress those things which long ago were injustices and mistakes and tragic underestimations, but now are simply facts. ourselves, Ineluki dwells in the realm of what was. But un his living kin, Ineluki is not content to wallow in memories of the past. He lives, or exists—here is a place the mortal language is too inexact—to see the present state of the world obliterated and the injustices made right, but his only window is anger. His justice will be cruel, his methods even more horrible. ”

Despite a few personal hiccups with the pacing and story structure, I still highly enjoyed reading Stone of Farewell. Lovable characters, detailed world-building, and beautiful prose remain strong as the main highlights of this sequel for me. No doubt about that. Depending on To Green Angel Tower, Memory, Sorrow, and Thorn trilogy might become one of my favorite series. Maybe even the entirety of The Osten Ard Saga because I plan to read all the published books in the series. But first, let's finish Memory, Sorrow, and Thorn. To Green Angel Tower is a 520,000 words beast, and although it is intimidating, I am undeniably to find out how the first part of Osten Ard Saga concludes.

“It has always been the same world, Prince Josua… It is only that in these troubled hours things are seen more clearly. The lamps of cities blur many shadows that are plain beneath the moon.”

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Beautiful, slow burn fantasy. Tad Williams is a wordsmith!

4.571 s1 comment Dirk Grobbelaar619 1,144

My review of The Dragonbone Chair did not do the novel justice. It was written in haste, a few quickly typed lines before I launched into The Stone of Farewell. See, The Dragonbone Chair ended on such a note that I just did.not.have.the.time to think about a decent review. I simply had to know what happened next.

The first novel went to great pains to establish the world, so there wasn’t such a lot of exposition required for The Stone of Farewell. This freed the author up to do what he apparently does best: write awesome, and remarkably cinematic, fantasy. There is an epic sweep to Memory, Sorrow and Thorn that does both Tolkien and David Lean proud. George R.R. Martin is on record saying that this series inspired him to write A Song of Ice and Fire.

Simon is a great reluctant-hero type. He is often resentful and bitter as he is swept along in the story. He rarely comprehends the significance of events and he never volunteers, but is unable to remove himself from the forefront of the stage. He often alternates between self pity and self loathing, which makes him pretty believable given the circumstances. And yet, ever so slowly, the reader starts perceiving the subtle changes, because among all the other things this novel aspires to, it is also a bildungsroman. As for Binabik the troll: he has to be read to be believed. There is some truth to the “dynamite in small packages” saying. The Miriamele/Aspitis sequence frustrated me to the point of orthostatic hypotension, but I have a niggling feeling that this was exactly the author’s intention. I could go on and on: the characters in here are as real as it gets in genre fiction, and there are many of them.

At times touching, at times amusing, but always rousingly epic - this is the series to read if you’re into high fantasy. I don’t have the next book close at hand (it is still in the mail), which is a pity, since this one also ends on such a fever pitch that I would have loved to launch straight into To Green Angel Tower, Part 1, without losing momentum. Alas.

Note: Jumping into a river to attack a crocodile is probably the second stupidest thing you can do (I’m reserving judgement about the first). It didn’t affect my rating, but you might want to bear it in mind.
books-i-own fantasy favourites ...more59 s Read By Kyle 484 317

The most middle middle to ever middle. It's not even a middle. It's an iddl.

There's a season of The Walking Dead where, after the heroes have been holed up in a prison that is attacked by enemies, they are then scattered in many directions. And the show spends episodes upon episodes upon episodes dealing with them all separately wandering around until they get to the point in which they all meet again.

This 800 page book is an elongated version of those episodes, but if every character stopped and talked about the history of every town and zombie and raccoon they wandered by.

I was gonna try to finish this trilogy before the end of the year, but I need a break. I'll read To Green Angel Tower next year.



Can someone tell me an attribute of Simon? Any attribute. Not being picky here. I can't think of anything. Alive? Is being alive an attribute?36 s6 comments Jake Bishop315 445

I still really enjoyed the characters, and character interactions, the worldbuilding and lore is still fantastic, and Tad's writing is still very good, I don't love it as much as some do, but it is still very good. (even if I sometimes get annoyed by the sheer quantity of adverbs). This book also just feels the poster child for middle book syndrome. The main plot of this book feels it is just to get people in a situation where they can start the final book, and most of the conflict of the book is driven by sub plots along the way.

So it's a 4 star, but it is a mildly disappointing 4 star given the skill and talent of the author.

7.3/1032 s Claudia976 687

A bit too long even for my taste, although, if you ask me, I don’t know what could have been cut from it. We follow our heroes’ quest throughout Osten Ard, but now we have more threads. The remaining ‘good guys’ are scattered throughout the land, each trying to reach the Stone of Farewell, the last safe bastion from the Storm King.

There is a single wow moment, for me at least, and it was at 96%. However, there isn’t a single dull moment in the whole book. It’s just that their journeys are taking too long and I’m tired and frustrated that nothing good happens to them. Just in LOTR, where the chain of misfortunes doesn’t seem to end for Frodo and Sam.

Anyway, I thought I would take a break but given the revelation at the end my curiosity was piqued even more than it was so here I go on the last part of the adventure.fantasy z-to-a-tad-williams27 s BradleyAuthor 5 books4,428

Re-read.

I definitely d this book better the second time. I suppose it's just one of those things. It seems slow-going only because I kept expecting something else.

In point of fact, I loved the land of the Sidhe here, the hints and the worldbuilding, and the great, deep tragedy.

The epic part of this fantasy is not in the battles, although they are there, but in how the fantasy deeply diverges from the normal tropes. It swerves rather far from normal expectations and does it in a deep way. It's not surface level. The corruption of Osten Ard, the way we keep coming back to it with a truly surprising PoV, the Dragon (NOT an actual Dragon, mind you), really gives us a sense of how bad things are getting while the true storm brews in the background, threatening to overrun all the lands.

As I said in the previous book's review, these books are detail-rich, deeply grounded, and never overpowered. The same is true here. Simon is always out of his depth. He's such a sweet kid, trying so hard. I really him. And I feel for him, too. Even though there was a lot more time spent with different characters, I really got into the Sidhe sections.

I still remember what happens in the next book, so this is pretty much the lull before the storm.2022-shelf epic-fantasy fantasy28 s ?????? ????? 51 13

10/10?
???????, ?????, ?????????, ?????? ?? ?????????? ?????? ???????. ?? ????????? ?? ??????? ?????, ????? ???? ?????? ?????????, ?? ???????? ???? ????????????, ????? ????????? ??????? ??????? ?? ?????? ?????? ??????? ?? ?????. ?????? ?????????? ???? ????????? ?? ???? ????? ?????. ? ??????? ???? ???? ?? ????. ????? ?????? ??????? ????? ?????? ?? ??????? ??? ???????? ??????????? ??????, ?????? ???? ???????? ???????? ?? ?? ?? ???. ??????????? ?????? ?? ?????????? ???? ?????, ???? ?????? ?????????? ?????, ???? ????????? ?? ????? ?????????. ?? ???????? ? ???????? ??? ???? ? ?????? ?????? ? ????????. ????? ??????? ???????? ????? ??????? ?? ??????? ?????? ??????????, ?? ?????????? ?????? ???? ??????, ??? ???????, ??????, ?????????? ?? ????????? ?????????, ? ??????????? ???? ????????? ????? ???????? ??????, ???? ?????? ???? ??? ????? ? ????? ?????????? ?? ????????? ????????????. ??? ????? ?, ????????, ??? ?. ????? ? ??? ??? ????????? ?? ???????? ??? ? ?????. ??? ???????? ??????. ?????????? ????? ????????.

?? ??????? ???????? ?? ????????? ???? ??? ??????? ???. ??????? ???????????? ??????????????? ??????? ?? ???????? ??????, ?????? ????? ?? ??? ? ??????? ? ??? ?????????? ???? ?? ???? ??????????? ????? ? ???? ???????. ? ??????????? ????? ?? ???????????. ?? ???? ????? ??? ???? ???? ????????????? ???????? ???????.24 s Solseit402 96

Such a great second book in a series.
Plenty of characters, great characters, challenges which showed more of the main characters reactions and humanity.
Amazing plot, properly written and developed. Just the right amount of cliffhangers.
Also, great female characters, stronger than average and annoyed by being contained in a stereotype.
I felt completely immersed in the story and invested in the characters. 22 s Aurora213 12

I hate this book. Here, let me sum it up for you so you don't waste all the time I did hoping this monstrosity would get better.

Some people walk through a forest. A fight happens. Someone falls down and has a prophetic dream that they never tell anyone about. More walking through the forest.

Repeat ad nauseum.
Yes, that was the entire book. People 'falling senseless' or whatever the heck every ten pages, a lot of whining, and the occasional anticlimactic pointless battle followed by more passing out and walking through the forest. What a waste of time and space.21 s Kitty G Books1,607 2,968

This is book #2 in the Memory, Sorrow and Thorn series and it's a pretty classic fantasy series. I find that classic fantasy often tends to fall into some of the tropes I don't love very much (sloooooow pacing and not so developed characters were the two major complaints with this book) but when I am in the mood to read a classic fantasy series I do enjoy a good one and I think this one is that :)

Simon is the main character for a lot of the first book but I feel in book two we start to branch off into a few different plot threads and follow more people in detail. Simon is our young 'chosen one'. The boy who used to sleep in the kitchens, until he was sent off on the most important quest of all time...to find Memory, Sorrow and Thorn (3 magic swords) and hopefully fix THE WORLD :)

We also have Binabik who is a personal favourite of the series for me. He's a troll, and he lives in a land full of trolls (well, normally he would but up until now he's been on a quest with Simon). I loved getting to see him with his people (even though they're pretty mean to him) and seeing ALL the trolls - They're kind of cute little trolls rather than big scary ones!

Jirki is a Sitha, one of the ancient magical races of the world who might be able to help if only they would stir themselves into action and actually worry about the destinies of mortals (can you tell I've read a few books where this happens?!)

Prince Josua is an exiled Prince by this book and he's on the run and in hiding from the evil Norns and the others who would seek to do him harm (that's most people). He's the land's best noble chance for redemption so must be protected at all costs.

Miriamele was the worst developed character in my opinion, she's the daughter of the crazy King (he's the reason so much of the world is an issue - or one of them) and yet ALL she seems to do is be scared, flirty, weak or whiney... I have to say from experience there's a lot more than that to a lady and she's just not a convincing character. A lot of her plot felt forced and anti-climatic to me in this book which was a shame as I think she could be great when used properly...

Maegwin is probably one of the most far-off from the rest of the characters and the most intriguing to me. Her plot just keeps picking at me and making me wonder where it's going and how she fits into everything. She's a princess who's in hiding as the last of her line with the last of her loyal ...

The plot of this book certainly had some wonderful moments but equally it suffers from the slow pacing that this sort of book is known for. I don't mind a slow read when I am audio-booking (which is what I did with this one) but sometimes this felt a lot could have been shortened/cut.

In terms of the book as a whole I did enjoy it even though I have issues with it. It's one of the better classic fantasies I've read and I have fun being in the world, I just think it doesn't hold up alongside some of the other more modern books. It's a good adventure and I'm committed to seeing where it goes, so I am diving straight into book #3 and will report back. 3*s for this one. 21 s Wanda Pedersen2,037 427

As I look back on the reading experience for Stone of Farewell, I wonder exactly why I enjoyed it so much? I mean, not an awful lot happens. Simon returns to being a pouty, immature boy more often than not. There’s an awful lot of walking, while keeping a look-out for the bad guys. In fact, you could probably sum up the whole book in one sentence: Most of the good guys get to the Stone of Farewell.

I guess what made it worthwhile for me was learning quite a bit more about the Sithi (Williams’ version of Elves). Plus getting some back-story for Ineluki, the Storm King, to find out what turned him into the vengeful creature that is threatening all of Osten Ard. There’s also a peek into Troll culture and a love interest for poor, patient old Binibik.

The character who really gets left in the lurch in this volume is Miriamele, King Elias’ daughter. I would be reading book three regardless, but it is her fate that really is pulling me along at this point. I must know what happens!

This is pretty standard fantasy fare and if you enjoy high fantasy, you are ly to enjoy the Memory, Sorrow, and Thorn series. Those who don’t elves, trolls, and magic swords should definitely pass this series by!

Book 250 of my Science Fiction and Fantasy reading project.fantasy here-be-dragons public-library ...more19 s Chris Gousopoulos125

  The apocalypse that has befallen the world of Osten Ard is fully unveiled. It might be a slow unravelling but it is a very satisfying one. The worldbuilding is tremendous. Our view of the world expands and its full of magnificent places, people and their stories. Especially the various subraces of the elvenkind are awesome. Apart from the Middle Earth this is the only place that I can say that I love the Elves. They share the grandeur and the drama of their Tolkien counterparts but they are at the same time very original and unique.
  I also d a lot the horror and darker elements that appeared in bigger numbers. The enemy is spreading a plague and the world is turning fast to a menacing and dangerous place.
   I dont know if that kind of storytelling would appeal to everyone. Especially to people who prefer faster and action oriented stories but if you a more romantic and adventurous approach u ll probably appreciate these books a lot.19 s Ahdam60 15

Ok first review of 2018 and what do you know its 5 stars out of 5

Anyway this book is a huge improvement on the previous book which was already fantastic, I think what stood out for me in this book was the pace and tension kept building as it wasn't in the great hunt where it starts all over again for each book. I felt the story moved much more here than in Dragonbone chair and I was invested into what the characters were up to as they got on with there tasks set for them in Osten Ard.

That is another thing I loved about this book the number of characters is just amazing and it was such a joy to revisit some (Rachel) and I was invested in all of the POV's as not only did I feel attached to the characters I was fascinated because I was learning of the huge world that is Osten Ard whether it is the mythical sites our heroes visit or the history behind certain places I loved learning about this world and being a part of it along with the characters. Simon still has a way to go but he has definitely evolved from the mooncalf back in Hayholt and I can't wait to see what he will do next because I see great things for him as he begins to mature to the Snowlock he is especially in the ultimate 1600 pages (split into 2 books of course) finale that is green angel tower

I love this series so much the writing is exquisite, the details are so fascinating and matching it with its pace is probably the main reason why I love this book much better than the first 2 books of the wheel of time as I personally rank Osten Ard as one of my favourite fantasy world along with Roshar. I'm so glad I finally returned to this series after 9-10 months and getting into it felt a breath of fresh air or more cold air for this case.

I would recommend everyone to give this series a try with The Dragonbone Chair, if you want a classical fantasy story with great worldbuilding and fine details I would start here and I said earlier I personally enjoyed this series more than the first 2 books of the Wheel of Time series.ahdams-best-of-the-best ahdams-fantasy-journal17 s Zoe Stewart (Zoe's All Booked)346 1,448

I listened to this entirely on audio while doing things around the house, and it was the perfect companion. I'm still holding out hope for certain characters to come back, but I feel I'm setting myself up for failure LOLdefault14 s Pavle444 165

Iako je po prirodi onaj klasi?ni spojni deo bez mnogo stvarnih narativnih, a sa puno karakternih pomaka, drugi deo Vilijamsove trilogije sasvim radi svoj posao pripremanja scene za klimakti?ni okršaj. Mali a zna?ajni trenuci pojedinih likova je ono što ovde nosi radnju, kao i daleko ve?i fokus na vilenja?ku rasu u svetu Osten Arda. I dalje je stilska raskoš najupe?atljiviji deo ovih romana, kao i potpuno jedinstveno shvatanje sveta i likova koji ga populišu. Tre?i deo sledi posle kra?e pauze.

4
fantastika13 s Amar402

Tamam kad mu htjedoh dati trojku, Tad se izvu?e na samom kraju. A što sam samo trojku htio dati? Jer za mene ova knjiga pati od sindroma druge knjige, gdje se glavna pri?a samo minimalno pomakela naprijed. Imamo mnogo arcova ovdje, od kojih mi je samo Simonov bio baš zanimljiv, dok su ostali bili za moj ukus previše razvu?eni.
Oko pri?e se slabo može sta novo napisati, jer se baš malo oko glavne pri?e desilo, ali Williamsova naracija je i dalje perfektna. Krajolici Osten Arda su tako divno opisani, da se može zaviditi Tadovoj mašti. Pa ?ak i da stvori neljudskog lika u koju se naprosto moraš zaljubiti je tako?er jedan veliki plus.
Kako god, nedvojbeno je Tad priredio veliko finale, jer su sada sve kockice složene za epsku bitku.
3.5*read-in-201813 s aria752 112

Old cities and old stories were now part of his very life. It was strange how the future seemed tied inseparably to the past, so that both revolved through the present, a great wheel

“Stone of Farewell” is the second instalment of the Memory, Sorrow and Thorn trilogy in the greater Osten Ard Saga. Told in three parts: Storm's Eye, Storm's Hand and Storm's Heart, the sequel diverts from Simon's perspective, introducing more characters.

Back in Asu’a we follow Pyrates, King Elias and Rachel. King Elias seems to descend into madness and those who believed themselves his friends, now seek to escape his company. The best of these parts was Rachel. She believes Simon to be dead and the way she rallied those under her, seeking to protect them while dealing with her grief, was so inspiring. Still, it was hard to watch her grieve for her adopted son.

She had been almost a mother to the boy, had she not? Raised him—with the help of her chambermaids, of course—since his first hour, when his mother had died in childbirth despite all Doctor Morgenes’ attempts to save her. So shouldn’t Rachel know if he was truly gone? Shouldn’t she feel the final severing of the cord that had bound her to that stupid, addle-pated, gawky boy?

Princess Maegwin in her grief, is slowly descending into madness and Eolair is helpless in aiding her. She seems to hate him now and when she sends him away, he has to obey. I honestly don’t care about the two of them but I found their parts enjoyable nonetheless. Miriamele, daughter of King Elias, continues to think she knows better than everyone else and strikes off on her own, which lands her in trouble, again. One thing about Tad Williams is that his female characters are just as well developed as his male ones.

Prince Josua has escaped the siege with his life and a few survivors. When he is told of the Stone of Farewell, he makes it his mission to reach there and rally a resistance against his brother. I find Josua such an interesting character. He has serious self-esteem issues which can be seen with his self-deprecating comments but those who follow him will not let him suffer in silence. The friendships in this book are so good. The men are allowed to cry and seek comfort from each other and it’s so beautiful. I can’t help but highlight just one heartwarming moment.

“It is just as well, I suppose, that I am not left to stand guard alone,” Strangyeard said. “My sight is not good, you know—and that is in my one remaining eye.” He chuckled apologetically. “There is nothing more frightening than to see the words in my beloved books growing fainter every day.”

“When we are safe, Strangyeard,” Deornoth began suddenly, “if you cannot read, I will come and read to you. My eyes are not as quick as yours, nor my mind, but I am stubborn as an unfed horse. I will grow better with practice. I will read to you.”

Simon, Sludig, Jiriki and Binabik are held prisoner with Sludig and Binabik being held accused of crimes against the Qanuc. We are introduced to more of the Qanuc but of importance is Sisqinanamook, or Sisqi as Binabik calls her. Tasked with returning one of the legendary swords, our team struggles to reach the Stone of Farewell, where they wish to reunite with Prince Josua and his people.

Simon really had his faith shaken in this book. His childish views of war have been overturned and he is angry. “I thought that it would be a story. That we would find the sword and it would be a powerful weapon, that we would destroy our enemies and things would be right again. I didn’t think any more people would die!” He finds himself snapping at his friends, overwhelmed with all that’s happening but he is quick to apologise. Binabik, his closest friend, is understanding and helps him understand his emotions while Sludig helps him transition from his beliefs as a boy to those of a man.

“Are you still my friend, Binabik?” he said at last.

The troll took the flute from his lips. “To death and beyond, Simon-friend.” He began to play once more.

The world is changing. War tears the country apart and those who survive the brutality of Elias and his rule, seek refuge elsewhere. But no place is safe. Everyone, of ancient race and men, find themselves leaving their homes to escape. Nothing shows the brutality of this as when Simon observes the Qanuc.

“Why do they look so sad, Binabik?”

“We are having a saying on Mintahoq,” the little man explained, “—‘Mourning is for home.’ When we are losing one of our folk on the trail we bury them in that place, but we save our tears until we are safe in our caves once more. Nine of our folk died on Sikkihoq.”

“But you said ‘mourn at home.’ These people are not home yet.”

Binabik shook his head, then answered a quiet question from Sisqi before returning his attention to Simon. “These hunters and herders are making ready for the coming of the rest of Yiqanuc’s folk. The word is even now flying from one mountain to another: the highlands are not a place of safety and spring is not coming.” The little man smiled wearily. “They are home, Simon-friend.”

But even as the world seems to be crashing down, there are still moments of hope. When one person makes a choice to help instead of hurt, it makes all the difference. As said: “And bravery is by no means the province only of soldiers and nobles” and it is these common people, who wish for things to be better, that make all the difference.

“We are very small,” Simon said between swallows. The kangkang seemed to be flowing in his veins blood.

“So are the stars, kundë-mannë,” Sludig murmured. “But they each one burn as bright as they can.”

Despite not having enough of Duke Isgrimnur, this was an amazing sequel that expands the world of Osten Ard. The world feels so massive with a history so rich and full of life. There are times I think it’s a real world with how well-loved the world is. I can’t wait to start book three. It’s over a thousand pages long and I know it’s going to be epic.

“Perhaps. But if we are not trying, then there is no chance of anything but this ant crushing, so we must try. There is always something beyond even the worst of bad times. We may die, but the dying of some may mean living for others. That is not much to cling to, but it is a true thing in any case.” adult-sff animal-companion bromance ...more12 s Trent365 48

The Stone of Farewell was a continuation of everything that was great about The Dragonbone Chair, while also improving in some of the areas where I felt the first book was weaker. Memory, Sorrow, and Thorn is shaping up to truly be one of my all-time favorite fantasy series.

Once again, the world of Osten Ard is the star of the show. It’s deep and fascinating, and Tad reveals its secrets at a nearly perfect pace. It reminds me of some of the best parts of Middle Earth, while still being different enough to be a world I want to revisit and learn more about.

The characters just feel....real. None are perfect, and the majority of them are remarkably grey in their motivations (i.e. Cadrach). And for a book written in 1990(ish), there is a pretty amazing amount of female representation, which I love. Yes, they may be princesses or chief’s daughters, but Tad makes it clear that they are competent and will be important to the defeat of the Norns and the Storm King.

The writing continues to be beautiful, but slow, (though not at the plodding pace of the first 200 pages of The Dragonbone Chair). It is more reminiscent of, say, Robin Hobb. Williams is a beautiful writer and he clearly revels in slowly revealing the details of Osten Ard. And here he proves that he can actually speed things up for a good chase or fight scene, and when he does - I’m on the edge of my seat.

Overall - Memory, Sorrow, and Thorn continues to be an effective bridge between the writing and world-building of Tolkien, and the characters and plotting of GRRM, Jordan, and Hobb.

It is an amazing combination - I can’t wait to begin the finale!osten-ard14 s Chrysalis47 2

A filler, but a gloriously good one :)favourite8 s2 comments Kevin Jenkins181 43

83/100

tad. tad, tad, tad, tad, tad. (said while shaking my head in a disappointing gesture.)

this one coulda been better paced. some true middle book syndrome in this installment. it's almost solely characters travelling to a big rock and dives deeper into the history and lore of the world and the big bad, all while making me (or dis) many of the characters even more than i already did. (Binabik is the GOAT character here.) it's not entirely devoid of interesting things that move the plot along, but the slow pace and lack of exciting events (there are only a handful) didn't have quite the payoff i was hoping for by the end of the book. the climax here was good, but really lacked the grandeur that was present in the first book.

luckily, tad's infectious and wholesome writing was enough to pull me through this one in a relatively timely manner and i still enjoyed it despite the problems i had. im super excited for To Green Angel Tower to see how this first Osten Ard trilogy is wrapped up2023 fantasy8 s Julia Sarene1,424 171

It has been about 7 years since I read the first book - and it took me quite a while to get back into the story. Once I remembered the multitude of characters, I was quickly sucked in again.
On the one hand I really enjoyed the story - on the other hand it was veeeery long in places. A lot of description, that didn't feel entirely necessary in some scenes - while at other places it felt perfectly balanced, even though it had some minute details.

What bugged me (as everyone knowing me will expect) was that there was quite some being in love in this one. Thankfully not a full love story, but a princess in love with someone, a prince in love with someone, and a mooncalf boy in love with someone. Or other. It wasn't overly much - but mentioned quite often, and I simply hate romance in my fantasy- especially if it doesn't really feel a natural part of the story.

I very much enjoyed the different characters - I d how the different races and cultures actually felt different to each other, and not just "Smaller human", "human with magic" and such! (Special Kudos to the audible narrator who manages to give them different accents, and ways of speaking who fit perfectly!) I also d the richness of the world and the way you don't feel if you look behind a tree there would be a blank wall, but as if you were in the world, and the world was real. (And yes, I think that would still have been possible with some less flowery descriptions here and there.)

I thought some of the characters actions overly naive, and it had quite an episodic feel to it in places - also the fight scenes were a bit predictable and I had a deja vu of LOTR - and they are walking (or sometimes riding in this one) and walking, and still walking, and more walking and how surprising - even more walking! ;)

All in all definitely still a good series, and I will try my best not to wait 7 years again before I will pick up book three!fantasy-all-subgenres fantasy-epic-or-high8 s Seon Ji (Dawn)1,043 248

++SPOILERS++

Whereas the first book was a nice comfort read, this one gave me anxiety through much of it.

Lots of stuff going on, a bit more conflict but few resolutions, which I expect will come in the last book.

There is alot of back and fourth with different characters POV's as they all strive to their own purposes.

I have grown to dis Mirabele, who in the first book seemed strong but has now turned to a stupid shallow child. I hate that she gave herself to the earl..little whore.. I also hated the slut sithi who kept hanging all over Simon..but at least he turned her away.

Men just have no clue how to write romance. This author also seems to have a low opinion of women for all the women characters are dreadful. They all seem pitiful, shallow and weak.

I am hoping this changes in the next book.

I do still love Simon, and it is his character that keeps me going.

The pace in this book is a little faster, but the author still over does it with flowery descriptions and I found myself skimming at times, I just wanted to scream..get on with it!

It also seemed there is alot of writing about crap that doesn't reveal much. I can't really explain it but I read paragraphs and paragraphs and find the characters don't learn anything new or go anywhere.

I know this sound negative considering I gave 4 stars, in truth it was a good book, but perhaps it is just that the writing style is a little outdated. The story itsself is good so I will continue.

Safety: Blood, violence. No cursing. Sex implied for Mirabele.

Romance peeps: Mirabele who is supposed to end up with Simon, sleeps with another. Simon is tempted by another but resists. Josua still doesn't love his woman but she loves him. They marry because she is pregnant. Binabik marries his love but has to leave her behind.
all-time-favorite beta-hero clean-read ...more9 s Veronica 759 202

4.5 stars

"It is a beginning," he said at last. "Against all despair, it is a small flame of hope."

This second book in the Memory, Sorrow and Thorn trilogy picks up largely where the first book ended. Our main heroes are fractured, forced by circumstance to pursue separate missions, and all the while the forces that threaten to forever destroy the land of Osten Ard grow stronger.

I found this second book more evenly paced than the first book. There was no slow start this time around and the story held my attention from start to finish. Well, admittedly, there was a certain interlude that got a little bogged down but it didn’t last too long and it concluded with a bevy of activity that will surely have long-reaching consequences.

Readers will continue to follow some old favorite characters and the story keeps the momentum going by switching its focus from one third person POV to another. There are losses along the way as one would expect from a good-vs-evil story on this scale but there are also some new characters that are introduced so that helps to lessen the losses and I, for one, am curious to know them better.

The final book was originally published in one large hardcover book but it was too big to be made into one single paperback version, so it was split into two books for that format. Since I have the paperback version, I still have two equally huge books to read…but I’m not complaining. I’ve grown attached to most of these characters. I’ve lost some and expect that I will lose even more before I read that final page but I have no doubt that the author’s special way with words will ease me through the rough parts.

"This is what we’ve been searching for. This is where we will begin the long road back." fantasy7 s Aleshanee1,526 116

Mein Fazit: Der Stein des Anstoßes fiel im ersten Band sozusagen im "Hochhorst", der Königsburg, doch er zieht immer weitere Kreise. Die Charaktere, die man im ersten Band schon ins Herz geschlossen hat, sind weiter auf ihrer Reise quer durch Osten Ard - und nicht alle haben dasselbe Ziel. Es kommen aber auch wieder neue Figuren ins Spiel und ich bin weiterhin fasziniert, mit welcher Spannung und Überraschungen sich alles weiterentwickelt!

Man muss aber mit Geduld an diese Reihe herangehen, denn Tad Williams erzählt wirklich genüßlich und mit Liebe zu Detail; dadurch entsteht auch ein lebendiges und greifbares Bild der Landschaften, vor allem aber auch der Protagonisten, die er in ihrem Handeln und Denken in vielen Wortspielereien perfekt beschreibt.

Die Namen wirklich manchmal etwas schwierig und vereinzelt auch unaussprechlich - aber das sind nur ein paar Nebenfiguren die nicht ins Gewicht fallen. Dafür gibt es aber auch am Ende eine ausführliche Liste mit allen Personen, Orten und sonstigen Begriffen, wo man immer wieder nachschlagen kann - ebenso in der Karte des Landes Osten Ard.

Ein Zitat möchte ich euch auch noch zeigen:

Dennoch aber war er wichtig, so wie jeder Lichtpunkt an einem dunklen Himmel der Stern sein konnte, der einen Seefahrer zum sicheren Hafen lenkte oder zu dem in schlafloser Nacht ein einsames Kind aufsah." Seite 222

Wunderschön beschrieben wie in der "Masse der Menschen" doch jeder etwas besonderes ist und gerade Simon hat ja hier sehr oft mit sich und seinem Schicksal zu kämpfen. Die Schrecken, der Tod und die Verzweiflung lassen in ihm immer wieder Angst und Wut hochkochen, aber auch sehr interessante, essenzielle Fragen stellen über das Leben, das Schicksal und die gefühlte Ungerechtigkeit.

Das Böse breitet sich aus, ein Sturm nähert sich aus dem Norden und der Schrecken nimmt grade erst seinen Anfang - ich bin begeistert und fand es sogar noch einen Tick besser als Band 1 :)fantasy7 s Max860 24

This is one of my favourite series, ever. Tad Williams is my favourite author of fantasy. I met him once, and he is also hilariously funny and a good guy.

So, I can not give an unbiased review, hee hee. :-) Only praise for this series and everything else Tad writes.

I was looking for fantasy books Lord of the Rings when someone recommended me this. And while you shouldn't compare anything to Tolkien in terms of writing (my humble opinion), these books are a whole different category. So I can not say this is better than Lord of the Rings, or LotR is better than this, but it's alongside each other, just as great, but just different. I found these books to be easier to read, while LotR is more intense.

I will stop comparing now, haha. Anyway, don't be daunted by the gazillion pages, if you're into fantasy you will breeze through them and after the three books you'll actually want more. So glad the author is still writing!fantasy favourites8 s Sara J. (kefuwa)531 51

#ReturnToOstenArd: Re-read this as part of a bookstagram group-read with Tange, Jacob & Nadine in anticipation of the Witchwood Crown coming out in June 2017!

23/5/17: Annnnd I'm done! Not going to stop to write anything atm as it will be mostly fangirling as per the review for Dragonbone Chair. Used mostly my ebook version to get through this one as well - I will stick a review on the ebook version later on too (urgh - so many mistakes Hachette UK!) - I also need to add a new edition for the Google Play version of the ebook for Stone of Farewell - don't feel doing it now as I would have to get into the logistics of working around keeping the review for the paperback and the ebook separate? Hmm. And those reading dates. Argh.

Anyhow - To Green Angel Tower we go!!!9 s Maja Ingrid479 163

Not as good as the first book. It doesn't have much going for it, and felt too long for what happened in it. Could easily been a tad bit shorter. Blaming this on middle book syndrome. I struggled a little getting into it in the beginning and at the end I grew a little tired and just wanted it to be done. Hopefully next one(s, bc my edition are split in two parts) will be better.

I'm also not sure how I feel about Simon. He's still such a mooncalf at times. And for some reason the voice I hear in my head every time he speaks is Kevin's from This Is Us when Kevin and his siblings are kids (you know 10-12yo) and he has that complaining, whiny voice. Took me to the end of this book to realize that. Binabik and Qantaqa are super precious and I love them.fantasy7 s Jacob708 28

When I first read this book twenty years ago I was frustrated with the side characters/stories because I had no patience and thought this story should be about Seoman alone. Now I can laugh at how foolish and shallow I was and marvel at how beautiful the story truly is. Tiamak's inner struggles alone would be worth a story about. This is an excellently crafted tale that adds depth and life to this trilogy. fantasy favorites6 s JessicaAuthor 27 books5,768

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