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Shadowmarch: Volume I
by Tad Williams
Product Group: Book
Publisher: DAW (2006-09-05)
ISBN: 0756403596
EAN: 9780756403591
Dewy Decimal #: 813
Mass Market Paperback: 816 pages
SKU: MM2589
Condition: Good
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Editorial Reviews
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Product Description
Now in mass market paperback-Tad Williams' triumphant return to high fantasy!
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Amazon.com Review
The Memory, Sorrow, and Thorn series established Tad Williams's preeminence in fantasy. Now, after an absence of more than a decade, the New York Times bestselling author has returned to high fantasy with his Shadowmarch trilogy. Exciting, ambitious, intricate, and insightful, Shadowmarch: Volume 1 demonstrates that Williams is still America's best high fantasist. Shadowmarch: Volume 1 introduces a world conquered by humans, who have driven the Qar, or fairy folk, into the far north. There, the Qar hide behind the "Shadowline," a mysterious veil of perpetual mist, which drives mad any human who dares enter it. Bordering that mist and named for it is Shadowmarch, the northernmost human kingdom. Shadowmarch has lately fallen on hard times. Its king has been captured by a rival kingdom, the regent has been mysteriously slain, and the new regents are callow fifteen-year-olds. Moody, crippled Prince Barrick is uninterested in their responsibilities and haunted by eerie dreams. His twin, Princess Briony, takes their new duties seriously, but is hot-tempered and headstrong. How can they defeat the greatest threats in Shadowmarch history? Their nobles plot to overthrow them--and the plotters may include their pregnant stepmother, seeking the throne for her own child. The expanding empire of Xis has sent its agents into Shadowmarch. And, for the first time since it appeared centuries ago, the Shadowline has starting moving. As the maddening mist spreads south over Shadowmarch, it does not quite hide the powerful, uncanny, and vengeful Qar army of invasion... --Cynthia Ward
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Customer Reviews
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ZZZZZZzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz
Rating  (2)
Date: 2008-11-02
0 out of 1 customers found this reveiw helpful
I am a huge Tad Williams fan, but this book was a real disappointment. It was boring and I never was able to 'connect' with the characters with the exception of Chert. I seemed to be mostly political intrigue and very little action and the intrigue did not keep my attention. I'm hoping the second book in the series is better or I won't buy the third.
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Great High Fantasy for the right kind of reader
Rating  (4)
Date: 2008-09-28
1 out of 1 customers found this reveiw helpful
Shadowmarch: Volume I (Shadowmarch Trilogy)
People who have read Tad's other books are likely to find many similarities and this might bother them, but this book really does deliver what Tad does best. This is high fantasy and it is excellent. This book kept me guessing and the description was so vivid and powerful, I could really sink into it.
The plot builds slowly but there are many hints and leads that keep you guessing. Some readers may or may not like this, but I really enjoyed it. The worlds he creates in this book are great and many of his characters are deep, realistic, and well made, though some immature readers may dislike them for whatever reason. The is very straightforward, but not in a bad way since you really won't be thinking about much if you read this like it is meant to be read, slowly and like a delicious dessert.
Readers who don't like plots that are too vague or things that may seem overly descriptive will probably not like this book, but if you like to be kept guessing and like to enjoy the experiences of the many varied characters, you will love this. This book took me and I could not stop thinking about it till I was done. All in all, a great read for certain readers, though it is slow, even for fantasy.
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By FAR not Tad's best work
Rating (2)
Date: 2008-06-27
0 out of 1 customers found this reveiw helpful
Having read all of Tad's books, i really wanted to like this book. I wanted to sink my teeth in a nice new 3 parter from a great author. Sadly Tad doesn't give us much to work with. First the pace of dreadfully slow. I actually started this book 3 times, and only finished it when the 2nd one came out. Its THAT slow. Plus we have dwarves & elves but we don't call them dwarves or elves so that seems like to much work.
The 2 leads, the prince & princess are not characters I grew to care about, I tried. But we have the whiny Prince and the butch princess - yawn. They do almost nothing to endear themselves to us. Instead we find ourselves rooting more for side characters. The Captain of the guard, Chert the dwarf / funderling and the little rooftopper. These are the characters who show honor and strength of character. The 2 title characters get exactly what they deserve - I do not relish having to follow their adventures again.
It takes this book far far too long to start moving, almost half the book. Far too many subplots all over the world that never connect by the end of the book. I do not think I will be reading the rest of this series unless I get the last 2 books at a used bookstore or in paperback version.
All of this author's other books are so much better, so this I have to assume is just a hiccup.
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Derivative...
Rating  (3)
Date: 2008-06-03
0 out of 1 customers found this reveiw helpful
Ancient nations spanning a fantastic world. An elder race who has retreated behind an impenetrable barrier. A menacing empire full of decadence and conquering lust. The trials of a youthful noble thrust into the lead of a struggling kingdom wracked by intrigue and treachery. The forefront of the new war.
The synopsis could fufill the works of George R. R. Martin's Song of Ice and Fire series but it is Tad William's latest offering. The tome is well written, typical of William's clean style. However, in the new genre of tragi-fantasy, the heroic characters are subjected to unrelenting misfortune and setbacks. The forces of "evil" are seemingly unstoppable and monolithic.
I found the work to be descriptively engaging but redundant in its plot devices. At times I found myself returning to the cover to make sure I wasn't reading any number of recent fantasy works by other authors. Williams' prowess as an author remains forefront, but other works of his (Green Angle Tower, Tailchaser's Song) are better examples.
The book is a quick read and appears to conclude in one more installment (something his contemporaries should attend to - Martin and Robert "enough with the books please" Jordan)
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Unrelieved, boring gloom
Rating  (1)
Date: 2008-05-15
1 out of 3 customers found this reveiw helpful
Yhis novel is ponderous, slow-paced, and absolutely depressing.there isn't a single moment of relief to despair, gloom, misery and tragedy. It's only a Tolkien in negative.
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