32. Tad Williams - The Dragonbone Chair
The peace amongst the land of Osten Ard is coming to an end. The great king Prester John has died and left the kingdom in the hands of his eldest son, Elias. Many believed that Elias would follow in his father's footsteps and keep the kingdom strong and at peace. What the people did not know was that the new king was under the influence of the evil priest Pyrates, who planned to unleash the evil Ineluki, the elven Storm King, to bring war among the land and against Elias' brother Joshua.
In the middle of all of this was Simon: a simple kitchen scullion and apprentice to Doctor Morgenes. His simple life was tossed to the wind when he helped rescue Joshua from a hidden dungeon where he had been held by Pyrates. Then his master is killed trying to protect Joshua and Simon's life. Before Morgenes is killed, he instructs Simon to follow Joshua to the safehold of Naglimund with a copy of Morgenes' written history of King John. As Simon races to the safety of Naglimund, he is pursued by Pyrates' men and befriends a small Troll named Binabik. There the two continue on a journey that becomes even more complicated with each step.
I will admit that this book was not an easy read and I have to agree that the first 200 pages or so were a battle to get through. A lot of names and places are thrown around and it was hard to follow where the main storyline was heading. However, after that point the story flew and became the great book that was so highly recommended to me. Williams weaves such a grand story out of a very complicated plot and makes the characters so believable. I could just imagine Binabik riding high on top of his wolf through the grand forests alongside Simon. Also, the imagery Williams convokes in this story is worth it. There are many scenes in the book where the images are so well written that you can visualize them clearly as you read along.
This book is very good if you're willing to work through it. It definitely requires time and patience but is well worth the effort in the end. I am looking forward to reading the next book in the series.
In the middle of all of this was Simon: a simple kitchen scullion and apprentice to Doctor Morgenes. His simple life was tossed to the wind when he helped rescue Joshua from a hidden dungeon where he had been held by Pyrates. Then his master is killed trying to protect Joshua and Simon's life. Before Morgenes is killed, he instructs Simon to follow Joshua to the safehold of Naglimund with a copy of Morgenes' written history of King John. As Simon races to the safety of Naglimund, he is pursued by Pyrates' men and befriends a small Troll named Binabik. There the two continue on a journey that becomes even more complicated with each step.
I will admit that this book was not an easy read and I have to agree that the first 200 pages or so were a battle to get through. A lot of names and places are thrown around and it was hard to follow where the main storyline was heading. However, after that point the story flew and became the great book that was so highly recommended to me. Williams weaves such a grand story out of a very complicated plot and makes the characters so believable. I could just imagine Binabik riding high on top of his wolf through the grand forests alongside Simon. Also, the imagery Williams convokes in this story is worth it. There are many scenes in the book where the images are so well written that you can visualize them clearly as you read along.
This book is very good if you're willing to work through it. It definitely requires time and patience but is well worth the effort in the end. I am looking forward to reading the next book in the series.
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