Customer Reviews

Shadowmarch: Shadowmarch: Volume I

5 star:		(37)
4 star:		(23)
3 star:		(28)
2 star:		(20)
1 star:		(7)

 

 

Having read everything by Tad Williams to date, I have come to the conclusion that he does best with epics, be they fantasy or sci-fi. 2003's _War of the Flowers_ left me a little cold, as did his breakout debut, _Tailchaser_. His Otherland and Memory, Sorrow & Thorn sagas, however, are some of the most satisfying reads you will ever avail yourself of.

I won't rehash the plot; that's been done plenty elsewhere. What I will say is that Williams take familiar elements and does wonders with them. His plotting and pacing are relentless, compelling you to read more in one sitting than is good for you.

The only thing I could have done without was one character's time underground, which reminded me a bit too much of Simon's escape in _The Dragonbone Chair_. But that comes late in the book, and by then you'll be hooked.

If you're looking for some excellent fantasy while waiting for George R.R. Martin's _A Feast for Crows_, this is just the thing.

Shadowmarch, the second fantasy novel that Tad Williams has written since completing the SciFi "Otherland" series, is the first such entry in an entirely new series. I believe the major, non-spoiler plot points are either addressed in the publisher's description or through other reviews. With that in mind, I'll focus on this book when compared to the rest of his works.

In contrast to his pedigree (see the first two hundred pages of "The Dragonbone Chair" or the entire book that was "City of Golden Shadow"), the book is long on plot and short on in-depth character development.

Let me explain.

As a reader, and fan, of Tad Williams' works, the opposite tends to be true. He focuses, primarily, on a few highly borne out characters (Orlando, Renie, Simon, Miramele). This can lead to sequences that, to the impatient reader, paint a very detailed caricature while moving the/a-semblance-of-a plot forward minimally. Of course, as evidenced in "The Dragonbone Chair", even during those long initialization sequences, very pertinent information is divulged (eg the statues as visited by a young Simon).

In "Shadowmarch", the opposite track seems to have been taken. Swarms of characters dart in and out (Briony, Barrick, Qinnitan, Chert, Chaven, Yassaminez, Flint, Vansen) in very short sequences-- most such 3rd person limited perspectives are 1-2 pages; the exception being Qinnitan whose 'perspectives' take an entire chapter (although even her average chapter length is only 7 pages). This serves, in a contrarian form to his early works, to progress the well-thought out and multi-faceted plot forward at a swift clip (especially for Tad Williams). However, and most disappointedly as I see it, only Briony and Chert are painted at more than 'sketch-level.' Given that I was most compelled by (and disappointed by his "absence" for long stretches) Barrick, I hope this changes later in the series.

In short, to advance plot more expediciously, Tad Williams has replaced depth of character with breadth of characters.

As a Tad Williams fan, I don't know that I like the trade-off. However, when compared to the vast quantity of fantasy rubbish flying of bookshelves (some of which I've had the misfortune to read), this book as a whole stands up well.

Most importantly, I eagerly await the second volume.

I just finished Shadowmarch. To be honest, I wasn't very impressed. Not that it was a bad book, but it wasn't up to par with Williams' usual quality of writing.

The Good Points:
-The prologue was excellent, mysterious and gripping, and really drew me into the book. The blind king and motionless queen were very intriguing.
-Williams did a good job of creating many more questions than answers in this book so you want to keep reading to solve the mysteries. Especially at the end of the book, the world is in upheaval, all the characters are embarking on journeys, and I would like to see what happens to everybody in the next book.
-The scenes describing the Qar were interesting and well written. I especially liked the descriptions of their main stronghold, where Williams really shows off his imagination and powers of description.

The Not So Good Points:
-VERY few of the human characters were exceptional or even interesting in any way. I didn't care about these characters nearly as much as I did about those from Memory, Sorrow and Thorn and Otherland. Indeed, a good half dozen of the characters seem like boring remakes of characters from MS&T. Barrick and Briony seemed to me like annoying versions of Simon & Miriamele, right down to the colour of their hair! I won't bother to mention all the others...The only human I really liked was Ferras Vansen--he's such a darn nice guy. Also, Chert and Opal Quartz were pretty endearing.
-I felt that there were a couple too many POVs. It diluted the story. Especially Quinnitan's story--if Williams was going to include her, shouldn't he at least have hinted by the end of the book what on earth she has to do with anything?
-The setting of Southmarch didn't seem very interesting to me. Maybe it's because there were too many places and people named--after a while I just found it confusing. And the maps in the front of the book are hard to read. Osten Ard from MS&T was a much more appealing setting for an epic fantasy.
-Lastly, I was surprised to see that the quality of writing was inconsistent throughout the book. Usually Williams' writing sparkles--for me, anyway--but in this book, while some parts definitely kept me on the edge of my seat (for example the scene where Vansen meets the Qar woman in the forest) some parts, indeed many, were simply dull. At times when I was reading I was thinking, "hey, this is pretty good!" and sometimes I was thinking "this is boring..." there was little consistency.

In all the first volume of Shadowmarch was okay. I'll pick up the next installment when it comes out. But still, I was very disappointed in it for a book of Tad Williams, whose stuff I normally love.

If you've never read anything by Williams before I would strongly suggest picking up Memory, Sorrow and Thorn instead, starting with The Dragonbone Chair, because it's SO much better.

It marks the beginning of a new fantasy trilogy, Williams' first in about a decade. Memory, Sorrow and Thorn is one of my favourite series of all time, and his scifi/technological series Otherland captivated me as well. So I was more than eager to start this book. Expectations were high, I must admit. But given the quality of his previous works, that's as it should be.

The odd thing, however, is that there is absolutely no buzz pertaining to this novel. And based on the fact that Tad Williams is a New York Times bestselling author, that is weird indeed. I always keep track of national fantasy bestsellers on the Locus Magazine website. Strangely enough, I could not find a trace of Shadowmarch. It's almost as if it had not yet been released. . .

Okay, so if you've read anything by Williams, you are aware that everything he does is always vast in scope and in details. Shadowmarch is no exception to that rule.:-)

Tad Williams' worldbuilding in this novel is again above and beyond what is currently the norm in the fantasy genre. And the fact that Shadowmarch offers us only a glimpse of what appears to be an impressive new universe makes me eager to read the next two installments!

As was the case with his other series, Williams starts rather slowly once again. But where the novel is lacking in action, it certainly packs a powerful punch in other respects. I got the feeling that Shadowmarch is one big introduction. And in Tad Williams' style everything appears to be secrets buried under riddles wrapped in mysteries.:-)

The characterizations, which are always one of the author's strong points, are at times brilliant and at times lacking. That was a disappointment, I must admit. Williams is always a master at building up characters. He obviously has a lot more in store for us in the future volumes of the series. Indeed, we want to know more about Shaso, the master of arms of Southmarch; Captain Vansen; The God-Emperor Sulepis, Autarch of Xand; Qinnitan, a seemingly ordinary girl chosen to become one of the Autarch's wives; Chaven, the mysterious physician; Yasammez, Scourge of the Shivering Plain; the strange, nameless boy found just beyond the Shadowline by the Funderlings; the orphaned girl named Willow; the potboy Gil; and so many more.

But as I mentioned, at times the chracterizations are lacking. With the Funderlings, Chert and Opal and their brethren, Williams made several attempts at humor, which somehow wasn't really à propos. In some instances, it even kills the momentum of the book. But my biggest disappointment lies in the chracterization of the twins, Briony and Barrick. It's obvious that there is a lot more to both than meets the eye, especially with Barrick's strange curse. But the way both characters think, interact with others, talk, etc; none of it rings true. In a way, it's as if their scenes were written by another author.

The other major shortcoming of Shadowmarch is all the politicking that takes place. Williams is much better than most writers in certain aspects of writing fantasy. Political intrigues, however, is not one of them. And since a large part of the novel hinges precisely on that, it's a bit of a setback. Not everyone can do it like George R. R. Martin or Katherine Kurtz, after all.

But enough about the negative. There are a lot of positive things about this novel, which keeps you turning those pages. Much like the Sithi in Memory, Sorrow and Thorn, the Twilight People are not your typical happy-go-lucky elves. Somehow, Williams is the only writer who can bring the darker nature of the fairy folk in such a fashion.

Williams caps it all off with a very good ending that answers few questions. But it raises many more, which creates undeniable interest for the sequels. As the cover blurb indicates, Shadowmarch is a vast tale of magic, intrigue, terror, sacrifice and war.

And with the Qar, the Twilight People, now reaching beyond the Shadowline to reclaim their lost lands; with the Autarch of Xand looking to expand his vast empire to the north; with the king of Southmarch imprisoned in Hierosol, victim of betrayal; with Yasammez poised to destroy humankind; with a conspiracy attempting to kill the Eddon family, rulers of Southmarch Castle; with Qinnitan destined to become the mother of the Autarch's heir; with Prince Barrick plagued by a strange curse that will take him beyond; with all that and more, there is a lot to like about Shadowmarch.

The positive outweighs the negative by far. Anyway, this series will have to be judged as a whole, not just by its opening chapter.

Regardless of its shortcomings, I am convinced that Williams' fans will enjoy this new novel. They are used to the fact that he is a slow starter, even if the end promises a lot more to come. However, I am not certain that newcomers will get into this one as much. Hence, I would recommend that they read Williams' previous works before tackling this book. It would be a shame for them to base their opinion of such a good writer on the premise of Shadowmarch alone.

Check out my blog: www.fantasyhotlist.blogspot.com

I don't normally review books on amazon, but I really couldn't believe the reviews I was reading here. I found this book excellent and on par with William's other writings, which means better than 99% of the fantasy that is on the market. No, this isn't a dragonlance book with sword fights and fireballs on every other page, but that is why it is good. I didn't find it slow in the least. Williams took a lot of time putting detail into the characters, culture, and history of this world.
If you want an action novel light on atmosphere, don't read this book. If you want a thickly layered imaginative fantasy novel, you'll enjoy this very much.

In the northern continent, a lurking danger awaits the perfect opportunity to wreck havoc. The Qar--immortal, angry, powerful--resent humanity's domination. Even after retaking the northern March kingdoms, they want it all back, especially a sacred place directly below the ancient castle of Southmarch.

After the kidnapping of their father, King Olin, and the brutal murder of their older brother, teen twins Barrick and Briony are thrust into power. As Prince and Princess Regent, they are literally forced to grow up overnight. They must face more than court politics if they are to survive betrayal, impending war with the Qar, and the additional threat posed by an insane god-king.

Meanwhile, a mysterious boy arrives in Southmarch with an agenda no one can guess.

Tad Williams has created an intricate fantasy world populated with fascinating characters and settings readers can see, feel, and hear. With all the elements of high fantasy, Williams presents his world on a grand scale. Plots within plots and many surprises will keep the reader rapt with apprehension. Well-placed doses of humor help break the tension in order to allow readers to catch their breathe for what follows.

Fantasy fans will find a lot to love about SHADOWMARCH. Be sure, however, to make time for the long read. At almost 800 pages, it's a beast, but it is oh so worth your time.

Reviewed by Christina Wantz Fixemer
03/04/2007

If I could I would give this a 2.5 out of 5 as it is I opted for the higher score because of the possiblities in the sequal(s)

I always look forward to Tad Williams books ever since reading Tailchasers song. Unfortunately his latest opus does not live up to the standards I have come to expect. While the writing is as good as ever the chracters and the plot lines leave something to desired . . . especially when it comes to originality.
To take the characters first, a strong female heir rebelling against her place; her crippled, metally and physically, twin brother; the loyal foreign retainer who is unjustly, if understandably, accused of a horible crime; the orphan boy taken in by strangers with a strange, and potentially history changing secret; the court 'scientist' dabbeling in dangerous and possibly forbidden arts; the maiden inducted into a harem as the bride of the god king. All follow the established conventional fantasy stereotypes.
The plot centers around the struggle of the old guardians of mankind against an ancient enemy that had been thought to be defeated but now has gathered new strength and is on the verge of at least doing some serious damage from one side while another old enemy threatens the peace from the other direction. All at a time when the legitimate ruler has been abducted.
Nothing really new in fantasy and used - so far - in a rather predictable manner. In addition, it contains some erie similarities to that of the Song of Ice and Fire cycle of GRR Martin without its main strength. (his characters are 3 dimensional in that they ALL incorporate both good and bad . . . the difference is mainly in their motivations and methods used to achieve their ends; all have redeeming qualities and - sometimes large - flaws.)
All in all a book that's worth a read - especially for Williams fans - but not up to his previous standards although we'll have to see how the sequels play out. Fans of GRR Martins Song of Ice and Fire will probably be disatisfied with the many parralels and similarities and being one of them I have to admit that the same themes are treated much more realistically - and satisfyingly - there.

This is epic fantasy at it's absolute best, but I should also warn you: it is DARK. So if you're not a huge fan of dark epic fantasy, this might not be for you. If you don't mind a little dark, though, I really can't see how you will be disappointed.

Lately, I have been rediscovering epic fantasy, and I don't know how, but I seem to pick only the most amazing books with which to rediscover it. Because that is exactly what Shadowmarch is. Amazing. Tad Williams has constructed a creative, intelligent, solid piece of dark epic fantasy, and I'm a fan

What I most liked about Shadowmarch is that it is far more than just an epic fantasy. It is full of complexities. He takes familiar ideas and familiar things and turns them into SO much more - making you wonder why any other author would ever even try with similar ideas. Tad Williams has already done it and done it so well that it seems there's no point. (though I will admit: there were some things reminiscent of the Fraggles and the Borrowers, and I would be dreadfully sad if those didn't exist). It starts off so easily that, despite the length, you'll be halfway through before you know it and wondering where all the time went. I recently reviewed Acacia by David Anthony Durham, and in that book I was impressed with the parallels to the different countries we find in our world today; they were obivous without seeming forced or lacking in creativity. While, in Shadowmarch, the parallels to our world seemed to focus more on already dead civilizations, I was even more impressed with Tad William's way of making his story seem relevant while still allowing it to remain 100% fantasy.

I feel like I could turn this review into something almost as long as the book itself, but it seems kind of pointless as I gather it has already been done a thousand times before, and it would just give away too much. I almost think it is best to go into this book blind for ultimate enjoyment. So, to finish, there was just one small thing that I didn't love about the book, and that was that, with one minor exception, I didn't actually connect to any of the characters. They all seemed like they were only STARTING to be developed, and, since the book was so long, it seems like it could have taken a bit more time to help us empathize with the characters. But then, there are more books to the series, and I'm figuring by the end, I will either love or hate all of them. BEcause of this, though, it does occasionally feel SLIGHTLY slow moving towards the middle.

Shadowmarch is one powerful bang of a book, and fans of dark epic fantasy will absolutely NOT be disappointed. This book is definitely worth the time it takes to read it and more! If you know my reviews, you know that I don't give 5 stars lightly, and this book is definitely worth all 5 of them!

I am not the typical Williams fan, being that I loved his otherland series but was rather lukewarm to his tradinal fantasy writings. But while memory, sorrow and thorn is not my favorite fatasy series, those stories had an urgency to them that is shockingly lacking here. The story is slow moving, not a whole lot happens and the world is left rather underdevoped for having finished a more than 500 page novel. By the end of the novel I was skipping pages(somthing I nearly never do) to see if somthing more interesting happens at the next POV change. Simply put this novel is only for the most bored fantasy fan, who is unwilling to risk buying some more unknown author of the genre.

I've been a Tad Williams fan since a friend let me borrow Tailchaser's Song back in 1990. I devoured the Memory, Sorrow and Thorn trilogy and have actually reread it in its entirety more than once. I finished the Otherland series and felt somewhat let down(sci-fi just isn't my thing). When I heard that Williams was putting out a new high fantasy epic, I couldn't wait to get my hands on the first installment.
I agree with some other reviewers that this one is slower on plot and lighter on character development. I also feel like some characters and plot threads have been 'recycled' from previous works. But I still found it enjoyable enough to stay up half the night reading and will eagerly anticipate the second volume