Customer Reviews

Shadowrise: Volume Three of Shadowmarch

5 star:		(17)
4 star:		(14)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Shadowrise is Tad William's third and thus concluding novel of the Shadowmarch trilogy, begun in Shadowmarch and continued in Shadowplay. So in this final volume, wait, hold on, I'm being told Mr. Williams, clearly feeling a sense of fantasy author peer pressure, has decided that, yes, while this is the "concluding volume," it has in fact been split in two (hmmm, where have I heard that before), making the trilogy, in usual fantasy fashion, four books. At least. Maybe five. Who knows? In truth though, I've found the degree to which this sort of thing annoys me is in direct inverse relation to the quality of the books themselves. And I can't say I found myself particularly upset that Williams has extended Shadowmarch another five hundred pages or so. Or, you know, another thousand.

Book one was a typical starter novel: relatively slow-paced so as to introduce character, setting, necessary background information, etc. and leaving the reader with more questions than answers. It had its issues, was a bit uneven in its treatment of character and various storylines, but I found it mostly compelling throughout and found that Williams' characteristically sharp writing more than compensated for the few flaws and found ways to make even the hoariest of genre tropes feel relatively fresh. Shadowplay picked up the pace quite a bit, evened out the quality among the numerous storylines, and improved the readability of several of the more annoying or weak characters from Shadowmarch. And Shadowrise continues in that same strong vein.

Like the previous novels, Williams shifts point-of-view among several characters and plot lines, which are far too numerous and complex to go into at this stage of the series, save to say that narrative lines that seemed somewhat disconnected or even wholly separate are now starting to intertwine, in ways both expected and unexpected. The shifts themselves are fluid and easily followed, but more than in the others I felt a bit rushed through them at times and I found myself wishing Williams had let us spend some more time in each. Part of the reason for this, however, is that Williams is better here than in book one at offering up separate stories of equal narrative force.

Part of what I enjoyed so much in Shadowrise is the way he does this in varied fashion. We follow several characters preparing for small-scale battle (and a few actual skirmishes), another character's lone (save for a talking bird) trek through a strange land, another character's singular focus on escaping her captor, another's first moves into the realm of political intrigue as well as romance and so on. Each strand is compelling and suspenseful though the means of evoking that interest varies greatly.
While we're still working with some of the same-old, same-old fantasy tropes (twins, delvers, strange forests, etc.) as with the others, Williams puts enough of his own stamp on things and creates such fully fleshed characters that the standard forms don't detract from the reading experience. And they are more than offset by the segments in the twilight land where he lets his imagination run free.

I said in my review of book one that this series doesn't match the genius of his Sorrow trilogy (it was, after all, "genius") but is his strongest work since then and compares favorably to nearly any epic fantasy going now (with only a few exceptions). Through three books, I see no reason to change my mind. I'm looking forward eagerly to the book four, the concluding volume. Or, you know, not.

This has been the best book of this trilogy so far, though it ends abruptly (as though the book were cut in half, which indeed it was. But fear not, the final volume should appear in a couple of months). Many loose ends are clarified, and obviously the story is converging on Southmarch - where a king who would be god, the disenfranchised 'fairies', the missing prince and princess, and a host of other characters are coming together. A reason I particularly liked this novel: in general, my beef with the other Shadowmarch novels, and indeed most mega-fantasy/sci-fi novels these days is the rapid switching between character POVs from chapter to chapter (sometimes within a single chapter). Perhaps this is a nod to short attention spans in the modern day, perhaps it's lazy writing, who knows. What impressed me in Shadowrise was that while this usually annoying switching went on as it always has, it was done so well, each character and its experiences so interesting, that for once it was almost a pleasure and not an irritant. This by no means vindicates this writing practice - only shows that in the hands of a skilled writer, it can work well.

I devoured the first two novels as fast as I could. Ignoring friends, TV, and sleep I'd crammed every waking moment with reading and was tragically depressed when the 2nd novel ended. I was very impatiently awaiting the release of the third novel. In the forward, Tad Williams jokes about one day being able to write a trilogy without the third book spilling into a fourth installment. Upon reading the third book, I have one big question:

Where is his editor?

Unfortunately, and I hate to say it about a very favorite author of mine, this book suffers from a severe lack of judicious editing and restraint. Rather than be critical of a hotly selling author, they just let him publish THIS! It's not awful, but it starts very slow. There is a lot of stuff that just didn't need to be included. It could've been whittled down, sections reorganized, parts cut. I found it quite slow going and uninteresting in a lot of places.

I know, so many fans are going to rave about how fantastic it is no matter how fantastic it isn't, but I am significantly disappointed in the third installment and not very enthusiastic about the fourth one. Wait for paperback, it just is not worth $30. Those answers you were dying for are not here.

Shadowrise is a very enjoyable read, much superior to volume two in the series, which was almost completely a set-up for the conclusion. But as much as I liked the novel, I do resent having this trilogy series turn into four books -- a quadrilogy? Another reviewer wisely points out that Steven Erickson has amazingly long books published, so why can't good old Tad? Financial decision, I suppose, tho' would not accuse him, necessarily, of gouging his readers, as some other authors are/were famous for doing. Williams is creative, as always, and has avoided the crawling pace of those monumental 'computer' novels (have blocked the name, tho' did read them all) he produced some years ago. No, Shadowrise does not 'rise' to the level of the "Memory" series, but it's Tad's best effort since then. Recommended for all lovers of good fantasy (despite the familiar tropes), IF the series does indeed end with the next volume. So wait to buy the books, if you're not already hooked, until you can be sure everything is wrapped up in volume 3.9. If it isn't, all bets are off, and who knows how long the twins & co will be wandering, fleeing, crawling thru rock, sailing along, etc.

I bought the whole series, including this third book in hardcover, based on the jacket describing this series as a "Trilogy", and thus complete.
But now I find that this is NOT the concluding book, there is another one (or more?) coming out.

When you're reading a long series crammed with characters, events and details, it is very difficult to remember everything when you read the final book a long time later, which is why I always buy series only after they are finished. So, while the publishers may well be unethical people who would do anything to make a quick buck, I think it is incumbent on the author to at least try and make sure that the jacket work is not misleading. Assuming that the author himself doesn't want to make a quick buck by tricking people into buying his book early, which I couldn't believe of this author, anyway.

My hardcover copy also suffers from poor editing (many typos) and poor printing, even, with a long black smudge that ran through many of the first pages.

The series itself started brilliantly, Tad Williams' best by far since the Dragonbone chair, full of wonderful characters, people insights, and a series of events that play out in a way that overlaps with an interesting mythology - one that may not, in fact, be all myth. However, the second and third books are successively more diluted of content, with the main characters split apart and a lot of the fun of their interactions taken away, and we are reduced to watching them trudge through one landscape after the other, waiting for a few sparks of interest.

I want to know how it ends, and am grateful to the author for producing this series, but it would be nice if he could have done it in three or even two books, unless he really needed the money. Concentrate the magic.

The Eddon family is divided and scattered. King Olin is a prisoner of the mad autarch of Xis, whilst Prince Barrick is lost beyond the Shadowline, searching for the fabled Qar capital. Far to the south, Princess Briony is a reluctant guest of the Syannese court. The Qar continue their siege of Shadowmarch, but Hendon Tolly is more interested in unearthing the ancient secrets of the castle than in resisting the invaders. That job falls to the Funderlings, who must mount a stalwart defence of the tunnels and passages below the castle.

Shadowrise is the third novel in the Shadowmarch series. Originally planned as a trilogy, the final book in the series grew too large to publish in one volume, so was split in half (though each half is almost as long as the first two books in the series by themselves). Williams has form on this, as this also happened with the paperback edition of the final volume of the Memory, Sorrow and Thorn series.

As with the first two books in the sequence, Shadowrise is well-written with some interesting characters. Williams has always had an enjoyable prose style, and that remains true here. Unfortunately, that can't quite overcome several problems. One is that the story unfolds with all the verve, vigour and energy of a particularly lazy sloth on sleeping pills. Chapters seem to endlessly pass which, whilst individually well-written, seem to consist of characters doing little but sitting around and talking about the plot, the backplot and what might happen next, often introducing little to no new information the reader needs to know.

Quite a few of Williams's characters are reactive, spending most of their time wringing their hands and agonising over what to do next. Notably it's those characters who actually make plans and enact them who carry the book, most notably Ferras Vansen and Chert the Funderling. Barrick's journey beyond the Shadowline has an unusual, weird tone to it that is rather different to the rest of the book and features some genuinely unsettling fantastical moments, but is undermined by Barrick's total lack of agency in the storyline. He has no idea about what's going on, neither does the reader, and this makes following that subplot rather tiresome. Worse still is Briony's storyline in Syan, in which it appears that Williams was setting up some rich court intrigue, realised halfway through he couldn't be bothered, and simply ejected Briony from that storyline rather abruptly. Whilst it's good to get this part of the story out of the way, it does render Briony's entire storyline in the last two books somewhat pointless. Also pointless is Qinnitan's subplot, which feels like makework as Williams tries to find something for her to do rather than simply getting her from Point A to Point B.

As the book continues, it starts to pick up some energy towards the end as important plot revelations take place and we actually get some energetic action sequences, rousing the narrative from its lengthy torpor. Naturally these are just in time for the inevitable cliffhanger ending into the final novel in the sequence, Shadowheart.

Shadowrise (***) is readable enough, but so long-winded that it's hard to muster the enthusiasm to carry on at times. Williams has just enough good ideas and interesting characters to make it worthwhile, but unfortunately this novel does little to dispel the impression that Shadowmarch is his weakest major work to date. The novel is available now in the UK and USA.

I don't have anything against long books, but this book started to creep into Robert Jordan territory - very little plot progression happens over too many pages. If the fourth book weren't so good, I'd say just stop the series now while you can. As it is, I kind of wished I'd just skipped this one and read the plot synopsis at the beginning of book four.

These books are great and written in a TIMELY manner,unlike some other books that seem to take many years(still waiting). If you loved the dragon bone chair you're going to love these!! Thank you Mr.Williams for yet another great read.

Since the denouement of the story had to be split into two parts, this is the volume where many plots are revealed, characters regain (or acquire) some sense of direction and the full force of the looming threat becomes palpable. At once enjoyable and frustrating (having to wait another 8 months for the final volume), Shadowrise spends as much time on character development as advancing the plot. Politically sophisticated as all Williams books tend to be, the hidden agenda is finally clearly stated for those who may have missed previous dropped hints. Religion and religious beliefs are very much the centerpiece of this series, making this ancient world relevent to the real modern one. The complexity of the tale drives the length of the series, and the pace doesn't bog down even in murky shadowlands, so despite the impressive size of the Shadow books, they leave the reader only wanting more. Even though Williams pays homage to the tropes of the fantasy genre, his shaded characterizations and political acuity make his work stand out from the pack.

If Steven Erikson can get a book published at 1280 pages I don't see why the third book in this trilogy had to be split up so it's actually a 4 book trilogy. The only thing I can think of is- it's simply about the money.

Still I enjoyed the read. If you've read any of Tad Williams' Fantasy Novels and enjoyed them, then you will enjoy this one.