by Tad Williams
I had had the volumes of Tad Williams’ epic tale, Memory, Sorrow and Thorn sitting on my bookcase for some time. It seemed about time to catch up on some fiction reading.
Williams has quite the knack for fleshing out the details of his world. I did feel that he spent an awful lot of time showing us the mundane existence that his main character, Simon, lives in the vast corridors of the High King’s castle, the Hayholt. I felt it might have taken a bit too long to set the main plot into motion, but I also realize he has used the space to introduce many of the players who will populate his vast canvas. Additionally, since the scope of the three volumes shows the transformation of Simon from a dreaming, restless scullion boy into something quite different, the long opening does serve important story purposes.
Simon has barely begun his education under the wizardly Doctor Morgenes when the ominous king’s advisor Pyrates causes the death of Simon’s mentor, forcing the youth to flee the Hayholt and head out into the wide world. Simon sets himself to seek the company of Prince Josua, who is reluctantly accepting the necessity of opposing his brother, High King Elias. Magic is let loose on the land, as it suffers first a harsh drought and then an unbreakable winter, which holds on throughout the year.
Simon’s quest gains him unusual allies – not merely companions of nations and tribes that usually battle each other, but also friends from other peoples such as trolls and Sithi. He is given charge of one specific quest – to find the legendary sword, Thorn. The volume follows him to the fulfillment of that quest, which works out rather differently than Simon imagined.
In spite of the hefty size of this volume, it is well worth working one’s way through it. Williams has taken the effort to fully realize his world. He puts more substance into the nature of his story beyond that of mere action-adventure. It may require a little bit of patience to get through the beginning, but Williams rewards the reader with a well-shaped world of unexpected sights. And as part one of three, this volume does end with a sense of accomplishment of the first part of the over-all task. The major dire threat does still looms in the background, to compel the reader on to the next volume. But The Dragonbone Chair ends with one mission complete and a sense of growth in Simon.
