Next on the list is the fantasy trilogy by Tad Williams. This author's debut novel, Tailchaser's Song was quite well received. It was similar to Watership Down in terms of being an animal story, in this case cats, that involves dialogue and a certain amount of animal society, but without completely anthropomorphizing the critters. I thought it was okay, but not worth acquiring.

Then Williams came out with The Dragonbone Chair. Friends of mine attended a convention where Michael Whelan was a guest artist, and they were kind enough to get me a prepublication copy signed by my favorite cover artist (still is, but I am apathetic these days). I read this story and was blown away. I was similarly impressed with the rest of the trilogy (itself called Memory, Sorrow and Thorn): Stone of Farewell and To Green Angel Tower. It remains among my all-time fantasy favorites and I reread it at regular intervals (as it's appearance in this list demonstrates).

Keep in mind that at the time I was well into my period of swearing off fantasy, since I was sick and tired of repetitive knock-offs built around medieval European cultural elements and generally being Tolkein derivatives. And this book has all of the classic fantasy tropes: a small band of heroes who begin separately but come together for a good cause, an evil threatening the land, a quest to save the world so lots of moving around the landscape fleeing bad guys and seeking the key to defeating evil, battles, the inevitable romance, and happy ending. And it has all of the standard fantasy characters: a hero of humble origins who turns out to be more than first appears, a wise old mentor who guides our heroes and has some share of magic, princesses in disguise, elves, dragons.

It is also entertaining to match up the cultures that appear in the book to the real-world inspirations. The elves and the Norns are clearly inspired by Asian cultures (Japanese probably, among others). The Rimmersmen are Vikings, the Hernystiri are Welsh (or maybe more generic Celts), the Thrithings are horse-riding nomads (Scythians? Mongols? more of an eastern European feel), the Erkynlanders are Anglo-Saxon, the Nabbanai are Italian/Holy Roman Empire, with Perdruin being Sicily, the Wrannamen may be Irish or another marsh-based culture, but I tend to think more of the bayous of the American South (perhaps the Seminoles?), and the Yiqanuc trolls are like the Inuit or perhaps the Sherpas in the Himalayas. Now that I'm writing it all down, the fact is that all of the humans in this story are white, and any people of color are represented by nonhuman cultures. And of course there's no black folk here.

While this trilogy has all of the standard, well-trodden features, many that can be correlated directly to The Lord of the Rings, it is still original and fresh, perhaps because in many ways it subverts the standard tropes, and perhaps the many, many secondary characters that provide dimensions and depth and bring the world and its many cultures to life. The narrative is filled with stories and songs, and the characters speak in a range of dialects reflecting their cultural differences. The dialogue is quite good, as is the prose in general, and the character development. It is, ultimately, a very long coming-of-age story, as a teenager matures into manhood and learns wisdom in the process of surviving many harrowing crises. It is also a meditation on love, loss, grief, despair, sacrifice, longing for peace/annhilation/the end of existence, honor, legends, human limits, and all of that good, big stuff. ( )

I reread this after quite some time and I am pleased that the series is as good as I remembered. Williams has a deep sense of empathy for his characters and because of that he's able to show us how each character meets the challenges put before them - even the inhuman ones to a degree. Really, I just like Simon. He's such a mooncalf in the beginning that it's wonderful to see him grow with each experience. That is my main problem with a lot of fantasy that's on the shelves these days: the characters are so static or one dimensional, but you will not be disappointed with Soeman. ( )

An enjoyable fantasy re-read. Good romp, but not as mature as War of the Flowers. This first book is a particularly good example of the peasant boy having adventures happen to him against his will, but don't let that put you off completely. ( )

The first book in the Memory, Sorrow and Thorn trilogy. This is a creative, wonderful piece of fantasy. Deep forces are stirring, and somehow the kitchen boy, Simon is involved. Simon gets involved via his mentor, a member of a mysterious group of individuals that write to each other, and who may or may not be wizards of some sort. However there is evil in the ancient castle, built on the ruins of an even older structure. While this may seem like the usual fantasy story of a youngster pushed into larger events, its much more than that. Very good! ( )

The story of Simon, teenage bastard son of a deceased scullery maid, who finds himself cast into an adventure which calls up strengths and maturity he never dreamed he possessed. with richly described characters and setting, this is a wonderful tale for those who like Lord of the Rings. ( )