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A masterpiece of the imagination, THE WAR OF THE FLOWERS is a truly epic novel that once again pushes the boundaries of fantasy fiction into new and unexplored territory. In the great city, in the dimly lit office of an impossibly tall building, two creatures meet. Gold changes hands, and the master of the House of Hellebore gives an order: 'War is coming. The child must die.' In our own world, a young man discovers a manuscript written by his great uncle. It seems to be a novel - a strange fairytale of fantastic creatures and magical realms. But it is written as a diary ... as if the events were real ... as if his uncle had journeyed to another world. For the young man, the fantasy is about to become reality. Find out more about this title and others at www.orbitbooks.co.uk… (more)
Jannes: Both novels does the "modern faerie" thing, but in very different ways. Both manages a genuine sense of awe and magic, which is rare enough in fantasy today, so they're well worth checking out.
I love this book. Loved it when I first read it nine years ago, and love it just as much upon re-reading it today. I'm in awe of the way Tad Williams wrote such a complex story without ever losing a single plot thread. The way everything connected in the end is nothing short of pure genius. There are so many characters to keep track of, each with their own personality, history, and way of speaking -- and Williams does it beautifully. The thing I like most about reading fantasy is the way great epic fantasy parallels our lives. Sure, it might be set in a strange world and populated by odd beings, but at its heart, a fantasy story is about us. We can see ourselves reflected in the really good ones, and War of the Flowers is definitely such a book. It tackles subjects like prejudice, slavery, corruption, and oppression -- yet it does so delicately, under the guise of a fast-paced adventure story. Tad Williams is truly one of the masters of the genre, and this is by far his best work. ( )
Two features stand out -- this is an urban fantasy read, but not here in our world, but in 'the city' of the fae. After his mother's death Theo Vilmos, a singer, inherits a journal from his great uncle, Eamonn Dowd. The journal, which he thinks is a work of fiction, is about traveling to a city in fairyland that Dowd names New Erewhon. A city, strange and yet familiar. Theo is aware that, at 30, he is still struggling to grow up; he has always felt incapable of understanding what is expected of him socially although until now he's never examined himself, but after his girlfriend loses a baby and breaks up with him and his mother dies . . . he's ready. THEN he is catapulted into the fae world accompanied by a tiny sprite with a sharp tongue who saves his life and chased by a worse-than-zombie creature WHERE it turns out the bad guys of the elite Flowers want to destroy the mortal world in order to suck all the power out of it into theirs . . . etcetera, plot plot plot . . . and they also really want Theo for some reason. Theo continues to be dense and self-absorbed (unthinkingly, he is not a bad guy) his progress is frustratingly slow but later you realize there is a good reason why. What I enjoyed most were all the varied creatures of fairyland from sprites and nixies to goblins and ogres. The Flower Lords are awful stuck up beautiful elven fairy types, of course, but not all of them, of course. Lots of fun, not Williams' best, but a good read. ***1/2 ( )
It was a good book. Seemed a little less involved than most of his works but that is probably because it was a stand alone novel and not a trilogy as he usually produces. I would read a sequel if there was one. ( )
It was a good book. Seemed a little less involved than most of his works but that is probably because it was a stand alone novel and not a trilogy as he usually produces. I would read a sequel if there was one. ( )
This book is dedicated with great love to my wife, Deborah Beale, who makes my life worth living in more ways than I can count, let alone list here.
A good marriage and a loving family may not be the easiest things in the world to create, but I find it hard to believe there is anything more worth the effort. It is a Great Adventure, and I share mine with a wonderful woman.
Deb, you are my personal fairytale ending.
First words
A single flower, a hellebore, stood in a vase of volcanic glass in the middle of the huge desk, glowing almost radioactively white in the pool of a small, artful spotlight.
A masterpiece of the imagination, THE WAR OF THE FLOWERS is a truly epic novel that once again pushes the boundaries of fantasy fiction into new and unexplored territory. In the great city, in the dimly lit office of an impossibly tall building, two creatures meet. Gold changes hands, and the master of the House of Hellebore gives an order: 'War is coming. The child must die.' In our own world, a young man discovers a manuscript written by his great uncle. It seems to be a novel - a strange fairytale of fantastic creatures and magical realms. But it is written as a diary ... as if the events were real ... as if his uncle had journeyed to another world. For the young man, the fantasy is about to become reality. Find out more about this title and others at www.orbitbooks.co.uk
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In the great city, in the dimly lit office of an impossibly tall building, two creatures meet. Gold changes hands, and the master of the House of Hellebore gives an order: 'War is coming. The child must die.' In our own world, a young man discovers a manuscript written by his great uncle. It seems to be a novel - a strange fairytale of fantastic creatures and magical realms. But it is written as a diary ...as if the events were real ...as if his uncle had journeyed to another world. For the young man, the fantasy is about to become reality.
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