Stone of Farewell (Memory, Sorrow, and Thorn, Book 2) (original 1990; edition 1990)

Simon's adventures continue in this second installment of Memory, Sorrow, and Thorn. More of his world is explored as many of the characters embark on separate journeys which give the reader a wide window into this fantasy world. New creatures are unveiled and the plots of Elias thicken. Like the first in the series, this book can be dense and little hard to get through at times, but I do look forward to completing the series. ( )

Interesting, but still predictable. The more of Josua we see, the more I love him. ( )

On my reread, I am tempted to give this that extra 1/2 star, but not quite.

This book is never boring, but keeps you wondering and hanging on to see what happens to the characters.

And love'em or hate'em, they are real characters, not 2 dimensional figures.

Aside from that, I don't want to say more and spoil it for others. Read it! ( )

The second of the four book series following the fight against the Storm King after the death of Prester John.

The second book follows the different groups as they come to grips with their future. How do they fight against the Storm King? Will they even survive the cruel winters that come over the land?

Simon is saved from certain death by the Sithi and finds out the links between this ancient race and the Storm King himself. Josua gathers his rebel forces around him but needs to decide if he attacks with a lesser force or waits for the ideal opportunity. Maegwin searches for the solution from the gods on what her people should do to regain their land.

And the Storm King waits for the perfect moment.......as his power grows and takes a grip on the land. ( )

Readers of fantasy know that, quite often, the second book in a trilogy suffers from the dreaded "black sheep" syndrome. Book two is the slightly overlooked middle child. Less respected than the first and less spoiled than the last -- but necessary nonetheless. Characters often go on long journeys in the second book and think about things ad nauseam, all in preparation for whatever climax awaits in book three.

Luckily for us, Tad Williams is a master of the genre and handles this unfortunate yet necessary anomaly with such grace as to make it almost non-existent. Yes, there's much trekking in Stone of Farewell. There's a lot of introspection, as well. But rather than plodding through as I often do, I found myself enjoying every detailed moment.

In Stone of Farewell you will find that the cast of characters have diverged into separate adventures and the storytelling jumps between each of them in turn. The world building continues, and Osten Ard becomes an even more developed backdrop on which these adventures play out. The final scene brought actual tears to my eyes. An extraordinary read for lovers of epic fantasy -- I cannot wait to get my hands on book three. ( )