To Green Angel Tower Part 1

Memory, Sorrow, Thorn was marketed as a trilogy, but this last 'book', comes in two physical books, Part One and Part Two, both close to 800 pages. Typical industry nonsense. These are big books because nothing happens in a big hurry in this series; battles are described carefully and fully, interactions between people, meetings, travel, as well as the descriptions of places in which the characters find themselves, from a Sithi encampment to out on the ocean, or the jungly marshes of the southern lands. We are reminded frequently how hard it is to feed a lot of people who are traveling together, for example. Within the confines of the genre, Williams strives to be "realistic".. At times it can be somewhat exhausting, frankly, and it was show more all I could do not to turn the pages to find out what happened next, but on the whole, Williams pulls it off. The young people continue to learn and grow (or find it all too difficult to endure) in various ways. He also doesn't shy away from difficult but realistic situations like Miriamele's relationship to Duke Aspitis. I love the development of Duke Isgrimnur in the one, sent off to find Miriamele. Guthwulf's story also intrigues. I would say this one was, in many ways, the strongest so far for me.
Looking forward to the final book. **** show less

The plot thickens. A really long showdown begins in this first part of the third book in the Memory, Sorrow and Thorn trilogy. I love how Williams brings all the threads together. Also that his characters aren't just good or evil. The good ones do stupid things as well and the evil ones (apart from Pryrates) also have their very human moments which almost make you feel with them (okay, sometimes they really do). This to me is the biggest and best difference to Lord of the Rings. Tolkien's characters are EITHER good OR evil, no shades really, and I never felt with his characters as I do here. I bow to Williams.

Tad Williams’ MEMORY, SORROW, & THORN trilogy was one of the first fantasy series I ever read and it’s still one of my favorites.

The writing style is very pleasant and the pace is slow enough to be savored, but characters actually accomplish things by the end of each book (you know what I mean).

The characters are well-developed and lovable but not annoyingly perfect. This is a classic epic fantasy plot: Simon the kitchen boy saves the world. But please don’t roll your eyes — this was written in the 1980’s — before it was a cliché. Even though he’s now a cliché, Simon is still charming and you can’t help but love him.

Memory, Sorrow, & Thorn is on my list to read again, and along with Robin Hobb’s FARSEER SAGA, it’s show more the one I always recommend to newcomers to the genre. show less

The first part of To Green Angel Tower hooks the reader from the first page with suspense, action, growing tensions that are unique to particular characters, and mysteries both solves and still unanswered. Tad Williams begins the finale of his series Memory, Sorrow, and Thorn with major characters still separated throughout the vast terrain of Osten Ard, but through course of the events bring many of them together only to separate them once again. The majority of the action takes place in and around the Stone of Farewell as newly knighted Simon Snowlock joins the battle for the survive of the town of refugees that had sprouted on the ancient Sithi site as Prince Josua begins to openly challenge his brother's rule.

The journey of show more Miriamele to the Stone of Farewell along with the dubious Cadrach brought together Isgrimnur, Tiamak, and the mentally lost Casamir in a journey through the dangerous Wran and enemy held borderlands. The reunion of nearly all the major characters results in very interesting dynamics and sometimes annoying with Simon and Miramele's interactions varying on the situation. The situation in Hernystir sees the Sithi ride to war and Maegwin lose her mind, which is neither improves or worsens her character development instead of just continuing to make it frustrating as usual. And Williams turns his attention to Pryrates, Elias, Rachel the Dragon, and blind Guthwulf to give the situation in the Hayholt.

To Green Angel Tower (Part 1) builds on the first two books in the Memory, Sorrow, and Thorn series as well establishing the endgame for entire story. Part 1 ends just as important things look like they are about to take place, especially as Simon and Miriamele separate from Josua's ragtag army on a mission only Miriamele knows the objective. It's an ending that makes the reader want to go straight to Part 2. show less

The story shifts into a new gear with To Green Angel Tower: Seige the third of four books in the Memory, Sorrow and Thorn series. The heroes of the tale begin to do better than just flounder the evil of the Storm King that upsets the balance of nature so greatly winter has come to all the land - Game of Thrones style "Winter is coming" (remember this series inspired George RR Martin to write his series).
Reading the book cover text, you would be forgiven for thinking this is the climax of the story. No, the heroes have merely gathered after fleeing an earlier defeat, and now they find they are under siege from an army sympathetic to King Elias' cause.
Immersive and slow paced as always, Tad continues to impress with how well he sinks you show more into his world while you wish the plot would move faster.
The book approaches close with a brilliant battle at The Stone of Farewell with tragic and heroic events that haunt my memory to this day.
The final events of the book see Princess Miriamele (probably spelled this wrong) leave the relative safety of her uncles forces and head of into the unknown in a desperate attempt to reunite with her father, one of the villains of this tale corrupted by the Storm King. She heads into the eye of the storm, and our intrepid and naive hero, Simon, must follow for he has sworn as a knight to protect her.
Compelling stuff that still needs a good amount of determination to continue reading. show less

Really enjoyed this third part to the story. I feel a stronger connection to the characters that I didn't get in the first book and I had to a lesser degree in the 2nd novel. The different story arcs were all interesting and I eagerly left each chapter looking forward to the next parts. I'm definitely eager to start the last novel in the series and cannot wait to see what happens.

This is the first half of a longer book which had to be split in two for the paperback edition as it would otherwise have simply fallen apart. Although this is probably a sign Tad Williams needs a more ruthless editor it still packs enough excitement on its own, though it leaves you desperate for the conclusion.