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skbat's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Violence, War, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Confinement, Death of parent, and Fire/Fire injury
Minor: Rape, Torture, and Vomit
jm_brister's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
The Dragonbone Chair by Tad Williams is the first in the four book Memory, Sorrow, Thorn fantasy series (okay, this series is SORT of a four book series). I've been through this series twice now, and I like it better the second time around. This is an overall solid fantasy series and is a good choice for readers who don't want to read a ten plus book fantasy series.
This is the slowest book in the series because it has a lot of set up, but it does create an interesting contrast between Simon's previous life and his trials/adventures. I remember struggling through this book the first time and enjoying it the second read-through because I could see a lot of interesting foreshadowing that I had not picked up on before.
Williams typically likes to take his time to develop his characters and story line. In this particular book, we do see pretty young characters who will eventually grow and mature as the series progresses. For Simon, this series really becomes a coming of age tale, which was good for me because I found him incredibly annoying when first meeting him in this book. Honestly, I do prefer more mature protagonists (see Terry Goodkind's Sword of Truth series), but Simon does make a lot of progress in this book (and a lot more in this series).
If this is your first time reading this book, the series gets much faster-paced with each book. To Green Angel Tower is the best out of this trilogy, by far. I had my husband read this series, and I think he really enjoyed it for the most part (and he's a tough cookie to win over with new authors that he's never read before). Four stars.
This is the slowest book in the series because it has a lot of set up, but it does create an interesting contrast between Simon's previous life and his trials/adventures. I remember struggling through this book the first time and enjoying it the second read-through because I could see a lot of interesting foreshadowing that I had not picked up on before.
Williams typically likes to take his time to develop his characters and story line. In this particular book, we do see pretty young characters who will eventually grow and mature as the series progresses. For Simon, this series really becomes a coming of age tale, which was good for me because I found him incredibly annoying when first meeting him in this book. Honestly, I do prefer more mature protagonists (see Terry Goodkind's Sword of Truth series), but Simon does make a lot of progress in this book (and a lot more in this series).
If this is your first time reading this book, the series gets much faster-paced with each book. To Green Angel Tower is the best out of this trilogy, by far. I had my husband read this series, and I think he really enjoyed it for the most part (and he's a tough cookie to win over with new authors that he's never read before). Four stars.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence and War
Moderate: Death
book_byrd's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death, Violence, and War
Minor: Animal cruelty and Animal death
petitemass15's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Grief, Murder, and War
Moderate: Death and Fire/Fire injury
windrunner_nyy's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Pure escapism!
I am so glad to have started my journey into Osten Ard. The Dragonbone Chair has so much depth, so much nuance, that I can’t stop going gaga over it. The worldbuilding is intricate and gets revealed slowly, but surely. The prose is brilliant; I was literally transported unto this world! And the character development is sooo engaging. I started this book as an audiobook and my goodness… the narrator is amazing! It matches perfectly the prose of the story. So engaged and so enamored with the world was I, I had to buy the series in paperback form. I was reading in physical form in the mornings, hearing the audiobook in my commute and lunch break, then went for the immersion reading in the evenings.
Now, this is a slow burn. It takes time to travel onto this world. But it is sooo worth it. The Dragonbone Chair came at the perfect time for me. It reminded me why I love the fantasy genre and helped me escape, at least for a few hours a day, the craziness of the real world. I can’t wait to travel to Osten Ard once more. Thank you Tad.
I am so glad to have started my journey into Osten Ard. The Dragonbone Chair has so much depth, so much nuance, that I can’t stop going gaga over it. The worldbuilding is intricate and gets revealed slowly, but surely. The prose is brilliant; I was literally transported unto this world! And the character development is sooo engaging. I started this book as an audiobook and my goodness… the narrator is amazing! It matches perfectly the prose of the story. So engaged and so enamored with the world was I, I had to buy the series in paperback form. I was reading in physical form in the mornings, hearing the audiobook in my commute and lunch break, then went for the immersion reading in the evenings.
Now, this is a slow burn. It takes time to travel onto this world. But it is sooo worth it. The Dragonbone Chair came at the perfect time for me. It reminded me why I love the fantasy genre and helped me escape, at least for a few hours a day, the craziness of the real world. I can’t wait to travel to Osten Ard once more. Thank you Tad.
Content Warnings
Minor: Death, Violence, and War
bookcaptivated's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence
Minor: Death and Death of parent
gladiolus17's review against another edition
I DNF’d because of there was little happening in the beginning. I don’t mind slow paced books, but all I read up until 18% was set-up. That’s fine, but what was it setting up for? I had no idea.
The stakes were unclear, so I didn’t know why I should keep reading. I suppose the stakes were clear for the king.After the king’s death, Elias took the throne, and he didn’t seem like a good ruler. But I was concerned with the main character Simon. He didn’t seem affected at all by the royal events, and his POV just seemed to be a filter for the author to set up worldbuilding and stumble upon happenings at court.
The writing itself was great, don’t get me wrong. But I guess negative things are easier to write about.
The stakes were unclear, so I didn’t know why I should keep reading. I suppose the stakes were clear for the king.
The writing itself was great, don’t get me wrong. But I guess negative things are easier to write about.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Animal cruelty and Animal death
Minor: Death and Death of parent