The Dragonbone Chair

One of my all-time favorites

The best books are the ones in which I can "lose myself." This is an excellent book if you enjoy getting caught up in the characters, their lives, and their world. I count the "Memory, Sorrow, and Thorn" series as my personal favorite. The books kept my interest all the way through to the end.

3 out of 3 people found this review helpful.

Christopher Paolini talks about Tad

Deborah Beale here (Tad partner & wife): we recently received this rave review from Christopher Paolini, and I thought I would take the liberty of posting it here. "Tad Williams is a huge inspiration for me. He's one of the main reasons I started writing fantasy. His books are epic, exciting, and filled with fascinating characters. When it comes to inventing imaginary worlds, he's as skilled as J.R.R. Tolkien and Frank Herbert. "Memory, Sorrow, and Thorn is one of the great fantasy epics of all time. I can't even remember how many times I've read it. It kept me so enthralled, I plowed through the last book in just one sitting! Here be magic, dragons, sprawling battles, thrilling feats of derring-do, ancient mysteries, hidden secrets-all the things a good story needs. These are the books, along with a few others, that led me to write Eragon. "Otherland is an awesome sci-fi story. The scale of Tad Williams' ambition and accomplishments as a storyteller in this series is amazing. He weaves together so many characters, locations, and unique worlds, you can't help but be impressed! Also, with Otherland Tad predicted the rise of the internet and online gaming long before it was invented. "Tad Williams' work is an essential part of any science fiction and fantasy library. I look forward to each new book he writes. If you like exciting, thought-provoking fiction, you owe it to yourself to give Tad a try. "His books are thick enough to stop a bullet! I know!" - Christopher Paolini

2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.

Christopher Paolini talks about Tad

Deborah Beale here (Tad partner & wife): we recently received this rave review from Christopher Paolini, and I thought I would take the liberty of posting it here. "Tad Williams is a huge inspiration for me. He's one of the main reasons I started writing fantasy. His books are epic, exciting, and filled with fascinating characters. When it comes to inventing imaginary worlds, he's as skilled as J.R.R. Tolkien and Frank Herbert. "Memory, Sorrow, and Thorn is one of the great fantasy epics of all time. I can't even remember how many times I've read it. It kept me so enthralled, I plowed through the last book in just one sitting! Here be magic, dragons, sprawling battles, thrilling feats of derring-do, ancient mysteries, hidden secrets-all the things a good story needs. These are the books, along with a few others, that led me to write Eragon. "Otherland is an awesome sci-fi story. The scale of Tad Williams' ambition and accomplishments as a storyteller in this series is amazing. He weaves together so many characters, locations, and unique worlds, you can't help but be impressed! Also, with Otherland Tad predicted the rise of the internet and online gaming long before it was invented. "Tad Williams' work is an essential part of any science fiction and fantasy library. I look forward to each new book he writes. If you like exciting, thought-provoking fiction, you owe it to yourself to give Tad a try. "His books are thick enough to stop a bullet! I know!" - Christopher Paolini

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

Started slow and picked up steam and never slowed down

Truly one of the best books I have ever read. Very human characters. Also, enough twist in the plot to keep you wanting more. I truly hope that Simon and friends have more adventures.

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

Epic Fantasy Lover

Tad Williams is one of the best writers today, I will continue to buy everything publishes. This book had me up until all hours of the night reading. I would also recommend 'The War of the Flowers'.

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

Great Book!

I've read this series 3 times, and it is absolutely one of my favorites. I would highly recommend this to anyone who loves fantasy as much as I do. The books are very well written, and the story is very original. Enjoy!

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

No words can do justice...

An unbelievable series, I cannot express my gratitude to Tad Williams for his great creation. After being hungry for well written fantasy cause I finished Robert Jordan's last book I stumbled onto this. Fascinated by the artwork of Otherland I had purchased it and though I loved the writing I decided I was more in the mood for fantasy, and went out and bought this book... I'm very glad I did, don't be put off by the seemingly slow start because it very soon quickens and I almost devoured the books! A MUST read for any fantasy fan! The only downfall is that you won't find anything this good in a long time... but hey! just start over again! and don't be surprised when at times you feel a tear trickling down your cheek...;) If you know anything as good or similar please mail me.

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

The first book in my favorite fantasy series. It introduces the

The first book in my favorite fantasy series. It introduces the characters well, it moves the pace along nicely and crafts a wonderful vision of a world with some halfways familiar backstory. One of the things I like about this series is that none of the characters are safe; anyone could die at any time. Seriously, I think by the end of the third book at least half of the listed characters are dead. When I first started reading this series I was in college and listening to a lot of Joe Satriani. Since then, whenever I hear a Satriani tune I associate it with a particular part of this (or the subsequent) book(s) and vice versa.

Will it EVER get better....

I picked up this story because the ratings were so high. I absolutely love a good fantasy, and especially love anything by authors such as Robin Hobb or the older book series by David Eddings. So when I saw the cover it reminded me of books written by Hobbs and the reviews were good so I bought it.

Let me tell you, it is one out of the hundreds of books I have read over the years that I have actually put down. The book is well over 700 pages long, so you expect some great long story full of interesting events. I am over 400+ pages in and nothing has really happened. There was one scene that was exciting when they were being chased by the vicious dogs...but other than that you are just as likely to read 100 pages describing a rather boring escape through some tunnels that hold no real interest.

I may end up picking it back up at a later date to see if the last 300 and some odd pages get better...but I suggest you save your money and buy something by Robin Hobbs like her Farseer series which is worth every penny! You shouldn't have to read 400+ pages before anything starts to happen in a book!!!!!

Excellent story

First read this book at the library about 1990, just had to pick it up when I saw it at the book store...along with the rest of the trilogy...sent them off to my daughter-in-law, who is also enjoying the series. Tad Williams is a very realistic fantasy writer, creating characters and a storyline that are very believable and engrossing. Had a hard time putting them down.

Excellent!

Very good read. This is my first Tad Willams book and i have to say I was blown away. Highly recommend!

Worth some patience

Out of the older tradition of fantasy writing, this one takes its time and builds slowly, carefully, meticulously, until we have a world and conflict that feels real and surprising in the present with the depth that a long history provides. Really good stuff if you're patient enough to let it simmer. What I would consider to be the introduction takes about 200 pages. Even then, it's not really until the end of this first book in the series that it really reaches the pace and depth that spurs you on to pick up the rest - immediately. No, it's not your quick fantasy fix, but it's infinitely more satisfying than the easy in-easy out fantasies that abound these days.

GREAT BOOK

start of a great read.

LOVE THIS SERIES!!!

I bought this book 10 years ago, when i was 15 and read the whole series in about a month. I could not put it down. Ever since then Tad Williams had been my favorite author. I have also read this series twice more since then!

Extremely Slow Start, But Worth IT!

Williams DRAGS on in the first 200 hundred pages. I almost put it down and said forget about it, but the series has so many great reviews I FOUGHT through it. It was worth it. The rest of the book and series is very well written with great character development and a great over all story. I recommend you skim through the first 200 hundred pages, otherwise you might get fed up and miss out on a great series.

The rest of the books do not start out slow at all!

One of my favorite series

I wasn't sure about The Dragonbone Chair. I picked it up after hearing that it had gotten some awards. After I got past the first 100 pages (or so), the book took off. I almost couldn't put it down. The final two books of the series were about as good. I've read it a couple times since (a couple years apart each time), and each time the books have the same effect. Highly recommended.

Have always loved this series...

Though I read this years ago I still count it as my all time favorite read. Tad writes his stories in FULL HD unlike any other author I have read before or since. Each character has incredible complexity and is full of life. I zoomed through these mammoth volumes so quickly that I hardly cracked the bindings! The vivid details took me out of a strictly medieval diet into the futuristic (Otherland series)... A transition that I never thought possible before reading the Dragon Bone Chair series... But when it was over I couldn't resist reading EVERYTHING he had published. And let me assure you that I was in no way disappointed with the Otherland series.

Great Epic Fantasy Series!

This book was recommended to me when I mentioned loving Tolkien. William's writing style is a bit easier to read than Tolkien, even if you don't really have trouble following JRR. I had trouble getting into the book initially and almost gave up on it but it suddenly sucked me in! I can't really say when either. The characters have good depth and relatable character flaws. It's more than worth the slow start. Yeah it is reminiscent of LOTR with some dragonlance chronicles mixed in, but it's got some refreshing originality to it. I'm hooked and I just bought the other two books in the series. Seriously, buy all three books at once or you'll be sorry! Book one leaves you hanging.

Good book

The book is about a boy named Simon who grows up to fight some battles and he wounds up making some friends on the way in his journeys to his destinations.

This Book Blows

This story is un-original in so many ways, dull, slow and unsatisfying. I read the three books of the series only because I was ignorant and bought all three together, and in the hope it would get better in the latter books. This series is bad, truthfully, I think it could have been good, unfortunately it wasn't. Skip it, you'll thank me.

0 out of 2 people found this review helpful.