/lit/ - Literature

>>22667398
The Dragonbone Chair, Memory, Sorrow, Thorn #1 - Tad Williams (1988)

Simon is a fourteen year old orphan who has been raised among the kitchen staff since birth at castle Hayholt. His days are filled with menial chores, which he often doesn't complete to satisfaction, as he'd prefer to explore the castle grounds, daydream, or listen to stories. After a time he becomes apprenticed to the castle's wizard, from whom he hopes to learn magic, but finds instead he first must undergo an education. These pleasantly indolent days are not long to last. A dark being from ancient days rises once more. Having stumbled upon the truth, Simon must flee everything he has ever known to survive.

The preceding paragraph is an overview of Part One, which covers about 25% of its length. Depending on your preferences, its leisurely pace with much description and abundant lore may feel comfy and immersive or slow and lecturing. That goes for the entirety of the book, but especially so for Part One. There are several songs, pages at a time of lore, readings from a book, and much else in terms of exposition. Simon isn't the only viewpoint character, so at times there will be others who are doing their own separate thing that builds up what's going in the world outside of Simon's quest.

Where they are is called Osten Ard, probably meaning Eastern Earth or similar. It's their year of 1164. I would say that it's Arthurian if it weren't for that the king is literally called John Presbyter, a legendary Christian figure who was said to have reigned in the East. There's also considerable influence from a Norse-like people. Osten Ard was settled by this story's version of elves and then men came and started a war in which humans triumphed. Another notable race are the trolls, one of whom Simon travels with, though it's certainly a different take on what a troll is. It was nice though.

Based on this first book it seems like a fine enough standard quest fantasy series. The series name refers to the three legendary swords that may be needed to defeat the Dark Lord, which I assume they travel around to various locales in their meandering way to obtain. This isn't really my preferred sort of fantasy and I didn't find Simon to be a protagonist I wanted to spend more time with, but I didn't find anything particularly bad about it. Simon seems like he's in for a considerable amount of suffering despite the easygoing opening, so it doesn't seem like it'll be casual and lighthearted adventuring.

What I've written is reductive, it's considerably more complicated that that, but it remains smooth and easy reading. Most everything outside of Simon's perspective seemed extraneous to me, which may have been because I wasn't fully engaged with the narrative. I won't be continuing this series, but I'll try Williams other novels at some other time since I've liked his short fiction, though I don't know that I'll give them as much of a chance as I gave this one.

Rating: 3/5

Worth reading?

is it kino?

>>19543744
(Pic related)

I just started this last night before I went to bed, just from reading the first chapter I can tell I'm going to enjoy this series it's peak comfy-kino.

I just started this last night I'm only a chapter in and I already find it incredibly well-written and compelling

Is this series good?

Fuck Bayaz btw