The Dragonbone Chair
Memory, Sorrow and Thorn, Book 1
By Tad Williams
In the land of Osten Ard, a young scullion named Simon becomes apprenticed to Morgenes, the doctor at the high king’s castle. King John dies, leaving his son Elias the throne, who brings with him to the castle a fallen priest, Pryrates.
When the king’s brother, Prince Josua, goes missing, suspicion rests on Elias, but there is no proof. One afternoon, Simon accidently discovers a hidden door, behind which lies the secret dungeon where Josua has been imprisoned by Pryrates.
Simon helps the prince escape, but the act makes him a fugitive and plunges him into the center of a growing rebellion against the high king. Jealous of his brother and blinded by his hatred, Elias strikes a deal with an ancient enemy of mankind, the dreaded Storm King Ineluki, and receives an ancient powerful sword, Sorrow.
While fleeing to Naglimund to rejoin Prince Josua, Simon is soon joined by a troll, Binabik, and Miriamele, the high king’s daughter, in disguise. The new friends race to reach Naglimund while the world begins falling apart around them.
I really enjoyed this series the first time I read the Memory, Sorrow and Thorn trilogy, but I enjoyed this book even more the second time. Complex and interesting, this book is a must-read for any lover of fantasy.
This review originally appeared 29 December 2012 on fantasyreviewer.com