Status
Available
Call number
Genres
Collection
Publication
DAW Books (1993), Edition: 1st, 1083 pages
Description
The loyal allies of Prince Josua desperately struggle to rally their forces at the Stone of Farewell against the evil minions of the undead Sithi Storm King.
User reviews
LibraryThing member aleahmarie
Simon, a once kitchen boy turned knight, is caught up in a strange tale. He and his companions are at war with the greatest powers in all of Osten Ard, not all of whom are entirely of this world. Their only chance for survival? A strange poem found in the notes of a long dead madman and an uneasy
"To Green Angel Tower" is the final book in Tad Williams' "Memory, Sorrow and Thorn" trilogy. There's a lot of story tangled in these 1066 pages, making the task of writing a brief review seem nearly impossible. I feel I could construct a detailed dissertation on Williams' land of Osten Ard and still have a few plot points left unexplored.
The world that Tad Williams has created in this series is intricate and 3-dimensional. The characters are complex and believable, particularly that of young, brave, naive Simon. I sincerely enjoyed my time with the story and was sad to see it finally come to an end. On the other hand I was a little disappointed in how things wrapped up. After all of that world building and the intricately twisty plot, the ending seemed too tidy. It felt as though, even with 1066 pages, the author was rushing to find an end. Perhaps if "To Green Angel Tower" had been split into two novels Williams would have been able to give the ending the same flourish that I so enjoyed throughout the rest of the story. (The paperback edition of "To Green Angel Tower" was published in two parts due to its size. The story itself, however, was constructed as one book.)
But I so loved this series that I can't be overly critical for very long. I don't know how I only now found these novels (they've been out for years!) and I'll definitely be looking for more work by Tad Williams. I'd highly recommend this series to fans of awesomeness and epic fantasy.
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alliance with the immortal Sithi and the cave-dwelling Trolls of the frozen north. At one time Simon might have found his current circumstance to be exciting, adventurous. But he's long since left behind the mooncalf boy that he was. Being a hero is about survival, confusion and pain. Glory is the stuff of songs."To Green Angel Tower" is the final book in Tad Williams' "Memory, Sorrow and Thorn" trilogy. There's a lot of story tangled in these 1066 pages, making the task of writing a brief review seem nearly impossible. I feel I could construct a detailed dissertation on Williams' land of Osten Ard and still have a few plot points left unexplored.
The world that Tad Williams has created in this series is intricate and 3-dimensional. The characters are complex and believable, particularly that of young, brave, naive Simon. I sincerely enjoyed my time with the story and was sad to see it finally come to an end. On the other hand I was a little disappointed in how things wrapped up. After all of that world building and the intricately twisty plot, the ending seemed too tidy. It felt as though, even with 1066 pages, the author was rushing to find an end. Perhaps if "To Green Angel Tower" had been split into two novels Williams would have been able to give the ending the same flourish that I so enjoyed throughout the rest of the story. (The paperback edition of "To Green Angel Tower" was published in two parts due to its size. The story itself, however, was constructed as one book.)
But I so loved this series that I can't be overly critical for very long. I don't know how I only now found these novels (they've been out for years!) and I'll definitely be looking for more work by Tad Williams. I'd highly recommend this series to fans of awesomeness and epic fantasy.
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LibraryThing member CKmtl
I really wanted to enjoy this final volume, but it was rather disappointing.
This is a huge book; perhaps too huge. I'm not one to be daunted by thick books, so long as they stay interesting. Unfortunately, there seemed to be a lot of padding for the sake of padding in To Green Angel Tower. The
The unpronounceable Sithi language and place-names continued to slow reading, to the point that I had to stop trying altogether and just take them as a pattern of letters and apostrophes.
In places, the dialogue turned stiff, making it seem as though the characters were merely interviewing eachother rather than conversing as genuine people.
Some of the inner-conflict scenes, particularly Miriamele's, fell flat for me. Rather than seeming conflicted, she seemed... fragmented. "Yes! Yes!" one moment, and "No! Please, no!" the next, with no apparent memory of the previous state. No wonder Simon was confused.
**Minor Spoiler Below**
Finally, I found how Williams dealt with the problem of the Sithi and iron to be less than satisfying. Historically, the metal was supposed to be their bane but presently it doesn't affect them. The explanation boiled down to nothing more than "Well, we learned how to deal with it." Very handwavy.
This is a huge book; perhaps too huge. I'm not one to be daunted by thick books, so long as they stay interesting. Unfortunately, there seemed to be a lot of padding for the sake of padding in To Green Angel Tower. The
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first third and final quarter-or-so of the book were decent, but the middle dragged on and on.The unpronounceable Sithi language and place-names continued to slow reading, to the point that I had to stop trying altogether and just take them as a pattern of letters and apostrophes.
In places, the dialogue turned stiff, making it seem as though the characters were merely interviewing eachother rather than conversing as genuine people.
Some of the inner-conflict scenes, particularly Miriamele's, fell flat for me. Rather than seeming conflicted, she seemed... fragmented. "Yes! Yes!" one moment, and "No! Please, no!" the next, with no apparent memory of the previous state. No wonder Simon was confused.
**Minor Spoiler Below**
Finally, I found how Williams dealt with the problem of the Sithi and iron to be less than satisfying. Historically, the metal was supposed to be their bane but presently it doesn't affect them. The explanation boiled down to nothing more than "Well, we learned how to deal with it." Very handwavy.
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LibraryThing member lportmann
I read this trilogy. Stuff happened. Hero didn't die. Ending sorta sucked 'cause it felt rushed, but after 3000 pages, what are you gonna do?
In all seriousness, this is a long, engaging story. Tad Williams impresses me with the worlds he creates, and this was the story by which I was introduced to
In all seriousness, this is a long, engaging story. Tad Williams impresses me with the worlds he creates, and this was the story by which I was introduced to
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his works back in the early 90s. This book is by far the longest in the trilogy, and I did feel the ending was rushed in order to keep the page numbers a little lower than it ended up. Show Less
LibraryThing member Tcubed
Entry to the engaging conclusion of Memory Sorrow and Thorn.
I read To Green Angel Tower as a single book in pre-print. Was dissapointed when It was split into two. But the story is not negatively impacted (except that it is often hard to find one or the other.)
I read To Green Angel Tower as a single book in pre-print. Was dissapointed when It was split into two. But the story is not negatively impacted (except that it is often hard to find one or the other.)
LibraryThing member fuzzi
I did it, I finished this behemoth of a book, and never felt bored or distracted.
Tad Williams does something that many authors don't: he's willing to sacrifice main characters in order to further the plot. However, it never seems to be done in an offhand or cheap manner, nor is it something that
Beyond that, I hesitate to comment, as it might spoil it for others.
Can I give it 4 3/4 stars?
Tad Williams does something that many authors don't: he's willing to sacrifice main characters in order to further the plot. However, it never seems to be done in an offhand or cheap manner, nor is it something that
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you can look back on and say "Why did he do that?????"Beyond that, I hesitate to comment, as it might spoil it for others.
Can I give it 4 3/4 stars?
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LibraryThing member DinadansFriend
The conclusion of this fantasy cycle, that begins with "the Dragonbone Chair". There's a certain amount of chunky plot resolutions, but the final fight is very intense and well done.
LibraryThing member renbedell
A fantastic ending to a fantastic series, though this book doesn't just close up the entire series, The last book in the trilogy sets up it's own themes, getting darker and hitting more impactful notes. The character development is fantastic, as you really see Simon grow along with the many other
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characters. The best part is the worldbuilding. I started to feel very connected to the world and all the different cultures and landscapes. It is definitely not a short book, but it is worth it. A great trilogy that fully comes together in this last book, giving a sense of closures but still wishing there was more. While there was a sense of accomplishment after finishing this massive tome, I was still saddened have it end. Show Less
LibraryThing member haloedrain
Man, does Tad Williams need a good editor. I skipped the first two books in this series, and this stood up pretty well anyway. I'm not sure quite what to rate this, because it contained a couple of the most haunting scenes I've ever read watered down with a whole bunch of stuff that just should
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have been cut. A good abridgment could get 5 stars. Show Less
LibraryThing member Karlstar
The epic conclusion to the Memory, Sorry and Thorn trilogy. As a conclusion to this trilogy, I really enjoyed the way it answered all of the questions from the previous books, along with the struggle to find those answers. Tad never lets his characters have anything easy, but it really is the
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characters that carry this novel. Show Less
LibraryThing member benkaboo
Summary: A boy described as a 'Mooncalf' by those around him, has to grow up quick when dark forces come to town and he's forced to leave everything he's known behind him and go on the run.
Things I liked:
Characters are very nicely drawn up and their motivations make sense.
Things I thought could
Plot was a bit cliched at times.
Highlight:
Many, but I particularly liked the bit where Simon and the Doctor had to save the dark prince.
Things I liked:
Characters are very nicely drawn up and their motivations make sense.
Things I thought could
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be improved:Plot was a bit cliched at times.
Highlight:
Many, but I particularly liked the bit where Simon and the Doctor had to save the dark prince.
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Subjects
Language
Original language
English
Original publication date
1993
Physical description
1083 p.; 6.28 inches
ISBN
0886775213 / 9780886775216
UPC
071125025001