Miriamele’s husband, King Simon, is overwhelmed by grief and hopelessness, unaware that many of these terrible things have been caused by Pasevalles, a murderous traitor inside Simon’s own court at the Hayholt. Williams moves back and forth between a number of plot threads (some of which spin off further ones) and between a host of POVs, including, but not limited to: King Simon, Queen Miriamele, Prince Morgan, Princess Lillia, Count Eolair and his nephew Aelin, Qina and Snenneq, Unver, Jesa, Tiamak, Jiriki, Tanahaya, Nezuru, Viyeki. Miriamele's husband, King Simon, is overwhelmed by grief and hopelessness, unaware that many of these terrible things have been caused by Pasevalles, a murderous traitor inside Simon's own court at the Hayholt. The book does end on a rousing, startling cliffhanger and at least the second half of the novel is complete (although being revised), but Into the Narrowdark ends up feeling exactly what it is: half a book, in urgent need of its conclusion.

Into the Narrowdark: Book Three of The Last King - AbeBooks Into the Narrowdark: Book Three of The Last King - AbeBooks

Williams] draws on many mythologies for the background of his fantasy epic…story spiced with political intrigue and strong appealing heroes. All right, actually the plot remains a complicated tapestry, and the list of characters at the back runs for nearly two dozen pages. Set in Williams’ beloved and well-known fantasy world of Osten Ard, this new novelfollows the adventures of Robin Hood-esque figure Flann Alderwood and his band of misfit rebels in one of Osten Ard’s oldest and strangest cities, Crannhyr. Despite its 600+ pages, I happily finished the novel in two sittings, and had I not had some real-world responsibilities, would have probably finished it in one long reading session.Into the Narrowdark (***) is half of a potentially very interesting book, but until the second half is published, it's hard to fully appreciate if this novel's slow, slow-burning pace is justified. Mostly I just think, “Hmm, not sure I needed to know/see/hear this” and then happily continue reading.

Forthcoming Books [Fall 2023 Edition] | Tad Williams

Building upon the revered history of Memory, Sorrow, and Thorn, Williams has outdone himself by penning a 700-plus page novel that is virtually un-put-down-able…. These things happen, of course, but they do so in due time (perhaps due “deep time” is more accurate for Williams).While again, some readers may balk at the glacial pace of his change (which may or may not go where readers want it to), for me, it’s a far more satisfying reading experience than having Viyeki witness an atrocity and suddenly throw his whole prior existence away. It's incredibly good, and what I've been waiting for in this sequel series to Mermory, Sorrow and Thorne. His essays and stories have appeared in Colorado Review, Rosebud, Alaska Quarterly, and other literary journals, along with a few anthologies, and been recognized in the "Notable Essays" section of Best American Essays. Eppure, ogni fine capitolo, ti accorgi che anche quel pezzo del puzzle era fondamentale e che la storia raccontata così ha il suo perché. Picking up the action thirty years later, this sequel series asks hard questions about what happens to the heroes who saved the day in one story and if they are the best people to lead the land through all the complexities of life in peacetime.

Into the Narrowdark spoiler discussion (Chapters 11 - 20) Into the Narrowdark spoiler discussion (Chapters 11 - 20)

She is among the best characters in the book now, full of nuance, humor, and a dawning evolution of mind. I put aside the half of the story which would become NVC(and finalized INDwhile also writing Brothers of the Wind( BotW). As I said, I’m moving forward finishing Navigator’s Children, and I think I’ve got the hardest of the problems dealt with. Meanwhile, a deadly army of Norns led by the ageless, vengeful Queen Utuk’ku, has swept into Erkynland and thrown down the fortress of Naglimund, slaughtering the inhabitants and digging up the ancient grave of Ruyan the Navigator.Queen Miriamele has been caught up in a brutal rebellion in the south and thought to have died in a fiery attack. In this new series, Williams journeys back to the magical land of Osten Ard and continues the story of beloved characters King Simon and Queen Miriamele, married now for thirty years, and introduces newcomer Prince Morgan, their heir apparent. It bugs me that this series is somewhat “under the radar” (that’s the impression I get compared to your contemporaries. There is a great deal to like about this book: for example, in a previous review, I lamented Nezeru's characterization as deeply flawed and a terrible disappointment.