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The Dragonbone Chair

The groundbreaking first book in the landmark epic fantasy saga from New York Times bestselling author Tad Williams

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The Dragonbone Chair

By: Tad Williams
Narrated by: Andrew Wincott
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'ONE OF MY FAVOURITE FANTASY SERIES' GEORGE R. R. MARTIN
'GROUND-BREAKING' PATRICK ROTHFUSS
'TAD WILLIAMS IS A MASTER STORYTELLER' BRANDON SANDERSON
'AN ESSENTIAL PART OF ANY SCIENCE FICTION AND FANTASY LIBRARY' CHRISTOPHER PAOLINI

"But remember this lesson, Simon, one fit for kings. . .or the sons of kings. Nothing is without cost. There is a price to all power, and it is not always obvious."

Kitchen-boy Simon is bored and restless - a dangerous combination. It seems, however, that his life has just taken a turn for the better when he's apprenticed to his castle's resident wizard. As Simon's learning to read and write under Doctor Morgenes' tutelage, forces greater than he could possibly imagine are gathering. Forces which will change Simon's life and his world forever.

A war fuelled by the powers of dark sorcery is about to engulf the peaceful land of Osten Ard. With the death of Prester John, the High King, the land is thrown into turmoil. Into this chaos the Storm King, the undead ruler of the elf-like Sithi, seizes the chance to regain his lost realm through a pact with the newly ascended king. Knowing the consequences of this bargain, the king's younger brother joins with a small, scattered group of scholars, the League of the Scroll, to confront the danger threatening Osten Ard.

As darkness descends, Simon is forced to flee the only home he has ever known, a journey which will test him beyond his worst nightmares.

With The Dragonbone Chair, Tad Williams introduced readers to the incredible fantasy world of Osten Ard and kicked off the beloved, internationally bestselling series Memory, Sorrow, and Thorrn.

READERS LOVE TAD WILLIAMS

'This series was a direct inspiration for A Song Of Ice And Fire (indeed, two characters are even referenced in passing in that series), and in all honesty, Memory, Sorrow and Thorn is infinitely superior.'
'A thoroughly well written and enjoyable first instalment in what promises to be a classic tale of sword and sorcery.'
'Brilliant, a writer who always delivers. Outstanding, the very best in his class!'
'A great first instalment in a superb series [. . .] Highly recommended to those who love the likes of Raymond E. Feist, George R.R Martin and Ursula Le Guin.'
'No one like Tad Williams for me. Gripping from start to finish. Epic.'
'This is classic fantasy at its very best.'
'I don't know how this book evaded me for so long but Usires be praised it was an excellent read. A slow burn for the first half and then an utter thrill fest until the very last sentence. Read this book, read it now.'©1988 Robert Paul 'Tad' Williams, published by permission of DAW Books Action & Adventure Epic Epic Fantasy Fantasy Fiction
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All stars
Most relevant
Brilliantly narrated, really brought the characters to life.
Took a while to get going, excellent once it did.

Slow start but worth the wait

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Would you recommend this book to a friend? Why or why not?

Probably not; it has not got "it". Though it has enough in the end (just) for me to get the following title.

Any additional comments?

A cosy familiar fantasy story. Elves (sithi), Dwarves (trolls), and Humans co-exist. Fighting against, and for a great evil. With some dragons and giants thrown in for good measure. The story is predictable, a company of friends goes off the find sacred objects, while the world around them erupts in battle. If you like a classic fantasy that is no bad thing. My main problem was that it takes an incredible amount of time to get going. I nearly gave up several times early on from boredom. The First 2/3rds of the book were unnecessarily long, and repetitive. Giving long laboured histories of the world, and repetitive introductions to the main character. It could have done with heavy editing. Once it finally gets going it becomes much more enjoyable. Turning into the adventure story you were hoping for initially. Given my time again, I would almost be tempted to jump straight to book two. Listen to the synopsis of book one at the beginning. Getting straight into the good bits. This series is not epic like Game of Thrones or Lord of the Rings. But it gives and enjoyable listen on my commute.

Familiar fantasy tale.

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read the book ages ago, remembered struggling a bit to keep momentum. this narrator is a master, and does incredibly with a very challenging range of character voices who all seem to have huge, crucial monologues. I will hurry to get the next book.

Didn't think the book could be improved on. It was

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I have been a fan of Tad Williams and this series since it came out. I can't even remember how many times I read this as a teenager, but it all came flooding back during Andrew Wincott's wonderful performance. Through the lens of time I can also see all the influence this series, which came first, had on Game of Thrones.

This is a classic coming of age, high fantasy (though not too much magic) tale. There are some slow bits, yes - it's a slow starter, but the characters are likeable and as the story gains momentum I feel it's worth the wait. I forgot how much I loved Binabik, it was like meeting an old friend again. A must-listen for high fantasy fans.

Fantasy Classic - Forget GOT, This Came First

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Story - 5/5

I've been waiting for this to become available on Audible for quite some time. I had only heard great things about it, and just haven't had the time to read these in novel form.

It is traditional fantasy - but done in the right way; Tad Williams has a great imagination, and has really spent a lot of time planning this story. The world and characterisation are absolutely spot on, making you want to delve further and learn more. The best part has to be the prose though - Williams really does write well.

The only thing I think that will put people off is that it is a very slow burner. It takes a while to get going, and still takes it's time when it does. Usually, my mind will wander with these stories, but I was so engrossed in the world that I was happy to go into the detail this time around. Maybe this will be the same for others.

I look forward to the next one.


Performance - 4/5

Andrew Wincott did quite a good job. Not my favourite author, as I think he played too much on the coming-of-age main character, making him out to be a character from a young adult novel which this is definitely not. Everything else was spot on though. His voice acting was distinct, and he performed the story very well.


Overall - 4.5/5

Another great trilogy found

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