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The Dragonbone Chair
- Memory, Sorrow & Thorn, Book 1
- Narrated by: Andrew Wincott
- Series: Memory, Sorrow & Thorn, Book 1
- Length: 33 hrs and 12 mins
- Categories: Science Fiction & Fantasy, Fantasy
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Time of the twins
- By Blue Raven on 11-06-17
Summary
The beloved first novel in Tad Williams' classic fantasy series Memory, Sorrow and Thorn.
Kitchen-boy Simon is bored, restless and 14 years old - 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 possible imagine are gathering: forces which will change Simon's life - and his world - forever.
Following the death of Good King John, Osten Ard is plunged into civil war as his sons battle for control of the fabled Dragonbone Chair - the country's throne as well as the symbol of its power. 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 best-selling series Memory, Sorrow and Thorn.
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What listeners say about The Dragonbone Chair
Reviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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- Robyn
- 26-09-16
You'll need a little patience for this one
If you want fast-paced action, keep well clear.
Listening through a bank holiday's DIY project, I can confirm that paint does indeed dry faster than it took for anything of interest to happen. (The first bit of action / interest comes at around the 4.5 hour mark).
That said, it's a beautifully written book, but whereas some authors might take a sentence to describe the forest at nightfall, Tad Williams will take four, and then go on to describe the darkness afterwards. Sometimes there are just too many metaphors, wonderfully colourful as they might be. The lead character spends an awful lot of time lost in the under-city, and then in the forest, and then hiking up the mountain - and boy are you there with him, through all those long, dull hours.....
Despite the above, there are some really good and exciting scenes (they are just particularly well spaced), where the pace kicks up a few gears. This is also a unique, new fantasy world and it's this that has kept me interested.
This book is definitely building to something bigger - this first instalment ends just as it's starting to get interesting and things are finally beginning to happen.
I had to take a break half-way through this, escaping to a light-hearted, favoured listen, but I came back to this story, finished it, and have now started onto Part 2. I am trusting the other reviewers that this will be worth it in the long run. (I must remember to review the next instalments too, then!)
Short version: if you're a patient listener, and enjoy beautifully written prose, then you may love this. If you need action, it may well drive you to distraction. Or, like me, perhaps you'll opt simply to zone out for the dull bits and hope not to miss anything important.
Narration is fine.
30 people found this helpful
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- Mr Glenn Lloyd
- 21-05-16
very laborious start but gets better
I seriously struggled at the start of this book, but I persevered because I read it years ago and remembered it as a very good book. There are some similarities to the game of thrones books but remember that this was written in the 80s
The. first half of the book is hard going. Overly descriptive and prolonged. However, stick with it. The story really picks up pace and you really care about the characters. Game of thrones had me hooked from the very first page, this book you have to work harder at but it is worth the effort. I have just downloaded the second book in the series and am about to abandon my current book to continue the story. Its been a long wait for my free credit.
9 people found this helpful
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- Lyla C.
- 03-10-15
Slow start but worth the wait
Brilliantly narrated, really brought the characters to life.
Took a while to get going, excellent once it did.
12 people found this helpful
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- Adam Evans
- 15-01-16
An interesting setup for a 2nd book..a slow burner
I usually devour most epic fantasy books, funding it hard to stop myself listening/reading and sneaking away to read more. This one tool me alot longer than usual. It was performed very well. The narrator was among the best I've heard but the story (I felt personally) was a little slow in parts. The background info was needed and did enrich the characters and story. I just felt like it had been dragged out at times and could have accomplished more with less.
But as I said in the title this book shouldn't be regarded as a complete work, more an intro into a new world, as nothing truly remarkable happens for the majority of the book (there are some exciting parts though ) but it does leave you with quite a few unanswered and exciting questions and revelations which point to a more engrossing second book.
I think it was worth persevering and it may be one of those series that start slow but turn out to be amazing. I usually mourn those the hardest as by the time your done you don't want the story to be over!
If you have the patience to let it play out and plan to read the whole set of books, then it is definitely worth your time. On its own though you would be left a little frustrated. Clearly a small part of a better whole.
15 people found this helpful
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- Louis Hall
- 13-04-17
Familiar fantasy tale.
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.
3 people found this helpful
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- Daniela
- 08-03-16
Breathtaking
Having read the book many years ago, I was delighted to find the Audible version. An epic story and outstanding narration. 31 hours of magical story telling, at it's best.
4 people found this helpful
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- Andrew Delaney
- 11-02-16
Had such promise
Any additional comments?
I have to admit whilst I really liked the narration, I've watched paint dry faster than the story developed in this book, After 5 hours and virtually nothing had happened I just couldn't do it anymore.
4 people found this helpful
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- Jitterbug
- 07-06-19
Soporific Andrew Wincott
I am struggling to concentrate on the storyline because of Andrew Wincott’s soporific voice. I enjoy listening to him as Adam Macy in The Archers, and was pleased when I read that he was the narrator. However, listening to him for any length of time makes me feel drowsy and I find my mind wandering. Unfortunately I am also finding his extensive use of strange accents for some of the characters painful - they grate on me. As a result, this book which seemed promising at the outset, is proving to be an ordeal and I am not sure I will be able to finish it. The storyline is intriguing. That helps me to persevere.
1 person found this helpful
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- Jordan
- 06-07-16
Not a fan of tad Williams written down, but this is awesome
If you have tried to read Williams before but found it impenetrable line I did, then this is awesome, I've loved it. Story is brilliant, beautifully performed and value for money seeing how long it is! Highly, highly recommended
1 person found this helpful
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- Redwing
- 20-11-15
FANTASTIC NARRATOR, A MUST FOR FANTASY FANS!
This wonderful fantasy classic, originally published in 1988, tells the story of Simon, a scullion at the castle of the Hayholt, in Osten Ard. Simon is special, and actually, you don't find out who he really is or why he is special in part one of the trillogy. But, Simon's journey is thrilling, and the narration is just fantastic. Andrew Wincott does a top class job in his performance, with a superb range of voices. THIS is how fantasy books are supposed to be narrated.
I love this story and have downloaded book two.
3 people found this helpful
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- 9littlebees
- 16-12-15
Excellent fantasy with superb narration
What did you like best about this story?
This is a traditional fantasy epic, but unlike many from its era, it derives much of its inspiration from the original European mythology, and not Tolkien's interpretation. Here we have fair elves, but they are much more savage and alien than those of Tolkien.
While the story is a somewhat cliched kitchen boy's journey to power, it is a cracking yarn that I found to have a good mix of action, suspense and intrigue.
What does Andrew Wincott bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?
Love the accents for the different cultures on show. Andrew mixes the standard British English accents with Welsh, Norse and Scottish, among others.
1 person found this helpful
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- Sean
- 18-08-15
Epic relatable fantasy. Gritty and wonderful!
Where does The Dragonbone Chair rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?
It ranks up near the top. I love this novel and I really hope the entire Memory, Sorrow and Thorn trilogy is made available by Audible.
What other book might you compare The Dragonbone Chair to and why?
A Song of Ice and Fire by George RR Martin
The Riftwar Saga by Raymond E. Feist
Have you listened to any of Andrew Wincott’s other performances before? How does this one compare?
I don't normally focus on narration unless it is especially awful. The narrator did a great job and I'd be happy to hear him voice any further novels in the series.
If you were to make a film of this book, what would the tag line be?
Read or listen to books - don't watch movies.
Theater of the mind - use it!
Any additional comments?
This is the first novel in a fantasy trilogy about Simon, his friends, and a land in turmoil as an inescapable darkness approaches.
Simon is neither a magician or a magical warrior. He's a flawed and believable character amid a great number of flawed and believable characters - in a world painted believable despite the fantasy setting.
I'm not normally a HUGE fan of fantasy because often the authors of big fantasy epics get bogged down trying to fill a huge world with hundreds of characters and their stories.
Tad William's keeps a tight narrative focus and only expands on the stories of other characters when it pushes the over arching plot forward. It's an amazing trick to pull off - there ARE other stories in here besides Simon's - but they never seem unnecessary and they always add to the over arching plot rather than being distracting word bloat.
When you've finished this novel you'll be aching for the next installment. I promise you.
1 person found this helpful
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- Viktor
- 23-02-16
A word of caution.
First, let me say that the world, plot and narration are all excellent. However, it falls short were it truly matters, the main character. The kitchen boy, Simon, is naive, clumsy, willful, selfish and stupid. He lacks any virtue that I can admire, nor is he being mistreated in any way that would allow me to feel either pity or riotous indignation on his behalf. Also, he has no strong motivation to drive him.
In short, he should not have been the main character.
It feels like the actual story is happening to the side with all the rich and intriguing characters all taking part. And we, the listeners, only get a glimpse of it, the few times Simon happens by to eavesdrop. The rest of the time its just the boy feeling bad for himself or getting a lecture on the history of the world.
(Dropped a the 12 hour mark. Couldn't take it anymore.)
3 people found this helpful
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- Anonymous User
- 12-10-19
A slow start but rewarding completion
This first book in the series “Memory, Sorrow and Thorn” is a opening to an epic and very intriguing tale of young Simon and how he goes from being a kitchen boy to a hero in many tales. This series as a whole I would rate among the best books I’ve ever listened to, without doubt and it’s definitely worth reading/listening to. However, among these books I would rate this, the first one, the lowest because it has such a slow start, I vaguely remembered what happened the first 10 hours of this book. But if you can power through that, you have 4 books (plus 3 more) of absolute amazing adventure and heart filled moments that I personally will never forget. The series keeps gradually getting better the more you get into the thick of it. It’s clear that this is inspired by many fantasy writers, especially Tolkien. There’s a lot of information to take in, a lot explaining and a lot of thinking. That’s why I only recommend a series like this to someone who’s really determined to have a grand story told to them with a lot of viewpoints. If you’re more into quick paced and simpler told stories, this perhaps is not for you. My ratings for the books: The Dragonbone chair: 3/5 To Stone of Farewell: 4/5 To Green Angel tower part 1 and 2: 5/5
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- Cameron
- 16-06-17
Tad Williams and Andrew Wincott ...simply awesome
excellent narration. Andrew brings the characters to life in a way that fits so well