Adventure & Fantasy superbly written – Why you should read Tad William´s Shadowmarch

 

 

Looking for your next read? How about an intriguing mixture of mystery, adventure, fantasy epic and drama? If so, I recommend Shadowmarch by Tad Williams, which is the first of a four-part series. It is a big read, for sure, but it´s full of great characters, suspense and fantastic twists and turns. Curious? Here are some more details (no spoilers, of course) ...

 

The Story of Shadowmarch

At the uppermost edge of the northern kingdoms, towers shrouded in mist, lies Southmarch Castle. For hundreds of years it has remained hidden from the affairs of empire. Now its isolation can protect it no more. Southmarch is under siege; from both its neighbours, without, and the more insidious enemies who would destroy it from within. Even further to the north, within the ancient walls of Qul-na-Qar, in a land of silence and gloom, the Twilight People gather to hear Ynnir, the blind king, pronounce the dark fate of humankind. In the south, the Autarch, the god-king who has already conquered an entire continent, now looks to extend his domain once more. It is upon Southmarch that the armies advance, and to its people that darkness will speed.

 

The Essence

Tad William´s 4 books follow a number of characters on their very own adventures through troublesome times. Every one of his figures has his or her own intruiging way and personality, and everyone faces his or her own challenges. Their paths do not stay separate but cross each other´s, influencing one another, and at times become quite entangled. They all play a role in the development and outcome of Shadowmarch.

 

Pros and Cons

I´m going to start with the cons, although some might argue that the first aspect isn´t really a negative one: The book is entertaining, really well written, yet it is a well-rounded and self-contained piece of work, meaning it doesn´t really trigger any major contemplation, doesn´t raise any questions and thoughts the reader would ponder on. I would have preferred some of that, to be honest.

Secondly, it is, as I´ve mentioned earlier, a big read: 4 books with around 600 - 800 pages each (paperback). So yes, sometimes it appears like a rigmarole, being quite lengthy. There are (not many, but nonetheless) passages I didn´t find as exciting and found myself skimming parts of them, which is a shame because all of it is written so fantastically.

My first pro is the writing style. Tad Williams has proven himself a master of creating character, suspense and highlighting a certain core of things, getting to their very essential bearing. Shadowmarch and all parts of the series are full of meaning and creativity and at the same time they are an easy, fluent read. I truly love his style and find it inspiring.

My second pro are the characters. I really came to love some of them, like Barrick and his involuntary journey into the dark realms of the Shadowland and the very personal challenges he faces on this journey. The characters are absolutely unique and portraited in great detail, with their own quirks and oddities. 

And of course, as a story of fantasy, Shadowmarch captivates with beings and creatures of all shapes and manners, monsters, gods, spectres, drows, the tiny Rooftoppers, mirror sorcerers and so on. Williams shows the range of his imagination in every one of them.

All in all the story is full of suspense. Many events take on unexpected turns. In fact, most things come very unexpected. I was hardly ever prepared for the course of actions, and I was never disappointed.

 

Shadowmarch - for fans of: Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit by Tolkien, The Amber Spyglass (Dark Materials Trilogy) by Pullman, The Midnight Raven by Moore, The Hunger Games by Collins, Sorcerer of the Crown by Cho and anything else written by Tad Williams of course.