This was my first time reading Tad Williams, and it definitely won't be my last. Serving as a sort of prequel to his Memory, Sorrow, and Thorn series, this felt like proper fantasy from start to finish.

​The heart of the book is its cast of loveable rogues gallivanting about trying to save the day. Williams fills the story with so many great personalities, but my top 3 has to be Flann, Xaniko and Liam theu easily stole the show for me. The chemistry between everyone keeps the momentum going, and the journey never loses its charm.

​Without spoiling anything, I loved the way the story loops around at the finish. It kind of ends the same way it began, only our characters have been through the wringer and come out the other side a lot more experienced. It leaves things set up beautifully for a sequel.

​A fantastic, rewarding read that completely won me over. I am already planning to dive into Williams’s other work. An effortless five stars.

​Huge thanks to Netgalley, DAW Books and Hodder & Stoughton for providing the advance copy!

Tad Williams would have to go out of his way to write anything less that a 5 star epic fantasy. I discovered him in the late 90s around the time Memory, Sorrow and Thorn was released and he's always been one of my favourite fantasy authors and never fails to disappoint.
I have to say I was a bit wary of this series, set 300 years prior to The Dragonbone Chair. I typically find prequels to be disappointing because I have so much invested in the characters of one series that stories set in the same world sometimes feel like they are shoehorned into the world. Or rehashing a history that we already know after reading the previous novels, it can feel dry and repetitive.
However, I should have trusted Williams because the storyline is both fresh and familiar. Flann Alderwood is obviously based on Robin Hood, but instead of relying on a easy caricature, Flann's character runs deep and his "band of merry men' are based on the characters we know from the fable but Williams has put his talent and depth of writing to make them real as well as anchoring them to the world that by now, we are familiar with.
There is a large amount of characters, as there should be in an epic fantasy. The stakes are high, with a dying king in self-exile who refuses to name an heir. The Queen Utuk'ko shows her hand, or at least her loyal family working on her behalf. The character list is long, which i'm led to believe is "old fashioned" fantasy writing, but whatever, it's just better this way.
The biggest question I asked myself when reading is if a reader who hasn't read the Memory, Sorrow and Thorn or Last King of Osten Ard series would be able to follow this series. Personally, I picked up The Witchwood Crown 30 years after finishing To Green Angel Tower, and while I still recalled the basics of the world and characters, a lot of the details were fuzzy and I had to relearn the different lands and peoples involved. It wasn't difficult for me as a seasoned reader of epic fantasy that needs very little detail to follow the story. I did, however, look up some of the characters in one of the many wikis on the web to reacquaint myself with the background of the characters and the story from the first series.
Williams does a good job of explaining the different areas and cultures of the world without over explaining so I think this book could be picked up without reading the other series. However, having read the other series gives the story a depth and overall richness to the story that a new reader might miss.
My only disappointment is having to wait for the next installment.