#the last kings of osten ard

[crown-and-stallion]

The Hounds of Nakkiga

Jarnulf and Salt are in a bit of trouble, but i'm sure they'll be just fine! Not an actual scene from any of the books, but I got this image in my head and just had to draw it.

I feel like I should have made the background a little darker, the hounds aren't quite luminous enough for my liking.

[codenameantarctica]

Someone‘s here early

Official release is on the 12th but the company I ordered it with sent in out early 😱🤩

[clumsybutterflies]

"Most people, I think, wish only to live their lives in a little comfort, and free from fear," said Tiamak. "Although to be fair, many want something more of life-I ached to see more of the world than I could from my my hut in Village Grove. But there are a number of men in this world-and women, I suppose- who only want to take everything for themselves, or to deny things to others. Aedonites would say they were corrupted by the Devil. Or it could simply be that they have some hole in their spirit that nothing can fill, but still they keep trying to shove more in. Sadly, I think there will always be such creatures among us."

"But how can we keep such folk from having the power to harm others?"

"That, not even the wisest counselor could tell you."

- Tad Williams, The Navigator's Children

[9thbutterfly]

Two chapters in I'm already screaming internally.

I kind of foresaw one thing, but the other not at all!

Spoilers under the cut!

Munshazou was one of my theories for the Red Thing, but I don't know if I ever wrote it down, so I can't prove it.

And I know I made crackpot theories about relatives of Pryrates, but I don't think his mother was among them. But oh, what a parallel to Unver and Vorzheva!

But! Geloë! What!?

I mean, I'm pleased to see her! But wow!

First Leleth and now Lillia, nice little parallel there as well.

And: ending one book with Miri presumed dead, one book with Simon presumed dead, and one with Lillia supposedly possessed and doomed - excellent!

[monarchetype]

Brief thoughts/review on The Heart of What Was Lost

Spoiler warning for both the novella and the preceding Memory, Sorrow, and Thorn series!

The Heart of What Was Lost was such a bittersweet and melancholic fantasy novella. I enjoyed it a lot. Porto and Endri were a lovely duo, instantly compelling as two commonfolk far from home and in way over their head, terrified by the fantastical horrors they are up against. Isgrimnur was comfortingly familiar, and while I was hoping he could push his men all the way down the road to peace I think it would've been out of character and far too idealistic for the Rimmersmen to not only come to understand what the Norns value but to come to an agreement with them. How things ended was probably the best that we could hope for. Of course, the biggest stand-out was the enthralling Hikeda'ya POV, which way more dimensions to them and their culture than was even hinted at in the original MS&T. It was a really unique perspective to be hoping (and all the while knowing fairly confidently) that genocide could be averted while simultaneously reading in fascinated horror at just how fascistic the Hikeda'ya society is. The speed at which Suno'ku, Yaarike, and Viyeki were built into complex characters was nothing short of impressive. I couldn't help with sympathize a little with each of them- Suno'ku trying to avoid a future where only the magic-wielding Hikeda'ya hold power, Yaarike wanting to steer everyone away from jumping into another war, and Viyeki's naivete having totally bought the Hikeda'ya party line while having a hint of potential for seeinig beyond it- even while recognizing that they are nobles at the top of a deeply conservative society utterly loyal to a mad and ancient queen who only just failed to doom the entire world to oblivion in suicidal spite at her own mortality and lost grace.

That being said I think it would be pretty rough to try and start reading the Osten Ard books with this one; maybe it could be done but it's a very briskly paced story that does its best to cram all of this wonderful characterization and worldbuilding into a positively slim 78,000 words, so I wouldn't recommend it unless you are a very confident fantasy reader.

TL;DR Tad Williams good, go read Osten Ard

[haveyoureadthisfantasybook]

vote yes if you have finished the entire book.

vote no if you have not finished the entire book.

(faq · submit a book)

[satsukifowl]

I finished Into the Narrowdark, and now I will twiddle my thumbs awaiting the final book. I’m fine. It’s fine.

[clumsybutterflies]

There's a character in The Navigator's Children who is knighted and wants to be addressed as Sir Lady so-and-so (not saying who because spoilers.)

I will NEVER not fuck with women using a traditionally masculine title. Tell me more about that girl that's also a prince.

[alteredphoenix]

The cosmic irony in picking up The Dragonbone Chair (the first book of Memory, Sorrow, and Thorn series) yesterday on my PC for Kindle app only to see The Witchwood Crown (the first book of The Last King of Osten Ard series following Memory, Sorrow, and Thorn) on sale today.

[crown-and-stallion]

90 pages into The Navigator's Children and I'm going crazyyyyyy it's so good.

And here's Nezeru giving Morgan some major side-eye! She's probably my favorite character, and so far this book is not changing that.

I've def been having some art block, so it was really refreshing to have this idea, sketch it, and draw it all within a couple hours. Plus I'm very satisfied with the outcome :)

I'm still not super confident drawing humanoid figures, but this definitely makes me feel better about it!

[codenameantarctica]

Cover for Tad Williams’ “The Navigation’s Children” by DAW Book

Look for preordering here

[clumsybutterflies]

Doctor Morgenes once told me something very wise—'Make your home in your head, Simon," he said. But I came to see in the last year that there's even more to it than that. Making a home in your head is a good start, but you must also make a home in your heart for the people you love."

- Tad Williams, The Navigator's Children

[drconstellation]

Replying to @aduckwithears

favorite color: blue

last song: can't remember. I stopped listening to much music after the death of a close friend, it was too painful.

last movie: Pixar's Elemental (thats the only one I can recall right now)

currently watching: Loki S2, OFMD, The Witcher S3

other stuff i watched this year: The Bad Batch and Ahsoka, because I'm a Star Wars fan, although it was interesting to watch DT as the droid Huyang in Ahsoka. Foundation.

currently reading: Stardust, and my niece has loaned me one of her favorite books The Priory of the Orange Tree by Samantha Shannon, which I must get through and back to her.

currently listening to: one of my favorite authors, Tad Williams, read from his own books twice a week. He's just started The Witchwood Crown in the lead up to the publishing of the last book of the Osten Ard saga and I'm dying to get my hands on it. But probably got another 12 months waiting, publishing date yet to be announced...

currently working on: finishing up a mega-meta about King Arthur that I'm about to drop, the Tadfield Manor training initiative paintball fight, N/newts, rounding up the horses - in all their forms, the lions, reviewing and tidying up a couple of my old posts, making a an index for others to find my metas, whatever thought a post I read accidentally sparks...

current obsession/s: Good Omens, of course!

Tagged by @dancingcrowley - ty !

TAG SOMEONE YOU WANT TO KNOW AND/OR SOME OF YOUR BESTIES

favorite color: blues, sometimes greens last song: Bohemian Rhapsody ;D last movie: Mad Max Fury Road - truly the movie ever (i actually had an alternate main that was basically a mmfr account... that i lost access to... might migrate that to a side blog if that fandom gets back in gear) currently watching: ofmd, rewatching gomens (obviously) - i actually have very little watching time other stuff i watched this year: vox machina, the great, wwdits, rewatching all of new who with my little duck (in this way i learned that loving dt may be a genetic trait) shows i dropped this year: ghosts - i want to get back to it but just haven't for whatever reason currently reading: The Crow Road for reasons that should be clear. let's just say that Muriel is gonna get... an education. Also just finished Persuasion currently listening to: my gomens playlist which is basically every song known to humankind at this point. also The Lucky Die podcast currently working on: a meta about celestial radar, have an idea for some gif sets, continuing my little things series, have an idea for some art... its been a hot second since i arted tho current obsession/s: Good Omens. Full stop. every time i think it may be cooling off we learn some new insane detail (do it again) and i get sucked right back in.

That was fun - thanks so much for the tag! Super non-pressure tags: @ok-sims @indigovigilance @speikobrarote @bluberryfields @drconstellation @actual-changeling @lineffability @lazulibundtcake... ahhh there's so many more but i'll stop. If anyone sees this and wants to play pls do!

[stormlanterns]

My motivation to draw is coming back slowly and I started with Muyare Sey-Iyora, a character from Tad William's Osten Ard saga.

He isn't mentioned so often but he left an impression on me I can't quite explain. Maybe this strange mixture of strength and vulnerability Idk.

Anyway, I hope I can color these drawings soon and I try to draw more characters (again) of this wonderful and amazing fantasy saga. My last ones were from 2004 *cough*

[oropher]

[satsukifowl]

Re-visiting Tad Williams’ Osten Ard

After reading Brandon Sanderson’s The Lost Metal, which went about 8,000 miles per hour, I wanted to read something the really slows down, digs deep and takes its time. I very much enjoyed TLM, but have been missing novels that really linger with the characters. So I thought maybe it’s time to reread some Tad Williams. I was thinking the Memory, Sorrow, and Thorn trilogy. Here’s beautiful cover art by Michael Whelan:

Then lo and behold, turns out there’s a sequel series to MSaT! Yes, please!! I’m so behind the times. I don’t remember many details from the first trilogy, but decided to jump right into The Last King of Osten Ard. Here’s more beautiful cover art to enjoy, though the copy of The Witchwood Crown I checked out had the colors very very dark so I couldn’t quite tell what I was looking at. The second book, Empire of Grass, has to have one of my favorite covers of all time!

Despite wanting the slow and lingering story-telling, I’ll admit to becoming impatient and reading ahead about some of my favorites. :3 I’ve really enjoyed the read though, and being immersed back into this world Tad Williams has crafted. Of course I didn’t check to see if the series was complete before I began reading, and it’s not ... but hopefully, with how slow I’m going, I won’t have too long a wait once I finish book 3.

Now, I still have A LOT of reading to do. XD