Osten Ard Cycle • Tad Williams

Sometimes new releases hit me really hard. Not often, but when they do, they really do. One of them is The Heart of What Was Lost by Tad Williams. However, I can’t just present that book without also discussing the Osten Ard cycle as a whole, so I’d like to introduce all the books in this series. Right up front: for me, Tad Williams—and especially his Osten Ard cycle—is the best, most accomplished, and most worthwhile thing the fantasy book market has to offer. I want to explain in more detail in this post why that is.

If, like me, you’re an avid reader and have been traveling through life with books, you have something like a bookish past. Literary milestones that recall certain phases of life, that are a kind of biography in your memory and, like music, form the soundtrack of your life. When I held a book by Tad Williams in my hands for the first time, I was a young lad, still in school and pretty much on a daily book-hunting patrol. As a nerd, I naturally leaned toward fantasy, and at some point I bought Stone of Farewell in a bookstore, completely oblivious to the fact that it was the second volume. That didn’t dampen my enthusiasm, and in no time the book had me so captivated that I devoured it quickly. The same then happened with the other two volumes. I was deeply impressed—but more than just impressed, I was swallowed by the world Tad Williams had created. As if you were truly dreaming.

Not very long ago I reread the more than 3,600 pages in total, and it’s crazy because it’s also a glimpse into your own past and suddenly awakens very personal memories. The Osten Ard cycle consists of four books: The Dragonbone Chair, Stone of Farewell, To Green Angel Tower (published in German as two volumes) and To Green Angel Tower. The protagonist is the kitchen boy Simon, who grows up as an orphan among the kitchen maids in the old castle, the Hayholt, and is more of a dreamer and layabout. Then the old king dies and a conflict breaks out between his sons Josua and Elias. Simon stumbles into a real adventure story that packs a punch. From what initially sounds like a rather flat premise, Tad Williams unfolds a truly grand and masterful fantasy tale. Classic high fantasy with its own peoples, typical antagonists, dark forests and dungeons, princesses, and thrilling battles. Williams makes no secret of the influence of Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings. And just as George R. R. Martin openly admits, Tad Williams’s Osten Ard cycle fired his imagination.

What’s special, outstanding, the style

So what makes this cycle so special? From my point of view, several things. First, this wonderful, huge, and finely crafted world. Similar to The Lord of the Rings, he describes nature and the settings beautifully—with not even that many words, but with very clear accents. Some of them I will never forget. The Hayholt, of course, with its magnificent catacombs; Sesuadra on the edge of the great old forest Aldheorte; and of course Jao é-Tinukai’i, the city of the Sithi.

Like Tolkien, Tad Williams embeds everything in a powerful sense of place. A world with a history of its own, ancient, with peoples who have a long past, so that places like the Hayholt feel very authentic. Williams often entwines his settings with nature, their historical significance, and the magic that hangs over them. It’s often hard to imagine a more atmospheric backdrop, and this whole setting alone is a delight. The individual peoples—and sometimes even characters—also have long histories that only gradually come to light.

Of course there are distinct peoples here as well. Ordinary humans (to which the protagonist belongs), trolls, Rimmersmen (modeled on Vikings, though they also faintly recall dwarves, only taller than humans), the Nabbanai (a culture reminiscent of the Roman or Byzantine Empire), and of course the Sithi and the Norns. They’re “elves” of a sort, although not exactly—Williams has given them a very unique style. Dreamy, nature-loving, yes, but also different. For me, they’re a major highlight of the entire series, because he truly nailed them: authentic, strange, beautiful, aloof, hard to predict, and very fascinating. Exactly the right spice for a good fantasy story. In fact, the conflict between the Sithi, the Norns, and humans takes up a lot of space. It becomes clear, bit by bit, that this conflict and the history of the Sithi began many centuries earlier and left deep marks on Osten Ard, so the reader learns along with the protagonists what lies behind these peoples and their conflicts.

In short, everything you need for a good fantasy series is here. What makes the books truly outstanding is Tad Williams’s way of telling a story. His books always draw me in, and his vivid narrative style, balanced language, and the way he describes the surroundings, the people, and their thoughts—that’s pure mind cinema. You feel more like you’re watching a film than reading a book. You can clearly see the influence of film and television on literature. At the same time, reading is always more than a movie, and you dive into a fascinating world that also springs from your own imagination. Somewhere I once saw his style described as cinematic, and that fits perfectly in my view.

A second thing Williams masters is pacing and suspense. With some authors that’s more a matter of luck; with Williams, it’s consistently well balanced. He simply knows how to build and sustain tension in the right places. At the grand finale, you’re practically coming unglued while reading (not only figuratively). Your reading speed doubles because you just have to know how things resolve. The books consist of multiple plotlines, and the narrative constantly switches between them. That annoyed me when I first read them, because I wanted to know immediately how things continued. Instead, you get cliffhangers again and again. On rereading, though, I enjoyed that very much. On the one hand, all the plotlines are very interesting; on the other, it absolutely heightens the suspense. Williams uses these scene changes to set accents—transitions that often feel like film scenes. A bit like in soap operas where, right before an episode ends, the camera lingers on faces for a few seconds as they pull a grimace after being dumped or betrayed, to fully savor the emotion (exaggerating a bit). Very atmospheric.

Countless characters step onto the stage in these books, and there are always several plotlines running in parallel: sometimes crossing, merging, then splitting again. The overall picture emerges from multiple perspectives. The story gains complexity; the reader is present in several places at once and repeatedly gets short, filmic interludes—sometimes from the enemy’s stronghold, sometimes a brief dialogue in which the king meets one of his loyal companions, but of course also long scenes that move the plot forward. It’s quite an achievement to compose such a comprehensive story in this way, not lose track, and carry the reader along without losing them somewhere on the long journey.

What it doesn’t have

Here you get classic fantasy: clearly drawn battle lines, classic antagonists, characters who react in thoroughly human ways, feel real, and simply fit—made to create a proper adventure. Books to dive into and switch off completely. And that’s why I love fantasy novels—and the master of the genre: Tad Williams. Even if you could read a flat moral conflict into the books somehow, the story stands largely on its own in my view. It’s about entertainment, about transporting you to another world, and you won’t find detailed character studies, an abstract look at society, or anything from which a reader could draw general insights and truly become wiser. Honestly, if someone experienced what Simon experiences in these books, he’d be so traumatized afterward he’d go straight to the loony bin—or at least to the couch every day. This is a fantasy story very much in the classic mold. You won’t find true novelties here. But that’s completely fine, because within the framework Williams chooses, he’s exceptionally good.

To be continued

Tad Williams published the books in the late ’80s and early ’90s. After that there was a short novella (The Burning Man), but then he devoted himself to other projects. Highly recommended as well: Shadowmarch, similarly extensive, similarly excellent—and from April also available as a bargain eBook for 20 euros. I wouldn’t have expected anything more here. But now, so many years later, Tad Williams is continuing the series. Specifically: he’s writing a new cycle that picks up 30 years after the events of the first series. The Witchwood Crown is being published in August and November. The first book has again been split into two parts. I suspect for monetary reasons—which I can well understand for a triple-A title like this. I wouldn’t mind; you could make it one book and charge twice as much and it would still be a bargain for what you’re getting. Or just go for a deluxe edition.

I’m not entirely sure whether I’ll start reading in August. Maybe I’ll read the two parts in November, but I think I’ll wait until all parts are out. I’ll order them all for sure—and The Witchwood Crown is already preordered. I had to wait more than six years for Shadowmarch, but reading it was pure bliss. All four books in one go—that was very smooth. Just like rereading the Osten Ard books.

Between now and the continuation

Before the new cycle begins, there’s a bridge volume. The Heart of What Was Lost was recently published and is meant to close the gap between the two cycles. It tells what happened after the last volume and apparently lays the groundwork for the new books. Unfortunately, we only meet Duke Isgrimnur here and no one else from the old cast—no Simon, Miriamel, Aditu, etc.—which is a real shame, because after all these years I was super curious to see the old heroes again. Overall the story was far too short. We learn more about the Norns, and part of the tale is told from their perspective. But effectively 340 pages—that’s enough to get you fired up, but of course it’s over far too quickly. You don’t learn all that much that’s new. It’s once again about the Sithi and the Norns and their past. I was really looking forward to the book, devoured it immediately, but now there’s a gap. A gap the new cycle could fill nicely, for example.

At the end of The Heart of What Was Lost you’ll also find the first chapter of The Witchwood Crown. I didn’t read it—because then I’d probably go crazy. The new cycle would begin and—bam—it would already be over again. It’s like taking a tiny bite of chocolate and then having to hand it back.

On editions and illustrations

Memory, Sorrow, and Thorn is the subtitle of the story, and indeed the books revolve around mysterious and powerful swords that cast their shadows over Osten Ard. However, this subtitle didn’t exist in the first edition I have on my shelf. In 2010, the books were revised and republished. I picked up those—of course in hardcover—for my reread. I did find the old books very beautiful and well done, but they’re pretty worn out by now and, as you know, I’m rather spoiled.

The ’90s edition has one decisive advantage: the cover illustrations by Michael Whelan. They are masterpieces, and I’m not exaggerating. Michael Whelan is an artist who has illustrated numerous books, has won multiple awards, and is one of the big fish in the illustration scene (does that exist?). He created several paintings for Tad Williams’s books, and I think they’re simply perfect. They perfectly capture the mood and the people (and the Sithi) in the books. It seems Whelan had already read the manuscripts, so these aren’t just images slapped onto the books (which often happens), but were created precisely for them.

I even bought Stone of Farewell as a fine art print. The mood of that snowy landscape alone is perfect. Together with the books it’s something truly special. By the way, not long ago Michael Whelan launched a Kickstarter project for an art book featuring his most beautiful paintings. His goal was $10,000 and he raised over $120,000. Totally understandable that so many people were into it—and of course I backed it as well.

The 2010 edition features the Turkish artist Kerem Beyit, whom I already knew from Deviantart. His artwork is also very nice, but it doesn’t quite reach Michael Whelan’s. For me, it lacks that very special mood that the books convey so beautifully. It’s certainly effective as marketing, though.

What I would love, of course, is a deluxe edition: bound in leather or cloth, with sewn binding and illustrated by Michael Whelan. With that handsome typography from the first edition. Ideally with new illustrations, like the new Lord of the Rings edition. Price wouldn’t really matter. I’d definitely dig deeper into my pocket. But deluxe editions aren’t exactly mass-market—this has become clear to me by now. I’m already happy when there are hardcovers at all, which sadly isn’t a given anymore.

Conclusion

I can recommend Tad Williams to anyone with even a little love for fantasy. Start with his Osten Ard series—it’s big-screen entertainment: exciting, gripping, and wonderfully beautiful. For me it’s a good deal more fascinating and better than The Lord of the Rings—but that’s my personal view, because we’re in such a premium realm here that comparisons don’t really make sense. In general, it’s always worth looking at the Hobbit Presse program from Klett-Cotta: that’s where the really big fish land; you can hardly go wrong. I also love Tad Williams’s other (fantasy) books and can highly recommend them. He simply knows how to create suspense, builds beautiful worlds and fascinating peoples, and has a vivid narrative style that fuels your imagination. Just perfect for diving in, switching off, and experiencing a real adventure.

Book information:
The Dragonbone Chair • Tad Williams • Klett-Cotta Verlag • 976 pages • ISBN 9783608938661
Stone of Farewell • Tad Williams • Klett-Cotta Verlag • 891 pages • ISBN 9783608938678
To Green Angel Tower • Tad Williams • Klett-Cotta Verlag • 860 pages • ISBN 9783608938685
To Green Angel Tower • Tad Williams • Klett-Cotta Verlag • 889 pages • ISBN 9783608938692
The Heart of What Was Lost • Tad Williams • Klett-Cotta Verlag • 380 pages • ISBN 9783608961447