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A review of The Dragonbone Chair

by Tad Williams

A big, thick fantasy book for cold winter days

Reviewed by: Twelve
About Twelve

The Dragonbone Chair I think I might have started this book, 'The Dragonbone Chair', around five times. I just couldn't finish it, no matter how hard I tried, and not because the book was horrible. It is just that I've never before and since read a book in which I absorbed the intended atmosphere to such a degree. Tad Williams produces such a mood of terror in this book, such a sense foreboding, that I kept getting too scared to read further. However, I kept coming back, because I'd never read such a well-crafted tale before. It was like a food or drink that I knew would cause problems for me, but I kept going back to eat it because it tasted so good. I shall be daring and try to explain why Mr. Williams is successful in making such an addictive treat.

I believe it has to do with the immense time he takes in developing this tale. There are writers who are guilty for adding prose for the sake of prose, but with Mr. Williams, there is a purpose for the first hundred or so pages of virtually no action. For the careful reader, the terrible and potential conflict is gently and stealthily applied, until suddenly you feel surrounded by it. Without knowing exactly when and how, you realize that the forces of evil within this tale are mighty and strong. Then the action begins, and by that time, the victory of good seems to be a hopeless idea.

You see, this is when I quit reading this book for the first time. The author really made me believe and feel the threat of evil in this tale, and I couldn't handle it. I didn't see how the sprawled and separated forces of the confused heroes in this adventure can possibly come through for the victory. However, I soon realized that this is how it should be with any good adventure story; we should not know how things will turn out! I came back to the book, again and again, because I wanted to finish the book. I wanted to KNOW what would happen!

Mr. Williams is also capable of wonderful descriptions of architecture, lands, history, lore, monsters, weapons, and people. Even though every page may contain a scary bit of information, it is all described so well that it is a pleasure to read. It is a book written through the points of view of many, including the villains, and this keeps things interesting. The author seems to know how to positively manipulate the reader; a certain point of view is always cut off just when you want to read more. This will make you want to get by the next story section, which is so deep and well-written that it becomes a tale within itself, and suddenly you don't want that particular mini-story to end either. It ends up being a book that you won't be able to put down, and you'll wind up reading two-hundred pages before you know what happened.

'The Dragon Bone Chair' is a quality work where you feel that the author has put in much thought and time. There is a map of the book's world, and even an appendix detailing all of the peoples, places, creatures, and original expressions you may come across as you read.

Mr. Williams has creative works in other genres, but his best writing is still in fantasy. 'The Dragon Bone Chair' is highly recommended, and part one of a neat and polished three part tale.

Click here to buy this book, or read more about it at Amazon.com: The Dragonbone Chair

Copyright © by Twelve, 2002

Reviewed by Twelve :
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-- Warrior Class - by Dale Brown
-- The Dreamthief's Daughter - by Michael Moorcock
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-- Celtika - by Robert Holdstock
-- Knots and Crosses - by Ian Rankin
-- The Dragonbone Chair - by Tad Williams
-- Corpse Candle - by Paul Doherty
-- Flood Tide - by Clive Cussler
-- Samurai! - by Saburo Sakai
-- The Sky of Peleg - by Twelve
-- Disclosure - by Michael Crichton
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