Tad Williams

Do you like Epic Fantasy with a lot of detail and an edge? Tad Williams is a Fantasy author whose books are highly detailed and gripping. He uses vivid descriptions and strong themes to tell memorable stories of lasting power. Readers will find imaginative settings, realistic characters and complex plots in his works that will keep you reading until the end. All of his books are worthwhile to spend time on.

The first book by Mr. Williams was _Tailchaser’s Song_.This book is a combination Animal and Epic Fantasy. It is the story of the orange colored cat Fritti Tailchaser. He is on a quest to save his friend Hushpad from a terrible fate. Fritti must travel to the cat version of Hell and defeat a cat god as part of his quest. Readers get a detailed description of the world of cats and the first taste of this author’s incredible imagination.

Next, Mr. Williams turned his talent to Epic Fantasy. He created the complex world of “Osten Ard” for his trilogy of “Memory, Sorrow and Thorn.” T‹his is a complex world full of different kingdoms, people and creatures. The series is textured with vivid details that haunt a reader’s memories for a long time. Mr. Williams creates his world, plot s and characters with meticulous care.

_The Dragonbone Chair_ is the first book of the trilogy. It starts with a young boy named Simon who works as a kitchen servant in the ancient castle. The death of the high king sets off a war between the two young princes. Simon finds himself apprenticed to a member of the League of the Scroll. He finds himself on a quest for an ancient sword. Meanwhile, the undead Sithi lord called the Storm King rises to destroy the human kingdoms.

In the second book, _Stone of Farewell_, events get more complicated. The main characters are on a desperate search for a refuge and rallying point point for the human armies. Simon meets trolls and the Sithi, an elven like race. The League of the Scroll searches for more allies and weapons to fighÏt against the Storm King while his army sweeps through the land.

_To Green Angel Tower_ is the last book of the trilogy. This book is full of detail, action and war. The allies must rally together to stem the tide of the immortal Storm King. Two brothers, princes Elias and Josua, fight against each other. While the League of the Stroll struggles to solve the riddles of the ancient past to save their people, Simon travels through the shadow haunted, dark beauty of a buried Sithi city under the palace. The trilogy ends with an unforgettable climax.

Tad Williams is an impressive author of Epic Fantasy. His career has spanned over fifteen years. In those years, he has produced Fantasy books of high quality, full of realistic characters, vivid settings and intricate plots. The themes of the books leave a reader with a lot to think about for a long time. He has turned his talents to science fiction with a virtual reality Fantasy land. He brings a strong voice to that genre too. He is returning to the world of Osten Ard with a new trilogy in the near future.

Short Review: _Night Broken_ by Patricia Briggs

_Night Broken_ by Patricia Briggs is the latest book of the Mercy Thompson series. The new book finds Mercy and her family with new problems from a dangerous supernatural creature. Mercy finds herself with new complications when her husband’s ex-wife asks for help from a stalker and moves in to Mercy’s home, creating tension with her family. She must find a way to find the stalker to get her life back to normal. Other complications arise when a Gray Lord wants a magical fae walking stick returned. Briggs gives readers another action filled story is the series. The characters grow and there is an interesting new monster that provides a suspenseful plot. Readers will enjoy this entry in a popular series with a memorable character.

Epic Fantasy Revisited

Epic Fantasy is the largest category in the genre overall. More books in this category are published each year with several making it on to the bestseller lists. Most of this genre expanded with the help of Tolkien’s _Lord of the Rings_. There are many books that have grown into popular series over the years, written by interesting authors who set their books in Fantasy worlds of their own creation. These worlds are as popular as Middle Earth.

Robert Jordan created a vast Epic Fantasy story with his "Wheel of Time" series. Consisting of ten books, so far, the story is about the coming final battle between the Dragon reborn and evil dark lord Shaitan. Jordan set this story on a continent of many different nation   s and cultures. Many interesting characters are involved in the vast tapestry of the plot, caught up in a destiny that readers eagerly wait for the next book. The first book in the series is _The Eye of the World_.

Women authors have written excellent Epic Fantasy books too. Patricia McKillip contributed a vivid story with her _Riddlemaster of Hed_ (contained in one volume) trilogy. In her world, hereditary rulers of kingdoms have a bond to their lands. Morgon is a young prince of Hed, but loves to solve riddles. This draws him into a big riddle that changes him and brings great changes to his world. McKillip is a talented creator of many fascinating worlds and magic in her descriptive stories.

Some authors mix elements of mythology into their books to give them deeper themes and meaning. Guy Gavriel Kay did this with his trilogy of _The Summer Tree_, _The Wandering Fire_ and _The Darkest Road_. The books have elements of Celtic and Arthurian myth woven into a story of five college students from our world drawn to the world of Fionavar. In this world, they each find their destinies while helping to save all of creation. It is a memorable trilogy for readers.

Another woman that writes excellent Epic Fantasy is Melanie Rawn. Her books are long with strong plots and memorable characters. _The Dragon Prince_ is the first book of a series that tells the story of Prince Rohan of a desert kingdom and his Sunrunner wife Sioned. They must fight a ruthless High Prince and his vicious daughter to bring freedom to the kingdoms of their land. After six books in this series, Rawn turned to another series that began with _The Ruins of Ambrai_. This trilogy remains incomplete at this time.

George R.R. Martin created a vivid world in Westeros for his ambitious series. _A Game of Thrones_ takes place on a world with a rich history and where seasons last for years. A long winter is coming. Enemies to the north plot to invade the kingdoms. Two families begin a struggle for the Iron Throne. This begins a long series with a complex story that will be told in six books. Different character viewpoints provide interesting views on a vast struggle.

David Drake created an interesting series of which _Lord of the Isles_ is the first book. This series tells the story of four young people in a kingdom made up of islands with one king. There is a vast history to this world of magic and battles. The first book begins the stories of four young people from a small village that end up in an epic struggle of intrigue an danger. Mr. Drake is an expert of militar   y things. His books contain vivid descriptions and captivating plots. Readers will enjoy the epic scope of each book.

Finally, Terry Goodkind writes a powerful series that begins with _Wizard’s First Rule_. In this series, a magical wall is about to come down, which will bring a new menace to the land. One man possesses the Sword of Truth and other magic knowledge that can save or harm the land. He travels the land with a woman and wizard with the goal of defeating a dangerous mage who could destroy the world. The book is a good beginning to a popular and interesting series of eight books so far.

Many readers love stories of epic proportions with great battles, romance and a mythic feel. Epic Fantasy is a large sub-genre that appeals to people who love these types of books. Tolkien began a tradition that continues to grow every year. As long as readers continue to want stories of epic scope, the genre will continue to grow.