The New York Times bestselling world of Osten Ard returns in the third Last King of Osten Ard novel, as threats to the kingdom loom...
The High Throne of Erkynland is tottering, its royal family divided and diminished. Queen Miriamele has been caught up in a brutal rebellion in the south and thought to have died in a fiery attack. Her grandson Morgan, heir to the throne, has been captured by one of Utuk'ku's soldiers in the ruins of an abandoned city. Miriamele’s husband, King Simon, is overwhelmed by grief and hopelessness, unaware that many of these terrible things have been caused by Pasevalles, a murderous traitor inside Simon’s own court at the Hayholt.
Meanwhile, a deadly army of Norns led by the ageless, vengeful Queen Utuk’ku, has swept into Erkyland and thrown down the fortress of Naglimund, slaughtering the inhabitants and digging up the ancient grave of Ruyan the Navigator so that Utuk'ku can use the Navigator’s fabled armor to call up the spirit of Hakatri, the evil Storm King's brother.
Even the Sithi, fairy-kin to the Norns, are helpless to stop Utuk'ku's triumph as her armies simultaneously march on the Hayholt and force their way into the forbidden, ogre-guarded valley of Tanakirú -- the Narrowdark -- where a secret waits that might bring Simon's people and their Sithi allies salvation — or doom.
Story Locale:Osten Ard (fantasy world)
Series Overview: The Last King of Osten Ard returns readers to the iconic world of Tad Williams's New York Times-bestselling Memory, Sorrow, and Thorn trilogy, as characters both beloved and new defend the kingdom from an ancient and powerful enemy.
Publisher: Penguin Random House
Original Binding: Hardcover
Pages: 608 pages
ISBN-10: 0756410649
Item Weight: 1.8 lbs
Dimensions: 6.3 x 1.8 x 9.4 inches
Customer Reviews: 4 out of 5 stars 1,001 to 10,000 ratings
Praise for the world of Osten Ard
“Inspired me to write my own seven-book trilogy.... It’s one of my favorite fantasy series.” —George R. R. Martin, New York Times-bestselling author of A Song of Ice and Fire
“Groundbreaking.... Changed how people thought of the genre, and paved the way for so much modern fantasy. Including mine.” —Patrick Rothfuss, New York Times-bestselling author of The Name of the Wind
"Tad Williams is a master storyteller, and the Osten Ard books are his masterpiece. Williams’ return to Osten Ard is every bit as compelling, deep, and fully-rendered as the first trilogy, and he continues to write with the experience and polish of an author at the top of his game." —Brandon Sanderson, New York Times-bestselling author of Mistborn
“Memory, Sorrow, and Thorn is one of the great fantasy epics of all time.” —Christopher Paolini, New York Times bestselling author of Eragon
"Building upon the revered history of Memory, Sorrow, and Thorn, Williams has outdone himself by penning a 700-plus page novel that is virtually un-put-down-able.... Williams’ grand-scale storytelling mastery is on full display here. Not just utterly readable—an instant fantasy classic." —Kirkus Reviews (starred)
“Panoramic, vigorous, often moving.... Williams adroitly weaves together the tales...heralding a suitablyepic and gloriousconclusion.” —Publishers Weekly
“Highly Recommended. [Williams] draws on many mythologies for the background of his fantasy epic...story spiced with political intrigue and strong appealing heroes.” —Library Journal
“A grand fantasy on a scale approaching Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings.” —Cincinnati Post
Tad Williams is a fantasy superstar. His genre-creating (and genre-busting) books have sold tens of millions of copies worldwide. His considerable output of epic fantasy and epic science fiction series, fantastical stories of all kinds, urban fantasy novels, comics, scripts, etc., have strongly influenced a generation of writers.
Author Residence: San Francisco, CA
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