The Dragonbone Chair

I don't think I was in the right mood the first time I tried to read this but I am so glad I decided to try again. I've read a lot of conflicting reviews and honestly all I can say is try it for yourself and see. It does seem slow at the beginning but after a bit I truly enjoyed reading about Simon bumbling around like an idiot half the time. And what really sold this whole story for me was Binabik. Hands down one of the best characters I have had the pleasure to get to know. I want him to be my best friend.

As with most first novels in epic fantasy, this book was pretty slow at until the last 20% or so. Still, I knew this going in and I'm excited to continue this series exploring the world and the characters. Many of the characters didn't stand out to me except for the main ones so I'm much more interested in Simon's part of the story than the political intrigue bits between the nations of Osten Ard. Simon is a boy of 15 and he acts like it throughout the story. I loved watching him experiencing this journey and adventure that was thrust upon him which heavily mirrors the quest that Frodo must embark on and also Rand from the Wheel of Time which came after this book was published.

Great novel and setup for this world and story. It looses some stars because it was a bit too slow and the ending was good but not earth shattering.

This was a really rough start. I was incredibly bored and pushed through only because of other reviews. And I'm so glad I did!

Things slowly get more interesting once Hayholt is behind you. The lore and characters of the world start making sense. It's so lush and immersive. I wound up getting very invested, despite how many players are involved in the plot. Gods there are a lot of characters! You flit around so many perspectives and it made my head spin occasionally. But in the end, it makes sense. I was not left confused by who each character was.

Also thrilled that there are Asian and Inuit inspired peoples, at least in language formatting. Binabik and Jeriki are the absolute best characters. Even Simon stops being an idiot eventually. I cut him some slack because all teenagers are cringe. It's par for the course.

There are also two women being set up for greater things so we're going to get more female representation, I hope.

“Never make your home in a place. Make a home for yourself in your own head. You'll find what you need to furnish it-memory, friends you can trust, love of learning, and other such things. That way it will go with you wherever you journey. You'll never lack for a home-unless you lose your head, of course”

This book was a rollercoaster. At first I was thinking that this was going to be the best book ever and then it got so boring I almost put it down and then it got pretty good again. I can definitely understand why some people hate this book but I thought it turned out pretty good especially since it was made in the 80's. I think the hardest part for me with fantasy books is that I'm trying to find the next Game of Thrones and nothing I've read matches up that masterpiece. Although I can see where Martin got a lot of inspiration from Williams in this book. Of course like most fantasies there's similarities with Tolkien. There's the evil force that seemingly wants to rule the world, there's different bands of humans, there's Giants, large wolves, large dog like creatures, Siths(elves), and Trolls(Dwarves). Binabik the Troll and Morgenes are my favorite characters.

This is technically a reread, but I remember almost nothing about this book except for some vague and unimportant scenes about 2/3 through the book. I really loved this book. Its so slow, but I loved his prose and didn't mind the slow build.
My biggest complaint is that many of the characters feel non-distinct. Miriamele and Maegwin feel like the same person. I couldn't tell you who Guthwilf, Fengbald and Isgrimnur are and what role they have in the story and what the differences are between the lands they come from as they just sort of blend together. Other characters are obviously quite distinct like Binibik, Geloe, Josua and Elias.

What an enjoyable read. This story feels special and timeless. Williams's worldbuilding is deep and impressive. Although he raises considerably more questions than he answers, I'm fully invested in seeing this through to the end.

This series has been on my TBR pile for the longest while and if all goes well, I hope to work my way through the remaining Osten Ard books in anticipation of the new book being released in 2021.

See this review and others at The Speculative Shelf.

What an amazing book this was!

If you ever wanted to read a classic fantasy book, which features all of your favorite tropes, but still manages to surprise you every time you think you've got it figured out, then this one is for you.

We have a vast intriguing world, a huge cast of characters, an amazing atmosphere, mystery, history, action, quests... And all of this is written in such a clever way! We have a beautiful and solid writing style, which left me feeling like I can trust this author to tell an enchanting story. Which he did.

The one thing you need to be prepared for is this: the book is SLOW! And while I enjoyed it and definitely think it's worth it, it might be an issue for the faster readers. The author takes his sweet sweet time to introduce this world and his many characters and stories, and doesn't shy away from putting scenes on page, just because they make the story cosier.

So, if you're planning to read this one, make sure that you're okay with not being hasty, then pick it up and enjoy the ride.