To Green Angel Tower by Tad Williams (Memory Sorrow and Thorn: Book 3)

9/10

The land is cold and bitter as The Storm King's grip holds sway.

Simon and Binabik must solve the final mystery of the great sword Memory in order to use it power to stop the Storm King. Can the Weird of the Swords be solved?

Joshua must rally his forces and prepare for this last stand; brother must face brother.

Long forgotten, the Sithi return to a world long abandoned. Blood has been shed and a people slow to angry ride forth.

War has come to Osten Ard. All will be touched. Many will fall before the rage of Storm King and his ultimate revenge.

Endings are always hard for a reader. We are always wanting! Will I be happy with how the characters end up, is there room for another book, will it all be a dream and is JR still alive?

I first remember reading the trilogy around 20 years ago (beginning to feel old here) and being enthralled by the story and characters. I must admit I missed some of the underlying narrative, namely the aspects of Christianity: god and the Devil, faith versus hate.

Having reread the series once more I feel I can take a step back and be a little more analytical. I still love the series and I can accept that the verve of a youthful reader newly acquainted to fantastic genre has slanted my perspective, but I am good with that.

I whole hearted feel the series to be an enchanting (pun intended) read, it's a step above the traditional fantasy novel, though doesn't reach the complexity and depth of an saga like the Wheel of Time.

Overall, the series captures the essence of what a good fantasy story should be - the tale of a hero who rises from lowly beginnings, mystical swords, magic, dragons and fairie creatures! What more can a reader ask for in a story!?

There is an engagement in the series you cannot always find, you empathise with the characters as life, death and rebirth intertwines throughout the story. You are provided with a front row seat to an opera of noble proportions.

The book has been criticised for being a little long, but I my opinion I would rather have too much to read than not enough. The greater embellishments succeeds in providing the reader with history, personality throughout the series. There are true moments of emotional involvement and I can be confident in saying that I would not have been the first reader to be found reading the final scenes well into the night.

However, not all that glitters is gold and not all that is written is Shakespeare. The story does have some gaps that do make you feel a little let down. The epic battle between good and evil does leave you wanting. There are some fairly contrived characters progressions which I think readers picked up from the first and second books, as well as some repetition of themes, but being honest even Tolkien couldn't make Frodo seems any less humdrum by the end off The Lord of the Rings.

Read, be engaged and enveloped in a world struggling to survive. We can only feel pity for those consumed by sadness and hatred, but we fight and strive to live and love.