The War of the Flowers

Rating:
Summary: The Best Fantasy Book of 2003
Review: Tad Williams struck a resonant chord with me with "The War of the Flowers". I should state that I read a good bit of Fantasy fiction, including some of Mr. Williams other books, and do generally consider him, Robin Hobb, George RR Martin and Robert Jordan to be the apex of current fantasy writing.

With that being caveat, it should not be surprising that just as that Tad Williams' prior books tended to focus on in depth-characterization and setting, rather than raw action or discordant perspectives (Martin), so too does 'The War of the Flowers'. Moreover, 'The War of the Flowers' utterly succeeds within that caveat.

Set in the land of 'Faerie', a mortal, Theo Vilmus, arrives through suspect means. A 'loser' at ~ age 30 in 'mortalia' prior to his advent, Theo comes of age while unwillingly, and to some degree, unwittingly, assisting in a civil war.

This relatively simple story succeeds in several outstanding ways:
(1) It, like many non-Fantasy fictional brethren, is told in 1 book-- and not scattered over many.
(2) The setting is fabulous: Sprites, Nixies, Doonies, Goblins, Grims, et al. In place, used 'accurately'. The class warfare(neo-marxist???)/condemnation of industralization may, to some, go over the top, but it's appropriate for the Neo-Victorian backdrop of Faeries
(3) The primary Protagonist is fabulous: Theo, as with Simon way back in 'The Memory...' Trilogy, is an angst-ridden, relatively indecisive ne'er-do-well at the beginning, who successfully migrates to adulthood by the end (nevermind that he's 30 to begin with as age doesn't make one an 'adult').
(4) The secondary characters are outstanding, with special kudos to both Hellebore and Applecore.

This book sat on my bookshelf for nearly 5 months before I read it. What a mistake. Being followed closely by only "Golden Fool" by Robin Hobb, this is unquestionably the best Fantasy book of 2003. Finally, while it was self-contained in only 1 volume, I assuredly hope Tad Williams revisits the land and time he created. Wonderful. Magnificient.

Rating:
Summary: A fairy tale like nothing you've ever heard before...
Review: Thirty-year old Theo Vilmos can't imagine how his life could get any worse. He's still playing in garage bands with band members half his own age, his pregnant girlfriend miscarries and leaves him, his mother dies of cancer, and he loses his part-time job delivering flowers... all within the span of a few short months. But when a walking corpse breaks through his bathroom window, and he's saved from the murderous creature by a fairy no taller than a ballpoint pen, Theo seriously starts to consider that things are only going to get worse before they get better.

Thrust into the magical land of Faerie, Theo struggles to understand the laws of a world unlike his own, while at the same time trying to comprehend what could possibly make him as important as he seems to be to the ruling class fairies. It seems everyone wants a piece of Theo, and not everyone's reasons are as benign as Theo would like. Accompanied by Applecore, his savior fairy the size of a ball-point pen, he makes his way through Faerie, most days trying only to stay alive from the myriad of creatures that seem to be pursuing him.

Filled with some of the strangest characters to ever appear between the pages of a fantasy novel, WAR OF THE FLOWERS is thought provoking, and utterly entertaining. Tad Williams's ability to write humor, suspense, action, and evoke an emotional response from the reader (often all at once!) is remarkable. The world building is in-depth and enthralling. A stand alone fantasy novel is hard to find these days - one as thought provoking and engrossing as this one is almost impossible to come across. If you like your fantasy with a touch of myth and magic, then look no further than WAR OF THE FLOWERS. It will challenge every fairy tale you've ever heard, and put to rest the question of whether fairies really exist once and for all.

Rating:
Summary: Great Twist On Faeries
Review: I originally got hooked on Tad Williams with his Memory, Sorrow and Thorn series. I loved his slight adjustments to the classic epic fantasy. I then read Tailchaser's Song and loved it. I did not enjoy his Otherland series, not being able to get through the first book.

So, when I saw that he had another book coming out I was slightly apprehensive. But, I reasoned with myself that The War of the Flowers was another fantasy and sci fi and therefore as good as his others.

I was not disappointed. What interested me at first was that the main character was an ordinary guy going through a rough time. There were also hints from the beginning about the events not being normal. What clinched the book for me and made me read hole myself up in my room for an afternoon to finish was his interpretation of the realm of fearie. It wasn't the classic view of pristine woods and tiny benign creatures. It's basically our world in the late 19th century with a few twists (like magic). Even his portrayal of magic is different in that it is a lot like electricity.

Of course there is the battle between good and evil, but it occurs on many levels; between social classes, different beings, and different worlds. And as usual, there are plot twists that drew me in and didn't let go.

I highly recommend this book for anyone who wants a fun, easy, slightly dark, nontraditional fantasy read.

Rating:
Summary: Great Book!
Review: I'm not usually one for dual world books but when I saw it was Tad Williams I had to give it a shot. And it was pretty great! Also, and this might be a shocker, for once it's a single, self contained Tad Williams novel. That's right not 5000 pages!

Anyway great book!

Rating:
Summary: Hang in there
Review: I was apprehensive at page 50 thinking, "This has to get better!" After just finishing The Otherland series and falling in love with all the characters (and wishing he'd bring them back somehow), I was anxious to dive into another Tad Williams novel. By page 100, I was trying to reason with myself, trying to convince myself that this wonderful author wasn't all washed up.

Well, I thought, maybe he's had a bad spurt.. Maybe somebody close to him has passed and this is his way of letting go.. I was about to put the book down at page 100 and admit that everyone has a bad book - this must be it. And then, it all got better. The Tad Williams that I knew came out of hiding and held me through to the end. If you can get past the first 103 pages, you'll appreciate the rest of the book as one of the best he's written.

Although I wasn't fond of Theo's character (I couldn't quite relate to his train of thought), I liked his interactions with the characters in Fairie and to see him grow from the experience. I really am glad I stuck it through, otherwise I would have missed it!

Rating:
Summary: Not Williams' Best
Review: I'm a longtime fan of Williams and enjoyed this novel, but it's not his best (see 'The Dragonbone Chair'). I found Theo's character to be very passive; things just happen to him while he's led or wanders cluelessly from place to place. I also couldn't get a very clear sense of the 'rules' for the realm of faerie until about halfway through the book, and there was too long a delay in revealing Theo's importance to the story.

That said, there were some good plot twists that caught me by surprise, and everything wraps up fairly well at the end (although room has clearly been provided for one or more sequels). It's nice to read a stand-alone novel for a change, too much in the genre is trilogies and series. Looking forward to the author's work ('Shadowmarch').

Rating:
Summary: Not his best
Review: At first, I was afraid this book was going to turn into a knock-off of the Mecadies Lackey Fairie novels of the early/mid 90's. Fortunately, Williams showed his ability to carve out something familiar yet unique.

While I enjoyed this book, I would sadly have to put it at the bottom of the books Williams has written. I found it less enchanting then even his freshman effort "Tailchaser's Song" (a book I highly recommend for any cat lover). The plot was so-so and the characters were fun if not memorable. Williams once again resorted to his normal tactic of not telling you all the pieces of the puzzle until the last few pages. A fact most fans forgive him for only because he's so good at making us think significant items are insignificant until late in the story.

Where Williams does shine in this book is once again in his crafting of the world. The world of faerie described in this novel is so like our own while also being bizzarely different. The parrallels to our own world in this other-worldly setting are what make the book entertaining.

To sum it up, pick up this book only if you're after something to read and have enjoyed Williams' style. If you're not a fan or looking for an excellent read, sadly I'd recommend you look elsewhere. And judging by the lack of fan-fare associated with this book's release, I don't think I'm the only one with this opinion.

Rating:
Summary: An amazing mix of non-real genres
Review: Until now, Tad Williams' novels have always addressed just one aspect of what I'll refer to as "non-real" genres of fiction. For example, "Tailchaser's Song" was a complete fantasy novel. The "Outland" series was pure science fiction - highly imaginative s/f, to be sure, but still science fiction.

With "The War of the Flowers", Williams blends fantasy, science fiction, and horror in one very weird (but good) read. Theo Vilmos is a journeyman rock musician who can't seem to stay in one place for too long (musically speaking). He's belonged to a few bands in his time, and aside from one minor success he hasn't done much with his life. He's beginning to think it's time to grow up and join the real world - at least, what he thinks is the real world. It seems that, in another place and time, someone else has quite different plans for our hero.

The main elements of "Flowers" are fantasy-driven - fairies, sprites, and pixies, among others. But there are elements of horror as well, most notably the irrha, the creature that is sent after Theo - as well as the dragons, the Terrible Child, and the Remover of Inconvenient Obstacles, the creature who sends the irrha after Theo in the first place - a being who is at the same time more and less than he seems.

There are also distinct elements of science fiction in this novel. I don't mean that you'll turn a page and come face to face with a flying saucer, or with a Buck Rogers ray gun. No, what I mean by science fiction in this case is that Williams tries to establish a certain human logic to the way that Fairie (or New Erewhon, to use the other name Williams calls it) works. And for the most part, he succeeds, although you'll have to think about the rules he sets for a while.

The beings in this story are all unique and fully thought-out characters in one way or another, but surprisingly the weakest one in the whole story is the main man himself - Theo Vilmos. Even in the most positive parts of the story he is simply too depressing. But that's more than made up for by beings like Serge Cumber, the ferisher who majored in Mortal Studies in the Fairie equivalent of college; Poppy Thornapple, Theo's unlikely love interest; and particularly Button, the little goblin who's trying to make New Erewhon a better place; and Applecore, the sprite with a classic Irish temper and a heart to match.

The story that's told runs quite smoothly, but I really hope this isn't the last I hear of Theo, Poppy, and the others. It seems to me that Williams has left the door open for additional stories about this world and its denizens - and I hope he'll follow through and write some.

Rating:
Summary: By far the best from Tad Williams
Review: My first Tad Williams experience was Tailchasers Song, which I liked but felt like it needed more detail about the behavior of the cats. I then read the Otherland series, which I liked more than I thought I would, but it wasn't top on my list. I went through George R.R. Martin's Song of Ice and Fire series for the second time and needed something new to read. I was hoping that The War of the Flowers would be a great read and I was not disappointed. The new world he has created here has huge potential for more stories, even though it's a complete novel in one book. I hope to see more about Theo in the future, and I'm glad to see Tad Williams growing in his writing ability. If you like The Song of Ice and Fire (GRRM), are looking for a good Fantasy read that won't cause you to sit for months and await the sequel, or have read Tad Williams' other works, then you need this book!

Rating:
Summary: Amazing, once again!
Review: I must say, I was a little skeptical coming into this one. I wasn't sure if it could be written in such a way that could captivate your interest for 675 pages. But, Tad Williams has done it again.

Think of this book as a fairy tale story on [a chemical substance], and it is great!

He uses so much folk lore that you are drawn into the story, allowed to live and breathe with the characters. At times, I admit, Theo Vilmos seemed stilted as his conversations were leading and forced, but this doesn't happen much. Instead you are left with a great tale with some surprising results.