To Green Angel Tower, Part 1 (Memory, Sorrow, and Thorn, Book 3)

Rating:
Summary: Wonderful Reading!
Review: This book kept me hooked till the very end.. I recieved the first three as gifts ( thankyou Ananda) and I am on to buy part two. I love the characters and appreciate some the fantastic female roles!!!!!! I almost don't want to read the last book because the story will be over. Well, Read the books, they are superb!

Rating:
Summary: IT IS THE BEST OF THEM ALL!
Review: The series is over, and it could not have ended in a better way. I'm only a kid (With an advanced reading leval) and I loved it. It is a good book from kids of 12, to adult of 40. It is the best book someone can read if they want a fantisy, action book, but you must read the books in order, first; The Dragon Bone Chair, then, Stone Of Fairewell, and finaly To Green Angle Tower. Williams is a very imaginative author, making his books very interesting, and fun.

Rating:
Summary: Among the Best
Review: As far as I can see, the quality of this entire series is beyond my power with words to describe in the time that I have. It combines hope, sorrow, horror, and anger in an incredible tapestry of detail and plot. I agree with some readers that the pace seemed a little rushed near the end, but I imagine that the publisher would have been rather upset if it had been much longer...and this story isnt longer than originally intended because of its author lacks skill, its longer because it evolved, just like the world it describes. Everything in it is interelated, and I have read few fictional books that have developed their characters better (How can anyone say they are cardboard thin!? ) and I have read a lot of fantasy books in my time. Only objections: rushed ending, author's style of closure, and to anyone who thinks Robert Jordan is a better author (alright, I guess you're entitled to an opinion too). AND DO NOT READ THESE BOOKS OUT OF ORDER

Rating:
Summary: This is my all-time favorite book.
Review: Is it any wonder that Tad Williams is compared to JRR Tolkien? I mean, look at the description and the characterization of To Green Angel Tower and the other books as well. The characters are all three-dimensional - for example, Simon. He's had all that experience with battles on Sesuad'ra and on Urmsheim and has really learned from them. Or Miriamele. She loves her father so much, but she is strong enough to have her own opinions and travel the world to find someone to special enough to share her experiences. I also love the way Williams describes the Sithi. They aren't elves, dwarves, or wizards, they're somewhere in between. They have magic but it's a special kind that you don't usually find in run-of-the-mill fantasy novels. This book is a wonderful example of creativity and a relief from the usual "good vs. evil" saga.

Rating:
Summary: Skip through it
Review: Simon is tall. Joshua broods. Now you can skip about 400 pages. I thought the series was picking up after Stone of Farewell, which was pretty decent. I was the more deceived. The author is simply killing trees here. I would almost recommend just skipping to Part 2 and reading the synopsis of Part 1. You won't miss anything.

Rating:
Summary: Lyrical, enchanting tour-de-force!
Review: I just finished a marathon reading of the "Memory, Sorrow and Thorn" trilogy-- all 3000 plus pages-- and I am totally knocked out! I loved the books on several levels: first, the character development. All the characters were multi-dimensional, really human in their responses to situations and to eachother. Many evoked strong empathy-- the reader really cares what happens to them. Simon's coming-of-age journey from innocent, somewhat goofy "mooncalf" to mature young man is beautifully and sensitively drawn. His relationship with Miriamele--halting, tentative, gradually growing stronger and deeper, blossoming finally into fully realized love, is written with real delicacy. The noble friendship between Simon and Binabik is gratifying. Josua's character is also one I came to care a great deal about, one of the truly good and noble forces of the books. The villains are truly nasty and quite vividly evoked. The pacing of the plot is excellent; nothing is flabby about this story, from start to finish. All details are important, and one must read with steady concentration. Everything is woven together with much skill. The dialogue is a real treat to read; one can fairly hear the characters as one reads their words. I was totally immersed in the story throughout the four volumes (the third part of the trilogy is so long that it is broken up into two books) and begrudged the time I had to spend doing mundane things. I was faced with the dilemma of wanting to go on reading while also wanting to put off reaching the very end! Getting to the end was satisfying yet also upsetting, and I found myself thinking about the story and the characters for days after. I HIGHLY recommend the entire trilogy, and also strongly suggest that anyone interested begin with "The Dragonbone Chair" and proceed in order. Don't skip any part of this fantastic work of literature!

Rating:
Summary: Sense of loss when I finished
Review: This book was wonderful; the conflict is perfectly believable, characters all have pasts, futures and all are important. There are no throwaway characters, just to fill up the ranks. Everyone has a distinct personality. The battle between good and evil is a real struggle, not just a predictable nothing. The "bad" guys have as much personality as the "good." They are all complex individuals. One of the death scenes was that of my favorite character. I actually went through the five psychological stages of coping with death (denial, anger, etc.) When I finished the book, I felt angry I had to leave the world. That has never happened with any other book.

Rating:
Summary: why does everybody like this book?
Review: I can't believe how many pick this book over The Wheel of Time series! The only other highly rated series i hate more is The Sword of Truth (books 2 to 4) because TG copies Robert Jordan, but back to Tad Williams. I though that for an epic fantasy series this book was lacking. 1600+ pages in 1 book that didn't have the proper ending that an epic should have - he didnt do anything cateclysmic (no doubt spelt wrong). Over all the series could have been better if it didnt die after 200 pages in The Dragonbone Chair.

Rating:
Summary: Modern Day Master
Review: Indeed Tad Williams has written a series so unique that it is almost difficult to follow for readers of traditional Fantasy. An enthralling series that is not comparable with any other. In my opinion, one of the top storytellers of today, with one of the most real epic fantasy's of all time.

Rating:
Summary: Not for the weak minded masses!
Review: This is is one of my favorite all-time books. What Williams lacks in originality he makes up for in the intricasies of this plot (or plots as you will discover.) This is no mere story, it is the twisting, weaving, and intertwining of several small stories that rivals even Tolkien in detail. It is this intertwining that is one of the major themes of the book. This is a wonderful series to read if you have a couple of weeks (or months). The best points of the book: 1. The best bad guy around. (pryrates is perhaps the slimiest bad guy ever) 2. Politics, conflict, age-old hatreds, stereotypes, and religion, in perfect detail. (all of these lacking in the lord of the rings) 3. A great climax with just enough explanation at the end to keep you wondering, "well what about..." 4. Magic is not used blatantly as in most fantasy, but is more subtle and "art"istic. 5. Seoman. (In the true spirit of Taran from Lloyd Alexander's series) 6. The little sayings of the Quanc "Winter is not being the time for naked swimming", etc.