Rating: 
Summary: Not bad but tend to get slow and annoying
Review: The peace amongst the land of Osten Ard is coming to an end. The great king Prester John has died and left the kingdom in the hands of his eldest son, Elias. Many believed that Elias would follow in his father's footsteps and keep the kingdom strong and at peace. What the people did not know was that the new king was under the influence of the evil priest Pyrates, who planned to unleash the evil Ineluki, the elven Storm King, to bring war among the land and against Elias' brother Joshua. In the middle of all of this was Simon: a simple kitchen scullion and apprentice to Doctor Morgenes. His simple life was tossed to the wind when he helped rescue Joshua from a hidden dungeon where he had been held by Pyrates. Then his master is killed trying to protect Joshua and Simon's life. Before Morgenes is killed, he instructs Simon to follow Joshua to the safehold of Naglimund with a copy of Morgenes' written history of King John. As Simon races to the safety of Naglimund, he is pursued by Pyrates' men and befriends a small Troll named Binabik. There the two continue on a journey that becomes even more complicated with each step. I will admit that this book was not an easy read and I have to agree that the first 200 pages or so were a battle to get through. A lot of names and places are thrown around and it was hard to follow where the main storyline was heading. However, after that point the story flew and became the great book that was so highly recommended to me. Williams weaves such a grand story out of a very complicated plot and makes the characters so believable. I could just imagine Binabik riding high on top of his wolf through the grand forests alongside Simon. Also, the imagery Williams convokes in this story is worth it. There are many scenes in the book where the images are so well written that you can visualize them clearly as you read along. This book is very good if you're willing to work through it. It definitely requires time and patience but is well worth the effort in the end. I am looking forward to reading the next book in the series.
Rating: 
Summary: A Major Epic
Review: Let me buck the trend here by declaring that the opening two-hundred pages of this book are not boring. They are, in fact, the best part. We meet a huge cast of realistic and memorable characters and get some tantalizing hints about armies on the move and conspiracies working behind the scenes. I do not find protagonist Simon to be an irritating or stereotypical character. In fact, within the field of fantasy, he's one of the best portraits of the conflicts and turbulence of adolescence. The opening section of the book contains some heartfelt looks at big topics on top of great writing and memorable imagery. It is the ponderous middle section, rather, where the real problem lies. Simon goes on the run with a comic relief sidekick who just isn't very relieving. This is basically formula fantasy, as legions of bad guys attack only to be easily batted off by the enterprising good guys. The writing here is lower quality than at the beginning, as if Tad Williams was bored by this part of the book and was rushing through to reach the end. And sure enough, things do pick up in the home stretch. There are a few surprises waiting in the final chapters, and enough decent action sequences to satisfy. Overall, I would say that "The Dragonbone Chair" isn't quite as good as the works of George R R Martin or Robin Hobb, but it is a major achievement that brought new depth and dimension to the fantasy field. Read it to enjoy and don't get thrown off by the slow parts.
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