Stone of Farewell (Memory - and Thorn

I have very little to say about Tad Willaims other than he has an astounding imagination and is always a joy to read. This is the second book in the trilogy. I almost gave up after 100 pages or so of the first book. After I stuck with it I realized that the reasons for me not enjoting the first part of this book are the same reasons I loved the rest of the trilogy. I highly recommend this series to anyone who enjoys fanatsy.

One star refers to the publisher, not the author or the story. I am giving up on "mass market" printing. The publishers must all have phenomenal vision. My eyes correct to 20/20 vision, yet I can't comfortably read any page. Squinting doesn't help. I don't get the publishing rational--- whatever it may be. You're putting out crap, publisher. Worse yet, you are aware your mass market printing is crap.

The story is wonderful. Tad gets five stars.

If you read the first book (Dragonbone Chair) and thought that was slow, this second volume is much worse. At least in the first book there were some snippets of excitement, but in this effort the pace is slower than a snail moving on flypaper. I finished it as I would finish some laborious duty that must be performed because I like to read the books I buy all the way through. Unfortunately the payoff was nil.

The borrowing from Tolkien also became too much, unlike the first one where it was more disguised. Here we have the Dwarrow (Dwarves, he couldn't even bother to change the name that much), Sithi are the Elves, Binabik is more of a rip off of the Star Wars character Yoda (he even talks like him) and Pyrates ("I want power!"), the main villian is as cliche as a paper-thin evil bad guy gets.

Another pain is Simon, the main character. He gets even more annoying than in the first book, and in just about every scene he is either whining and moaning about his fate or in drama queen tears. I guess Williams thought that this device would ellicit emotion from the reader and would lend some kind of weight to the story, but the problem is the emotion elicted is exasperation and rolled eyes.

This is somewhat mitigated by the cutting to other storylines involving other characters that are more interesting, such as Miriamele and Cadrach's ship board adventure, but Williams cuts around too much and it gets confusing keeping track of all the various characters and their situations.

I have heard the last volume is the best, and I sincerely hope so because so far it has gone from an average fantasy book (Dragonbone Chair) to a mediocre one (Stone of Farewell)

While Mr. Williams is one of my favorite writers, these books are far too wordy. There was the distinct feeling that he wrote at a $ per word. Since the majority of his readers are teens and early twenties, it may well be that they prefer "all the extras"

The second volume Tad Williams' Memory, Sorrow, and Thorn trilogy appears at first to be an event-laden set up piece for the grand finale series, however Stone of Farewell turned out into something more in-depth especially when it comes to characters. From various locations around Osten Ard, characters that have survived the events of The Dragonbone Chair start heading to the legendary Stone of Farewell, a temporary sanctuary for those fighting against the tide of evil brought by the Storm King. While others continue their noble, and sometimes misguided, personal quests.

From the north, Simon's journey begins with saving the lives of his friends from a death sentence then heads to the southern border of the Old Forest only to be separated from his friends. In the west, Prince Josua leads a ragtag band of survivors in the Old Forest first in a battle of survival then into a quest that leads them to the vast plans in the east of the country to the Stone. Miriamele learns her quest to bring Nabban to her uncle's side a failure before her arrival then finds herself being secretly traded from one political player to another while Duke Isgrimnur's search for the wayward Princess gets sidetracked to find small Wrannaman along with a legendary figure. And in occupied Hernystir, Maegwin leds her exiled country in the depths of the mountains and finds a lost city.

From the first page the action is always moving forward unlike the beginning of The Dragonbone Chair. Simon's sojourn with the exiled Sithi is a interesting and very necessary change of pace in the later half of the book as the reader continues to learn that things aren't necessary as they seem. While the vast majority of the book is a great read, there are parts that are somewhat of a drag and questionable. Both Miriamele and Maegwin seem to be well-written one page then clichéd the next, its very maddening as a reader. Another is the fact that the majority of Josua's journey to the Stone comes from Deornoth's point-of-view, while Deornoth is a great character it questionable that a major player like Josua seems sidelined by the writer.

Stone of Farewell is a wonderful middle volume of a trilogy that is not only an adventure in itself, but builds up the story for the finale. If you've read The Dragonbone Chair and are thinking about if you really want to continue with the series, I recommend you read the first 100 pages because you won't want to put it down.

Anybody that has read Dragonbone Chair knows about those dreaded first 200 pages, This has has very few boring pages, of endless landscape and people getting introduced. In this book the first 200 hundred are the most exciting, they're four groups of people, and three single individuals that the book follows and when one seems to to be out of the clear the other seems to get it in trouble. It keeps the pace pretty rapid, not that there aren't a few chapters that you have to sludge through, there are, but they are few and far between. the Maedgewin chapters are little to slow for me.

The best part is how Williams ties all these characters together, its reminiscent of the Two Towers, but instead of multiple chapters to one character he will tell multiple story lines during a chapter, which sounds confusing, but it makes perfect sense the way it is told.

In the first book I was really confused where people were in the land, he does a better job with making that make sense and keeping the reader in the loop of where characters are relation to one another.

It a great read and I'm on to the next book To the Green Angel Tower.

The Stone of Farewell is the second installment in Tad Williams' Memory, Sorrow and Thorn series. Like the first installment, this is a hefty-sized book that will keep the fantasy enthusiast well-entertained for some time.

Please know that epic fantasies are not for everyone. They are bigger, slower, and involve a whole lot of characters (many with goofy names). Personally, I enjoy the bigger stories as I feel it just makes the fictional world more real and enjoyable, but I understand others may feel weighed down by all the detail.

Stone of Farewell is divided into several storylines as characters are all over the place doing very different things. You'll follow Simon, Binabik and Sludig as they try to bring the magic sword "Thorn" to Josua at the Stone of Farewell. You'll also follow Prince Josua and his remaining party from the disastrous fall of Naglimund as they also seek the Stone of Farewell. You'll tag along with Miriamelle and Cadrach as they just try to stay out of trouble, rather unsuccessfully. You'll spend more time with Tiamak, the swamp native who is a member of the League of the Scroll as he really makes his way into the story. And you'll also follow along with Eolair and Maegwin as they adjust to life under the mountains, and what they encounter there.

Sure, it sounds like a lot to keep up with, and it is. But Williams does a good job of keeping most of these storylines engaging. The only one I didn't care for much was Miriamele and Cadrach's. I didn't find these pages particularly exciting. In fact, at times, I thought their story could be told in half the time that was spent on them.

Williams writes beautifully, decribing scenes in wonderfully vivid details. The characters feel like real people. It is rare that I would think that one of their actions seemed completely unreasonable for their character.

This is an enjoyable read, and if you read the first book, you really need to read this one. It's even better. I can't wait to get through the third. Enjoy.

After reading this second volume in Memory, Sorrow, and Thorn, I am of mixed feelings. While Tad Williams is undeniably one of the most talented writers at creating vivid and emotional scenes, plus the story and the characters are believable and easy to love, I can't help but to feel a little cheated. After DRAGONBONE CHAIR, I was expecting this book to pick up right where the exciting end of that book left off, with the forces of good and evil ready to duke it out in a glorious show down and the first of the 'star swords' recovered and ready to be put to use. Instead, I was disappointed to find these characters I love being relentlessly whipped and chased towards a strange goal that they know nothing about. Chapter after chapter of desperate, cold, and weary heroes just gets old after a while.

The brief episodes of action seem thrown in to placate the reader, but don't usually contribute to the overall progression of the story. Actually, at the end of this book, I felt as though I didn't really understand what was happening on the whole any better than I did after the first. Not even the characters grow in any major ways that I could tell. Simon Snowlock is still the self-pitying 'mooncalf' from the first novel and Josua Lackhand still has no idea of how to overcome the overwhelming odds he's up against. While every Williams novel I've ever read could have been edited down some, most of them at least reward you with progression through the story.

Of course, I can't say that I'm not looking forward to the next in the series, praying that all of my questions will finally be answered. I love the world Williams has created, with its multitude of races and realistic personalities, not to mention its absolutely fascinating mysteries and secrets. I tell myself that there is no way I could be disappointed in the final book!

Updated March 2017

Twenty-five years ago I read Tad Williams’ MEMORY, SORROW & THORN trilogy and since that time I’ve considered it one of my favorite fantasy epics. For years I’ve been planning to re-read it when an audio version was published and that happened recently, so here I am. A few weeks ago I reviewed the first book, The Dragonbone Chair, which you need to read before picking up this second book, The Stone of Farewell (1990). If you haven’t, stop right here because there be spoilers (and dragons) beyond this point.

After a quick synopsis of the first book, The Stone of Farewell begins where The Dragonbone Chair left off. Simon has killed a dragon, has been “touched” by the dragon’s blood in some way (which left him with a white streak in his hair so now people are calling him “Snowlock”) and has obtained Thorn, one of the three swords needed to defeat mad King Elias. Binabik the troll, Simon’s best friend, has been caught and jailed by his tribe due to breaking one of their laws and Simon is trying to get him released so they can continue on their quest. Prince Josua, younger brother of King Elias, escaped the besieged castle with only about a dozen followers. They continue to be harried and attacked as they flee through a forest. Miriamele and Cadrach, who had left Josua to seek help from allies in Nabban, are traveling together and Miri doesn’t know if she can trust her companion (and neither do we, but we do learn more about him in this book). Duke Isgrimnur is trying to find Miri and Cadrach when he stumbles upon a legendary hero that everyone thought was dead. Meanwhile Maegwin, now the reluctant leader of the Hernystiri after her father and brother were killed, leads the remnant of her people to underground caves where she attempts to get help from the Sithi, but everyone thinks she’s crazy (and she kind of is).

Eventually all of these folks learn that the allies that oppose King Elias are gathering at the Stone of Farewell, a legendary and powerful Sithi landmark. Most of the action in The Stone of Farewell details the adventures and drama the characters have while trying to get to the Stone. These include various traps, treachery, captures, escapes, duels, battles, magic, romance, a wedding, and even some sexual abuse. And lots and lots and lots of travel. Along the way, Simon develops quite a bit both physically and mentally. He gets tall, grows a beard, learns to use a sword, acquires some leadership skills, struggles with his faith, and develops some ability with visions and prophecy (perhaps due to the dragon blood).

The Stone of Farewell by Tad WilliamsMeanwhile, back at the Hayholt, life continues to degenerate as King Elias becomes more mad and tyrannical due to the influence of Pryrates, his evil scheming advisor, and the sword Sorrow. Guthwulf, until now a loyal retainer, has had enough of Pryrates. So has Rachel, the castle’s headmistress, whom Simon lovingly calls “the Dragon.” They both try to do something about it. Unfortunately, the evil is not only affecting the Hayholt, but throughout the region crops are failing as the weather is affected. The land seems cursed and has spawned various monsters including giants and zombies.

The Stone of Farewell is everything we’ve come to expect from a middle book in a well-written traditional medieval-style epic fantasy trilogy. Depending on your goals, that can be a good or bad thing. If your primary goal is to completely lose yourself for a long time in a fantasy world, this is a great place to do that. Tad Williams’ world-building is second-to-none, he has created some loveable characters, and he’s a great storyteller.

But for me, who hopes to read a few dozen books this year, The Stone of Farewell seems excessively lengthy (768 pages in the mass market paperback) and not nearly as interesting as the first book. It often drags as Williams takes a long time to get his players (and not even all of them yet) to the Stone, the launching place for the next novel. Many of the adventures they have along the way seem unnecessary as they don’t add much value or interest to the story. I got impatient and ended up skimming some of the segments showing the perspective of my least favorite characters (e.g, Tiamak and Maegwin). I hate to say it, but The Stone of Farewell feels like a 768-page waiting room. Fortunately, the story gets a lot more exciting in the next volume, To Green Angel Tower, which is, amazingly, much longer than this one.

The audiobook version of The Stone of Farewell is 32.5 hours long and is nicely narrated by Andrew Wincott. My only complaint is that Wincott’s deep voice doesn’t have the range for many of the characters with higher-pitched voices, so he substitutes a slightly hissing voice for some of the female and non-human characters. It’s noticeable, but not too big of a deal.

Originally posted at Fantasy Literature.

Stone of Farewell by Tad Williams is the second book in the Memory, Sorrow, and Thorn trilogy.

This book picks up right after the end of The Dragonbone Chair, and continues the story of Simon and the friends that follow him through the story. This book also does a good job of exploring the secondary plot-lines that were merely mentioned in the first book. When thinking how to review this book I thought back to what really happened in this one, in terms of memorable events and plot shifts etc. Yet, the more I thought about it the more I realized not a whole lot really happened in this book. That's not to say this is not a good book, it is well written for sure. However, the premise seems to be character development and advancing the characters to the point of the next book To Green Angel Tower.

The character development in this book is fantastic. Williams does a very good job at showing how the characters choices they make can affect them down the road. For instance, the choices the character Simon makes throughout the book reverberate during the later half. The Sithi are also shown the power of their choices. I could list more examples, but I won't bore you. I was a little disappointed that there was not a larger development of the character Elias, hopefully that will be rectified in the third and final book.

The plot line of this book seems to amble along without much teeth to it. Again, that's not to say it's a bad book or bad plot, just that it is slow moving. For fans of an action packed novel, this is certainly not the book for them. For fans of books that make you think and that take time to develop this would be a good read for them.

I think it needs to be said that Tad Williams is not the prototypical fantasy writer. Many fantasy writers jump right into a plot and character development. However, Williams is more of a painter with a broad brush and takes his time in the development of both his story and his characters. I can easily see some fans of the genre would not like Williams' writing, so if you do read these books just be aware of that.

I would recommend this book, and the one before it, to fantasy fans who do not expect an action packer novel. It is a refreshing read and one that should be read by many people. It is quite a long book though and I see the 3rd book is even longer, so be prepared to spend some time with this one.

Stone of Farewell is the second book in the fantasy trilogy Memory, Sorrow, and Thorn by Tad Williams. The first book is The Dragonbone Chair. Williams is an exceptionally gifted fantasy writer in the style of Tolkein. For Memory, Sorrow, and Thorn, Williams gives us the world of Osten Ard. There are parallels to our own world - regions that are cold with races resembling the Vikings (Rimmersmen) and Eskimos (Quanuc trolls), South Seas (Wran/Wrannamen), grasslanders, coastal cities, and the mysterious eternal summer land of the Sithi, a race resembling elves. There are forests, mountains, a vast ocean, and an ancient abandoned underground city. The reader just gets lost in the book, and the journey of the many characters.

The main characters are Simon and his troll friend Binabik and his Sithi Prince friend Jiriki. They are travelling across Osten Ard to try to find Prince Josua, who has been ousted by his brother the king. The king has made the evil priest Pyrates his chief counselor. The book switches from one group of characters to another. There is Josua and his ragtag band of escapees, the king's daughter, Princess Miriamele and the mysterious monk Cadrach, and a group going to investigate the abandoned underground city.

Winter is creeping over Osten Ard, as the evil Norns are leaving their home in the ice lands of the north. Three swords called Memory, Sorrow, and Thorn have great power. The corrupted king has one, Simon has one, and the other is missing. No one is safe. Even the lectern (pope) and the belief in Usires (Jesus) are not enough to stop the vile Pyrates and his scheme to use the kingdom to aid his evil master.

Williams writes with descriptive skill such that you fall into the book and into this world. There are some chilling parts that scared me pretty bad. There is some romance but not too much. Lots of adventure, challenges, magic, tragedy, lore and legend.

Highly, highly, highly recommended.

Stone of Farewell - one really excellent book. A great, fully-realized sequel to Dragonbone Chair. I originally read this book before Dragonbone Chair because as usual the excellent (hardcover)cover had caught my eye and the first book wasn't immediately accessible. The way this one plunges into the story straight away helped me read the Dragonbone Chair later without finding it tedious or being impatient with the slow development of plot. Osten Ard and especially the forzen mountains of the troll-folk were excellently described. This book isn't the normal action-packed, paperback fantasy with sword-fights and ripped-guts galore, (which can be fun in its own way, I grant you) but a very special, very real classic. A lot happens in this book on a grand scale and the author isn't afraid to kill characters, which kept me holding my breath and not daring to form predictions. I really like his characters. I love Simon, not because he's a great hero, because he isn't; nor because he's cool: he isn't. I like him because he feels real and because Williams makes us understand him and feel the story. The supporting characters are great! I love adorable Binabik and his hilarious troll quotes and his funny speech. Duke Isgrimnur is a bear of a gem. Prince Josua is intriguing and his queer humor and scholarliness sets him apart from the usual run. The only main character that I'm not all that crazy about is Princess Miriamele, but she's no where as bad as some of Robert Jordan's female creations!

The work of Tad Williams can easily seat with honor beside the Lord of the Rings on my shelf. I have yet to find a Fantasy writer this good. Even though it's size is intimidating, I found I just couldn't put it down. I kept looking with dread at the amount of pages left to read wishing the book will never end. When I try to analyze and evaluate a Fantasy story, I consider the following: Characters, Plot and the Fantasy world build around them. Williams scores a perfect 10 in all categories.
His characters are dynamic, as the plot evolves around them they evolve. Simon changes from a clumsy daydreaming boy to a clumsy hero. The Bad guys are not whole black, they have their shades of gray also the good guys have their share of skeletons in the closet.
The plot is captivating, the choices made by the heroes make the difference. Unlike many other writers, Williams doesn't leave us with unfinished subplots or holes in the story.
The world of The Memory, Sorrow and Thorn Series, it is the strongest essence. We have Religion and we have Magic. We have History true or false one (depends on who's looking). We have mysteries unsolved from the past and much much more. But to my opinion the best job Williams have done was with the different races. In regular Fantasy story books the Elves are treated as Humans with pointy ears, the Dwarves/Gnomes/Halflings (Williams trolls) as short humans. The races in most books suffer from sever Tolkien stereotype (Elves are noble keepers of the forest, Hobbits are shy etc..) Williams races on the other hand are completely alien. They follow a different set of rules, has a foreign civilization structure, has a set of customs, history and bounds of honor. They share a world with suspicious medieval human society, and so when they get with humans, conflict usually arises (Which is the foundation of our story). To sum it all up, this series is a great reading, leaves you with a taste for more.
Thumbs up Tad Williams

"Stone of Farewell" continues the "Memory, Sorrow, and Thorn" series, returning with all the characters from the prior novel. The author's wonderful writing compliments reasonable action with thorough imagery of emotional and physical exertion.

The mixed perceptions concerning Simon's component in the developing saga craft a skilled story despite his irksome self-pity "scullion" comments. While the separate yet elegant storylines involving Maegwin and Miriamele maintain the overall plot continuity, the fascinating adventures devoted to Josua and Deornoth may grab the reader's greatest attention. The outcome of Ingen Jegger from the prior novel becomes spellbinding whereas Duke Isgrimnur grows engaging near the end with a phenomenal discovery.

Sufficiently detailed maps precede each of the three sections relating to the Storm King's tactics. Conventional characters and races inhabit the vivid realm, such as the Sithi or Fair Folk containing Tolkien's Elven traits and mannerisms. The great assortment of royal characters might leave one hoping for a more comprehensive appendix, perhaps a section in alphabetical order or with a genealogical chart.

I highly recommend this series to any fan of the fantasy genre.

Thank you.

The action really picks up here. What with siege of Naglimund, and the adventures that follow, Tad Williams proves his ability as a master of plot development. The writing becomes more evocative with every passing scene and description, and as a result, more terrifying. The power of language is utilized to the fullest extent to breathe life into nightmare. Few other writers have the courage to plunge into blackest despair as Tad Williams does here; and one cannot help but imagine that it is hopeless, that all is lost. Evil is no longer a bed-time story, but a full-blooded, horrifying reality. There is no respite, no sugar-coating of the consequences. Although the author truly cares for his characters, he gives them no quarter in escaping from suffering.
As to the characters themselves--now they have started to truly develop and grow, in the readers' hearts as well as on paper. Simon is growing up the hardest way imaginable, by being forced to deal with the harshest realities possible. Josua is a wonderful character, a leader whose last desire is to lead. One of my favorite scenes in this book is his wonderfully choreographed sword-fight in the Thrithings. Maegwin takes a strange turn, and Miriamele is tested to her limits. The only drawback to this book are the segments with Tiamak, which are rather dull and easily skipped or skimmed.
No hope is extended here for how the conflict will end--the atmosphere of hopeless despair is staggering. The reader's only assurance is that surely something good must be coming, else why would there be another two books following? For those who think this series has possibilities at this point, all I can is, you ain't seen nothin' yet. Stay tuned.

"Stone" continues right where "The Dragonbone Chair" left off (in rather climactic fashion). Well, this sequel moves slower and IMO is somewhat less satisfying. I give it 3.5 stars (I really wish the store had a ten-point rating system). It's well written and we learn much more about the mysterious Sithi, as well as get some helpful background on the evil Pryrates and his superiors the Queen of the Norns and the Storm King. However, the plot meanders with few events of real importance.

Williams tackles several disconnected threads at once but fails to allow anything momentous to happen in any of them except at the end of the book, with Simon in the Sithi vale. So as a result, the novel kind of drags and serves mainly to make the situation of Josua and his allies (the 'good guys') look even more desperate than it was before. Which means the third book's going to have to have quite a few dramatic events in it. No wonder Williams had to split the third book into two large paperbacks: there was simply too much to turn around for the good guys to win.

I don't have much more to say. It's a good book, just not that exciting. It's the middle of the series and is typical of most books in that position: more buildup than real action.

Having moved past the hundreds of pages of exposition and Simon's "ordinary life" in the first book, Stone of Farewell picks up the pace significantly and establishes Memory, Sorrow, and Thorn as a worthwhile, though not mandatory, genre read.

The action crescendoes, especially in the first half of the book, as Josua leads his men from ruined Naglimund, and Simon, Binabik, Sludig deal with the trolls in the north. A couple unforeseen turns of event bring Binabik and Sludig closer together (their banter marks the high point for characterization in the novel) and send other characters into some novel and some traditional fantasy encounters. The pace slows toward the end, especially when Simon has an adventure of his own.

One thing I really enjoyed about the novel was that it continually demonstrated how many of the characters' choices carried a price. Simon particularly makes a choice which may save his life, but it costs him it a way he could not have foreseen.

I look forward to To Green Angel Tower, but not so much that I won't break up my M,S,& T reading before tackling that monster.

Book Two of Tad Williams' long epic series Memory, Sorrow and Thorn is great. It starts out right where the last story left off and even gives a synopsis of the first book for those who are too lazy to read it. However, after reading that part, it really doesnt help much and one could easily get lost if they hadnt read the first book, the Dragonbone Chair first. Plus, you miss out on so much character development. Anyways, Stone of Farewell picks up a lot faster than the first book and continues on its pace all the way through to the end. I like how the author continued to have SImon's character grow up, becoming more and more of a man. I was worried this would not be the case, but Williams accurately describes Simon's coming of age and his eventual maturing and does it very well. Some new characters are introduced, which is pretty typical for fantasy, and it really becomes apparent the battle of good versus evil. What is really great is how Williams builds the characters. He really gets you attached to them and care about what each of them have to say. SOme parts of the first book were very confusing but Tad straightens us out in this second helping. A side note: this book is much shorter and easier to read than the Dragonbone Chair. Pick it up, but make sure you read the first book first, fans of fantasy rejoice, Mr. Williams has done it again.

It is a time of darkness, dread and ultimate testing for the real of Osten Ard, for the wild magic and terrifying minions of the undead Sith ruler, Ineluki, the Storm King, are spreading their seeming undefeatable evil across the kingdom. With the very land blighted by the power of Ineluki's wrath, the tattered remains of a once-proud human army flee in search of a last sanctuary and rallying point-the Stone of Farwell, a place shrouded in mystery and ancient sorrow.

And even as Prince Josua seeks to rally his scattered forces, Simon and the surviving members of the League of the Scroll are desperately struggling to fulfill missions which will take them from the fallen citadels of humans to the hidden mountain caves of Qanuc trolls..across storm-tormented waters to discover the truth behind an almost-forgotten legend..to the secret heartland of the Sithi, where the near-immortals must at last decide whether to ally with the race of men in a final war against those of their own blood.

Now known as Simon Snowlock, because of the white tuft of hair on his forehead, the former kitchen boy continues his arduous journey in the service of the rebel Prince Josua, brother to the (human) High King, and enters the last great citadel of the Sithi.

Being the middle book of this epic tale, there are a lot of moving parts, but not a lot of resolution.

It has been over 20 years since I last read this, and it was like reading it for the first time.

I love the way Tad paints his world with the words he uses.

Stone of Farewell, the second volume of Tad Williams' trilogy Memory, Sorrow, and Thorn, is amazingly good, easily surpassing in almost every way (except length) the first book in the saga. It starts with the technical details. The pretty frequent typos and grammatical errors found Dragonbone Chair are virtually eliminated here. And the story itself has become much more unique and self-defined, drifting out of the standard Tolkien rut the first book was in.
The characterisations continued to advance believably, enjoyably, and sympathetically, and some of the characters not focused on from the first book enjoy a much more prominent role here. The action and interactions are superb, the pacing excellent, and the author wisely chooses not to show the POV of the characters with twisted minds or royal blood.
The Sithi society is interesting, not too human but not so inhuman that we can't relate, either.
This is one of the best fantasy works that I have seen in years, and I'm very much looking forward to reading the third book in the cycle.

Tad Williams is certainly one of my favourite authors. If you read Dragonbone Chair, part 1 is a little slow and complicated, but once Simon meets Binabik, things get going. From there on in Memory, Sorrow and Thorn had my complete attention. Williams has created wonderful characters that you can really relate to (like Simon) and beautifully written environments. There is a wealth of information you have to read through, but for readers like me this is nothing. I say MT&S is classic fantasy. It is just as good as Tolkien, if less poetic. It's much easier to relate to Simon and Miriamele than Frodo Baggins. (I'm not knocking Tolkien, I love it, too.) I enjoyed To Green Angel Tower Part 1 by far of all the trilogy, though. But Stone of Farewell is definetely a worthy sequel. So, keep it up Mr. Williams. I am eager to start reading Otherland.

Though the series as a whole is wonderful and highly-recommended, Stone of Farewell led me on an unexpected emotional journey. William's number one strength is his characters - Miriamelle aside (I almost gave this book four stars because she annoys me so much) However, reading it through for a second and third time and skimming through her passages made this a perfect read. Secondly, he has a great sense for the visual. Mists, flowers, groves, hills, towers...his visions fill my mind for days after I put the book down...
Though all the sub-plots are engrossing, especially those involving Maegwin and the journey of Prince Josua, I found the journey into the Sithi-stronghold some of the most amazing story-writing I've ever encountered. The Sithi come to life in a magical, three-dimensional way with me striving to understand like some whacked-out, hungry anthropologiest. It's been a long time since I've wanted to get the 'heck' out of this world or ours and jump headfirst into another - but this is where I would go if I could find it. Like a shot. I'm also an adult reader, so if you're a kid looking for massive amounts of sword-play and 'cool' magic (though I think these things DO lie here-in), this isn't the book for you. But if you enjoy a depth to your story, striking characterizations and dialogue that is actually enjoyable to read (read: NOT Goodkind) then you will enjoy this series and especially this volume.
This is also one of the only series - and certainly the first since I was TWELVE - that I find myself concocting alternate stories in my head before I fall asleep in the eve or even day-dreaming during my day (fan-fiction of the mind, if you will!).
I cannot emphasize what a cut above the rest of fantasy-schlock this triology is. It even gets better on a second read. But I do believe you have to have a certain tolerance for steady pacing, emotional complexties, drawn out descriptives (which I adore), and the bittersweet undercurrents of beauty lost beyond retrieving.

Perusing the bookshelves at a local bookstore, I once overheard a conversation between two women about the novels of Tad Williams. Hefting the first part of TO GREEN ANGEL TOWER, one of the women mused, "He writes such nice long books, if only he wrote better." Sadly, this is a very accurate description of Williams's fantasy series MEMORY, SORROW AND THORN.
The second book in his New York Times best-selling series, STONE OF FAREWELL, continues Williams's tale of the scullion Simon and his adventures in the land of Osten Ard. The darkness is spreading, Ineluki the Storm King and his Norn minions move across the land, and the forces of good must retreat to the Stone of Farewell, their only sanctuary in these perilous times. The charismatic Prince Josua Lackhand hatches plans to reclaim his kingdom from his brother, the mad King Elias and the evil sorcerer Pyrates, while Simon and the dwindling number of the League of the Scroll seek to fight their battle on a different front.
STONE OF FAREWELL can be easily summed up as being "more of the same" of THE DRAGONBONE CHAIR. Williams admirably moves the reader through what is a commonly tedious section of the fantasy novel, the development to the climax. Fast-paced action interspersed with moments of introspection, Williams's characters are well-rounded and identifiable. The plot is somewhat predictable, but readers will enjoy it nonetheless. Reading MEMORY, SORROW AND THORN is almost like hearing a more detailed retelling of a story everyone knows. Political intrigue and the courage of man are delved into during the calmer parts of the story. Morality is a constant theme in the series, what is right and what is wrong, what is good and what is evil.
For readers who worked their way through THE DRAGONBONE CHAIR, it is highly recommended that they read STONE OF FAREWELL. If the first novel in the series left you feeling empty, you might not be as well served working through the rest of this series. However, for avid readers of fantasy, with the amount of detail in Williams's epic, it should be enough to keep them coming back for more.

The Dragonbone Chair was an amazing opening to the Memory, Sorrow, and Thorn series and Stone of Farewell is a wonderful sequel. In the first book we journeyed with Simon from the Hayholt to the far north, discovering ruins of ancient cities, visiting castles, and seeing the wonders of Urmsheim -- all of which Tad Williams paints with such imaginative delicacy. That's one of main things I love about Tad's style, and all the characters and everything in the world is so alive and intricately detailed as a result. And he not only continued in that direction from The Dragonbone Chair but surpassed it in many ways as well.

If you've read The Dragonbone Chair, you'll know that things are looking pretty grim for all involved at the end. Stone of Farewell sees the characters continuing their journey towards the one place that is their last hope for safety. There's many great twists and turns along the way, but it's the arrival at a certain city towards the middle of the book that is the real highlight of Stone of Farewell -- that and the city's citizens who are easily my favorite created race ever, be it sci-fi or fantasy.

It's no ordinary arrival either. As one of the characters mentions: "It is not a road that takes us there. It is a sort of song." This is just one sort of wonderful exoticness that defines this place, and it goes even deeper. It is definitely the most imaginative and well realized place in the entire series -- there's a few odd rules of its own that make it seem like the characters have discovered another world almost. Never have I read anything before that was described with such fantastic imagery and in such a beautifully vivid way -- strangely simple yet alien-like. The city, the events there, and its strange inhabitants are bound to be burned into my mind for years to come -- as will the book as a whole.

While it's not my favorite book in the series, the visit to said city is one of the most impressive and remarkable things out of any of the books and probably one of the first things I'll think about whenever this series comes to mind in the future.

5/5 for this book and the series itself.

P.S. If you plan on buying these books prepare some free-time, because you're bound to get lost in this series for weeks -- I did. It's that good.

The second part of one of the most outstanding epic fantasies I have ever read. I noticed there's been some comparison between Ender's Game and this book. This is apple's and oranges folks. Science Fiction and Fantasy are TWO COMPLETELY SEPARATE GENRE'S. I LOVED Ender's Game. Outstanding story, I loved it's companion novel Ender's Shadow as well but I can't compare Card to Williams. Impossible. Two different styles, two different genre's. I agree that Tad does like to talk, the Otherland series is a prime example of this, but it is SO worth the effort. Trust me. You will not be disappointed. A fine author and fine book, but let's keep this real.
Thanks for your time.

If you're reading this review, the chances are that you've read The Dragonbone Chair and are wondering if it's worth continuing. The answer is: Definately. The trilogy really picks up momentum about half way through this book, dragging the reader, spellbound, through it, and after reading this book, I was clamouring for the next. Throughout this book, Williams enhances the intricate and wonderful world of Osten Ard and weaves tangled webs of intrigue, love and hatred between all the characters that he has painstakingly painted hitherto. If you've read The Dragonbone Chair and are wondering whether this book is worth reading - yes, a million times yes.

If you're reading this review, the chances are that you've read The Dragonbone Chair and are wondering if it's worth continuing. The answer is: Definately. The trilogy really picks up momentum about half way through this book, dragging the reader, spellbound, through it, and after reading this book, I was clamouring for the next. Throughout this book, Williams enhances the intricate and wonderful world of Osten Ard and weaves tangled webs of intrigue, love and hatred between all the characters that he has painstakingly painted hitherto. If you've read The Dragonbone Chair and are wondering whether this book is worth reading - yes, a million times yes.

Good character development; good plotting; noce prose style. There is meticulous care and superior writing talent demonstrated in this 3-volume series. Here is a writer who respects his readers and has a mature appreciation of style.

Come on people, its good, but not THAT good...for one thing, it was very boggy and many parts I had to lag through because, and only because, I wanted to read the whole book, and not just parts. 5 stars should be reserved for PERFECT books, such as 'Enders Game' and 'Seventh Son' by Orson Scott Card, 'The Forever King' by Molly Cochran and Warren Murphey, 'The Eye of the World' by Robert Jordan, 'Magician' by Raymond E. Feist, and last but certainly not least 'Wizard's First Rule' by Terry Goodkind. Read all these and their sequels, then rereview this series, it's very good, but far from perfect...

I just finished this book.. over the past week it was hard to put down. Williams is a master at bringing his characters to life, and I was repeatedly blown away by his use of words when describing Osten Ard. He brought the world to life in a way that far surpasses some of the other fantasy 'writers' out there, who write like ESL students. Very fresh, unique, personal style.

BUT I have one major issue: NOTHING happens in this book. Not much happened in Dragonbone Chair either, but that's fine because it had the discovery aspect.. you were still meeting new characters, taking it all in.. but at volume 2 that enthusiasm runs dry, and it's time to make these grunts WORK. Yet there wasn't much of the intrigue and exciting plot that some other reviewers mention. This book was 760-odd pages - and yet now at the end I can remember clearly how it started since the chain of events was so SHORT. If you like having the whole situation turn upside down, if you genuinely like being surprised by new developments, if you like intrigue, then look elsewhere. This tome rumbles by like an old tractor. A beautiful old tractor, to be sure..

What redeemed the book for me, and what gave it 4 instead of 3 stars, was the fact that Williams made all the characters real and lovable. Even though the plot sure as hell didn't keep me excited, I still wanted to see what happened to them. Binabik is by far my favorite. There are a few passages where Williams almost effortlessly describes the nuances of his peculiar way of talking and acting.. in the end I feel like I have been hanging out with Binabik face to face. The way the characters interact is also very compelling. The tensions between them make them more real. Miriamele and Cadrach in particular (each poking holes into each other) and Binabik and Sludig too. As the book goes along you just can't help but follow along, eager to see what happens to them.

In short, if you want a slow and yet indulgent, beautifully written ride and don't care that much for plot and intrigue, then check this out (Dragonbone Chair first, of course). I will soon be picking up Green Angel Tower.

Tad William's Memory, Sorrow, and Thorn trilogy is one of the five best fantasy series ever. The characters and story make the trilogy great.

The characters are endearing and capable of producing emotional responses from the reader (Simon--sympathy/empathy, Miriamele--frustration/fear-for, Binabik--delight, Pryrates--that 'ol "love-to-hate-em" deal). No character is melodramatically good/evil and you feel empathy for the "villians" (Guthwulf, Ineluki, Elias). Cadrach/Padreic is another classic character. Unlike some fantasy series, women play a vital role (Utuk'ku, Maegwin, Miriamele, Amerasu, etc.).

The story is not a bright, cheery one. There is plenty of despair, depression, hopelessness, and death. These dark aspects serve to make the triuphs and happiness all the more satisfying. It is also unconventional and provides some real surprizes/twists, unlike many fantasy books which are predictable to the point of farce.

There are similarities to Tolkien: Immortal elf-like creatures who originate from a paradise "across the sea," who are dwindling at the face of encroaching mankind. Long-range communication systems (palantiri/harps, shards, and pools). However, there is plenty of originality for any reader.

I've read all of William's published works to date and this is his finest. A must for all fantasy readers.

The dragonbone chair might start a bit slow but it really speeds up in the end. The book is well written all through and includes some humor to the difference of Jordans books.You can put fantasy writers in two groups. They are those who almost copy Tolkiens books and those who pretend that they had never been written, but Tad Williams finds an alternative way from the Lord of the rings and he does it excellent.

This definitely had the feel of a filler book, setting up the final book of the series. This book just felt like all the characters were on a journey that never ended. Not enough action I guess is what I am saying. No, I'm not slamming it, because I thought the climax was pretty good, but I couldn't help feel relieved when I had finished it. I do think there is great potential for the final book (1600 pages in 2 paperbacks), but I hope the future books don't take as long for something to actually happen.

In the second book Semon finds himself in the troll community in which Binabik left long ago. From there he ends up a sort of prisoner of the Sithi. Along with the king's daughter who is stuck on a boat which is owned by an Earl who is under the direct control of her evil father's councilor. So many points going on at once but Tad Williams keeps going strong.