Shadowmarch

Shadowmarch, Volume I

By: Tad Williams

Narrated by: Dick Hill

Length: 29 hrs and 19 mins

Publisher's summary

For generations the misty Shadowline has marked the boundary between the lands of men and the lost northern lands that are the lair of their inhuman enemies, the ageless Qar. But now that boundary line is moving outward, threatening to engulf the northernmost land in which humans still live - the kingdom of Southmarch.

For centuries, the Eddon family has ruled in ancient, forbidding Southmarch Castle, guarding the border against the Qar's return, but now this powerful royal line has been dealt a devastating blow. The monarch, King Olin, is being held captive in a distant land, and it falls to his inexperienced heirs to lead their people in a time of growing danger and dread.

It is on the two youngest Eddons that the heaviest burdens fall. The twins Barrick and Briony, who in such evil times have only each other, may lose even that bond as darkness closes over them. As the Qar’s power reaches out across their land, will Southmarch Castle, the only home they’ve ever known, become in fact what it has long been called - Shadowmarch?

©2006 Tad Williams (P)2010 Brilliance Audio

Undisputed - The Best

Such a rich rich story. I've read the books and even so it felt like the first time listening to the narrator perform.

Good story line

I enjoyed the book but found may slow and boring parts. I would suggest that a person wanting to hear this book try and find an abridged edition

Mighty fine.

There's a bit of clicking and screeching in the beginning of this audiobook. It nearly deafened me while using headphones. But it goes away after a bit and other than that, this is a lovely story with exquisite narration.

One of the best books I have listened

The narration and story blends together so well and gives you a great experience of listening to an Audibook.
Give it a try to experience the flavor of audio yourself

It's the characters that matter...

As a longtime reader of fantasy novels, I understand that the first book in a series is many times a bit slower paced than the later books. The author has to paint the picture of an entire world and the characters and things within it. This book however was a bit of a yawner. Williams is a tallented writer as far as describing things in the universe that he has created, but he falls far far short on character development.

There are four main story lines in the book, with most of the book concentrating on the two most uninteresting characters in the story. A spoiled prince and princess. There is a pretty good storyline about a mysterious orphan boy and a dwarf (for lack of a better word). I'd like to fiind out what happens to them. I never will though, because after thirty plus hours of listening, I don't think I could take another book with the same boring characters.

You can have an interesting story and universe, but if you don't fill it with interesting characters, characters that readers will care about, then you just have a long boring slog to the end.

The narrator does a fine job on the book. He gives the characters very definable voices and livens things up. But try as he might, this book still falls short on several different levels.

Favorite authors lately: Robin Hobb, Jim Butcher, Guy Gavriel Kay. If you are a fan of these three authors I reccomend you stay away from this one.

Imaginative World

Tad Williams takes his readers to places only a master story-teller can portray - he borders the perfect edge between too much detail (George R. R. Martin - though I do love losing myself in his novels too) and too little (any of your various Dragonlance or Forgotten Realms novels). This series is a testament to the author's abilities to narrate and to enrapture his readers.

It is about time some of his novels have become audio books!

Slow to start, worth finishing

The story was a slow burn that was not helped by an older narrator. It picks up in the middle, and has an end that welcomes a sequel without leaving the reader overly wanting.

Fascinating!

Wow, I am so happy I don't listen to people's reviews! Yes I have read Memory, Sorrow, & Thorn & yes it's one of my all time favorite fantasy series! Tad Williams Shadowmarch is a magnificent literary achievement in fantasy! An intriguing fascinating word, with characters who catch you up. Williams accuracy of language that is essential to fantasy-making, that this is no ordinary fantasy, but very best in its field. A intelligence magnificent engrossing book I could not put down. Reminds readers of what Great Storytelling can be 10*s!

Interesting in parts, but story drags, awful narra

What disappointed you about Shadowmarch?

I've read two previous quadrilogies 's by Tad Williams and have always had the same experience-he has a great imagination and a very well developed fantasy world, but the stories are just not tightly written or perhaps I should say lacking in editing. Way way way too much introspection. As soon as the story becomes a little bit Interesting, it grinds to a halt as the characters endlessly bemoan their fate. I also agree with other reviewers who said that there are way too many miraculous rescuings of the characters without their doing much to help themselves. Lots of interesting, tortured characters, and some very wonderful evil antagonists, but they only had small parts and very little background story about why they had become the way they were. My favorite parts were the sections about the autarch, but they are short and far between and the character that is in his hands leaves it very quickly, leaving me disappointed. I hated the Bonefall oracles and I hated the overly melodramatic, whiny narration. Perhaps I would've liked the story better if I had read it, and had been able to skim over the dragging sections

How would you have changed the story to make it more enjoyable?

Delete 25% at least. More about the Autarch and the shadow people

Who would you have cast as narrator instead of Dick Hill?

Simon Vance

What reaction did this book spark in you? Anger, sadness, disappointment?

Boredom, annoyance

Any additional comments?

The story kept me interested enough to finish the first book, but I had to keep forcing myself to listen and I won't be getting the sequels

Horrible story

This book wasn’t for you, but who do you think might enjoy it more?

Someone in prison or stranded on a desert island. You know. People with nothing to do and nothing else to read.

What was most disappointing about Tad Williams’s story?

The whole story

Would you be willing to try another one of Dick Hill’s performances?

I like dicks voice even know its not a theatrical reading

What reaction did this book spark in you? Anger, sadness, disappointment?

Anger at wasting a credit. Disappointment at audible carrying tad Williams tripe.

Any additional comments?

I stopped subscribing because of this material