Shadowrise

Shadowmarch: Volume III

By: Tad Williams

Narrated by: Dick Hill

Length: 26 hrs and 50 mins

Publisher's Summary

Southmarch Castle is about to be caught between two implacable enemies, the ancient, immortal Qar and the insane god-king, the Autarch of Xis. Meanwhile, its two young defenders, the king’s children Princess Briony and Prince Barrick, are both trapped far away from home and fighting for their lives.

Barrick is lost behind the Shadowline, facing all the terrible dangers and mysteries of that magical twilight land. Briony is alone in a treacherous foreign court, struggling to survive with no weapon left to her but her wits. And in the midst of all this, something unbelievable is awakening underneath Southmarch, something powerful and terrible that the world has not seen for thousands of years.

In this third volume Barrick and Briony, along with Qinnitan - the Autarch’s desperate, escaped slave - a loyal soldier named Ferras Vansen, and a tiny handful of other folk, ordinary and extraordinary, must find a way to save their world, or else witness the rise of a terrible new age - an age of unending darkness.

©2010 Tad Williams (P)2010 Brilliance Audio, Inc.

a great listen

Tad Williams has to be one of the most imaginative writers, I've had the pleasure of reading or listening.

Terrible book with a terrible narrator

It becomes painfully obvious almost immediately in this book that the narrator does not like the characters he portrays. He reads them as whiny spoiled children who hate everyone and have no redeeming qualities. The sad part is that I agree with him. This is the worst "attempt" at character development I have ever been exposed to. The characters, with few exceptions, are completely unlikeable. The storyline drags like it is stuck in the bog of eternal stench. Yes, it is really that bad. I've read books by or co-authored by, Tad Williams and it is hard for me to believe this is the same writer. I'd give the book zero stars or negative stars but people tend to skip over reviews that appear to not have a rating.

very much worth your time!

I loved this story! I will listen to it again and again! the whole series is a must!

Wordy but intricately woven.

Like all Tad Williams series you have to have patience. Use too many words and could probably make the story a little more streamlined but spent the time to write an intricately woven story. Looking forward to the final book.

Good, not great, Tad Williams

What was one of the most memorable moments of Shadowrise?

One of the best things in this book is the realism of the central characters, at least the twins. Their weaknesses, fears, and inadequacies make them real, love-able and believe-able. The mystery of the shadow world is alive and deepened.

The only part I don't yet understand is the motivations of the Autarch. Why does he want to get god-like powers? If he already has so much power, what motivates him? Even the pleasures in torture, much like those of CIA operatives, needs to be explained. Was he abused that he must be abused? Is the Autarch controlled by bankers or a small spiritual community of occupying interlopers on another spiritual people's land? There are many questions of motivation missing on the evil side.

Of course, the love-able creatures below the castle, Chert and the mysterious boy Flint, make one long for the beautiful days spent in childhood with father or grandfather. The way Flint is something other, something mysterious and perhaps not-altogether-good is interesting too. Of course, the novel could use some more grey figures. The Tendon Hally character is good along these lines. Would that W. or Obama would receive their rewards for their evils too.

Overall, a good, not a great book. I'm enjoying the next one far more. Of course, after the masterpiece of the Otherworld series, the imagination of Williams is superb. You can't not like this book.

What does Dick Hill bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

The narration by Dick Hill is adequate.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

I wish I could listen to this book in one super long walk.

Any additional comments?

Worth the price. We need more quality authors like Williams.

Good narration and a good story

A long story that I enjoyed while travelling recently. The narrator does a good job with the many different characters and his voice suits the tone of the story.

much much better

The story gets so much more interesting. the first book was such a slow burner but characters have all blossomed interestingly.
A little more pace is required to make this a better read but all in all I loved every minute.

Good story

Tad Williams is a good craftsman and this story is well crafted. Not the best of his but worth the trouble to listen to.
Narration is SLIGHTLY annoying, but works out pretty well anyhow.

Epic, but not to all tastes

Tad Williams continues his trend of epic storytelling and world-building, but variations on “I do not understand” continue to crop up with unreasonable regularity three-quarters through the Shadowmarch quartet. The protagonists continue to feel powerless and swept along on a regular basis - this was not to my taste but may be to others. I found it frustrating. Dick Hill continues to turn in a highly professional performance and gives different voices to the different characters with consummate skill. Plenty of the mysteries that have driven the tale are now solved, though a little more “show, don’t tell” might have been nice. An engaging work, and definitely worth it for Williams fans, but I would argue both Memory, Sorrow & Thorn and Otherland are better.

Epic in Breadth & Character

Not quite up to the standard of Green Angel Tower (Thorn, Sorrow & Misery) ?? but still Very, very engaging - well woven tail full of character and breadth - Highly Recommend!