Desperately Seeking Tolkien: My Journey Through The Dragonbone Chair by Tad Williams

I picked up The Dragonbone Chair last Autumn, lured in by rave reviews and a cover by the legendary Michael Whelan. Now, after months of reading, I’ve finished the first book in Tad Williams’ Memory, Sorrow, and Thorn trilogy - and I’ve got thoughts. Join Rediscovered Realms as I reflect on this fantasy epic, my ongoing search for the next Tolkien, and why this journey left me both enchanted and uncertain. No spoilers ahead!

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This Week’s Rediscovered Realms Theme Song:

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How much was lost . . . and how much of that loss shaped who you’ve become? How much more remains to be done? The Hero inside you already knows.

“Heroic Reflections” is a meditative, string-laced journey through the quiet strength of remembrance and renewed resolve.

| Genre: Instrumental Strings |

“Heroic Reflections”

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Desperately Seeking Tolkien

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“The biggest single influence on me was reading The Lord of the Rings when I was about eleven. I think it was the idea of created worlds and imaginary history that grabbed me.” - Tad Williams

If you’re like me, you’re always looking for that next heroic epic “Lord of the Rings” story. Though many don’t enjoy Tolkien’s writing style, the gravitas of what he achieved with his magnus opus is undeniable.

He tapped into the primal psyche of what it means to be human, and in today’s landscape there are millions of fans - readers or no - who want to recapture and expand upon that magic.

I’ve tried many other books and series since I first read the Professor, but can’t say that I’ve ever found his match.

I read some Jack Vance (“Lyonesse”), and David Eddings (“The Belgariad”) and they just didn’t quite scratch that itch (though, I’ve been considering trying them again, now knowing more of what to expect).

Game of Thrones was of course epic, but so grotesquely grimdark as to eschew comparison.

“[Tad] Williams has also had an influence on other authors in his genre. His Memory, Sorrow, and Thorn series was one of the works that inspired George R. R. Martin to write A Song of Ice and Fire. "I read Tad and was impressed by him, but the imitators that followed—well, fantasy got a bad rep for being very formulaic and ritual. And I read The Dragonbone Chair and said, 'My god, they can do something with this form,' and it's Tad doing it. It's one of my favorite fantasy series." Martin incorporated a nod to Williams in A Game of Thrones with "House Willum": The only members of the house mentioned are Lord Willum and his two sons, Josua and Elyas, a reference to the royal brothers in The Dragonbone Chair.” - wikipedia

And when I mentioned potentially reading Thomas Covenant a few months back - oh lord! I’ve NEVER experienced such a bipolar schism between folks that loved it (and regularly re-read it) and those that abhor it (and feel ruined for ever reading it).

Last year, some Rediscovered Realms Facebook fans suggested “The Iron Tower Trilogy” by Dennis L. McKiernan, and though I LOVE his introduction and applaud his efforts, it was difficult for me to get through the 1st book and progress has been frozen within the 2nd book for quite some time, waiting for me to build up enough desire to revisit it.

Granted, he, like many others, set out to deliberately expound on the spirit of Tolkien, but I realize that it’s sometimes hard to like something as an adult that you probably would have loved as a kid.

Dennis McKiernan’s Foreword from “The Dark Tide”:

Nostalgia is POWERFUL and can often blind us to objectiveness.

Plus, our tastes & preferences can change.

I could keep going - and there are some fantasy books & series that I thoroughly enjoyed (topics for other newsletter editions), but I want to get to Book One of “Memory, Sorrow and Thorn”.

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First Impressions of The Dragonbone Chair

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As I already mentioned, the cover art for this 1988 fantasy novel is hecka enchanting and promises adventure through vine-encrusted ornate ruins.

Michael Whelan kicks butt!

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Your next piece of fantasy fun is calling.

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Does it have a decent map (required for any good fantasy book in my opinion)?

Check.

Does the world seem to have a deep history & mystery?

The inside jacket certainly indicates that it does.

And WOW - the Author’s Note and the dedication. Beautiful!

Was the series ever finished? (Looking at you, George R.R. and Patrick Rothfuss!)

YES!

So, after having started and stopped several times over the past 7 months or so, I finally finished all 784 pages of it.

And I’m not sure if I’m going to continue to the 2nd book, “Stone of Farewell”.

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What Worked for Me

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• I mean, I love the “Chosen One” trope and can also delay gratification for the slow-burn world/character-building introduction where this book takes about two-hundred or so pages to get to the inciting incident (Remembering fondly “The Eye of the World” in the Wheel of Time series, where I think that occurred around page 100!).

• There was rich history, buried under eons of former civilizations.

• There were sections where I devoured the narrative, looking forward to my pre-bed-time read for days at a time (and even caused me to order the second book before I got halfway through this one).

• There were parts that caused sympathy & sadness and others that evoked adrenaline or elation.

• There is a proper Good vs. Evil theme.

• I even liked the main character (Simon kept giving me vibes of Patrick Rothfuss’ red-headed protagonist, Kvothe, from his “Kingkiller Chronicle” series). So, what’s my problem? What gives?

“In "Tad Williams: The American Tolkien?" Ash Silverlock observes that "echoes of Williams's work" can be seen in the works of Robin Hobb, Terry Goodkind and Robert Jordan. Blake Charlton, Christopher Paolini, and Patrick Rothfuss have also indicated they've been inspired by Williams.” - wikipedia

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A Chair of Bone . . . and Burden?

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So what was it about this book that kept me from proclaiming it a work of wonder as so many others over the decades have done?

After pondering this question for the last several weeks, I’ve boiled it down to 3 main personal issues:

1. It’s too darn long. I mean, 784 pages! There were points in the book where I thought would be natural book-ending stopping points, but it just kept going on and on with drawn-out inter-actions & descriptive sections that started to feel tedious. The POV section-switching accelerated frantically in the last half of the book, jumping around to minor characters, sometimes several within a page or two. I would lose interest and put it down for a few days or weeks. Then when I would come back to revisit, I had to overcome the inertia of remembering all the nuances of the world building, character & place names.

2. The character dialogue just didn’t feel authentic or appropriate to me many times. It’s hard to put into words, but it often felt blunt and 2-dimensional - like when speech is used a little too heavy-handedly for story exposition instead of authentic character interactions & reactions.

3. I’ve somehow become attuned when writers (over)use simile and metaphor - and Mr. Williams used a TON². It began to erode my immersion in the story as an often-incongruent simile was being thrust upon my minds’ eye to be interpreted. I totally get the goal of “showing” instead of “telling”, but I feel sometimes it’s just better to state things exactly as they are experienced, avoiding verbosely oblique & flowery allusions every few sentences.

“Sacrilege!” you say.

“Who are you to judge one of the greatest-of-all-time fantasy writers to ever grace this planet?!”

And I agree with you.

I wanted to love this so much.

I feel bad about even voicing my opinion (and apologies to you, Mr. Williams, if ever you happen upon this writing), as I know how hard it is to bring about a creation from imagination into the real world.

It’s a labor of love and I respect that.

Fun Tad Williams Origin Story!
”In his mid twenties, he turned to writing and submitted the manuscript of his novel Tailchaser's Song to DAW Books. To get his publishers to look at his first manuscript he spun a story about needing a replacement copy because his had been destroyed. It worked. DAW Books liked it and published it, beginning a long association that continues to this day.” - wikipedia

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Final Reflections

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If I had read this as a teen, would I have had a different, more positive reaction?

Probably. But I also had a lot more free time back then, and wasn’t yet conditioned with authorial expectations, insights . . . and delusions.

I believe this was Tad Williams’ second published book, so I’m sure as with most dedicated professionals, he got better and better as he went.

But do I want to commit to his next 589-page volume in this series?

Then to the 1,083-page conclusion of “To Green Angel Tower” Part 1 and Part 2?

I honestly don’t know.

I’m finding in recent years I weigh the opportunity cost of a book before I ever crack it open.

There’s just not that much time left to read all I would like to.

If the series winds up being awesome, of course it would be worth the investment.

But what if it’s just “ok”? . . .

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So the search continues, Noble Adventurer. The Dragonbone Chair may not have become my throne of wonder, but it’s still carved from the bones of great ambition and mythic intent, having won troves of accolades and awards.

(I hope to not discourage Adventurers from reading this series if they were planning on it. I also don’t want to disparage any who loved this book. My opinion is just that. Who knows? Maybe I was in an addled non-proper state of mind or under a Befuddlement spell when I read it. I mean, according to the latest book cover, it’s one of George R.R. Martin’s favorite series!)

It has over 6,000 mostly positive reviews on Amazon (I’m dying laughing reading the negative ones!) and the Kindle book is at the time of this writing over half-off.

You can check out the Amazon reviews here:

(As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases)

If you’ve walked these lands of Osten Ard - or if you’re on your own quest for Tolkien’s spiritual heir - share your tales in the comments. May your next book be an unforgettably epic and life-changing door to wonder.

Love fantasy? Have you ever read these classic fantasy books?

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You are not only brave, but a Generous Adventurer whose love of Discovery, Imagination & Fun transcends our mere mortal coils . . .

. . . and for that, I thank you!

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(Featuring artwork from Clyde Caldwell & Luke Eidenschink!)

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2. Simile examples picked at random from just a few pages of The Dragonbone Chair:

• His three soldier companions still slept, tangled in their cloaks snoring, sprawled like battle casualties.

• The pillars of light had dimmed, and leaned as though drunken.

• The Sitha lifted his head for a moment, as though listening to some distant call, then lowered his gaze once more. “No, Seoman, it is not mine until I earn it back-a life for a life.” He held it up between his two hands, like a length of string, so that the slanting light from above burnished the minute and complicated designs along its length.

• Josua’s face tilted toward the sky, watching the mass of inky clouds as though they were a book of prophecy.

• The old man fell in at Josua’s side, his sleeves fluttering like black pennants.

• [flag] The firedrake’s eye’s eye glared sternly, as if some interloper threatened the sacred Tree about which it had enwrapped itself.

• the old Rimmersman’s eyes were so bright and shone so fiercely, like lamps of sapphire!

• the clangor of the field seemed to subside to a dull rush, like the sound of falling water.

• The knight toppled sideways and off, his foot caught in the stirrup so that he hung like a butchered hog in a pantry.

• … with his great broadsword, holding off two blue-coated Nabbanai horsemen as if they were boys.

• … arched his back as the blade was withdrawn, scarlet-streaked, and brought trembling, gauntleted hands up to his throat, holding them there for a moment as if trying to speak through some all-swaying grief.

• Benigaris looked down for a moment, as if contemplating a bird tumbled from its nest, then tugged his horn to his lips. For a moment, with shouting chaos on every side, Deornoth thought he saw a gleam in the black slot of Benigaris’ helmet, as if the duke’s son caught his eye across the heads of all the fighting men between them.

• Lluth’s lips were in constant, silent movement, as though offering an endless series of explanations.

• was thrown back onto the wagon, amidst other pale captives, lying in a row on the wagon bed like fingers.

• the Sithi walked jauntily ahead, often stopping to wait for the riders to catch up, patient as well-fed cats, an indecipherable serenity behind their luminous eyes.

• His face reddened painfully, as if he had gone too long in the sun, and he could hardly hold the reins of his horse for shivering. It was like being thrown out of doors forever, a punishment that had gone on too long.

• … all to prepare them for the mountains that loomed implacably on the horizon before them, stern and judgmental as gods in their crowns of white snow.

• Another trumpet squalled, like a rooster who had despaired of dawn’s arrival, summoning more soldiers out to the courtyard below.

• [siege engines] Hung all over in dark hides, they slouched forward like tree-tall, square-headed bears; the grunts and cries of the hidden men who pushed them, and the screech of the wheels, big as houses, seemed the voices of monsters unseen since the Eldest Days.

• Several were catapults, long, strong arms cocked back like the heads of startled snakes. Others seemed merely hide-covered boxes, their workings hidden by their armor, designed to come safely like hard-shelled crabs through the arrows and stones to the wall, where they would perform whatever tasks they had been assigned.

• He pointed at the dark, swarming shapes of the king’s army, numerous as ants behind the slow-rolling towers.

• The king’s army came onto the flatlands in the trail of siege engines, swarming over the mist-soaked meadows like flies on a green appleskin.

• The great siege towers, which had stood in place for a long hour, like dozing sentries, suddenly moved forward again . . . shouting with terrified joy when the arrows went hissing out, as though they let go the tight tethers on their hearts with the bowstrings . . . Arrows flickered back and forth between the walls and the earth below like maddened bees . . . already the battlements were red-sprinkled in places, as if with a gentle rain.

• … it went shivering into open space as the besiegers on it clung and cursed, their mouths gaping like black empty holes . . . overbalanced backward toward the ground below, shedding soldiers like fruit from a shaken branch.

• … went crashing down on the toppled ladders, splintering them like kindling … men had also fallen, crumpled like wind-toppled scarecrows …

• … and his wounded shoulder throbbed as though a nail had been driven into it.

• … and as the room fell into silence a wave of cries and exhortations, muffled by distance, stole through the window like a mist.

• Something thudded into the soil a short distance away with a sound like the fall of a giant’s hammer.