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The Dragonbone Chair Paperback – March 1, 2005

4.5 4.5 out of 5 stars 5,882 ratings

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From master storyteller and New York Times-bestseller Tad Williams comes the first book in the landmark epic fantasy saga of Memory, Sorrow, and Thorn.

With
The Dragonbone Chair, Tad Williams introduced readers to the incredible fantasy world of Osten Ard. His beloved, internationally bestselling series Memory, Sorrow, and Thorn inspired a generation of modern fantasy writers, including George R.R. Martin, Patrick Rothfuss, and Christopher Paolini, and defined Tad Williams as one of the most important fantasy writers of our time.

This edition features a brand-new introduction from Tad Williams' editor as well as the original introduction from Williams himself! 

“One of my favorite fantasy series.” —George R. R. Martin 
“Groundbreaking.” —Patrick Rothfuss 
“One of the great fantasy epics of all time.” —Christopher Paolini

BOOK ONE: THE DRAGONBONE CHAIR
 
A war fueled by the powers of dark sorcery is about to engulf the peaceful land of Osten Ard—for Prester John, the High King, lies dying. And with his death, the Storm King, the undead ruler of the elf-like Sithi, seizes the chance to regain his lost realm through a pact with the newly ascended king. Knowing the consequences of this bargain, the king’s younger brother joins with a small, scattered group of scholars, the League of the Scroll, to confront the true danger threatening Osten Ard.
 
Simon, a kitchen boy from the royal castle unknowingly apprenticed to a member of this League, will be sent on a quest that offers the only hope of salvation, a deadly riddle concerning long-lost swords of power. Compelled by fate and perilous magics, he must leave the only home he’s ever known and face enemies more terrifying than Osten Ard has ever seen, even as the land itself begins to die.
 
After the landmark Memory, Sorrow, and Thorn trilogy, the epic saga of Osten Ard continues with
The Heart of What Was Lost. Then don’t miss the sequel trilogy, The Last King of Osten Ard, beginning with The Witchwood Crown!
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Book recommendations, author interviews, editors' picks, and more. Read it now.

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From the Publisher

Memory, Sorrow, and Thorn
The Dragonbone Chair The Stone of Farewell The Stone of Farewell To Green Angel Tower: Part II
The Dragonbone Chair The Stone of Farewell The Stone of Farewell To Green Angel Tower: Part II
Customer Reviews
4.5 out of 5 stars
5,882
4.5 out of 5 stars
3,893
4.5 out of 5 stars
3,893
5.0 out of 5 stars
3
Price $19.35 $17.00 $17.00 $21.40
Volume # Memory, Sorrow, and Thorn: Book One Memory, Sorrow, and Thorn: Book Two Memory, Sorrow, and Thorn: Book Three: Part 1 Memory, Sorrow, and Thorn: Book Three: Part 2

Editorial Reviews

Review

Praise for Osten Ard

“Inspired me to write my own seven-book trilogy.... It’s one of
my favorite fantasy series.” —George R. R. Martin, New York Times-bestselling author
 
Groundbreaking.... Changed how people thought of the genre, and paved the way for so much modern fantasy. Including mine.” —Patrick Rothfuss, New York Times-bestselling author of The Name of the Wind
 
"Tad Williams is a master storyteller, and the Osten Ard books are his masterpiece. Williams’ return to Osten Ard is every bit as
compelling, deep, and fully-rendered as the first trilogy, and he continues to write with the experience and polish of an author at the top of his game." —Brandon Sanderson, New York Times-bestselling author of Mistborn

Memory, Sorrow, and Thorn is one of the great fantasy epics of all time.” —Christopher Paolini, New York Times bestselling author of Eragon
 
Readers who delight in losing themselves in long complex tales of epic fantasy will be in their element here, and there is the promise of much more to come in future volumes.” —Locus
 
“Panoramic, vigorous, often moving.... Williams adroitly weaves together the tales...heralding a suitably
epic and glorious conclusion.” —Publishers Weekly
 
“Highly Recommended. [Williams] draws on many mythologies for the background of his fantasy epic...story spiced with
political intrigue and strong appealing heroes.” —Library Journal
 
A grand fantasy on a scale approaching Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings.” —Cincinnati Post

About the Author

Tad Williams is a California-based fantasy superstar.  His genre-creating (and genre-busting) books have sold tens of millions worldwide. His works include the worlds of Otherland, Shadowmarch, and Osten Ard­—including the Memory, Sorrow, and Thorn, and The Last King of Osten Ard series—as well as standalone novels Tailchaser’s Song and The War of the Flowers. His considerable output of epic fantasy, science fiction, urban fantasy, comics, and more have strongly influenced a generation of writers.  Tad and his family live in the Santa Cruz mountains in a suitably strange and beautiful house. He can be found at tadwilliams.com or on Twitter at @tadwilliams.

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ DAW; Reprint edition (March 1, 2005)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Paperback ‏ : ‎ 672 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0756402697
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0756402693
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 1.5 pounds
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.95 x 1.38 x 8.99 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.5 4.5 out of 5 stars 5,882 ratings

About the author

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Tad Williams
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Tad Williams is a California-based fantasy superstar. His genre-creating (and genre-busting) books have sold tens of millions worldwide. His works include the worlds of Otherland, Shadowmarch, and Osten Ard—including the Memory, Sorrow, and Thorn, and The Last King of Osten Ard series—as well as standalone novels Tailchaser’s Song and The War of the Flowers, plus the Bobby Dollar urban fantasies. His considerable output of epic fantasy, science fiction, urban fantasy, comics, and more have strongly influenced a generation of writers. Tad and his family live in the Santa Cruz mountains in a suitably strange and beautiful house. Visit him online at tadwilliams.com. @tadwilliams @mrstad https://www.facebook.com/AuthorTadWilliams/?ref=aymt_homepage_panel

Customer reviews

4.5 out of 5 stars
5,882 global ratings

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Customers say

Customers find the story engaging and compelling. They describe the book as a good value for money, with well-developed characters and complex worlds. Many find the series fantastic and excellent. However, some readers feel the pacing is slow at times and the opening chapters can be boring. Opinions differ on the writing quality, with some finding it luxurious and well-told, while others consider it tedious or verbose.

AI-generated from the text of customer reviews

168 customers mention "Story quality"147 positive21 negative

Customers find the story engaging and compelling. They appreciate the believable character development and well-developed world. The story gets interesting after about 15% into it, making it one of the greatest fantasy stories ever printed on paper.

"...It’s also interesting to note that we do get other people’s side / story on many sub-chapters. It’s not just the MC Simon’s side we are exploring...." Read more

"...I dunno - but I have found these books Entertaining. Good set of books for a gift to a young adult or older adult that enjoys humour and fantasy...." Read more

"This was an outstanding series with a compelling backstory, world, and well developed characters (main and secondary)...." Read more

"...the Rings abound, but Williams keeps the turns and twists fresh and engaging once Simon *finally* leaves the Hayholdt...." Read more

136 customers mention "Value for money"128 positive8 negative

Customers find the book enjoyable and interesting. They describe it as a great, interesting story similar to Lord of the Rings. The book is still usable, though without a cover.

"...Other than that though, a fantastic read and looking forward to book two" Read more

"...That being said, whenever I picked it up, I enjoyed reading and was not bored at all. It was pleasant though not supeeeerbly engaging...." Read more

"...I dunno - but I have found these books Entertaining. Good set of books for a gift to a young adult or older adult that enjoys humour and fantasy...." Read more

"...The world is fresh, with great depth on the races, their history, and motives...." Read more

66 customers mention "Character development"51 positive15 negative

Customers like the character development. They appreciate the author's ability to build complex worlds with ordinary characters.

"...Glad I finally picked it up. Great world building and characters. Really like this...." Read more

"...I found many of the secondary characters extremely well developed whereas many writers merely let them languish...." Read more

"...There is quite a cast of characters,(I had to go to the appendix in frustration at some points to keep them all straight)however, I felt that none..." Read more

"...The cast of characters is very large, yet somehow easy to keep track of..." Read more

28 customers mention "Series quality"28 positive0 negative

Customers enjoy the series. They find it engaging and a strong start to an excellent trilogy. Readers say it's a great series that will last a long time.

"This was an outstanding series with a compelling backstory, world, and well developed characters (main and secondary)...." Read more

"...If you like GOT then this is a good series to hold you over while you wait for George Martin to write more...." Read more

"Great series. Arrived on time" Read more

"I can honestly say that this series is fantastic! The first book does start slow, however when the the story takes off it is very well written...." Read more

9 customers mention "Scariness level"9 positive0 negative

Customers find the book realistic with a unique source of evil. They describe it as an epic fantasy with battles, creepy creatures, and magic. The story begins an epic quest of good versus evil, with races, religions, and a dark history involving a clash between humans and an elf-like race.

"...They are not morons, they are relatively realistic and scary each to his own degree...." Read more

"...Ard complete with multiple races, religions, and a dark history involving a clash between humans and an elf-like race called the Sithi...." Read more

"...Unique Races, Languages, No Dragons that I remember. Unique source of Evil." Read more

"...But once it takes off, it takes off. It is exhilarating and scary and pushes you to the edge...." Read more

95 customers mention "Writing quality"55 positive40 negative

Customers have mixed opinions about the writing quality. Some find the prose luxurious and well-told, with good diction. Others mention that the writing is descriptive, slowing down the story, lacking creativity, and typos.

"...I did not overly enjoy the prose. The language and descriptions are rich, very rich, but since I am not a native English speaker, sometimes it tires..." Read more

"...Editing on this book (and the entire series) is atrocious. Words are commonly misspelled where they were spelled correctly before, or names spelled..." Read more

"...am, and that speaks to the gripping nature of the story and quality of the writing. A must read for serious fiction fans." Read more

"...I find Tad Williams' writing style much more accessible than J.R.R. Tolkien's...." Read more

14 customers mention "Length"8 positive6 negative

Customers have different views on the book's length. Some find it large and well-written, with a three-dimensional storyline. Others feel the beginning is drawn-out and the book is too long at 627 pages.

"...Well, this book is more like 2 books in 1, it’s quite large, so there is time for much...." Read more

"...but the author got the feel of being lost in cave right, it just got a little long...." Read more

"...The players are given such dimension in a surprisingly short space of time...." Read more

"...Yes, the beginning of the series is a bit long and drawn-out, but it is really worth sticking with...." Read more

106 customers mention "Pacing"22 positive84 negative

Customers find the book's pacing slow and tedious. They say it takes a while to get going and find its pace, but once it does, it's a fun ride. The opening chapters can be a bit boring, with some reviewers finding the first 3 quarters of the book just plain boring.

"...The pace is - not slow - relaxed more or less. Things do happen, but it’s like the author deliberately tries not to give too much...." Read more

"...When I started, I had a very hard time getting into it, and was convinced, only in the beginning, I was, spending time reading a novel I'd rather..." Read more

"...For starters, the pacing is slow. Terribly slow. Glacially slow...." Read more

"...Keep at it, it gets much better and the pace picks up...." Read more

Top reviews from the United States

  • Reviewed in the United States on November 26, 2024
    How did I not read this before? I've heard about it, looked at it in physical book stores and on my amazon account. Glad I finally picked it up. Great world building and characters. Really like this. The story did bog down a little with all the underground meaderings, but the author got the feel of being lost in cave right, it just got a little long. Other than that though, a fantastic read and looking forward to book two
    One person found this helpful
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  • Reviewed in the United States on June 4, 2024
    It’s always hard to rate the first book of a series. You don’t have enough time to bond with the protagonists and the beginning is somewhat slow.
    Well, this book is more like 2 books in 1, it’s quite large, so there is time for much.

    Our protagonists is a young orphan (orphans make a good case for main characters!) who is thrown sort of unwillingly into the thick of tremendous changes (for the worst) on the kingdom. Peace is no more and evil descends, slowly but surely. He bands with a handful of friends into a series of adventures while at the same time learning about himself (slowly).

    I did not overly enjoy the prose. The language and descriptions are rich, very rich, but since I am not a native English speaker, sometimes it tires me to truly understand.
    The pace is - not slow - relaxed more or less. Things do happen, but it’s like the author deliberately tries not to give too much. There are signs and tells about our MC that are not explored, or the story itself does not let him understand - no one to teach him, and no time to be frank. So if you wait for our MC to throw fireballs and cast down lightning, well, you are not getting that, yet(?).

    It’s also interesting to note that we do get other people’s side / story on many sub-chapters. It’s not just the MC Simon’s side we are exploring. This is done due to the fact that the whole kingdom affairs are progressing and Simon can’t be everywhere. I don’t consider any other a true protagonist, maaAybe the prince.

    The “bad guys” are quite well made. They are not morons, they are relatively realistic and scary each to his own degree. We don’t actually meet the endgame boss, but we do hear a lot about him - it feels like Sauron in a sense. In any case, the sense of urgency to fix the wrongs is there, humanity is truly in peril.

    What I did not expect is the amount of character evolution there was in a first book. It usually takes longer to show, but we see both our MC and the prince show signs of evolving - not forcefully because the writer mandates it, but because of their experiences in this part of the story.

    I did not lose my sleep over this book. That’s a good indicator for me on how good the story is and if the fifth star is worth it. That being said, whenever I picked it up, I enjoyed reading and was not bored at all. It was pleasant though not supeeeerbly engaging.
    This book has the ingredients to make a splendid “soup” so I am thrilled to move on to the next one !!
    One person found this helpful
    Report
  • Reviewed in the United States on July 7, 2011
    (added 10/20/2015 - available on the AmazonUK site as an audible file, but Audible USA isn't even answering enquiries as to when/if it will come to the US market. Disappointed that Audible says 'We'll get right back to you' and over a month later... nada. Even with reminders.
    (added 06/16/2015 - Searched for this in Audible while on my Kindle - apparently the audio is coming out August 2015? But can't find the page while on my laptop. harumph.) Rehabilitating a 60 year old farm means I'm alone most of the time, moving around 30 acres, often doing repetitive labour. I listen to alot of free audio books from my library and have an Audible membership (soon to be dropped). I'd love to listen to these stories and have read them to my kids.

    I'm on my second set of paperbacks for these books and have gifted them to family and friends from 11yo to 58yo. I've stopped trying to review books for their literary worth - is it "good". I dunno - but I have found these books Entertaining. Good set of books for a gift to a young adult or older adult that enjoys humour and fantasy. A nice take on multi-culturalism - Elves, dwarves, royalty and wizards are shown to be people. The habits and culture may be a bit different, but they all lead very real lives of love, loss, hope and failure. It's funny how well a fantasy can teach your kids about the reality of life, compassion, honor and strength.

    As an integral part of the story, the glamour of legend and story is shown to be just a glittery reflection of reality. Alongside of Simon, you experience the hungry, dirty, frightening reality that is war and intrigue. Not to the point where I haven't allowed my thirteen yr old to read these - no graphic sex or gratuitous gore. The "lovestory" portions are a reflection of reality - Foot in mouth awkwardness and misunderstandings leading to over sensetive reactions. No glory of war or heaving bosoms here.

    I was homeless for almost a year 20 years ago (19yo, no family, no schooling - no... I was not a hippy/druggy/"soiled dove" - just unlucky and lost everything in a house fire) and as someone who knows the worth of dry socks and a safe place to sleep, the reality of hiking cross country is well portrayed. Hiding in trees, heart pounding so loudly you can't tell if someone is sneaking up on you, is a lousy way to spend night after night. Don't try to impress someone first thing in the morning with bug parts stuck to your sleep wrinkled face.

    Well... sorry if this isn't the best review I've written, but we're bringing in the hay, baby goats are being born and I just came in to cool off - so not much time to proofread this. Upshot is, if you enjoyed Redwall as a kid, you'll enjoy these. be well sf
    10 people found this helpful
    Report

Top reviews from other countries

Translate all reviews to English
  • Cliente Kindle
    5.0 out of 5 stars Tudo nos conformes
    Reviewed in Brazil on October 6, 2022
    Livro muito bom. Vale a pena a leitura!
  • Reign Elgie
    5.0 out of 5 stars First Class Fantasy
    Reviewed in Canada on October 21, 2021
    Tad Williams has become one of the elite Fantasy authors of our day. Every novel that he writes just keeps getting better every time.

    Dragonbone Chair is the first novel in his Memory, Sorrow and Thorn series. I am currently rereading the novel as I originally read it a loooong time ago. I have to admit I am truly enjoying it the second time around.

    HIGHLY recommeded.
  • Gabriel Lima
    5.0 out of 5 stars All time great
    Reviewed in Mexico on April 28, 2020
    One of my favorite series!!! Politics, war, frendship, magic. Awesome saga.
  • Rohit pandey
    5.0 out of 5 stars The price and packing
    Reviewed in India on September 29, 2018
    Great product. I received it in the best condition. Brand new, out of the printing press. The packing was great. I would recommend this book and this shopping platform to every shopper out there.
  • Kindle Customer
    5.0 out of 5 stars Very solid fantasy book
    Reviewed in Australia on June 19, 2024
    As someone getting into reading quite late. I read this book on a holiday & really enjoyed it the whole way through.