Shadowmarch by Tad Williams

---THE PLOT---

The Shadowline divides the lands of the Qar from the domains of men. It has slowly begun advancing as Yasammez, Lady Porcupine, leads her troops southwards, to reclaim the land that humanity stole from them centuries ago.

The royal twins of Southmarch, Barrick and Briony, find themselves thrust into regenthood once their older brother is mysteriously murdered. As they begin to face the conflict, they must sift out their foes from their friends, and confront several family secrets.

Qinnitan was an acolyte in the Hive until she was taken into the Autarch's family. Can she survive royal intrigue and avarice?

Along with his wife, Chert discovers a mysterious boy near the Shadowline and names him Flint, and adopts him. Will Chert's devotion to his new son bring him into danger he never knew existed?

---MY THOUGHTS---

This book certainly has enough plot, that's for sure. Shadowmarch originally was envisioned as a television series, and then became a subscription e-book. Williams' publishers decided to publish Shadowmarch, and here it is, now in novel form.

I liked the book. I thought it was well planned, and very well contrived. Williams has certainly proved to be a master of world-building and descriptive writing.

However, due to its former publication format, Shadowmarch is written in 40 chapters. Except for a story line that was added in for the printed publication, each chapter of Shadowmarch deals with every single major character, which can at times be confusing. If the chapters were written with a focus on only one major character, I believe it would be a bit more palatable.

Additionally, Williams' characters tend to follow certain motifs and themes, and you have read either Memory, Sorrow, and Thorn or Otherland, will be able to pick up quite a bit of their personalities without too much difficulty.

This book hasn't been released yet, but five advance chapters are already available, and this looks like it's going to be Tad Williams' best book yet! The father of Prince Barrick and Princess Briony is being held hostage, and when their brother Kendrick is murdered Briony takes up the mantle of queen and must preserve her throne from overthrow, because many people are plotting against her. One of them may even be in her own family. Meanwhile, the shadowline inches ever closer south, and the only witness to this strange and fearful event is the gnome-like funderling Chert. He adopts as his son Flint, a fairy child from beyond the shadowline, who may play a very important role in future events. Unlike most of Tad Williams' other books, the beginning is action-packed and chill fears abound. Get it if you like surrealism, Tad Williams, or fantasy in general. The release date for Shadowmarch is the second of November. Pick up this book, and you will undoubtedly have an excellent reading experience.