[Rob B]

There are other Tad Williams topics, sure (Williams - MS&T (http://www.sffworld.com/forums/showthread.php?t=8372&highlight=Shadowmarch), Elliot or Williams?? (http://www.sffworld.com/forums/showthread.php?t=7602&highlight=Shadowmarch), War of the Flowers (http://www.sffworld.com/forums/showthread.php?t=5588&highlight=Shadowmarch), and Tad Williams (http://www.sffworld.com/forums/showthread.php?t=5442&highlight=Shadowmarch) Memory, Sorrow and Thorn: The Dragonbone Chair - any opinions and info fromm you? (http://www.sffworld.com/forums/showthread.php?t=164&highlight=Shadowmarch)) but the last real topic about Shadowmarch (http://www.shadowmarch.com), his soon to be released return to Epic fantasy is over three years old.

Figured a new discussion dedicated to the book was worthy since many of us have been really looking forward to the release of Shadowmarch (http://www.shadowmarch.com) in printed, bound format for some time.

I think, aside from maybe Keyes and Donaldson, this is THE book I have been looking forward to the most this year.

For those of us who aren't familar with what exactly Shadowmarch (http://www.shadowmarch.com) is click on Shadowmarch (http://www.shadowmarch.com) to visit the Web site and read some of the early Web episodes and prologue.

Let the discussion begin once you've looked at Michael Whelan's newly designed, beautiful cover!
http://a1204.g.akamai.net/7/1204/1401/04091411011/images.barnesandnoble.com/images/8270000/8278384.jpg

[JohnH]

Well I've really enjoyed this. But I knew I was going to having read the twenty-seven? Twenty-eight chapters of the online version (and no Mith, I don't have an answer yet, because I have not found where I put my print outs of the online chapters to compare -- most seems familiar to what I think I read, but without re-reading I won't be able to tell you -- it is very different reading a serialized chapter every month or so as opposed to reading through a whole book -- and I don't want to spoil you in any way).

MS&T was good but not great, imo. There were pieces of brilliance and sections of staggering inanity. His world building was spotty at times, a bit too random in terms of creating the various cultures, his world at times read like a Dragonlance novel. Overall, it made me keep my eye on Williams for more, though.

This is probably his best work yet. The plotting, the characters, the world-building -- all the elements that hint at greatness in his previous works, but perhaps were never fully realized, came to fruition here. Is a great story? That remains to be seen.

What I did find interesting, was that I am pretty sure that War of the Flowers came about when Williams hit a tangent that he couldn't resolve and instead turned that tangent into its own standalone novel. There are slight background elements that I picked up in Shadowmarch I (goofy but somehow logical title) that made go 'hmmm'.

I think that is it.

[Zsinj]

Oh man, I can't wait for Shadowmarch to be released!! I'm really excited about it! Tad Williams is my favorite author in both the Science Fiction and Fantasy genres. That cover totally rocks too! That dude in the picture kind of reminds me of Seoman Snowlock from MS&T. :)

[Rob B]

As to the differences between online and book version, I came across this interview with Tad Williams (www.computercrowsnest.com/sfnews2/04_june/news0604_3.shtml newwindow) where he discusses Shadowmarch: I wrote the first part of this as an online project. I've rewritten it, added a bunch of material, and now I'm working on the second of three volumes - the first should come out this autumn. It's very character-driven, and I think I'm going to ring some changes on the epic-fantasy format that the readers will appreciate.

[Hobbit]

I am also looking forward to this one....

Whilst not wanting to inflame the 'US Bad - UK good' cover debate, here's the UK cover - for comparison.

http://images-eu.amazon.com/images/P/1841492884.02.LZZZZZZZ.jpg
Another one of those understated covers we seem to be getting a lot of at the moment - similar to James Barclay's covers?

Despite the UK cover, (it's what's between them that counts, of course!) one and a half months to go, and counting. :)

Hobbit

[Erfael]

Despite the UK cover, (it's what's between them that counts, of course!) one and a half months to go, and counting. :)

Hobbit

So many people seem to see that cover style as bad. I would rather have that than some character from the book or scene from the book or some art inspired by a few pages of the book that spoils my own vision of things for me. Some of my favorite covers are things that don't have something explicit from the book on them. Given the choice, I would take that UK cover over that US cover any day, I think.

And I'm looking forward to Shadowmarch....I've recenly bored out of War of the Flowers...maybe I'll come back to it. But when I drift off as many times as I did in the first half of that book, something is wrong with that book for me. I really, really like the idea, just something about it keeps me thinking about anything but what's happening in the book.

[Radone]

U.K. cover art good. US cover art bad. That is the unfortunate truth. I really don't like those cartoonish covers that seem to populate to many fantasy books, especially the Darrell Sweet inanities.

[JohnH]

Wow. Definitely love the Whelan cover. Usually I like understated, but the UK cover looks cheap and shoddy, imo. Like the novelization of an Ashley Judd movie or something : In the Foggy Woods She is Stalked .

Ick. I am glad the UK version had not come out six months or so before, because I would have been stuck with that instead.

[Miriamele]

I'm really looking forward to the release of Shadowmarch--Tad Williams is one of my favourite authors ever. Interestingly, on Amazon.ca they have this cover:
http://images.amazon.com/images/P/0756402190.01.LZZZZZZZ.jpg
I guess the Canadian cover is different. I thought that publishers usually used one cover for all North America but I guess that isn't always the case.

[JohnH]

The Canadian image is what I have on my ARC but it is in B&W. With the Canadian editon being put out by Penguin and the US edition by DAW, I guess it makes sense that the covers be a bit different. I actually like both.