‘Inspired me to write my own seven-book trilogy. It’s one of my favourite fantasy series’ GEORGE R. R. MARTIN
‘A master storyteller, and the Osten Ard books are his masterpiece’ BRANDON SANDERSON
‘Paved the way for so much modern fantasy. Including mine’ PATRICK ROTHFUSS
‘One of the great fantasy epics of all time’ CHRISTOPHER PAOLINI
“They have left us a world, but have they left us enough wisdom to protect it?”
Thirty years ago the undead Storm King, Ineluki, was destroyed and his armies scattered. The Kingdom of Osten Ard has been at peace ever since, ruled by Simon Snowlock, kitchen boy made king, and Miriamele, King Elias’ only child.
But now age weighs upon their reign. Simon’s dreams have deserted him, old allies are long gone and betrayal and assassination threaten his rule. His son and heir John Josua is years dead and his grandson, Morgan, is a wastrel.
But those years of peace are coming to an end for in the mountain fortress of Nakkiga in the frozen north, the Norns – the long-vanquished elvish foe – are stirring once again. Their Queen has woken from her deep, decades long slumber, and she will sleep no more. An ally of the Storm King, she seeks to avenge his death and destroy humanity. Her sorcerers will raise a demon, her warriors will raze the land in search of dragon’s blood, and finally the Witchwood Crown will be hers.
With a cast of hundreds – humans, giants, dragons, trolls, Sithi and Norn – The Witchwood Crown is epic fantasy as it used to be: classic, grand and sweeping. From one of the greatest writers of the genre comes the start of an unforgettable saga.
JOIN THE READERS WHO LOVE THE WITCHWOOD CROWN
I have loved reading this book! It is so good to return to Osten Ard once more. It was both lovely and sad to meet the old characters and wonderful to meet all the new ones.
Tad Williams’ work is brilliant and complex.
A wonderfully written book. I enjoyed every page. Engaging characters, an intriguing story and the promise of more to come. I can’t wait for the next.
I love this book (and the previous ones) for the care and nourishment poured into them by the author. A well-developed world allows for a convincing story, however magical it might be. The characters are also supremely real and easy to like.
So incredible to have new Osten Ard stories to read! From the very first chapter, this return to the much-loved world of Memory, Sorrow and Thorn is just as enthralling and magical as it was 25 years ago.
The Witchwood Crown is Tad Williams’ magnificent return to Osten Ard. This is a novel I’ve been waiting for, for 24 years. I’m happy to report that The Witchwood Crown lives up to expectations.
WORLD OF OSTEN ARD READING ORDER
Memory, Sorrow, and Thorn series
The Dragonbone Chair
Stone of Farewell
To Green Angel Tower
The Last Kind of Osten Ard (sequel series)
The Witchwood Crown
Empire of Grass
Brothers of the Wind
Intro the Narrowdark
The Navigator’s Children
‘A master storyteller, and the Osten Ard books are his masterpiece’ BRANDON SANDERSON
‘Paved the way for so much modern fantasy. Including mine’ PATRICK ROTHFUSS
‘One of the great fantasy epics of all time’ CHRISTOPHER PAOLINI
“They have left us a world, but have they left us enough wisdom to protect it?”
Thirty years ago the undead Storm King, Ineluki, was destroyed and his armies scattered. The Kingdom of Osten Ard has been at peace ever since, ruled by Simon Snowlock, kitchen boy made king, and Miriamele, King Elias’ only child.
But now age weighs upon their reign. Simon’s dreams have deserted him, old allies are long gone and betrayal and assassination threaten his rule. His son and heir John Josua is years dead and his grandson, Morgan, is a wastrel.
But those years of peace are coming to an end for in the mountain fortress of Nakkiga in the frozen north, the Norns – the long-vanquished elvish foe – are stirring once again. Their Queen has woken from her deep, decades long slumber, and she will sleep no more. An ally of the Storm King, she seeks to avenge his death and destroy humanity. Her sorcerers will raise a demon, her warriors will raze the land in search of dragon’s blood, and finally the Witchwood Crown will be hers.
With a cast of hundreds – humans, giants, dragons, trolls, Sithi and Norn – The Witchwood Crown is epic fantasy as it used to be: classic, grand and sweeping. From one of the greatest writers of the genre comes the start of an unforgettable saga.
JOIN THE READERS WHO LOVE THE WITCHWOOD CROWN
I have loved reading this book! It is so good to return to Osten Ard once more. It was both lovely and sad to meet the old characters and wonderful to meet all the new ones.
Tad Williams’ work is brilliant and complex.
A wonderfully written book. I enjoyed every page. Engaging characters, an intriguing story and the promise of more to come. I can’t wait for the next.
I love this book (and the previous ones) for the care and nourishment poured into them by the author. A well-developed world allows for a convincing story, however magical it might be. The characters are also supremely real and easy to like.
So incredible to have new Osten Ard stories to read! From the very first chapter, this return to the much-loved world of Memory, Sorrow and Thorn is just as enthralling and magical as it was 25 years ago.
The Witchwood Crown is Tad Williams’ magnificent return to Osten Ard. This is a novel I’ve been waiting for, for 24 years. I’m happy to report that The Witchwood Crown lives up to expectations.
WORLD OF OSTEN ARD READING ORDER
Memory, Sorrow, and Thorn series
The Dragonbone Chair
Stone of Farewell
To Green Angel Tower
The Last Kind of Osten Ard (sequel series)
The Witchwood Crown
Empire of Grass
Brothers of the Wind
Intro the Narrowdark
The Navigator’s Children
Reviews
One of my favourite fantasy series
One of the main reasons I started writing fantasy . . . Tad Williams' work is an essential part of any science fiction and fantasy library
Ground-breaking . . . changed how people thought of the genre and paved the way for so much modern fantasy, including mine
Praise for Memory, Sorrow and Thorn
This is flawless epic fantasy. . . Williams' grand-scale storytelling mastery is on full display here. Not just utterly readable-an instant fantasy classic.
The Witchwood Crown is very well written, and the author clearly knows how to manage a story this vast without letting any part of it be sacrificed for another . . . Definitely recommend it to readers of epics like A Game of Thrones and The Wheel of Time series
Williams' prose, characterization, and world-building are top-notch, as always, and the return to Osten Ard is so seamless . . . Williams' injects The Witchwood Crown with the same aged and thoughtful writing that gave the original trilogy its trademark air of melancholy, creating a lovely sense of reverberation for those of us who've grown up - and grown old - in this world
'The Witchwood Crown is a weighty, emotional and engrossing launch to The Last King of Osten Ard series . . . I was overjoyed to return to this world, the characters, and the type of story Tad Williams tells with the most skill and gusto
This book had me crying in the first 100 pages and yelling WHAT THE HECK throughout the last third as secrets were revealed, some characters turned out to be duplicitous, and the fates of others were not what I expected. Some of the twists were so surprising to me I had to go back and reread what I'd just read because I almost couldn't believe it!
