# Shadowmarch, Tad Williams



## dwndrgn (Nov 20, 2004)

Shadowmarch by Tad Williams

Shadowmarch is the first volume of a new epic fantasy trilogy by the author of the Memory, Sorrow and Thorn trilogy and Otherland series.

There are three basic settings for the action of this book; Southmarch, the kingdom who's king Olin is being held for ransom and the kingdom run by his children, Xis, the land ruled by the Autarch, the 'living God', and the Shadowlands where the shadow people have been exiled.  

In Southmarch, Kendrick rules in place of his kidnapped father - working to find a way to ransom him from a rival kingdom.  Olin's twins, Briony and Barrick are trying to come to terms with a missing father, troubles with the nobles of the land and general political manoevering.  There are many factors of struggle in this kingdom, nobles looking for more power, scheming counselors and retainers, the general unease of the Funderlings and the Rooftoppers.  Even after finishing this first book, we are unsure of who can be trusted and who is working behind the scenes to create their own power base.  Add in Olin's second wife who is pregnant with his child, a mysterious doctor/scientist experimenting with powers he doesn't know enough about, and Olin's sister who has an interesting secret in her past and you've got a powder keg that could explode at any time.

Xis is an interesting place.  Not only do they have a 'living God' in the Autarch, but he also has over 500 wives and the sacred hive of bees.  What more could you ask for?  Williams didn't explore this land as much as I would have liked, but that could be coming in later volumes.  We only get a part of the story of one of his wives, who was chosen for some unknown reason.  I really would have liked to have more of her story.  Again, this might come in a later volume.

The Shadowlands are even harder to define.  Clearly this is a place that was magically created to keep the unwanted beings out of the rest of the world.  What is unclear to the reader is how and why the Shadowlands were created.  We do know that the boundary is the Shadowline, a misty border that keeps the Shadow people in.  However, the Shadowline has begun to change.  This means that perhaps the Shadow people will be able to cross and 'escape' their exile.  The reader does learn somewhat of their purpose but none of the history behind it.  Presumably we'll be held in suspense for a while as this is a good tension point to keep us holding our breath waiting for a revelation.

This first volume deals mostly with the residents of Southmarch castle, Briony and Barrick, Chaven the mysterious physician and scientist as well as two other races, the Funderlings who are a race of small people who work with stone and the Rooftoppers who are even more mysterious.  

I felt very teased by most of the book.  It is clear that Williams wanted to introduce characters and hint at what is to come to make sure that his readers get a good beginning story and have to come back for the rest.  The action is a bit stilted at times due to his switching between characters, and the fact that many are engaged in action that we really can't understand yet without more facts.  I admire the fact that he includes the Shadow people and their point of view in this as many fantasy authors would have left them out altogether and left the reader with a generic race of monsters.  The Shadow people are clearly not your basic power hungry evil characters.  The have a definitive goal which is only hinted at, and they'll do what they can to accomplish that goal.  It is even possible that they aren't evil at all - they could just be trying to right an old wrong.  Williams cleverly slipped a few hints in for the reader to discover and say 'ah hah!'.  Unfortunately he was very thrifty with those hints, so there are still many ways this story could go.  The book ends with all the characters in action - he doesn't end the story so much as stop...we have no idea what will happen to most of the main characters.  

I really did enjoy the story, and like a good series author, he's got me wanting to find out what will happen.  Where will Briony end up?  Where is Barrick going and why?  How did Chaven discover the magical stone and it's properties?  Why do the Shadow people want what they want?  What will happen to Olin?  Who is Flint really?  What is the Shining Man?  How in the world did Gil get his 'insight'?  You see what I mean by leaving us readers hanging?  Despite this maddening 'cliffhanger' type ending, I would definitely recommend epic fantasy fans to check this one out.


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## Teresa Edgerton (Nov 20, 2004)

Good review!  Having recently finished reading the same book, I agree with just about everything you say.

I'm under the impression that the Shadowlands and the shadowline were created by the Qar themselves to define their territory, but I could be wrong about that.  Otherwise, your review strikes me as spot on.


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## Rane Longfox (Nov 20, 2004)

This sounds really good Mysterious physicians and divine bees? What more could you ask for?


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