Tad Williams’ Memory, Sorrow and Thorn Trilogy 4-Book Set

I finally got my hands on Tad Williams’ Memory, Sorrow and Thorn Trilogy 4-Book Set, and honestly, it’s been worth every penny. The set includes The Dragonbone Chair, Stone of Farewell, and To Green Angel Tower (split into two parts because, yeah, it’s that massive). I’ve been eyeing these books for ages—they’re pretty much legendary in fantasy circles, written back in the late 80s/early 90s, and wow, they still hold up surprisingly well!
The paperbacks are a decent size, about 4.2 x 5.5 x 7.8 inches, which makes them pretty comfortable to hold while I’m curled up on the couch. Nothing worse than those huge hardcovers that feel like they’re going to break your wrists, right? All four books together are over 2,800 pages though, so I’ve definitely been getting my money’s worth in terms of reading time. The covers look really nice too—vibrant artwork that actually represents the story (unlike some fantasy books I could mention…). The paper quality is actually better than I expected—it’s that acid-free stuff that doesn’t turn yellow, which is great because, to be fair, I’m kind of planning to keep these on my shelf for years.
The story follows this kitchen boy named Simon who gets caught up in this whole crazy adventure with prophecies and magical artifacts and kingdom politics. It kind of reminds me of my favorite fantasy series, but Williams has his own style that’s a bit more… introspective? Like, the world-building is just phenomenal—Osten Ard feels like a real place with all these different cultures and creatures. The Sithi are kind of like elves but, I don’t know, they feel more alien and interesting than your typical fantasy races. And there are dragons too, which, let’s be honest, always makes a book better!
The writing is pretty dense at times—I found myself having to reread passages here and there—but it’s totally worth it. This definitely isn’t YA fantasy; I’d say it’s for 16+ readers for sure. If you’re into Tolkien or Game of Thrones, you’ll probably love this. I’ve actually been recommending it to my book club, though I’m not sure if everyone’s ready to commit to nearly 3,000 pages!
The whole set weighs about 4.5 pounds, which isn’t too bad. I’ve actually been taking one book at a time on my commute, and it’s been making my train rides fly by. My only complaint? I wish I’d discovered these books sooner! I’m already dreading finishing the last one because I just don’t want to leave this world. If you’re on the fence about getting the whole set at once, just do it—you’ll thank me later when you don’t have to wait for the next book to arrive!