Into the Narrowdark
On sale
12th July 2023
Price: £12.99
Genre
The third book of The Last King of Osten Ard!
‘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
The High Throne of Erkynland is tottering, its royal family divided and diminished. Queen Miriamele has been caught up in a brutal rebellion in the south and thought to have died in a fiery attack. Her grandson Morgan, heir to the throne, has been captured by one of Utuk’ku’s soldiers in the ruins of an abandoned city. Miriamele’s husband, King Simon, is overwhelmed by grief and hopelessness, unaware that many of these terrible things have been caused by Pasevalles, a murderous traitor inside Simon’s own court at the Hayholt.
Meanwhile, a deadly army of Norns led by the ageless, vengeful Queen Utuk’ku, has swept into Erkynland and thrown down the fortress of Naglimund, slaughtering the inhabitants and digging up the ancient grave of Ruyan the Navigator. Utuk’ku plans to use the Navigator’s fabled armor to call up the spirit of Hakatri, the evil Storm King’s brother.
Even the Sithi, fairy-kin to the Norns, are helpless to stop Utuk’ku’s triumph as her armies simultaneously march on the Hayholt and force their way into the forbidden, ogre-guarded valley of Tanakirú – the Narrowdark – where a secret waits that might bring Simon’s people and their Sithi allies salvation – or doom.
‘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
The High Throne of Erkynland is tottering, its royal family divided and diminished. Queen Miriamele has been caught up in a brutal rebellion in the south and thought to have died in a fiery attack. Her grandson Morgan, heir to the throne, has been captured by one of Utuk’ku’s soldiers in the ruins of an abandoned city. Miriamele’s husband, King Simon, is overwhelmed by grief and hopelessness, unaware that many of these terrible things have been caused by Pasevalles, a murderous traitor inside Simon’s own court at the Hayholt.
Meanwhile, a deadly army of Norns led by the ageless, vengeful Queen Utuk’ku, has swept into Erkynland and thrown down the fortress of Naglimund, slaughtering the inhabitants and digging up the ancient grave of Ruyan the Navigator. Utuk’ku plans to use the Navigator’s fabled armor to call up the spirit of Hakatri, the evil Storm King’s brother.
Even the Sithi, fairy-kin to the Norns, are helpless to stop Utuk’ku’s triumph as her armies simultaneously march on the Hayholt and force their way into the forbidden, ogre-guarded valley of Tanakirú – the Narrowdark – where a secret waits that might bring Simon’s people and their Sithi allies salvation – or doom.
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Reviews
Tad Williams is a master storyteller, and the Osten Ard books are his masterpiece. Williams' return to Osten Ard is every bit as compelling, deep, and fully-rendered as the first trilogy, and he continues to write with the experience and polish of an author at the top of his game
Not just utterly readable-an instant fantasy classic
An engrossing epic, mixing adventure, intrigue, magic, and some fascinating new characters
With this book, The Last King of Osten Ard has achieved the greatest possible feat for a sequel: that is, I can no longer imagine the originals without it
It's quite the tapestry that Tad Williams has woven. If you like fantasy that doesn't hit you over the head with magic spells, or world-spanning tales with numerous rich characters, you'll enjoy what Williams has brought to the table here. I know I did
Readers new to Osten Ard will quickly be absorbed by
the political intrigue, rich description and complex characterization
that makes the author stand out in a sea of writers inspired by his work
The Witchwood Crown is an easy recommend to both new readers and
fans of Williams: a great start to what could be a new classic trilogy
The Witchwood Crown is a weighty, emotional,
and engrossing launch to The Last King of Osten Ard
