The Witchwood Crown – Thoughts on the return to Osten Ard – Part 5

As much as I tried to make the return to Osten Ard in The Witchwood Crown last, for there is a wait of at least a year before The Empire of Grass arrives, it had to end at some point. Similar to the binge watching Netflix crowd who like to feast on entire seasons of a show in a few (or one!) sittings, I like to line up the books in a series and plow right through them. This is not just for continuity, but also for the freshness that comes with the characters. I’m in the midst (interrupted only by Tad’s latest) of a straight read through of Steven Erikson’s Malazan Book of the Fallen, which is a march through ten massive novels (with some of his cohort Ian Esselmont’s stories thrown in as well).

But for an Osten Ard novel, I will make an exception.

It will take me a while to get my thoughts together, but I would certainly agree with the job title attributed to Mr. Williams in the DAW promotional note that accompanied the book I received (thanks John!)….Tad Williams is indeed a  California-based fantasy superstar. He may not get paid as much as that other California-based fantasy superstar (who plays for Tad’s hometown Warriors)…a deeper conversation on the compensation differences between those who write prose that will last several lifetimes, and those who entertain us with skill in sports.

In the mean time for my friend Ylva (who probably already has this memorized), here’s a list of the chapters (which I need to aid my memory as I write some notes). From my perspective after having read the book, there are no spoilers in reading these titles.

Foreword

Part 1 – Widows

1. The Glorious
2. The Finest Tent on the Frostmarch
3. Conversation with a Corpse-Giant
4. Brother Monarchs
5. Awake
6. An Aversion to Widows
7. Island of Bones
8. A Meeting on Lantern Bridge
9. Heart of the Kynswood
10. Hymns of the Lightless
11. The Third Duke
12. The Bloody Sand
13. Lady Alva’s Tale
14. Ghosts of the Garden
15. Atop the Holy Tree
16. A Layer of Fresh Snow
17. White Hand
18. A Bad Book
19. The Moon’s Token
20. His Bright Gem
21. Crossroad
22. Death Songs
23. Testament of the White Hand

Part Two – Orphans

24. Terrible Flame
25. Example of a Dead Hedgehog
26. The Inner Council
27. Noontide at the Quarterly Maid
28. Cradle Songs of Red Pig Lagoon
29. Brown Bones and Black Statues
30. The Slow Game
31. A High, Dark Place
32. Rosewater and Balsam
33. Secrets and Promises
34. Feeding the Familiar
35. The Man with the Odd Smile
36. A Foolish Dream
37. Two Bedroom Conversations
38. The Factor’s Ship
39. A Grassland Wedding
40. Watching Like God

Part Three – Exiles

41. Hern’s Horde
42. Forest Music
43. Into Deeper Shadows
44. Charms and Tokens
45. A Nighttime Sun
46. River Man
47. Hidden Chambers
48. The Little Boats
49. Blood as Black as Night
50. Several Matters of State
51. Stolen Scales
52. Homecoming
53. Their Masters’ Folly
54. Voices Unheard, Faces Unseen

Afterword

Related posts:

The Witchwood Crown – Thoughts on the return to Osten Ard – Part 2 The Witchwood Crown – Thoughts on the return to Osten Ard – Part 3 The Witchwood Crown – Thoughts on the return to Osten Ard – Part 4 The Witchwood Crown – Thoughts on the return to Osten Ard – Part 1