Shadowheart
Thousands of years ago the gods fought and fell in the deeps beneath
what is now Southmarch Castle, then were banished into eternal sleep.
Now at least one of them is stirring again, dreaming of vengeance
against humankind.
Southmarch haunts the dreams of men as well as gods. Royal twins Barrick and Briony Eddon, the heirs of Southmarch’s
ruling family, are hurrying back home as well: Barrick now carries the
heritage of the immortal Qar inside him, and Briony has a small army at
her back and a fiery determination to recover her father’s throne and
revenge herself on the usurpers.
The cruel and powerful southern
ruler known as the Autarch of Xis wants the power of the gods for his
own, a power he can only gain if he conquers Southmarch.
And nobody
knows what the Qar want, only that the mysterious fairy-folk are
prepared to die for it – or to kill every living thing in Southmarch
Castle and in all the lands around.
It will come to an
apocalyptic conclusion on Midsummer Night, when the spirits of the
haunted past and the desperate struggles of the present come together in one great final battle. Many will die. Many more will be transformed
out of all recognition, and the world will be forever changed.
Tad Williams
Tad Williams (US, born 1957) has held more jobs than any sane person should admit to – singing in a band, selling shoes, managing a financial institution, throwing newspapers, and designing military manuals, to name just a few. He also hosted a syndicated radio show for ten years, worked in theater and television production, taught both grade-school and college classes, and worked in multimedia for a major computer firm. He is cofounder of an interactive television company, and is currently writing comic books and film and television scripts as well. Tad and his family live in London and the San Francisco Bay Area.
Shadowmarch
Shadowmarch consists of four books. The current recommended reading order for the series is provided below.
