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.
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Tad Williams
Tad Williams never set out to create entire worlds from scratch—yet, in many ways, that's exactly what he's done. Known for his lush, expansive fantasy novels, Williams has an uncanny ability to make the fantastical feel deeply human. His work taps into the timeless themes of adventure, destiny, and the complexity of the human spirit, all while layering in rich, immersive worlds that are as fully realized as the characters who inhabit them.
Born in San Jose, California, Williams’ journey into writing was not a straight line. He began his career as a writer of short stories and a member of the underground comics scene before discovering his passion for epic fantasy. It was the immense, world-spanning narrative of The Dragonbone Chair, the first book in Memory, Sorrow, and Thorn, that catapulted him into the literary spotlight. His ability to balance sweeping, epic landscapes with intimate character studies made him a standout in the genre and drew comparisons to other masters of fantasy, while allowing him to carve out a voice uniquely his own.
Shadowmarch
Shadowmarch consists of four books. The current recommended reading order for the series is provided below.
