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The War of the Flowers

by Tad Williams
The War of the Flowers by Tad Williams
  ★ 8.16 / 6
1★2★3★4★5★6★7★58★19★10★

Cover: Michael Whelan.

Theo Vilmos' life is about to take a real turn for the worse.

Not that it was ever that great — spending the last decade of his life as a singer in a succession of not terribly successful Northern California rock bands isn't exactly a dream come true. But what can Theo do? When his girlfriend Cat gets pregnant, it seems like it's time to give up his irresponsible dreams and settle down. Until now, Theo has always skated through life — getting by on good looks and charm but short on accomplishments, never quite fitting in. The only place that he's ever felt truly right, the only world to which he's ever really belonged, is onstage, enveloped in music, singing his heart out. But isn't that a pretty immature way for a thirty-four-year-old to feel? Now Cat is pregnant and things are going to change big time. Theo will be forced to change, too. So maybe this is a good thing — just what he needs.

But, as Theo discovers, he hasn't hit bottom yet, not by a long shot. He soon finds himself alone, heartbroken, and plagued by a recurring nightmare — and he can't shake the feeling that these bad things are happening to him for a reason. When he comes across a mysterious old letter from his grandmother's brother, a man named Eamonn Dowd, and with it the key to a safe deposit box, he decides to investigate. What he finds is an old handwritten book.

Seeking solace and escape in a cabin in the woods, Theo begins to read his great-uncle's book and quickly becomes mesmerized. Dowd writes of another world — the world of Faerie — but it is nothing like the familiar fairyland of childhood stories.

Caught up in the book's compelling tale, Theo begins to hear strange sounds and experience odd fears. Then one night, all his fears manifest when a horrifying thing tries to break through his front door — a terrible hunting-spirit in the body of a dead man.

Terrified and trapped, Theo is saved only by the intervention of a tiny, foul-mouthed, winged sprite named Applecore, who transports him through a surreal portal into the realm of Faerie. But this fairyland is even darker and more bizarrely modern than Eamonn Dowd had described, similar to the mortal world yet dangerously different, and although he can't imagine why, there are creatures in it who intend Theo Vilmos serious harm.

Chased by corpselike cave trolls and the undead spirit which had pursued him from his own world, at the mercy of immortal beings whose personal and political affiliations are bafflingly unclear, and with only the reluctant sprite Applecore for a guide, Theo begins a journey that will lead him from the palace-towers of the most powerful and treacherous of the fair folk to the camps of rebel goblins and other places beyond his imagining, on a search for the true meaning of his life — before those who seek him can cut it mercilessly short.

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☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆
Standard Shelves
Updated 04/08/2025
Category: Fantasy, Urban Fantasy, Fairies
Release date: May 2003

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Tad Williams

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.

Read more ...

Williams has often said that one of his greatest joys as a writer is not just creating worlds, but creating places—locations that feel like they have existed long before the story begins, and will continue to live on after the story ends. That love for detailed world-building is evident throughout his works, especially in his Shadowmarch series and the more recent The Last King of Osten Ard. These books are filled with richly textured landscapes, layered histories, and characters whose struggles feel both monumental and deeply personal.

Beyond his immersive worlds, Williams has a rare gift for weaving myth and legend into his narratives in a way that feels both ancient and fresh. Whether he’s exploring the collapse of kingdoms, the rise of unlikely heroes, or the endless battle between light and dark, his stories have a timeless, almost mythic quality to them.

Williams’ impact on the fantasy genre has been profound—his books have resonated with readers across generations, earning him a devoted fan base and critical acclaim. His ability to blend traditional high fantasy with modern sensibilities has ensured his place among the greats of the genre.

Even as he continues to push the boundaries of fantasy, Williams remains grounded in his love for storytelling. "The world isn't built from a map or a plot," he once said, "it’s built from the people who live in it." And that’s what makes his works so memorable: the heart and soul of every place, person, and event he brings to life, no matter how grand the scale.

More books by Tad Williams

The Deathless Prince and the Peach Maiden (Otherland)
  ⧗ 8.00 / 1
The Splintered Sun (Osted Ard)
  ⧗ 8.50 / 2
The Navigator's Children (The Last King of Osten Ard #4)
  ★ 10.00 / 4
Into the Narrowdark (The Last King of Osten Ard #3)
not yet rated
Brothers of the Wind (The Last King of Osten Ard #0.7)
  ★ 9.50 / 2
Empire of Grass (The Last King of Osten Ard #2)
not yet rated
The Witchwood Crown (The Last King of Osten Ard #1)
  ★ 9.00 / 1
The Heart of What Was Lost (The Last King of Osten Ard #0.5)
  ★ 9.00 / 3
Sleeping Late on Judgement Day (Bobby Dollar #3)
not yet rated
The Very Best of Tad Williams
not yet rated
Happy Hour in Hell (Bobby Dollar #2)
  ★ 8.00 / 3
Diary of a Dragon
not yet rated
The Dirty Streets of Heaven (Bobby Dollar #1)
  ★ 8.20 / 5
A Stark and Wormy Knight
not yet rated
The Secrets of Ordinary Farm (The Ordinary Farm Adventures #2)
not yet rated
Shadowheart (Shadowmarch #4)
  ★ 9.50 / 8
Shadowrise (Shadowmarch #3)
  ★ 9.26 / 8
The Dragons of Ordinary Farm (The Ordinary Farm Adventures #1)
  ★ 8.00 / 1
Shadowplay (Shadowmarch #2)
  ★ 8.18 / 16
Rite
  ★ 7.34 / 3
Shadowmarch (Shadowmarch #1)
  ★ 7.58 / 24
Sea of Silver Light (Otherland #4)
  ★ 8.50 / 4
Mountain of Black Glass (Otherland #3)
  ★ 7.66 / 6
River of Blue Fire (Otherland #2)
  ★ 8.00 / 6
City of Golden Shadow (Otherland #1)
  ★ 7.66 / 6
Caliban's Hour
  ★ 6.66 / 3
To Green Angel Tower (Memory, Sorrow and Thorn #3)
  ★ 7.72 / 40
Child of an Ancient City
  ★ 6.00 / 1
Stone of Farewell (Memory, Sorrow and Thorn #2)
  ★ 7.46 / 43
The Dragonbone Chair (Memory, Sorrow and Thorn #1)
  ★ 7.30 / 62
Tailchaser's Song
  ★ 6.66 / 3

Book Reviews

06/07/2012
Olaf avatar
Olaf
5 books, 5 reviews
★★★★★★★★☆☆ 8 / 10

Tad Williams is one of the most inventive fantasy writers working today. He is also one of the very few fantasy writers who takes great care not to repeat himself. So, instead of cranking out one Osten Ard trilogy after the other, he has delved deeply into fairy lore and has written THE WAR OF THE FLOWERS. His first full-length stand-alone novel since his debut novel TAILCHASER'S SONG (1985). Theo Vilmos's journey through an industrialized Fairyland may seem tedious and pointless at times, but this is not a book for the impatient reader or someone who is looking for cheap thrills. It's full of allusions and resonances to literature and popular culture and everything comes together in the end. It's a long journey, but it's worth the trip.

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