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The Dragonbone Chair

The groundbreaking first book in the landmark epic fantasy saga from New York Times bestselling author Tad Williams

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The Dragonbone Chair

By: Tad Williams
Narrated by: Andrew Wincott
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'ONE OF MY FAVOURITE FANTASY SERIES' GEORGE R. R. MARTIN
'GROUND-BREAKING' PATRICK ROTHFUSS
'TAD WILLIAMS IS A MASTER STORYTELLER' BRANDON SANDERSON
'AN ESSENTIAL PART OF ANY SCIENCE FICTION AND FANTASY LIBRARY' CHRISTOPHER PAOLINI

"But remember this lesson, Simon, one fit for kings. . .or the sons of kings. Nothing is without cost. There is a price to all power, and it is not always obvious."

Kitchen-boy Simon is bored and restless - a dangerous combination. It seems, however, that his life has just taken a turn for the better when he's apprenticed to his castle's resident wizard. As Simon's learning to read and write under Doctor Morgenes' tutelage, forces greater than he could possibly imagine are gathering. Forces which will change Simon's life and his world forever.

A war fuelled by the powers of dark sorcery is about to engulf the peaceful land of Osten Ard. With the death of Prester John, the High King, the land is thrown into turmoil. Into this chaos the Storm King, the undead ruler of the elf-like Sithi, seizes the chance to regain his lost realm through a pact with the newly ascended king. Knowing the consequences of this bargain, the king's younger brother joins with a small, scattered group of scholars, the League of the Scroll, to confront the danger threatening Osten Ard.

As darkness descends, Simon is forced to flee the only home he has ever known, a journey which will test him beyond his worst nightmares.

With The Dragonbone Chair, Tad Williams introduced readers to the incredible fantasy world of Osten Ard and kicked off the beloved, internationally bestselling series Memory, Sorrow, and Thorrn.

READERS LOVE TAD WILLIAMS

'This series was a direct inspiration for A Song Of Ice And Fire (indeed, two characters are even referenced in passing in that series), and in all honesty, Memory, Sorrow and Thorn is infinitely superior.'
'A thoroughly well written and enjoyable first instalment in what promises to be a classic tale of sword and sorcery.'
'Brilliant, a writer who always delivers. Outstanding, the very best in his class!'
'A great first instalment in a superb series [. . .] Highly recommended to those who love the likes of Raymond E. Feist, George R.R Martin and Ursula Le Guin.'
'No one like Tad Williams for me. Gripping from start to finish. Epic.'
'This is classic fantasy at its very best.'
'I don't know how this book evaded me for so long but Usires be praised it was an excellent read. A slow burn for the first half and then an utter thrill fest until the very last sentence. Read this book, read it now.'©1988 Robert Paul 'Tad' Williams, published by permission of DAW Books Action & Adventure Epic Epic Fantasy Fantasy Fiction
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If only this story had a better narrator. I've read these books and decided to listen to the audible version. Dumb mistake. Read the book and you will love it. Listen to it and you will want to rio your ears off. 😳

Boring narrator

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What did you like most about The Dragonbone Chair?

A classic from my childhood I have read the paperbacks again and again. This is a classic fantasy tale, one I have thoroughly enjoyed every time I have visited it. The audiobook adds an extra dimension and the performance by Andrew Wincott helped bring this story to life.

Who was your favorite character and why?

Simon is and always will be my favourite character in this book. The daydreaming youth who has responsibilities thrust upon him. Its a character I can relate to and sympathize with.

Which character – as performed by Andrew Wincott – was your favourite?

A tough question, I felt he did such a great job with them all. I did rather enjoy his portrayal of Duke Isgrimnir the gruff old duke from the north.

Did you have an emotional reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

There were definately moments when i laughed whilst listening to this story, but mostly it just swept me back into my childhood memories of reading this, with the delightful surprise of experiencing someone else's vision for how the characters sounded.

Nostalgia and Surprise

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very very slow start. finished with a bang and a cliff hanger. enjoyed the voicing and accents.

slow start strong finish

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I loved this book when I was younger and thoroughly enjoyed revisiting it as an audio book. How does the narrator keep track of all the different voices! He does a really good job of flagging the different groups with different accents.

Excellent narration!

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The storyline is very enjoyable and the voiceover work is great, there’s not a very good transition between characters and can get confusing and the book is a little slow to start but it’s quite enjoyable once it does

Great, very descriptive

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