Now the family has been shattered. King Olin Eddon is a prisoner in a faraway land. Olin's heir Kendrick is dead — slain by treachery and dark, bloody magic — and Kendrick's younger brother and sister have barely escaped several attempts on their own lives. With their father and brother taken from them, the royal twins Barrick and Briony have done their best to hold the kingdom together. Old magics are stirring beneath the ancient castle and behind the Shadowline, and the machinations of gods, fairies, and mortals threaten to spread devastation across the entire world. Even if Barrick and Briony survive learning the astonishing truths at the heart of their own family and of Southmarch itself, they must still find a way to do the impossible: they must reclaim their kingdom and rescue their home and people from a multitude of powerful enemies — from traitors, tyrants, a god-king, and even the angry gods themselves.
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"This continues a good story by an author with a vivid imagination and a distinctive style of telling. Four books put me (and the story) in a roomy comfort zone for scrolling through the adventure. Volume (4 x 600 pp), equals getting to know deeper characters with reinforced understanding of the story and its details. A good book. A great experience/exercise you can only get from a 3 or 4 volume story."
— Bingo (5 out of 5 stars)
" I really enjoyed this book, its better than the first. Too bad I have to wait a year or so for the final novel. "
— Jesse, 2/20/2014" Fun, but not as good as the first volume in this series. "
— Jennifer, 2/6/2014" That was good, but was too slow paced. "
— Badgerlord, 1/30/2014" Half way through and still curious as how it will play out!! "
— Shayna, 1/15/2014" Fabulous, I became so involved with the characters, I felt like I was in the book. It' a vast and extraordinary world. I can't believe I missed this set. They are diffenently keepers. "
— Jacque, 1/3/2014" Tad Williams would be my favorite fantasy author had I not grown into adult fantasy with Terry Goodkind and Terry Brooks. The guy knows how to tell a story, even if it takes him forever to finish it. This may rival Otherland when it's finally done. "
— Jeff, 12/25/2013" Good! I like his slow style. It's maybe not for everyone, but I like how he takes the time to develop a moderate number of characters, rather than have you juggling 700 at once (AHEMBRANDONSANDERSONILOVEYOUBUTREALLY?) "
— Andrea, 12/20/2013" I could barely get through this book. It was so slow and this story has been done before-just better. "
— Rebecca, 12/10/2013" Tad Williams still rocks! Love the progress this story is making, looking forward to reading the next one. "
— Thain, 11/27/2013" Better than 1, gets better and better!!!!!! "
— Stacey, 10/16/2013" Honestly...I found myself so bored, so uninterested in this entire story, that I didn't even finish it. I've never before gotten this far into a series and then given it up, but....it was becoming a waste of time. "
— Veronica, 4/5/2013" I'll write a review when I finish the "4th" book, Shadowheart. "
— Todd, 3/21/2012" Great second volume. I'm still having a wonderful time. "
— Cassandra, 9/15/2011" Pretty good, but I had to put it down every once in a while when I needed a break from all dark parts. Not my favorite series by Tad Williams so far, but I have one more book, so we'll see! "
— Therese, 6/4/2011" Definitely a step up from the first novel in the series. "
— Johan, 5/24/2011" Better than book 1 but still missing his usual gripping sotry line. "
— cristina, 5/6/2011" I'm sort of sad that I finished this as it means there's only one book left! Barrick has quickly become my favorite character in this series, so it should be no surprise that I really liked this one. Looking forward to the next with mixed feelings if only because I don't want it to be over yet. :P "
— Heather, 3/9/2011" Definitely has kept my attention. I'm wondering where he is going with some of the plot developments at the end. Can't wait to read the last book. "
— Susan, 2/25/2011" Book three of the series. Again with the lack of rational judgement regarding Tad Williams' work. <br/><br/>We finally get to find out the reasons why most of this stuff is happening. Also a well-built twist at the end of this book. We shall see... "
— DeAnna, 1/31/2011" It just keeps me wanting MORE! Great mega series to get lost in. "
— Gary, 12/31/2010" amazing - twists and turns everywhere - on to the last one! "
— Sharon, 12/7/2010" His writing style just has a way of pulling you into the story and has you wanting more, wanting to know what's going to happen. "
— Kristal, 12/3/2010" After reading only 3 of his books, I've determined that Tad Williams is worth the $30 for Shadowheart. "
— Kevin, 11/21/2010" While it's tempting to compare with Tad's groundbreaking Memory, Sorrow, Thorn trilogy, all I'll say is that the Shadowmarch books have really come in to their own. The scope is ambitious and the characters are memorable. Looking forward to the final volume. "
— Daniel, 7/11/2010" I like Tad Williams a lot. This series, though, has been a slog for me without a ton of payoff so far. Third book in what’s now a four book series, it ended up being more of a setup for the upcoming endgame than anything else, and that’s all well and good, but… "
— Jeff, 7/9/2010Tad Williams is a former singer, shoe-seller, radio show host, and taught both grade school and college classes. He is cofounder of an interactive television company, and is currently writing comic books as well as film and television scripts. He lives with his family in London and the San Francisco Bay Area.
Dick Hill, named a Golden Voice by AudioFile magazine, is one of the most awarded narrators in the business, having earned several Audie Awards and thirty-four AudioFile Earphones Awards. In addition to narrating, he has both acted in and written for the theater.