Brothers of the Wind

October 1, 2021

This standalone epic fantasy is set in the Western European-inspired world of Osten Ard, a millennium before the action of Williams's "Memory, Sorrow, and Thorn" trilogy. Two princes of the immortal Sithi--beloved Hakatri and mercurial Ineluki--are bound by pride and love in their quest to slay the greatest of the monstrous dragons, as Ineluki has vowed to do. The quest traps Hakatri in a never-ending cycle of indescribable pain and prophetic dreams, while Ineluki is destroyed by guilt and self-hatred for his role in his brother's agony. Told from the perspective of Hakatri's faithful squire, forced to watch as those he serves destroy so many lives around them, Williams's latest is a story about pride coming before a fall so big that it shakes the foundations of empires. VERDICT Recommended for fans of old-school epic fantasy and anyone who remembers Williams's 1988 classic The Dragonbone Chair with fondness.--Marlene Harris, Reading Reality, LLC, Duluth, GA

Copyright 2021 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

October 4, 2021
This epic episode set centuries before Williams’s Memory, Sorrow, and Thorn trilogy explores the ancient history of the land of Osten Ard, illuminating a tragedy born of honor and pride which sets the characters on their paths towards destiny and destruction. When the mortal Prince Cormach beseeches aid from the immortal, elf-like Zida’ya race of Asu’a to help slay the legendary dragon terrorizing his people’s lands, his request is initially met with scorn—until bold, brash Zida’ya noble Ineluki and his brother, stalwart Hakatri, set forth to investigate and slay the dragon themselves. After their initial foray goes awry, they must seek further aid and advice on how to defeat the ancient monster. But the price of victory is more than one of the survivors can bear, and the consequences could devastate all of Osten Ard. Chronicled by Hakatri’s faithful-unto-death changeling squire Pamon Kes, the narration has a sense of weight, history, and inevitability, which plays well with the obvious Tolkien influences that have long informed this series, though Kes’s distance from the action keeps readers at arm’s length much of the time. While this works as a stand-alone, it will be best enjoyed by series fans looking to understand the backstory of this intricate world. Agent: Matthew Bialer, Sanford J. Greenburger Assoc.

November 1, 2021
This prequel to Williams' long-running Osten Ard series takes place a thousand years before the events of the Memory, Sorrow, and Thorn trilogy (The Dragonbone Chair, 1988). In this distant past, the elflike Sithi still rule mortals from the city of Asu'a while their sister race the Norns live in the remote and chilly north. The novel takes the viewpoint of the indentured Changeling servant Pamon Kes, who follows his master Lord Hakatriand and his master's brother Ineluki on their hunt for the dreaded Blackworm. Ineluki, the future undead Storm King and central villain of Williams' original trilogy, swears an oath that he will kill the dragon or never return. This oath leads to tragic consequences for both brothers, transforms Kes' relationship to his own history and identity, and lays the seeds for Ineluki's eventual transformation into the dreaded Storm King. While primarily of interest to readers of the original trilogy, Williams is an old hand at creating well-paced fantasy narratives, and this latest work should satisfy fans and general genre readers alike.

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