Re-reading Tad Williams' Memory, Sorrow and Thorn

by Larry Ketchersid

Tad Williams' Memory, Sorrow and Thorn is the fantasy series cited as a major influencer of George R. R. Martin, Christopher Paolini, Patrick Rothfuss and many others. With the publication of The Last King of Osten Ard, the new series set in the same world, readers of the original series may need a re-read or a refresher. This eBook goes through each chapter in all three massive books, and includes additional chapters on the series place in fantasy genre history, the three great swords, conjecture on the new Last King series (and the additional new books set in Osten Ard) and a list of additional resources for information about this deep and expanding place. Get ready for The Heart of What Was Lost (which takes place immediately after the end of To Green Angel Tower) and The Witchwood Crown (occurring 30 years after To Green Angel Tower) with Larry Ketchersid's thorough and sometimes humorous re-read notes. Many thanks to Deborah Beale and Tad Williams for their support on this project.

205 pages, Kindle Edition

Published July 19, 2016

About the author

Larry Ketchersid is an entrepreneurial technologist, a runner, developer and a writer. His first novel,Dusk Before the Dawn was a Finalist for the ForeWord Magazine Book of the Year Awards in 2006. His latest novel, Software by the Kilo, is available in print and eBook (as is the first). He has also written a memoir book of stories for my mother and father called Voices in my Head.

His latest project is titled Re-reading Tad Williams' Memory, Sorrow and Thorn, and is currently available as a Kindle eBook.

He has run several technology startups, some wildly successful, others not worth mentioning. He is currently the CEO of Media Sourcery, Inc., a security and workflow software and services company. He has degrees in Computer Science, Mathematics and Physics, leading his wife to name him ‘nerd’. To protect said wife, he also has a 2nd degree black belt in Soo Bahk Do Moo Duk Kwan (his son has a 1st degree black belt), and continues to study Qigong, Tai chi chuan and other martial arts. Larry lives in Texas with his wife. They currently run JoSara MeDia which publishes books, eBooks, audio books, apps and helps non-profit organizations (such as the Texas State Historical Association) in these areas.

Larry has also written multimedia books in the form of iPad/iPhone apps called "Grand Canyon", and "Quebec City" which can be found in the Apple App Store (search for JoSara MeDia, the publishing company); several non-fiction technology articles and other articles, including several interviews for SFSignal.com (you can find both at his website).

Reviews

[Josh Angel · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a good read, but the problem is I was wanting a sort of “study guide” to read along with the series. To tell me things I didn’t catch, point out Easter eggs, moments of foreshadowing, that sort of thing. The author writes pleasantly enough, but he was writing from the same perspective as mine: someone who had read the books years ago and was rereading now with very little memory of the story.

Considering that this is just a diary of notes as he was reading, I really don’t see what the point of this book is supposed to be? He points out interesting sections but can only theorize on their meaning, because he doesn’t have any answers. That is the exact perspective of every reader.

Despite the authors amiable writing, this book seems to be rather pointless. Who is the target audience?

It was well written so I am giving the book 3 stars, but I remain confused as to who this book was written for.

[StephieFrost · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book!

I liked this book because of the commentary of the author on each chapter. I loved memory, sorrow, and thorn the first time around, but I enjoyed this re-read also.

[Byron Smith]

Soooo, I misunderstood the intention of the book. It’s a person’s expression of his experience reading the books. No rating given for fairness to the author.