Dire Bound
Sable Sorensen
by Tad Williams
The Storm King’s dark sorcery tightens its grip on Osten Ard, casting a long, icy shadow over a realm already fractured by civil war. As King Elias descends further into a nightmarish, spell-spun madness, his brother, Prince Josua, struggles to consolidate a desperate resistance at the Stone of Farewell. The fate of the kingdom hangs in a precarious balance, tethered to the shifting boundaries of time and the encroaching influence of the undead.
Amidst this gathering storm, Simon—once a humble kitchen boy, now a man forged by harrowing trials—joins the League of the Scroll in a race against oblivion. Their mission is as perilous as it is vital: to unearth ancient, forgotten secrets buried deep within history’s dust. These long-lost truths serve as the only potential weapon against an enemy that appears truly unslayable.
As alliances are tested and the lines between the living and the dead begin to blur, Simon must confront both the weight of his own destiny and the complexities of his heart. In a world where magic is both a salvation and a curse, the heroes of Osten Ard prepare for a final, cataclysmic confrontation that will determine whether the light survives or darkness claims everything.
KornjiakI love it when I finish a book and wish I didn't have to leave its world
"There is a reason this series is considered a classic. The characters are great, and the massive scale of the world, with its different races and cultures all works well. I liked that some of the "romance" storylines were more true to live and ended in heartbreak. I binged this entire series, which drew me in from the first chapter in the first book. ["
November 26, 2024 Verified Purchase
L. PickA Lengthy Yet Satisfying Conclusion
"This is the longest book I have ever read, without a doubt. That being said, it felt much shorter than plenty of other books I have read. I absolutely love this series and I cannot believe how overlooked it is when talking about classical fantasy series. This book can be a bit daunting to read at first but every single page is completely worth the effort and time. By the time you reach the end of the book, until the very last page, it keeps you guessing on many different things. What is the Storm King’s plan? What is Simon’s heritage? How can they possibly succeed? Will they even succeed? It can irritating how little you know at times but I promise all questions are answered by the end of the book (except for one or two cliffhangers I’m assuming will be resolved in Tad’s new series, The Last King of Osten Ard). If you ever had any doubts about this series, or fears for how long this book is, I highly, highly recommend the series to anybody who has an interest in high literary fantasy. ["
July 14, 2020 Verified Purchase
HarrisAmazing conclusion to a deep series!
"It’s hard to rate this book and the series in general. It’s full of quality, a strong story with a deep world and truly deep characters. You rarely see such care on the protagonists themselves, having their individual personalities, feeling and thinking and evolving due to their experiences. Most of the effort was doing just that. Putting the characters into difficult situations and letting them evolve, slowly, as it’s realistic. And I’ll mention this again, it feels as if they have their own personalities and not the generic good/bad guy. In the end, I liked the characters, all of them to be honest! Even the Sithi all masterfully done, managing to describe a non human non mortal race very well. In general, the whole world is super rich with history and present - these books are high quality writing. But I am getting off the rails.. The whole feeling is that we are getting there. That we are tying loose ends and not just traveling endlessly for some reason. Mysteries are slowly unraveling and what happens matter more. Plus, there is more action, more happening that matters (you would think). The finale is satisfying and explains most questions. Still, it would have saved us from 3 books if Morgenes was more straight forward instead of talking in riddles! Does this book drag? Oh yes it does! We endlessly explore the feelings of our main characters, we explore the dream world, the past, the tunnels, the dark on and on and on. Then again you have read 2 huge books that do the same thing for countless pages and in contrast to this one, their happenings have little importance, so you knew what to expect! My reservations have a lot to do with missed opportunities. Spells and magic is hardly there - it’s the far away background of a beautiful painting. Magic swords hardly do anything. Magic dream world is used so little and conveniently…it’s a shame but that’s the story. It’s also weird that there is little actual heroism other than perseverance. Our protagonists don’t exhibit some amazing skill. Take Simon for example. Is he super wise? No. An amazing swordsman? Not really. Trained in something? Nop. This goes for all - I guess it’s more realistic this way but a little something could have been what’s missing from excellence. To sum this up, of course you will read this book if you already finished the first two. It’s totally worth the effort - it feels much more satisfying than the previous ones. This story speaks of quality that is what’s left in my thoughts- it’s a long journey, but it’s worth reading. Is it the best I have read? No, not really, not even close, but it’s unique in its world and character building - it sort of reminds me of the wheel of time. Enjoy this one, it’s pretty darn good! ["
July 1, 2024 Verified Purchase
BrittniAbsolutely brilliant ending to this trilogy!
"While book one was slow to get into, and book two picked up and was a great middle, this final book spiraled completely with a whirlwind of emotions, truths coming out, and the final battle. The ending was wonderful and I highly recommend this trilogy to anyone who was fans of LOTR or GOT books. We followed young Simon on his journey through the three books, the hardships he overcame, and becoming a very capable, strong and brilliant young man. To Green Angel Tower brings the trilogy to an end right where it began. Back at the Hay holy for the final battle, and what a battle it was! ["
February 24, 2022 Verified Purchase
Sable Sorensen
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