He did it again. Williams took a nice traditional trilogy and spun it into four books. (Douglas Adams would be proud.) It’s difficult to be frustrated with him, though, since this series is so riveting you don’t want it to end. All the elements that made this series great (angry fairies, the half-sane king who believes he’s a god, tunnels under the castle and their inhabitants, life behind the shadowline, legends coming to life) get more interesting in this book.

My only frustration is with Princess Briony. Her storyline wasn’t boring so much as irritating. When it was getting late and I needed to put the book down, I invariably closed the covers when the next chapter began with her. Her plot-line better pay off in volume four!

Shadowrise truly is half of the third book in the trilogy. Unlike how Brandon Sanderson retooled Jordan’s final work to make three semi-self-contained volumes, Williams just ended the book half-way through. Thankfully we will not have to wait long for the last final installment.

Williams, Tad. Shadowrise. DAW, 2010. Shadowmarch 3.