The end is near here. Once again, I received the fourth book of a Tad Williams trilogy with excitement. In one way this review is pointless. If you’ve read the first three volumes, you’ll read this one. If not, start at the beginning. Even so, here are my thoughts on the book.

Tad Williams has mastered the art of juggling a large cast of multi-dimensional characters. In particular, Lady Porcupine’s development was stunning in this final volume. Imagine writing the mind of a character from another race, descended directly from the gods, who has lived for centuries. That’s the sort of creative power you experience when Tad writes.

My only frustration with this book was the climax: it occurred far to early for my taste. That scene was vivid and immediate; so much so, the remaining chapters seemed almost boring. Maybe this is because my least favourite (and most irritating) character in the book, Briony, received the most attention in closing. So it goes.

One last note. I pre-ordered this book from Amazon. A couple weeks before it was released, Tad posted on his website that he would give samples to anyone who emailed him. I did, and promptly received the first 100 pages of his manuscript in a Word file. What a way to whet my appetite! Thanks for your generosity to the fans, Tad.

Williams, Tad. Shadowheart. DAW, 2010. Shadowmarch 4.