Stone of Farewell (Memory, Sorrow, and Thorn #2) by Tad Williams

The character development is intensified in Stone of Farewell, as readers are taken deeply into the minds of the main characters, invited along on the epic ride.

With many series that start with a bang, it’s often hard to replicate the same feeling with the direct sequels. Stone of Farewell was no exception to this, as it lacked many of the suspense-filled scenes that I enjoyed in The Dragonbone Chair.

Still, it remained well above par, overall.

Synopsis

Josua Lackhand and his few remaining followers are on the run from the siege of Naglimund, chased by unholy things who appear to have a maleficent purpose for them, even as they are herded towards destruction.

Meanwhile, Seoman Snowlock receives a vision from the witch woman, Valada Geloë, of the importance of journeying to the Stone of Farewell. Together with his companions, Seoman makes his way out of the Trollfells, towards the southeastern edge of the Aldheorte Forest, risking hunger and physical danger within the backdrop of the unnatural winter that is spreading chilly tendrils into all of Osten Ard.

Miriamele, intent on being useful in the coming conflict, journeys alone to the south, to Nabban, where she hopes to make diplomatic alliances in favor of her uncle. However, the tides have shifted much quicker than she anticipates, even as the influence of the Storm King stretches leagues south of Stormspike.

Thoughts

While the quality of the writing doesn’t drop, Stone of Farewell is noticeably more slow-paced than The Dragonbone Chair, despite covering roughly the same amount of storytime. We also get a lot more lore, which is crucial to the progress of the plot, and more than justifies the sheer length of this book and its sequel, To Green Angel Tower.

The character development is intensified in Stone of Farewell, as readers are taken deeply into the minds of the main characters, invited along on the epic ride.

Seoman Snowlock, in particular, is barely recognizable from the mooncalf youth we saw at the start of the series, and his budding maturity is apparent in his assessment of the epic conflict growing in Osten Ard. While it’s not clear cut at this point exactly what he will turn out to be, Simon is starting to show signs of being a great warlock. Unlike what most readers expect from wizardly characters, dreams form the crux of his specialness, and I’m keen to see how that develops in the next book.

Josua’s treatment of Lady Vorzheva is quite annoying, but understandable, given his generally cold demeanor, as well as his current plight. For a man in his situation, passionate romance can only be a bother. But I have hopes for their relationship.

Like Robert Jordan, Tad Williams prefers to keep smut to the barest minimum. Still, the scandalous adventure between Miriamele and Earl Aspitis provides an interesting edge to the story, as does the mini sexual tension between Seoman and the Sitha, Aditu. The latter pairing is one I’d have loved to see more of, but, at this point, I imagine that Seoman and Miriamele are destined to end up together.

Verdict

Despite its more measured pacing, Stone of Farewell is a deeply absorbing sequel that immerses readers into a near-unrivalled well of storytelling. The quote below, by a friend, Adewole Conde, sums it up:

Imagine that you had to carve a human-sized statue out of a block of marble that was the size of a house. It would presumably be more prudent and practical to start by excising a modest block that was a little more than six feet high, four feet broad, and four feet wide before proceeding to carve the statue. But it’s also possible to whittle that house-sized block down to this modest block and then start carving out the statue. I think Tad Williams has gone this route with the character development of Seoman in Memory, Sorrow, and Thorn.