The Heart of What Was Lost
A Novel of Osten Ard
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4.6 • 10 Ratings
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- £5.99
Publisher Description
The world was nearly destroyed, but now knows hope again. At the end of Memory, Sorrow, and Thorn, Ineluki the Storm King, an undead spirit of horrifying, demonic power, came within moments of stopping Time itself and obliterating humankind.
He was defeated by a coalition of mortal men and women joined by his own deathless descendants, the Sithi. In the wake of the Storm King's fall, Ineluki's loyal minions, the Norns, retreat north to Nakkiga, an ancient citadel which holds a priceless artefact known as The Heart of What Was Lost.
They are pursued by the army of Duke Isgrimnur who is determined to wipe out the Norns for all time.
The two armies will soon clash in a battle so strange and deadly, so wracked with dark enchantment, that it threatens to destroy not just one side but quite possibly all.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
After two decades, Williams (Sleeping Late on Judgement Day) returns to the epic fantasy world of Osten Ard, made famous by his Memory, Sorrow, and Thorn trilogy. It picks up after the events of 1993's To Green Angel Tower with the Storm King's defeat. The remnants of the Norn armies attempt to fall back to their ancestral mountain stronghold of Nakkiga. However, the battle-weary forces of Duke Isgrimnur pursue them, intent on preventing any further threat to the human kingdoms, which have only just begun to rebuild. As the story unfolds, seen through multiple perspectives from both sides of the conflict, it becomes clear that this is, in some ways, a tragedy: the last gasp of a dying older race unable to withstand mortal perseverance and vengeance. With protagonists ranging from lowly soldiers to ancient generals, Williams grants equal time and empathy to both factions, imbuing the usual good-vs.-evil clash with more depth and complexity. This work is unusually brief for Williams, and it relies on prior knowledge of the series, but it's a satisfying reintroduction to his setting and a tasty appetizer before the forthcoming The Witchwood Crown.
Customer Reviews
The heart of what was lost
I really enjoyed this book, and hope that there will be more to follow. Saying that I think that the book was too short and ended abruptly, leaving the reader in limbo.
Vast Improvement on Original Trilogy
Wasn’t a fan of the original trilogy, but was fascinated by the concept of the immediate aftermath in this book and I was impressed. Was a treat throughout, the pacing, theming, characters and world history were so so engaging and I wasn’t particularly impressed with the original trilogy’s approach to those 4 aspects.
Would highly recommend even if you weren’t crazy about the original trilogy