Otherland by Tad Williams
ISBN: 1857236041
This book from the author of the Dragonbone Chair and Stone of Farewell
is a more mature fantasy novel that weaves many lines together most elegantly.
He uses the theme of virtual worlds and the web (only 2 years old when the
book was being written)to tell a tail of loss and discovery brought on by
mankinds inhumanity to man.
We jump from Jack and the beanstalk fantasyland, to the first world war trenches
to sub Tolkien fantasy dungeon to post arartheid South Africa without ever
missing a beat. How he manages this feat is something to be marvelled at,
although the plot is so well constructed that there is little chance to drop
the suspension of disbelief. Williams really is a master storyteller, but
this book was the one where he 'grew up' as an author and started to weave
important elements into his narrative flair.
Sometimes bitterly dark, at othertimes filled with wondor and gentle humor,
I urge you to read Otherland and enjoy the ride.
The only downside is the realisation that dawns at about page 880 that Williams is never going to finish this story properly in the last few pages. There will either be an appalingly hurried ending or a second book. Thankfully ist is the latter, with the promise of Volume Two, The River of Blue Fire.