I just finished reading The Navigator's Children by Tad Williams (the final book in The Last King of Osten Ard series).

I was given a copy of this book for review. This book releases on November 12th 2024. This review is unpaid will be spoiler free.

I'm in awe. Let's start with that. If you have read all of Memory, Sorrow, and Thorn along with the two short novels and the first three books of The Last King of Osten Ard series let me tell you you will not be disappointed with its conclusion! I was so nervous to read this book because having read all of the works of Osten Ard now I can say it's the greatest series I've ever read and I wanted a good ending for it. Well the ending isn't just good, it's great! As you must know if you've read any of the series this book has a massive responsibility of tying up and giving an ending to many different plot-lines, stories, and characters. Well boy does it do it well. Not a single thread has been left hanging. Tad Williams is an absolute master at writing epic fantasy. This book comes to such a beautiful and stunning conclusion that it had my full attention for every single word and page. I laughed, even cried a few times, and felt the anger and passion of it's many characters. I find it truly incredible that after so much lore, world building, and character depth Tad Williams still manages to add even more new concepts this late in the story and so perfectly mix them with the rest. When reading this final installment in the absolutely incredible and epic Saga of Osten Ard you won't just be getting satisfying conclusions to stories you've already fallen in love with but you'll also get a fair amount of new plot and depth to cling to! It baffles my mind that this sequel series was once never even a thought because with how it's told and how it ends it seems like it was the true ending at mind with the very first novel of Memory, Sorrow, and Thorn : The Dragonbone Chair. This conclusion is not on satisfying but surprising. As I journeyed through the pages of this book I felt incredible contentment seeing the stories I'd been following for many books now coming to their conclusion and tying into each other in was that had me down right dumbfounded. My jaw dropped more than once reading this book, and several nights my plans for sleep were put off by how a chapters ending would leave my heart racing and my jaw unhinged in surprise. That's the beauty of Tad Williams prose, he always has you asking questions but the breadcrumb trail keeps you following, always giving you excitement and theories. Before you know it there are more trails than you could believe possible of coming back together yet in the end they always do. Hold onto your seats for this book because if To Green Angel Tower was the perfect ending for Memory, Sorrow and Thorn then The Navigator's Children is the perfect ending for all of Osten Ard! Is it? Or has Williams purposely left us a crumb or two to keep us following once again? I'll leave you to decide when you close the book. I hope you find yourself as teary-eyed in joy as I was. The post book depression will hit like a truck after this one, who knows if another series will ever become so embedded in my heart. Farewell Osten Ard, you've taken me on a journey I will never forget. What a gift it is that you're only as far away as my bookshelf. Thank you Tad Williams for such a piece of art, and a deep thank you to DAW for allowing me to enjoy this book early. My final review is a 5/5 stars!!! I'd give it a higher praise if one was possible!

For those who think epic fantasy is dead, Tad Williams offers a stunning resurrection in The Last King of Osten Ard. The Navigator’s Children, the final volume of the four volume Last King, is a sequel to his classic fantasy trilogy Memory, Sorrow and Thorn but can be approached on its own at first for those who prefer a darker and more ensemble led story from the start. Eventually, new readers should definitely go back to the original.

This is a hard one to talk about spoilers as it climaxes not only plot points from the very complex and tangled Last King but threads left open by the originals and even by the excellent prequel Brothers of the Wind. There are many, many answers and things you will not expect; even in the second to last chapter there are smaller twists popping up. It’s beyond belief that Williams thought he could fit this in a trilogy. At times even four books strain to contain all the Epic Things he wants to contain: big battles, intimate romance between born enemies, betrayals from allies, monsters, and beautiful prose.

Not every storyline wowed me, but if roughly 16 of 18 point of views (!) are handled well and given interesting stories, and all the main page heavy ones land very strongly, I consider that a massive success for any author. Side note: I do think that even these two weaker storylines could be improved by Williams doing a future installment that flushes them out more. Even in a four book series, not everything will always have enough time, so here is hoping there will be more Osten Ard novels to come even if Last King is very much done. That it took me a month to come up with what to say but it has remained in my thoughts even after that time and many other books is a testament to Williams and his epic fantasy.

While I will not spoil anything, the biggest strength of The Navigator’s Children is how Williams does not rush his conclusion. Once the big action climax happens, all I will say is that the narrative doesn’t wrap in a single chapter and epilogue like so many other stories, but character growth and reactions are given the same time and weight other authors would provide to fighting. The narrative is allowed to unravel and get deeper exploration of fallout before raveling back together just in time for the closing chapters, which provides a rich and satisfying conclusion that will have readers remembering the world and characters long after the book closes - and imagining what stories could happen there in the future.

A satisfying conclusion to the Last King of Osten Ard series.

Tad Williams has done it again. By this point, you likely know what to expect. The story follows 3 plot lines set up in the last book. The main plot in the Narrowdark Valley takes up most of the page space. We see a little more of the valley and learn what the Witchwood Crown is. A large part of the book concerns a war between the Sithi and Norns to maintain custody of said Crown. Yet, these are just machinations in a bigger plot by Uttuku. We finally learn what her ultimate goal is, and while not shocking, it doesn't disappoint.

For those who have read Brothers of the Wind, the plot points related to a character in that novel reach a satisfying conclusion here too. Other plotlines such as Herynstir and Passavalles coup are resolved but end up being much less interesting than the war between Norns and Sithi. There is an unresolved plot line, setting up potential for a third series if Williams wanted to return to this world.

The strength of the work is definitely the lush descriptions of the Narrowdark Valley and lands surrounding it. This could make for fascinating illustrations when Subterranean or whoever gets around to creating a special edition.

Amazing finale. Tad Williams ends the Orsten Ard saga with bombastic scenes and emotional resolutions.

I did it. I dove back into this world after saying I wouldn't go back. After reading the first trilogy I was okay leaving the world behind but I was caught by the cool cover and possibilities of getting more lore. Thank you Netgalley for the prerelease copy!

Let me start with praising one of the best parts about Williams' work--- it's not even about the novels themselves, but the synopsis of each book that came before it. They are incredibly helpful in devouring such huge volumes and I am eternally grateful for the time taken to write those. It truly is the author being self aware about how rich his work is and giving a helping hand to readers.

I think this novel can introduce itself with one of it's own quotes, "what we see is not all that exists of truth." The grand finale of Osten Ard lays out a discussion and journey of discovering multiple truths. We get to see two sides of the same coin in the rich lore of Williams' work. The pacing feels like much of his other novels, ramping up one minute and slowing down to lay more groundwork, before leaping to another bout of action. We also follow several POVs, even one I never expected! It is an incredible feat that the author brings all the lines of stories into what I feel was a solid ending. Not to say that all lines have a satisfying end. There were a couple things I was frustrated with in not getting answers, but like real life, sometimes we just don't get those. I don't believe that those are plot holes, more like including unsolved mysteries in the novel. I think fans of Osten Ard will find another enjoyable read in this one.

I'm a sucker for Tad Williams, but still...this was an incredible read! Plot threads are wrapped up in surprising, satisfying ways, even though I was sad that this was the last book of the series. Lillia's character arc in particular was full of surprises, and I'd gotten to really like her character in the last novel. Seeing her heroics in this one (even though it was against her will) made me happy.

The Norn storyline was my favorite and it gets the most page time. I liked how it came together in the end, but it did feel like there was a lot to get to in a short amount of pages (even though this is not a small book).

I'm in love with Tad Williams' books. I want more, and will always get his books on day one. Loved it!

First of all I would like to thank Netgalley and Daw for giving me this uncorrected proof edition of the book so early, I really am grateful, but my review will not be in any way affected by this.

This final book in The Last King of Osten Ard by author Tad Williams is incredibly ambitious in terms of scope, themes and worldbuilding. All of his books have beautiful prose, very slow and meticulous pacing, expansive worldbuilding with worlds that truly feel lived in, complex, nuanced, likeable and incredibly human characters and plotlines that converge in satisfying ways, wrapping everything up in compelling and thematically deep and meaningful ways. But this book takes the cake! In this last entry of the Osten Ard series as a whole he manages to go above and beyond, expanding on everything he built up in the first 3 books of this series and even things from his Memory, Sorrow and Thorn series.

It is very hard to write a review about the final book in a series without getting into spoiler territory, so I will say the payoff in this book had me reading the last 50 to 100 pages in tears. The amount of emotion and thematic exploration in this book floored me. The character arcs ended in very natural feeling ways, never jumping the shark, always focusing on their very well earned growth throughout the series and especially this book. When it comes to the plot, it managed to pull quite a number of left turns that I was genuinely not expecting, but the greatest feat was creating moments and plot beats of great emotional impact where things I was predicting would happen turned into things I was hoping would happen with all my heart (that happens very rarely for me as I am generally a reader that tries NOT to predict anything and just go along with the flow, so I count that as incredible writing if it made me do that)

Worldbuilding was also expanded upon and turned on its head a little (again can't say more because of spoilers, but it's good stuff and a very unexpected surprise)

Now this review has sounded like me just gushing over this book, but it did have 1 flaw. The book was split into 3 parts and the first part was glacially slow even for a Tad Williams book, which in the last book of the series did take me out of the story a little bit at times and the structure of the book was something I needed to wrap my head around a little, especially after the climax of part 2. Apart from this, the book is fantastic and I highly recommend it to any epic fantasy fan, but also to anybody who likes deep story telling in general.

These books are truly marvelous. The twists and turns that even experienced readers of the genre can not predict are Tad Williams' greatest strength. The characters feel real, the stakes are high, and the reader is able to delve into one of the most complex fictional fantasy worlds ever, as Osten Ard rivals Martin's Westeros in-depth and worldbuilding. No other fantasy series hits the sweet spot between realism and the fantastic as precisely as Tad Williams Osten Ard books. Highly recommended to all fans of complex narratives and unforgettable characters.

4.5/5

No spoilers or any mention of any plot points in any of the books, only high level thoughts on this book and the series as a whole are in this review.

Thank you to DAW books and Netgalley for this early copy. I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

The main plot ended on a very satisfying and exciting climax, probably one of the biggest and best stretches of action in any Tad Williams book that I've read. The complexity of the lore that has been present in this series that has always been present but is just now being revealed is incredible.

The mysteries in this series are great. I do think a couple of the mysteries didn't have as satisfying of a resolution but one of the big main ones I've been thinking about had so many big moments of payoff in this book that I could barely put the book down and stop reading.

Some of the side stories I do wish had more complex resolutions or were folded into the main plot better and had some pretty straightforward resolutions that were a little disappointing considering how much the build up was throughout the series.

I did feel satisfied with a lot of the character arcs, but also some of them I wish had a little more complexity in the resolutions and in some ways I think another trilogy will be needed to make it completely satisfying which is a bit unfortunate.

Overall Tad is one of the best authors currently writing fantasy and the bar for this book and my expectations were sky high and this mostly delivers in a satisfying way.

I love the world of Osten Ard and will happily return when Tad writes more books in the world, and I'm also expecting this will be the case. There are a few novellas already in the works but I also expect another trilogy will be possible in the future.

Highly recommend the series and was so happy to read this early and be able to take my time immersing myself in this world.

Review - The Navigator's Children by Tad Williams

Over the years, many of us readers have come to know what to expect from Tad Williams when another Osten Ard book drops. A common nickname for him in newsgroups and forums has been "the master", and we look forward to another installment where once again he shows his talent for writing a long, slow-burn epic story. In this case, the fourth book in the Last King of Osten Ard series does not disappoint even though it weighs in at a formidable 1,300 pages. The main focus of the story are the shapeshifter people, the Tinukeda'ya, the "navigator's children". Mysteries that have been stringing us along are finally resolved, sinister arch villains get dealt with, and the cast of characters find their way to a hopeful conclusion.

The book is structured into three parts: in the first, the Norns led by the maniacal Queen Utuk'ku move towards the mysterious valley of Tanakiru. At the same time, Morgan, the grandson of the High King, and Nezeru travel in order to discover the true nature of the "Witchwood Crown". Meanwhile, a host of other characters in different locations also struggle after the Norns' recent decoy attacks and actions start them on a path that will converge on the valley as well.

In the second part, the setting of the valley of Tanakiru is central and we get to experience a fast-paced, vivid sequence of pursuits and battles which I found truly engrossing. There are also complications and a violent effort by the people of Hernystir to retake their homeland from the crazed ruler, Hugh. After this major conflict in the second part is resolved, the rest of the book is a slow winding-down but it still manages to keep your attention.

The fate of the manipulative traitor, Pasevalles, is dealt with in the third part of the book. Simon and Miriamele must focus on taking their land of Erchester back. We then get the full details on the purpose of the Witchwood Crown and the origins and driving wishes of the shapeshifters, the Tinukeda'ya. With a kind of "group mind", they seek for their own future to achieve their own agency and freedom.

The horde of characters, as usual with Williams, are nearly always full of definition. Simon, the High King, despite his age must aid his friend Jiriki, and is caught up in the struggle against Utuk'ku. Morgan, the prince, is overcome in the face of his own feelings for Nezeru, and he also yearns to find his missing family. Nezeru, the half-Norn 'sacrifice' warrior, in turn must deal with the dilemmas of family belonging and subservience to an unhinged queen who has fallen down a dark path to oblivion. Her father, Viyeki, is given an opportunity by the Tinukeda'ya and must make a pivotal choice between his own people and his instinctive belief in the right action to follow.

It is good to notice once more that this series is a more mature work than the earlier Memory, Sorrow and Thorn trilogy. There is no longer the heavy-handed symbolism from earlier. The backstory is deep and the revelations we encounter are genuinely surprising. The battle and chase sequences will keep you flicking pages. Williams also once again excels at writing dream sequences, and the young girl, Lilia, left in a strange dream zone and dealing with threats on her own, I found was one of the highlights of the book. Even though she is a child, through her bravery she discovers power in the world of dreams. And despite the vast array of characters and different locations, I never experienced the feeling that the author at any time had lost control of the movement of the story.

Any work has pieces that could be improved on, and one of these for me would be the tendency for the characters to speak at times what seems like wistful platitudes or bland philosophy. We get a brooding adolescent again and a character repeatedly griping, but luckily it's restricted to just Morgan's love troubles and Simon's distress at being unable to keep Lilia out of harm's way. Two characters didn't seem to particularly be needed much, the scholar Tanahaya and Jesa the nanny, and cutting their parts down would probably have tightened the story up a bit. Also, there is a lesser general "sense of wonder" than in some of the other books.

But we get a satisfying conclusion to a weighty, rewarding series. One of the books of the year for me.

Rating: 5 stars (out of 5)

Engaging and immersive. A recommended purchase for collections where high fantasy and the previous titles are popular.

With The Navigator's Children, Tad Williams delivers a satisfying and fitting finale to the Osten Ard saga that started with Memory, Sorrow and Thorn (MS&T), one of my all-time favourite fantasy series, over 30 years ago. This gap of 30 years is reflected in The Last King of Osten Ard (TLKoOA) series, where we revisit some returning characters from Memory, Sorrow and Thorn and many, many new ones. And what a series it is - with a marvellous conclusion in The Navigator's Children!

One does not need to have strictly read Memory, Sorrow and Thorn or the two novellas - The Heart Of What Was Lost, a bridge between MS&T and TLKoOA, and Brothers of the Wind, set before MS&T with lots of intriguing lore - but it will certainly heighten one's appreciation of this series and the scope of Osten Ard if one does so. I would recommend reading them in publication order instead of timeline order if possible.

All of Tad Williams' series include a synopsis of the previous installments, allowing the reader to take their time with the series without loss of continuity or having to reread multiple books. The summaries of the previous books in TLKoOA series are included in The Navigator's Children.

Before I discuss The Navigator's Children, I want to briefly share why MS&T and TLKoOA are so dear to me. MS&T is the only series I have read that brings me close to the feelings of a world suffused with melancholia I have felt reading Tolkien, one of my all-time greats. Tad Williams writes beautifully, expansively and creates an immersive world in Osten Ard which has its distinct identity but captures that spirit of vastness I have only felt in Middle-Earth. Nobody does melancholy like Tad Williams after Tolkien.

MS&T however was never a LOTR pastiche. It was a conversation with LOTR, one of the most seminal works of literature for me, sure, but it stood on its own as a beautifully written work of fantasy. For this I loved it. Then came A Song Of Ice and Fire by George R R Martin and Williams' own Shadowmarch - series which started to ask some darker questions about the worlds they were set in, series which I enjoyed thoroughly. Yet MS&T remained a beacon of hope, complete and contained, until Williams announced the return to Osten Ard with TLKoOA. And honestly I was worried. I didn't want the world of MS&T to become gritty and bleak. I wanted to preserve and cherish my memory of MS&T as it was, as it has been, sustained through rereads.

I was proved wrong by the first two books itself in TLKoOA - The Witchwood Crown and The Empire of Grass. In hindsight, my worries were unfounded. Williams doesn't do pastiche. Williams doesn't do "trends". And Williams is a beautiful and humane writer. Even in a world with darkness, he interrogates the source of darkness. He does not descend into an abyss but gently propels the characters (and the reader) away from it. He does not hesitate to confront evil but neither does he not venerate it. Just as MS&T was a conversation with LoTR while remaining unique, similarly so TLKoOA is a conversation with darker fantasy (best examples I can think of are A Song of Ice and Fire and perhaps an evolution of Williams' own Shadowmarch) while being very much grounded in its own world, characters and the story it had to tell.

So I thoroughly enjoyed the published volumes of TLKoOa - The Witchwood Crown, Empire of Grass, Into The Narrowdark but there was still the all important question - can Williams "navigate" this literary "child" of his to the perfect ending? We all know the perils of multi-POV sprawls in our beloved epic fantasies - Empire of Grass had 16 POVs I think from different parts of Osten Ard - how was it all going to come together? Writing, character work, story, immersion factor, expansion of the world - all so good but still, quite a bit hinges on that finale doesn't it?

The Navigator's Children is that finale. Tad Williams delivers and how. Every plot thread is resolved, POVs coalesce fittingly and meaningfully and the story comes together towards a thematically apt finale. Without spoiling the reading experience for anyone, there are three things I admired about The Navigator's Children:

(a) The resolutions are not through plot contrivances or impulsive character decisions but through lore rooted in the history of the world, hearkening to MS&T and Brothers of the Wind. I thought this so difficult to execute and was wowed by how it was done.

(b) The outlook is dark, bleak even at times, but never nihilistic. There is danger and evil but there is also good and the desperation to leave the world a better place even if one is not around to see it. Even when not knowing who they are leaving it for, just trying one's utmost, because not doing so is not an option. This touched my heart.

(c) The book delivers a thematically apt resolution consistent not just with its own title but also with the title of the entire series, The Last King of Osten Ard. I had three theories for why the series was called so, and it turned out to be one of them! It was executed so beautifully.

Osten Ard has always been special since MS&T. The series TLKoOA with this excellent final installment makes it even more so and it joins my personal pantheon of beautifully written epic fantasy series with memorable characters, expansive world rooted in deep lore, a story I will never forget and hopefully return to many, many times.

I highly recommend this saga to any reader who enjoys a well-written tale epic in scope.

Many thanks to NetGalley and DAW Books for the eARC. All opinions expressed in this review are my own.

Simply phenomenal and honestly this is really on par with his original Osten Ard series in both emotional impact and brilliant storytelling. I have a lot to say about this one as Tad is one of my all-time favorite fantasy authors and I want to do justice to the story I just read. Full review coming on the blog when I can properly gather my thoughts.

I just loved this book. It took me out of my comfort zone of books but definetely some pretty amazing choice to read! I recommend everyone and I rated it 4 stars.

The final part of The Last King of Osten Ard trilogy. This is the ending of one of my favorite series of all time. This is classical fantasy with a modern voice done right. As much as I loved momory sorrow and thorn, this series was even better and it will be on my favorites shelf from now on!

The Navigator's Children" by Tad Williams, the concluding installment in the "The Last King of Osten Ard" series, is a complex and immersive fantasy novel that delivers a satisfying yet intricate finale to a long and detailed saga. Williams is known for his meticulous world-building and character development, and this book is no exception, featuring a rich tapestry of interconnected plotlines and a wide cast of characters.

One of the strengths of "The Navigator's Children" is Williams' ability to craft a deeply immersive world. The settings are vividly described, making it easy for readers to lose themselves in the intricate landscapes of Osten Ard. The lore and history of the world are meticulously detailed, adding depth to the narrative and enhancing the reader's experience.

The characters are well-developed, with their arcs coming to a fitting conclusion. Williams has a talent for creating complex, multi-dimensional characters, and fans of the series will appreciate seeing their favorite characters' stories resolved. The interplay between characters is engaging, and their personal journeys are intertwined with the broader, epic storyline in a satisfying way.

However, the book's complexity can also be a drawback. The numerous plotlines and large cast of characters can be overwhelming at times, especially for readers who are not intimately familiar with the previous books in the series. The narrative requires close attention, and some readers might find it challenging to keep track of all the details.

Additionally, the pacing can be uneven. While some parts of the book are gripping and fast-paced, others can feel slow and overly detailed. This uneven pacing may test the patience of some readers, especially those who prefer a more consistently fast-moving plot.

Overall, "The Navigator's Children" is a richly detailed and satisfying conclusion to Tad Williams' epic series. It will undoubtedly please longtime fans of the series, who will appreciate the depth and resolution it provides. However, its complexity and uneven pacing might make it a challenging read for those who are not deeply invested in the world of Osten Ard.