It’s been a long, long time since I’ve read Tad Williams’ classic masterpiece Memory, Sorrow, and Thorn, so I don’t recall much save that I absolutely loved it. Which meant I had mixed feelings when I heard he’d be returning to that universe. One response was, “Great—more books in a series I loved!” Another response was, “Great—more books in a series I loved a long time ago, which means I have to reread them.” And as is typical in these situations, I also worried that if I did reread those earlier books, they wouldn’t hold up, thus adding one more item to my list of things that aren’t as good as the gild of nostalgia led me to believe (I’m looking at you Time Tunnel, mini powdered donuts, and all-nighters).

Well, I haven’t yet pulled the trigger on the reread (mostly because those books are massive and I now have more of a life than I once did), but I have returned to Osten Ard in the form The Heart of What Was Lost, a slim bridge novel meant to carry the reader over from the original series to the new one. Given that Heart is a single and mostly stand-alone novel, and a much, much smaller one at that, I didn’t have the same fully realized immersion in a world as I recall with the first series. But I happily settled right into the world, the situation, the characters, and the language, which I’d say bodes well for the larger step into the upcoming new series, Last King of Osten Ard.

While it would obviously help to have read the prior books, Williams does a nice job in presenting The Heart of What Was Lost in such a manner that it isn’t essential. It’s quite quickly made clear that humans and this world’s version of elves (Norns) have just fought a shattering war that ended in victory for the humans, though the losses were staggering on both sides. The situation as it now stands is that the last remnants of the Norn army are making a desperate flight to their remote mountain city, hard-pressed by an exhausted war-weary band of humans trying to bring this conflict to a final conclusion, even if that means wiping out the Norns completely. Not just the surviving soldiers, but all of them back in their city as well. Would it help to know the full background of the war, or the backstories of the several characters who return here, such as the human commander Isgrimnur and his friend/aide Sludig? Sure, but we learn enough here and in Isgrimnur’s case especially, more than enough to find him a character we root for and care about.

We get to see both sides of the war. On the mortal side, we focus on Isgrimnur—leader of this army and a powerful duke, but we also get the war from a common soldier’s point of view via two other characters: Porto, a husband and father from the south, and Endri, a young fighter from the same home city whom Porto takes under his more experienced wing. On the other side, we’re privy to the thoughts of the Norn Viyeki, a “Builder” or engineer who stands as prime assistant or second-in-command to the Builder’s old and influential caste leader.

Despite the brief time spent with these characters, the whole book is just over 200 pages long, there’s a surprising deep sense of intimacy with both Viyeki and Porto, who offer up not just different sides of the war, but different personal situations as well, with Viyeki the self-doubting, nervous junior wanting to please his tough superior/mentor and Porto presented as the opposite—the older, more experienced, more worldly veteran to the younger, more naïve, more anxious Endri.

In more general fashion, the dual human/Norn point of view adds a wonderful richness to the story, as does the variety of perspectives that arise among the two sides. Both sides have characters who dream of annihilating the other side, both have characters who seek personal vengeance for losses, both have characters who see the continuation of conflict as horrible but necessary to survival, and both have (fewer) characters who are weary of constant war and killing and might (might) consider other endings. Their different contexts also add spice to the narrative stew—the Norns making a final, desperate, passionate dash to their home city in hopes of saving their race; the humans reluctantly, bitterly giving slow chase into remote, cold lands ever farther from home and family.

Williams gives us, even in the short span of this novel, a nice balance of action and introspection, conflict and conversation, moving seamlessly from one to the other, never staying to long in one mode. As a fully stand-alone novel, there may not be quite enough here to satisfy some. But since it isn’t a fully stand-alone novel, that’s not an issue. For those who haven’t read the original series, The Heart of What Was Lost will serve as an efficient and effectively compelling introduction to this world, its people, its conflicts and themes. Less the second course and more the appetizer, so to speak. On the other hand, if one has read Memory, Sorrow, and Thorn recently, the new book is an excellent bridge, reintroducing you to character and plot as well as reminding you in smaller form of everything you liked about the larger first series. And for those of us who read it when it first came out and who recall only how much we thirsted for each book as they arrived? Set aside some budgeted time; you’ll most likely want to go back and reread them. And they are not just over 200 pages. Not at all. Damn you Tad Williams.

I loved the Memory, Sorrow, and Thorn series. LOVED IT. I'd been on a steady diet of Brooks, Eddings, and Dragonlance, and Williams' series was a revelation. Great characters. Deep and truly epic story. Excellent writing.

But that was over 20 years ago. I've thought about re-reading the series again to see if it's stood the test of time. But I'm kind of afraid to. What if it's not as good as I remember?

My desire to re-read only increased when I heard Williams was coming out with a new series, set after the events of the original. I knew I'd forgotten many of the characters, places, and events, and I'd need a refresher. Before the new series drops, Williams gave us a teaser: The Heart of What Was Lost. It's a novella that takes places immediately after the end of the original series.

The only character I remembered and recognized was Duke Isgrimnur. I'm not even sure if there were others I was supposed to remember. To add to my confusion, half of the novella is from the prospective of the Norns, and their names all sound alike. Or I'm just old. Or both. And get off my lawn.

Given my adoration for the original series, I'm supposed be all squeeing about this. But the truth is that it's just okay. It's bloated and overlong for what it is, it would only be of interest to those who read the original series, and the story itself wasn't compelling.

Don't get me wrong: I'm definitely going to read the new series when it comes out. But IMHO this isn't necessary.

If you’ve haven’t read the original “Memory, Sorrow and Thorn” trilogy, and you’re a fan of fantasy, then you’ve missed out on some remarkable writing. That being said, you do not need to have read how this sojourn into war began to enjoy this trip into the World of Osten Ard.

In The Heart of What Was Lost, the Ineluki, the Storm King is dead, humanity’s been saved from obliteration, and the war is over…ish. In the aftermath of a crushing defeat the Norn scramble north to return to their last remaining stronghold, Stormspike, with human battalions in deadly pursuit. This flight gives you a look at two weary armies struggling to see their task through. Williams brings some important but secondary characters from the trilogy to the forefront in this short novel, but he also focuses on themes that never die in times of war or prosperity: loss of life, uneasy alliances, and the desperate hunt for truth.

All this unfolds the Norns flee towards home in a seemingly futile attempt to retreat then try to hold off the following annihilation-minded humans. As battles are waged, strategies revealed, and loyalties are tested, Williams keeps you fully engaged with glimpses into the post-war aspirations of would-be leaders grabbing for power, struggling to preserve an ancient culture and secure a future. The story trades off perspectives; you’re never in doubt as to what each side is doing even as you question it. There are characters (on both sides of the battle lines) to root for, sympathize with, and ultimately be conflicted over. Willian’s writing style is uniquely suited to conveying deep concepts with few but thoughtful word choices.

The Heart of What Was Lost is a great step back (or introduction) into the world of Osten Ard and a fantastic standalone tale of the aftermath of an epic war you don’t often get in once an author completes a trilogy. It’s a brilliant tale of political intrigue and buried history set in a world where nothing is ever simple and choosing sides doesn’t mean you’re safe. I greatly enjoy this story and highly recommend it if you like well thought-out and engaging fantasy.

Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars

It's hard to believe it's been over twenty years since I last visited Osten Ard. In that time I finished high school, completed my Bachelor's degree, got married, and embarked on a career that saw me spend 15 years with the same company. When I heard Tad Williams was returning to the world of Simon and Miriamele, I was cautiously excited. I haven't had a lot of luck revisiting the fantasy sagas of my youth, but I remembered Memory, Sorrow, and Thorn as being deeper and more complex, hence the cautious optimism.

The Heart of What Was Lost is what I would call an epic novella. It captures the essence of the original trilogy, including the world-building and the mythology, but does so on a smaller scale. This is an intimate tale of two companies, Human and Norn, engaging in a series of sad, desperate sieges. It's a story of loss, the thirst for revenge, and the drive to preserve a race. There's no grand heroism or thoughts of conquest here, just a battle for survival in the face of extermination.

There are two character pairings at the heart of the story putting a face on the horrors of genocidal war. Porto and Endri book-end the story, soldiers from the same hometown in the south who strike up a friendship on the trail. It's astounding just how well Williams is able to not only build these characters in so few pages, but establish a relationship that tugs at the reader, especially during the darkness of the final chapter. Viyeki and Yaarike, meanwhile, are Builders from the north, master and apprentice who find themselves caught between loyalties and ethics before the end. Again, Williams does such a strong job of drawing them for us, it's all too easy to empathise with the difficult choice that is ultimately forced upon them.

As you'd expect from Tad Williams, the set pieces here are magnificent, from frozen forests, to ruined keeps, to the mountain depths. The sieges are powerful and exciting, with incredible sacrifices required of each side, with moments of both glory and horror. There is a scene of fire that may be one of the best that Williams has ever written, and another of death and undeath that surprised me with its power.

I wondered how much of this would be recap and rehash, connecting Memory, Sorrow, and Thorn with The Last King of Osten Ard, and the answer is almost none. This reads like a lost epilogue from To Green Angel Tower, a story that continues effortlessly from the original. There are a few small details to spark the reader's memory, but nothing that would serve to welcome new readers into the world. The Heart of What Was Lost is a story that stands on its own, important because of what has gone before, and . . . well, we'll have to wait until June to see how it ties into The Witchwood Crown.