Empire of Grass

April 15, 2019
The shelf-bending second installment in Williams' Last King of Osten Ard saga (after The Witchwood Crown, 2017) exemplifies the very best--and worst--that epic fantasy has to offer. The novel begins with Osten Ard--which is inhabited by mortals and a variety of fantastical races--in flux. Although the kingdoms and factions are seemingly at peace, increasing political tensions and deep-seated animosity have turned the continent into a powder keg about to explode into all-out war. When King Simon's grandson and heir to the throne, Prince Morgan, is thought to be kidnapped by savage "grasslanders" and his wife, Queen Miriamele, is caught up in a violent uprising while attending a wedding in far-off Nabban, he is left alone to deal with the chaos closing in around him. The nomadic grasslanders have a new leader who is uniting the clans for war, and the near-immortal Norns are inexplicably gathering and following their ageless queen into Hayholt, King Simon's home. Williams initially braids together the multiple plot threads adeptly--an impressive feat when considering the multitude of characters he's following. The grand-scale storytelling, however, does become unwieldy in extended sequences, and that narrative bloat negatively impacts the book's momentum. Additionally, the ending is not a conclusion at all but a respite. Readers who have spent countless hours immersed in this story may be less than pleased with the abrupt stoppage. But the inconsistent pacing and unsatisfying ending are more than counterbalanced by deep character development, impressive plot intricacy, and rich worldbuilding. The extensive histories and mythologies that Williams has created in this realm (beginning in 1988 with The Dragonbone Chair) are comparable to fantasy's most meticulously rendered realms, like Tolkien's Middle-earth and Martin's Westeros. Pure, unadulterated epic fantasy--this 600-plus-page doorstopper will leave readers simultaneously satisfied and frustrated knowing how long they'll have to wait to find out what transpires next in the sprawling realm of Osten Ard.

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Starred review from May 1, 2019

The kingdoms of Osten Ard, ruled by High King and Queen Simon and Miriamele, face danger from all sides. King Hugh of Hernystir made a deal with the queen of the Norns to allow her armies to pass through mortal lands, and she and her people are determined to wipe out all who stand in their way. The kingdom of Nabban is on the brink of civil war, and Queen Miriamele is unwittingly caught in the middle. The Thrithings clans of the grasslands are now united under the fabled Shan--and he's determined to make the stone dwellers pay for the injustices done to his people. Morgan, prince of Osten Ard and heir to the throne, is lost in the Aldheorte forest and must make some unusual allies if he hopes to survive. Worst of all, there appears to be a traitor in the city of Hayholt itself who is determined to undermine Simon and Miriamele. Over everything looms the mystery of the Witchwood Crown, which Simon and his allies must solve if they have any hope of defeating their enemies. VERDICT The second installment in this series (after The Witchwood Crown) has everything fans expect from Williams: rich descriptions; high fantasy with twists and turns; and expertly drawn characters forced to fight for their kingdoms, unaware that the fate of the world lies in their hands. Highly recommended.--Elisabeth Clark, West Florida P.L., Pensacola

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