Author Spotlight on Tad Williams

From Memory, Sorrow, and Thorn to the Last King of Osten Ard

Michael Everett

and

Michael Whelan

Nov 17, 2024

LEFT: **SPOILERS** - MINNEYAR (2016), A rough nail is bound to the straight blade just above the hilt which curves back slightly toward the grip. The arc of hilt is golden with branches of brambles decorating it. The handle is intricately carved in a knotwork-like pattern and there is a small bone set in it. The pommel is simple and rounded. CENTER: SORROW (2016) a runed blade reflecting odd patterns of light. It has a double crossguard with the side facing the grip shorter and thicker. The grip itself is wrapped in black leather and studded. RIGHT: THORN (2016) THORN (2016) The black blade made of meteorite exhibits a worn surface in the shine of light. The filigree looks gothic and sinister, intricately woven from the handle like the bones of bat wings spread over the crossguard and down a handspan of the blade, ending in a jeweled point in the middle and two extensions on the edge of the blade like insectile pincers. The crossguard extends straight out with claw-like quillons pointed blade-side and in. Even the pommel looks menacing with short barbs coming off the sides. — Legendary swords reimagined for the 2016 book reissue of the Memory, Sorrow, and Thorn trilogy by Tad Williams

Memory, Sorrow, and Thorn

I was still in college, managing a bookstore in 1993 when Tad Williams landed on the New York Times hardcover best seller list with To Green Angel Tower. It was the kind of book that demanded attention, both for the story and its stunning cover illustrated by Michael Whelan.

The trilogy was like nothing I’d ever experienced, showcasing worldbuilding that read like history. The quality of the work didn’t just hook readers; it inspired authors like George R.R. Martin—who cited the books as an inspiration for A Song of Ice and Fire—to approach the genre with a focus on lifting its literary ceiling.

Share The Art of Michael Whelan

The Dragonbone Chair (Book One)

Wraparound dust jacket for the hardcover edition of THE DRAGONBONE CHAIR by Tad Williams, published by DAW Books — Dustjacket for **The Dragonbone Chair**, published in 1988 (DAW)

With face etched in concern, a red-haired young man emerges through a circular archway into ancient ruins. In his arms, he cradles a small man with an arrow piercing his stomach. The man is slight in stature and has a youthful face—he could be mistaken for a child. Trailing behind is another figure outfit in wilderness garb and pack. The architecture has a distinctly elven feel, slightly overgrown. In the foreground left, a wolf howls as if acknowledging their approach. Deeper int he background, a series of ornate pillars obscure a larger facade, hinting at the depth of the ruins. — IN DAI CHIKIZA (1988), Acrylic on Watercolor Board - 18" x 46"

Stone of Farewell (Book Two)

Wraparound dustjacket for STONE OF FAREWELL by Tad Williams, published by DAW Books — Dustjacket for **Stone of Farewell**, published in 1990 (DAW).

Standing in a wintry forest, a man grips the blade of a smooth black sword that stands hilt up as tall as he is. In a kaleidoscope of thousands of wings, butterflies burst through the woods behind him. Dour faced, Simon is wrapped plainly in heavy green cloak. A snowy lock set in red hair sweeps wide across his forehead. The channel of a scar meanders down from his temple following the curve of his cheek all the way to his jaw. He clutches a white arrow and silver hand mirror in the crook of his arm. Set opposite panel left, the forest opens to a serene view of a lake. Framed by birch trees, a tall cool stone rises from the water. Barely perceptible, a castle sits at the top. The shape of the stone implies an open hand in its gray outline. Evergreens line tiered ridges, arching low on the rock to suggest a bearded face. — STONE OF FAREWELL (1989), Acrylic on Canvas - 21" X 46"

To Green Angel Tower (Book 3)

Wraparound book cover for TO GREEN ANGEL TOWER by Tad Williams, published by DAW Books. — Dustjacket for **To Green Angel Tower**, published in 1993 (DAW).

A contrast of two worlds set atop a tower spire. The left is elegantly detailed with elvish artistry while the right looks crumbled and weathered. Drifting from the background left to right, smoke rises off onion domes of the city. As it crosses the spire, the smoke transforms to cloud cover. An elvish male stares off in the distance with his white cloak partially wrapping his arm and his spear pointed down over his knee. There is a green metallic sheen to his leg armor. He holds an ornate shield, pearlescent green at the edges and white at the center, decorated with glyphs bound in a pink circle. Kneeling next to him is an elvish female wearing a pink and purple cloak. Holding a slender sword in one hand, she grips the thin railing that sits low over architectural detail, broad white leaves. On the other side of the spire, a human female glances haughtily at the audience with a bow held out, braced on her hip. Kneeling next to her, a blonde bearded male with a snowy lock glances over. He rests his sword back on his shoulder while holding a simple wooden shield in his offhand. His pants are torn; her cloak is tattered. Their side of the tower is made of crude snow covered stone, underlining a different reality. — GREEN ANGEL TOWER (1993), Acrylic on Watercolor Board - 27" x 36"

The Trilogy Reissued

Memory, Sorrow, and Thorn established Tad Williams as a rising star in fantasy, but his return to the fantasy realm of Osten Ard took over 20 years.

When the sequel arc was announced, DAW commissioned Michael to illustrate the titular swords that had decorated the spines of the original hardcovers. This time the legendary blades would be featured front and center to give the covers a “big book” feel with the original illustrations fading into the white background.

Notably, the order of the swords changed to reflect the title of the trilogy. There is a mystery surrounding the swords that necessitated a specific reveal on the last volume with original publication, so don’t dig too deep if you haven’t read them yet because spoilers abound.

Three book covers side by side for THE DRAGONBONE CHAIR, STONE OF FAREWELL, and TO GREEN ANGEL TOWER. Each features the grip and hilt of one of the great swords. — Memory, Sorrow, and Thorn volumes 1-3 reissued by DAW Books in 2016

Bridging Story Arcs

Along with the new trilogy, which eventually became tetralogy, the author announced a novella—210 pages qualifies as that for Tad, I suppose—that would bridge the old arc with the new.

The cover design would mirror the newly repackaged MST trilogy, featuring a prominent blade made of Witchwood and capped with a white rose on the hilt.

A dagger with wood grain blade, ornate crossguard ending in leaves, and a grip that looks like intertwined tree branches ending in a white rose.

The Heart of What Was Lost also featured an original background painting, which was mostly obscured in the cover design. When I stumbled upon that illustration in the studio back in 2017, I had no idea what it was until I asked Michael.

The Heart of What Was Lost

The Last King of Osten Ard

Michael produced brilliant covers for the first books of the sequel arc.

The Witchwood Crown brought readers a haunting vision of the Hayholt at night with a mystery hinted in the ominous lighting inside Hjeldin’s Tower, while Empire of Grass provided a view of ancient ruins in the Thrithings grasslands bathed in golden light.

Fan response to both was immediate and overwhelmingly positive. It seemed author and artist had rekindled magic in their collaboration.

The Witchwood Crown (Book One)

LEFT (painting description): Constrained view of a castle courtyard as seen at night through a stone archway lit from behind the viewer. On the right, the Tower of Hjeldin rises with wide narrow, barred slits at the top glowing red. The statue of an angel stands on the left with one arm raised. Tall bushes obscure the entrance through an inner wall leading to the keep. Above is a mix of starry dark sky and layers of clouds illuminated by a glowing crescent moon. RIGHT: Book cover for THE WITCHWOOD CROWN by Tad Wiliams, published by DAW Books — DARKNESS OVER HAYHOLT (2016), Acrylic on Gessobord - 24" x 36"

Empire of Grass (Book Two)

LEFT (painting description): Grass and ivy have overgrown ancient ruins, but the delicate artistry of the Sithi can be see in the still standing pillars and arches bathed in the golden light of sunset. A solitary statue kneels among the ruins. She holds a bow one-handed with an arrow knocked. In the other, she lightly grips a long spear with the tip angled down. In the foreground left, stairs wind up to another level of the ruins. A long sword and shield lay discarded there. Another skull and a dagger rest on the step above. Clearly, the remains are non-human based on the central ridge of spikes along the crown and the wing like projections from either edge of the skull. RIGHT: Book cover for EMPIRE OF GRASS by Tad Williams, published by DAW Books — EMPIRE OF GRASS (2018), Acrylic on Gessobord - 20" x 32"

Reality Defeats Fantasy

When DAW announced Brothers of the Wind, a prequel set a thousand years before Memory, Sorrow, and Thorn, fans were curious about the decorative cover art and what the change meant for the main series. That chatter grew as the next book approached.

Michael never received a call about the assignment and moved on to other projects.

When the cover for Into the Narrow Dark was revealed, frustration spilled over. Fans were upset that Michael wouldn’t be returning to finish the beloved series.

I can only speculate on the reasons still. I’m sure it came down to a business, rather than editorial, decision. The COVID pandemic turned printing schedules upside down, and budgets were devastated. At the time, DAW—acquired in 2022 by Astra Publishing—was still an independent publisher, distributed by Penguin Random House, which complicated marketing decisions including cover art.

Whatever the reason, it is absolutely disappointing that we won’t get to see more Osten Ard covers by Michael because they were all spectacular, but I am glad to see that Tad was able to finish the series. I have some reading to do!

Available now from DAW Books

Book covers for BROTHERS OF THE WIND, INTO THE NARROW DARK, and THE NAVIGATOR'S CHILDREN by Tad Williams, published by DAW Books — Other books in the Osten Ard series

The Navigator’s Children, the concluding volume of The Last King of Osten Ard, is available now at a book store near you.

Prints In Our Shop

Collage of 6 prints of Tad Wiliams book covers — Tad Williams print sets

You can mix and match prints from Memory, Sorrow, and Thorn, The Last King of Osten Ard, and Otherland for discounts up to 20%

View in our shop

Weekly Art Recap

Grid of images 3x2 corresponding to the titles below — Art featured from November 11-16

Dragonquest - fighting threadfall on Anne McCaffrey’s Pern
Silver Tide - pondering age and the passing of time
Gate of Ivrel - cover for C.J. Cherryh’s debut novel
Dreaming Lands - inspired by a camping trip and cancer recovery
This Alien Shore - cover for C.S. Friedman’s New York Times notable book of year
Mohaine - interior illustration for Stephen King’s The Little Sisters of Elyria

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Have a comment or thought? Send in your questions for the November Q&A.

Celebrating 10K Followers on Bluesky Social…and growing!

The painting AFTERNOON SHADOWS with text that reads, "The dignity of the artist lies in his duty of keeping awake the sense of wonder in the world. -G.K. Chesterton". Below is the headline "10k followers1" Image description: Long shadows fall across the ivy covered ruins of an abbey. Standing casually in the tall grass among the ruins, a woman in a white dress with a windswept lavender sash rests one hand on her hip as she glances to the side. Her palm is upturned as if releasing a stream of pale butterflies that flutter up and away past a tall pointed arch in a sweeping S-shaped curve.

Since drafting this newsletter, we hit 11K followers, adding 4K in the last 3 days alone! I’m so happy to see the platform take off because Bluesky is a friendlier community with better moderation tools and blocking than Twitter. As an added bonus, you can also follow Tad there since he just joined!

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Coming Soon…Original Art and a Digital Exclusive

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Paid subscribers should expect an exclusive preview in their inboxes a day or two before the drop. There will also be another exclusive for paid subscribers this week…a digital wallpaper of STONE OF FAREWELL!

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Jennifer

Nov 17

As a long time devotee of Tad Williams, I too was gutted when discovering Michael Whelan would not be finishing the covers. What a *stupid* decision by the publishers. I don't care what the reasons were.

That being said, I have all the covers of the first trilogy framed and hung in my house. Absolutely stunning works.

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Mark S

Nov 20

Out of curiosity, how big are the three sword paintings?

I never noticed the colors in Sorrow's blade. Love it, just not as apparent on the spine of the book with the title covering it. (Probably also never noticed it because I have older editions of the books).

3 replies by Michael Whelan and others

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