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107th out of 1,015 books
—
3,213 voters
The War of the Flowers
by
Tad Williams
Theo Vilmos' life is about to take a real turn for the worse.
He is drawn from his home in Northern California into the parallel world of Faerie, for, unknown to him, he is a pivotal figure in a war between certain of Faerie's powerful lords and the rest of the strange creatures who live in this exotic realm.
...more
He is drawn from his home in Northern California into the parallel world of Faerie, for, unknown to him, he is a pivotal figure in a war between certain of Faerie's powerful lords and the rest of the strange creatures who live in this exotic realm.
...more
Paperback, 832 pages
Published
May 4th 2004
by DAW
(first published April 22nd 2003)
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This book.
This book should be called "Depression in 5 easy steps."
http://bookslifewine.wordpress.com/20...
This book should be called "Depression in 5 easy steps."
http://bookslifewine.wordpress.com/20...
Derivative. Reminds me rather unfortunately of Christopher Golden's the Veil trilogy, and Terry Brooks' Landover series, neither of which I enjoyed.
Bear with my summation, so that I may explain the multitude of ways in which this book alternately irritated and bored me.
30-something Theo is lead singer in a garage band, contemplating changing his life as his girlfriend has a baby on the way. Except, of course, he's not going to change it tonight, despite generally disliking his bandmates; he's g...more
9 likes · like · see review
This was an interesting story with a fairly unique view into the world of Faerie. The journey from earth to Faerie is one that has sparked many a tale, working off the Gaelic myths of old. This book does the same, taking an out-of-work rock band singer and thrusting him unwillingly into the beautiful enigmatic land of the elves. There things are not all they seem, plots and intrigues abound. The descriptions are great, the intrigues interesting. The twist of the idea of changelings was nice. The...more
1 like · like · see review
The faerie lords are at war, one of them has a pretty mischevious plan regarding the parallel world of humans and Theo, our unwilling human hero, is at the centre of the plot. He finds himself suddenly plunged into faerie world where different laws rule and where technologie and science are so incomprehensible to human eyes that they can only be catalogued as "magic"... but then faeries think just the same of our physics and mechanics! The faerie world Williams depicts is very different from the...more
A mixture of two worlds
It is OKeish...
If you have read all the books on your ASAP list and you are looking for something short and different, you might give this book a try. It is easy going one with a good sense of humor. By no means it was boring. I enjoyed it to a certain degree and I deem it worthy of my time. However, it is definitely not epic fantasy. It is a blend of our world and a world of fairies. It never works for me. Maybe I am just a fan of Epic Fantasy, like Memory, Sorrow & T...more
It is OKeish...
If you have read all the books on your ASAP list and you are looking for something short and different, you might give this book a try. It is easy going one with a good sense of humor. By no means it was boring. I enjoyed it to a certain degree and I deem it worthy of my time. However, it is definitely not epic fantasy. It is a blend of our world and a world of fairies. It never works for me. Maybe I am just a fan of Epic Fantasy, like Memory, Sorrow & T...more
Today I am revisiting one of my favorite books of the last twenty years, The War of the Flowers by +Tad Williams. Originally published in 2003, I first bought this book the day it was released as a paperback. I've often said I will always buy a book for its cover, and I liked the art so much that I bought the book despite the rather lackluster blurb. The REAL reason I bought this book—Tad Williams has an incredible ability to write a tale that grips the reader and drags them in, blurring the lin...more
This is a decidedly entertaining one-shot of a book. This format is of itself a breath of fresh air in fantasy as one is virtually swamped by an endless array of trilogies or series that seemingly are designed to continue - to borrow a phrase - "the show becomes unprofitable". Williams' take on Faerie and his protagonist's adventures/misadventures therein makes for some good reading, and the climax/resolution are appropriately satisfying.
Oh, and biographical sidebar: when I was a child I attende...more
Oh, and biographical sidebar: when I was a child I attende...more
This stand-alone Fantasy is about Theo Vilmos, an aspiring singer in a typical local bar-room rock band, whose life is about to change dramatically. Theo discovers a book written by his late great-uncle, a fictional taleabout his visit to the world of Fairy, and the people and places he comes across while on this adventure.
Theo reads the novel between personal upheavals in his life, equal parts interested and frustrated with his uncle's imagination. Then an undead monstrosity comes for Theo in h...more
Theo reads the novel between personal upheavals in his life, equal parts interested and frustrated with his uncle's imagination. Then an undead monstrosity comes for Theo in h...more
Every now and then I love to sink my teeth into an epic fantasy of many pages that will sweep me off to somewhere that temporarily seems more real than the world I live in. I read Tad Williams’ Tailchaser’s Song years ago and have dipped in and out of his monumental Otherland series, so I expected to enjoy this standalone novel (kind of rare in fantasy publishing these days)and wasn’t disappointed.
Let me just say, I was not prepared for this vision of fairyland—-as Dorothy Parker reputedly excl...more
Let me just say, I was not prepared for this vision of fairyland—-as Dorothy Parker reputedly excl...more
c2003. Totally enjoyable. I didn't like the main character much but I think that was intended. I will draw no parallels to Theo's "failed" music career to the author's own background of wanting to be/being in a rock band. It is a wonderful example of good world building and an interesting take on some of the Faerie tales we all know and love. This book stayed on my TBR list for far too long as I did not like the synopsis at all. For whatever reason, I am not fond of stories that have a transfer...more
The War of The Flowers by Tad Williams
This is a unique perspective on a Faerie that sadly emulates or mirrors our own society.
You can depend on Tad Williams for both a good story and a skewed perception of normalcy. Normalcy in regards to how we see and perceive the land of Faerie is one of the lynch pins of the plot. Williams provided a story whose protagonist wasn’t the classic anti-hero but more of a wimpy hero.
Theo had it all, good looks, great voice and loads of potential that he totally...more
This is a unique perspective on a Faerie that sadly emulates or mirrors our own society.
You can depend on Tad Williams for both a good story and a skewed perception of normalcy. Normalcy in regards to how we see and perceive the land of Faerie is one of the lynch pins of the plot. Williams provided a story whose protagonist wasn’t the classic anti-hero but more of a wimpy hero.
Theo had it all, good looks, great voice and loads of potential that he totally...more
The War of the Flowers was a frustrating book for me. I read it after finishing Tad Williams' amazing Otherland series and, in many ways I was not disappointed. The world in War is rich, detailed, and fascinating. The character motivations feel real and are not rushed, and the descriptions were incredible. Honestly, the only thing I didn't like was the main character, who whined way too much and was thoroughly unlikeable.
War takes Theo, a musician in our world, and sends him to that mysterious l...more
War takes Theo, a musician in our world, and sends him to that mysterious l...more
Theo's life doesn't seem to be going much of anywhere. His potential as a talented singer has taken him nowhere in life, and his relationships are all going downhill. Then a mouthy little sprite appears in his life and pulls him into the world of fairy, where very powerful and not-so-nice people are trying very hard to capture him.
Theo, as a main character, was not the most likeable I've ever read, and he was annoying at times. Still, he was real, which was a redeeming factor to me. And while he...more
Theo, as a main character, was not the most likeable I've ever read, and he was annoying at times. Still, he was real, which was a redeeming factor to me. And while he...more
I read a lot of fantasy books as a teenager and a young twenty-something. Its been at least 5 years since I bothered to pick one up and I can't say why I picked this up at the library.
That being said I enjoyed reading this and it reminded me why I liked this genre to begin with. This book has a lot of conventions of fantasy novels, but not in the played out way that most do. For one thing, the protagonist is 30, which is ancient for a fantasy novel. He's had relationships and broken dreams and w...more
That being said I enjoyed reading this and it reminded me why I liked this genre to begin with. This book has a lot of conventions of fantasy novels, but not in the played out way that most do. For one thing, the protagonist is 30, which is ancient for a fantasy novel. He's had relationships and broken dreams and w...more
Its a shame how far DAW has fallen from its glory days of the yellow covers and the crappy paperbacks it used to publish. Back in the day, DAW, under the auspices of the untouchably-awesome Donald A. Wollheim, sure seemed to shy away from any book over 400 pages; in fact, can you write a book about giant alien plants invading in under 150 pages, and even SUPER-DDT won't help mankind survive? Then you were a shoe-in at DAW. Well, again, let it be said, that's how it appeared.
So this book? Okay, f...more
So this book? Okay, f...more
I love this book. Loved it when I first read it nine years ago, and love it just as much upon re-reading it today. I'm in awe of the way Tad Williams wrote such a complex story without ever losing a single plot thread. The way everything connected in the end is nothing short of pure genius. There are so many characters to keep track of, each with their own personality, history, and way of speaking -- and Williams does it beautifully. The thing I like most about reading fantasy is the way great e...more
You know that thing where you get this great idea for a novel, and you start writing it, and then you pick up a book one day and discover that someone else has already written the novel you wanted to only MUCH BETTER, the bastard? Yeah, that.
This is a flipping wonderful book. The whole premise is thoroughly worked out and the world is entire and real in a way that made me feel I was returning to a place instead of the setting of a story every time I picked the book up again to continue.
The chara...more
This is a flipping wonderful book. The whole premise is thoroughly worked out and the world is entire and real in a way that made me feel I was returning to a place instead of the setting of a story every time I picked the book up again to continue.
The chara...more
The scope is impressive, so many threads but the writer doesn't let them drop or tangle, something if you've read the later parts of A Song of Ice & Fire you will identify with, and it really irritated me. The narrative is loose and flowing which is good for a book which is nearly 800 pages long. You do wish that the writer had hurried it up a bit in some places, the scene on the train, the description of the Cathedral but overall I thoroughly enjoyed reading it. Things that bother me about...more
Jan 06, 2010
Jason Mills
rated it
3 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
Tad Williams fans, genre fantasy addicts, goblinophiles
This is the least impressive of Tad Williams' books I've read so far. Theo, our hero, is yanked through into the world of Faerie, but it's a world corrupted by power-hungry Flower Lords who have reshaped it into something very like our own. And herein lies the problem: there is little colour in showing us that, ooh look, the fairies have trains too, only theirs are magical! When I read a fantasy, I'm kinda hoping to see a world that is different.
Our hero is a loser in the mortal world, a washed-...more
Our hero is a loser in the mortal world, a washed-...more
This book is a very odd setting. Like many Faery books there is a main character in the "real world" that somehow is introduced or pulled into Faerieland. But this isn't your average Fairy Book Story. Faeries in this land have a society and civilization that is very modern in some senses but retro in others. Their "magick" is more scientific but just as mysterious.
Of course the hero is attempting just to go home a la Dorothy Gale, but in the meantime develops an attraction in a Romeo/Juliet way...more
Of course the hero is attempting just to go home a la Dorothy Gale, but in the meantime develops an attraction in a Romeo/Juliet way...more
The world-building in Tad Williams's The War of the Flowers is top notch. Most of the book is set in a Faerie dimension parallel to our own world, but instead of the usual faux-Medieval setting this Faerie more closely mirrors the modern world, with magical equivalents of cars, trains, skyscrapers, and even cell phones. Class conflict is one of the major themes. It's a detailed and inventive world, but without an offputting number of made up words like some epic fantasy novels. (I say this as a...more
Nov 17, 2009
Nicolas
rated it
1 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
complot,
broc,
enfant,
fantasy,
fin-du-monde,
guerre,
initiation,
mort,
romantique,
rayon-fantasy-et-sf
Dans ce roman, on s'attache aux pas de Theo Vilmos, musicien en devenir depuis trop longtemps pour qu'il devienne autre chose qu'un raté.
Dans les cent premières pages de ce roman, Théo va perdre sa copine, sa mère, et peut-être même plus que ça.
Une fois qu'il aura tout perdu, on lui rendra peu à peu une identité, une vie, et même un rôle dans un monde ... qui n'est pas celui des humains.
Bon, personne ne mérite d'attendre une mauvaise nouvelle : ce bouquin est authentiquement nul (d'autres qualif...more
Dans les cent premières pages de ce roman, Théo va perdre sa copine, sa mère, et peut-être même plus que ça.
Une fois qu'il aura tout perdu, on lui rendra peu à peu une identité, une vie, et même un rôle dans un monde ... qui n'est pas celui des humains.
Bon, personne ne mérite d'attendre une mauvaise nouvelle : ce bouquin est authentiquement nul (d'autres qualif...more
I enjoyed this a great deal, it was so intricately plotted that it never felt too long, and the characters and overall worldview were really vivid and engaging.
The only thing that really felt off to me was Cumber and Applecore's relationship - it felt a bit too much like paring up the protagonist's best friends for the sake of it, although perhaps only because we don't get to see any romantic feelings really grow, it just sort of appears and we are infomed of it.
The begining might also be cons...more
The only thing that really felt off to me was Cumber and Applecore's relationship - it felt a bit too much like paring up the protagonist's best friends for the sake of it, although perhaps only because we don't get to see any romantic feelings really grow, it just sort of appears and we are infomed of it.
The begining might also be cons...more
Tad Williams wrote a phantastic novel - nothing new, I know. This time, he takes us to the Elves and they are very different from what we think! It's such a fun read you won't know that the book has about 900 pages. You'll live and suffer with the heroes and the one, very important, small heroine who is as brave as she is quickwitted. Additionally, she has the gift of the gab.
If you're looking for a book that takes you to strange land, is entertaining to the max and has more humorous moments th...more
If you're looking for a book that takes you to strange land, is entertaining to the max and has more humorous moments th...more
I fell in love with this story shortly after the first chapter. It was hard to get into, a bit of the beginning striking a lot closer to home than is normal for me to read, but once the initial shock wore off, I couldn't help but silently cheer for Theo to make it through whatever was thrown at him.
When Applecore was introduced, I had a laughing fit that made it hard to hide the fact that I hadn't put the book down. The story occasionally gets outlandish and all-in-all has an air of things being...more
When Applecore was introduced, I had a laughing fit that made it hard to hide the fact that I hadn't put the book down. The story occasionally gets outlandish and all-in-all has an air of things being...more
For me, the best part of this book was the cleverness of the story. While it dragged a bit in the middle for me, the last quarter or so of the book went by very quickly as loose ends tied themselves together and plot twists I didn't really expect were pleasantly presented. The way everything came together at the end is what brought this book from a 3-star up to a 4-star for me.
I found the main character, Theo, to be quite lacking. He is a 30-something lost soul, supposedly with a life's passion...more
I found the main character, Theo, to be quite lacking. He is a 30-something lost soul, supposedly with a life's passion...more
I am not someone who is a book snob. The only things that I'm interested in when reading is a good story that grips you from the start and keeps you interested till the end. Having said that this book was not interesting enough for me. The concept and the plot are quite imaginative and I give Tad Williams the credit for that but I just could not find myself wanting to read anymore or want to know what happens to the characters. The only character I found remotely interesting was Applecore beyond...more
I am not usually a sci-fi/fantasy fan, but this book is so beautiful I've read it again and again. I love that it's a self-contained story. Sci-fi seems notorious for series, and this author, Tad Williams, has done a few, I think. I read his Otherland series-about disparate groups of people that find themselves inside the internet in various virtual worlds-and it was really cool and mostly well-paced, but this book to me is magical. Very vivid details of characters and surroundings add to the ex...more
Full review/Цялото ревю - Bla bla bla books
До известна степен, в някои цветенца има нещо подозрително. Може с най-добри чувства да се промъкват нощем, като тези на малката Ида, или да са просто изперкали като квартални лелки като тези от Алиса, но си е факт. И главният герой на Тад Уилямс, Тео, тук се убеждава първа ръка :)
Основната сюжетна линия се върти около него, попадането му във Феерия (нещо като паралелен, скачен с човешкия, свят), където незнайно защо е притрябвал на лошковците, и опитит...more
До известна степен, в някои цветенца има нещо подозрително. Може с най-добри чувства да се промъкват нощем, като тези на малката Ида, или да са просто изперкали като квартални лелки като тези от Алиса, но си е факт. И главният герой на Тад Уилямс, Тео, тук се убеждава първа ръка :)
Основната сюжетна линия се върти около него, попадането му във Феерия (нещо като паралелен, скачен с човешкия, свят), където незнайно защо е притрябвал на лошковците, и опитит...more
I was a bit disappointed with this book. I've read Memory, Sorrow, And Thorn, which I loved - in part because of its skillful narrative, which I thought was nearly flawless. Unfortunately the same thing cannot be said about this book. The dialogue in particular was disturbingly contrived in places. It didn't exactly help that the protagonist, Theo, is such an idiot that after the first 100 pages or so I was already secretly hoping that someone would strangle him for me.
However, I quite liked Wil...more
However, I quite liked Wil...more
| topics | posts | views | last activity | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fantasy Aficionados: August 2012 Epic Fantasy-The War of the Flowers | 35 | 83 | Sep 18, 2012 04:00pm |
Tad Williams has held more jobs than any sane person should admit to—singing in a band, selling shoes, managing a financial institution, throwing newspapers, and designing military manuals, to name just a few. He also hosted a syndicated radio show for ten years, worked in theater and television production, taught both grade-school and college classes, and worked in multimedia for a major computer...more
More about Tad Williams...
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“-You're pretty hard-boiled, Tinker Bell.
-Call me that name again and you'll be wondering how your bollocks wound up lodged in your windpipe--from below. Just because we don't get to your side of things much anymore doesn't mean we don't know anything. 'If you believe in fairies, clap your hands!' If you believe in fairies, kiss my rosy pink arse is more like it. Now are you going to shut your gob or not?”
—
16 people liked it
-Call me that name again and you'll be wondering how your bollocks wound up lodged in your windpipe--from below. Just because we don't get to your side of things much anymore doesn't mean we don't know anything. 'If you believe in fairies, clap your hands!' If you believe in fairies, kiss my rosy pink arse is more like it. Now are you going to shut your gob or not?”
“Stairs. This is Hell. Hell is stairs, was all Theo could think. I'd sell my soul for a goddamn elevator.
But I don't have a soul, do I? I'm some kind of fairy.
Okay, settle for an escalator, then.”
—
6 people liked it
More quotes…
But I don't have a soul, do I? I'm some kind of fairy.
Okay, settle for an escalator, then.”
Aug 18, 2012 02:27pm