The Hanging Mountains

Books of the Cataclysm #3

by Sean Williams

Ancient enemies stalk ghostly fog forests as legends come to life and old friends are lost forever ...

The Divide is flooded, at great cost of human - and inhuman - life. Far from home, Sal, Shilly and Skender seek the source of the deluge in the legendary Hanging Mountains, traveling in a magical ship of bone. New threats await them in the fog forests of the Panic, and new tests of their friendship. Caught in a conflict that erupts between two long-forgotten civilizations, they struggle to discern ally from foe, and to find trust when it is needed most.

In their wake comes the Homunculus, vessel and prison of the Castillo twins - sole, strange survivors of the catastrophe that changed the world forever, a thousand years ago. Their mission is paramount, their urgency contagious. Something much darker and deadlier than the Swarm is stirring in the heart of the mountains.

And for Habryn Kail, already assumed dead by his masters, it might really be the finish of him, this time ...

Genres: Fantasy, Science Fiction Fantasy, Novels, Fiction

491 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2005

About the author

#1 New York Times bestselling Sean Williams lives with his family in Adelaide, South Australia. He’s written some books--forty-two at last count--including the Philip K. Dick-nominated Saturn Returns, several Star Wars novels and the Troubletwister series with Garth Nix. Twinmaker is a YA SF series that takes his love affair with the matter transmitter to a whole new level. You can find some related short stories over at Lightspeed Magazine and elsewhere. Thanks for reading.

Reviews

[Shara · Rating 4 out of 5]

The book definitely operates as a stand-alone, though I'm not sure how many readers would want to brave reading this title before getting all the necessary background from the first two books. I will say it seems to have its own thread of story while connecting to the overall scheme from the first two books and easily leading into the fourth. But it's a good read: as far as fantasy goes, it's not so heavy that I feel like I'm clawing for air every time I stop reading (as I do with Martin or Carey), and it's not so light that I forget about it as soon as I close the book. The world-building and story feels solid, and Williams blends the right amount of familiar with strange into his fantasy to keep me interested. It's an easy series to recommend, especially to anyone who enjoys fantasy. I'm definitely looking forward to reading the first two books, as well as the fourth.[return][return]For the full review, which may or may not include spoilers, please click here: http://calico-reaction.livejournal.co...

[Angela R. · Rating 4 out of 5]

A decent ending to a very long and complex series. As usual with a trilogy, I enjoyed the 1st book the most. The ending was good, though everything did not happen the way I expected. I wish this series had been a little more fast-paced as sometimes in the middle of the book I'd get bogged down and have to force myself to continue. But the world-building is so fascinating and the characters so complex that I never regretted continuing to turn those pages. I'll definitely look for more books by this author, and recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a well-written (albeit complex) fantasy. Probably more of an adult book than a YA read.

[Salimbol · Rating 4 out of 5]

[4 and 1/2 stars]
Sean Williams impresses me more with each book of his, and I think it's safe to say that I'm now a confirmed fan. I really appreciate the intelligence and humanity that underpins his works; characters question, grow and change, the world-building is solid and unusual, the imagery is frequently arresting. This story in this, the third Book of the Cataclysm, is smooth and taut, adroitly introducing new characters and societies while moving the overall narrative forward. Very much recommended.

[Glenn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hanging tree city, floating city, the twins and Yod back. I may have to ruminate on this before more of a review, or since the story cliffhangers a bit I shall probably wait until review if next/last book.

[bluetyson]

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