The Heart of What Was Lost by Tad Williams
The Heart of What Was Lost by Tad Williams, Book #0.5 of The Last King of Osten Ard
Introduction
The Storm King has been defeated at the end of the novel To Green Angel Tower (Book #3 Memory, Sorrow, and Thorn) and the Norns, long-lived humanoids called immortals, must retreat across the hostile lands of the mortals. This is the story of the Norns retreat and the mortal army that follows them looking to destroy their race forever. Will the Norns successfully defend their last mountain fortress of Nakkiga or will they perish?
Summary
This book serves as a bridge novel from the first trilogy to a soon to be published sequel trilogy. The author tells this story from four different perspectives. Duke Isgrimnur of Elvritshalla is the leader of the army pursuing the Norns. He wants vengeance for his son Isorn who was recently killed in the war. He leads the Rimmersman who are the mortals who live the closest to the Norns. Porto is from the southern island of Perdruin and is in the mercenary part of the army tracking the retreating Norns. He wants to finish the job of defeating the Norns and return home safely.
Viyeki is a Norn who is in Order of Builders. Builders do not fight but serve the military, called the Order of Sacrifices. He wants to help secure their retreat to Nakkiga and save his people from destruction. Lady Miga is a Norn of the Order of Chroniclers who writes a scholarly retelling of the events depicted by the other three narrators. She brings perspective to the events and illustrates how legends are created from real events.
The novel is divided into five parts. Part One. The Ruined Fortress is about the Norns defense of Tangleroot Castle which is on the road to the Norn Fells, the Norn homeland in Osten Ard. Part Two. Three Ravens Tower is about the Norns stand at the tower which is part of the fortifications surrounding the Norn Fells. Part Three. The Nakkiga Gate is about the battle outside of the mountain. Part Four. The Fatal Mountain is about the resolution of the conflict. Part Five. The Long Way Back is about the aftermath of the conflict.
Recommendation
I think this is a great book and makes me want to read the second trilogy. The Witchwood Crown (Book #1 The Last King of Osten Ard Book) was released on June 27, 2017, and the second book, Empire of Grass, will be released in 2019. There is a thirty-year time jump between trilogies. I would call The Heart of What Was Lost as Book 3.5 of the first trilogy because the events follow immediately after book #3. It could be called a coda to the first trilogy since it is 197 pages long. I liked how all four narrators showed different perspectives on the conflict and each arc was a complete and interrelated story.
Links
This is the link to the Goodreads page of The Heart of What Was Lost by Tad Williams.
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/28585686-the-heart-of-what-was-lost
Link to my review of Oathbringer by Brandon Sanderson. Oathbringer is a fantasy novel like The Heart of What Was Lost.