Shadowmarch

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Shadowmarch is a four - part fantasy novel series by the American writer Tad Williams . Although initially designed as a trilogy , the series now comprises four volumes - due to its length, the third part has been divided into two volumes.

Emergence

The first ideas for the Shadowmarch series came to Williams in the mid-1990s. At that time, the story was still intended as a script for a film. However, this project was quickly abandoned. Williams then wanted to have the series produced as a television series because, in his opinion, such a series would have taken more account of the complexity of the story. When the series idea was also rejected, Williams tried to realize the story in the form of an Internet sequel story. For lack of time, and because this format did not pay off, Williams began to revise the story and publish it in book format.

content

The border

Many years ago the mysterious Elven people of the Qar lived on the continent of Eion. When the humans began to colonize Eion, the Qar were pushed back to the north of the continent. After a great war between humans and Qar, which the Elves lost, they created a mysterious wall of smoke: the Shadow Frontier. Driven by the elf princess Yasammez, the elves now want to take revenge on the people.

The royal children Barrick and Briony live on Südmark, a fortress in the north near the shadow border. Their father is in captivity, their brother was murdered, and now they have to take care of all the affairs of Südmark. When the Elven troops cross the shadow line, Barrick and the captain of the Royal Guard, Ferras Vansen, ride with the troops to stop them. However, the Elves make it to Südmark, and Briony and her mentor Shaso dan-Heza have to flee from the castle. Her unscrupulous relative Hendon Tolly seizes control of Südmark. Meanwhile, Barrick is almost killed in battle; but the leader of the Qar troops, Yasammez, spares his life and sends him across the shadow line. As if in a trance, he has to obey her orders, and Ferras Vansen has no choice but to accompany his master, since he has promised Princess Briony to protect her brother.

Chert and Opalia, a married couple from the Funderlinge dwarf people, who live in the rock under the Südmarksburg, find a human child on the edge of the shadow border. Little do you know that it was abandoned there by Ynnir, the blind king of the Qar. Opalia, who has always wanted a son, names the boy Flint and takes him in. One day Flint disappears without a trace, and Chert finds him with the help of the tiny Dachlinge in the holy places of the Funderlinge, the so-called Mysteries. The boy brought a magic mirror from there, which Chert later gives to the leader of the Qar troops, Yasammez.

Meanwhile, on the southern continent of the known world, Xand, Qinnitan, a small temple novice, becomes one of the many wives of the Autarch of Xis. The autarch has an unusual interest in her that appears to be religious and that no one at court understands. Qinnitan escapes from the women's palace and gets on board a ship that sails to the north continent.

The game

After Briony and her mentor Shaso were able to flee from Südmarksburg, they found refuge with one of Shaso's compatriots. But they are attacked and only the princess can escape. Hungry and sick, she hides in the forest and meets the demigoddess Lisiya there. This shows her the way to an acting troupe, with whose help Briony reaches Syan undetected. But there everyone is arrested by royal soldiers, and Briony has to reveal their true identity.

Behind the shadow border, Prince Barrick and Guard Captain Ferras Vansen wander through the Elbenland. They meet them on Gyir the storm light, a qar who is supposed to bring the magical object that Flint found in the mysteries to Ynnir, the blind qark king. It is a mirror that is able to stop the vengeful Yasammez as well as to save the Qar queen Saqri due to the “pact of the mirror glass”. But Barrick, Vansen and Gyir are captured by the demigod Kituyik. Gyir dies, but can still pass his assignment on to Barrick. Ferras Vansen, on the other hand, falls into a black hole out of complete emptiness. Accompanied by dream-like apparitions, he appears completely confused days below the Südmarksburg in Funderlingstadt and meets Chert and the court doctor Chaven, who had to flee there after the Tollys came to power.

Meanwhile, Barrick sets off alone, with only the raven Skurn as his only companion, on the way to the Elven city of Qul-na-Qar. In the dream he keeps seeing Qinnitan, whom he has never met in real life, but whose thoughts for some reason connect with his in the dream. Qinnitan has the same dreams as Barrick but doesn't understand their meanings either. After escaping from the women's palace of the Autarch of Xand, the southern continent, she was able to flee to Hierosol, the southernmost port city of the northern continent. Little does she know that the Autarch has sent the unscrupulous mercenary Daikonas Vo after her to catch her. Why it is so important to the Autarch remains a mystery. But the ruler of Xis himself travels north and besieges Hierosol. He lets himself be handed over to King Olin, who is being held prisoner here. When Qinnitan falls into the hands of Daikonas Vo, who wants to hand them over to the Autarch in Hierosol, the latter has already left. Strangely enough, he is not on his way back to Xand, but steers his fleet towards Südmarksburg. Qinnitan and Daikonas Vo therefore have to follow the cruel ruler to the north on a ship.

The dawn

After Briony Eddon had to reveal her true identity, she is accepted as a guest at the Syrian court, and her fellow actors are also allowed to stay. Beyond that, however, King Enander Karallios is not ready to go into a fight against Hendon Tolly on Südmarksburg. Due to her desperate situation, Briony decides to pull Prince Eneas, Enander's son, on her side, but does not go so far as to succumb to his attempts at courtship. But someone at court wants her dead. She barely escapes an assassination attempt twice. When Prince Eneas is called to another place and can no longer stand by her side, she is accused of high treason by the king's mistress, Ananka te Voa, and has to flee from the court. Together with the drama group with whom she came to Syan, she travels north. There she meets Prince Eneas, who promises to bring her and his troops to Südmarksburg.

Barrick Eddon continues to travel with the raven Skurn through the Elbenland and must defend himself against numerous dangers. On his flight from the so-called silk moths, he flees to a mysterious mountain that he has already been warned about several times, and Skrun does not want to follow him there either. On this mountain he meets three beings who not only know him, but also know about his mission. They advise him to travel through the city of Schlaf on Krummling's Road in order to get to Qul-na-Qar in time, and give him some of their powers. Barrick really manages to find this street in the city of Schlaf, and at the end of his journey he meets Ynnir, who tells him that he is Barrick's ancestor. To save Queen Saqri, Ynnir gives Barrick his inheritance, the flower of fire. After that, the Elf King dies, and Barrick will never be who he was before.

While the Eddon twins roam the world, Yasammez's army encamped in front of Südmarksburg. At first they don't seem to be planning an attack. But the Funderlings quickly notice that the Qar are trying to take Südmarksburg from below through the secret passages under the city. Or do you just want to go to the mystery of the Funderlings? Ferras Vansen and the Funderlinge try to defend the corridors as well as possible, but have to realize that their chances of victory are hopeless, especially since the Qar are now attacking the city above ground. Therefore, Captain Vansen decides to negotiate with Yasammez. He tells her that Barrick is on his way to Qul-na-Qar with the mirror.

Meanwhile, the autarch of Xis travels with his fleet towards Südmarksburg and explains his motives to King Olin Eddon. After long studies of the Eddon family history, he found out that Qar blood flows in their line, and with the help of Olin's blood he wants to awaken the god Kernios, who lies under Südmarksburg. So he had the king captured and is now traveling north. Why Qinnitan is so important to him remains unclear.

After a failed attempt to escape, Qinnitan can finally poison her captor Vo and swims to the coast. She doesn't know where she is, and contact with Barrick, whom she once saw in her dreams, has been severed.

people

  • Yasammez: She is the leader of the Qar and is also called "Princess Porcupine" or "The Scourge of the Shaking Plains".
  • King Olin Eddon: He is the actual king of Südmark, but he is currently a prisoner in the land of Hierosol.
  • Kendrick Eddon: He is the eldest son of King Olin and therefore also Prince Regent of Südmark. However, he is cruelly murdered.
  • Briony Eddon: She is the only daughter of King Olin. She is also the twin sister of Barrick, whose behavior worries her very much.
  • Barrick Eddon: Barrick is the youngest son of King Olin. He lives very withdrawn and has a crippled arm. How he came to this only knows himself and apparently his father, the king. He is the twin brother of Briony.
  • Shaso dan-Heza: He originally comes from Xand and came to Südmark as a prisoner. After many years of imprisonment in the Burg he was appointed armorer and advisor in war matters because of his bravery. He is accused of murdering Prince Kendrick.
  • Ferras Vansen: Captain of the Royal Guard. He has feelings for Princess Briony, which are inappropriate because of the difference in class.
  • Chaven: He is the personal physician of the royal family and court astronomer of Südmark.
  • Puzzle: The court jester Südmarks. Once he was a funny fellow, but now he's just a shadow of himself.
  • Hendon Tolly: nobleman of the Markenland and relative of the Eddon royal family. He wants to usurp the throne of the Südmarksburg through intrigues.
  • Chert blue quartz: Chert is a funderling. Together with his wife Opalia, he found the boy Flint on the shadow border.
  • Opalia blue quartz: Chert's wife and also a funderling. Together with her husband, she found the young Flint on the shadow border. It was her idea to adopt Flint too.
  • Flint: His real name is unknown. He was named that by Chert. It was found on the shadow border but has no memories of the time in the fog. Flint was adopted by Chert and Opalia Blauquarz.
  • Qinnitan: Former temple novice and one of the wives of the Autarch of Xis.
  • Giebelgaup : The archer is a badger

people

  • The Funderlings: A small people who live in caves below the Südmarkfeste and look for mineral resources there like dwarves. A similar people live in Tessis, the capital of Syan, but there they are called Kallikan.
  • The Qar: Elven people and the natives of Eion. Their kings trace their origins back to the god Krummling.
  • The skimmers: the fishing people of Südmark.
  • The Tuani: The dark-skinned indigenous people of Tuan.
  • The Xis: The warrior people of the capital of the southern continent Xand.
  • The Dachlinge: An elf people who live on the roofs of Südmark.

Book editions

Original English editions

German-language editions

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ tadwilliams.de ( Memento of the original from July 30th, 2009 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. On the creation of the Shadowmarch series @1@ 2Template: Webachiv / IABot / tadwilliams.de
  2. ↑ Tad Williams: Shadowmarch Vol. 3. The Twilight, 2010, pp. 11-14. (Summary Volume 1)
  3. ^ Tad Williams: Shadowmarch Vol. 3. The Twilight, 2010, pp. 15-17. (Summary Volume 2)

Web links

Reviews on Shadowmarch