Review: Child of an Ancient City - Tad Williams


Title Child of an Ancient City
Author Tad Williams & Nina Hoffman
Pages 80
Year 1992
Reading Time 3 (October 2008)
Rating 9 out of 10


This tale was a good one and an interesting to read. My fear of reading mighty tomes made me read this book. I had heard of Tad Williams and I bought, some time ago, after reading good reviews the Memory, Sorrow and Thorn teratology (is this how it is written?). With four books with 3500 pages I got scared so I searched a smaller book. Et voila mon amis... What an excellent read it was... It was a big hardcover book with only 100 pages and beautiful drawings (one of the reasons I read it straight away).

The story is set in a Arab-alike world in the vein of The Arabian Nights. The tale begins with a raid on a merchants caravan where a few lucky (you would think) men are thrown together. Companions by necessity more than choice. Then as they make their way back to civilization they are stalk by a mysterious presence. One by one they are lost (die) until they finally realize that what they face if a similar like Vampire. Nocturnal, Blood Thirsting, Immortal and Invincible. The only way to survive is to sit around camp fires by night, each taking turns to tell tales to keep this creature entertained until the daylight hours. The end is the most important and one of the better endings I can remember. How the main character and the creature talk about sad stories... It's quite good and recommend.

I read somewhere that this book was later converted into a full novel. I would love to read how it went but now I have other priorities. Let us see what the future brings me.

Go go Tad Williams... Keep the stories coming and books out. I will read them eventually... I now have 9 of your books... Well ten with this one.

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