Would give it a 3.5 if Goodreads allowed it. I loved the series, but found myself saying "Is that it?" at the end. I swear to you the story just stopped. It ended with a period, but felt like it was mid-sentence. For a series that was extended an additional book so the author could properly finish--that is unforgivable. I will admit that if I think over every major and some minor characters, okay, I guess sime stories could be ended there, but to leave us hanging with Briony and Barrick is a major faux pas. At least give me an epilogue 50 or 100 years later (I know, predictable) that shows me the state of the kingdoms.

Heavy sigh....

My only other complaint is that Mr. Williams REALLY needs help with the romance angle. The major romance scenes where the main characters confess their love actually felt uncomfortable to read it was so awkwardly written. I could/would totally overlook the romance angle were it not for the ending.

I wonder if Mr. Williams got sick or a new editor. Maybe the publisher told him to get on with it. Okay, I'm stopping now befor I downgrade to 2.5 stars ( )

I made it. It took me two and a half years, but I finally finished this series. The fact that I stuck it out means I did come to care about the characters and the world. But I will approach any future zillion page fantasy series by Tad a little more cautiously.

Otherland was much better IMO. Perhaps there were too many standard fantasy tropes here: dwarves, elves, magic, gods, etc.

Williams can still write better than most modern fantasy authors, but he needs a really good, ruthless editor. ( )

I think I enjoyed the final book more than any of the others but I think I can also see why I didn't finish this series when it first came out. It's just rather a slog at times. MST is much, much better - read that first!
I never expect TW to start fast but usually after a slow start he manages to grab me and you start to care about the characters. But that never really happened for me in Shadowmarch, especially the two main characters Briony and Barrick. I just never cared that much about them and their problems. Some of the side characters are involving e.g Chert, Vansen and even the damsel in distress Quinnatan. All the strands come together at the end for the big battle - some of which went on for far too long. I would also have liked to find out what the Autarch planned earlier in the story as it would have given the story more momentum.
So I am glad I finally get to tick this off my plan for this year but it will be my least favourite of TW's series. ( )

What Tad Williams does good, he does very, very good. I'll give him that. The ending of this huge Fantasy series is sufficiently huge, magical, war-driven, god-killing, and mad enough to fill the hearts of any epic fantasy fan.

Williams takes his time to build everything so very slowly until it all comes crashing together and we're left breathless.

On the other hand, stories like this are still only as good as the characters that drive them. And if you're dealing with a huge cast of characters, they really need to have a lot of interesting situations, interesting responses, and general likability. I'd give half the cast here that accolade. The other half, however, either bored me or just made me want to hurry through and get to the good stuff.

Briony is the huge issue. Her brother Barrick is just fine.

I tried. I really tried. She has aspects about her that I liked intellectually and not all of her storyline was a complete waste, but I never felt emotionally invested.

Overlooking that, I really enjoyed most of the Funderlings, the fae-call out, the dead or dying gods, the dreaming, the con, the mad immortals, the sacrifices, and the siege of the world. No complaints there. :)

It's just unfortunate I couldn't have enjoyed the entire sequence equally. Too many bits seemed too long, in need of a big shave. The plotting sometimes seemed pointless or just a way to get from point A to point B because I wasn't invested in some of the characters. But then again, maybe it's just me.

I can't say this is more than an above-average epic fantasy. Flawed, still good. ( )

This fourth volume brings the Shadowmarch story to a close, as all characters and plotlines are brought together in one locale. Briony and Barrick each lead an army to their homeland's defence as it comes under siege by the Big Bad who threatens to unleash a god upon the world that he will be able to control. If you've read your Homer, etc. (or just been paying attention through the previous three volumes) you know it's a fair bet he's biting off more than he can chew.

I don't think the ending is all that it might have been, and I have some structural criticism concerning subplots that are transparently filler or needless complication, forced into alignment with the main story or to give leftover characters something to do. Seeing the full arc in retrospect, I think several elements might have been stripped out of this series to condense it and little would have been lost besides page count. It's a finely crafted world to visit. The author's made good strides in presenting his female characters, and I like the twins at the centre of the story although it took me a while to warm up to Barrick. My takeaway: the gods help mortals who help themselves, the series titles being a reference to the role of faith in our lives and how it sees us through despair. ( )