Brothers of the Wind

Set in the New York Times bestselling world of Osten Ard, this short novel continues the saga that inspired a generation of fantasists

Pride often goes before a fall, but sometimes that prideful fall is so catastrophic that it changes history itself.

Among the immortal Sithi of Osten Ard, none are more beloved and admired than the two sons of the ruling family, steady Hakatri and his proud and fiery younger brother Ineluki – Ineluki, who will one day become the undead Storm King. The younger brother makes a bold, terrible oath that he will destroy deadly Hidohebhi, a terrifying monster, but instead drags his brother with him into a disaster that threatens not just their family but all the Sithi – and perhaps all of humankind as well.

Set a thousand years before the events of Williams’s The Dragonbone Chair, the tale of Ineluki’s tragic boast and what it brings is told by Pamon Kes, Hakatri’s faithful servant. Kes is not one of the Sithi but a member of the enslaved Changeling race, and his loyalty has never before been tested. Now he must face the terrible black dragon at his master’s side, then see his own life changed forever in a mere instant by Ineluki’s rash, selfish promise.

Editorial Reviews

10/04/2021

This epic episode set centuries before Williams’s Memory, Sorrow, and Thorn trilogy explores the ancient history of the land of Osten Ard, illuminating a tragedy born of honor and pride which sets the characters on their paths towards destiny and destruction. When the mortal Prince Cormach beseeches aid from the immortal, elf-like Zida’ya race of Asu’a to help slay the legendary dragon terrorizing his people’s lands, his request is initially met with scorn–until bold, brash Zida’ya noble Ineluki and his brother, stalwart Hakatri, set forth to investigate and slay the dragon themselves. After their initial foray goes awry, they must seek further aid and advice on how to defeat the ancient monster. But the price of victory is more than one of the survivors can bear, and the consequences could devastate all of Osten Ard. Chronicled by Hakatri’s faithful-unto-death changeling squire Pamon Kes, the narration has a sense of weight, history, and inevitability, which plays well with the obvious Tolkien influences that have long informed this series, though Kes’s distance from the action keeps readers at arm’s length much of the time. While this works as a stand-alone, it will be best enjoyed by series fans looking to understand the backstory of this intricate world. Agent: Matthew Bialer, Sanford J. Greenburger Assoc. (Nov.)
– Publishers Weekly

Praise for Osten Ard

„Inspired me to write my own seven-book trilogy…. It’s one of my favorite fantasy series.“ –George R. R. Martin, New York Times-bestselling author of A Song of Ice and Fire

„Groundbreaking…. Changed how people thought of the genre, and paved the way for so much modern fantasy. Including mine.“ –Patrick Rothfuss, New York Times-bestselling author of The Name of the Wind

„Tad Williams is a master storyteller, and the Osten Ard books are his masterpiece. Williams’ return to Osten Ard is every bit as compelling, deep, and fully-rendered as the first trilogy, and he continues to write with the experience and polish of an author at the top of his game.“ –Brandon Sanderson, New York Times-bestselling author of The Stormlight Archive

„Memory, Sorrow, and Thorn is one of the great fantasy epics of all time.“
–Christopher Paolini, New York Times bestselling author of Eragon

„Building upon the revered history of Memory, Sorrow, and Thorn, Williams has outdone himself by penning a 700-plus page novel that is virtually un-put-down-able…. Williams’ grand-scale storytelling mastery is on full display here. Not just utterly readable–an instant fantasy classic.“ –Kirkus Reviews (starred)

„Readers who delight in losing themselves in long complex tales of epic fantasy will be in their element here, and there is the promise of much more to come in future volumes.“ –Locus

„Panoramic, vigorous, often moving…. Williams adroitly weaves together the tales…heralding a suitably epic and glorious conclusion.“ –Publishers Weekly

„Highly Recommended. [Williams] draws on many mythologies for the background of his fantasy epic…story spiced with political intrigue and strong appealing heroes.“ –Library Journal

„A grand fantasy on a scale approaching Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings.“ –Cincinnati Post
– From the Publisher

10/01/2021

This standalone epic fantasy is set in the Western European-inspired world of Osten Ard, a millennium before the action of Williams’s „Memory, Sorrow, and Thorn“ trilogy. Two princes of the immortal Sithi–beloved Hakatri and mercurial Ineluki–are bound by pride and love in their quest to slay the greatest of the monstrous dragons, as Ineluki has vowed to do. The quest traps Hakatri in a never-ending cycle of indescribable pain and prophetic dreams, while Ineluki is destroyed by guilt and self-hatred for his role in his brother’s agony. Told from the perspective of Hakatri’s faithful squire, forced to watch as those he serves destroy so many lives around them, Williams’s latest is a story about pride coming before a fall so big that it shakes the foundations of empires. VERDICT Recommended for fans of old-school epic fantasy and anyone who remembers Williams’s 1988 classic The Dragonbone Chair with fondness.–Marlene Harris, Reading Reality, LLC, Duluth, GA
– Library Journal