Tad Williams has been a constant fixture in the fantasy & science fiction genre for the past 25 years. His MEMORY, SORROW AND THORN series is often hailed as one of the finest post-Tolkien epics, and he has established a reputation for writing intelligent door-stopping, novels such as the OTHERLAND books (four volumes) or the SHADOWMARCH series (again, four volumes). His new novel, THE DIRTY STREETS OF HEAVEN, however, is something of a departure for him, maybe even a career changer. It is the first of three (for now at least) planned volumes in this series called the BOOBY DOLLAR BOOKS, but each volume is self-contained and can be read independently from the others. Doloriel is a rather ordinary low-level angel working under his earthly alias Bobby Dollar. He is an angelic advocate; on behalf of the recently deceased he argues for their immortal souls to be accepted into heaven rather than going to hell or even purgatory. He meets his fellow angelic advocates regularly in his favourite angel bar, but he is largely minding his own business and doing his job (which is a lot less glamorous than it sounds like), when suddenly immortal souls start disappearing and neither heaven nor hell seem to now why or how. Bobby Dollar´s life is suddenly at stake even though he does not really know why. However, he is quite sure that his heavenly superiors are not telling him everything and that if he wants to save his own immortal soul, he just has to find out what is happening by himself. DIRTY STREETS starts out as a classic noir detective novel with overtones of Raymond Chandler rather than echoes of Tolkienian epic fantasy. Bobby Dollar is an engaging POV character whose distinctive, witty narrative voice drives the story forward at breakneck pace. He is playing against a colourful ensemble cast of angels, demons and other otherworldly beings. And while the books offers plenty of action and excitement, it is not all empty calories; there is some serious meat on the bones of this novel. A great, fun read that leaves this reader wanting more as soon as possible!

Tad Williams is one of the most inventive fantasy writers working today. He is also one of the very few fantasy writers who takes great care not to repeat himself. So, instead of cranking out one Osten Ard trilogy after the other, he has delved deeply into fairy lore and has written THE WAR OF THE FLOWERS. His first full-length stand-alone novel since his debut novel TAILCHASER\'S SONG (1985). Theo Vilmos\'s journey through an industrialized Fairyland may seem tedious and pointless at times, but this is not a book for the impatient reader or someone who is looking for cheap thrills. It\'s full of allusions and resonances to literature and popular culture and everything comes together in the end. It\'s a long journey, but it\'s worth the trip.

With his MEMORY, SORROW & THORN series Tad Williams has written one of the modern classics of the fantasy genre which helped breathing new life into many old and tired tropes. Now, eleven years after the publication of \"To Green Angel Tower\" Williams returns with the first volume of a brand-new fantasy trilogy. And \"Shadowmarch\" has everything you could ask for in an epic fantasy novel. An interesting cast of characters (the royal twins Briony and Barrick are particularly well done), a strong and mysterious plot that moves along quite nicely, and detailed world-building. \"Shadowmarch\" started out as a television treatment and then morphed into an online serial that was published in bi-weekly installments. Now, Tad has re-written the whole storyline and added a lot of new material. However, with three more volumes to come this is just the beginning of the story. Anyway, I am sure this will become yet another winner for Tad!

Tad\'s first collection of short and non-fiction is not just a collection, but also a career retrospective. RITE includes material from a twenty-year career and is certainly a must-buy for any Tad Williams fan. The stories collected here can show a broader range of topics, styles, moods and themes than his long and complex novels, because Tad could experiment more within the confines of a small story, but some of Tad\'s classic themes are still there. In some stories Tad also pays hommage to writers that influenced him (Peter S.Beagle and Michael Moorcock most notably). Tad introduces each story and explains its origins. The intro \"Why I Write What I Write\" explores what drives Tad to write.

The husband-and-wife team of Tad Williams & Deborah Beale publish the first volume in their Ordinary Farm series (which will eventually run to five volumes). THE DRAGONS OF ORDINARY FARM is aimed at a somewhat younger audience than Tad Williams\' other books, but his adult readers will probably like it just as well. The two main protagonists Tyler and Lucinda, who are unwillingly sent away to the suppossedly boring farm of a very distant relative to spend their summer there, are quickly drawn into the many secrets of Ordinary farm, its strange inhabitant and its even stranger livestock. The book is fast-paced despite the large cast of characters and the plot thickens quickly. The tone is modern (think of \"Otherland for kids\") and the story is less straightforward fantasy but rather science fantasy. Many secrets are revealed and some mysteries solved, but although the first book offers closure, the story is far from over and many mysteries remain intact to be solved in future volumes. Perfect summer book for kids and parents alike.