Realms Of The Underdark: A Book Review

Right I have a couple book reviews I need to get written before I set off for my holiday, so here's the first. Realms of the Underdark is a Forgotten Realms anthology of short stories. What sets this book apart from the other Realms anthologies is the number of stories inside its covers. Most of the anthologies in the series have a dozen or more tales inside, this one though has just five. In that it is unique amongst the series. Well I say five stories, the book does also include a very short preface and postscript, as well as excerpts from three other Realms novels (2 by Elaine Cunningham and 1 by R.A. Salvatore. Since I don't like Salvatore's writing and I am currently reading the first of Elaines books that were featured, I didn't bother reading the excerpts). The five stories are:

1. The Fires Of Narbondel by Mark Anthony. This story is very unusual in that it is the only story that features the dark elf Drizzt Do'Urden that is not written by R.A. Salvatore. In this story Drizzt is still a child, and while he features strongly, the tale is more based around his father Zaknafein as he undertakes a mission to find the Dagger of Menzoberra at the behest of Matron Malice Do'Urden, his ex-lover and Drizzt's mother. considering how good this story is and how much I dislike Salvatore's normal writing style, I feel it a shame that Mr. Anthony didn't pen any more stories featuring the dark elf. Ohh well, anyway this story gets a 4/5 from me.
   
2. A Slow Day In Skullport by Ed Greenwood. *sigh* Where to start... Well this is another typical Ed Greenwood tale, ie take some heroes, send them on a half-assed mission and then try to throw in as many major name characters as possible. Quite why anyone enjoys this mans writing when he does this I have no idea. He can write really good fiction (see my review of Realms Of The Deep for proof of this). I cannot in good conscience award this tale a mark higher than 1/5.
   
3. Rite Of Blood by Elaine Cunningham. This story serves as a prologue of sorts to the Starlight & Shadows trilogy which features the headstrong dark elf princess Liriel Baenre. It was due to reading this very engaging story about her coming of age ceremony (where she has to hunt down a chosen prey in the tunnels around Menzoberranzan and blood her hands), that made me choose to read the trilogy next (it had been sat on my To-Read pile for a while). Top marks for this very entertaining story. 5/5.
   
4. Sea Of Ghosts by Roger E. Moore. This is a very dark tale of revenge and travel in the southern reaches of the Underdark, featuring a pair of unlikely companions (though neither would class the other as a friend). A deep gnome (Wykar) and a borderline insane derro (Geppo) have just escaped from slavery at the hands of the drow, and Wykar is determined to get revenge, Geppo tagging along because he has nothing else better to do. their journey takes them to the monstrous underground lake that is the Sea of Ghosts and there they are witness to a cataclysm. Very gripping writing and I truly had no idea what was going to happen next. Full marks, 5/5.
   
5. Volo Does Menzo by Brian M. Thomsen. This is a story featuring the Realms most widely travelled author, Volothamp Geddarm (or Volo as he is commonly known). A writer of painfully honest travel guides (and honesty has never been in any great demand in the Realms!), Volo is an odd character with seemingly two personalities, one is that of a minor buffoon who stumbles from one misadventure to another, the other is that of a very canny traveller who knows how to play people about him. Caught up in his latest travel is Percival Gallard Woodehous, a down on his luck cook, who along with Volo finds himself being marched through the underdark to the city of Menzoberranzan. The story is simple but fun, so for that it gets 4/5.
   

As well, the Preface and Postscript (which are set in a publishing house in the city of Waterdeep) are also written by Brian M. Thomsen. They loosely tie in to his story. All in all the book is a success with only Ed Greenwoods story ruining my reading. Still I suffered through it. All in all a pretty enjoyable book and I wish that more Realms books could be done in this format (though leaving out the excerpts and having a 6th tale would be better). Overall Realms of the Underdark gets a 4/5 rating from me.