The backlog pile of these reviews is slowly but surely decreasing. Lies of Light by Phillip Athans is a Forgotten Realms novel and the second book in The Watercourse Trilogy, which details one visionary's attempt to build a canal that would link the Sea of Fallen Stars (the landlocked Inner Sea of Faerun) to the Lake of Steam (which then connects into the various outer seas & oceans). The canal would forever alter trade routes, and so for every group/nation that wants to see it built, there's another that doesn't... and many of those who don't are prepared to do anything to stop it being finished.
As with the previous book in the trilogy (Whisper of Waves), each chapter (of which there are many, 68 in all in a book 308 pages in length) is short and is also given a precise date. This is handy in keeping track of the story because the book covers several years worth of events (though nowhere near as many as the first book did).
The book follows Ivar Devorast as he works on his canal, aided by his dwarf stonemason friends Hrothgar & Vrengarl, and then later by the alchemist Surero whose experiments in smokepower, produce amazing results. Unfortunately for Devorast, back in the nearby city-state of Innarlith change is in the air. The Red Wizard Marek Rymut doesn't want the canal built, as he makes a tidy sum of money using magic to shift goods and people from one sea to the other. To that extent he engineers a coup, replacing the Ransar (ruler of the city) who supported & funded the canal project, with one who views it as a huge waste of money and resources.
Undeterred by the sudden lack of funding coming from Innarlith (and not really surprised by it either), Devorast has already secured alternate sources of funding from foreign governments & agencies who are eager to have a shipping route to the outer seas. With the money come men too, and with the explosive power of Surero's smokepowder to boot, if anything the canal is now being built faster than before.
While a power struggle over the canal goes on, Willem's star rises in society whilst he slides into despair, having already been promoted beyond his ability, his sham of a marriage to the beautiful (and haunted) Phyrea (who actually desires Devorast), loses him the woman he truly loves. And all the while the genasi senator Pristoleph rises to power, unnoticed and unchecked.
The book is filled with genuinely interesting characters, even the ones you will despise (and if you're anything like me, then both Willem Korvan and Marek Rymut will be high on that list!) are fascinating to read about. There are many plot threads interweaving, spread over years of time and I am very interested to see how Mr. Athans is going to resolve all of this in the third and final book Scream Of Stone which is out in June 2007.
I'm going to award this book 4/5. It is a good read, but not quite as good as the first part I felt, in large because it is the middle part of the story and so there is no real beginning or ending to the tale, just a lot of plots continuing. There is very little resolution to anything in this book, and the parts where it seem like something is being resolved, really only serve to spur another plot element onwards. One thing is certain though, I really hope that Devorast gets to finish his canal, but I get the feeling that this trilogy isn't going to have a happy ending.
Showing posts with label book review. Show all posts
Showing posts with label book review. Show all posts
Thursday, November 30, 2006
Tuesday, November 28, 2006
Shadowbred: A Book Review
Jumping the queue a bit is a book that I just finished reading in the early hours of this morning. Shadowbred by Paul S. Kemp is a Forgotten Realms novel, and it is the first book of The Twilight War trilogy. The book is a direct sequel to Mr. Kemp's earlier novels Shadow's Witness and the Erevis Cale trilogy (Twilight Falling, Dawn Of Night and Midnight's Mask), and is set about a year after the end of the trilogy in the Year of Lightning Storms (1374DR). As you can see I've read and reviewed all of the authors previous books featuring his main character, so I apologise in advance if any bias rears its head in this review.
The book opens with a chapter showing just what Erevis Cale has been doing since defeating the Sojourner, in the year since those events. In essence he has retired to the country, living a simple life in a cottage with the woman Varra who he rescued from Skullport. Still as the opening chapter shows, old habits die hard, and Cale made a promise to his late friend Jak Fleet to try and be a hero, so at night when his lady sleeps, he has been shadow-walking around the area, battling monsters and villains. Try as he might, Cale cannot deny what he is.
Elsewhere the Shadovar (residents of the sinister city of Shade) are scheming, having spent the couple years since their return to Faerun futiley trying to ressurect their long dead empire. Resigning themselves to defeat on that front, they put into motion plans to gain themselves a new empire... beginning with Sembia, a decadent nation of allied city states, ruled by merchants. and in a land where money and profit rule, corruption is never far behind.
Using lies, hidden agents and murder, the Shadovar easily manipulate Sembia into civil war, a war where they, unseen, will control both forces, allowing them to weaken Sembia to the point where a takeover by their own forces is easy, and perhaps even desired on the part of a war-weary populace. A very clever bit of writing, and not at all dissimilar to the essential plotline of the Sith's manipulations in the Star Wars prequel trilogy.
Drawn into this growing chaos by his old ties to the Uskevren family of Selgaunt, and by the desires of his god Mask, who he has shunned for the past year, Cale immediatly begins to realise that something is terribly wrong in Sembia. To say more than that would be to spoil what is one of the best written books I've read this year... and I've read a LOT of good books this year!
There are some truly awesome sequences to read about in this book, such as a night fight between a hundred armed and dangerous men on horseback and Cale, the first amongst the Chosen of Mask, a priest and assassin. Or the meeting in a dirty alleyway between Cale and his God who is "slumming it". Other characters make a welcome return too, both Magadon Kest who has a very personal struggle to overcome, and though we are kept waiting for him, Mask's number two man, Drasek Riven, Cale's proverbial partner in crime is here too, changed in some ways, but still a bona fide bastard when he needs to be!
The Shadovar are truly nasty villains, evil, scheming, a bit oily at times, but the power these men command is never in doubt in the way they carry themselves, the way they speak. They are epic villains and they behave as such, without ever coming across as being pompous. Unsurprisingly I award this book my highest marks, 5/5 and I'm now eagerly waiting for the second book in the trilogy... bit of a bummer then that it's not out until August 2007!!
The book opens with a chapter showing just what Erevis Cale has been doing since defeating the Sojourner, in the year since those events. In essence he has retired to the country, living a simple life in a cottage with the woman Varra who he rescued from Skullport. Still as the opening chapter shows, old habits die hard, and Cale made a promise to his late friend Jak Fleet to try and be a hero, so at night when his lady sleeps, he has been shadow-walking around the area, battling monsters and villains. Try as he might, Cale cannot deny what he is.
Elsewhere the Shadovar (residents of the sinister city of Shade) are scheming, having spent the couple years since their return to Faerun futiley trying to ressurect their long dead empire. Resigning themselves to defeat on that front, they put into motion plans to gain themselves a new empire... beginning with Sembia, a decadent nation of allied city states, ruled by merchants. and in a land where money and profit rule, corruption is never far behind.
Using lies, hidden agents and murder, the Shadovar easily manipulate Sembia into civil war, a war where they, unseen, will control both forces, allowing them to weaken Sembia to the point where a takeover by their own forces is easy, and perhaps even desired on the part of a war-weary populace. A very clever bit of writing, and not at all dissimilar to the essential plotline of the Sith's manipulations in the Star Wars prequel trilogy.
Drawn into this growing chaos by his old ties to the Uskevren family of Selgaunt, and by the desires of his god Mask, who he has shunned for the past year, Cale immediatly begins to realise that something is terribly wrong in Sembia. To say more than that would be to spoil what is one of the best written books I've read this year... and I've read a LOT of good books this year!
There are some truly awesome sequences to read about in this book, such as a night fight between a hundred armed and dangerous men on horseback and Cale, the first amongst the Chosen of Mask, a priest and assassin. Or the meeting in a dirty alleyway between Cale and his God who is "slumming it". Other characters make a welcome return too, both Magadon Kest who has a very personal struggle to overcome, and though we are kept waiting for him, Mask's number two man, Drasek Riven, Cale's proverbial partner in crime is here too, changed in some ways, but still a bona fide bastard when he needs to be!
The Shadovar are truly nasty villains, evil, scheming, a bit oily at times, but the power these men command is never in doubt in the way they carry themselves, the way they speak. They are epic villains and they behave as such, without ever coming across as being pompous. Unsurprisingly I award this book my highest marks, 5/5 and I'm now eagerly waiting for the second book in the trilogy... bit of a bummer then that it's not out until August 2007!!
Saturday, November 25, 2006
The Sea Devil's Eye: A Book Review
Right, I am now on holiday for the next week, so no more work making cream cakes for a few days, which means I can (hopefully) crack into the frankly hideous backlog I have of things to type up. Like the reviews of the last five novels I've read, all of which are piled up (neatly) at one side of my desk awaiting my attention. So without further waffle from me, let's make a start.
The Sea Devil's Eye by Mel Odom is a Forgotten Realms novel and the final part of the Threat From The Sea Trilogy, which details a war waged on the coastal realm sof Faerun by an alliance of evil undersea creatures (primarily the sahuagin), led by the villainous & mysterious Iakhovas. The book begins a couple months after the events of the previous book (Under Fallen Stars), and also after the short story One Who Swims With Sekolah (also by Mel Odom) which is included in the anthology Realms of the Deep.
We join the narrative as Pacys the elderly human bard is watching the sea elves fight (and lose) a desperate battle with the sahuagin at the site of the Sharksbane Wall, which has just been shattered (as detailed in the short story I mentioned). There he and Khlinat bear witness to the fury of the long imprisoned sahuagin, now freed from behind the wall to terrorise the Inner Sea for the first time in centuries.
Jherek meanwhile is still trying to recover an item he lost from the pirate Vurgrom, accompanied by the paladin Glawinn, the pirate Azla and the lady mage Sabyna. He is growing as a man, maturing, each of his companions (but primarily Glawinn) helping him to become what he needs to be, as all of them can feel the pull of destiny attached to him. This scares Sabyna, she is already confused over her feelings for him, and can't understand why he seems to keep her at arms length, even while obviously having strong feelings for her.
Elsewhere, the malenti priestess Laaqueel serves Iakhovas, but she is troubled having heard another voice calling to her, and not that of her God. This other voice speaks calmly, gently and shows her the truths that her master would keep from her, that Iakhovas is not what he appears to be.
To say any more than that would be to spoil the plot of what is a really gripping tale. I found myself always eager to find out what happened next. If I have a complaint, it would be the same one I've seen voiced on many other revies of this book, and that is that the finale is rushed. I feel another 40-50 pages would have made for a better book. As it is after 3 books of plots, slow and steady character growth, romance, and much derring-do, the main villain is disposed of in a really short fight. Also the big reveal of what he actually is, was a bit of a let down (especially since the front cover completely gives it away!).
All in all, I'm going to give this book 4/5. I thoroughly enjoyed reading it, and some of the characters I would very much like to read further stories about (particularly Glawinn, who is one of the best written paladins I've come across in any novel).
The Sea Devil's Eye by Mel Odom is a Forgotten Realms novel and the final part of the Threat From The Sea Trilogy, which details a war waged on the coastal realm sof Faerun by an alliance of evil undersea creatures (primarily the sahuagin), led by the villainous & mysterious Iakhovas. The book begins a couple months after the events of the previous book (Under Fallen Stars), and also after the short story One Who Swims With Sekolah (also by Mel Odom) which is included in the anthology Realms of the Deep.
We join the narrative as Pacys the elderly human bard is watching the sea elves fight (and lose) a desperate battle with the sahuagin at the site of the Sharksbane Wall, which has just been shattered (as detailed in the short story I mentioned). There he and Khlinat bear witness to the fury of the long imprisoned sahuagin, now freed from behind the wall to terrorise the Inner Sea for the first time in centuries.
Jherek meanwhile is still trying to recover an item he lost from the pirate Vurgrom, accompanied by the paladin Glawinn, the pirate Azla and the lady mage Sabyna. He is growing as a man, maturing, each of his companions (but primarily Glawinn) helping him to become what he needs to be, as all of them can feel the pull of destiny attached to him. This scares Sabyna, she is already confused over her feelings for him, and can't understand why he seems to keep her at arms length, even while obviously having strong feelings for her.
Elsewhere, the malenti priestess Laaqueel serves Iakhovas, but she is troubled having heard another voice calling to her, and not that of her God. This other voice speaks calmly, gently and shows her the truths that her master would keep from her, that Iakhovas is not what he appears to be.
To say any more than that would be to spoil the plot of what is a really gripping tale. I found myself always eager to find out what happened next. If I have a complaint, it would be the same one I've seen voiced on many other revies of this book, and that is that the finale is rushed. I feel another 40-50 pages would have made for a better book. As it is after 3 books of plots, slow and steady character growth, romance, and much derring-do, the main villain is disposed of in a really short fight. Also the big reveal of what he actually is, was a bit of a let down (especially since the front cover completely gives it away!).
All in all, I'm going to give this book 4/5. I thoroughly enjoyed reading it, and some of the characters I would very much like to read further stories about (particularly Glawinn, who is one of the best written paladins I've come across in any novel).
Tuesday, October 17, 2006
Under Fallen Stars: A Book Review
Oy I need to be less lazy when it comes to writing up these book reviews, as now I've got a backlog sat on my desk to type up. Under Fallen Stars by Mel Odom is a Forgotten Realms novel and the second book of the Threat From The Sea trilogy. The theme of this trilogy is a devastating war waged by the evil undersea creatures of Faerun (primarily the sahuagin) against the good undersea races and also the surface dwellers who sail on the oceans and live along the coastlines. This book follows on from where Rising Tide left off with the various characters all heading towards the port city of Baldur's Gate.
What follows is a spectacular night assault on the city by pirates, sahuagin and various sea monsters that devastates the cities bustling port and hard presses the cities famous Flaming fist soldiers to prevent more of the city going up in flames. Jherek is in the thick of the fighting, alongside his new friend, a dwarf with a pegleg by the name of Khlinat Ironeater. Also in town, searching for Jherek is the elderly bard Pacys, drawn there by the epic song he is chasing.
While the battle rages above, Iakhovas and Laaqueel slip into the city unnoticed, retreiving an item that has long been hidden in the sewers, he again spending the lives of her people to provide a distraction adding fuel to his priestesses doubts about the nature of her master. The battle is very well written and I enjoyed it immensely. The aftermath finds Khlinat injured and Jherek wandering the streets in search of a priest to tend to his friend. It is there that he again encounters Sabyna, the pretty ships mage he befriended in the first book, and together the pair are captured (along wth her ship, its captain and crew) by Vurgrom, a pirate in the employ of Iakhovas.
As Jherek and Sabyna are sailed away from the city, heading upriver at a considerable speed (thanks to a strange chair that she is strapped into which adds power to the ship. From a D&D DM/players point of view, it was nice to see a Spelljamming Helm in use), so Pacys finds Khlinat, the two striking up a friendship as the bard learns about Jherek from the dwarf, quickly getting over his despair at having missed/lost the lad he had been drawn too, reasoning that if his god had intended for him to meet Jherek then, then he would have and such a meeeting must be ordained for a later date.
Iakhovas meanwhile reveals what he took from beneath Baldur's Gate to a less than impressed Laaqueel, a ship in a bottle. But not just any ship, this is the Tarjana, a mudship capable of sailing through anything, and a floating fortress from which he intends to command the next phase of his war. Taking the bulk of his kingdoms warriors, Iakhovas opens a portal and brings them through it with him, Laaqueel and his ship to the Inner Sea of Faerun, a place that the undersea residents of it call Seros, and which everyone else calls The Sea of Fallen Stars. Here he rallies the sahuagin of that sea to his cause in a rousing finale to the book.
By the end of the book all the major players have made their way to The Sea of Fallen Stars, Sabyna accompanying Jherek when they finally get free of Vurgom's clutches, the pair travelling with a paladin of Lathander (God of the Dawn) by the name of Glawinn (arguably my favourite character in the series) to a port where they join the crew of Black Champion a ship under the command of the half-elf Captain Azla, she a fierce rival of Vurgom's who wants to find out what he is up to. Pacys and Khlinat arrive by another means, much to the astonishment of the Priests of Gond (God of Invention & Smithing) in Baldur's Gate.
This is a brilliantly written book, I loved reading it and I found myself flicking forward a couple pages each time I had to put it down to return to work at the end of a break just to get a glimpse of what was going to happen next. Unsurprisingly this book gets 5/5 from me.
What follows is a spectacular night assault on the city by pirates, sahuagin and various sea monsters that devastates the cities bustling port and hard presses the cities famous Flaming fist soldiers to prevent more of the city going up in flames. Jherek is in the thick of the fighting, alongside his new friend, a dwarf with a pegleg by the name of Khlinat Ironeater. Also in town, searching for Jherek is the elderly bard Pacys, drawn there by the epic song he is chasing.
While the battle rages above, Iakhovas and Laaqueel slip into the city unnoticed, retreiving an item that has long been hidden in the sewers, he again spending the lives of her people to provide a distraction adding fuel to his priestesses doubts about the nature of her master. The battle is very well written and I enjoyed it immensely. The aftermath finds Khlinat injured and Jherek wandering the streets in search of a priest to tend to his friend. It is there that he again encounters Sabyna, the pretty ships mage he befriended in the first book, and together the pair are captured (along wth her ship, its captain and crew) by Vurgrom, a pirate in the employ of Iakhovas.
As Jherek and Sabyna are sailed away from the city, heading upriver at a considerable speed (thanks to a strange chair that she is strapped into which adds power to the ship. From a D&D DM/players point of view, it was nice to see a Spelljamming Helm in use), so Pacys finds Khlinat, the two striking up a friendship as the bard learns about Jherek from the dwarf, quickly getting over his despair at having missed/lost the lad he had been drawn too, reasoning that if his god had intended for him to meet Jherek then, then he would have and such a meeeting must be ordained for a later date.
Iakhovas meanwhile reveals what he took from beneath Baldur's Gate to a less than impressed Laaqueel, a ship in a bottle. But not just any ship, this is the Tarjana, a mudship capable of sailing through anything, and a floating fortress from which he intends to command the next phase of his war. Taking the bulk of his kingdoms warriors, Iakhovas opens a portal and brings them through it with him, Laaqueel and his ship to the Inner Sea of Faerun, a place that the undersea residents of it call Seros, and which everyone else calls The Sea of Fallen Stars. Here he rallies the sahuagin of that sea to his cause in a rousing finale to the book.
By the end of the book all the major players have made their way to The Sea of Fallen Stars, Sabyna accompanying Jherek when they finally get free of Vurgom's clutches, the pair travelling with a paladin of Lathander (God of the Dawn) by the name of Glawinn (arguably my favourite character in the series) to a port where they join the crew of Black Champion a ship under the command of the half-elf Captain Azla, she a fierce rival of Vurgom's who wants to find out what he is up to. Pacys and Khlinat arrive by another means, much to the astonishment of the Priests of Gond (God of Invention & Smithing) in Baldur's Gate.
This is a brilliantly written book, I loved reading it and I found myself flicking forward a couple pages each time I had to put it down to return to work at the end of a break just to get a glimpse of what was going to happen next. Unsurprisingly this book gets 5/5 from me.
Sunday, October 01, 2006
Rising Tide: A Book Review
Finished this book over a week ago now (and in fact I have the second book in the Trilogy sat in front of me to review also as I write this), so about time I got this novel review written up. Rising Tide by Mel Odom is a Forgotten Realms novel and the first book of The Threat From the Sea Trilogy. Set a few years before the "present day" of the Realms (the year 1374DR currently), the Trilogy details a devastating war that is waged by the evil undersea races against both the peaceful undersea races and also the surface dwellers who dare to sail on the seas and live along the coastlines bordering those same seas.
The instigator of this great war is a mysterious villain by the name of Iakhovas. He is found in a comatose state in a sunken tomb by the malenti priestess Laaqueel. A malenti is a sahaugin born in the shape of their most hated enemies the sea elves. Most such cursed offspring are killed at birth, but some are kept as spies. Laaqueel is doubly cursed though, as her skin has the pale colouring of a surface dwelling elf, rather than the blue or green of a sea elf. It is because of her unique appearance though that she is able to infiltrate surface realms and learn from their libraries of One Who Swims With Sekolah. Sekolah is the Great Shark, the savage and uncaring god of the sahaugin race. Seeking out this legend, causes her to find Iakhovas and awaken him.
Iakhovas is very powerful, an accomplished sorceror who cloaks his true appearance in illusions at all times, appearing to the sahaugin as an impressive example of their own species. Laaqueel though sees him as a one eyed human, scared with runes etched into his skin. Though she rises to power at his side, and she revels in the strength he can bring her people, she has her doubts about her new master. It is through her eyes that we see the evil forces side of the war.
The other main character is Jherek, the bastard son of a ruthless pirate named Bloody Falkane. Branded with his fathers symbol on an arm, Jherek has spent his life since escaping his fathers ship hiding who he really is, knowing that the reward on members of Falkane's crew would cause pretty much anyone to turn him in should they see the mark. Raised by a fortuneteller who took him in, and the phantom Malorrie who haunted her house, he has lived by building ships and working as a sailor.
Fate really doesn't seem to smile on Jherek, one ill turn following another, but ever since the night when he dived from his fathers ship, whever he has been in danger, a voice has called to him with the words "Live, that you may serve". He doesn't know who it is that calls to him, or how he is meant to serve though. When his brand is discovered by the crew of the ship he is working on, he is forced to leave both the ship and then to the town of Velen where he grew up, the only place he has ever called home. He takes passage on another ship, where he befriends Sabyna, the ships pretty mage, who he always calls Lady, even when she tells him that she is no such thing.
Elsewhere, the great city of Waterdeep comes under devastating attack by thousands of sahaugin warriors and many great creatures of the deep, Iakhovas using the resulting carnage as a diversion to claim an item of power, one of many that he has agents in both the outer and inner seas of Faerun searching for. He is determined that all that once was his will be again, but his willingness to shed her peoples blood for the sake of his personal power adds fuel to Laaqueel's doubts, even as she clings to his rising star, sharing in the power he gathers about himself.
Witnessing the onslaught on Waterdeep is the elderly bard Pacys, a man who has wandered the highways and byways of Faerun for most of his seventy six years of age, reciting songs and tales, but who has yet to compose any great saga to pass to the world. He yearns to record a story that he will always be remembered for. A devout worshipper of Oghma (the God of Knowledge) he has heard tantalising hints of such a epic story/song for years now. When the attack comes, he feels the pull of destiny upon him, knowing that there is a greater story than just the attack, and that what he is seeing is merely one act of a far larger plan.
I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book, it is a little slow in getting started, and Jherek doesn't really seem to do all that much. Still by the books end, all the various plot threads weave towards each other, for a fateful meeting in the next novel. Both Jherek and Laaqueel are very well written characters, both plagued by doubts for different reasons, both outcasts in their way. The battle scenes are engaging, and in Iakhovas we have a truly sinister villain, his motives and indeed his real identity kept secret, and his speech both powerful and condescending (he always refers to Laaqueel as "little malenti").
I'm going to award this book 4/5, as it is a very entertaining read, but it could have been better.
The instigator of this great war is a mysterious villain by the name of Iakhovas. He is found in a comatose state in a sunken tomb by the malenti priestess Laaqueel. A malenti is a sahaugin born in the shape of their most hated enemies the sea elves. Most such cursed offspring are killed at birth, but some are kept as spies. Laaqueel is doubly cursed though, as her skin has the pale colouring of a surface dwelling elf, rather than the blue or green of a sea elf. It is because of her unique appearance though that she is able to infiltrate surface realms and learn from their libraries of One Who Swims With Sekolah. Sekolah is the Great Shark, the savage and uncaring god of the sahaugin race. Seeking out this legend, causes her to find Iakhovas and awaken him.
Iakhovas is very powerful, an accomplished sorceror who cloaks his true appearance in illusions at all times, appearing to the sahaugin as an impressive example of their own species. Laaqueel though sees him as a one eyed human, scared with runes etched into his skin. Though she rises to power at his side, and she revels in the strength he can bring her people, she has her doubts about her new master. It is through her eyes that we see the evil forces side of the war.
The other main character is Jherek, the bastard son of a ruthless pirate named Bloody Falkane. Branded with his fathers symbol on an arm, Jherek has spent his life since escaping his fathers ship hiding who he really is, knowing that the reward on members of Falkane's crew would cause pretty much anyone to turn him in should they see the mark. Raised by a fortuneteller who took him in, and the phantom Malorrie who haunted her house, he has lived by building ships and working as a sailor.
Fate really doesn't seem to smile on Jherek, one ill turn following another, but ever since the night when he dived from his fathers ship, whever he has been in danger, a voice has called to him with the words "Live, that you may serve". He doesn't know who it is that calls to him, or how he is meant to serve though. When his brand is discovered by the crew of the ship he is working on, he is forced to leave both the ship and then to the town of Velen where he grew up, the only place he has ever called home. He takes passage on another ship, where he befriends Sabyna, the ships pretty mage, who he always calls Lady, even when she tells him that she is no such thing.
Elsewhere, the great city of Waterdeep comes under devastating attack by thousands of sahaugin warriors and many great creatures of the deep, Iakhovas using the resulting carnage as a diversion to claim an item of power, one of many that he has agents in both the outer and inner seas of Faerun searching for. He is determined that all that once was his will be again, but his willingness to shed her peoples blood for the sake of his personal power adds fuel to Laaqueel's doubts, even as she clings to his rising star, sharing in the power he gathers about himself.
Witnessing the onslaught on Waterdeep is the elderly bard Pacys, a man who has wandered the highways and byways of Faerun for most of his seventy six years of age, reciting songs and tales, but who has yet to compose any great saga to pass to the world. He yearns to record a story that he will always be remembered for. A devout worshipper of Oghma (the God of Knowledge) he has heard tantalising hints of such a epic story/song for years now. When the attack comes, he feels the pull of destiny upon him, knowing that there is a greater story than just the attack, and that what he is seeing is merely one act of a far larger plan.
I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book, it is a little slow in getting started, and Jherek doesn't really seem to do all that much. Still by the books end, all the various plot threads weave towards each other, for a fateful meeting in the next novel. Both Jherek and Laaqueel are very well written characters, both plagued by doubts for different reasons, both outcasts in their way. The battle scenes are engaging, and in Iakhovas we have a truly sinister villain, his motives and indeed his real identity kept secret, and his speech both powerful and condescending (he always refers to Laaqueel as "little malenti").
I'm going to award this book 4/5, as it is a very entertaining read, but it could have been better.
Thursday, September 14, 2006
Faces Of Deception: A Book Review
I'm not entirely sure what it is about Elaine Cunningham's books that makes me not want to write reviews of them, but having recently finished The Dream Spheres by her I find myself uninterested in describing the book. At any rate I give it a 3/5 rating.
So with that done, on to the next book, which I finished reading yesterday. Faces Of Deception by Troy Denning is a Forgotten Realms novel and the second in a quartet of stand-alone tales entitled Lost Empires. I'm not entirely sure why the book is in this set though, because unlike the other 3 books in the series, this one does not feature some secret from a past fallen kingdom. It is set in the present day of the Realms.
The main character of the book is Atreus Eleint, a human of noble birth whose mother had him cursed with ugliness to hide him from the families enemies during the civil strife that tore the nation of Tethyr apart not long after he was born. His family were all killed in the strife, but he (and his families considerable wealth) survived in the care of the Shieldbreaker clan of ogres, who were his families former bodyguards. With his frightfully ugly features, he blended in with the young of the clan and his life was thus spared. Now a grown man, Atreus has found that getting rid of the curse is proving to be very hard, even for a man of his means.
To this end he has essentially bought himself a place in the faithful of Sune Firehair, the Goddess of Beauty. While his money is more than welcome though, he is not and to this end the temple's priests give him a false vision, sending him on a near impossible quest to find the mystical/mythical valley of Langdarma and to bring back a vial of sparkling water from the Fountain of Infinite Grace. Do this they claim, and his looks would be restored to normal. Utterly convinced by the vision, he and his ogre bodyguard Yago set off at once.
The next chapter is set some five months later after the pair have travelled many hundreds of miles to the state of Edenvale, in an area of the Realms not actually on the map of the continent of Faerun (in fact I cannot for the life of me find any map of the area where Edenvale is located) called The Utter East. There they get a short and rather confusing audience with the geriatric queen who orders her troops to send the pair back home. Cue an escape sequence over rooftops and through alleyways, helped by a native named Rishi.
Rishi is a thoroughly unlikeable character. A liar and a thief, who exagerrates about everything. I despised him within a page of reading about him. And yet Atreus just keeps on making allowances for this worm, even when he catches him trying to steal from him on more than one occassion. Continuing with the plot, the trio (and another lying thief called Bharat who is an accomplice of Rishi) head into the wilds of the Yehimal Mountains, being pursued by the Queen's guards, in particular a patrol led by a captain named Naraka.
Seeking to lose them after a fight in which Bharat is killed (by Rishi!), the group head into a bitterly cold swamp, and there they run into a group of slavers led by a devil (literally) called Tarch. Amongst his captives is the lovely Seema, a woman of great beauty and strong pacifist ideals. When Atreus and Rishi have dealt with the guards and then the slavers, she joins the group in gratitude, though she continually claims that Langdarma doesn't exist. Not willing to take her word over that of a goddess, Atreus and his companions continue up into the mountains, now pursued by Tarch who wants Seema back as she will fetch a high price at market.
I'm not giving anything away to say that yes they do find Langdarma and that it isn't what they expect (certainly it is neither Rishi or Yago's idea of a paradise). The book is a frustrating read, as in places it is very philosophical on the nature of paradise, beauty, honour and such things. It makes you stop and think. None of the characters is entirely right or wrong (except Rishi who is just plain annoying all the way through), even Seema whose admonition against killing prevents the group for simply dealing with Tarch, they instead unwittingly leading a devil into paradise.
The books ending leaves a lot to be desired though, as it just simply ends. There is no resolution of any kind, and you are left wondering what happens next as the book finishes on a cliffhanger of sorts, yet there is no follow-up book to it. I'm going to award this book 2/5. While it is well written it doesn't feel like a Realms book at all, it doesn't fit in with the theme of Lost Empires, it has no ending (or at least no end that feels like an end), and in Rishi, it has arguably the single most annoying character I've ever had the displeasure to read about.
So with that done, on to the next book, which I finished reading yesterday. Faces Of Deception by Troy Denning is a Forgotten Realms novel and the second in a quartet of stand-alone tales entitled Lost Empires. I'm not entirely sure why the book is in this set though, because unlike the other 3 books in the series, this one does not feature some secret from a past fallen kingdom. It is set in the present day of the Realms.
The main character of the book is Atreus Eleint, a human of noble birth whose mother had him cursed with ugliness to hide him from the families enemies during the civil strife that tore the nation of Tethyr apart not long after he was born. His family were all killed in the strife, but he (and his families considerable wealth) survived in the care of the Shieldbreaker clan of ogres, who were his families former bodyguards. With his frightfully ugly features, he blended in with the young of the clan and his life was thus spared. Now a grown man, Atreus has found that getting rid of the curse is proving to be very hard, even for a man of his means.
To this end he has essentially bought himself a place in the faithful of Sune Firehair, the Goddess of Beauty. While his money is more than welcome though, he is not and to this end the temple's priests give him a false vision, sending him on a near impossible quest to find the mystical/mythical valley of Langdarma and to bring back a vial of sparkling water from the Fountain of Infinite Grace. Do this they claim, and his looks would be restored to normal. Utterly convinced by the vision, he and his ogre bodyguard Yago set off at once.
The next chapter is set some five months later after the pair have travelled many hundreds of miles to the state of Edenvale, in an area of the Realms not actually on the map of the continent of Faerun (in fact I cannot for the life of me find any map of the area where Edenvale is located) called The Utter East. There they get a short and rather confusing audience with the geriatric queen who orders her troops to send the pair back home. Cue an escape sequence over rooftops and through alleyways, helped by a native named Rishi.
Rishi is a thoroughly unlikeable character. A liar and a thief, who exagerrates about everything. I despised him within a page of reading about him. And yet Atreus just keeps on making allowances for this worm, even when he catches him trying to steal from him on more than one occassion. Continuing with the plot, the trio (and another lying thief called Bharat who is an accomplice of Rishi) head into the wilds of the Yehimal Mountains, being pursued by the Queen's guards, in particular a patrol led by a captain named Naraka.
Seeking to lose them after a fight in which Bharat is killed (by Rishi!), the group head into a bitterly cold swamp, and there they run into a group of slavers led by a devil (literally) called Tarch. Amongst his captives is the lovely Seema, a woman of great beauty and strong pacifist ideals. When Atreus and Rishi have dealt with the guards and then the slavers, she joins the group in gratitude, though she continually claims that Langdarma doesn't exist. Not willing to take her word over that of a goddess, Atreus and his companions continue up into the mountains, now pursued by Tarch who wants Seema back as she will fetch a high price at market.
I'm not giving anything away to say that yes they do find Langdarma and that it isn't what they expect (certainly it is neither Rishi or Yago's idea of a paradise). The book is a frustrating read, as in places it is very philosophical on the nature of paradise, beauty, honour and such things. It makes you stop and think. None of the characters is entirely right or wrong (except Rishi who is just plain annoying all the way through), even Seema whose admonition against killing prevents the group for simply dealing with Tarch, they instead unwittingly leading a devil into paradise.
The books ending leaves a lot to be desired though, as it just simply ends. There is no resolution of any kind, and you are left wondering what happens next as the book finishes on a cliffhanger of sorts, yet there is no follow-up book to it. I'm going to award this book 2/5. While it is well written it doesn't feel like a Realms book at all, it doesn't fit in with the theme of Lost Empires, it has no ending (or at least no end that feels like an end), and in Rishi, it has arguably the single most annoying character I've ever had the displeasure to read about.
Thursday, August 31, 2006
Bloodwalk: A Book Review
I finished this book a few days back, and I'm already halfway through the next novel on my reading pile, so about time I got this reveiw written up lest I end up with a backlog again! Bloodwalk by James P. Davis is a Forgotten Realms novel, and the second volume in the four book series entitled The Wizards. Each of the novels in this series is a stand alone tale, with the common theme being that each features a wizard as a central character. In this case the wizard in question is the main villain of the tale, a sorceress by the name of Morgynn who possesses truly frightening powers, her magic fueled by blood.
Morgynn's power stems from the death and rebirth she endured years before, having been killed by her own mother and her tribe, they fearful of the then girls natural talent for sorcery which they regarded as unnatural. Brought back to life by the cultists of a devil god named Gargauth, she first took her revenge on her mothers people and then travelled the Realms, being moved on from place to place until her wanderings bring her and her followers to the poorly defended lands of the Border Kingdoms.
Here she sets about raising an army of undead and fiendish creatures, using the power of an ancient ruined fortress/city to power a terrifying storm that will assist her forces in laying waste to the region. While she is a truly scary villain, Morgynn never strikes me as being a very clever one, she regards pretty much all of her followers as expendable and she is supremely arrogant, her anger usually getting the better of any common sense she might have. It is this failing that leads her to manipulate a wandering Ghostwalker to arrive in the region, hoping to use him to create false hope in the areas defenders.
What she hadn't counted on (but which should really have been pretty obvious if she'd thought about it), was that the Ghostwalker wouldn't just go away. The Ghostwalker is a travelling servant of Hoar, the God of Vengeance by the name of Quinsareth, a man seemingly without reason or purpose in his life save to go whereever he feels "called" too and set right the wrongs there, before moving on. I find it hard to believe that any villain would want such a character anywhere near their evil plans, as such a person simply screams "spanner in the works".
Adding to the regions problems are the seers of Savras, the God of Divination, who led by their frankly deluded High Oracle Sameska who espouse a policy of doing nothing to combat the evil growing in the nearby Qurth Forest (where Morgynn's forces are massing near the ruined citadel), because she believes that the Ghostwalker will save them, even though Quinsareth doesn't believe in prophecy or any higher calling save that of his God (and even then only because it gives him something to do).
All in all this is an odd book, and I'm not sure whether it works or not. It is without a doubt a lot darker in tone than most Realms novels, bordering on being almost Lovecraftian in parts. I think part of my problem with this book is that none of the characters seem all that focused on anything. Quinsareth exists but does little more, essentially he is empty inside. Morgynn has evil designs but no actual plan for acheiving them (at least not one that makes any actual sense, would be conquerors do not consider their armies to be expendable).
Overall I'm going to award this book a 3/5 rating. It is undeniably well written, and Mr. Davis writes really well, his description is brilliant, but the motives of his characters are in my opinion a mess. The book does end in such a way as to leave room for a sequel which would feature Quinsareth, though I'm not sure whether I'd be interested in reading another tale about a character who is essentially hollow.
Morgynn's power stems from the death and rebirth she endured years before, having been killed by her own mother and her tribe, they fearful of the then girls natural talent for sorcery which they regarded as unnatural. Brought back to life by the cultists of a devil god named Gargauth, she first took her revenge on her mothers people and then travelled the Realms, being moved on from place to place until her wanderings bring her and her followers to the poorly defended lands of the Border Kingdoms.
Here she sets about raising an army of undead and fiendish creatures, using the power of an ancient ruined fortress/city to power a terrifying storm that will assist her forces in laying waste to the region. While she is a truly scary villain, Morgynn never strikes me as being a very clever one, she regards pretty much all of her followers as expendable and she is supremely arrogant, her anger usually getting the better of any common sense she might have. It is this failing that leads her to manipulate a wandering Ghostwalker to arrive in the region, hoping to use him to create false hope in the areas defenders.
What she hadn't counted on (but which should really have been pretty obvious if she'd thought about it), was that the Ghostwalker wouldn't just go away. The Ghostwalker is a travelling servant of Hoar, the God of Vengeance by the name of Quinsareth, a man seemingly without reason or purpose in his life save to go whereever he feels "called" too and set right the wrongs there, before moving on. I find it hard to believe that any villain would want such a character anywhere near their evil plans, as such a person simply screams "spanner in the works".
Adding to the regions problems are the seers of Savras, the God of Divination, who led by their frankly deluded High Oracle Sameska who espouse a policy of doing nothing to combat the evil growing in the nearby Qurth Forest (where Morgynn's forces are massing near the ruined citadel), because she believes that the Ghostwalker will save them, even though Quinsareth doesn't believe in prophecy or any higher calling save that of his God (and even then only because it gives him something to do).
All in all this is an odd book, and I'm not sure whether it works or not. It is without a doubt a lot darker in tone than most Realms novels, bordering on being almost Lovecraftian in parts. I think part of my problem with this book is that none of the characters seem all that focused on anything. Quinsareth exists but does little more, essentially he is empty inside. Morgynn has evil designs but no actual plan for acheiving them (at least not one that makes any actual sense, would be conquerors do not consider their armies to be expendable).
Overall I'm going to award this book a 3/5 rating. It is undeniably well written, and Mr. Davis writes really well, his description is brilliant, but the motives of his characters are in my opinion a mess. The book does end in such a way as to leave room for a sequel which would feature Quinsareth, though I'm not sure whether I'd be interested in reading another tale about a character who is essentially hollow.
Wednesday, August 16, 2006
Blackstaff: A Book Review
Well I was going to write up a book review for the trilogy I read while on holiday in Malta, but I can't be bothered. Suffice to say that I enjoyed reading the Starlight & Shadows Trilogy by Elaine Cunningham and I award it 4/5. So with that done, on to the book I finished earlier today. Blackstaff by Steven E. Schend is a Forgotten Realms novel and the first book in a quartet of stand alone novels entitled The Wizards, the focus for which should be obvious. The wizard in this case is Khelben "Blackstaff" Arunsun, one of the more powerful mages of the Realms.
The central premise of the book has Khelben's apprentice Tsarra Chaadren becoming bonded to her mentor via a spellcasting by another apprentice going horribly wrong. As a result of this, Tsarra is exposed to Khelben's memories and secrets which span nearly a millenium, he being far older than his current identity would have him appear to be. As frightening as some of those memories are, Tsarra quickly learns that Khelben has known that this would happen for a very long time.
Unable to be further than eight armspans from the great wizard, Tsarra is brought along as a plan many centuries in fruition starts to form. Khelben travels across the Realms gathering items and allies, all the while working to thwart the ambitions of a corrupt former student of his, now a deadly lich, who seeks to steal control of what the Blackstaff is up to, even though he doesn't really comprehend the full scope of the wizards ambitious undertaking.
Unused to having to explain himself, Khelben finds himself having to deal with Tsarra's anger at being left "out of the loop", and increasingly has to open up to the girl to explain what she sees in his memories which occasionally overwhelm her in the form of a vision. Too some of the things Khelben takes for granted are quite shocking to his apprentice, such as the "Dead Man's Walk", a chain of portals & caches at the sites of the graves of the identities Khelben has had over the centuries.
The story culminates in one of the best written spectacles I have seen in any book, a massive undertaking of magic, cast by many of the notable wizards (and even a few priests) of the Realms. To anyone who knows and loves the Realms as I do, names like Elminster, Alustriel & Laeral Silverhand, Maskar Wands, Malchor Harpell and Maaril the Dragonmage need no introduction. The book nicely touches on some plotlines long left unresolved (such as two of my favourite characters: Sememmon & Ashemmi) tying up some, and spinning others off in new and unforeseen directions.
It is clear to me that Mr. Schend really "gets" both the Realms and Khelben himself, hardly surprising given that he used to be a staff writer at TSR before they were bought out by Wizards of the Coast. At the end of this book I am left wanting more from the author, though this story is complete in an of itself, I am already eager to see what his next novel will cover. To me that is a sign both of a good writer and a good story well told, especially so since this is his first novel. This book gets top marks from me, 5/5. I can only hope the other books in The Wizards series live up to the promise of this first tome.
The central premise of the book has Khelben's apprentice Tsarra Chaadren becoming bonded to her mentor via a spellcasting by another apprentice going horribly wrong. As a result of this, Tsarra is exposed to Khelben's memories and secrets which span nearly a millenium, he being far older than his current identity would have him appear to be. As frightening as some of those memories are, Tsarra quickly learns that Khelben has known that this would happen for a very long time.
Unable to be further than eight armspans from the great wizard, Tsarra is brought along as a plan many centuries in fruition starts to form. Khelben travels across the Realms gathering items and allies, all the while working to thwart the ambitions of a corrupt former student of his, now a deadly lich, who seeks to steal control of what the Blackstaff is up to, even though he doesn't really comprehend the full scope of the wizards ambitious undertaking.
Unused to having to explain himself, Khelben finds himself having to deal with Tsarra's anger at being left "out of the loop", and increasingly has to open up to the girl to explain what she sees in his memories which occasionally overwhelm her in the form of a vision. Too some of the things Khelben takes for granted are quite shocking to his apprentice, such as the "Dead Man's Walk", a chain of portals & caches at the sites of the graves of the identities Khelben has had over the centuries.
The story culminates in one of the best written spectacles I have seen in any book, a massive undertaking of magic, cast by many of the notable wizards (and even a few priests) of the Realms. To anyone who knows and loves the Realms as I do, names like Elminster, Alustriel & Laeral Silverhand, Maskar Wands, Malchor Harpell and Maaril the Dragonmage need no introduction. The book nicely touches on some plotlines long left unresolved (such as two of my favourite characters: Sememmon & Ashemmi) tying up some, and spinning others off in new and unforeseen directions.
It is clear to me that Mr. Schend really "gets" both the Realms and Khelben himself, hardly surprising given that he used to be a staff writer at TSR before they were bought out by Wizards of the Coast. At the end of this book I am left wanting more from the author, though this story is complete in an of itself, I am already eager to see what his next novel will cover. To me that is a sign both of a good writer and a good story well told, especially so since this is his first novel. This book gets top marks from me, 5/5. I can only hope the other books in The Wizards series live up to the promise of this first tome.
Monday, July 24, 2006
Silver Shadows: A Book Review
And here is the second outstanding book review. Thought it best to get them written up before going on my holiday. As I'm taking a trilogy with me I didn't really want to come back home to 5 reviews needing writing! Silver Shadows by Elaine Cunningham is a Forgotten Realms novel and its major character is Arilyn Moonblade from the novel Elfshadow. It is set at around the same time as the novel Elfsong which also (briefly) features Arilyn. This book basically details the adventures that Arilyn is having while her partner Danilo Thann is battling a renegade bard in the north.
Here Arilyn is caught up in the machinations of Lord Inselm Hhune, a prominent guildmaster i the fractured land of Tethyr whose illegal logging operation is provoking the peaceful wild elves of the Tethir Forest. Exacerbating matters is Hhune's vicious henchman, a brute by the name of Bunlap (silly name I know!), who seems hellbent on destroying the elves outright. With Hhune elsewhere (he has gone north to Waterdeep and features in Elfsong whilst there), Bunlap has carte blanche to run things his way.
Arilyn is tasked by Queen Amlaruil of Evermeet (the island home of the elven peoples) to offer the wild elves the route of Retreat to Evermeet's well guarded shores. Initially hostile to the idea of helping the queen who has never regarded Arilyn (a half-elf) with anything less than revulsion, Arilyn does come around to the idea after finding out that her soul (and that of Danilo also) have become bonded to the magical Moonblade she wields. Horrified at the idea of being trapped in the blade when she dies, she agrees to serve as Evermeets emmissary to the wild elves in the hope that the queen can sever the bond that will trap her and her partner's souls.
In the forest she has to be careful to conceal her mixed heritage, as while the elves will tolerate a non-wild elf in their presence, they would kill her in an instant if they knew she was a half-elf. There Arilyn befriends the war leader of the people, a charismatic male elf named Foxfire, and she is watched closely by a female named Ferret. But when the elves strength is not enough, Arilyn must call on an unusual ally, the human Tinkersdam, a priest of Gond (God of Technology and Invention) and his explosive conconctions. I would be grossly underestimating him if I said that Tinkersdam is a very fun character.
I can't really say amore about the plot without giving away some huge surprises, as the plot twists and turns, with the characters having to go all over the place before eventually figuring out Bunlap's plan and fighting a truly epic battle.
Elaine's lyrical writing style is perfect for elves, and it is no surprise that most of her Realms novels feature elves strongly (though the less said about her awful Counsellors & Kings trilogy the better). I am taking her Starlight & Shadows trilogy on holiday to Malta with me. there is another sequel to this book (The Dream Spheres which is sat on my To-Read list at the time of writing this) and another (Restoration) being written. Silver Shadows though gets a solid 4/5 rating from me.
Here Arilyn is caught up in the machinations of Lord Inselm Hhune, a prominent guildmaster i the fractured land of Tethyr whose illegal logging operation is provoking the peaceful wild elves of the Tethir Forest. Exacerbating matters is Hhune's vicious henchman, a brute by the name of Bunlap (silly name I know!), who seems hellbent on destroying the elves outright. With Hhune elsewhere (he has gone north to Waterdeep and features in Elfsong whilst there), Bunlap has carte blanche to run things his way.
Arilyn is tasked by Queen Amlaruil of Evermeet (the island home of the elven peoples) to offer the wild elves the route of Retreat to Evermeet's well guarded shores. Initially hostile to the idea of helping the queen who has never regarded Arilyn (a half-elf) with anything less than revulsion, Arilyn does come around to the idea after finding out that her soul (and that of Danilo also) have become bonded to the magical Moonblade she wields. Horrified at the idea of being trapped in the blade when she dies, she agrees to serve as Evermeets emmissary to the wild elves in the hope that the queen can sever the bond that will trap her and her partner's souls.
In the forest she has to be careful to conceal her mixed heritage, as while the elves will tolerate a non-wild elf in their presence, they would kill her in an instant if they knew she was a half-elf. There Arilyn befriends the war leader of the people, a charismatic male elf named Foxfire, and she is watched closely by a female named Ferret. But when the elves strength is not enough, Arilyn must call on an unusual ally, the human Tinkersdam, a priest of Gond (God of Technology and Invention) and his explosive conconctions. I would be grossly underestimating him if I said that Tinkersdam is a very fun character.
I can't really say amore about the plot without giving away some huge surprises, as the plot twists and turns, with the characters having to go all over the place before eventually figuring out Bunlap's plan and fighting a truly epic battle.
Elaine's lyrical writing style is perfect for elves, and it is no surprise that most of her Realms novels feature elves strongly (though the less said about her awful Counsellors & Kings trilogy the better). I am taking her Starlight & Shadows trilogy on holiday to Malta with me. there is another sequel to this book (The Dream Spheres which is sat on my To-Read list at the time of writing this) and another (Restoration) being written. Silver Shadows though gets a solid 4/5 rating from me.
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:
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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
Monday, June 26, 2006
Elfsong: A Book Review
Right one more book after this one to review and then I'm all caught up on these. Elfsong by Elaine Cunningham is a Forgotten Realms novel and is the sequel to her earlier book Elfshadow. As with that earlier book, this one is part of the Harpers series of stories that focuses on the agents of that semi-secret organisation. In this case the Harper agent is Danilo Thann, a nobleman and dandy of Waterdeep and both amateur wizard and bard. This is his story and his partner from the first novel (Arilyn Moonblade) makes only the briefest of appearances near the start of the book.
Danilo is called upon by his uncle Khelben 'Blackstaff' Arunsun, Archmage of Waterdeep and a senior Harper to investigate why the bards of the northlands are suddenly telling tales that are wrong and even ones of events that have never happened at all! Danilo is joined in this quest by the elf bard Wyn and a dwarven artist named Morgalla. Together they set out to confront the green dragon Grimnoshtadrano, as one of the new tales that has suddenly appeared in the minds of the bards is clearly intended to lure people to the dragons lair for a riddle challenge.
Deciding that having a riddlemaster with them would be very wise, Danilo seeks to hire one Vartain of Calimport, only to find that he is already employed in the service of one of Danilo's worst enemies, the rogue elf Elaith Craulnober. Elaith is searching for the Morninglark Harp, an ancient elven instrument of great power which is reputed to be in the green dragons possession. Meeting up and on the brink of fighting each other, the two groups (Elaith has a half dozen mercenaries with him too), are attacked by a large band of harpies which they barely fend off. Agreeing to travel together for mutual protection the group head for the dragon's lair.
What neither of them know is that the harp isn't there anymore, having been given by the dragon to the bard Garnet in return for the song that will lure bards to him. Garnet seeks revenge on Khelben for what has happened to the Harpers, a group originally founded to preserve the history and lore of the world but now almost exclusively concerned with furthering the political aims of its leaders. Garnet seeks to use the power of the harp and song in general to teach the world a lesson that it ignores history at its peril.
Further complicating matters are the Knights of the Shield, a group of ruthless southern merchant lords with an eye on taking control of Waterdeep itself. Waterdeep is ruled by the masked Lords, all but one of them anonymous to the general public. But anonymity can be as much a hindrance as a help if the right rumours are started, especially as Garnet's influence in altering the songs helps to undermine the legitimacy of Waterdeep's unknown rulers.
The book is very well written as I would usually expect from Elaine Cunningham, one of the best loved authors of the Realms (just don't get me started on her awful Counsellors & Kings trilogy!), with truly wonderful repartee between Elaith and Danilo, two men who despise each other and yet have a mutual grudging respect for one another. This is very much their book, though all the secondary characters get plenty of moments to shine. Elaine writes very good ensemble stories and this is no exception.
There is a lot of humour too, mostly provided by Danilo, who acts the fop and dandy, but in truth is anything but. Morgalla has a wonderful sense of wit too (especially in her satirical portraits), and also Laeral, Khelben's long suffering wife who has a mischievous streak a mile long! The plot twists and turns, and covers a great deal of the northlands too before it is done. I'm going to award this novel 4/5 though, as while it is very good, Danilo as a character does work best when he has Arilyn to complement him, a role that Elaith, Morgalla and Wyn just cannot completely fill in her absence.
Danilo is called upon by his uncle Khelben 'Blackstaff' Arunsun, Archmage of Waterdeep and a senior Harper to investigate why the bards of the northlands are suddenly telling tales that are wrong and even ones of events that have never happened at all! Danilo is joined in this quest by the elf bard Wyn and a dwarven artist named Morgalla. Together they set out to confront the green dragon Grimnoshtadrano, as one of the new tales that has suddenly appeared in the minds of the bards is clearly intended to lure people to the dragons lair for a riddle challenge.
Deciding that having a riddlemaster with them would be very wise, Danilo seeks to hire one Vartain of Calimport, only to find that he is already employed in the service of one of Danilo's worst enemies, the rogue elf Elaith Craulnober. Elaith is searching for the Morninglark Harp, an ancient elven instrument of great power which is reputed to be in the green dragons possession. Meeting up and on the brink of fighting each other, the two groups (Elaith has a half dozen mercenaries with him too), are attacked by a large band of harpies which they barely fend off. Agreeing to travel together for mutual protection the group head for the dragon's lair.
What neither of them know is that the harp isn't there anymore, having been given by the dragon to the bard Garnet in return for the song that will lure bards to him. Garnet seeks revenge on Khelben for what has happened to the Harpers, a group originally founded to preserve the history and lore of the world but now almost exclusively concerned with furthering the political aims of its leaders. Garnet seeks to use the power of the harp and song in general to teach the world a lesson that it ignores history at its peril.
Further complicating matters are the Knights of the Shield, a group of ruthless southern merchant lords with an eye on taking control of Waterdeep itself. Waterdeep is ruled by the masked Lords, all but one of them anonymous to the general public. But anonymity can be as much a hindrance as a help if the right rumours are started, especially as Garnet's influence in altering the songs helps to undermine the legitimacy of Waterdeep's unknown rulers.
The book is very well written as I would usually expect from Elaine Cunningham, one of the best loved authors of the Realms (just don't get me started on her awful Counsellors & Kings trilogy!), with truly wonderful repartee between Elaith and Danilo, two men who despise each other and yet have a mutual grudging respect for one another. This is very much their book, though all the secondary characters get plenty of moments to shine. Elaine writes very good ensemble stories and this is no exception.
There is a lot of humour too, mostly provided by Danilo, who acts the fop and dandy, but in truth is anything but. Morgalla has a wonderful sense of wit too (especially in her satirical portraits), and also Laeral, Khelben's long suffering wife who has a mischievous streak a mile long! The plot twists and turns, and covers a great deal of the northlands too before it is done. I'm going to award this novel 4/5 though, as while it is very good, Danilo as a character does work best when he has Arilyn to complement him, a role that Elaith, Morgalla and Wyn just cannot completely fill in her absence.
Sunday, June 25, 2006
Realms Of The Deep: A Book Review
Considering that I finished this book a couple weeks back (and have read a couple others since), it is well past time that I wrote up this review of it. Realms of the Deep is an anthology of short stories, set in the world of the Forgotten Realms. As with the other Realms anthologies such as Realms of the Elves, the stories within its covers have a common theme, in this case they are set around the events of the Threat From The Sea trilogy of novels, which detailed a great war under the seas around Faerun, which at times spilled over onto the lands that had shorelines along those seas.
The stories in this anthology are as follows:
As well, at the back of the book is a small appendix detailing the Calendar of Harptos, which is how the world of the Forgotten Realms measures its years. Too there are a few pages giving a paragraph of infomation on each of the authors.
All in all this is a pretty decent collection of stories, with a couple stand out tales from Troy Denning and Mel Odom, and a surprisingly good story from Ed Greenwood (whose stories I normally can't stand). I've not read the trilogy that this anthology supports as yet, as I'm having a hard time finding a copy of the second book, but after reading this book I am much more keen to do so.
The stories in this anthology are as follows:
- Hard Choices by Lynn Abbey. Where a malenti (a sahaugin that looks like a sea elf), must decide whether his allegiance lies with the people he was born too, or those he resembles. 3/5.
- Fire Is Fire by Elaine Cunningham. A young wizard who dreams of glory gets a harsh lesson in reality during the sahaugin's siege of Waterdeep. 4/5.
- Messenger to Seros by Peter Archer. A merman is sent to bring warning to the peoples of the Inner Sea of the growing war and befriends an orphaned girl in his strange voyage. 2/5.
- The Place Where Guards Snore At Their Posts by Ed Greenwood. An apprentice wizard on the Isle of Mintarn with a fondness for practical jokes, becomes the unlikely saviour of the island's ruler (and his lovely daughter). 4/5.
- Lost Cause by Richard Lee Byers. A knight sent to lead a militia unit gets a lesson in honour & duty in the process of defending a village from attacks by Crabmen. 4/5.
- Forged In Fire by Clayton Emery. A pirate captain only out for himself is reluctantly drawn into the growing conflict with the creatures of the sea, and meets his match in the form of Belinda Destine, a nigh unstoppable Imperial Marine of Calimshan. 4/5.
- One Who Swims With Sekolah by Mel Odom. Laaqueel, a malenti priestess bears witness as her king Iakhovas, the instigator of the undersea war, seeks an artifact and then uses it to shatter the Sharksbane Wall, freeing the sahaugin to raid and pillage the Inner Sea. 5/5.
- The Crystal Reef by Troy Denning. A pauper Reef Giant is caught between the forces of Calimshan's navy, and those of the undersea races when they fight over the worthless island that is his beloved home, neither side willing to concede the island to the other, their battle destroying it in the process! 5/5.
- The Patrol by Larry Hobbs. A rookie guardsman earns the respect of his colleagues in the Cimbar city watch whilst hunting down a malenti assassin. 3/5.
- Star Of Tethyr by Thomas M. Reid. A young sailor gets his first taste of duty when he is called upon to replace a fallen crewmate during an attack by the undersea races on Tethyr's shipyards. 3/5.
- Persana's Blade by Steven E. Schend. A young triton gets more than he ever thought he would from life, when he becomes bonded to a magical weapon during a devastating attack by morkoth's on his city. 2/5.
- And The Dark Tide Rises by Keith Francis Strohm. Morgan Kevlynson must undertake a perilous journey to an island to pass on a warning on behalf of a badly injured sea elf who cannot make the trip there herself. 3/5.
As well, at the back of the book is a small appendix detailing the Calendar of Harptos, which is how the world of the Forgotten Realms measures its years. Too there are a few pages giving a paragraph of infomation on each of the authors.
All in all this is a pretty decent collection of stories, with a couple stand out tales from Troy Denning and Mel Odom, and a surprisingly good story from Ed Greenwood (whose stories I normally can't stand). I've not read the trilogy that this anthology supports as yet, as I'm having a hard time finding a copy of the second book, but after reading this book I am much more keen to do so.
Tuesday, June 06, 2006
The Jewel Of Turmish: A Book Review
I meant to write up this book review a few days back, still better late than never I suppose. The Jewel of Turmish by Mel Odom is a Forgotten Realms novel and the third book in the four part The Cities series. Each of the four novels is set in one of the great cities of Faerun, in this case the city of Alaghon, capital of the realm of Turmish. I've read all four of the series now and posted a review a while back of one of them, The City of Ravens, the other two I'd read before starting this blog.
The main character of this story is a young male druid by the name of Haarn Brightoak, a defender of the forests and wild lands of Turmish and a servant of the Emerald Enclave, an organisation of druids and rangers, determined to blance the growth of civilisation with the preservation of the wilds. A fantasy version of Greenpeace or the National Trust, only armed with spells and blades! We encounter him as he is following a band of mercenaries who have come into his protected woods to hunt wolves, having been offered gold to bring back wolf scalps by a farmer whose children were attacked.
With the mercenaries is Druz Talimsir, a striking young woman who left her family home in Cormyr to see the world and have adventures. When Haarn catches up to the group she is travelling with, she manages to defuse the potentially violent encounter and then accompanies Haarn as he takes up the hunt for the wolfpack, determined to stop them from preying on humans, knowing that their actions will only serve to bring more hunters into the woodland, hunters that will not be picky about which wolves (and other animals for that matter) they are killing.
Meanwhile in Alaghon itself ,a group of children make a terrible mistake and accidentally wake a long slumbering evil, the mohrg wizard Borran Klosk. As for what a mohrg is, words fail me, so have a look at this picture instead! Now picture that, only with spells as well. As for the name, is it just me or does the name Borran Klosk sound like some eastern european actor from an old Hammer Horror movie? It sure did to me. Anyway, it can use that hideous tongue as a weapon and the book is replete with many mentions of it smashing through heads and ribcages with ease.
To my mind there are two problems with this book. The first is that despite the book ostensibly being about Alaghon, the city doesn't really feature that strongly and certainly is not brought to life by the narrative. In the other books in the series (The City of Ravens, Temple Hill and The City of Splendors), the city itself has seemed as much a character as the people in the story. Not so in this case. the second problem is how long this book takes to really get going. As an example, it is not until page 263 that Haarn and Druz even enter Alaghon, spending far too long in the wilderness hunting a scarred old wolf. Were this a story about a druid in the wild, that would be all fine and good, it is certainly well written, but it is a story about a city. For that city to barely feature is inexcusable.
Actually, while I'm on the topic of things that are wrong, I'll add a third item that annoyed me about this book. The author had previously written the Threat From The Sea Trilogy, which I have not, as yet anyway, read. This novel takes place not long after the end of the trilogy and while I would expect recent events to be mentioned, I would not expect them to be mentioned, repeatedly, in every chapter (and at times it felt like every sodding page). In particular the destruction of The Whamite Isles. Yes they were destroyed, yes the population that lived there is now mindless undead. I got that the first couple times you wrote it Mr. Odom, it really wasn't neccessary to beat me over the head by mentioning it another 50 times!
This book suffers from a loooong drawn out beginning and a rushed finale. At 311 pages, for the main characters to not even enter the setting for which the book is named until page 263 is just wrong. Also the villain of the piece could really have used a better name, I felt like laughing every time I read Borran Klosk on the page (and did laugh whenever some civilian or other would scream something like: "It's Borran Klosk!! Run for your lives!!"). See? You're probably grinning too.
I'm going to award this book 2/5 and it gets that second point solely on the basis of the good writing in the wilderness chapters. Druz and Haarn are good characters, I enjoyed reading about them in the wild and their burgeoning respect and affection for each other. If the book had been 311 pages of that, I'd likely be awarding it 4/5 instead.
The main character of this story is a young male druid by the name of Haarn Brightoak, a defender of the forests and wild lands of Turmish and a servant of the Emerald Enclave, an organisation of druids and rangers, determined to blance the growth of civilisation with the preservation of the wilds. A fantasy version of Greenpeace or the National Trust, only armed with spells and blades! We encounter him as he is following a band of mercenaries who have come into his protected woods to hunt wolves, having been offered gold to bring back wolf scalps by a farmer whose children were attacked.
With the mercenaries is Druz Talimsir, a striking young woman who left her family home in Cormyr to see the world and have adventures. When Haarn catches up to the group she is travelling with, she manages to defuse the potentially violent encounter and then accompanies Haarn as he takes up the hunt for the wolfpack, determined to stop them from preying on humans, knowing that their actions will only serve to bring more hunters into the woodland, hunters that will not be picky about which wolves (and other animals for that matter) they are killing.
Meanwhile in Alaghon itself ,a group of children make a terrible mistake and accidentally wake a long slumbering evil, the mohrg wizard Borran Klosk. As for what a mohrg is, words fail me, so have a look at this picture instead! Now picture that, only with spells as well. As for the name, is it just me or does the name Borran Klosk sound like some eastern european actor from an old Hammer Horror movie? It sure did to me. Anyway, it can use that hideous tongue as a weapon and the book is replete with many mentions of it smashing through heads and ribcages with ease.
To my mind there are two problems with this book. The first is that despite the book ostensibly being about Alaghon, the city doesn't really feature that strongly and certainly is not brought to life by the narrative. In the other books in the series (The City of Ravens, Temple Hill and The City of Splendors), the city itself has seemed as much a character as the people in the story. Not so in this case. the second problem is how long this book takes to really get going. As an example, it is not until page 263 that Haarn and Druz even enter Alaghon, spending far too long in the wilderness hunting a scarred old wolf. Were this a story about a druid in the wild, that would be all fine and good, it is certainly well written, but it is a story about a city. For that city to barely feature is inexcusable.
Actually, while I'm on the topic of things that are wrong, I'll add a third item that annoyed me about this book. The author had previously written the Threat From The Sea Trilogy, which I have not, as yet anyway, read. This novel takes place not long after the end of the trilogy and while I would expect recent events to be mentioned, I would not expect them to be mentioned, repeatedly, in every chapter (and at times it felt like every sodding page). In particular the destruction of The Whamite Isles. Yes they were destroyed, yes the population that lived there is now mindless undead. I got that the first couple times you wrote it Mr. Odom, it really wasn't neccessary to beat me over the head by mentioning it another 50 times!
This book suffers from a loooong drawn out beginning and a rushed finale. At 311 pages, for the main characters to not even enter the setting for which the book is named until page 263 is just wrong. Also the villain of the piece could really have used a better name, I felt like laughing every time I read Borran Klosk on the page (and did laugh whenever some civilian or other would scream something like: "It's Borran Klosk!! Run for your lives!!"). See? You're probably grinning too.
I'm going to award this book 2/5 and it gets that second point solely on the basis of the good writing in the wilderness chapters. Druz and Haarn are good characters, I enjoyed reading about them in the wild and their burgeoning respect and affection for each other. If the book had been 311 pages of that, I'd likely be awarding it 4/5 instead.
Wednesday, May 24, 2006
Resurrection: A Book Review
So finally on to the last novel in this series. Resurrection by Paul S. Kemp is a Forgotten Realms novel and the sixth book in the six part War of the Spider Queen saga. Following on from the end of Annihilation with maybe a day having passed in the interim, this book begins with us meeting a new character, the ultroloth Inthracis. I can't really describe what an ultroloth is, so I'll let this picture do the description for me (the ultroloth is the one with the sword). Suffice to say that they are very powerful outer-planer creatures. Inthracis finds himself playing host to Vhaeraun, Lolth's son who wishes his mother dead. To this end he coerces Inthracis to send an army to the new Demonweb Pits to kill Quenthel, Danifae and Hallistra.
The wind that blow through the lower planes carry the word Yor'thae on them. In the High language of the drow, it means Chosen One. One of the three priestesses is this One, and Lolth is calling her to come and join with her goddess. Should the Yor'thae fail to arrive, Lolth's rebirth will be stillborn and the goddess will perish, which is exactly what Vhaeraun wants to see happen. Unfortunately he cannot enter the new Demonweb Pits as his mother has sealed them against entry by any divine being, so he must resort to using the ultroloth's mercenary army.
After that interlude we catch up with Halisstra and the two priestesses of Eilistraee who are accompanying her (Uluyara and Feliane) on her mission to kill Lolth. They are pursuing Quenthel and company who they hope will lead them to the goddess herself. Neither group though is prepared for the dangers of the new Pits, and they get caught in the midst of the Teeming!
The Teeming is one of the most brutal scenes I have ever read about. Picture a vast plain, pockmarked with entrances to caves and holes. Then picture as the dawn comes up and bathes the land, thousands upon thousands of spiders of all shapes and sizes (up to and including ones the size of houses!) crawling out of these holes... and then turning on one another with utter ferocity. The strong survive, the weak perish and are food. And now imagine walking across that plain when this happens! That is the Teeming!
While Quenthel, Pharaun, Jeggred, Danifae, Halisstra, Uluyara and Feliane fight a seemingly unending horde of foes who view them as much as food and prey as the other spiders around, back in Menzoberranzan Gromph awakens amidst the destruction in the Bazaar that the battle bewteen himself and the lich Dyrr wreaked. Dyrr has been destroyed, but a lich is not so easily defeated. Gromph knows full well that the lich's phylactery (an item that his soul is bonded too) will regenerate the lich in under three score hours. In that time, he has to find the phylactery and break into House Agrach Dyrr (which has been under siege since their treachery in book 3 of the series!) to destroy it.
While the happenings in the Demonweb Pits are good reading (especially the battle between the drow and the ultroloths army!), the parts of the book I found myself enjoying most were those spent with Gromph on his infiltration of House Agrach Dyrr. Mr. Kemp managed to convey a very real sense of both the danger and the thrill of sneaking about a house full of Gromph's enemies unseen, searching for an item that is also being hunted by those of the renegade house themselves.
I am annoyed though at the ending to this book, which after 5 books of complete turmoil and chaos, pretty much just re-establishes the status quo from before the series. The Yor'thae reaches Lolth but that doesn't seem to realy do anything. My favourite character gets killed in a completely pointless way (though the ending does leave an opening for his return), and my least favourite character survives (albeit in a changed form) and will be featuring in a trilogy of her own, the first book of which is out in February 2007.
All in all I'm going to award this book 3/5. The good parts are really good, but this book more than the others before it has to carry the can for failing to really change anything. Six books came to 2225 pages in total. I find it profoundly disappointing that 6 superb authors with that kind of page count to work with, couldn't do more than have a goddess change address; which is pretty much what this series outcome amounts too.
The wind that blow through the lower planes carry the word Yor'thae on them. In the High language of the drow, it means Chosen One. One of the three priestesses is this One, and Lolth is calling her to come and join with her goddess. Should the Yor'thae fail to arrive, Lolth's rebirth will be stillborn and the goddess will perish, which is exactly what Vhaeraun wants to see happen. Unfortunately he cannot enter the new Demonweb Pits as his mother has sealed them against entry by any divine being, so he must resort to using the ultroloth's mercenary army.
After that interlude we catch up with Halisstra and the two priestesses of Eilistraee who are accompanying her (Uluyara and Feliane) on her mission to kill Lolth. They are pursuing Quenthel and company who they hope will lead them to the goddess herself. Neither group though is prepared for the dangers of the new Pits, and they get caught in the midst of the Teeming!
The Teeming is one of the most brutal scenes I have ever read about. Picture a vast plain, pockmarked with entrances to caves and holes. Then picture as the dawn comes up and bathes the land, thousands upon thousands of spiders of all shapes and sizes (up to and including ones the size of houses!) crawling out of these holes... and then turning on one another with utter ferocity. The strong survive, the weak perish and are food. And now imagine walking across that plain when this happens! That is the Teeming!
While Quenthel, Pharaun, Jeggred, Danifae, Halisstra, Uluyara and Feliane fight a seemingly unending horde of foes who view them as much as food and prey as the other spiders around, back in Menzoberranzan Gromph awakens amidst the destruction in the Bazaar that the battle bewteen himself and the lich Dyrr wreaked. Dyrr has been destroyed, but a lich is not so easily defeated. Gromph knows full well that the lich's phylactery (an item that his soul is bonded too) will regenerate the lich in under three score hours. In that time, he has to find the phylactery and break into House Agrach Dyrr (which has been under siege since their treachery in book 3 of the series!) to destroy it.
While the happenings in the Demonweb Pits are good reading (especially the battle between the drow and the ultroloths army!), the parts of the book I found myself enjoying most were those spent with Gromph on his infiltration of House Agrach Dyrr. Mr. Kemp managed to convey a very real sense of both the danger and the thrill of sneaking about a house full of Gromph's enemies unseen, searching for an item that is also being hunted by those of the renegade house themselves.
I am annoyed though at the ending to this book, which after 5 books of complete turmoil and chaos, pretty much just re-establishes the status quo from before the series. The Yor'thae reaches Lolth but that doesn't seem to realy do anything. My favourite character gets killed in a completely pointless way (though the ending does leave an opening for his return), and my least favourite character survives (albeit in a changed form) and will be featuring in a trilogy of her own, the first book of which is out in February 2007.
All in all I'm going to award this book 3/5. The good parts are really good, but this book more than the others before it has to carry the can for failing to really change anything. Six books came to 2225 pages in total. I find it profoundly disappointing that 6 superb authors with that kind of page count to work with, couldn't do more than have a goddess change address; which is pretty much what this series outcome amounts too.
Sunday, May 14, 2006
Annihilation: A Book Review
Annihilation by Phillip Athans is a Forgotten Realms novel and the fifth book in the six part War of the Spider Queen saga. The book's storyline continues from the end of Extinction with perhaps a couple days having passed in the gap between the novels. The novel opens in Menzoberranzan where Gromph Baenre is busy fixing himself. Having accidentally blinded himself in the previous book and without the healing magics of Lolth's priestesses to call upon, he is forced to resort to a far more grisly alternative. In a fairly gruesome opening chapter, he has his rat familiar chew out his own ruined eyeballs and then uses magic to replace them with a pair of eyes taken from a captive drow male from the traitor house of Agrach Dyrr.
Pharaun meanwhile is busily summoning in lesser demons as food for the Ship of Chaos, it needing to be powered up by sacrifice. As this process is going to take several days, Valas and Danifae head off to a nearby drow city to buy supplies, not knowing how long the voyage to the Abyss is going to take, nor how long they will be there.
Having passed the tests set to her, Halisstra is now in possession of the awesome Crescent Blade, a weapon capable of killing anything... even a goddess. To that end Eilistraee wishes her to go to the Abyss and slay Lolth herself, to deliver the drow race from her tyranny. Ryld though is increasingly realising that other than Halisstra he has nothing to keep him on the surface and he is missing his life back in Menzoberranzan.
Slipping away from Valas once they arrive in the city of Sschindylryn, Danifae makes her way to the home of an old retainer of her family, a wizard by the name of Zinnirit, who she coerces into freeing her of the Binding magic that links her to Halisstra. With that gone, she sets about a fairly convoluted scheme of revenge on her former Mistress, seperating Halisstra from Ryld and setting Jeggred on the warrior. The draegloth has increasingly been looking to Danifae for leadership, Quenthel listening more and more to the whispered words of the five minor demons bound into her whip of vipers.
Jeggred and Ryld's battle is well written and exciting to read though I'll admit I was disapointed in the outcome. Still that is made up by the amazing battle that takes place in Menzoberranzan when Gromph Baenre faces off against the lichdrow Dyrr. A battle between rival wizards is always fun to read, but these two are both extremely powerful spellcasters and possessed of a dry wit, trading insults, observations, taunts and barbs as often as they trade lethal magics. Gromph is assisted in this by a telepathic connection to a couple other wizards of his house, whilst Dyrr receives unexpected aid from the shadowy assassin Nimor Imphreazl (the architect of the combined force besieging the city), giving Gromph two powerful foes to deal with. No easy task even for an archmage!
Sailing a Ship of Chaos is something that Pharaun has no actual idea how to do. Luckily for him, Aliisza has been spying on the party for some time and she is very fond of the wizard. Staying invisible to the others, she advises him as to how to control and steer the ship and how to navigate a course to another dimension. With everyone aboard he guides the ship through realities to the Abyss itself.
There is a lot going on in this book. Most of what I've just described takes place in the first half to two thirds of the novel. By the end of the book, Lolth has returned, her power blasting out through the planes of reality and empowering her priestesses everywhere in a fantastic series of scenes that really grabbed my imagination and dramatically turns the tide of the siege of Menzoberranzan. Forewarned by Aliisza, Kaanyr's Scourged Legion withdraws from the siege, as does Nimor, realising that the window of opportunity to topple the city has been lost.
I'm going to award this book 4/5 as while some parts of it are truly stunning to read and fantastic entertinament, other parts (mostly involving Halisstra) are really quite dull. Her conversion to Eilistraee never comes across as convincing and seems to be to be a poorly thought out subplot that should have been cut out. I think the book would have been a lot better if the page space devoted to her exploits had been used on other characters instead.
Pharaun meanwhile is busily summoning in lesser demons as food for the Ship of Chaos, it needing to be powered up by sacrifice. As this process is going to take several days, Valas and Danifae head off to a nearby drow city to buy supplies, not knowing how long the voyage to the Abyss is going to take, nor how long they will be there.
Having passed the tests set to her, Halisstra is now in possession of the awesome Crescent Blade, a weapon capable of killing anything... even a goddess. To that end Eilistraee wishes her to go to the Abyss and slay Lolth herself, to deliver the drow race from her tyranny. Ryld though is increasingly realising that other than Halisstra he has nothing to keep him on the surface and he is missing his life back in Menzoberranzan.
Slipping away from Valas once they arrive in the city of Sschindylryn, Danifae makes her way to the home of an old retainer of her family, a wizard by the name of Zinnirit, who she coerces into freeing her of the Binding magic that links her to Halisstra. With that gone, she sets about a fairly convoluted scheme of revenge on her former Mistress, seperating Halisstra from Ryld and setting Jeggred on the warrior. The draegloth has increasingly been looking to Danifae for leadership, Quenthel listening more and more to the whispered words of the five minor demons bound into her whip of vipers.
Jeggred and Ryld's battle is well written and exciting to read though I'll admit I was disapointed in the outcome. Still that is made up by the amazing battle that takes place in Menzoberranzan when Gromph Baenre faces off against the lichdrow Dyrr. A battle between rival wizards is always fun to read, but these two are both extremely powerful spellcasters and possessed of a dry wit, trading insults, observations, taunts and barbs as often as they trade lethal magics. Gromph is assisted in this by a telepathic connection to a couple other wizards of his house, whilst Dyrr receives unexpected aid from the shadowy assassin Nimor Imphreazl (the architect of the combined force besieging the city), giving Gromph two powerful foes to deal with. No easy task even for an archmage!
Sailing a Ship of Chaos is something that Pharaun has no actual idea how to do. Luckily for him, Aliisza has been spying on the party for some time and she is very fond of the wizard. Staying invisible to the others, she advises him as to how to control and steer the ship and how to navigate a course to another dimension. With everyone aboard he guides the ship through realities to the Abyss itself.
There is a lot going on in this book. Most of what I've just described takes place in the first half to two thirds of the novel. By the end of the book, Lolth has returned, her power blasting out through the planes of reality and empowering her priestesses everywhere in a fantastic series of scenes that really grabbed my imagination and dramatically turns the tide of the siege of Menzoberranzan. Forewarned by Aliisza, Kaanyr's Scourged Legion withdraws from the siege, as does Nimor, realising that the window of opportunity to topple the city has been lost.
I'm going to award this book 4/5 as while some parts of it are truly stunning to read and fantastic entertinament, other parts (mostly involving Halisstra) are really quite dull. Her conversion to Eilistraee never comes across as convincing and seems to be to be a poorly thought out subplot that should have been cut out. I think the book would have been a lot better if the page space devoted to her exploits had been used on other characters instead.
Saturday, May 13, 2006
Extinction: A Book Review
I should really get back into the habit of writing these reviews on the day that I finish the book in question. Anyway, on with this write up. Extinction by Lisa Smedman is a Forgotten Realms novel, and the fourth book in the six part War of the Spider Queen saga. It follows on directly from the end of Condemnation with only a day or two having passed in the interim period between the end of that novel and the start of this one.
The opening finds Quenthel, Jeggred, Ryld, Valas, Pharaun, Halisstra and Danifae deep in the forest of Cormanthor searching for a way to get back down into the Underdark. Almost all of the party are distracted to one extent or another, by what they saw in the Abyss and what it meant. Quenthel is determined to return to the Abyss and find where Lolth has gone too. Jeggred, obidient as ever is her faithful bodyguard, but is becoming increasingly short tempered, the quest beginning to gnaw at his self control. Pharaun wants to end up on the winning side but doesn't want to have to choose a side until he has no other choice. Halisstra's faith is shaken to the core, both by Lolth's absence and by the last words a stranger she murdered said to her. Ryld is distracted by thoughts of Halisstra, while Danifae schemes to get herself free of the Binding that ties her fate to Halisstra. The only one who seems unaffected is Valas Hune, as the mercenary seems content to follow orders and do what he is good at.
Summoning a demon (and playing a nice trick on it), Pharaun learns of a vessel called a Ship of Chaos that got stranded on Faerun years back. The ship is capable of "sailing" between worlds and dimensions... if they can find it, find out how to operate it and feed it! From the demon the party learn that the ships last known location was near the Aboleth (big slimy tentacled fish-like genius monsters) city of Zanhoriloch. With Valas leading the way, they set out for the city through the tunnels and caves under the surface... all but Halisstra and Ryld that is, who leave the group in secret to be together on the surface.
Meanwhile things are going poorly for Menzoberranzan. With the Duergar and the Scourged Legion laying siege to the city, House Agrach Dyrr having betrayed the city to side with the invaders and the Archmage Gromph Baenre missing, things look bleak as the city is attacked from within and without. Still Gromph is a powerful wizard and powerful wizards do not go down easily. Nor do they take well to being imprisoned and it is not long before he figures out a way to escape the magical cell that the lich Dyrr cast him into. Once free he lends his considerable power to the defence of the city, whilst preparing for a re-match with the lich.
Halisstra and Ryld encounter a group of priestesses sworn to serve Eilistraee (Goddess of Dance), who while initially hostile to the pair, are more accepting when Halisstra mentions Seyll (the woman who she murdered) whose last words were to tell the drow that she had hope for her still. Troubled and moved by her words, Halisstra seeks to learn more about Eilistraee. Ryld for his part, is struggling to adapt to the strange above ground world, but despite himself, he is smitten with Halisstra and so he accompanies her (even when she tells him not too) as she is put through tests to judge her worthiness to serve a new goddess, one that Ryld doesn't really understand.
Reaching Zanhoriloch, Valas scouts ahead and undergoes a truly horrifying transformation at the hands of the alien Aboleth creatures, the attempt to talk to them then falling to Pharaun and Danifae. What follows is a couple chapters of outright skullduggery and brilliantly written intrigue as Pharaun, Danifae and Quenthel play a game of oneupmanship. It is also in parts very funny (particularly Pharaun's snappy style of chat).
Lisa Smedman has come a long way from the games designer she used to be. Back when she was writing adventure modules for the Ravenloft D&D setting, they often got poor reviews. Writing novels though seems far more suited to her strengths, as this is a great book and I've read other novels by her and liked them also. I'm going to give this book 4/5 though, because while it is as well written as the three novels before it (all of which got 5/5 from me), the whole storyline with Halisstra and Ryld just failed to capture my interest. I was always keen to get through those parts of the book and get back to the main group, or Menzoberranzan, or see what Aliisza and Kaanyr were up too etc.
The opening finds Quenthel, Jeggred, Ryld, Valas, Pharaun, Halisstra and Danifae deep in the forest of Cormanthor searching for a way to get back down into the Underdark. Almost all of the party are distracted to one extent or another, by what they saw in the Abyss and what it meant. Quenthel is determined to return to the Abyss and find where Lolth has gone too. Jeggred, obidient as ever is her faithful bodyguard, but is becoming increasingly short tempered, the quest beginning to gnaw at his self control. Pharaun wants to end up on the winning side but doesn't want to have to choose a side until he has no other choice. Halisstra's faith is shaken to the core, both by Lolth's absence and by the last words a stranger she murdered said to her. Ryld is distracted by thoughts of Halisstra, while Danifae schemes to get herself free of the Binding that ties her fate to Halisstra. The only one who seems unaffected is Valas Hune, as the mercenary seems content to follow orders and do what he is good at.
Summoning a demon (and playing a nice trick on it), Pharaun learns of a vessel called a Ship of Chaos that got stranded on Faerun years back. The ship is capable of "sailing" between worlds and dimensions... if they can find it, find out how to operate it and feed it! From the demon the party learn that the ships last known location was near the Aboleth (big slimy tentacled fish-like genius monsters) city of Zanhoriloch. With Valas leading the way, they set out for the city through the tunnels and caves under the surface... all but Halisstra and Ryld that is, who leave the group in secret to be together on the surface.
Meanwhile things are going poorly for Menzoberranzan. With the Duergar and the Scourged Legion laying siege to the city, House Agrach Dyrr having betrayed the city to side with the invaders and the Archmage Gromph Baenre missing, things look bleak as the city is attacked from within and without. Still Gromph is a powerful wizard and powerful wizards do not go down easily. Nor do they take well to being imprisoned and it is not long before he figures out a way to escape the magical cell that the lich Dyrr cast him into. Once free he lends his considerable power to the defence of the city, whilst preparing for a re-match with the lich.
Halisstra and Ryld encounter a group of priestesses sworn to serve Eilistraee (Goddess of Dance), who while initially hostile to the pair, are more accepting when Halisstra mentions Seyll (the woman who she murdered) whose last words were to tell the drow that she had hope for her still. Troubled and moved by her words, Halisstra seeks to learn more about Eilistraee. Ryld for his part, is struggling to adapt to the strange above ground world, but despite himself, he is smitten with Halisstra and so he accompanies her (even when she tells him not too) as she is put through tests to judge her worthiness to serve a new goddess, one that Ryld doesn't really understand.
Reaching Zanhoriloch, Valas scouts ahead and undergoes a truly horrifying transformation at the hands of the alien Aboleth creatures, the attempt to talk to them then falling to Pharaun and Danifae. What follows is a couple chapters of outright skullduggery and brilliantly written intrigue as Pharaun, Danifae and Quenthel play a game of oneupmanship. It is also in parts very funny (particularly Pharaun's snappy style of chat).
Lisa Smedman has come a long way from the games designer she used to be. Back when she was writing adventure modules for the Ravenloft D&D setting, they often got poor reviews. Writing novels though seems far more suited to her strengths, as this is a great book and I've read other novels by her and liked them also. I'm going to give this book 4/5 though, because while it is as well written as the three novels before it (all of which got 5/5 from me), the whole storyline with Halisstra and Ryld just failed to capture my interest. I was always keen to get through those parts of the book and get back to the main group, or Menzoberranzan, or see what Aliisza and Kaanyr were up too etc.
Saturday, May 06, 2006
Condemnation: A Book Review
Condemnation by Richard Baker, is a Forgotten Realms novel and the third part of the War of the Spider Queen saga. It continues almost exactly where Insurrection left off, only a few hours having passed in the time between the end of the previous book and the start of this one. The books beginning finds Halisstra, Danifae, Quenthel, Jeggred, Pharaun, Ryld and Valas taking shelter in a ruined city deep inside the borders of an unknown desert. It is night and the drow, for all their being used to living in the caves and tunnels of the Underdark, are both awed by the sight of the night sky above them and scared of it at the same time. The world they come from after all, has a roof! Too the desert at night is far colder than anything they are used too.
With Ched Nasad in ruins, Halisstra no longer has a home, indeed all she owns is what she is wearing, as well as her battle captive Danifae. The group are unsure now what to do. With Lolth's silence extending not just to other cities of the Drow, but to other races as well, the thought occurs to them that their goddess might be dead. Quenthel of course will hear none of this, but even she is confused and though she won't admit it, afraid. Pharaun suggests that rather than return to Menzoberranzan empty handed, they instead seek out another source of information. If they cannot find what has become of Lolth, perhaps another God can. In particular Vhaeraun, a male drow god and Lolth's own son.
To suggest such a thing is heresy, but Pharaun is powerfully persuasive and Quenthel is eventually swayed to his argument when Valas mentions knowing a priest of the God, one who owes him a favour. After a few battles with the denizens of the ruins, the group set off via a short cut... a trip through the Plane of Shadows, to another place below ground, a trade enclave called Mantol-Derith. From there they proceed across a vast underground lake to Gracklstugh, the City of Blades. Gracklstugh is primarily a Duergar (gray dwarf) city and as such the Drow are immediately cautious, not knowing whether the destruction of Ched Nasad by the Duergar mercenaries, was ordered by the ruler of the smoky metropolis.
Far more worrying though is the discovery Ryld and Valas make, when they spy out a nearby cavern in which a huge supply train is being assembled. Considering Menzoberranzan is the nearest major city to Gracklstugh and knowledge of Lolth's silence (and thusly the cities weakness without the magic of its priestesses) has reached the ears of the grey dwarves, the target for the army that the supplies are being readied for is obvious. Barely managing to flee with their lives, the group escape into a warren of tunnels known as the Labyrinth (which is predictably infested with Minotaurs), in the search for a drow tribe known as the Jaelre, the priest that Valas knows being one of them.
To say that there is a lot going on in this book would be to sell it very short and yet it never feels rushed. Everything above happens in the first half of the book, from there the story goes across half a continent to the great forest of Cormanthor, the ruined city of Myth Drannor and to the hellish wastes of Lolth's Demonweb Pits in the Abyss itself! Mr. Baker weaves a thrilling tale of a truly epic quest borne of desperation. Where before the quest was one of curiosity, now it becomes imperative that the drow find their goddess, as Menzoberranzan comes under siege from two armies (as Kaanyr Vhok's Scourged Legion joins the fight on the side of the Duergar army) and has to face a foe from within also.
As with the first two volumes of this six part saga, I'm awarding this novel 5/5, top marks for a brilliantly written book. I'm glad I waited until all 6 books were in paperback to read them, because waiting 6 months between installments of this series would have been agony! As it is I finished reading the fourth book today (I'm late writing this review) and have already begun the fifth!
With Ched Nasad in ruins, Halisstra no longer has a home, indeed all she owns is what she is wearing, as well as her battle captive Danifae. The group are unsure now what to do. With Lolth's silence extending not just to other cities of the Drow, but to other races as well, the thought occurs to them that their goddess might be dead. Quenthel of course will hear none of this, but even she is confused and though she won't admit it, afraid. Pharaun suggests that rather than return to Menzoberranzan empty handed, they instead seek out another source of information. If they cannot find what has become of Lolth, perhaps another God can. In particular Vhaeraun, a male drow god and Lolth's own son.
To suggest such a thing is heresy, but Pharaun is powerfully persuasive and Quenthel is eventually swayed to his argument when Valas mentions knowing a priest of the God, one who owes him a favour. After a few battles with the denizens of the ruins, the group set off via a short cut... a trip through the Plane of Shadows, to another place below ground, a trade enclave called Mantol-Derith. From there they proceed across a vast underground lake to Gracklstugh, the City of Blades. Gracklstugh is primarily a Duergar (gray dwarf) city and as such the Drow are immediately cautious, not knowing whether the destruction of Ched Nasad by the Duergar mercenaries, was ordered by the ruler of the smoky metropolis.
Far more worrying though is the discovery Ryld and Valas make, when they spy out a nearby cavern in which a huge supply train is being assembled. Considering Menzoberranzan is the nearest major city to Gracklstugh and knowledge of Lolth's silence (and thusly the cities weakness without the magic of its priestesses) has reached the ears of the grey dwarves, the target for the army that the supplies are being readied for is obvious. Barely managing to flee with their lives, the group escape into a warren of tunnels known as the Labyrinth (which is predictably infested with Minotaurs), in the search for a drow tribe known as the Jaelre, the priest that Valas knows being one of them.
To say that there is a lot going on in this book would be to sell it very short and yet it never feels rushed. Everything above happens in the first half of the book, from there the story goes across half a continent to the great forest of Cormanthor, the ruined city of Myth Drannor and to the hellish wastes of Lolth's Demonweb Pits in the Abyss itself! Mr. Baker weaves a thrilling tale of a truly epic quest borne of desperation. Where before the quest was one of curiosity, now it becomes imperative that the drow find their goddess, as Menzoberranzan comes under siege from two armies (as Kaanyr Vhok's Scourged Legion joins the fight on the side of the Duergar army) and has to face a foe from within also.
As with the first two volumes of this six part saga, I'm awarding this novel 5/5, top marks for a brilliantly written book. I'm glad I waited until all 6 books were in paperback to read them, because waiting 6 months between installments of this series would have been agony! As it is I finished reading the fourth book today (I'm late writing this review) and have already begun the fifth!
Friday, April 28, 2006
Insurrection: A Book Review
Insurrection by Thomas M. Reid is a Forgotten Realms novel and the second book in the six part War of the Spider Queen saga. It begins a couple weeks after the events at the end of Dissolution, with five of the main characters we met in the previous book sent to investigate whether Lolth's silence extends beyond Menzoberranzan to other cities of the drow. Specifically, they are heading towards the nearest such city, a trading centre called Ched Nasad the City of Shimmering Webs, so named because the entire place is built in a chasm on huge calcified strands of webbing.
The characters taking part in the trek are: Quenthal Baenre (who is nominally in charge of the expedition), Jeggred (who has been appointed by Triel to guard Quenthel and obeys her without question), Faeryl Zauvirr (returning to her home city and acting as a guide), Ryld Argith (the muscle) and Pharaun Mizz'rym (whose magics give him more destructive power than all the rest combined and who chafes under Quenthal's leadership, doing his best to undermine her at every turn). Joining them is Valas Hune, a male scout who fights with twin kukri's and who can travel through shadows.
As we join the group they are fighting a running battle against the forces of a half-demon warlord called Kaanyr Vhok. His soldiers are demon/orc hybrids called Tannarukk's. He both has a lot of these troops and they are fanatically devoted to him. They are attacking the drow as the drow have trespassed in Vhok's terriotory. Leading them is Aliisza, an alu-fiend (the daughter of a human male and a succubus) and Vhok's consort who takes an immediate (and carnal) interest in Pharaun.
Battling their way past the Tannarukk's brings the group eventually to Ched Nasad, where they find the city on the brink of a revolution. Lolth's silence is indeed all pervasive and Pharaun soon discovers that it is not only the drow who have lost contact with her, other races that venerate the spider queen receive no spells from her either. While the males are off exploring the city (and getting into fights), Quenthal and Jeggred find themselves caught up in some treacherous politics between the noble houses and are betrayed by Faeryl.
This leads the group into contact with two other new characters, the priestess Hallistra Melarn and her battle captive/servant Danifae Yhauntyrr. Hallistra is implicated in a conspiracy to betray Ched Nasad, but has been set up as a scapegoat by Faeryl's mother. Danifae is bound to Hallistra's service by means of a powerful binding spell, but she yearns to be free. Extremely beautiful and very clever to boot, she schemes to win her release from slavery, as before she fell captive, she was a priestess herself. When the plot to frame Hallistra blows up in their face, Faeryl and her mother launch their fall back plan.
What follows is nothing less than all out chaos, as a huge force of mercenary Duergar (gray dwarves) at the behest of Faeryl's mother (who herself is being manipulated by an outside agency. Drow plots are nothing if not machiavellian!), attacks the city from within. What makes things worse is that they make heavy use of a strange kind of alchemical weapon, which creates a fire that actually burns stone. Ched Nasad is a city built on a vast criss-crossed network of stone webbing. I'm sure you can imagine the carnage that happens as a result of this!
The last hundred pages of this book are one long running battle, that is exhilirating to read as things go from bad to worse seemingly with every turn of the page. This is a really well written book and as with part one of the saga, it gets full marks from me, 5/5. The new characters of Valas and Aliisza are a lot of fun to read, Valas because his abilities continually surprise his travelling companions; Aliisza because she is a fun character. She likes to laugh and a good time in bed (she's not exactly very loyal to her lord), while at the same time being evil to the core. I'm very happy to have read that Mr Reid is writing a trilogy, in which Kaanyr and Aliisza will feature heavily.
The characters taking part in the trek are: Quenthal Baenre (who is nominally in charge of the expedition), Jeggred (who has been appointed by Triel to guard Quenthel and obeys her without question), Faeryl Zauvirr (returning to her home city and acting as a guide), Ryld Argith (the muscle) and Pharaun Mizz'rym (whose magics give him more destructive power than all the rest combined and who chafes under Quenthal's leadership, doing his best to undermine her at every turn). Joining them is Valas Hune, a male scout who fights with twin kukri's and who can travel through shadows.
As we join the group they are fighting a running battle against the forces of a half-demon warlord called Kaanyr Vhok. His soldiers are demon/orc hybrids called Tannarukk's. He both has a lot of these troops and they are fanatically devoted to him. They are attacking the drow as the drow have trespassed in Vhok's terriotory. Leading them is Aliisza, an alu-fiend (the daughter of a human male and a succubus) and Vhok's consort who takes an immediate (and carnal) interest in Pharaun.
Battling their way past the Tannarukk's brings the group eventually to Ched Nasad, where they find the city on the brink of a revolution. Lolth's silence is indeed all pervasive and Pharaun soon discovers that it is not only the drow who have lost contact with her, other races that venerate the spider queen receive no spells from her either. While the males are off exploring the city (and getting into fights), Quenthal and Jeggred find themselves caught up in some treacherous politics between the noble houses and are betrayed by Faeryl.
This leads the group into contact with two other new characters, the priestess Hallistra Melarn and her battle captive/servant Danifae Yhauntyrr. Hallistra is implicated in a conspiracy to betray Ched Nasad, but has been set up as a scapegoat by Faeryl's mother. Danifae is bound to Hallistra's service by means of a powerful binding spell, but she yearns to be free. Extremely beautiful and very clever to boot, she schemes to win her release from slavery, as before she fell captive, she was a priestess herself. When the plot to frame Hallistra blows up in their face, Faeryl and her mother launch their fall back plan.
What follows is nothing less than all out chaos, as a huge force of mercenary Duergar (gray dwarves) at the behest of Faeryl's mother (who herself is being manipulated by an outside agency. Drow plots are nothing if not machiavellian!), attacks the city from within. What makes things worse is that they make heavy use of a strange kind of alchemical weapon, which creates a fire that actually burns stone. Ched Nasad is a city built on a vast criss-crossed network of stone webbing. I'm sure you can imagine the carnage that happens as a result of this!
The last hundred pages of this book are one long running battle, that is exhilirating to read as things go from bad to worse seemingly with every turn of the page. This is a really well written book and as with part one of the saga, it gets full marks from me, 5/5. The new characters of Valas and Aliisza are a lot of fun to read, Valas because his abilities continually surprise his travelling companions; Aliisza because she is a fun character. She likes to laugh and a good time in bed (she's not exactly very loyal to her lord), while at the same time being evil to the core. I'm very happy to have read that Mr Reid is writing a trilogy, in which Kaanyr and Aliisza will feature heavily.
Monday, April 24, 2006
Dissolution: A Book Review
I've nearly finished reading the next book in this saga, so about time I got the first review posted I think. dissolution by Richard Lee Byers is a Forgotten Realms novel and the first book in the six part War of the Spider Queen saga. Each book in the saga is written by a different author, all following one epic storyline covering the events that unfold when Lolth the Demon Queen of Spiders and the tyrannical goddess of the subterranean Drow (dark elves) suddenly and inexplicably falls silent. She answers no prayers and grants no spells to her clergy.
Since her clergy are all female and they have ruled the drow race with ruthless ambition for millennia, to say that they are terrified of this news becoming known would be a huge understatement. But as the days become weeks, their loss of power becomes harder to hide, not least from the males of their race who have been second class citizens for a VERY long time. Since sorcery is exclusively taught to males and they retain their spells, this puts the priestesses at a considerable disadvantage should the truth become known.
This book begins several weeks after Lolth's silence began. Set in the forbidding underground metropolis of Menzoberranzan, the largest of the cities of the Drow, it begins many plot threads that will doubtless flow through the rest of the series, as well as introducing most of the primary characters (though several don't make their debut until the second book). Those characters are: Gromph Baenre (Archmage of the city and the Master of Sorcere, the wizard school. The most powerful wizard of the Drow race), his sisters Triel Baenre (Matron Mother of House Baenre and uncrowned ruler of the city) and Quenthel Baenre (Mistress of Arach-Tinilith, the school for priestesses). Pharaun Mizzrym (a powerful wizard) and his companion Ryld Argith (a Master of Melee-Magthere the warrior school), Faeryl Zauvirr (Amabassador from the Drow city of Ched Nasad) and Jeggred (A Draegoloth, half-drow/half-demon and Triels's son and faithful bodyguard).
To say reading this book was an experience would be an understatement. I've never before read a novel without a single good aligned person in it. There isn't one here. Every single last one of the characters in this book are evil to the core. This makes for some utterly compelling reading, as you really never know what any of them are going to do next... well okay you can be pretty sure they'll scheme, backstab, murder and bicker a lot. That goes without saying, they are Drow after all, a race of black skinned, white haired elves with red eyes and souls entirely devoted to chaos and evil.
My favourite character would have to be Pharaun, who has the misfortune to be a quick witted genial conversationalist born into a race almost entirely without a sense of humour. Still, while it is fun to read his chatty banter, in the course of this one book he smothers a woman to death, leaves his best friend for dead, massacres a patrol of guards to get some attention and kills his own sister!
I loved this book and unsurprisingly it gets full marks from me, 5/5. If you like dark fantasy then you should love this series!
Since her clergy are all female and they have ruled the drow race with ruthless ambition for millennia, to say that they are terrified of this news becoming known would be a huge understatement. But as the days become weeks, their loss of power becomes harder to hide, not least from the males of their race who have been second class citizens for a VERY long time. Since sorcery is exclusively taught to males and they retain their spells, this puts the priestesses at a considerable disadvantage should the truth become known.
This book begins several weeks after Lolth's silence began. Set in the forbidding underground metropolis of Menzoberranzan, the largest of the cities of the Drow, it begins many plot threads that will doubtless flow through the rest of the series, as well as introducing most of the primary characters (though several don't make their debut until the second book). Those characters are: Gromph Baenre (Archmage of the city and the Master of Sorcere, the wizard school. The most powerful wizard of the Drow race), his sisters Triel Baenre (Matron Mother of House Baenre and uncrowned ruler of the city) and Quenthel Baenre (Mistress of Arach-Tinilith, the school for priestesses). Pharaun Mizzrym (a powerful wizard) and his companion Ryld Argith (a Master of Melee-Magthere the warrior school), Faeryl Zauvirr (Amabassador from the Drow city of Ched Nasad) and Jeggred (A Draegoloth, half-drow/half-demon and Triels's son and faithful bodyguard).
To say reading this book was an experience would be an understatement. I've never before read a novel without a single good aligned person in it. There isn't one here. Every single last one of the characters in this book are evil to the core. This makes for some utterly compelling reading, as you really never know what any of them are going to do next... well okay you can be pretty sure they'll scheme, backstab, murder and bicker a lot. That goes without saying, they are Drow after all, a race of black skinned, white haired elves with red eyes and souls entirely devoted to chaos and evil.
My favourite character would have to be Pharaun, who has the misfortune to be a quick witted genial conversationalist born into a race almost entirely without a sense of humour. Still, while it is fun to read his chatty banter, in the course of this one book he smothers a woman to death, leaves his best friend for dead, massacres a patrol of guards to get some attention and kills his own sister!
I loved this book and unsurprisingly it gets full marks from me, 5/5. If you like dark fantasy then you should love this series!
Saturday, April 15, 2006
The Shattered Mask: A Book Review
About time I got around to writing this review as the book has been sat on my desk for the past few days and I'm only 120 pages away from finishing the next book I started after finishing this one. The Shattered Mask by Richard Lee Byers is a Forgotten Realms novel, and the third book in the seven part Sembia series. Each book in the series (apart from the first which is an anthology of short stories) is by a different author and is centered around one member of the wealthy Uskevren merchant family. I previously read Shadow's Witness which is the 2nd book in the series. This one is set several months later and features the matriarch of the family, Shamur Uskevren.
A popular saying is that football is a game of two halves. Well the same thing can basically be said about this book, in that the second half of it is so different from the first half, that it might as well be a seperate book entirely. The first half of the book is a fairly dull read and the plot is entirely predictable. To say I was disapointed would be an understatement. Byers is one of my favourite authors and I had a hard time believing that he wrote what I was reading. the second half though is another entity altogether, fast, furious and action packed, very much more his writing style and it is clear that with this part of the book that the author is in his element.
The story focuses on Shamur Uskevren, stately matriarch of the family, estranged wife of Thamalon and mother to Tamlin, Talbot and Thazienne. She has a big secret, which I'm going to state here. Doing so does not in any way spoil the novel, as this is mentioned in the first chapter anyway. Shamur isn't who everyone thinks she is. She was not the lady Shamur Kern who was romanced by Thamalon when he was trying to rebuild his houses fortunes many years ago. That girl was poisoned and killed mere days before her wedding. Taking her place was her aunt, also called Shamur Kern, who half a century before had been an adventuress and burglar. Only on one of her adventures she'd gotten caught in a magical backlash and frozen in time... for more than 50 years.
When she returned to the timeline she found everyone she knew long dead and went back to her family, to find the Kern's on the brink of financial ruin, their only lifeline being an impending wedding between the young Shamur (who bore an uncany resemblance to her "late" aunt) and Thamalon Uskevren. And then of course the girl died. Since no-one knew of her return, Shamur the Elder took the younger Shamur's place and entered into a loveless marriage to save her family. Unfortunately, one of Thamalon's enemies has pierced her masquerade and manipulates her into trying to assassinate her husband, by implying that it was Thamalon who poisoned her niece.
This enemy is a wizard (and his shadowy familiar) who wears a moon mask to cover his face. He is a foe that Thamalon killed years back, and who has now returned from the Nine Hells themselves to exact revenge on his slayer and who decides to dupe Shamur into doing his dirty work for him. That in a nutshell is the first half of the book. A convoluted revenge scheme which invariably fails to work and which sets up the second half of the book, where to coin a phrase "all hell breaks loose".
Seeing that subtley won't win him his desire to see the Uskevren destroyed, but mistakenly thinking Shamur and Thamalon already dead, the wizard resorts to brute force and overwhelming numbers to try and wipe out the Uskevren heirs. The fight scenes are masterfully written, full of energy and a joy to read. While their children dodge conjured monsters and hired blades aplenty (and do some maturing and a lot of squabbling too in the process), Shamur and Thamalon play detective to try and figure out just who the moon-masked wizard is and why he wants them dead, racing against time to discover his identity before he succeeds in exterminating their children. All the while the pair have to come to terms with the decades that Shamur has been deceiving her husband in her false identity, which makes for some amusing and also poignant banter between the pair.
I'm going to give this book 3/5. If the whole book had been written as well as the second half is, then this novel would have easily scored full marks. While I can see why the book is written as it is, that didn't make reading the first half any more entertaining.
A popular saying is that football is a game of two halves. Well the same thing can basically be said about this book, in that the second half of it is so different from the first half, that it might as well be a seperate book entirely. The first half of the book is a fairly dull read and the plot is entirely predictable. To say I was disapointed would be an understatement. Byers is one of my favourite authors and I had a hard time believing that he wrote what I was reading. the second half though is another entity altogether, fast, furious and action packed, very much more his writing style and it is clear that with this part of the book that the author is in his element.
The story focuses on Shamur Uskevren, stately matriarch of the family, estranged wife of Thamalon and mother to Tamlin, Talbot and Thazienne. She has a big secret, which I'm going to state here. Doing so does not in any way spoil the novel, as this is mentioned in the first chapter anyway. Shamur isn't who everyone thinks she is. She was not the lady Shamur Kern who was romanced by Thamalon when he was trying to rebuild his houses fortunes many years ago. That girl was poisoned and killed mere days before her wedding. Taking her place was her aunt, also called Shamur Kern, who half a century before had been an adventuress and burglar. Only on one of her adventures she'd gotten caught in a magical backlash and frozen in time... for more than 50 years.
When she returned to the timeline she found everyone she knew long dead and went back to her family, to find the Kern's on the brink of financial ruin, their only lifeline being an impending wedding between the young Shamur (who bore an uncany resemblance to her "late" aunt) and Thamalon Uskevren. And then of course the girl died. Since no-one knew of her return, Shamur the Elder took the younger Shamur's place and entered into a loveless marriage to save her family. Unfortunately, one of Thamalon's enemies has pierced her masquerade and manipulates her into trying to assassinate her husband, by implying that it was Thamalon who poisoned her niece.
This enemy is a wizard (and his shadowy familiar) who wears a moon mask to cover his face. He is a foe that Thamalon killed years back, and who has now returned from the Nine Hells themselves to exact revenge on his slayer and who decides to dupe Shamur into doing his dirty work for him. That in a nutshell is the first half of the book. A convoluted revenge scheme which invariably fails to work and which sets up the second half of the book, where to coin a phrase "all hell breaks loose".
Seeing that subtley won't win him his desire to see the Uskevren destroyed, but mistakenly thinking Shamur and Thamalon already dead, the wizard resorts to brute force and overwhelming numbers to try and wipe out the Uskevren heirs. The fight scenes are masterfully written, full of energy and a joy to read. While their children dodge conjured monsters and hired blades aplenty (and do some maturing and a lot of squabbling too in the process), Shamur and Thamalon play detective to try and figure out just who the moon-masked wizard is and why he wants them dead, racing against time to discover his identity before he succeeds in exterminating their children. All the while the pair have to come to terms with the decades that Shamur has been deceiving her husband in her false identity, which makes for some amusing and also poignant banter between the pair.
I'm going to give this book 3/5. If the whole book had been written as well as the second half is, then this novel would have easily scored full marks. While I can see why the book is written as it is, that didn't make reading the first half any more entertaining.
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