Customer Reviews

Not what we were waiting for... SPOILERS - By: Postmodern Minx, 01 Dec 2008
Ed, Ed where for art thou Ed? This isn't what we'd hoped for from the creator of the Forgotten Realms, the very bard himself. I can understand the apathy after what they did to your, heck OUR, beloved Realmsin the name of crass commerce, but this outing, indeed all of the booksin the trilogy read as more of a *insert name of lesser author here* writingin the style of Ed Greenwood than an offering from the master himself. Contractions? Check. More characters with odd names than one can keep track of? Check. Lesser people speaking their minds to important people & those important people thereby learning? Check. Everyone laughing when that happens except the protagonists? Check? Elminster being irascible? Check.

It's all there, but it doesn't flow, it has no soul & the characters, should I say caricatures?, just don't seem to matter; they seem to be actors playing the Knights & not the Knights themselves, it all feels somehow empty. As to the characters where are they? Merith Strongbow, Lanseril Snowmantle, Illistyl Eleventree, Sharantyr, Mourngrym Amcathra & Shaerl Rowanmantle do not appearin the trilogy. I'll say that again as it may defy belief on the first reading; they don't appear. Torm & Rathan Thentraver are bit parts! You see I've been moved to the use of an exclamation markin my disbelief. It's arguable that Torm & Rathan are two of the best of the Realms, let alone Ed's stable & they have about three lines each.

It even has stlarning continuity errors for Oghma's sake: Why is Vangerdahast kitting upin a mage's panoply only to sit behind a desk? Poor show Ed. The thing is Ed Greenwood is such a competent writer. He's a man who can not only create a world, but can convey itin rich detailin way which so few other Realms writers can, this tripe is not worthy of him. I recommend his other work, or that of the ever improving R. A. Salvatore.

Sweet water & light laughter then,

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