“A Druid Born” is an uplifting tale of adventure and self-discovery, told from the point of view of a young chieftan’s daughter, Regan. Narrated from a first-person perspective, we follow Regan as she faces personal challenges and learns about herself and her blossoming abilities. Magic is present mildly throughout the story, in the form of shamanistic rites, visions, or herbal remedies.

For its target audience, this novel will be quite a treat. The writing is competent and solid, and the pages fly by. Unlike many books for younger readers, it does not come off as juvenile, but maintains a dignified maturity that is refreshing. The subject matter and events are mostly personal in nature, and include the kinds of things that young readers might themselves be facing: conflict with the wishes of parents, and changes brought about by approaching adulthood. In contrast to the book’s title, there is very little that is dark, and nothing I’d call disturbing. The drama is dealt with gently, with a responsible eye toward impressionable readers.

Druidic culture is lightly showcased, and there is a flavor of Celtic life throughout. At times I wanted to see more of this, however, as it felt like the author was only scratching the surface of a deeper ability she has in this regard.

The bond between mother and daughter is central, and is presented in a way that may be particularly appealing to young female readers. Regan’s family situation in the story is a little unusual, and her desire to be close to the spirit of her mother becomes an important part of her quest.

There are a few drawbacks worth mentioning. Foremost is the shortness of the book. The text comprises what would only be two or three chapters in similar novels. A dedicated reader would require only a couple of afternoons to finish the short novel. Though meant for less experienced readers, it seemed that more could have been written. The language, as well, seemed a touch too simple. Perhaps this is simply due to my bias as an adult reader.

Also, I found the characters to be slightly shallow and underdeveloped. Given the few pages to work with, it’s to be expected, perhaps. Additionally, there are some minor anachronisms which pop out here and there – unlikely references to real-world places and history that pulled me out of the story as I read. These were only slight distractions, however.

Additionally, the first-person perspective has a way of narrowing the story. It decreases the potential for characters other than Regan to be interesting, and detracts a little bit from tension that might exist otherwise – we know nothing bad will happen to Regan, because she’s retelling the story for us.

The book finishes on an optimistic note, as Regan completes her journey ready to take on the world and her approaching womanhood. “A Druid Born” very much has the feel of a motivational work. It was a pleasant, if brief, read, and one which I would not hesitate to recommend to readers aged 10-16.

There were high hopes, hell people were looking to take a ride back to their childhood (tweenhood?) where we could see one of our favorite fantasy books come to life on the screen. My first thought was, this would have been real cool as a live action movie, but I sure do love cartoons as well, so no hopes were dashed…yet.

The Good, the Bad, and the ugly CGI.

There really was a lot of good in this movie. I have heard of lot of comments based on the trailers and how people did not like the animation, but I thought the animation was real good. Yes it has a nostalgia feel to it (ala the Hobbit), but isn’t that the audience it is intended for? Regardless of the intended audience, the animated versions of some of my favorite characters are all well done and I enjoyed watching them.

The voice acting was also top notch with Michael Rosenbaum as Tanis, Kiefer Sutherland as Raistlin, Lucy Lawless as Goldmoon, and star filled for the rest of the cast as well. The only iffy one was Jason Marsden as Tasslehoff, not that Jason was a bad voice actor, its just his voice just did not work for me as Tasslehoff.

Another positive was the fact that the script kept true to the storyline. For the die hard fans this is very important and I feel that in many movies things that a fan would find integral to the story are often left out or glossed over. Now, they can not put everything from a few hundred page book into less then two hours, but they did a damn good job.

Then...

There was a decision to make the dragons and draconians CGI (Computer Generated), and this is where the problems begin. To sum it up, they just do not fit in with the animated work. It is like you are watching two different movies that fell on the cutting floor one on top of the other. The other issue is during the battle scenes the CGI and animated characters interaction is “off”. Animation gets lost behind CGI, swords plunge through CGI characters from further away then they should. A scene that describes it all is when we see what are supposed to be monks on the road by Solace, well the monk robes are CGI, so guess what is under them? A spoiled moment for the audience. Reading some interviews, it seemed that Weis and Hickman thought the 3D would make it more exciting...no...it did not.

Another overall issue I had with the transition from the word to the animated were the little enjoyable nuances of the characters that gave them personality in the book. They are overdone in the movie, ruining that aspect of the characters. A few particulars that I will point out are Raistlin’s coughing from his time at the tower, the way Caramon reacts to Tika when they come back to Solace, and Flint being afraid of the water during the escape. These are all very subtle in the book and in the movie are taken to the extreme and therefore look rather silly. I also thought the violence was a tad bit overdone (people hanging from trees during Solace attack), but maybe I am just nit picking now.

Overall, cut out the CGI, tone down the quirks and we have a great animated movie. Problem is I do not see this happening for the next part of this classic saga turned animated movie. It is like the pearl still stuck in the oyster, pretty surrounded by ugly. Fans of the series would be better served by the Graphic Novels that Devil's Due put out, and people unfamiliar should read the books, they are classics.

From the back cover of the paperback book (blurb) -

Now the people know that the dragon minions of Takhisis, Queen of Darkness, have returned. But the races have long been divided by hatred and prejudice. It seems the battle has been lost before it begins.

The companions are separated, torn apart by war. A full season will pass before they meet again—if they meet again.

It is always a pleasant surprise to find out that book that you loved, got turned into a graphic novel. That said though, visiting a world that you know and love in graphic form, it has to live up to some healthy expectations for the reader. Devils Due and their team brought it to life, and everyone should be very pleased by their work. Dragons of Winter Night, has the dark feel one would think it should and it comes across in the artwork and layout.

I thought the artwork was beautiful, and where it really seemed to shine was in the outdoor scenes and the artwork of the dragons. The characters were also depicted well for my personal tastes, whether or not they live up to what you envisioned them to be is something you have to look at for yourself. My favorite representation though was Kitiara, you can feel the evil bubbling below the surface, in her facial expressions. I always thought she was a great anti-hero to the group, and I can feel that in the artwork. I also enjoyed the depiction of Fizban as well; the humor of the character still shines through in the drawings. Overall the artwork had pretty big shoes to fill, if you go by the covers of the books done by Larry Elmore, and I think for the medium (a graphic novel can not be of the level of a single piece of canvas) the team of Kurth, Ruffino, Narvasa, Bradley, Rauch and Crowley, did an excellent job. They put together the perfect graphical companion to Weis and Hickman’s novel.

The adaptation by Andrew Dabb stayed pretty faithful and the overall feel and storyline stayed where they needed to be due to the restraints of the graphic novel medium. I personally find the graphic novel to be a nice companion to the book, but it still needs to stand on its own if one has not read the book. It worked for me on both of these levels as I had read this sometime in the 1980’s I believe. It does not hold the same weight as the book, but I do not believe it is supposed to. There is no way they can include everything and I found it to be a fun visualization after reading the books. Even if you are not familiar with the books though it is still very enjoyable just not of the same level I believe as someone that has read the books.

DDP always brings us something new for the fantasy crowd looking to dip their toes in the graphic novel and comic market. I think once you feel the temperature you will want to dive right in. Dragons of Winter Night, the graphic novel, is a great piece to own; visually telling what I consider a classic story in the fantasy book market

As many fanboi will complain, Salvatore’s last few Drizzt books lost a step here or there. The story needed to move on though and sometimes that takes a few books. Here we have the culmination of those efforts in “The Orc King” with a new and exciting chapter in the life of our favorite dark elf, Drizzt.

Salvatore gives a glance at the future in the prologue and epilogue of the books. On one hand, maybe these peeks into the future give us too much information by allowing us to see who lives and who may die. On the other hand, I have been told that allowing us to see the ending allows us to focus on the story more. I personally disagree with the second statement and would have liked to see both the prologue and epilogue removed from the book to allow me more of an element of surprise. Regardless of this, Drizzt and his friends/enemies are back and the story they have to show us is magnificent and action packed. Salvatore is doing what he does best: action, sword fighting, and battle description. He brings you so close you can smell the blood and sweat and taste the dust. Salvatore can plop you in the middle of a raging battle you are brought in with a magnifying glass without ever losing the whole picture.

The setting this time focuses on the Spine of the World (Forgotten Realms). Bruenor is looking to hold on to his kingdom while King Obould Many-Arrows is trying to build a kingdom where the orc tribes can unite. Along the way, Bruenor is searching for Gauntlgrym, which is pretty much the dwarven version of Atlantis. The Forgotten Realms is as richly detailed in Salvatore’s hand as we have come to know; with the world changing events that take place and look to be coming, it is a great read.

The characters in the Orc King are some that we have loved for over 20 years, and Drizzt, Bruenor, Cattie-brie, Wulfgar, Regis and the rest of the gang show up in this corner of The Forgotten Realms for a wonderful romp in the Realm. Salvatore brings us a bunch of new secondary characters to flesh out the cast and move the story forward. For me there were two characters though that were not on the top of my list, one which will sure bring boos from a few of you. Minor Spoiler if you have not read previous books- Wulfgar should have stayed dead. He is on my list of I do not really like his current story, hopefully it goes somewhere when he finds his destination. Also, there is a lich wizard named Jack who is pulling the strings of a secret rogue clan of orcs, like the Wizard of Oz. He seems like an afterthought to push the story, nothing more at this point. I was a huge fan of the Orc/Ogre clan as they worked into the story well, giving our anti hero (or hero?) Obould some needed conflict outside of Mithral Hall.

Salvatore’s writing style stays true to previous books, with his weaving of battle scenes and fast paced action, like Elminster casting a spell. This is not a complex book, but it does not need to be as it is very action driven with a group of characters we are all very familiar with. Drizzt’s inner musings are always well written and give us even more depth to one of the most well known characters in the Wizards of the Coast franchise.

The Spellplague pokes its head up in the prologue and epilogue which are set 100 years in the future. This is a world changing event and we are given an appetizer, but we are all waiting for the full meal where we get this whole story, either in the form of a book or when the 4th Edition Rules come out. It is nice when an author gets to introduce some world changing events like the Orc Kingdom and then the Spellplague. We also get to see the beginning of the way that Salvatore addresses Cattie-brie’s injury and her new role in the group (which seems like it will only grow, and may solve an early death problem we are all worried about) and I loved it! The intriguing find in Gauntlgrym will lead to another twist in the story in the future I am sure. Salvatore steps up his game and his fans will be happy for it.

Ravens of Avalon is a prequel to Marion Zimmer Bradley’s Avalon series. Written by longtime collaborator Diana L. Paxson, Ravens tells the story of Queen Boudica and her stand against the Romans during their conquest of Briton. Boudica, trained as a druid priestess by Lhiannon, chooses to aid her clan by marrying a Briton King instead of becoming a priestess. When the Romans whip her in front of her people and rape her daughters, she raises up the clans of Briton in an attempt to throw out the conquerors.

The book is a mixture of history, magic, romance and myth. The combination of a nearly legendary figure as Queen Boudica and the mythical Druidic magical rites, Goddesses speaking through humans, love, hate and pain should have been riveting. Unfortunately, while the story was relatively well-written, it didn’t have any life to it. The first three-quarters of the book meandered through eighteen years of Boudica’s life and were frankly rather dull. The final quarter of the book had much more action and magic but still remained lifeless. I had to force myself to pick up this book each time because I truly didn’t care about any of the characters and what was to happen to them. I found that the best scene in the entire book was the reincarnation of a family pet.

Because this book was partially built from what archeological and historical records, I believe that the author put aside the world-building one would normally expect from a novel of this type. The slow pacing, bare descriptions and lack of atmosphere kept me disconnected from the characters. I should have felt that I was there, smelling the hundreds of campfires of a vengeful army, being swept away by the Druidic rituals, and suffering through the rainy season. I felt none of this.

While this was a decent attempt to add on to the famous Avalon series, it lacked the magic and joy of Marion Zimmer Bradley’s most famous series. True, hardcore fans of the series will want to read this to get the information about Avalon, which is why the rating is better than I originally wanted to rate it, but regular fantasy readers who have no time invested in the series will probably not be entranced by this book.

Guy Gavriel Kay, most notably known for Tigana and The Last Light of the Sun, gives the world another captivating novel, Ysabel, his tenth to date. It's set in the present day in the southern part of France, but still focuses largely on historical fantasy.

Ned Marriner and his father, an award-winning photographer, are setting up for a photo shoot in the Saint-Saveur Cathedral of Aix-en-Provence, a historically ancient structure that is marveled at for its beautiful architecture. During the slow and intricate setup, Ned wanders away, only to run into a girl his age and a man who's seemingly ageless. This man is searching for something. Both these strangers will change Ned's life instantly, as will what Ned discovers located in the tunnels below the church. Unknowingly, Ned will play a part to an ancient game of love, life, and death, and all those around him will be drawn in as well.

Let's be straightforward for once: I really enjoyed this book.

Ysabel has, by far, the most engaging dialogue I've ever come across. There's wit and humor and honesty and emotion in it, each character acting their age and showing it by simply how they talk. At first, I worried that Ned would simply be a character left to the shadows, but he turned out to be anything but that. It's very clear how much he grows as a character by viewing his interactions with his family and friends; though he's only 15 or so, he's responsible without coming across as too old. He's young, flirtatious, joking half the time, but still knows when to take things serious.

The plot starts out a little slow, and for the first few chapters I couldn't even tell I was reading a genre book; it could've been by Dan Brown (though written a lot better) for all I knew. But once the plot picks up, it really picks up. Cadell and Phelan, two Celtic deities (or something of that sort) that stir up most of the trouble, are villainous but not entirely evil. There are many times I found myself sympathizing with Cadell and the fact that he suffers for ages, never reaching a true moment of contentment. Their powers and abilities are clearly the fantasy bit, but never seem jarring.

Guy Gavriel Kay is somehow able to bring a family together from all different parts of the world and still, the book continues on naturally. Each family member shines on their own levels, showcasing off distinct and lifelike personalities. The pacing is superb, the hint of a countdown helping to push certain characters forward and give that sense of unease when the time really starts to diminish. The culmination of everything at the end, with Ned at the forefront, is worth the buildup. Though I had guessed the ending somewhat early, I was very pleased to see how it played out.

As the year winds down (and even though this won't be officially out until February 2007), I'm not afraid to claim this as one of my favorite reads of 2006. It's captivating, fun, intense, and all around a great and original adventure brimming with fun characters that come just as alive as the history they unravel does. Buy it the day it comes out. Really. I insist.

Brief Telling of the Tale:

The conclusion of The Hunter's Blade Trilogy picks up where The Lone Drow (the second installment) left off: the dwarves are attempting to thwart an orc advance and Drizzt is out in the wilderness causing havoc amongst the enemy's ranks.

The Battlehammer dwarves have been “closed in” to their home – Mithril Hall. Fortunately for them though, they have underground tunnels leading to neighboring lands that the orcs have yet to locate. Clan Battlehamer was able to send scouts to Citadel Felbarr, and after informing them of the situation, the Felbarran dwarves agreed to send their army to Mithril Hall's aid. However, there were two entities that would make this joining difficult: a river and orcs.

Drizzt – behind enemy lines – continues his assault on the orcs of the region while attempting to rescue Sunset – a Pegasus friend. He came close to rescuing her, but Obould, king of the orc army, foiled his plans with a trap. That turned out to be their first showdown, but by far not the last.

Becoming more trouble than she was worth, King Obould gave the frost giant leader, Gerti, the Pegasus. Consequently, Drizzt's path lead away from the battle against Mithril Hall and turned towards the frost giants' home that lay deep in the Spine of the World. Oddly enough, that journey led to an “understanding” between Gerti and Drizzt that would lead to the freeing of Sunset and another skirmish with Obould.

While out on a scouting session, Drizzt comes across the Bouldershoulder brothers, Ivan and Pikel, who notify Drizzt that his friends are still alive. Rather than practicing haste by going to his friends, Drizzt decides that he cannot pass up an opportunity to end this threat by defeating Obould. He carefully places himself in the proper position for the encounter, but unlike previous instances, this is on his terms.

Personal Thoughts:

Well, I sit here contemplating what to write in regards to the supposed conclusion of a series that I had been eagerly awaiting to complete for nearly three years. The anticipation while foraging through Drizzt's previous tales continued to grow as I got closer and closer. I still remember walking past B. Daltons at Arrowhead Mall in Glendale, Arizona and catching a glimpse of a new release, The Thousand Orcs. I was so excited to get home and start reading it. Though, fifty pages in, I discovered that there were many books prior to this. So, like I have recommended to others already, I decided to start from the beginning and purchased Homeland.

That is where my journey began. Unfortunately, looking back on it all, I do not feel a sense of completion but rather an aching feeling of loss. I truly felt that the first piece of the Hunter's Blade Trilogy was going to revive the series back to a state of fascination that it revealed with The Dark Elf Trilogy. But as I completed The Lone Drow, I was not so sure and my mind started contemplating how the The Two Swords could conclude the story that had taken the twists that it had. Since finishing it, I see that the tale did not end at all.

There were several scenes that readers had to be expecting. The biggest of which was Drizzt finding out that his friends had not fallen at Shallows. This was a concept that had been played continuously throughout this book, and I had goosebumps anticipating that meeting. Another was the inevitable battle between Obould and Drizzt. I felt that this book and its predecessor were primarily geared towards these two events, but when they happened, they were of no great consequence. That sense of jubilation I was expecting when Drizzt found out that his best friends were alive and awaiting his return, died. The expectation of a momentous battle between Gruumsh enhanced King Obould Many-Arrows and Drizzt Do'Urden was lost in a skirmish that lasted but a few moments. I expected at least one of these moments to bring fulfillment, but I ended up sulking to the anticlimactic tune.

When I see “trilogy” attached to a series, I feel that it is a safe bet to expect three books to complete a particular storyline. A perfect example is The Lord of the Rings. The evil was revealed to us, they determined how to vanquish the evil, and then they took care of business. Well, Mr. Salvatore decided to recreate that mold and finish this trilogy right in the middle. It irked me a little at first, but now that I have had time to reflect, I am glad that he did not finish it. I would have been more perturbed if he just threw in an ending to finish it; there is a lot left to be completed to bring finality to this tale.

Disregarding the aforementioned letdowns, I did still enjoy reading the book. I have really come to admire the morality of the dwarfs. Plus, I do enjoy reading about the other main characters – Bruener, Cattie-Brie, Regis, and Wulfgar. In the mean time, I will be awaiting the next book in hope that it will aspire to be like Sprite and quench my thirst.

-Patrick Bergeron II

In STONES OF ABRAXAS, K. Osborn Sullivan has created an entertaining first fantasy novel for young adults, though some awkwardness in execution and too-conventional elements make it less immersive and compelling than it could be and than her future efforts will likely be.

David Stanhope, a 12 year-old with a 14 year-old sister, Amanda, lives in the suburbs outside Chicago. He has foolish and abusive instructors, even though his father is the shop teacher at the high school and his mother is the head librarian at his middle school. On the last day before summer vacation, we’ll spend twenty-plus pages reading about David’s best friends and their nicknames, the neighbors and their jobs and tendencies, a hypochondriac cousin, the family’s planned vacation in a rustic cottage, and his dad’s out-of-town teachers’ conference. I wish this preamble had sped by faster, because it doesn’t impact the bulk of the tale which takes place in an alternate world accessed through an unusual gem apparently forgotten in the family’s attic. Fifteen hundred years ago, it became necessary to separate the once-unified world, and the natural earth, Terra, was created alongside magical Abraxas. Once David, Amanda, and their mom are transported there by a honkin’ big ruby, the story really begins.

In Abraxas, different species control different-colored Stones and a Shield with power that was used to implement the Separation. If brought back together by the evil magician, Adrian, these could be used to make him invulnerable. This is one of the parts of the plot that doesn’t feel very fresh, but I did enjoy learning which creatures turned out to be “real” versus imaginary, and I thought the author’s collection of ruling races was unexpected and fun. Also existing in Abraxas are other spare characters of mythology like the Sphinx, a Harpy, and the Minotaur. These dethroned guardians of the gems who spend their hours playing cards in the castle basement (as depicted on the book’s cover so I’m not spoiling any surprises) were some of my favorite characters, because they unfolded with more oddness and mystery than those above-ground. There’s even a hint that the monster in the moat might have an analog in a Scottish lake in Terra, and the revelations of the natures and interrelationships of all these beings is, to my mind, the greatest appeal of the world and one that I’d welcome seeing expanded in later adventures.

I appreciate that FBS makes it a point to review new authors and smaller publishers that often don’t get reviewed, so I think it’s only fair to point out what can unfortunately divide promising titles from the more polished pack. For me, this book’s biggest problems were in the beginning, which discouraged me from reading on, and that would've been a shame, since none of those elements were ultimately pertinent to the main story and could have been excised without loss. One gotcha was the repeated reference, from the earliest pages including the Cast of Characters, to anachronistic details I don’t believe kids of the protagonists’ ages would know. Will most twelve year-olds understand the off-handed allusions to “flower children”, Grandma’s 1976 Ford Pinto, or know that the Pinto's gas tank was reputed to explode after minor collisions? I found it a long journey for a joke to have an originally cheap, thirty year-old car still running, and wondered where they’d find the regular, not unleaded, gas for it. Another distraction of being as crusty and ancient as I am was that after such pointed references to hippies and Ford Pintos, the name Abraxas kept reminding me of the Santana album from 1970 and wondering whether it was the author’s inspiration.

Also, a leading Cast of Characters is commonly seen among new authors, but is rare among the seasoned. While a play, limited in exposition and description by its very form, may need such a starting point for the characters, non-epic novels shouldn’t. And even among serious epics, the most celebrated writers seem to have decided that rather than providing a massive download in the beginning, it’s more engaging to let readers encounter characters in the context of the action where they’ll be most compelling and mentally “sticky”, reserving lengthy background for appendices readers can plumb or avoid as desired.

To me, a preliminary CoC forewarns there may be many more named and elaborately-described characters than will be essential to the unfolding of the plot, and further, it may portend a too-diffuse story focus or lack of ruthless-enough editing. Sometimes, I sense a writer has joyfully created such extensive histories and interconnections that he doesn’t want readers to miss a syllable, despite the fact the real story hasn’t even begun, so there’s no reason yet for a reader to care about these characters or retain this information. But whatever the motivation, when reading about the fantastic, getting a preview of every amazing being to come- and especially in similar verbiage as will occur later in the text- leaves the actual encounter during the story with a ho-hum quality, devoid of wonder when it matters the most.

Aside from these observations, which I mention as general gripes and which hardly occur uniquely in this young adult novel, Osborn has also achieved some very nice effects in STONES OF ABRAXAS. I think her created world is interesting and complex enough to explore at length, and she’s certainly left herself space for sequels. The lead characters and their adventures are consistently kid-scaled, and after arriving in Abraxas, their thoughts and actions ring true for their ages and personalities. They don’t have to suddenly acquire new brilliance, maturity, or the supernatural powers of prodigies for the sake of the plot. Their exposure to the new world and the impending crisis are mediated by their parents and other adults who, refreshingly, do not allow the kids to be burdened with the weight of the worst. This creates necessary fuel for the kids’ curiosities, and will trigger situations that derail and mislead them. Despite the strange fascinations of the environment and the dreadfulness of the dilemma, the kids remain pretty normal to the end, which begins to feel, in a genre now exploding with exceptionally great or awful specimens, quite unusual indeed.

Brief Telling of the Tale:

The story starts off by accompanying a small group of dwarves, led by Tred McKnuckles, who are attempting to beat another group of dwarves to a city where they are planning on selling their wares. Unfortunately for them, though, a band of orcs and frost giants have other ideas. The band ends up ambushing the dwarves and kill all but two, Tred and Nikwilling, who escape. They would learn later how great their folly was in letting them flee.

King Obould Many-Arrows, an orc, and Gerti Orelsdottr, a frost giant, are introduced to readers as villains who are rulers over their respective races. These two form an alliance to bring their forces together to not only wreak havoc, but in an attempt to control the north lands. While these two races have never gotten along, King Obould and Gerti are smart enough to see that an alliance would be beneficial to both, but the original thought was neither their own.

Drizzt and the gang – Bruener, Cattie-Brie, Regis, and Wulfgar – are hit with the news that Bruener's relative King Gandalug – who was saved from the clutches of evil Matron Baenre by Drizzt and friends in an earlier book – has passed away. Now that Bruener is once again the king of Mithril Hall, it is time for him to leave Ten-Towns so he can lead his people. On the way to Mithril Hall, Bruener decides to stop by Mirabar – a dwarf and human city that competes with Mithril Hall through items made of ore – and pay a visit to the dwarves there. His visit becomes a catalyst for the darkest days in Mirabar's history.

Tred and Nikwillig stumble across Bruener on his way to Mithril Hall and tell him how their wagon was ambushed. They could not sit idly bye knowing that retchid creatures were roaming the mountainside in pursuit of victims. Bruener sends most of his party that accompanied him from Ten-Towns continuing on to Mithrill Hall and took some of his best warriors which, of course, included his four closest friends to go in search of the ravenous beasts.

They were able to find and dispose of some in good time, but they found many more small bands as they made there way from town to town to give warning of the possible threats lurking at their doorsteps. They come upon Shallows – one of the larger settlements south of Mithril Hall – and decide to stay with them for a few days. What they did not know was that orc scouts had been monitoring their movements.

With the knowledge that King Bruener, a despised figure to the odious races of the region, had trapped himself within the walls of Shallows, King Obould and Gerti launched an assault on the town. King Obould's orc army amounted to over a thousand, and despite being greatly outnumbered, the Town of Shallows, aided by its recent visitors, was able to stymie the offensive for a few days. Most of the fighting to that point had been protecting the walls and entrances, a style of fighting that is not suited for a dark elf. Drizzt had therefore gone over the walls in an attempt to cause damage behind enemy lines.

In Drizzt's attempt to thwart the frost giants persistent barrage of boulders on Shallows, he ends up being chased into a cavern too small for the giants to follow. Not liking that, they blocked the entrance with large rocks. It takes Drizzt nearly two days to find his way out of the cave and back in sight of the town. The first image he sees is that of a man wearing a one horned helm fall to his certain death out of the tower that distinguishes Shallows.

When it appeared that the orc force was about to overwhelm the remaining defenders of Shallows, a wooden replica of Gruumsh – the god of the orcs – came waltzing into the battlefield. It appeared to be on the side of the attackers, but deception always plays a vital role in the art of war.

Personal Thoughts:

In a shade under two decades, Drizzt Do'Urden has become one of the most popular fantasy characters of all time. Be that through heavy promotion or the public's lack of knowledge of what truly is out there, it is hard to say. Either way, Salvatore persists on feeding the cult following that has embedded itself into Drizzt's piwafwi, and I for one am glad that he continues to do so.

For starters, The Thousand Orcs is a book best read after one has conquered the previous fourteen installments. There is a lot that is based on prior events and relationships that is necessary to know when delving into this book. While I would not consider it to be impossible to pick up this book and follow along, I do not think that the reader would enjoy the story as much or appreciate where the characters are in their lives.

As anyone who has read Salvatore would expect, there were a lot of fighting scenes. In past instances I felt that he just threw in fights from time-to-time because he had not had one in a while. However, I did not feel that any of the fights were misplaced or unwarranted. Well, there was one fight that did not completely flow with the story line, but it was vital in demonstrating to the reader what certain characters (Pikel Bouldershoulder, for example) could do if called on at a later time, and I therefore did not mind it.

Each book prior to this was definitively connected to the previous titles, but every book had a sense of closure on a particular enemy. This book was different.

Unless my memory is playing a joke (It has been a while since I started the first story with Drizzt), The Thousand Orcs is the only book that actually ends in the middle of a battle. Well, it was a battle, but I got the sense that it was the calm before the storm, the anticipation before the big game, the nervousness that plagues the stomach before...you get the picture. There were subtle hints and nicely placed thoughts of characters that can lead the reader to what they believe is going to happen, events that only seem logical. One of the things that I subconsciously tend to do is guess what is going to happen before it happens rather than let the author take me along his/her story, so with this book ending like it did, the brain juices are flowing quite ferociously.

I gave this book an eight for multiple reasons. Firstly, I know that people swear by Homeland and the other Dark Elf Trilogy books (Exile and Sojourn), but they simply do not match up to The Thousand Orcs. And please, do not take my observation to indicate that I did not like learning of Drizzt's first centuries in Menzoberranzen, I enjoyed those books! I just think that the initial story of how Drizzt became Drizzt is weighing too heavily in the minds of fans.

Secondly, this book plays for more in the aspects of war rather than small confrontations. Salvatore had been placing Drizzt and company in small skirmishes when compared to The Thousand Orcs. An enormous portion of the northern orcs have come together, couple that with frost giants joining the mix and you have a conflict on a massive scale. The only thing that I can think of that even comes close to matching is when the drow attempted to overthrow Bruener's dwarves in Mithrill Hall, but that is like comparing a Lunchable to a porterhouse steak, there is a big difference. Furthermore, Salvatore does a wonderful job of revealing the thought process and actions of both sides.

My initial reaction was to give this book a higher grade; the level of this book compared to its predecessors is substantial to me, but there are just too many books out there for this to be near the top of the pile. In closing, this is the best book I have ever read with the name Salvatore on the cover.

-Patrick Bergeron II

David Day’s “A-Z of Tolkien” is more than a simple reference companion for JRR Tolkien’s world of Middle-Earth. It is an act of devotion.

Tolkien, as the Introduction explains, created the worlds of Middle-Earth and the Undying Lands as a gift to England. Essentially, he was determined to create for Great Britain the kind of rich mythology that other countries and cultures had and then set his stories within these worlds. As Day writes, “The enormity of this undertaking is staggering. I would be as if Homer, before writing the ‘Iliad’ and ‘Odyssey,’ had first to invent the whole of Greek mythology and history.”

Day draws from all of Tolkien’s Middle-Earth works, not just “The Lord of the Rings,” but from “The Hobbit,” “The Silmarillion,” and others. From Tolkien’s work, Day compiled this encyclopedic guide of the people, places, events, creatures, and even plants. Entries range in length from a short paragraph to nearly two pages. Day’s work is not as dry as many of these kinds of guides. Each is eloquently written and many read like great works of short fiction in their own right.

The very scope of the work makes its flaws that much more surprising. For example although the Ent Treebeard’s wife has an entry (“Wandlimb”) as do what seems like the entire Dwarven royal line, there is no entry for “Smeagol,” the infamous Gollum’s given name. Several other names were not cross-referenced, although an index helps to make up for these flaws (“Smeagol Gollum” does appear in the Index, referring the reader to the entry on Gollum).

The black and white illustrations were contributed by six different artists, creating a nice diversity in styles. Covering a wide variety of subjects, the illustrations capture everything from simple mischievousness, to mystery and honor, to some of the terrifying monsters lurking in the dark places of Middle-Earth. Interestingly, the sketches are still relevant and current, even in this world of Peter Jackson’s cinematic adaptation of “The Lord of the Rings”—testament to the clarity of Tolkien’s vision and prose. I would have liked even more illustrations.

“A-Z of Tolkien” has to potential to add substantially to a reader’s appreciation of Tolkien’s works, whether using the guide as a reference while reading the Middle-Earth stories (“The Silmarillion” in particular can be a dense read) or as a “coffee-table” book to pass the time. In either case, one cannot look at Day’s guide without being, once again, astounded at Tolkien’s accomplishment of creating such a complex, rich, and real world and Day’s achievement in chronicling it. I rate “A-Z of Tolkien” a 9 out of 10.

This book came upon me at a dubious time in my reading career. I had just branched out into reading some more esoteric works of fantastic fiction and hadn’t seen a mage or a warrior in quite a while. So imagine my relief when the main character, Thraxis, strolls on in wearing his flowing black robes. Ahh.. Sword & sorcery: nectar of the gods.

But Tyrant Moon goes beyond your typical typecast DnD’ish roles to incorporate a very tribal clan-based culture where most of the action happens. It’s in the endless plains country that the Skald call home where we see the plot unfold, develop and conclude.

The bones of the story are good. I think where we are left wanting is in the details. The prose is adequate, but does not evoke that epic feel. The settings are more akin to sketches than oil paintings. And sometimes I feel the inclusion of some character attributes such as vegetarianism, homosexuality, and tribal promiscuity with strangers is done a bit heavy-handedly rather than being given some context for the inclusion.

The one literary device doggedly applied in Tryant Moon is that of a story line broken in half and superimposed upon itself. This gives you the current progression of events broken up by snippets of back-story. Overall, the effect is good and the back-story is really where we see the character development of the lead female character, Arrow. If I were to levy any criticism here, it would be that the very dark history of the character does not leave quite as big of a mark on her as one might expect. But you have to read and see what you think.

I can’t leave the review without a jibe at the cover art. I’d say maybe the computer graphics thing is OK… For 1986 !! But really the book (and the readers) deserve better. Having this cover really did impact my enjoyment of the book. I would much rather see a more organic hand sketch based on realism or just a visual design or something other than the schlock that’s on there. Ok, I can’t end with all this negative karma…

The conclusion is that Tyrant Moon is good fodder for the fantasy appetite. It’s not going to make your top 5 list, but neither will you be sorry you bought it. Strangely enough, I got a little more than I had hoped for. Just goes to show you not to judge a book by its cover !

Related FBS Reviews-

Heretic Sun reviewed by Dena

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Let me start with a synopsis of doom, replete with interjections in square brackets […]:

It begins with a Prologue, as these wretched things often do. The first person narrator, once a denizen of the now-lost island of Azulland - which, we are told was once to be found “in the Cantabric Sea, surrounded by the Kingdom of England, the Kingdom of France and the five Kingdoms that make up the Iberian Peninsula” - is determined to tell their story before they a) disappear/die or b) return to their homeland. It probably won’t shock you to learn that the tale purports to be dangerous and scandalous, full of secrets, twists and high jinks. So far, so underwhelming. Some queasy authorial squits follow:

- “I write “we” dear reader, because you are now a part of the journey. By the magic of words and your own imagination, I grant you a bird’s eye view as we approach Azulland from its northern end.” [I jest not. That *is* a quote.]

Verily, no sooner is the sentence read than, by the “magic of words”, you’ve been transported to southern Azulland, where “you will see many villages, small and large. You will see rich farmland and rivers, lakes and creeks…” [world-building at its best right?] But remember “dear reader” [scowls]: “Pay attention! The Blue Mountains are close, and you will have to gain altitude to clear the snowy peaks.” [Whoosh!] This nauseating aerial flight (a simple map would have made the whole experience redundant) only ends when we (most dear readers that we are) are ordered to swoop in on our heroine thusly:

- “When you see a lovely young woman with golden hair staring out at the men below, draw closer. This is Ammey McKeaf [you don’t say], for whom one of the chronicles is named [you mean like the one I’m holding? Surely you jest!], as we follow the story from her perspective [if you hadn’t let me in on it, I’d have been stumped]. The A in ‘Ammey’ is soft, as in Virgil’s Amaryllis [a reference to The Ecologues, how edifying] for whom the flower was later named. It, too, seems worth noting, as her name should not be mispronounced. [God forbid!]”

Ammey, it soon transpires, is not only lovely and blonde but also the daughter of Azulland’s most revered General, The McKeaf, and sister to five older brothers, each stronger and more manly than the last. [Lucky thing.] We’re left to assume that she spends her days enchanting every male in a 30 mile radius, fending off subsequent marriage proposals and sparring with her variously tender siblings.

But, in honoured fantasy fashion, all is not well: Azulland is under siege by one of its own Kings, Marko Corin of Bellux-Abry, who is seeking to gain control of the whole island by way of forced annexations. His “wolf packs” – small bands of highly trained and vicious warriors – roam the countryside randomly, murdering villagers, raping their women and burning their barns. Cue an Ammey-related tragedy: her best friend, Julia, is kidnapped, raped and found with her heart torn from her body. The McKeaf swiftly dispatches Ammey off to a place of safety…but she stumbles upon a “wolf pack” along the way [didn't see that coming] and is only saved from certain death by the Fortenay Five, a band of notorious assassins [though you wouldn’t think it from their easy-listening name would you]…

What follows involves a number of highly unlikely circumstances: While the infamous assassins actually turn out to be farmers-turned-peace brokers, Ammey is revealed as an unmatched swordswoman, capable of killing 7 men at a time. Not to mention the fact that, despite her frequently referenced svelteness, she’s strong enough to strangle a full-grown man with her hands tied. Every single man she meets falls madly in love with her, a state of affairs that leads to a plethora of un-compelling romantic leads, each one as unlikely as the last. The plot, however, is entirely predictable, the upshot being that Ammey is put in danger, saved, put in danger and saved again, during in which time she gets tied up, tortured and fallen in love with A Lot…but never fear, she ends up saving Azulland from war in a dire dénouement involving a mistaken identity, a King and that ever-threatening marriage. [Hurrah!]

Had enough yet? Try reading 313 wearying pages of the stuff. It’s true: Jane Shoup’s “Ammey McKeaf: Book One of the Azulland Chronicles” is probably not the worst book I’ve ever read…but it’s certainly a strong contender.

It’s not just that the plot is painful and cookie-cutter (it is) or that the characters are ridiculous (they are and I’ll come back to them), it’s also that the writing is just plain bad, right down to the basics of grammar. Given, I read an uncorrected proof, but use of commas and full stops was confused and sentence structure and syntax was simply abysmal. Further, Jane Shoup is a prime abuser of that old creative writing favourite: show, don’t tell. Indeed, she shows us AND tells us. The non-dialogic sections are a nightmare in which we are pummelled by one emotional cue after another: it seems obvious to me, for example, that someone is distressed, if, after being told that his sister had been tortured, he “ran both hands through his hair, gripping its thickness at the base of his neck”. I do not need to be prodded with a subsequent: “It was a gesture of extreme emotion. David was aghast at the description of the torture his sister had endured.” Not only is it utterly redundant, it’s also intrusive…and sadly characteristic of “Ammey McKeaf”. The real shame of the matter is that Shoup’s dialogue *can* be quite natty and expressive – arguably the best stylings she has to offer – and is perfectly capable of bearing the weight of her character’s emotions, no matter how ponderous and over-wrought.

Unfortunately, the prose isn’t alleviated by compelling characters – Ammey, our heroine, is thoroughly and infuriatingly trite. First and foremost an obedient daughter (she hardly makes a fuss when her father exiles her from the centre of the action), and latterly a caring and indulgent wife (even when she’s pretending to be the wife of a man who’s tortured her into unconsciousness, she’s tender as a lamb!), she emotes her way through the plot. Indeed, she spends quite a lot of time “saving” the weak-willed villain and, apparently, falling in love with him. She’s a quintessential dream of 1950s womanhood; a Stepford Wife of high fantasy and from where I’m sitting heroine-as-heal-all never works. All of which is difficult to reconcile with the kick-ass “warrior woman” (Jane Shoup’s words not mine) she frequently becomes: one minute she’s playing with the kids by the stream, next minute she’s whipping out the sword and slaughtering entire battalions single-handed, not to mention besting assassins, poisoning gang-leaders and surviving alone in the wilds for weeks. She does get tortured however, a lot, and at least these visceral moments prove psychologically satisfying…even if Ammey’s determination to kill herself (by beating her head against the wall) rather than betray her family is wholly unlikely. Other characters – the brothers, father, suitors, and villains - are almost unrelentingly flat and bland in their honourable niceness or dark nastiness. Some conflict is pretended around the character of King Marko Corin, but is never truly real: Ammey only has to toss her spirited head and he’s seen the light. Even when there is a glimmer of hope – and occasionally there is an anecdote or a well-turned phrase that works, usually from one of the Fortenay Five – it’s quickly swallowed, stamped upon and buried under sentimental tripe.

The world building is equally sparse and uncertain, mostly because Shoup is an impatient writer; instead of developing her characters or involving us in Azulland’s world she leaps from incident to incident. In fact, if we’re told something will happen in one scene (and we often are) it invariably happens in the next, and while that might make you eager to turn the page, it also disappoints.

Thus, “Ammey McKeaf": bland, obvious and flaccid. Just don’t bother “dear reader”, it ain't worth it.

Once again, you'll have to go and read the synopsis for yourself. BUT,
I can assure you there are elfstones in the book.

This has to be my favorite of all the Shannara books. Why, you might be asking? None of your business... no, wait. Sorry, medications kicking in.

While all of the Shannara books try to create senses of loneliness, fear, panic, urgency, or horror depending on the situation, this book managed to convey all of that through most of the book. I'm not talking serious fright fest here folks, but the atmosphere of terror is portrayed nicely.

The second book in the Sword of Shannara Trilogy does not necessarily follow the same pattern that the rest of the Shannara books are famous for. Sure, there is a party full of all kinds of elves and druids and people and what not, but fairly soon, they all get gloriously ripped apart.

This was the first book I ever read that caused me to say "Holy freakin' monkey on a stick, that has to hurt" in a public setting. It is a horroristic (is that a word?) fantasy novel, but it's not just horror for horror's sake. There's a reason why people are dying gruesomely and its not because the book is written for people who like gruesome books. Don't get me wrong, it's not all doom and gloom. Every story has heroes and this one has a few that you will love to cheer for.

While this may not be the best written story out there it's most definately a farther cry from the "Dude, this is so the Lord of the Rings" complaints you'll hear about the Sword of Shannara.

To be honest, I think everybody should read the whole Trilogy.. in school.. and they should all have to write 3 page long essays about it. Not because it's some great masterpiece of fiction, but because it is why so many people read: fun.
Yes, read this book. No, don't just buy one copy, buy many. After all, you don't want your slacker friends borrowing your only prized copy trashing it like they did with your coveted Friends 2nd season DvD collection. I'd say go ahead and get the whole trilogy in the nice hardcover book thingy, it's cheap. Ok, enough ranting. I'm out.

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I’m on a bit of a odd streak in regards to reviews. This will be the third consecutive relatively new release, while also being the debut work of an author I have reviewed; the others being Holly Phillip’s In the Palace of Repose, Eldon Thompson’s The Crimson Sword, and will soon be followed by a fourth, Steven Oliverez’s ‘The Elder Staves’. It’s always great fun reading works by new authors especially when all four of these works are so completely different thematically, stylistically, and where they fit regarding to sub-genres. In short, a little something for everyone, to either avoid, or think about as a next purchase.

I recently received a copy of Jonathan Moeller’s Demonsouled, a very traditional addition to the genre that focuses on the character Mazael Cravenlock. Mazael is going home, and accompanied by his best friend Gerald Roland, a son of a lord, although not the heir, to investigate reports of the recruiting and massing of sell-swords and bandits in the lands that are ruled by Mazael’s family, where power resides in his older brother Lord Miltor. Other Lords in the land, chiefly the powerful Richard Mandragon, “the Dragonslayer” have noted the gathering of forces by Miltor, and think he may be posturing for war to avenge a failed campaign between the two factions in the time of Miltor’s and Mazael’s mother and father. On the journey home, Mazael and Roland will become what seems to be beacons drawing other companions to them, representative of many of the basic character classes that “gamers” would feel accustomed to seeing in a fantasy novel, who will aid them in what is appearing to be the not only the risk of the escalating tension of war, but also an investigation of queer, unnatural, and decidedly “evil” happenings occurring in and around Cravenlock ruled lands. Some say the dead are animate and walking again, pointing an accusatory finger at the presence of a Wizard of foreign origins (oh those illegal-alien spell casters) who presently basks in high favor with Lord Miltor, who places great import in the words and council of the Wizard. Others blame the mysterious, and dubiously viewed Elves, snatching members of the population at night, for their own nefarious ends. The most personal of all the innuendo reaching Mazael’s ear is the rumor of his family’s possible involvement with a “evil” snake cult, and the damning historical evidence that connects his family and land to them, being spread by Lord Richard Mandragon, and his allies.

Mazael certainly isn’t the only character in Demonsouled. A cast of characters representing such a number of classes join Mazael’s band that it would make Gary Gygax and Ed Greenwood blush. Unfortunately, much like Gygax and his brethren, the characterization in Demonsouled seems to involved and tied to the traditional representations of the classes themselves, leaving no real sense of freshness, originality, or individuality emanating from the characters – we know how and why they will react to certain things because we have seen them all before, and many times. Gerald, Mazael’s best friend is a Paladin in all but name, he is a good man, good natured, heroic, and finds the time to make sure he is not lacks on attending to his prayers. His character is in contrast of Mazael, who although is unquestionably brave, and instilled with a strong morale sense of right, is motivated by his own desires more then Gerald, whose motivations come from a sense and belief of a greater good. They will come across Romaria Greenshield, a rare and beautiful half-breed sent by her people to investigate the aforementioned tales of necromancy, and to find and destroy its source, however, her most important roll, and the one brought on by destiny is the soothing effect she has on the troubled Mazael. We will also meet Mazael’s two oldest friends, his teachers whose positions within the Cravenlock regime had been reduced to essentially early retirement, the rotund Wizard Master Othar, and Nathan Greenheart, a man equally reputed for his prowess in battle as he is for his honor. Joining this group will be a young Wizard who Mazael accepts under his charge Timothy, who in some ways was the novels most thoughtful character. Joining them later in the novel will be Silar, a Cirstarcian monk with stories of ancient bloodlines, and clandestine cults.

Mazael himself is depicted as a peerless, and at times supernatural warrior, who is as intrepid as he is skillful, however, spends most of the story worried about his sister who is happily engaged to a Sir Albron, who along with the aforementioned Wizard (the foreign fellow) Simonian, are given to the reader to mull in there mind which (or both) are behind the chicanery that is leading to war, which may be less paramount then Mazael’s own inner struggle, and his increasingly apparent divine pedigree which potentially has worst implications than any war can bring.

Admittedly, the premise isn’t exactly innovative but it’s not necessarily a weakness either The characters are somewhat 2-D, and are static in nature, but Demonsouled does succeed in being a fairly entertaining, point A to B linear story, that many fans of traditional fantasy will feel familiar with. There are a couple of elements within Demonsouled however that just at times drove me up the wall, and it’s more structural then thematic, for instance, here is a combat sequence:

Another example:

Another example:

The book is riddled with an abundance of passages made up of short sentences that gave a brusque feel to the work. I didn’t scan for these examples given, I merely indiscriminately flipped to pages. There is an alarming absolute lack of any sweeping descriptive passages, and it in fact is a bit of a task to locate a complex sentence within the work. The language left me emotionally unattached, better suited to be read out loud, then read in my opinion. Another element that really detracted from my ability to enjoy the work in the beginning was after we meet Mazael, starting with the very next person he meets (his friend Gerald and his squire Wesson) Moeller seems to have the desire to tell us how easily Mazael can kill the man if he desired to do so. This is a case of telling and not showing, and although I understand the basis for Moeller doing this - establishing certain thought processes and perhaps tracing a transformation occurring within Mazael at the very onset of the novel, its execution makes the surrounding passages disjointed, and ultimately were unnecessary.

There are some positives. Moeller both gives us a complete story in one installment, and yet establishes enough back history in the novel and leaves enough intrigue open to revisit the setting either earlier or later in the timeline with equal effectiveness. The back history Moeller established in the world is a plus and gives the setting some effectiveness that is lacking due to the lack of description found in the narrative. The writing does improve rather dramatically in the last quarter of this novel (which is 400+pages in its entirety), being less disjointed, and being more focused on a Mazael and his personal struggle. This novel will appeal to a segment of fans that happen to be the most numerous in number in the genre; it’s a straightforward, linear, rather action-packed, fast moving tale of a warrior struggling with himself, waving his magic sword around, with his numerous companions in tow. My favorite part of the novel occurs really late in the work, when we are introduced the Lord Mandragon and his family, his two sons one a powerful wizard, the other a quick to tempered warrior, and there relationship provide for an interesting and refreshing breather from the main plot, although their role is brief.

For my personal taste however, there is just simply nothing here that denotes the presence of an individual style, and if the choppiness, and short, laymen-like sentences is the style, it’s simply one that failed to really ingratiate itself with me. As a rule I have found if there is any mystery regarding a antagonists identity, nine times out of ten I have found any form of ‘Simon’ is a dead give away, in this case Simonian is almost a gimmie (not really a spoiler trust me, so admitteldy my mentioning of is a bit tic-tac; blame it on Jonathan Stroud who did the same thing in a novel I read recently - I'm not using it as any detraction in the novel relative to my final grade).

A solid debut novel of an author whose progress I’d really like to see in a following work, my final grade for Demonsouled is a 3.5.

Jay
The Bodhisattva.

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City of Towers is not only the first installment in 'The Dreaming Dark' series, it is also the fist book depicting a new campaign setting from Wizards of the Coast (think Forgotten Realms) entitled Eberron, written by newcomer Keith Baker who is also the apparently the creator of the setting and was chosen by WotC from a number of submissions. Apparently, at least two more novels are planned for 'Dreaming Dark', as listed within the novel, book II 'The Shattered Land' will is scheduled to be released in December of his year, the third novel 'The Gates of Night' a year after that in December of 2006.

I picked up City of Towers when I heard it was the first book in a new line, and had thumbed through it at a store and noticed several pages toward the end of the novel were dedicated to seemingly detailed information about the world (Eberron) its royal houses, political powers, religious bodies, environment details, and semi-biographical information of some of the characters. So because of my curiosity of the beginning new line and because of my affinity for detailed information I purchased City of Towers. Baker introduces us to a time in Eberron depicting the direct aftermath of a long terrible civil war, a war that ended with the catastrophic destruction of the entire Kingdom of Cyre. Of origins unknown, a gray mist spread across the nation and everything within the borders were either destroyed or transformed. This event is universally called the Mourning and turned the once seat of power (Cyre) into a wasteland, now the dwelling place of unimaginable horrors. Those aligned with Cyre who survived the war, and the Mourning, through either chance, luck, absence, or in some cases apparently fate, are called mourners. City of Towers chronicles one group of mourners, survivors of a military regiment, who head for the city of Sharn, the City of Towers, the largest city on the continent, and considered a modern wonder of innovation, not only architecturally but also a testament of what can be accomplished with the combination of skill and magic, and is also the setting for the overwhelming majority of the novel.

The inhabitants of Sharn, are numerous and varied. Humans, Elves, Dwarfs, Gnomes, Troll, Bugabears, Gnolls, Medussa, Goblins, Changelings, Halflings, and tons more, plus combinations (like I said WotC) call one of the many districts of Sharn their home. The diversity of the city is being added to by the mourning refugees, among them are the aforementioned group who are the focus of the story, and who are no less diverse themselves, both as individuals, as are their purpose for traveling to Sharn. This group consists of Pierce a Warforged soldier, which is a artificially created humanoid construct made of steel, wood, leather and stone which are given sentience though magic. House Cannith created the Warforged to be tireless and expendable soldiers during the war. Lei ‘d Cannith a human Dragonmark who was attached to the regiment to control the Warforged and was returning to Sharn to meet her bethroed Hadran d’ Cannith a wealthy and influential Dragonmark who resided in Sharn. Jode, a halfling, also a Dragonmark, blessed with an easy nature and a gift for gab, and finally Daine, who was the captain of the regiment, and although Baker tells the story of the groups adventures it is Daine who seemingly is the main character. He is the sword bearing male/human character, such examples I like to categorize as the Cloud-syndrome of the group (Final Fantasy fans begin to understand).

I mentioned that Jode and Lei are Dragonmarks, and this ties into the magic system employed by Baker, and a very important facet of City of Towers. The term Dragonmark is used with two related meanings on Eberron. The way I used it to describe Jode and Lei, is according to Baker, a slang term for one who bears a unique tattoo-like mark (the second definition) on their body which give the bearer a unique power according to what sign they bear. There are twelve different Dragonmarks known to exist, each exclusive to a particular bloodline. These lines, makes up very powerful, influential and wealthy families, who are masters of the specific abilities their inherent mark gives them. For instance Lei is of House d’ Cannath, and members of that bloodline can bear the Mark of Making, and gives them abilities in just that, for example the creation of the Warforged. Jode is of House Jorasco, (although he claims no House) whom bears the Mark of Healing and is gifted with abilities of healing. It most be noted that not all family members of these lines will bear a Mark, and that the size of the Mark is directly correlated with the innate power of the user. There are cases of individuals who bear marks outside of the Twelve that are called Aberrant Dragonmarks that are birthed from the union of two different houses. These marks are “warped” and are considered dark powers that have side effects both in mind and spirit to the bearer.

The “plot” events in City of Towers begin when the group arrives in Sharn after an arduous journey, and find that Lei has been deemed Excoriate, which can be described as being excommunicated from the family, having your name and titles forfeited and barred from all property owned by the family, and comes with the stigma of having all members of the family strongly urged to disassociate themselves with you completely. The other members of the group having literally no where else to go, commit