D&D General I'm reading the Forgotten Realms Novels- #202 The Howling Delve by Jaleigh Johnson (Dungeons 2)

[Goonalan]

#### Rise of the Blade by Charles Alexander Moffatt (Harpers 15a) REJECTED

Simple as, I spent a couple of days reading this novel (or rather PDF novel I found on the web) before I came to the conclusion that it was not worth my effort. I mean no offence to the author but this is a long way from being a publishable text (it's a draft, after all), and in desperate need of a good (line) editor.

I got a third of the way through it, and there's a problem with either syntax, grammar, or spelling on almost every other page (and I'm being polite here).

Also, as the author states in his intro he struggled to get to grips with D&D/FR milieu, the names of people, places and things are off, and therefore verisimilitude is lacking.

Not READ.

 

[Alzrius]

Elaine Cunningham mentions over here that she's skeptical that TSR/WotC ever intended to publish that particular story.

 

[Goonalan]

Elaine Cunningham mentions over here that she's skeptical that TSR/WotC ever intended to publish that particular story.

Nice catch, have you had a look it it, read it?

I stopped reading it primarily because I wasn't looking forward to the prospect of writing a review (such as they are) for it. If you get me.

Cheers goonalan

 

[Alzrius]

Nice catch, have you had a look it it, read it?

I stopped reading it primarily because I wasn't looking forward to the prospect of writing a review (such as they are) for it. If you get me.

Cheers goonalan

In truth, I hadn't heard of the book before now; I found that quote from Elaine Cunningham as part of some searching I did about how this one had escaped my notice. Based on what you've written here, I'm half-tempted to take a look at it simply to see how bad it apparently is.

 

[Goonalan]

#067 Thornhold by Elaine Cunningham (Harpers 16 + Songs & Swords 4)
Read 12/4/20 to 23/4/20



To begin with a confession, I've been bad- I've been seeing (and reading) other books, y'know- proper books. So, it didn't take me twelve days to read this novel, it took four. I picked it up- started it, and then on page 10 or so just said to myself, I need to read something else. Just to say when I got back to the novel, well- it just flew by.

I feel better for having told you this, confession is good for the soul.

Book 16- and we're mostly in Waterdeep for the intrigue, and a few other places for the action- the bad guys here are as much the rigid Knights of Samular as the despicable Zhentarim. The main players however are Bronwyn, our gal; Dag Zoreth (actually Bron's long lost bro', real name Bran) for the Zhent; Ebenezer- for the Dwarves, and lastly the earnest goon-Paladin (who I really liked) Algorind.

The book is about corruption and rot in high places, and it's well written- and a joy to read, easy on the eye and it all makes sense. There is however lots to see and do here, and once or twice I found myself wishing- let's just keep with the (low level) good guys and skip the high-ups swanning around telling lies to each other.

That's the thing, this is the best Elaine Cunningham novel I've read so far, and just to say again- they're all very well written, it's just that some part of me is left wanting more. There are simpler and more direct offerings in the crowded FR canon, that do much better with much less. In the Harper series The Ring of Winter (James Lowder) but particularly standout is Soldiers of Ice (David Cook).

Possibly the above is just me, I'm not enamoured with a lot of the Greenwood books (but again, that doesn't make them bad) but they're packed with new info, and ways of doing and saying that will inform my game. Likewise many of the other books have some great (dynamic) fight scenes, and maybe a twisty-turny piece of plot. But here's the thing- Cunningham, so far imho, has produced great books that do some or all of the above, but not enough to make me want to rave about them.

Back to the novel, and we've three rings, and three descendants of Samular, so the endgame is to get the rings and siblings (sorta) together, and to make the magic happen. What magic you ask? Fenrisbane, which now I've seen it (albeit briefly) I'm a little disappointed with. It's not the Ring of Winter, it's not Arilyn Moonblade's well... Moonblade, it's just a great big... but, I'll leave it to you to read the book and find out (or Google).

It's okay (Fenrisbane) not exactly a Swiss army knife, it has one purpose and fortunately it is exactly what is needed at that exact moment in time (again)- so, it works.

Same ways the final resolution- you, go stand in the corner (Dag); we'll get on with our new life (Bronwyn (+ Cara) & Ebenezer), while you- you silly Paladin, go and think about what you've done, and be prepared to do it all again.

It goes a long way to get to where we were, but again- that's nothing new; and still the high-ups whisper half-truths to each other (politics, huh!).

So, enjoyable, right until the end- which was a bit of a let down, I wish there was more dash and action, some great fights- rather than scrambling mauls. I want more viscera, greater immediate and in-your-face threat, perhaps I'm just not seeing it.

Read.

 

[humble minion]

I loved most of this one, but I really felt like the paladins were unfairly handed the idiot/villain ball at times - some of the 'kill people as option #1 when even mildly inconvenienced' stuff they got up to was just ridiculous, especially for worshippers of Tyr who is supposed to be the god of fair and impartial justice. Agree that the Fenrisbane and the ending were underwhelming. I really enjoyed the history and Snowcloak, and I actually liked the glimpse of the machination at higher levels - it gave a bit of context and worldbuilding depth to the whole thing. It did leave a lot unfinished though - I believe this was intended to be the first in a series about Bronwyn/Ebenezer/Cara, but that the later books were never commissioned. Shame.

 

[Goonalan]

I loved most of this one, but I really felt like the paladins were unfairly handed the idiot/villain ball at times - some of the 'kill people as option #1 when even mildly inconvenienced' stuff they got up to was just ridiculous, especially for worshippers of Tyr who is supposed to be the god of fair and impartial justice. Agree that the Fenrisbane and the ending were underwhelming. I really enjoyed the history and Snowcloak, and I actually liked the glimpse of the machination at higher levels - it gave a bit of context and worldbuilding depth to the whole thing. It did leave a lot unfinished though - I believe this was intended to be the first in a series about Bronwyn/Ebenezer/Cara, but that the later books were never commissioned. Shame.

Ah, so there were more of these three to come... that makes sense, they were the three in the book with legs, particularly Bronwyn.

I get the high level machinations but it didn't seem to be for any other purpose than to connect Danilo & Khelben et al to the story, nice insights- particularly to the Church/Paladins of Tyr, who come out looking like they have a stick up their backside, or else are self-serving traitorous wretches, or else (last option) hit the kill button far too often. Like you say, it didn't seem like justice was being served at times.

Again, nothing terrible or bad about any of it really, the political intrigue just deflected slightly from the main story/action, and was self-serving, let's face it the novel could have played out without any of them getting involved really. Looking back I mostly like the FR novels that do a bit of picture painting- region, politics, language et al; but then dive right into the action.

Cheers Paul

 

[Goonalan]

#068 The Dream Spheres by Elaine Cunningham (Songs & Swords 5)
Read 25/4/20 to 30/4/20



Book 5 (of Songs & Swords)- and I still don't know what it is about Elaine Cunningham's novels that I just don't get, or else appreciate enough. At the start of my venture into this one I was thinking- this is the best yet, well-written- nice plot, I like the Dream Spheres, and a cast of thousands- with lots of the usual cool cats, by which I mean ostensibly- Danilo, Arilyn and the dark on the inside Elaith.

Lots to like and the novel is swinging by, really easy to read and I'm back into reading fantasy fiction again, after my brief (all too brief) hiatus (see the one above). But then, then... it just sorta drifted, we're running around Waterdeep- meeting new people and going to new places, and there's plenty to admire (from a GMs perspective) with the nuts and bolts of the City of Splendours exposed to the light. Elaine Cunningham's show and tell of the city and its environs is as good, if not better, than Ed Greenwood. But like Greenwood's novels, imho it just doesn't hit the spot- for me.

The danger, much talked about, is less apparent- the action is good (by which I mean the fighting and other similarly life-threatening encounters) but there's not a great deal of it. Lots of folk (mostly the three mentioned above) do lots of things- we watch them, and keep in mind the bad guys and their go-betweens also have to do things to move the plot along. So, lots of watching, lots of waiting. Okay, but actual flash points, mini-climaxes- nah, not really.

A few, but y'know... just not enough.

Also, and this is probably just me but- the Tren? WTF are the Tren? Highly trained Troglodyte Assassins?

What gives? Why not use an existing D&D monster? I'm not even sure why the Tren were invented (unless they're de rigueur in Ed Greenwood's campaign (or Elaine Cunningham's).

In short I don't like the Tren, they could be replaced (fairly easily) with some other creature that serves the same purpose, and that already exists in a monster manual or supplement somewhere. Please keep in mind I have deliberately not Googled the Tren, so I'm bound to be wrong about this.

But I like the tie-ins to the game that I am playing/DMing. I like it when I see monsters and enemies (and places, and people etc.) in-game that I know that I'm going to get a chance to DM soon- I get a few insights, a better appreciation of how the creature/race whatever functions, their motivations et al.

So, why the Tren?

But back to the novel, the two or three (if you include Elaith, and I do) good guys chase around after their tails (and tales) trying to make sense of the Dream Spheres and whoever is controlling them. The missing big bad guy is (alas) very easy to put a name too. Clue- he even gives you a hand (with a ring on it).

Then we do politics, and sneaky-sneaky, and basically go detective for a couple of hundred pages- there's even a walk-on from Bronwyn (and a few others), everyone gets involved- lots of chatter, lots of discovery. But, again, less actual threat, confrontation, and/or action.

Until finally, finally- and this is what was curbing my enthusiasm, we get to the end- the grand reveal, as it turns out all of the bad people I thought were bad people turn out to be- the bad people. The one that is offered up by the author (sorta) as the villain (Elaith) isn't- but if you're reading the book (and you've read some or all of the others) then you know this already.

It's just not going to be Elaith, because the (dark-inside) Elf has got legs, he'll be back- I hope.

I'd pay money for a novel just about the bad things that Elaith Craulnober gets up to, but (alas) I keep thinking (with each passing novel) that I am watching Elaith's redemption here- I don't want that.

Perhaps that's it- Danilo is a posh kid with every advantage, the fact that he gets the Moonblade Elf, has a sensible head on his shoulders and appreciates the plight of the common folk doesn't make me like him any more. Arilyn, well similar, her doubt such as it is buried deep beneath her tough exterior- she's dogmatic, she wants to put all of her chips on the table, to give her life for the greater good/the cause.

Too clean cut, perhaps, too willing, too right, too... good.

Fetch me an anti-hero, with nothing (at all) or else everything to lose, Elaith is better because he wants to stay alive, and have/grab more, and he's broken inside... I think he's the first Elf (not Drow) that I've really liked.

I'm a Dwarf man.

We all are- dig deep, you too can find your inner Dwarf to.

So, well written- nice plot- lots of characters good and bad to keep track of, some really good fights (but not enough), and it unravels, and unravels, and... but you get it.

Read.

Stay safe and well.

 

[humble minion]

I was neck-deep in FR novel fandom at the time this came out, and even I'D never heard of Tren at the time. I think Cunningham needed a race of cunning assassin critters who ate their kills and pulled them out of a relatively obscure 2e monstrous compendium supplement.

This one ... lost me a little. It's still well-written and I do enjoy Cunningham's writing style, it just seemed a little unfocused and some of the resolutions too pat. The powers of the kiira seemed a bit of a grab bag of plot requirements rather than being themed consistently in any way ('It makes magic misbehave nearby, it makes its bearer obsessive and evil, it absorbs spells cast at it, it creates dream spheres!'). And I was getting a bit over Elaith at this point, to be honest. Well, maybe not over him as a character, but over being told how redeemable and honourable he was while he was still running around murdering people and supervising a vicious crime ring. I'd love to know what criteria the moonblades were judging his worthiness on, seriously. He's a well-written and interesting character, but he's undeniably a bastard, and it was a bit much being continually told how deep-down honourable he was. I did like some of the portrayal of Danilo's mother and the contrast drawn between Danilo's personal magical power and her social position and power and the strengths and weaknesses of both - it's not an angle that's often explored in D&D fiction.

There was another plot feature that annoyed me as well, but that's a spoiler for a later novel (I think the reading order is a bit wonky) so I'll leave it for discussion then.

And now if I'm reading your list right, you've got 6 or 7 consecutive Ed Greenwood Elminster novels coming up! Good luck...

 

[Goonalan]

I was neck-deep in FR novel fandom at the time this came out, and even I'D never heard of Tren at the time. I think Cunningham needed a race of cunning assassin critters who ate their kills and pulled them out of a relatively obscure 2e monstrous compendium supplement.

This one ... lost me a little. It's still well-written and I do enjoy Cunningham's writing style, it just seemed a little unfocused and some of the resolutions too pat. The powers of the kiira seemed a bit of a grab bag of plot requirements rather than being themed consistently in any way ('It makes magic misbehave nearby, it makes its bearer obsessive and evil, it absorbs spells cast at it, it creates dream spheres!'). And I was getting a bit over Elaith at this point, to be honest. Well, maybe not over him as a character, but over being told how redeemable and honourable he was while he was still running around murdering people and supervising a vicious crime ring. I'd love to know what criteria the moonblades were judging his worthiness on, seriously. He's a well-written and interesting character, but he's undeniably a bastard, and it was a bit much being continually told how deep-down honourable he was. I did like some of the portrayal of Danilo's mother and the contrast drawn between Danilo's personal magical power and her social position and power and the strengths and weaknesses of both - it's not an angle that's often explored in D&D fiction.

There was another plot feature that annoyed me as well, but that's a spoiler for a later novel (I think the reading order is a bit wonky) so I'll leave it for discussion then.

And now if I'm reading your list right, you've got 6 or 7 consecutive Ed Greenwood Elminster novels coming up! Good luck...

Don't think that last fact has escaped me...

Cheers goonalan