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I'm reading the Forgotten Realms Novels- #202 The Howling Delve by Jaleigh Johnson (Dungeons 2)
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<blockquote data-quote="Alzrius" data-source="post: 8257223" data-attributes="member: 8461"><p>That's what did it for me. I confess that there's a fair amount of the beginning and middle of this book that I don't recall, but Balthazar was such a great character that he makes the end of the story really stand out in my memory. That counts for a lot, at least to me, since I think the most important part of the story is the ending (I know some people say the beginning is the most important part, since it needs to hook readers; I disagree). That this ended the trilogy makes it that much stronger to my mind.</p><p></p><p>Likewise for how all of Abdel's companions are killed off one by one; I found that compelling. While the self-sacrificing hero is a tried-but-true trope, the one where all of the hero's companions die so that he can make it across the finish line is one that we see less often (and when we do it's often paired with resurrections at the end). I find that more impactful, since it means that the hero has to live with the costs of heroism, something which I think should always be heavy since it underscores that <em>not</em> just anyone is cut out to handle the costs of rising to the occasion.</p><p></p><p>I did roll my eyes at the scene where a celestial arrives and tries to tell Melissan not to become a god, that it's not something mortals are meant to do. Even Melissan can't help but scoff at that, pointing out Cyric. "Cyric was a mistake," replies the messenger. Um, no, he was chosen (along with Midnight) by Ao personally to restore the cosmic balance; Ao said so at the end of the Avatar trilogy. Not to mention all of the other mortals who have become gods in the history of the Realms: Bane, Torm, Myrkul, Velsharoon, Savras, Mystra, Kelemvor, Azuth, and oh yeah, Bhaal himself. Trying to frame what was happening as some sort of cosmic perversion of how things are supposed to be really fell flat for me, creating a dissonant note in an otherwise-likeable ending.</p><p></p><p>So yeah, the last part made it all worthwhile. Not the best Realms book by any stretch, but it nailed the metaphorical landing, and that's enough for me.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Alzrius, post: 8257223, member: 8461"] That's what did it for me. I confess that there's a fair amount of the beginning and middle of this book that I don't recall, but Balthazar was such a great character that he makes the end of the story really stand out in my memory. That counts for a lot, at least to me, since I think the most important part of the story is the ending (I know some people say the beginning is the most important part, since it needs to hook readers; I disagree). That this ended the trilogy makes it that much stronger to my mind. Likewise for how all of Abdel's companions are killed off one by one; I found that compelling. While the self-sacrificing hero is a tried-but-true trope, the one where all of the hero's companions die so that he can make it across the finish line is one that we see less often (and when we do it's often paired with resurrections at the end). I find that more impactful, since it means that the hero has to live with the costs of heroism, something which I think should always be heavy since it underscores that [i]not[/i] just anyone is cut out to handle the costs of rising to the occasion. I did roll my eyes at the scene where a celestial arrives and tries to tell Melissan not to become a god, that it's not something mortals are meant to do. Even Melissan can't help but scoff at that, pointing out Cyric. "Cyric was a mistake," replies the messenger. Um, no, he was chosen (along with Midnight) by Ao personally to restore the cosmic balance; Ao said so at the end of the Avatar trilogy. Not to mention all of the other mortals who have become gods in the history of the Realms: Bane, Torm, Myrkul, Velsharoon, Savras, Mystra, Kelemvor, Azuth, and oh yeah, Bhaal himself. Trying to frame what was happening as some sort of cosmic perversion of how things are supposed to be really fell flat for me, creating a dissonant note in an otherwise-likeable ending. So yeah, the last part made it all worthwhile. Not the best Realms book by any stretch, but it nailed the metaphorical landing, and that's enough for me. [/QUOTE]
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I'm reading the Forgotten Realms Novels- #202 The Howling Delve by Jaleigh Johnson (Dungeons 2)
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