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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: 8617323" data-attributes="member: 8461"><p>I mentioned way back in <a href="https://www.enworld.org/threads/im-reading-the-forgotten-realms-novels-158-the-crimson-gold-by-voronica-whitney-robinson-rogues-3.667899/post-7928807" target="_blank">my take</a> on Jean Rabe's <em>Red Magic</em> that this particular story was the "kinder, gentler" Szass Tam, and it shows. While he struck me more as a jaded romantic than being particularly lecherous, the fact that he - the cold-hearted lich who routinely manipulates a nation of hostile wizards - is taken in by Tazi's wonderfulness is all the indictment that needs to be made of this novel. I don't like to throw the term "Mary Sue" around, simply because it tends to degenerate into arguments about what it <em>really</em> means and if a given character is <em>actually</em> one, but it seems apt here.</p><p></p><p>Beyond that, my strongest impression of this story was that it was an Erevis Cale-adjacent story. That is, while this technically stands on its own, I had a distinct feeling that this was one of those side stories where a supporting character from a greater epic gets to spend some time in the spotlight. Like a loyal sidekick being thrown a bone by getting their own outing, the overall offering is kind of pointless, and that certainly fits with what's here. "Sancho Panza's day out," in other words.</p><p></p><p>I mean, something like Eltab getting free (or almost getting free? It's been a long time since I read this) should have had bigger results, but the entire thing never lost its feeling of a Spring Break romp. A friend of mine swears up and down that I should read the Cale stories, and maybe he's right about them being compelling, but with this being the only one to have crossed my path, I just can't get excited over them.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Alzrius, post: 8617323, member: 8461"] I mentioned way back in [url=https://www.enworld.org/threads/im-reading-the-forgotten-realms-novels-158-the-crimson-gold-by-voronica-whitney-robinson-rogues-3.667899/post-7928807]my take[/url] on Jean Rabe's [i]Red Magic[/i] that this particular story was the "kinder, gentler" Szass Tam, and it shows. While he struck me more as a jaded romantic than being particularly lecherous, the fact that he - the cold-hearted lich who routinely manipulates a nation of hostile wizards - is taken in by Tazi's wonderfulness is all the indictment that needs to be made of this novel. I don't like to throw the term "Mary Sue" around, simply because it tends to degenerate into arguments about what it [i]really[/i] means and if a given character is [i]actually[/i] one, but it seems apt here. Beyond that, my strongest impression of this story was that it was an Erevis Cale-adjacent story. That is, while this technically stands on its own, I had a distinct feeling that this was one of those side stories where a supporting character from a greater epic gets to spend some time in the spotlight. Like a loyal sidekick being thrown a bone by getting their own outing, the overall offering is kind of pointless, and that certainly fits with what's here. "Sancho Panza's day out," in other words. I mean, something like Eltab getting free (or almost getting free? It's been a long time since I read this) should have had bigger results, but the entire thing never lost its feeling of a Spring Break romp. A friend of mine swears up and down that I should read the Cale stories, and maybe he's right about them being compelling, but with this being the only one to have crossed my path, I just can't get excited over them. [/QUOTE]
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