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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="Goonalan" data-source="post: 8168926" data-attributes="member: 16069"><p><strong>#111 The Spine of the World by RA Salvatore (Paths Darkness 2) </strong></p><p><strong>Read 8/1/21 to 10/1/21</strong></p><p></p><p>[ATTACH=full]131145[/ATTACH]</p><p></p><p>Well, I mean... that's odd. I guess.</p><p></p><p>So, and keep in mind I don't read the blurb on the back of the book I just dive right in- I'm reading all of these, so the blurb isn't going to sell me anything that I've not already bought. So, two stories-</p><p></p><p>#1 Poor Wulfgar beset (tortured) by dark memories of Errtu, the barbarian haqving wandered off from his friends ends up getting a job as a bouncer in the less salubrious part of Luskan. meantime he crawls into a bottle, makes a few friends and many more enemies and generally feels sorry for himself a lot of the while.</p><p></p><p>That's not to say that the hunk of tough's story isn't sympathetic- but, it meanders for a good while, and some of this is great because we also get to meet Morik the Rogue, and explore Luskan, and much later get into the Prisoners' Carnival, which Cannibal Holocaust style nasty.</p><p></p><p>So, loved Luskan as a destination, but grew bored with Wulfgar failing to engage in the real and repeatedly burning all his bridges. But I get it, but sympathy at times is elusive.</p><p></p><p>Particularly as lots of other good people are trying to pick Wulfgar up, and make him see that there's more ahead of him. Even Morik turns a corner (I think) by the end of the novel. Wulfgar is certainly lovable, as anti-heroes go, but he's also a lunk (with good reason) but it goes on. I guess you have to get real low before you can crawl back up from the floor.</p><p></p><p>Meantime, story #2- Meralda the beautiful peasant espied by the local Lord, she has to reconcile her love for another with the fact that he family need her to marry the toff, her mother's dying and only with money for an expensive priest can they save> Lots of nice characters to meet, back at the farm and in the Lord's castle, all with their foibles and ways and means but, it's exciting but hardly fantasy fiction swords and sandals. Its also a bit pedestrian.</p><p></p><p>Obviously at the back end these two worlds collide, and Wulfgar gets his mojo back- didn't see that coming, but- it drags, or else it meanders and I get that goes all of the places it does but- Wulfgar is part annoying, part intrigue and action (and lots of good background info for Luskan). While Meralda is much more worthy, and heroic in a different way but, the link is tenuous, and the telling of Meralda's story (in its entirety) seems a little indulgent.</p><p></p><p>The over-arching Drizzt chapter/book voice overs seem to compound the misery a little, again it sounds a lot like Kung Fu (the TV series) with short philosophical precis of what follows or has come to pass. It's a bit constructed, doesn't seem natural.</p><p></p><p>It's a story about Wulfgar, with not enough content to make a book- and so, enter Meralda.</p><p></p><p>Don't get me wrong- I am sympathetic to Meralda's plight but it feels like a different (short) story that has been levered in because the rinse and repeat bad-Wulfgar action would be tireless without it. There's only so many times you can scream at Wulfgar- "Just work it out you big bloody Jessie!"</p><p></p><p>I wanted more Drizzt, and Bruenor, and Catti, and... but no- this is Wulfgar's story, and there's not enough of it to fill a book (or so it seems).</p><p></p><p>Just to caveat all of the above, I read the book in 2-3 days- so, can't have been all that bad. My objection is not with the writing, but the content- and only on reflection, I quite liked reading Meralda's story, in many ways it was better than Wulfie's, but not really what I was expecting/hoping for. I guess.</p><p></p><p>Oh, and a last thought- why call it The Spine of the World, it seems so tenuous, sure there's a bit of action in the region, and we're located thereabouts for a while but... it sounds all action-Jackson and then disappoints. I get that at the end Wulfie seems to think that north of the Spine is home and hearth, while south of it is only trouble but... surely, that's not enough. Did I miss something?</p><p></p><p>Read.</p><p></p><p>Stay safe and well.</p><p></p><p>Cheers Goonalan.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Goonalan, post: 8168926, member: 16069"] [B]#111 The Spine of the World by RA Salvatore (Paths Darkness 2) Read 8/1/21 to 10/1/21[/B] [ATTACH type="full" width="164px" alt="IMG_2749.JPG"]131145[/ATTACH] Well, I mean... that's odd. I guess. So, and keep in mind I don't read the blurb on the back of the book I just dive right in- I'm reading all of these, so the blurb isn't going to sell me anything that I've not already bought. So, two stories- #1 Poor Wulfgar beset (tortured) by dark memories of Errtu, the barbarian haqving wandered off from his friends ends up getting a job as a bouncer in the less salubrious part of Luskan. meantime he crawls into a bottle, makes a few friends and many more enemies and generally feels sorry for himself a lot of the while. That's not to say that the hunk of tough's story isn't sympathetic- but, it meanders for a good while, and some of this is great because we also get to meet Morik the Rogue, and explore Luskan, and much later get into the Prisoners' Carnival, which Cannibal Holocaust style nasty. So, loved Luskan as a destination, but grew bored with Wulfgar failing to engage in the real and repeatedly burning all his bridges. But I get it, but sympathy at times is elusive. Particularly as lots of other good people are trying to pick Wulfgar up, and make him see that there's more ahead of him. Even Morik turns a corner (I think) by the end of the novel. Wulfgar is certainly lovable, as anti-heroes go, but he's also a lunk (with good reason) but it goes on. I guess you have to get real low before you can crawl back up from the floor. Meantime, story #2- Meralda the beautiful peasant espied by the local Lord, she has to reconcile her love for another with the fact that he family need her to marry the toff, her mother's dying and only with money for an expensive priest can they save> Lots of nice characters to meet, back at the farm and in the Lord's castle, all with their foibles and ways and means but, it's exciting but hardly fantasy fiction swords and sandals. Its also a bit pedestrian. Obviously at the back end these two worlds collide, and Wulfgar gets his mojo back- didn't see that coming, but- it drags, or else it meanders and I get that goes all of the places it does but- Wulfgar is part annoying, part intrigue and action (and lots of good background info for Luskan). While Meralda is much more worthy, and heroic in a different way but, the link is tenuous, and the telling of Meralda's story (in its entirety) seems a little indulgent. The over-arching Drizzt chapter/book voice overs seem to compound the misery a little, again it sounds a lot like Kung Fu (the TV series) with short philosophical precis of what follows or has come to pass. It's a bit constructed, doesn't seem natural. It's a story about Wulfgar, with not enough content to make a book- and so, enter Meralda. Don't get me wrong- I am sympathetic to Meralda's plight but it feels like a different (short) story that has been levered in because the rinse and repeat bad-Wulfgar action would be tireless without it. There's only so many times you can scream at Wulfgar- "Just work it out you big bloody Jessie!" I wanted more Drizzt, and Bruenor, and Catti, and... but no- this is Wulfgar's story, and there's not enough of it to fill a book (or so it seems). Just to caveat all of the above, I read the book in 2-3 days- so, can't have been all that bad. My objection is not with the writing, but the content- and only on reflection, I quite liked reading Meralda's story, in many ways it was better than Wulfie's, but not really what I was expecting/hoping for. I guess. Oh, and a last thought- why call it The Spine of the World, it seems so tenuous, sure there's a bit of action in the region, and we're located thereabouts for a while but... it sounds all action-Jackson and then disappoints. I get that at the end Wulfie seems to think that north of the Spine is home and hearth, while south of it is only trouble but... surely, that's not enough. Did I miss something? Read. Stay safe and well. Cheers Goonalan. [/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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