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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: 8967245" data-attributes="member: 16069"><p><strong>#184 Lies of Light by Philip Athans (Watercourse 2) </strong></p><p><strong>Read 12/3/23 to 16/3/23</strong></p><p></p><p>[ATTACH=full]278529[/ATTACH]</p><p></p><p>It's more of the same... and again some of this is great, layer and layer of intrigue- a potboiler, but it's been simmering for so long now that I really, REALLY, just want something big to happen. In other series each novel in the sequence has a climax, a very definite ending that curtails (or else bookends) phases of the narrative (and the action) but in this one. It just rumbles on.</p><p></p><p>That is until the last fifty or so pages- when it really does, at last, get good.</p><p></p><p>But again, there are good scenes in here- the stand-out (imho) being Phyrea's meeting with Willem's mother, her new mother-in-law, self-harming with a fruit knife and then lapping up your own blood- it's not a tried and tested method of ingratiating oneself with the in-law, but it leaves an impression.</p><p></p><p>Every scene that Marek (the Thayan Wizard) is in is worth reading, he's turning into a distinctly mendacious, conniving, two-faced bastard- cast in the guise of a benevolent uncle (although again, a Red Wizard- so watch out).</p><p></p><p>Willem, prior to finding his life's purpose in the last fifty pages of the book, is a wash-out. Again. He spent the second half of the first novel in this series just basically pinballing out of control from scene-to-scene. The phrase dead man walking springs to mind, quite often.</p><p></p><p>Ivar is oddly quiet, and mostly off-camera, in this one- which means, of course, he's going to be back big-style for the finale.</p><p></p><p>And Phyrea... well, she's a world-class screw-up and that's putting it mildly, she too is taking the pinball route to annihilation (or salvation) trailed by ghosts who want her blood, besotted with Ivar (it's the red hair), and chased wherever she goes by puppy-love-eyed Willem. It's enough to drive a young girl over the edge. Phyrea helps to dig her own hole into depravity, she is both beautiful and cruel in equal measure.</p><p></p><p>Then there's Pristoleph, remember me mentioning him- no? There's a reason for that.</p><p></p><p>Pristoleph is the boy from the bad side of town- made good, he's the richest fellow in Innarlith, and an enigma to boot. Well, he's listed as one of the three main characters in this story- it says so on the back of the first novel, only he gets maybe ten pages in that one, and not many more in this one- that is until we get to the end.</p><p></p><p>And keep in mind Willem, it seemed to me, got most page time in the first book of this series, and he's not even listed in the big three characters.</p><p></p><p>Pristoleph is a red haired genasi, Phyrea likes a lot... but again she's just pinballing, and so the story suddenly changes again.</p><p></p><p>Willem is broken, and then after being shish-ka-bobbed by a flamberge (nice work Marek, 'A please to work with you, my boy', Marek has really found his voice/meter), Cormyr's second best architect is dead, and then back from it.</p><p></p><p>The ante is upped.</p><p></p><p>The canal, remember that, is really starting to go badly. Ivar is out of the picture and Willem (prior to his untimely end- and restart) and the Master Builder have been left in charge, it's all going to hell.</p><p></p><p>What could possibly come next.</p><p></p><p>My money is on a series of finales, or else a finale or two (minor) two-hundred more pages of natter (talking) and intrigue followed by a neutron bomb ending.</p><p></p><p>We will see.</p><p></p><p>It's good, well written- intriguing in part, too slow- quite a lot of the time, and it gets there- in the end. It's not my kind of thing though.</p><p></p><p>Read.</p><p></p><p>Stay safe and well you lovely people.</p><p></p><p>Cheers Paul</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Goonalan, post: 8967245, member: 16069"] [B]#184 Lies of Light by Philip Athans (Watercourse 2) Read 12/3/23 to 16/3/23[/B] [ATTACH type="full" width="185px"]278529[/ATTACH] It's more of the same... and again some of this is great, layer and layer of intrigue- a potboiler, but it's been simmering for so long now that I really, REALLY, just want something big to happen. In other series each novel in the sequence has a climax, a very definite ending that curtails (or else bookends) phases of the narrative (and the action) but in this one. It just rumbles on. That is until the last fifty or so pages- when it really does, at last, get good. But again, there are good scenes in here- the stand-out (imho) being Phyrea's meeting with Willem's mother, her new mother-in-law, self-harming with a fruit knife and then lapping up your own blood- it's not a tried and tested method of ingratiating oneself with the in-law, but it leaves an impression. Every scene that Marek (the Thayan Wizard) is in is worth reading, he's turning into a distinctly mendacious, conniving, two-faced bastard- cast in the guise of a benevolent uncle (although again, a Red Wizard- so watch out). Willem, prior to finding his life's purpose in the last fifty pages of the book, is a wash-out. Again. He spent the second half of the first novel in this series just basically pinballing out of control from scene-to-scene. The phrase dead man walking springs to mind, quite often. Ivar is oddly quiet, and mostly off-camera, in this one- which means, of course, he's going to be back big-style for the finale. And Phyrea... well, she's a world-class screw-up and that's putting it mildly, she too is taking the pinball route to annihilation (or salvation) trailed by ghosts who want her blood, besotted with Ivar (it's the red hair), and chased wherever she goes by puppy-love-eyed Willem. It's enough to drive a young girl over the edge. Phyrea helps to dig her own hole into depravity, she is both beautiful and cruel in equal measure. Then there's Pristoleph, remember me mentioning him- no? There's a reason for that. Pristoleph is the boy from the bad side of town- made good, he's the richest fellow in Innarlith, and an enigma to boot. Well, he's listed as one of the three main characters in this story- it says so on the back of the first novel, only he gets maybe ten pages in that one, and not many more in this one- that is until we get to the end. And keep in mind Willem, it seemed to me, got most page time in the first book of this series, and he's not even listed in the big three characters. Pristoleph is a red haired genasi, Phyrea likes a lot... but again she's just pinballing, and so the story suddenly changes again. Willem is broken, and then after being shish-ka-bobbed by a flamberge (nice work Marek, 'A please to work with you, my boy', Marek has really found his voice/meter), Cormyr's second best architect is dead, and then back from it. The ante is upped. The canal, remember that, is really starting to go badly. Ivar is out of the picture and Willem (prior to his untimely end- and restart) and the Master Builder have been left in charge, it's all going to hell. What could possibly come next. My money is on a series of finales, or else a finale or two (minor) two-hundred more pages of natter (talking) and intrigue followed by a neutron bomb ending. We will see. It's good, well written- intriguing in part, too slow- quite a lot of the time, and it gets there- in the end. It's not my kind of thing though. Read. Stay safe and well you lovely people. Cheers Paul [/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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