Reviews

An enjoyable and simple read. The main character development is a bit predictable. As a light fantasy read with the obvious neat fact of being the first book in the forgotten realms, I enjoyed it. Overall, the world building is the best part, while the characters fall a bit short.

mark_74's review against another edition

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adventurous mysterious medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

Ok, I'm being honest here, I read this book over 30 years ago and loved it at that time, this review is based on that experience which is why it gets the 5 stars. I've read a few of the other reviews and I can appreciate some of the comments but I still think if you're looking for a bit of an escape to another world this can be a good read, just don't expect too much.

nocturnalbookworm's review

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adventurous

3.75

This one reads just like the tale of a tabletop D&D party’s adventure in novel form. I would say this is neither good nor bad, it really depends on what you are wanting/expecting from reading this. It struck a nice balance between it’s tense and somber moments and its more jovial adventure ones.

Plot

As stated above this book takes place in the forgotten realms, a campaign setting for D&D. Specifically in the southern most of the Moonshae Isles, Gwynneth. The world felt sufficiently fleshed out, and unlike some other fantasy novels did not feel overwhelming in the amount of information throw at the reader. The introduction of people, places, culture, and history felt very smooth and natural.

World Building

I’ll be honest, I didn’t like Tristian. He still isn’t my favorite but it was nice to see him grow at least a little bit. I hope as the rest of the trilogy unfolds he grows and matures substantially more. Robyn is my favorite hands down, I really enjoyed her take no nonsense attitude, and I was pleasantly surprised to see badass female characters like her and the Sisters of Synnoria in an older fantasy novel.

Characters

I’s a fan of multiple POV fantasy anyway but I really enjoyed the way this book handled it. The transitions were almost always at some sort of cliffhanger, leaving you with wondering tension as you read. Some may not be a fan but for me personally it helped keep me interested.

Writing Style

I found this to be genuinely enjoyable. Sometimes you are just in the mood for troupe filled, good vs evil, high fantasy, and this book scratches that itch.

Enjoyment

Overall Rating 3.7/5

For Fans Of:

Classic D&D Party Adventure
Badass Female Characters
Multiple POV
Troupe Filled Fun
Character Growth

literatimedium's review

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adventurous slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.0

franciscaviegas's review

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1.0

DNF @ 25%
Yeah sorry no. A bit too flavourless. A quarter of the way through and nothing interesting happened. I just don’t care enough.

raechel's review

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3.0

A fun, trope-y fantasy novel about a prince with a magic sword and an evil... something threatening the land. This book is good for what it is, but by modern fantasy standards it's not that great.

Tristan is annoying, although he does get a little better. Robyn is honestly too good for him.

There's some serious issues with grammar and details in the book (spelling mistakes, the king's name changes, the symbol on a banner changes, etc). But if you're looking for a classic D&D adventure, this is a good place to start.

mw2k's review

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3.0

More of a 2.5/5 but I'm in a generous mood. Well, this is about as common or garden a fantasy story can get. Wooden characterisations, trite plotting, overwrought dialogue, no surprises anywhere. The hero (and heroine) save the day...but wait, who's this?

Yes, you get it, I'm sure. Yet, it's pulled off with a good deal of verve and enthusiasm which makes it a compelling page turner. Plus, I love the Forgotten Realms milieu so my forgiveness level for creaky writing has been elevated.

Sure, I'll read the next two.

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