Scan barcode
phatlady's review against another edition
3.0
Surprising literally no one, the only woman writing these books is immediately more competent and like, emotionally evocative with prose. If only she'd been allowed to write a more focused story
jillienlee's review
adventurous
dark
funny
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
kalreadsalways's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.0
While the main plot is further continued in the series, the book is extremely choppy in how it hopped between different character groups. The use of contrived plot devices seems very forced on multiple of the main characters as well in order to keep the plot moving along. Things feel a bit inconsistent with the first three books in the series as to how characters behavior shifted. It could ultimately be the result of using 6 different authors to write a 6 book series. However, this appears to be the first book in the series where this point seems to show the most in my observations.
shadowspinner's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Murder, Violence, and Blood
Minor: Death of parent
bloopbloopwilson's review
3.0
Overall this book isn't bad. It's the 4th book and it leads nicely into the 5th book. There are some glaring problems though...
Quenthel is not a moron. She is the Mistress of Arach-Tinilith which is a very high ranking place in Menzoberranzan. It's comparable to Gromph's position as Archmage. But to compare their characters in this book, they make Gromph look like an absolute genius and Quenthel as a bumbling buffoon who couldn't tie her shoes without the help of her imp-bound whip giving her step by step instructions and possibly tying themselves to demonstrate it for her. Quenthel is a very irrational character but in this book she can't seem to make even the most obvious decisions. Another this that wasn't great about the book is Ryld and Halisstra relationship. It grows by leaps and bounds with a page of dialog between them. It just seem too quick to be really happening.
But these are just my negatives of the book. Its well written and even though its just kind of a filler book it doesn't feel much like one. The fight with the wyrm was great and Halisstra's.... change (too keep it spoiler free) felt genuine and true to her character. And it took most of the book for her to truly accept it as part of her self (unlike Ryld which she fell in love with quicker than the road runner under an anvil). All and all this book isn't half bad. There's a good amount of action and it leads you nicely into the next book.
Quenthel is not a moron. She is the Mistress of Arach-Tinilith which is a very high ranking place in Menzoberranzan. It's comparable to Gromph's position as Archmage. But to compare their characters in this book, they make Gromph look like an absolute genius and Quenthel as a bumbling buffoon who couldn't tie her shoes without the help of her imp-bound whip giving her step by step instructions and possibly tying themselves to demonstrate it for her. Quenthel is a very irrational character but in this book she can't seem to make even the most obvious decisions. Another this that wasn't great about the book is Ryld and Halisstra relationship. It grows by leaps and bounds with a page of dialog between them. It just seem too quick to be really happening.
But these are just my negatives of the book. Its well written and even though its just kind of a filler book it doesn't feel much like one. The fight with the wyrm was great and Halisstra's.... change (too keep it spoiler free) felt genuine and true to her character. And it took most of the book for her to truly accept it as part of her self (unlike Ryld which she fell in love with quicker than the road runner under an anvil). All and all this book isn't half bad. There's a good amount of action and it leads you nicely into the next book.
the0newh0watches's review
adventurous
dark
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
nakedsteve's review
5.0
Wow! What a ride. Lisa Smedman takes this series and injected a jolt of intensity that it really needed. She has a way of writing that feels very immediate and exciting. The subject (our group of drow splits up, follows paths all over the place, and gets even deeper into trouble) is nothing really special, but Smedman presents it in a way that really made me feel for the characters and kept the pages turning.
I especially loved the way she worked the minutiae of Dungeons and Dragons lore into the story. I've been a D&D fan for a long time now, and we never worry about most of that little stuff in the games we play, but Smedman worked things like spell component collection, the use of those components in spell casting, and in just the descriptions of the various items the characters use into the story. But in a way that flowed naturally, rather than becoming a grocery list of completeness.
I was very very impressed with this book. And I'll be looking out for more Smedman in the future. I think she's an author to watch!
I especially loved the way she worked the minutiae of Dungeons and Dragons lore into the story. I've been a D&D fan for a long time now, and we never worry about most of that little stuff in the games we play, but Smedman worked things like spell component collection, the use of those components in spell casting, and in just the descriptions of the various items the characters use into the story. But in a way that flowed naturally, rather than becoming a grocery list of completeness.
I was very very impressed with this book. And I'll be looking out for more Smedman in the future. I think she's an author to watch!
brandt's review
4.0
So far this has been a really good series. Each novel has had quite a bit of action but ends perfectly to be continued to the next. And still no Drizzt reference. Very impressive.