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platanus's review against another edition
3.0
If you're looking for an adventure book or a mystery or marvelous magical exploits, pick another book.
If you want a plot of political intrigue and personal cunning and excitement... still pick another book.
There's no character development, no world building, no delving into a part of the history of Faerûn besides a few unimportant tidbits about Finder Wyvernspur.
There is nothing in the book that would surprise you or captivate you past the first 20 pages. Of anything in the first 20 pages did, please let me.
BUT I had to give it three stars because it's a comfortable read for those times when you don't have the concentration demanded for a good book. The pacing is good, there is enough going on, character interactions are very middle school comical but enough to have you finish the book. The characters are diverse enough, just enough, even if stereotypically so.
It's coherent in tone and story and upholds the promises it makes in those 20 first pages.
If you want a plot of political intrigue and personal cunning and excitement... still pick another book.
There's no character development, no world building, no delving into a part of the history of Faerûn besides a few unimportant tidbits about Finder Wyvernspur.
There is nothing in the book that would surprise you or captivate you past the first 20 pages. Of anything in the first 20 pages did, please let me.
BUT I had to give it three stars because it's a comfortable read for those times when you don't have the concentration demanded for a good book. The pacing is good, there is enough going on, character interactions are very middle school comical but enough to have you finish the book. The characters are diverse enough, just enough, even if stereotypically so.
It's coherent in tone and story and upholds the promises it makes in those 20 first pages.
dark_reader's review
2.0
The opening chapter is strong. It does a terrific job of reintroducing the characters Alias and Dragonbait, heroes from the authors' previous Forgotten Realms trilogy which began with [b:Azure Bonds|291735|Azure Bonds (Forgotten Realms Finder's Stone, #1)|Kate Novak|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1298845202l/291735._SY75_.jpg|283052]. It is peppered with just enough detail for new readers to join the fun. The city of Westgate is established as a vital locale for this adventure. The Night Masks, a criminal organization previously seen in this line of books in R.A. Salvatore's [b:Night Masks|274397|Night Masks (Forgotten Realms The Cleric Quintet, #3)|R.A. Salvatore|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1435179273l/274397._SY75_.jpg|2347041], although with a very differenct character, is effectively introduced in character-rich encounters. The book's main conflicts are efficiently set up. The authors' competency is on display. The book's production value is higher than most in this series, with a two-page glossy colour map. All good signs, in a publishing line that had recently put out many disappointing books.
In the second chapter, it starts going downhill.
Not all at once. The second chapter isn't bad, really, but it starts off a series of chapters that negate much of what made the first one great (for a Forgotten Realms novel). A lot more detail from the preceding trilogy is reintroduced, reducing this book's accessibility. The Night Mask organization is introduced in full, and we see that it's basically just one guy of note, and the rest are incompetent mooks who are unlikely to present any challenge to our heroes. Their leader, "The Faceless" is a mystery character, so of course everyone the heroes then meet becomes a suspect, and it does not take long to guess who it might be.
The writing isn't bad, all your basics are there. No characters are wasted, plot threads are appropriately placed and followed up, the timeline is solid, character reactions are appropriate. What makes the book bad, rather, is some questionable story elements, and the predictability of late events.
Alias, the protagonist, has not led a normal life and is said early on to have the emotional maturity of a teenager, but this only comes into play in one narrow part of the story, namely her naivety about romance. She shows great maturity and judgment in all other matters, so this stated personality aspect is forced in simply to explain otherwise unlikely behavior.
Jamal is a performer who stages political street theater, and as the novel progresses, her shows become the only way that the sentiments of Westgate's common populace are demonstrated. This could have been an interesting story component, but it became heavy-handed when it replaced other potential interactions. The fact that Jamal reminded Alias of her mother was an emotional thread that was dropped early on.
None of this sounds terrible yet, I know. The real problem is that the book lacked suspense or any genuine stakes. The reader is simply waiting for the heroes to catch up to what the reader figured out long ago, followed by waiting for the heroes to catch up to what has then been made explicit. Also, the main villain is a poor threat. The book really takes a plunge off the cliff for the final 80 pages. At that point, the plot depends on the reader believing that certain characters are dead, when anyone who has ever read a book or seen a movie knows they are not dead. It was not even interesting waiting to find out the details of the misdirection, because the whole story was already boring by that point. Even the eventual explanation was dull.
I still have faith in this married author duo. Two of their prior three Forgotten Realms books, [b:Azure Bonds|291735|Azure Bonds (Forgotten Realms Finder's Stone, #1)|Kate Novak|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1298845202l/291735._SY75_.jpg|283052] and [b:The Wyvern's Spur|1262591|The Wyvern's Spur (Forgotten Realms Finder's Stone, #2)|Kate Novak|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1593558363l/1262591._SY75_.jpg|1251451], were very enjoyable. Let us simply not talk about [b:Song Of The Saurials|1848211|Song Of The Saurials (Forgotten Realms Finder's Stone, #3)|Kate Novak|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1588532847l/1848211._SY75_.jpg|352265]. They are decent writers and my favorite adorkable/nerdorable couple, I mean just look at these sweeties:
I just hope they come up with better material for their next outing, which is a continuation of the same, with [b:Finder's Bane|362194|Finder's Bane (Forgotten Realms Lost Gods, #1; The Harpers, #15)|Kate Novak|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1388721883l/362194._SY75_.jpg|352289] also in the Harpers series and [b:Tymora's Luck|291712|Tymora's Luck (Forgotten Realms Lost Gods, #3)|Kate Novak|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1389682868l/291712._SY75_.jpg|283029] later. This book had nothing to do with the Harpers—this is a good thing—other than an odd mention of two, further demonstrating that this loose series was basically a dumping ground for trilogy-less Forgotten Realms novels of that era.
Speaking of that era, the cover art . . . is not too bad in comparison to some others. At least the portrayal of Alias is true to the text. But look at those hairstyles, and why is that guy vamping like he's in Plan 9 from Outer space? . . .
Yep, that's 1995 alright.
In the second chapter, it starts going downhill.
Not all at once. The second chapter isn't bad, really, but it starts off a series of chapters that negate much of what made the first one great (for a Forgotten Realms novel). A lot more detail from the preceding trilogy is reintroduced, reducing this book's accessibility. The Night Mask organization is introduced in full, and we see that it's basically just one guy of note, and the rest are incompetent mooks who are unlikely to present any challenge to our heroes. Their leader, "The Faceless" is a mystery character, so of course everyone the heroes then meet becomes a suspect, and it does not take long to guess who it might be.
The writing isn't bad, all your basics are there. No characters are wasted, plot threads are appropriately placed and followed up, the timeline is solid, character reactions are appropriate. What makes the book bad, rather, is some questionable story elements, and the predictability of late events.
Alias, the protagonist, has not led a normal life and is said early on to have the emotional maturity of a teenager, but this only comes into play in one narrow part of the story, namely her naivety about romance. She shows great maturity and judgment in all other matters, so this stated personality aspect is forced in simply to explain otherwise unlikely behavior.
Jamal is a performer who stages political street theater, and as the novel progresses, her shows become the only way that the sentiments of Westgate's common populace are demonstrated. This could have been an interesting story component, but it became heavy-handed when it replaced other potential interactions. The fact that Jamal reminded Alias of her mother was an emotional thread that was dropped early on.
None of this sounds terrible yet, I know. The real problem is that the book lacked suspense or any genuine stakes. The reader is simply waiting for the heroes to catch up to what the reader figured out long ago, followed by waiting for the heroes to catch up to what has then been made explicit. Also, the main villain is a poor threat. The book really takes a plunge off the cliff for the final 80 pages. At that point, the plot depends on the reader believing that certain characters are dead, when anyone who has ever read a book or seen a movie knows they are not dead. It was not even interesting waiting to find out the details of the misdirection, because the whole story was already boring by that point. Even the eventual explanation was dull.
I still have faith in this married author duo. Two of their prior three Forgotten Realms books, [b:Azure Bonds|291735|Azure Bonds (Forgotten Realms Finder's Stone, #1)|Kate Novak|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1298845202l/291735._SY75_.jpg|283052] and [b:The Wyvern's Spur|1262591|The Wyvern's Spur (Forgotten Realms Finder's Stone, #2)|Kate Novak|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1593558363l/1262591._SY75_.jpg|1251451], were very enjoyable. Let us simply not talk about [b:Song Of The Saurials|1848211|Song Of The Saurials (Forgotten Realms Finder's Stone, #3)|Kate Novak|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1588532847l/1848211._SY75_.jpg|352265]. They are decent writers and my favorite adorkable/nerdorable couple, I mean just look at these sweeties:
I just hope they come up with better material for their next outing, which is a continuation of the same, with [b:Finder's Bane|362194|Finder's Bane (Forgotten Realms Lost Gods, #1; The Harpers, #15)|Kate Novak|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1388721883l/362194._SY75_.jpg|352289] also in the Harpers series and [b:Tymora's Luck|291712|Tymora's Luck (Forgotten Realms Lost Gods, #3)|Kate Novak|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1389682868l/291712._SY75_.jpg|283029] later. This book had nothing to do with the Harpers—this is a good thing—other than an odd mention of two, further demonstrating that this loose series was basically a dumping ground for trilogy-less Forgotten Realms novels of that era.
Speaking of that era, the cover art . . . is not too bad in comparison to some others. At least the portrayal of Alias is true to the text. But look at those hairstyles, and why is that guy vamping like he's in Plan 9 from Outer space? . . .
Yep, that's 1995 alright.
mw2k's review
4.0
A pleasant surprise. While nothing special in the character development or plot department, what it does have is great pacing and it tells a good story. This is definitely one of the better Harpers installments.
Surprisingly good.
Surprisingly good.
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