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Another Scroll to 'The Herald'~ A review

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[quote][i]Originally posted by Renin[/i]
[br]As I have come to finish the book, I find myself wishing to discuss it. There are a few other scrolls started, but many seemed to divert into some rude or disgusting measures, so I feel I just wish to start again.

'The Herald' ends The Sundering series; books described as narratives around the worlds of Abeir and Toril separating. Their separation, I assume, will be the stuff of 5th Edition FR campaign setting books, as they are not the stuff of these books truly at all.

In this book, I found a many good things to enjoy. Elminster�s work on mythal anchors, then to Candlekeep. His discussions with Storm before their separation and again with Alusair and Laeral were all quite good, as it was directed to the work that must be done by those that are Chosen, and often martyrs for a cause.

The mythals and their fonts of magic became the prize of the book, so seeing so many groups engaging to attain them seemed very natural, and very much a Greenwood storytelling device. It�s his thing! Truly is! I have no problem with that!

However�yes the �but� comes into play now.

But�the importance of all the factions, and their page count, seemed at times to me to be poorly managed or poor choices.

The work that Telamont�s 2 special agents were good to read, follow, and track. Yet, as I, the reader, look at the book as a whole, there is the baelnorn duel with the one agent that lasted for so, so many pages. And through many interludes, as a matter of fact. Juxtapose that with the brief �screen time� of Elminster v Telamont (an antagonist that has been seen throughout all these novels), and I find that execution to be disappointing.  ESPECIALLY when the said Shadovar agent just walks into a random room to get wiped by the Coronal after his prominent page-count baelnorn battle. Random Shadovar agent? Chapters upon chapter of manipulations and fights, loses the dice roll on 'random hero generator' and gets wiped. Elminster thinks sternly at Telamont, he dies. In a paragraph.

(Which, going back, is always a criticism I have of the Greenwood novels; the random characters popping into action. Dove just appears to fight in Myth Drannor. Larloch was fine. Srinshee I expected, Alustair and Laeral were�interesting. Yet, Mirt? What did he truly add to the story movement of The Herald? Manshoon? Or the Shadovar twins? The Coronal being in one of the crypt rooms that the agent walked into. Too many seasonings in the soup, is my own reader assessment of it).

If I was a new reader, there are MANY facets to this book that are simply unexplained, or simply lost to them. This book did not do wonders to invite in any new fans, I dare say.  That�s just my honest feeling on it.

So, yes, I rather feel a big �well�bah� when it comes to this book. I enjoyed many points, but the culmination of the rising action to story resolution was just odd, and at times, didn�t seem to fit the feel that the book was establishing to me.

That�s my point of view.

[/quote]

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T O P I C R E V I E W
Renin	Posted - 24 Aug 2014 : 18:09:01 As I have come to finish the book, I find myself wishing to discuss it. There are a few other scrolls started, but many seemed to divert into some rude or disgusting measures, so I feel I just wish to start again. 'The Herald' ends The Sundering series; books described as narratives around the worlds of Abeir and Toril separating. Their separation, I assume, will be the stuff of 5th Edition FR campaign setting books, as they are not the stuff of these books truly at all. In this book, I found a many good things to enjoy. Elminster�s work on mythal anchors, then to Candlekeep. His discussions with Storm before their separation and again with Alusair and Laeral were all quite good, as it was directed to the work that must be done by those that are Chosen, and often martyrs for a cause. The mythals and their fonts of magic became the prize of the book, so seeing so many groups engaging to attain them seemed very natural, and very much a Greenwood storytelling device. It�s his thing! Truly is! I have no problem with that! However�yes the �but� comes into play now. But�the importance of all the factions, and their page count, seemed at times to me to be poorly managed or poor choices. The work that Telamont�s 2 special agents were good to read, follow, and track. Yet, as I, the reader, look at the book as a whole, there is the baelnorn duel with the one agent that lasted for so, so many pages. And through many interludes, as a matter of fact. Juxtapose that with the brief �screen time� of Elminster v Telamont (an antagonist that has been seen throughout all these novels), and I find that execution to be disappointing. ESPECIALLY when the said Shadovar agent just walks into a random room to get wiped by the Coronal after his prominent page-count baelnorn battle. Random Shadovar agent? Chapters upon chapter of manipulations and fights, loses the dice roll on 'random hero generator' and gets wiped. Elminster thinks sternly at Telamont, he dies. In a paragraph. (Which, going back, is always a criticism I have of the Greenwood novels; the random characters popping into action. Dove just appears to fight in Myth Drannor. Larloch was fine. Srinshee I expected, Alustair and Laeral were�interesting. Yet, Mirt? What did he truly add to the story movement of The Herald? Manshoon? Or the Shadovar twins? The Coronal being in one of the crypt rooms that the agent walked into. Too many seasonings in the soup, is my own reader assessment of it). If I was a new reader, there are MANY facets to this book that are simply unexplained, or simply lost to them. This book did not do wonders to invite in any new fans, I dare say. That�s just my honest feeling on it. So, yes, I rather feel a big �well�bah� when it comes to this book. I enjoyed many points, but the culmination of the rising action to story resolution was just odd, and at times, didn�t seem to fit the feel that the book was establishing to me. That�s my point of view.
1 L A T E S T R E P L I E S (Newest First)
Firestorm	Posted - 25 Aug 2014 : 00:23:43 quote: Originally posted by Renin As I have come to finish the book, I find myself wishing to discuss it. There are a few other scrolls started, but many seemed to divert into some rude or disgusting measures, so I feel I just wish to start again. 'The Herald' ends The Sundering series; books described as narratives around the worlds of Abeir and Toril separating. Their separation, I assume, will be the stuff of 5th Edition FR campaign setting books, as they are not the stuff of these books truly at all. In this book, I found a many good things to enjoy. Elminster�s work on mythal anchors, then to Candlekeep. His discussions with Storm before their separation and again with Alusair and Laeral were all quite good, as it was directed to the work that must be done by those that are Chosen, and often martyrs for a cause. The mythals and their fonts of magic became the prize of the book, so seeing so many groups engaging to attain them seemed very natural, and very much a Greenwood storytelling device. It�s his thing! Truly is! I have no problem with that! However�yes the �but� comes into play now. But�the importance of all the factions, and their page count, seemed at times to me to be poorly managed or poor choices. The work that Telamont�s 2 special agents were good to read, follow, and track. Yet, as I, the reader, look at the book as a whole, there is the baelnorn duel with the one agent that lasted for so, so many pages. And through many interludes, as a matter of fact. Juxtapose that with the brief �screen time� of Elminster v Telamont (an antagonist that has been seen throughout all these novels), and I find that execution to be disappointing. ESPECIALLY when the said Shadovar agent just walks into a random room to get wiped by the Coronal after his prominent page-count baelnorn battle. Random Shadovar agent? Chapters upon chapter of manipulations and fights, loses the dice roll on 'random hero generator' and gets wiped. Elminster thinks sternly at Telamont, he dies. In a paragraph. (Which, going back, is always a criticism I have of the Greenwood novels; the random characters popping into action. Dove just appears to fight in Myth Drannor. Larloch was fine. Srinshee I expected, Alustair and Laeral were�interesting. Yet, Mirt? What did he truly add to the story movement of The Herald? Manshoon? Or the Shadovar twins? The Coronal being in one of the crypt rooms that the agent walked into. Too many seasonings in the soup, is my own reader assessment of it). If I was a new reader, there are MANY facets to this book that are simply unexplained, or simply lost to them. This book did not do wonders to invite in any new fans, I dare say. That�s just my honest feeling on it. So, yes, I rather feel a big �well�bah� when it comes to this book. I enjoyed many points, but the culmination of the rising action to story resolution was just odd, and at times, didn�t seem to fit the feel that the book was establishing to me. That�s my point of view. And it is shared by a few. Including me. Granted I was excited the whole book and was drawn in. But the endgame was so anticlimatic and abrupt it ruined it for me. A novice to Forgotten realms would not know WTF was going on in this book any more than they would in Blackstaff. But for realms readers, having those characters on the pages was a treat. But it was almost like watching Robin hood prince of thieves, but instead of the epic duel at the end, Robin Hood just nocks, draws and shoots the sheriff on the balcony from the courtyard after saving his brother from the headsman and Marion cheers from the window.

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