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Therise
Master of Realmslore
1272 Posts |
 Posted - 24 Jan 2012 : 18:43:40
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Review: Ghostwalker: The Fighters
Novel written by Erik Scott de Bie
Ghostwalker is a stand-alone novel in “The Fighters” series, by Erik Scott de Bie. One of his first works for the Forgotten Realms, de Bie demonstrates an excellent and solid understanding of the Realms. It is rather dark and gritty, from the opening scenes to the end, and as such was hard to put down. The battle scenes were highly descriptive, realistic and alive, just as the background atmosphere and diverse characters were richly portrayed and interesting.
Starting with a classic plot of revenge against a group of evil men who commit an atrocity against a young boy, the plot develops far beyond this by exploring themes of power, abuse, duty, familial attachment, and even romantic and lyrical elements. Although the main plot is somewhat straightforward and linear in terms of reader expectations, there are also several surprises and minor subplots along the way that completely make sense and mesh perfectly with the overall story and ending. Many of these have to do with the lost memories and identity of the main character, and the resolution does not disappoint: the story pulls you in, and the reveals come at perfectly timed intervals.
Perhaps most impressively, the villains are neither simplistic nor straightforward in their motivations. Each has a complex and very understandable path, showing how they became who they are. The evil here makes sense and is very human, with well-crafted characterizations and backgrounds for everyone in the novel. Some characters are included for a more humorous purpose, and they also work well in contrast to the dark qualities of the villains, the main protagonist, and the overall story.
My only disappointment was in knowing that this was a stand-alone novel rather than a trilogy, and I just wanted more.
Overall: five out of five stars, highly recommended.
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Female, 40-year DM of a homebrew-evolved 1E Realms, including a few added tidbits of 2E and 3E lore; played originally in AD&D, then in Rolemaster. Be a DM for your kids and grandkids, gaming is excellent for families! |
Edited by - Therise on 24 Jan 2012 18:47:55
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Erik Scott de Bie
Forgotten Realms Author
USA
4598 Posts |
Posted - 24 Jan 2012 : 19:26:09
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Sweet! Thanks for the kind words, Therise. I'm glad you liked it. 
Cheers |
Erik Scott de Bie
'Tis easier to destroy than to create.
Author of a number of Realms novels (GHOSTWALKER, DEPTHS OF MADNESS, and the SHADOWBANE series), contributor to the NEVERWINTER CAMPAIGN GUIDE and SHADOWFELL: GLOOMWROUGHT AND BEYOND, Twitch DM of the Dungeon Scrawlers, currently playing "The Westgate Irregulars" |
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Therise
Master of Realmslore
1272 Posts |
Posted - 24 Jan 2012 : 19:37:32
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quote:
Originally posted by Erik Scott de Bie
Sweet! Thanks for the kind words, Therise. I'm glad you liked it.
Cheers
Thank you for a great Realms novel!
I tried to keep this spoiler free. I could've used spoiler tags or masking, but I thought it'd be better not to give anything away.
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Female, 40-year DM of a homebrew-evolved 1E Realms, including a few added tidbits of 2E and 3E lore; played originally in AD&D, then in Rolemaster. Be a DM for your kids and grandkids, gaming is excellent for families! |
Edited by - Therise on 24 Jan 2012 19:38:37 |
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Artemas Entreri
Great Reader
USA
3131 Posts |
Posted - 26 Jan 2012 : 14:27:45
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| Yep Ghostwalker was a fun book, definitley my fav out of the Fighters series. |
Some people have a way with words, and other people...oh, uh, not have way. -Steve Martin
Amazon "KindleUnlimited" Free Trial: http://amzn.to/2AJ4yD2
Try Audible and Get 2 Free Audio Books! https://amzn.to/2IgBede |
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Artemas Entreri
Great Reader
USA
3131 Posts |
Posted - 26 Jan 2012 : 14:38:00
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quote:
Originally posted by Therise
Review: Ghostwalker: The Fighters
Novel written by Erik Scott de Bie
Ghostwalker is a stand-alone novel in “The Fighters” series, by Erik Scott de Bie. One of his first works for the Forgotten Realms, de Bie demonstrates an excellent and solid understanding of the Realms. It is rather dark and gritty, from the opening scenes to the end, and as such was hard to put down. The battle scenes were highly descriptive, realistic and alive, just as the background atmosphere and diverse characters were richly portrayed and interesting.
Starting with a classic plot of revenge against a group of evil men who commit an atrocity against a young boy, the plot develops far beyond this by exploring themes of power, abuse, duty, familial attachment, and even romantic and lyrical elements. Although the main plot is somewhat straightforward and linear in terms of reader expectations, there are also several surprises and minor subplots along the way that completely make sense and mesh perfectly with the overall story and ending. Many of these have to do with the lost memories and identity of the main character, and the resolution does not disappoint: the story pulls you in, and the reveals come at perfectly timed intervals.
Perhaps most impressively, the villains are neither simplistic nor straightforward in their motivations. Each has a complex and very understandable path, showing how they became who they are. The evil here makes sense and is very human, with well-crafted characterizations and backgrounds for everyone in the novel. Some characters are included for a more humorous purpose, and they also work well in contrast to the dark qualities of the villains, the main protagonist, and the overall story.
My only disappointment was in knowing that this was a stand-alone novel rather than a trilogy, and I just wanted more.
Overall: five out of five stars, highly recommended.
Great review Therise. I would love to see more like this that give someone a general idea about the book without giving away anything specific. I can't tell you how many times i have inadvertently read something that should have had a "spoiler" warning. Any plans to review more Realms novels? |
Some people have a way with words, and other people...oh, uh, not have way. -Steve Martin
Amazon "KindleUnlimited" Free Trial: http://amzn.to/2AJ4yD2
Try Audible and Get 2 Free Audio Books! https://amzn.to/2IgBede |
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Review -- Ghostwalker: The Fighters (spoiler free)
