Swordmage (Forgotten Realms: Blades of the Moonsea, Book 1) Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)Are you looking to buy Swordmage (Forgotten Realms: Blades of the Moonsea, Book 1)? Here is the right place to find the great deals. we can offer discounts of up to 90% on Swordmage (Forgotten Realms: Blades of the Moonsea, Book 1). Check out the link below:

>> Click Here to See Compare Prices and Get the Best Offers

Swordmage (Forgotten Realms: Blades of the Moonsea, Book 1) ReviewSwordmage by Richard Baker is the first book in the Blades of Moonsea trilogy. Forgotten Realms fans will be most interested in this book due to the fact that it is the first book in the post-Spellplague era. The second book is titled Corsair, but as of yet there is no release date announced for it. The prelude takes place in 1477 DR and the rest of the novel takes place in 1479 DR. There has been much talk about just what the Spellplague means to the Realms and the repercussions of it. After finishing this novel, I have to say that the jury is still out. There was not much real `change' blatantly apparent in this book.
The plot of this book is a somewhat recycled, clichéd, plot. That of a small town trying to turn back what appears to be an insurmountable horde of monsters. To further cliché that plot line there is an evil mastermind using the horde as a marionette to further his own goals. There are also several subplots woven into this story. The largest, most important subplot for the book, is the political tensions in the town of Hulburg. There are several factions vying for control of the city and the textiles within the city. There is also a mystery surrounding the death of a beloved captain of the Shieldsworn. Another subplot is the discovery that someone, or a group of people, are violating long standing laws and breaking into barrows scattered around the realm. The reason these laws are in place and just what lays in some of the barrows is well explained in a few small subtle passages. Along the way a few other subplots are tossed into the mix to add to the overall story. Even though the basic premise of this novel has been told before, as well as some of the subplots, for he most part it works for this book. The overall plot, and for that matter the subplots, don't come across as overstated or too much. However, I was disappointed that being as though this was billed as the first Forgotten Realms novel set in the post-Spellplague era that it did not include more fact about the Spellplague and just what it did to the Realms.
The characters in this novel are the highlight of the novel for the most part. I do have a couple minor complaints about them, but for the most part they are interesting and well written. The only real complaint I have about any of the characters is there is a `bad guy' who is written in such a way that the reader isn't supposed to know that the character is `bad'. However, to me anyway, the character was written too strongly that when the character is revealed as being evil it is not really a surprise. There are several interesting characters in this novel such as; Hamil, Mirya, Kara, Geran and many more. The heroes in this book are all well written and seem to have their own individual motivations, actions and dialogue. Nothing frustrates me more than when every character seems to talk the same in a book even though they are vastly different. That's not the case with this book and I appreciate that. Being that this is the first book in the trilogy there are small pockets of character development but that is not the focus of this novel. Hopefully more of that will come in the future novels in this series.
I do have a couple minor criticisms with this novel.
1 - As I said in the opening. Being that this is the first book in the post-Spellplague era I was hoping for more information on it and was disappointed that the information we are given are really small nuggets that don't give much information at all. This novel seemed like a perfect opportunity to describe at least a few things (in greater detail) that were a result of the Spellplague.
2 - The `bad guy'. I was just disappointed that there was really no mystery as to who it was and what was really going on. If it was meant as a red herring or something to push the reader in another direction it failed on me. I would have liked a little more mystery for the first half of the novel.
3 - The overall plot, and some of the subplots, just seemed to be over done and redundant in the fantasy genre. While I understand the sentiment that there really can not be any new story lines any more, at least don't make them so standard for lack of a better term. I would think that being the first book in the post-Spellplague era that there could have been numerous stories to tell.
Some things I particularly liked about this novel.
1 - It was not lost on me that the first Forgotten Realms book was set in the Moonsea Isles and the first book in the `new' Forgotten Realms is also set there. It's nice to see that come full circle.
2 - As with the other books that Mr. Baker has written the pacing and flow are very good. The story never seems to bog down in needless details and the scenes are crisp and to the point. It's a comfortable prose that doesn't try to be anything it's not.
3 - I also liked that it was a (mostly) rather contained story. It seems that some Realms novels of late have encompassed large areas and while that's fine and good, I also like the smaller scope stories and that's just what we have here.
Overall, I was satisfied with this book. Granted, I may have had too high of expectations of what to expect with the Spellplague and all that. Looking at this strictly as a fantasy book, and the first of a trilogy, I think it serves its purpose. It establishes characters and tells a solid story. It may have to live up to some high hopes from Forgotten Realms fans, who like me may be disappointed at first with what is `missing' in the book. Putting all that aside ad judging it strictly on what it is, I think it's a solid start not only to the trilogy but to the new direction of the Realms. All Forgotten Realms fans will surely want to check it out, and fantasy fans looking to get into the Realms would do well to take a look at this one as well. I am excited to see what the new direction for the Realms will be.
Swordmage (Forgotten Realms: Blades of the Moonsea, Book 1) OverviewDiscover a whole new realm of adventure! When a wandering swordmage, trained bythe elves of Myth Drannor, returns to his boyhood home on the windswept shores ofthe Moonsea, he finds that corruption has taken hold, leaving his friends and familyopen to a devastating evil. Swordmage was the first novel to fully embrace the excitingnew elements from the next edition of the Dungeons & Dragons game. This paperbackresize releases fresh on the heals of the Forgotten Realms Campaign Guide, and showcasesa major revision to the Forgotten Realms world that has fans buzzing.

Want to learn more information about Swordmage (Forgotten Realms: Blades of the Moonsea, Book 1)?

>> Click Here to See All Customer Reviews & Ratings Now