tkat's review
4.0
So here we have the second installment of the fall of the Netherese empire. We join Sunbright and Candlemas once again, still trying to find a cure for the grain blight that affected them in the first book. They are privy to the fall of a star from the heavens, and while investigating the star are whisked away to the future. They find themselves at the decadent end of the Netherese empire, where the Netheril have become so bloated and corrupt that their cities are rotting from the inside out.
During the course of the book are witness to the final end of the Netherese the insane but brilliant Archmage Karsus of Netheril attempts to chain Mystryl, the goddess of magic herself and first incarnation of Mystra. Mystryl severs the link with Karsus, destroying herself and all magic for a brief time, causing the Netheril floating cities all over Faerun to plummet to the ground, killing all aboard. Before this happens however, Karsus sends Candlemas and Sunbright back to their own time, with Knuckle, a street wise half elf and Sunbright's lover at their side.
Classic Realms, and I love that we get a bit of a history lesson as to how Mystryl becomes Mystra. Looking forward to the last book in the series. Candlemas still needs to find a cure for the grain blight and Sunbright is still trying to return home to the tundra.
During the course of the book are witness to the final end of the Netherese the insane but brilliant Archmage Karsus of Netheril attempts to chain Mystryl, the goddess of magic herself and first incarnation of Mystra. Mystryl severs the link with Karsus, destroying herself and all magic for a brief time, causing the Netheril floating cities all over Faerun to plummet to the ground, killing all aboard. Before this happens however, Karsus sends Candlemas and Sunbright back to their own time, with Knuckle, a street wise half elf and Sunbright's lover at their side.
Classic Realms, and I love that we get a bit of a history lesson as to how Mystryl becomes Mystra. Looking forward to the last book in the series. Candlemas still needs to find a cure for the grain blight and Sunbright is still trying to return home to the tundra.
anhonorableleech's review
3.0
Book 2 in my journey through all of the Forgotten Realms novels:
Firstly, I'd like to say that this is a MUCH BETTER BOOK than the first in the Trilogy. It's well paced, it doesn't have any weird parts that are just thrown in to set up the next book (I'm looking at you, phaerimm from book 1), and I think Emery learned how to develop characters and their interactions with each other. However, there is plenty in this book to nitpick...
Knucklebones
- Again, Emery is shit at naming is main characters.
- Why did she fall in love with Sunbright? I mean, I kind of see it, but it's just not entirely convincing. Other than that, she has really good characterization throughout the book.
- She seemed a little forgiving concerning her crew (friends?) considering the entire reason they died was Sunbright's fault. I mean, first he kills her lover, and then because he failed to kill the noble kid near the beginning, half of the rest of her crew (family?) dies. BTW, does she even remember her lover? She didn't mention him when thinking about her fallen comrades towards the end of the book.
Sunbright
-"Don't kick that gnome!" turns into the catalyst for half the book.
- His relation to magic is interesting; I would have liked to see more of it. Not just "BOOM and now he has shaman powers." However, I did really like how Emery presents Sunbright acquiring those powers.
- Did Sunbright forget about Greenwillow in the end when he is suddenly in love with Knucklebones? Emery makes it clear throughout the book that Sunbright sees a lot of Greenwillow in Knucks, but isn't he still searching for Greenwillow's soul or whatever? Is he willing to put that aside for Knucks, or has he moved on? Or does he acknowledge Knucks as a reincarnation of Greenwillow (considering it's some 300 years in the future of the previous book)? All I'm saying is I would have liked to see his rational here.
- The interactions between Sunbright and Candlemas are perfect. Great interplay between these characters.
Candlemas
- Huzzah! He develops a personality that I don't hate.
- Aquesita was a terrible plotline and an unconvincing character, but how Candlemas reacts to her is fantastic. Emery is really in his element when writing about idiot men trying to have a relationship with a woman.
- Karsus is NOT how I imagined him. Emery paints him as petulant and truly insane. I would have liked to see more insightful arrogance. Someone who has his whits about him, but puts all aside in an effort to gain more power. I guess, I just REALLY wish Emery could have given him more depth. Instead he came across as two dimensional.
- Polaris... Why is she here? Just to show how bad stuff has gotten?
General
- The enclave of Karse and the arrogance of the people near the fall of the Netheril is very well fleshed out.
- I really would have liked to see the phaerimm have more of a role than what they had. I know that they were scheming against Karsus the whole time. I just thought Emery would have written them into the book a little bit more. Maybe given them some hands on time that was just at the very end for maybe two paragraphs.
- This book suffers from the "That didn't really affect much" line of time travel. Sure Sunbright got shaman abilities and brought Knucklebones back with him, but other than that, nothing changed between the beginning of the book and the end. This is fine; the characters go through plenty of changes internally to make up for it. But meh.... time travel and back.
- I kind of just want them all to go adventuring together at the end of the book, not split up.
Again, I REALLY liked this book more than the first. It was genuinely a enjoyable ride. Also, I'd recommend this one to anyone interested in the fall of the Netheril. I believe it does give some good insight to those events, even if Karsus is characterized differently than what I imagined.
Firstly, I'd like to say that this is a MUCH BETTER BOOK than the first in the Trilogy. It's well paced, it doesn't have any weird parts that are just thrown in to set up the next book (I'm looking at you, phaerimm from book 1), and I think Emery learned how to develop characters and their interactions with each other. However, there is plenty in this book to nitpick...
Knucklebones
- Again, Emery is shit at naming is main characters.
- Why did she fall in love with Sunbright? I mean, I kind of see it, but it's just not entirely convincing. Other than that, she has really good characterization throughout the book.
- She seemed a little forgiving concerning her crew (friends?) considering the entire reason they died was Sunbright's fault. I mean, first he kills her lover, and then because he failed to kill the noble kid near the beginning, half of the rest of her crew (family?) dies. BTW, does she even remember her lover? She didn't mention him when thinking about her fallen comrades towards the end of the book.
Sunbright
-"Don't kick that gnome!" turns into the catalyst for half the book.
- His relation to magic is interesting; I would have liked to see more of it. Not just "BOOM and now he has shaman powers." However, I did really like how Emery presents Sunbright acquiring those powers.
- Did Sunbright forget about Greenwillow in the end when he is suddenly in love with Knucklebones? Emery makes it clear throughout the book that Sunbright sees a lot of Greenwillow in Knucks, but isn't he still searching for Greenwillow's soul or whatever? Is he willing to put that aside for Knucks, or has he moved on? Or does he acknowledge Knucks as a reincarnation of Greenwillow (considering it's some 300 years in the future of the previous book)? All I'm saying is I would have liked to see his rational here.
- The interactions between Sunbright and Candlemas are perfect. Great interplay between these characters.
Candlemas
- Huzzah! He develops a personality that I don't hate.
- Aquesita was a terrible plotline and an unconvincing character, but how Candlemas reacts to her is fantastic. Emery is really in his element when writing about idiot men trying to have a relationship with a woman.
- Karsus is NOT how I imagined him. Emery paints him as petulant and truly insane. I would have liked to see more insightful arrogance. Someone who has his whits about him, but puts all aside in an effort to gain more power. I guess, I just REALLY wish Emery could have given him more depth. Instead he came across as two dimensional.
- Polaris... Why is she here? Just to show how bad stuff has gotten?
General
- The enclave of Karse and the arrogance of the people near the fall of the Netheril is very well fleshed out.
- I really would have liked to see the phaerimm have more of a role than what they had. I know that they were scheming against Karsus the whole time. I just thought Emery would have written them into the book a little bit more. Maybe given them some hands on time that was just at the very end for maybe two paragraphs.
- This book suffers from the "That didn't really affect much" line of time travel. Sure Sunbright got shaman abilities and brought Knucklebones back with him, but other than that, nothing changed between the beginning of the book and the end. This is fine; the characters go through plenty of changes internally to make up for it. But meh.... time travel and back.
- I kind of just want them all to go adventuring together at the end of the book, not split up.
Again, I REALLY liked this book more than the first. It was genuinely a enjoyable ride. Also, I'd recommend this one to anyone interested in the fall of the Netheril. I believe it does give some good insight to those events, even if Karsus is characterized differently than what I imagined.
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