Customer Reviews

A Breach in the Watershed (Watershed Trilogy, Book 1)

5 star:		(12)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I read these books as a teen and was enthralled by the quick pacing and epic scale of the trilogy. Since then, I've realized that it's a Tolkien knockoff--with many more women and girls and without the all-important quest to destroy an evil object, but otherwise a lot of similarities. Still, these are fun books: the main characters are likable and they're not all the same old stereotypes (the hero's young niece plays a major role, for instance... and speaking of the hero, it's nice to read a fantasy where the protagonist is neither the illegitimate child of someone important, nor secretly the heir to a kingdom). There's plenty of action and some good epic battles, the romance is sweet and the world is fairly interesting.

The worldbuilding is a variation on a common theme: the continent on which the action takes place is divided into three lands--human, faerie, and evil--determined by what sorts of liquids flow in their rivers. Unfortunately, this leads to some bizarre logical errors: for instance, when evil minions invade, they dam the rivers to cut off the flow of water. That's right, cut it off completely. Every dam I've ever seen has had a river coming out of it, but not so in Niles's world, where it disappears or something.

Overall, I would say this book works well as light fantasy--I don't mean that no one dies, but that it's a good romp that we're not meant to think about too hard. I'd recommend it for teens and for those looking for fun, simple fantasy books. It gets four stars because, although it has its flaws, it was great entertainment and left me with a happy feeling inside.

Nothing special here...but nothing bad here either. A good fun fantasy book. Non-committal but engaging all the same.

Niles does a decent job in portraying his characters and his world. Although some instances in the book seem contrived and a little too convenient, the characters are likable and the book is just a good quick read.

I don't know if I'll continue the trilogy but the first in the series gets a big OK.

Douglas Niles is a gifted story teller. The land of three waters is a believable place, and you are instantly swept up as he weaves this tale.

Rudgar Appenfell is an "Iceman" - he and his brothers live high in the mountains and make a living by taking noblemen up into the heights. A young prince of Galtigor comes, and Rudy is cast down a path from which he cannot turn away. Loss, adventure, sacrifice and friendship will follow him as he meets his destiny.

If you enjoy fantasy, you'll want to read this book. Classic and yet unique, it's a great way to spend a rainy day.

Niles is mostly known for his Dragonlance novels and rightly so, but he does a credible job of creating his very own world: The Watershed which is made up of Dalethica, Faerine and Duloth-Trol.

The hero, Rudy, is a mountain climber (or Iceman) isn't your typical powerhouse hero. He's lanky and can't fight worth a lick, until he picks up some pointers later in the book and even then, he still sucks. He mostly relies on his friends fighting abilities for the most part. His friends are fairly interesting (except Raine) but I feel the villains are much more compelling. Prince Garamis and especially Nicordareus are truly evil and quite easy to hate as they have no qualms about killing, whether it be infant or elderly.

All in all, Breach in the Watershed is probably my favorite of the Trilogy. It moves along at a quick pace and is well-written and detailed to boot. Rudy and Raine are kind of bland for the main protagonists (and get increasingly annoying later in the series) but Niles does a solid job regardless.

This book, the first in the Watershed Trilogy is the best. The reader learns extensivly about the environment, and the characters begin to peak the reader's interest. It is a typical "good vs. evil" story, and there is little question, and ambiguity as to who or what is good or evil. The villains are sometimes more interesting that the heros. Over all, a good read, and the best book in the trilogy.

After brousing through my local store I saw this book; its golden cover had caught my eye. You can't judge a book by its cover. Well thats true, the cover does not even begin to show the greatness of this book. Niles, my favorite author (maybe second to Goodkind now), pulls three stories together. The plot is rich in twist and character. The characters, who seemingly have no reference to each other, are pulled into an exciting and breathtaking adventure. The start can be a little boring and I must admit it took sometime to get through, but once into the book there is a hidden story that will capture the reader and bring you head first into the story of suspense, mystery, and hope. I find myself sorry for not getting the second book soon enough, or I would have definitly have read it by now. I highly recomend anything written by Niles, whom I would read most anytime I found.

I picked up this book because it was on sale at the book store and I needed something to read. I couldn't put it down. I was not into the fantasy books until I read Breach in the Watershed. It is a fantastic book and I couldn't wait to read the next book. I was up until 2 or 3 in the morning reading. I loved every page. The characters were so real and life like. If I could have given more than 5 stars I would have given Douglas Niles 10. You have to read this book and you will be hooked.

Not a red-hot page turner, but interesting. The story is typical Fantasy fair; Good vs Evil. The Sleepstealers Minions and human traitors against the fractious and unsuspecting forces of Good. Like most such books the Hero (Rudy) has destiny thrust upon him and reluctantly accepts his role. With the help of, a dwarf, a fariy, his Niece, and an amiable Snow Lion, Rudy sets off on a mission of revenge that turns into nothing less than saving the world from the God of Evil. While not in the same league as Jordan or Fiest Mr. Niles writes a tight book that has me looking for the sequel.

Though his is known more for his work in Dragonlance, Douglas Niles does a very good job in creating a unique fantasy story in a world of his own. I found the book absorbing and paced very well. Along with Darkenheight and War of Three Waters, this makes an excellent trilogy. I found Rudy and the other characters very engaging, and I really loved the ending. This is Niles at his best.

Just stumbled across the book online and decided to take a chance. I'm glad I did! This is an incredible book (and series!) I'd pretty much burned out on epic fantasy--they all run together after awhile. Cliche after cliche, ripping each other off, etc. But the ideas here are fresh and original. And the characterizations are very good. So rarely do you get inside the head of a villian, as you do here with the Lord Minion. The journal excerpts actually help the story move along rather than sorta sitting there as is too often the case. I've already recommended the series to several friends!