Customer Reviews

City of Ravens (Forgotten Realms: The Cities series)

5 star:		(10)
4 star:		(8)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Let's be honest, books like these are modern day pulp. A number of fantasy series, like "Dragonlance" and "Forgotten Realms" churn out largely anonymous, pedestrian books that are easily readable and easily forgettable. Nobody should be reading these books and looking for great literature or a lot of originality. Books like these function best as a few hours of pleasant, diverting reading for those who enjoy fantasy and have a passing familiarity with Forgotten Realms.

This book is not different. However, I am somewhat surprised because the book is written a bit smarter and in general is better executed than many of its peers.

Jack Ravenwild is a thief and ne'er-do-well with some magic abilities who has a number of odd friends: a naive noblewoman, a surly dwarf, a suspicious warrior who helps him in his schemes, and a drunken wizard. This is complicated when he is contracted by a beautiful woman who may be more then she seems (you can guarantee it) to find a magical book for her, and crosses path with a fiery Red Wizard. Also vying for his time, he must attend a ball that features a riddle with his noblewoman friend (who he is lying to, posing as a nobleman with a tragic story), finding a lost dwarven treasure, and evading the town's guards, all while hoping his allies don't tear him apart.

Predictably, Jack gets into more hairy situations and trouble than he can handle, and as the story picks up steam Jack finds himself embroiled in more plots and danger than you could reasonably expect one man, even a blackguard like Jack, could find himself in.

It's a pretty typical story, but the author adds a little more by fashioning a city that comes to life in its geography, businesses, and landmarks, and a cast full of colorful characters. It's not great literature in any way, but it's a nice read.

After reading an interview at TSR.com with Richard Baker about this book I could hardly wait to get my hands on it. I was not dissapointed in the least. The main character Jack Ravenwild is now one of my favorite FR characters ever. This book is so witty that it will have you laughing out loud as you read it. It has its fair share of intrigue and adventure that will keep you up at night because you cannot put this book down. My only complaint is that it could have been at least fifty pages longer. The end seemed a bit rushed but overal the books entirety FAR outweighs this slight setback. I hope that we will get to see more of Jack in future FR books. I highly recomend this book to any fan of the forgotten realms series or anyone who enjoys good books.

I devoured this book in short order. I loved the colorful thief / mage, Jack as he conned his way in and out of trouble in the city of Ravens. There were a lot of subplots going on, but Richard Baker makes it easy to follow. The charm and wit that Jack possess as well as the characters he runs into are unforgettable. This will probably be one of my favorite Forgotten Realm books and I look forward to reading other Richard Baker novels. Worth reading if you are a Dungeons and Dragons fan and enjoy a lively city adventure with a smart talking thief.

Thie book, City of Ravens, is part of a series of stand alone novels set in the Forgotten Realms. For those of you who are familiar with the Forgotten Realms, this book at first may seem like a rehashing of things that have come before. Yet, when you really get into the book it's much more than rehashing previous stories. It's a fun adventure with an unlikely hero. I really enjoy books where the main character has flaws and doubts and ins't all powerful, this is one of those books.

Even if you aren't familiar witht he Forgotten Realms this is a good book to test drive and see if you like the setting.

Oddly enough, there doesn't seem to be that many great city-based fantasy novels. Are there? Well, if you like this particular genre, this series has much to hope for. City of Ravens, much to my pleasant surprise, proved to be a wonderful read for at least the first 80%. The pacing of the plot is wonderful, characterisation is realistic and belieavable; there is a decent amount of wit, logic and puzzle, humour and a large dose of mystery. The protagonist is easy to follow, and has a likeable personality with both good and er, not-so-legal traits.

The plot has multiple treads, but is easy to understand - the combination of secret spy missions, theft missions, games of masquerade, treasure hunting and mysterious personalities all contribute to a fine story which just yearns for a spectacular ending.

Unfortunately, that's where this reviewer refuses to give the fifth star. The resolution of the book is acceptable, but falls prey to the common semi-Deus ex machina syndrome. The "X-factor" which purports to explain the plot is introduced late (the first sign of this kind of weakness) in the book, thus dampening the buildup of suspension throughout the first 80% of the book. In the final analysis, the resolution of the various plot treads are a letdown in their lack of originality and "Ohhhhhh!"-factor.

But don't let this stop you - I enjoyed the book very much while the fun lasted.

This was one of the best Realms novels I have read (I've read over 60). In many other realms novels , thieves and bards are also master swordsmen. Here , the main character Jack Ravenwild wasn't. It was really great to see a thief who actually lost duels. The book had many characters & sub-plots, all of which were interesting. The only weird thing in the book was the red wizard Zandria, who wasn't evil and had a companion who was a priest of Tyr.
I would recommend it to anyone who is a FR fan.

Excellent story, a must for all fan of this incredible world. Allows you to discover a city that you might not know and even from there, gives you a way to rediscover a city maybe forgotten for some others.

This book has alot of good points, it's easy to read, the characters are fun, the action fast, and it never really lingers for long. The hero is likable overall as are some of the people he runs into. The plot could have been a little stronger, but it is a Forgotten Realms book and for one of them it has been excellent. The city series is something I am now looking out for. Well worth the money.

The City of Ravens is a witty, fast-paced, and engaging read from page one. Jack Ravenwild, the protagonist, gets himself into and out of more scrapes than you can shake a stick at while trying to get ahead in a fantasy city portrayed with a liberal amount of sarcasm and black humor. It reminded me a lot of Fritz Leiber's Lankhmar, or Jack Vance's Cugel the Clever -- not what I'd expected from a Forgotten Realms novel, and a fun change of pace. I'm going to make a point of reading more of Richard Baker's stuff in the future.

The reviewer who said that the book was written entirely in first person is incorrect, by the way. It's a third person narrative, and Jack is the point of view character throughout the story.

The book is set in the city of Ravens Bluff, on the eastern shores of the Dragon Reach known as the Vast, where it deals with the main character Jack Ravewild, an overly optimistic sorcerer/thief, someone who "[i]f he believed it possible, then it was surely possible, and nothing could prevent the success of any enterprise he cared to undertake." (p.79)
Jack's intuitiveness and luck (or lack of) will get him involved in more adventures (and trouble) than he can handle. Now he must save Ravens Bluff, as well as himself...
The City of Ravens is the first in the Cities series which consists of Temple Hill (set in the city of Elversult), The Jewel of Turmish (set in the city of Alaghon), and The City of Splendors (set in the city of Waterdeep).
The book starts off incredibly well immediately catching the reader's interest and attention and never letting go.
The plot as a whole is excellent! The book is so incredibly well written and presented that the reader feels that they have been transported to another plane of existence and are actually present among the characters, seeing what they see, feeling what they feel, and sensing what they sense.
On page 111 Richard Baker provides a look into Jack's soul by stating that: "Bold statements and daring actions are the hallmarks of confidence and the stuff of greatness, while on pages 84-85 he sheds light on the Forgotten Realms when he describes old Sabreen: "A great dwarven city, built about seven hundred years ago but destroyed soon after. Raven's Bluff sits on top of Sabreen's ruins."
Moreover, the Game of Masks as described on page 108 and as portrayed throughout the book was intriguing and provided for a Renaissance feel.
In addition, the author's words ring true when he states: "Does the Dread Delgath refer to himself in the third person because of some disorder of the mind, or is it simply a puerile attempt to invest a measure of imaginary confidence in an otherwise inadequate personality?" (p.47)
Furthermore, the following description is as good as any I have seen when describing a headache/hangover in D&D terms: "And I awaken with ten angry goblins holding a war dance inside my head!" (p.19)
Finally, Richard Baker does an AMAZING job of presenting a great dramatic effect with the following quote stealing the show: "...I might be forced to squeeze you until your little bones snap and your little orifices trickle bright red blood and your little eyes pop out of your little head." (p.95)
Nevertheless, the teaming up of a priest of Tyr and a priest of Tempus with a Red Wizard of Thay (p.153) was unexpected, unexplained, and unlikely.
Similarly, the Azuth (LN) worshipping ("Azuth's sake" p.158) Red Wizard's alignment is definitely non-evil and geared toward neutrality. This assumption is backed by Jacks statement that "Zandria might order the two killed in order to protect their secrecy, but Jack doubted that she was made of such ruthless stuff." (p.160)
The story, the dialogues, and the details are all wonderful, and create a strong sense of mystery and anticipation. Doppelgangers, guardian demons, gargoyles, and deep dragons are all about.
In short, The City of Ravens is a book well worth your while. Bring on the sequel!
5 Stars