Customer Reviews

I, Strahd: The War Against Azalin

5 star:		(15)
4 star:		(7)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

P.N.Elrod returns with "I, Strahd: The War Against Azalin." To begin, the book is supurbly written. Ms. Elrod has a wonderful grasp of language, and a great sence to her craft as a writer. She also has a wonderful grasp of the characters, both Strahd, and Azalin. Despite being undead, she fills them with the tribulations of the living, only she marvelously stretches them over the course of years, even decades! The manipulations, and the power games which ultimately escalate into a war are wonderfully developed. The entire arrival of Azalin, the powerful, and evil lich; and further, his struggle with his sudden prison and the yoke he finds himself bound under are grand. The continuing struggle for Strahd, to search out Tatyana only to lose her time and time again is heart wrenching (allowing for a macabre irony of course). Despite the fact you have to loath both of the main characters--let's face it, they're abominations!--the author does a wonderful job of pulling you into a position of picking a "worse of two evils." Of course, the novel is written as the journal of Strahd Von Zarovich; so like Dr. Rudolf vanRichten, whether you take it at face value, or ponder whether it's merely Propoganda by the briliant Vampire lord, you have to admit, it's a great read. I recommend this novel to all, especially those who love gothic fantasy/"horror" novels, and more so if you've read either: "I, Strahd: Memoirs of a Vampire"(also by P.N.Elrod) or "Vampire of the Mist"(by Christie Golden).

After reading 'the Lord of Necropolis', where Azalin was presented as 'virtualy omnipotent', I am a bit disappointed with this one. At the beginning of the book he is superior to Strahd and can deal with everything in Barovia; after he teaches Strahd scraps of his magic it seems that not Strahd becomes more powerful, but Azalin loses his power: a band of goblyns can chase him like he was a rabbit, and he actually runs! There are more examples, he doesn't know a simple travel spell and must ride a horse, and so on. The author seems to put too much of her affection to Strahd, and I put mine to Azalin.

Of course, this is coming from a 25 year old woman with a poster of Strahd hanging in her living room! I read "I Strahd" and closed the book with tears in my eyes, never before have I read a book that moved me like that one. So when I picked up "the war against Azalin" I tried not to get my hopes up, I know how sequels can be. BOY WAS I WRONG! This book kept me on the edge of my seat and screaming for more when it was done!

Tatyana would be proud!

This is kinda like the sequel to I, Strahd: Memories of a Vampire..

But for true Azalin fans you still need to acquire 2 more books which he stars in..

King of the Dead
Lord of Nercopolis

When I started reading the book I had no idea as to what Azalin was. When Strahd found out it was almost as much of a surprise to me as it was to him. Both of the characters are well portrayed, and the plot is well developed. This makes an excellent sequel to "I Strahd: The Memories of a Vampire."

The first part of the book had a good plot that continually increased the tension, and even had me on the edge of my seat, even in the last couple of chapters the action was superb. But after finishing the novel I was a little disappointed, there had a been "A war unlike any you have ever known" promised (and I can imagine Strahd has seen some nasty wars), but it just turned out to be a kidnapping and an assignation on 6 people. It was a nice ending, but I was expecting a grand war to take place.

All in all, it was a really good book for the Strahd fans out there.

The sequel to P. N. Elrod's I, Strahd: The Memoirs of a Vampire is a worthy continuation in the story. The only errors I found were a typographical one on page 265 and a possible error in the name of one of the Tatyanas Strahd is always persuing; the last book said her name to be Olya, but this calls her Allina. No matter. The events set down within concerning Azalin blend almost seemlessly with those from King of the Dead by Gene De Weese, and one is left wondering which account to believe. In all, I,S:TWAA is an excellent novel, and one does not have to know the history of Ravenloft or even had to have read the first novel to understand it. I highly recommend it to anyone who enjoyed the first, to Ravenloft fans in general, and to those who like vampire stories, and have never read about a lich before.

I, Strahd: The War Against Azalin is the sequel to I, Strahd: The Memoirs of a Vampire as well as the nineteenth book in the Ravenloft novel line. Ravenloft is a fantasy horror setting of Dungeons and Dragons. P. N. Elrod has also written The Vampire Files series which includes; Bloodlist, Lifeblood, Bloodcircle, Art in the Blood, Fire in the Blood, Blood on the Water, Chill in the Blood, Dark Sleep, Lady Crymsyn, Cold Streets, Song in the Dark, and Dark Road Rising. She wrote Jonathan Barrett: Gentleman Vampire series which include; Red Death, Death and the Maiden, Death Masque, and Dance of Death. She also wrote Lord Richard, Vampire with Nigel Bennett which includes; Keeper of the King, His Father's Son, and Siege Perilous. She wrote a sequel to Bram Stoker's Dracula titled Quincey Morris: Vampire and an original fantasy novel titled The Adventures of Myhr. I, Strahd: The War Against Azalin was released June 1998 and was published by TSR, Inc.

Strahd Von Zarovich has been trapped by the Mists that surround his land of Barovia for far too long. He seeks a way to free himself from their embrace and hopefully escape the fate that has trapped him. Unfortunately his freedom doesn't seem possible until a mysterious stranger enters his realm. Calling himself Azalin, Strahd realizes that this person may be able to help break the bonds and allow for his escape. However, Azalin may have plans of his own as the two set to work in finding a way 'home.' As the years pass, the two become more and more bitter towards one another and the delicate alliance they forged may just come undone at anytime.

Criticisms:
1) War. There are a few minor problems with I, Strahd: The War Against Azalin, but the one that stands out the most is that there isn't a war until the last forty or so pages. For war to be in the title of the novel and not have been the focus of the story is rather odd. There is the build-up something happening between Strahd and Azalin, but it felt more like a rivalry rather than a war. Even when the war happened, it just felt rushed through and didn't seem like it left much of an impact overall. Granted, the Strahd and Azalin rivalry is set up, but that's really about it. That said, the war wasn't boring and there were some interesting ideas that were introduced. Thankfully, this is only a minor problem, but it would have benefited if there was more dedicated to the actual war segments.
2) Pacing. The other problem with I, Strahd: The War Against Azalin is with its pacing. The story develops very slowly. Throughout the novel, everything felt like it was in slow motion. It worked in building-up the rivalry, but it didn't with everything else. Basically, it took forever for things to develop and progress. There were even a number of times were it seemed like nothing happened, even when things were happening. There were a lot of periods were nothing happened or events resulted in nothing. Also, there seemed to be times when things seemed like they were repeated. It felt like you are reading the same thing over and over. All these things really made the story feel slow and meandering.

Praises:
1) Strahd. The characters of I, Strahd: The War Against Azalin were just fantastic, starting with Strahd Von Zarovich. Strahd in a nutshell is charismatic and sympathetic, as any good main character should be. You almost instantly like him, along with feeling bad for his situation. As the story progresses, you see that Strahd isn't as bad as you would assume he is. In fact, there were times when I was stunned by his actions and how he handled certain situations. You realize that he does care for his people's well-being. However, this is a slanted view of things because the story is told through Strahd's eyes. This makes Strahd all the more interesting because you're not sure if what he is saying (or writing) is fact or just fiction. So in reality you are being swept into Strahd's charismatic personality and that alone is rather impressive. To be that charismatic and likable in written words is an accomplishment that you hardly ever see.
2) Azalin. Not to outdone, Azalin is just as interesting. Azalin comes off as Strahd's exact opposite. He's ignorant, self-absorbed, and overly controlling. He makes the perfect opposite to Strahd, but instead of the reader hating the character, you find yourself actually liking him. He comes off as almost repulsive, but there is something about him that you can't help but enjoy. He's superiority complex may have something to do with it, or it could be the witty exchanges between him and Strahd. He's an interesting character who you want to learn more about.
3) Build-up. The build-up the war was phenomenal. As the two main characters spend more time together, you see the tension start to build and begin to wonder when it's going to break. The conversations between the two give some great insight on things to come and are just a blast reading. The differing personalities and how they clash were just fantastic. Nothing about their relationship seemed forced in to make them loathe one another, it's all natural. It's great seeing how quickly things fall apart between these characters, and the breaking point to drive them over the edge was well worth it.

Side Notes:
1) Demiplane of Dread. I did like how new areas were being created off of Barovia. The set up of how this is happening was perfect, and it gets the reader interested in learning more about these places.
2) Prologue and Epilogue. The prologue and epilogue were an interesting way to introduce you to the story and end it. It sets up the story perfectly and ends it on a high note.
3) Cover Art. I, Strahd: The War Against Azalin has some incredibly nineties artwork. At the time, it would have looked wonderful, but from the present, it just looks cheesy. Strahd looks horrible. He doesn't look like he should. He looks just ugly, for lack of a better word. On the other hand, Azalin looks interesting, but very cartoony. There is just something about him that makes me think of a Saturday morning cartoon villain than a real menacing threat. It's not terrible artwork, but at the same time, it's not great.

Overall: 4/5
Final Thoughts:
I, Strahd: The War Against Azalin is a good sequel to I, Strahd: Memoirs of a Vampire and makes you enjoy the character all the more. There are still problems, however. The whole premise of the novel at first glance seems to be about a war, while in reality it's just the build-up to it. It could have at least felt like a war rather than a simple rivalry. There could have been more focus on the actual war then there was. Then there is the slow pacing. Yes the pacing is meant to help with the tension between these two characters, but it only hinders the story. Things feel like they are going nowhere and there were times when things felt as though you read them before. It just drags the story on longer then it should have been. Thankfully, the two main characters were just amazing. Strahd was impressive. He's likable for being a 'evil being'. You see a side of him that you wouldn't have expected. On the other side, Azalin is the polar opposite. He's full of himself and for some odd reason, you just like that about him. When these two are together it's a blast. You see that they hate one another and as they continue to work together, you see the tension rise. It's a great build-up, even if it was a bit too slow. All in all, I, Strahd: The War Against Azalin is a good story and for fans of Strahd and Ravenloft or just plan great tension-filled story-telling should check this one out.

Pretty good for a sequel. As always I should put the usual caveat that game-inspired fiction rarely rises above the level of fanfiction, but this is a fine example of it's breed. Again, Elrod writes in first person journal narrative and she does a fine job in expanding the histories of Strahd and Azalin and of the early Ravenloft plotline overall. If you're a long-time fan it's pretty fun to read firsthand reports of things you've been reading about for years. The only complaint is not enough Azalin! The character is so juicy in his unabashed evil and self-importance that you sail past his entries and want more. Elrod clearly loves the vamp a bit more, and crafts his entries with more care. I read this one on the bus going to and from grad school, a quick and neat read.

I've read about a dozen D&D based novels (Realms and Dragonlance stuff too). This book is only hampered by the inherent constraints of any D&D author, and a bit of excessity in describing magical devices and effects. Otherwise, it is an intelligent novel, very intriguing, and well written. We all know Azalin is a lich, but Strahd doesn't! I was very interested at how he would react to gaining the knowledge. The rythmn and flow is beautiful. See for yourself. Elrod outshines even the Dragonlance saga's, I believe, but I always had a soft spot for vampires...

Great book. Azailin and Strahd booth are excellent characters especially in the same book but the title of the book disapinted me. The war didnt' really happen untill the last 50 pgs of the book. The whole book was both planing and prepairing for the other to betray them. There should have been a larger war but still it was a great book.