The Magehound (Forgotten Realms: Counselors & Kings, Book 1) [Mass Market Paperback]

Elaine Cunningham (Author)

Book Description

Series: Counselors & Kings | Publication Date: April 1, 2000

Some are born with magic.
Some without.

Matteo, un-magical counselor to the mighty of Halruaa, has devoted his life to the truth -- until he finds that he may have a hidden spark of magic after all. Now, with only a street waif for a companion, he's on the run from the mysterious Cabal. In the dismal Swamp of Akhlaur, Matteo will seek his own truth while battling a creature out of his nightmares.

But something even worse is on his trail: a relentless persecutor of magic. The Magehound.

Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 312 pages
• Publisher: Wizards of the Coast (April 1, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0786915617
• ISBN-13: 978-0786915613
• Product Dimensions: 6.9 x 4.2 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5.3 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (24 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #224,945 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #83 in Books > Science Fiction & Fantasy > Gaming > Dungeons & Dragons

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

23 of 23 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Trademark Cunningham, May 14, 2000

By 

"ubermensche" - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Magehound (Forgotten Realms: Counselors & Kings, Book 1) (Mass Market Paperback)

Given the task of writing about a relatively unexplored region of the popular Forgotten Realms setting and letting go of the characters which made her such a popular author, Elaine Cunningham has gone back to what made her original books such critical successes--an intriguing plot, interesting characters, and a knack for revealing just enough to keep her readers hungering for more.

This novel takes place in magic-rich Halruaa, where wizards rule as kings and their counselors, the jordaini, are their sworn servants, valuable for their peerless training and resistance to magic. This is a great start to her new trilogy, Kings and Counselors (borrowing a line from the Bible, Job 3:14) and promises to be as defining of Halruaa as her prior work was on elves and as her colleague, Salvatore's, work was on the drow. The development of the Halruaan society meshed flawlessly with the plot, with few passages of sheer (and oftentimes boring) description. Rather, instead of telling her readers, Cunningham shows her readers what she needs them to know about the setting. Magic is plentiful, and almost mundane to the characters, but never to the readers, a trap that many Realms authors seem to fall into when describing the fantastic.

The ending seemed a little rushed, perhaps due to space constraints, but that is more a fault, I think, of the limited number of pages that TSR dedicates to every novel, and not a fault of Cunningham's otherwise superb storytelling.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Mrs. Cunningham rules!!!, April 5, 2001

By 

Jon - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Magehound (Forgotten Realms: Counselors & Kings, Book 1) (Mass Market Paperback)

I think my biggest dissapointment with this novel was that it did not have EC's other characters in it, but that in no way makes this a bad novel. Elaine Cunningham, is an excellent writer and this book is one of her best ones yet. It is nice to finally see a little written about area of Toril finally come to life. My favorite part about this book is the way that the characters are not always 100% confident on where they stand morally, it makes for much more interesting characters, not to mention, more realistic. Other excellent features include philosophical debates, interesting antagonists (Kiva is great), some humor and a nice amount of action. If you enjoy good fantasy, with characters that are not practically demi-gods then you can not go wrong with reading the Magehound, its an wonderful novel. I can't wait for book II.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Where Mages fear to tread..., July 25, 2000

By 

"estrolof" - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Magehound (Forgotten Realms: Counselors & Kings, Book 1) (Mass Market Paperback)

Once again, Elaine Cunningham returns to the lands of Faerûn, known to many as the Forgotten Realms. Considered by many to be one of, if not the premier Realms author, we are once again reassured of her talent for storytelling.

In "The Magehound", we receive the first serious look at the lands of Halruaa since the age-old "Shinning South" Game supplement. Before I picked it up, I was concerned whether a novel could maintain my interest, and any semblance of consistency in a land so saturated with magic. Legends and tavern tales proclaim that even the lowliest barmaid can wield a minor spell or two to lighten their load. How then could a problem of manageable scale arise and be solved in a matter of one novel? Well, I am happy to say, it is and it is not. I don't want to ruin anything, but I think it was well managed in achieving some sort of conclusion, while at the same time allowing enough questions to linger for the next book in the series; as I was pleased to learn this was to be series, as opposed to a one shot view of that fabled land.

The novel's tone and voice are easy to follow, and make for a swift read. The characters are interesting, and while we only learn so much, the depth is there, but as yet untapped; and if I can cling to her previous works as evidence, I believe these characters will become as real as Arilyn and Danilo. For that reason, and the fact I liked the story, I have to recommend this title, give it a read.