Customer Reviews

Midnight's Mask (Forgotten Realms: The Erevis Cale Trilogy, Book 3) (v. 3)

5 star:		(13)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

A satisfying conclusion to the Erevis Cale Trilogy, while still leaving you thirsting for further adventures.
Fast paced and exciting, Midnight's Mask wonderfully closes out the trilogy. It exposes the reader to incredible magical feats but remains a character driven story. The two champions of Mask are further developed and solidified as two of the most interesting characters in the Realms. Characters from the previous books are further explored while new interesting characters are revealed as their parts in the story play out.
The two main points that I enjoyed from the previous books are still present in the third. The dark nature of the story makes it all the more real, while the depth of the characters makes you feel you know them. This book, like Twilight Falling and Dawn of Mask, is well worth the read. Give me more!

Midnight's Mask written by Paul S. Kemp is the conclusion of the Everis Cale trilogy. This first two books in this trilogy Twilight Falling and Dawn of Night set the stage very well for this third book.

In this book the main character Cale is again faced with tough decisions and we see him grow as a character. The growth of Cale not only in this book, but the entire series is a roller coaster ride few authors can compete with. There are several instances within Midnight's Mask that help define the character in large scale terms. Several other characters develop substantially as well in this book, most notably Riven and Mags.

While all the characters are certainly worth the read alone, the plot is also very good along with the multiple sub plots that are interwoven within the story. These subplots keep the novel moving along at a frantic pace daring the reader to put the book down. One subplot, and my only minor complaint with the book, is the relationship between Cale and Mask. While this relationship is touched on in the novel, I just didn't get the feel of any closure that I would have liked. The rest of the plot (and subplots) are very well done - no spoilers here though. :-) One thing I liked about this book is it is darker than most Forgotten Realms books available today, that change of pace makes this book stand out even more.

Even with the well written plot lines, this book is character driven. The characters, as mentioned above, are believable and either make you root for them or hate them (sometimes at the same time)! Great characters are hard to come by in novels, and this book has several great characters.

Overall, this book is well worth the read (the entire series is for that matter). If you are a fan of the Forgotten Realms, or looking to start in the Realms this series would be a very good place to start.

Paul S. Kemp has, once again, delivered the goods with Midnight's Mask, the third book of the Erevis Cale trilogy, following Twilight Falling and Dawn of Night.

The story felt epic in nature as the events chronicled in this book took our intrepid heroes from the ratty streets of Selgaunt to the deepest depths of the Inner Sea. However, when it comes down to what Midnight's Mask really is and, indeed, what this entire series will best be remembered for, the answer is simply, the characters.

Erevis Cale leads a battered and beaten troupe of friends, the psionic teafling, Magadon, the stalwart Halfling priest Jak Fleet and the mysterious Drasek Riven, an assassin and fellow follower of Mask whose loyalties seem to constantly shift. These four companions are opposed by a being of immense power, The Sojourner, and two of his "sons," powerful creatures known as Slaads. From the first page to the very last of this novel, Erevis and company must fight overwhelming odds to stop The Sojourner from completing his task. They battle to stalemates, flee for their lives and fight to the death. This is a dark story that, at its heart, is a simple allegory concerning man's selfishness versus his need to belong to something greater than himself. It is about sacrifice and friendship. It is about human beings, creatures who are always more than what they appear.

It is no fluke that Mr. Kemp's heroes are flawed, real characters, while the villains are a mirror to those heroes, a device to show them...and us, the readers...what is truly important in a world that seems to have gone haywire...where nothing makes sense and where the darkness seems to have taken a foothold over the land...and over the heart. Mr. Kemp has shown a magical ability to create and bring to life characters of deep meaning and ones which we care for, even though we question in the back of our minds why we should. They are complex characters. They are as real as fiction can make them.

The Erevis Cale trilogy, and Midnight's Mask in particular, is a gory, dark and deeply disturbing look into the shadows of the heart and soul. It is also an incredibly emotional and uplifting tale of men who struggle daily with that darkness...and choose instead to follow the path of light and goodness. Midnight's Mask is about wanting to make a difference...wanting to be a hero in the truest sense of the word. It is also about not enslaving oneself to a perceived course of action, a destiny, if you will. This is a story about following your own heart...your own course...for your own reasons.

This novel brought me to tears. It did so because of its honest portrayal of what is important to the human heart. Mr. Kemp shined a mirror into the hearts and souls of his readers...and his entire trilogy showed us that even those who live in darkness never have to let that darkness consume them. Midnight's Mask not only gets my highest recommendation, but a promise to this author that my loyalty to his work has been more than earned for, hopefully, decades to come. Thank you, Paul! And well done!

Stunning conclusion to one of the best trilogies I have ever read. Great character building, great spell and combat detail, specks of philosophy, intriguing storyline involving followers of gods, and a villain more powerful than perhaps Elminster himself. Short and sweet review, to a long and powerful trilogy. 5/5.

This is the third and final book of the Erevis Cale trilogy. I enjoyed it and thought it met the relatively high standards Paul Kemp set in his previous two books. The conclusion satisfyingly ties up most of the open threads of the series while leaving open the possibility of a sequel series.

Midnight's Mask has a relatively grim flavor which I liked, but may disappoint readers looking for witty dialog. It also focuses on high-level characters (level 12+ equivalent) which again can be good and bad. Regardless, it contains a number of innovative elements which put it above the average D&D book. For instance: magic which based on mathematics as much as willpower; the protagonist teaming with an evil assassin; what a raise dead spell can and can't do; the motivations of the godlike (but occasionally childlike) Vhostym; a tap drawing off both the weave and the shadow weave; a pair evil but well-characterized slaad.

I would have given this five stars but one of the central conflicts of the book is between Erevis and his patron god Mask, and I felt this thread was not very well developed. Erevis grows in power but seemingly not in his relationship to Mask. Apparently Mask gives powers to Erevis even though he hates Mask personally, and doesn't seem to share any of Mask's ideals like trickery or evil. Erevis gains his powers without any work or understanding, like a man who walks down the street and his arch-enemy hurls a wad of bills at him.

I've been a fan of the fantasy/D&D genre since the original boxed set of Dungoens and Dragons WAY back in the 70's, and have been a fan of the FR books since R.A. Salvatore came on the scene with The Crystal Shard. R.A. Salavatore breathed life into the Realms, but few authors have been able to give it a pulse (Ed Greenwood and very few others excepted).

Then along came Paul Kemp. I was first introduced to his exceptional writing ability in the 'War of the Spider Queen' series. After dragging myself through a couple horribly written Realms novels (if you see 'Master Of Chains' lurking on store shelves, run away screaming!), I recognized Paul's moniker on the Erivas Cale trilogy and decided to give it a try. FINALLY! This series has reinvigorated my imagination, and I find I'm eagerly awaiting more titles with Paul's name on the cover. The realms now have two master storytellers... Mr. Salvatore and Mr. Kemp. They set the bar high for any others wishing to tap into the genre. Thank you, Paul Kemp, for keeping the Realms alive.

Paul S Kemp is great. he knows how to make you really care about all the characters. excellent book. excellent series.

Looking through the other reviews, adding another positive one almost seems redundant. But I don't care; these books are truly fine pieces of work and absolutely worth your money and your time.

My reading of the Cale saga began with Shadow's Witness, rather than the short story in Halls of Stormweather (which I still haven't read...yikes). The whole feel of the book was different to most of the Forgotten Realms novels that are around; it was darker and dirtier than any I'd read before, which was a very welcome change. The concept of an unwilling or impious priest was explored briefly in the beginning of Salvatore's Cleric Quintet in Cadderly's early tribulations, but Kemp takes this to a different level.

Having happily devoured Shadow's Witness, I didn't expect to see any more of the bald Cale. I was pleasantly surprised to discover that the priest was to be rewarded with his own trilogy...

Twilight Fallng contained character and plot developments and introduction, with twists that ranged from predictable to very surprising, as well as a number of interesting characters (Mags, Azriim, the Sojourner) and setting the stage for a nice escalation of scale. The first of the series' cliffhangers ended the book, leaving me waiting for...

Dawn of Night. While this book suffers slighlty from "Middle-of-the-Series Syndrome" it is still a worthy piece, both as part of the whole and as a standalone story. Of course, the second major cliffhanger (read it and you'll know what I mean) makes the chances of anyone not reading on very slight. And so, on to the final chapter:

Midnight's Mask is a brilliant culmination of the series. Mask plays his hand, Cale commits and events come to their brutal (yet stunningly choreographed) conclusion. This is easily the best in the series and, considering the overrall high quality, that says a lot. The combination of plot and character development and an exploration of the darker side of Faerun makes Kemp an instant favourite for fantasy fans.

Shadowbred, the first book in Kemp's new series (again starring Cale-yes, yes, yes!) comes out in November. I'll be buying it as soon as it's out, because Kemp is looking to be the next Salvatore. My only complaint is that he hasn't written more books...but all things in good time.

I'm sad that the series is to an end, though the epilogue hints that we will see Cale again. I won't say much rather than if something makes you sad when it ends it must be good. I find it hard to believe this trilogy is as underrated as it is and deserves more attention.

I'm a diehard forgotten realms fan who has read over 50 realms novels, and I have to say that this is the best trilogy in the forgotten realms setting so far. I would highly recommend this book and the rest of the trilogy to anyone who likes the dark side of fantasy. The only negative thing I saw in this book is the slight dislike Erevis Cale has of his patron god Mask, but regardless this book definitely gets five stars from me.