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9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A Surprisingly Original Read, January 24, 2006
This review is from: The Orb of Xoriat: The War-Torn, Book 2 (Mass Market Paperback)
"The Orb of Xoriat" is a good solid read. The characters are multifaceted and interesting in a very human way. This story happens to take place in a mythical world with mythical characters, but essentially it could take place in our own world. This is the race for a "super-weapon" that no one can control, but everyone thinks they can. Teron, (the main character in this tale) is a warrior monk; a living weapon that is sent to retrieve the Orb. What makes Teron particularly interesting is that of all the characters he is most "like" the orb. He is driven to keep his hard trained edge and striving for a purpose in a world that would just as soon forget about him and his deadly skills. His search for this weapon is also a search for a new purpose in life or for his own death. There is no need to be a fan of this series of books or know anything at all about the Eberron world in order to enjoy this novel. This is a lively, surprisingly complex little novel and I highly recommend it.
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8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Eberron or not, December 20, 2005
This review is from: The Orb of Xoriat: The War-Torn, Book 2 (Mass Market Paperback)
I have been reading the Eberron books as they have been published, and I agree with the other reviewers so far, this one takes the prize! Whether you are interested in the world of Eberron or just want a well written fantasy novel, this will fit the bill. As others have mentioned, it is the wonderful use of the main characters that singles this novel out among the others. Every character has their own motivation for what they are doing, and it remains consistent throughout. The goals each character has drive them during the entire book. It is obvious more than once that the characters are working together to achieve a short term goal, when their long term goals are quite different. The main characters are also all very much products of the world they live in, with their political and religious biases forming much of their personal philosophies. Good and evil are almost unimportant when compared to the anger of the people of a destroyed nation, or the righteousness of a zealous god. In almost every case the reader can find a reason to sympathize with the characters' point of view. They are part of a greater cause. They want to restore the glory of their once great nation, or keep from the hands of those less humble a weapon of unimaginable power, even if they don't know how or why it works. The characters do not have all of the answers, but they don't need to. They are convinced that what they are doing is just and "right", and the book is written so well that a reader can easily see why they believe this. This makes them that much more human, and easier for any reader to relate to. A passage on one characters views about the nature of magic and the different ways people focus it (mage, artificer, psion, dragonmarked, sorcerer) is also just plain brilliant. This is wonderful for a reader trying to get a better picture of the world of Eberron. Yet even if you are not, it still makes for a very interesting read, with a great deal of character depth. On the strength of this novel, I intend now to seek out previous works by this author, even as I eagerly await his upcoming works. I would advise you to do the same.
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7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Edward Bolme hits the mark!, October 24, 2005
This review is from: The Orb of Xoriat: The War-Torn, Book 2 (Mass Market Paperback)
What can I say here that has not already been covered in the excellent review by Jeff, as I agree with all of his points. Eberron fiction is still in its infancy, and I have read every novel that has been released. I had been looking forward to the trilogies (Dreaming Dark, Lost Mark, Dragon Below), but the War Torn series was something that I was not really looking forward to. I will explain what I mean. When you have a trilogy, you can really get to know the characters and it is a gently unfolding storyline. When there is a series of books, each stand alone stories, I am not usually bothered. I had this same problem with a couple of series in Forgotten Realms, namely the Rogues and the Priests series'. Out of about eight novels only two of them really impressed me. They were Don Bassingthwaite's 'Mistress of the Night' and 'The Alabaster Staff' by Edward Bolme. How glad was I then, when I found out that both authors had made the transition to Eberron. Unfortunately I had to wait some time for The Orb of Xoriat to come along. Well I am pleased to say, the wait was definitely worth it! Ed breaks a lot of the normal conventions in fantasy writing, and there are no clear cut good or bad characters. His characters are solid and believable. For every little thing Ed reveals about a character he leaves a little more mystery. Even by the end of the book you are left wanting to read more about these people. Ed has a very clear vision of what Eberron is, and I am now eagerly awaiting the anthology 'Tales from the Last War' (April 2006) which features one of his short stories. I am looking forward to seeing more Eberron fiction from Ed in the future, this time a full trilogy where he is not as constrained. I recommend this novel to anyone, whether you are new to Eberron or have been reading and playing since the campaign settings release.
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