Customer Reviews

Red Magic (Forgotten Realms: The Harpers, Book 3)

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

 

 

As other reviewers have mentioned, this isn't quiet up to the standards of Elaine Cunningham's forgotton realms books, but I don't quiet think it is fair to use extraordinary great books as a standard for comparison for every book. This is a pretty good book- perhaps not a eternal classic, but so few are- and i find it a good read every so often. If you like forgotton realms books, you should immediately buy this. If you don't, than make your own choice. But no one should criticize this novel...

I don't know what all the fuss is about; Jean Rabe has penned a good Harpers book. There are no earth-shattering revelations and your not going to find any truisms here (which is the case with most fantasy novels).

The characters are constructed fairly well. The villians are truly the most developed characters. I found myself anticipating what would happen to the villians more than I did the heroes. In fact, if this weren't a Harpers book this could have made a nice starting point for a villians series.

To me the story reads like a good translation of a D&D module (unlike "Against the Giants"). The characters are vibrant and colorful.

I enjoyed this book and I most people would also enjoy it.

I thought the strongest point of this book was the villains and the treatment of magic. The story was relatively fast-paced, and the villains were complex. I recommend it.

This is one of the first Fantasy books I've read. It's really exciting, it makes you want to read on. This book kept me up for more then just a few nights! It wont let you down.

Definitely one of the BEST in the Harpers Series and one of my personal favorites, RED MAGIC sheds light and provides a great insight into the magical world of Thay and the evil Red Wizards that inhabit it! The book is so incredibly well written 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, sensing what they sense. Jean Rabe, has truly outdone himself and has presented us with a wonderful piece of literature the likes of which could be compared with JRR Tolkien's work, RA Salvatore's The Dark Elf and Icewind Dale trilogies, and in authors Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman's Dragonlance Chronicles and Legends trilogies. Magic, Heroes, and Villains are all about. In conclusion, it?s what Fantasy reading SHOULD be. A GREAT book indeed and a must read if you love Fantasy and especially if you love the Forgotten Realms! DON'T MISS IT!!!

I believe it was a good book, but it could have been batter. The story was good and suited very well to the harpers. Although Jean Rabe could have made this a two book trilogy. That way she could have been able to make more about the characters and the story itself. The story didn't settle in one book. It would have required more.... But in whole the book was good. I recomend other Harper fans read it too.

I have read the book three times. I found that, although it was slow, it did delve into the minds of the Red Wizards and, while not the most captivating book, it can give a Dungeon Master who is running a game in Forgotten Relms some insight into how the Red Wizards think.

If you know anything about the Forgotten Realms you likely have an itching fear when anyone mentions Thayvians. I know I do, but it's not because of this novel (Sorry Ms. Rabe). I'm sorry to say, but it was a very dry read and...flat, for lack of a better word. To bring this novel up from a 3 star rating it needed 1.) Less "down time"-the travel time seemed wanting for action, or a deepening and rounding of the characters. 2.) Passion! We see these two characters fall in love, but there's no passion, this isn't Junior High boyfriends and girlfriends, these were grown adults brought together under the impending wrath of the Thayvian Zulkirs! The passion also was severly lacking in the villains I thought. Both Maligor and Sazz Tam were hollow, and flat. Sazz Tam, arguably one of the most powerful sorcerers on all Toril was a bore! Even stuffy old Alophondar-Sage Most Learned of Cormyr has more spunk! The ending also left me blah, it felt rushed. If you love the realms and have the coin to spare, read it, it's a neat look at Thay, a look we haven't since been given (outside game material). But in all honesty, I'd pass. Hopefully the powers that be will assign someone like Greenwood, Cunningham or Denning (oh here comes the heat!) to bring us back to the feared lands of the Red Wizards, as soon as they're finished in Halruaa of course (crossing fingers over "The Mage Hound").

After reading through what I thought was going to be a good book, the ending was very disappointing, like when the author got near the ending she just gave up or ran out of detail and ideas. Very poor ending to what could've been a really good book.

I like the series of the Forgotten Realms, but this book was for me way too dark; My 2 star rating is therefor not a rating of the author as such, but this particular novel in my very personal evaluation.