7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Political intrigue galore - but weak twists and turns, August 24, 2004
This review is from: The Sapphire Crescent (Forgotten Realms: The Scions of Arrabar, Bk 1) (Mass Market Paperback)
This book was a good read. I enjoyed it, it was entertaining, it had some twists and turns (however weak), and some interesting magic, and some likeable (and hateable) characters. Everything you could want from an above average book.
I'm excited to read the next two books in the series but it seems like the books will be rather stand-alone-ish because "The Sapphire Crescent" was almost completely closed book. The ending threw some things at you that were somewhat relevant to the storyline, but nobody would have ever thought about it because the book is so closed and self containted. And that's what I mean by weak plot twists. I never saw this one coming - not because it was so clever or well hidden, but because it was almost unrelated to the main storyline. It was something like "Oh, but now we know who THESE guys work for..."
But all in all, this book was good. Some really good battles, some interesting way of describing the magic used (almost psionic) and mercenaries with passion. Oh, and the cover of this book is awesome and is so classy-looking.
Read this book, it doesn't dissappoint, but it's not like other Forgotten Realm trilogies that leave you hanging between books.
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4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Interesting read, February 20, 2006
This review is from: The Sapphire Crescent (Forgotten Realms: The Scions of Arrabar, Bk 1) (Mass Market Paperback)
Before "The Sapphire Crescent," I had read one previous book from Thomas M. Reid (The Temple of Elemental Evil), and I felt it was quite poor. Thus, I entered this with much trepidation and few expectations. However, I was generally satisfied with Reid's improvement over his writing quality and ability to carry a story. He creates a book that, while not genre-breaking, is interesting enough to finish without feeling like you've wasted your time.
"The Sapphire Crescent" is a tale that delves into the delicate political balance between powerful merchant families in the city Arrabar. Its distinctiveness lies in its simplicity. The entire world is not at stake. Rather, the welfare of only one family takes the forefront. The hero, Vambran, is a member of this family, and also a mercenary soldier with a shady past. By accident, he happens upon a mystery that goes far deeper than its initial appearance. As Vambran explores deeper into this mystery, he puts himself, and his loved ones, in further danger. The ending delivers plenty action sequences, as well as additional twists to the storyline. On the whole, the story is pretty solid.
Reid managed to develop strong lead characters. I found myself feeling concern over their plight and satisfaction in their successes. Unfortunately, the supporting characters were almost completely void of any development. Vambran's two friends might have well been twins since they acted the exact same way, and his mother was really just a log of a character with no personality to speak of. It would have been nice to have seen more time spent on the characters that weren't the core of the main story. They all seemed like cardboard cutouts.
At times, Reid's writing gets a little tedious. He has this tendency to describe objects or places that need no description whatsoever, such as flowerpots or fences that are never focal to the story. Every once in a while you'll wade through a couple pages of meaningless description or action ("She climbed up this. Then she climbed up that. Then she wedged her way into this.") that could have been summarized in one small paragraph or skipped altogether. I often felt like Reid was trying to prove he's a good writer. Yet, he'll completely ignore things that really COULD use some description. What was his friend wearing? What kind of facial expression is he making? Etc.
I really believe that "The Sapphire Crescent" could have been more effective as a stand-alone novel. Everything seems wrapped up nicely at the end. Then suddenly, there's an extra chapter added simply to give reasons for a sequel. These reasons are not that significant, but obviously this series is supposed to be a trilogy, so we've got to have something more to go on. It'll be interesting to see how Reid follows up on this. Will be keep to same premise, or will the next two books totally veer in a different direction, causing the storyline to wander aimlessly?
A 3½ star book that I'm rounding up. It really doesn't quite deserve 4 stars, but hey, I'm in a good mood. We'll see how the sequels turn out . . .
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4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
5 Stars for a magnificent book!, May 2, 2004
This review is from: The Sapphire Crescent (Forgotten Realms: The Scions of Arrabar, Bk 1) (Mass Market Paperback)
Okay, I have to admit.. I dont like heroes that are obssessed with justice and doing good, but Vambran is truly one of a kind and I couldnt help but like him!
Thomas M. Reid is really becoming one of my favorite authors of all time, the Sapphire Crescent places Vambran in the midst of a crime that took place during a festival called 'Spheres'. Merely witnessing the murder takes him through perils and mysteries waiting to be solved.
You might think the book is sort of slow... however once you reach Chapter V, you wont be able to put the book down!!!
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