Customer Reviews

Shadow Prowler

5 star:		(10)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

This book and series is very popular in Russia and has now been translated into English. For that I am grateful. This is great epic fantasy and just what I like to read.

It is the story about Shadow Harold, a thief in Avedoom, the capital of a Northern kingdom. He lives his lief like he always have when things suddenly change. he has two choices, get the horn or rut in jail. The choice is not as easy as it seems. The horn is hidden far away in caves filled with dangers and magics from different races that have buried their dead there. With him he has an elite band of warriors, a Princess, and a jester.

This world has all sorts of races, the elves (dark and light) who are not as fair looking as you would imagine. Orcs that wants the world for their own as they are the first race of Siala. Ogres, gnomes, goblins, dwarves and of course men. In the far north there is the danger of the Nameless one, but there are more dangers than just him stirring. This world is heading for a war, and this time the orcs might just win.

I liked Harold, but then I do have a soft spot for thieves and assassins. He is an unwilling hero, and they are the best. But my fav is by far the jester Kli-Kli, a goblin who is more than he seems. And I can't wit to see what he really is about, until then I will laugh in amusement. Miralissa, the princess most be some sort of love interest, cos Harold is interested, fangs and all. But I just have to wait and see. The wild hearts are a great bunch too, the constant bickering between the dwarf and the gnome being what i enjoy the most.

Negative part, I love maps, and there was no map. I like to see where everything is located, and where they are going. It gives me a sense of direction that is useful in fantasy. But I am well aware that many forget about those maps.

This had everything I need, a quest, danger of war, and war that is surely coming, a bunch of characters that are both amusing and likable. There was danger, there was darkness, and there was history. Which I of course always want.

Now, oh sighs, why didn't I take that course in Russian in high school instead of German. If I would have I could have read the next book in Russian. Now I just have to wait to get hold of book 2 whenever that one comes out. Because this was a good start to a fantasy trilogy, and it made me want more.

In the great city of Avendoom on the shores of the Cold Sea, Shadow Harold, Master Thief, goes about his business, accepting commissions from clients, at home in all parts of the city, in the darkness and the light. Like everyone in the city he's aware of the growing threat of war. A dark human sorcerer who was temporarily vanquished years ago has been slowly overcoming his magical restraints. More and more, demons are seen about the city, making unsafe streets hazardous even for the criminals. Harold is approached with a commission he cannot refuse: the king along with his non-human allies need his skills to recover an artifact that is crucial for the coming battle with the Nameless One.

This is an epic quest fantasy and no mistake, but Pehov twists the common tropes just enough to keep it fresh and exciting. It starts with Harold, who, thank goodness, is the farthest thing from a naive farm-boy or an inexperienced everyman. He IS an unlikely hero, nonetheless, but he's grown and experienced and can take care of himself, and definitely has his own ideas on how things should be done. He also has an engaging voice, so it is a pleasure to follow him along on his adventure.

The city of Avendoom, which features largely in this first book of a series, will also seem very familiar to fantasy readers, however, there are new and quirky things to explore, between the demons and the guilds and the goat-people with their religious cult and the God of Thieves, the lively descriptions of the various quarters and their inhabitants, the magical hazards of the Forbidden Territory, and the unusually nondescript King. There is a sense of humor that can be ridiculous at times, but not quite over-the-top enough to be annoying. It keeps the tale from bogging down under its own seriousness (as some epic fantasies are wont to do), and the nicely paced plot also helps. There are serious and deathly aspects, of course, but it's not Overdone As In Some Epic Tales Where Everything Must Be Very Dire And Meaningful.

I was pleasantly surprised by this book, in other words. There are elves and dwarves and sorcerers, but they are not at all typical and the hints of their strange societies makes one want to know more about them. This book was not perfect, but it was a LOT OF FUN to read and I will definitely be looking forward to the next book.

I picked up this book based upon all the 5 Star reviews. Boy was that a mistake. I am not a snobby fantasy reader. I grew up reading Dragonlance and Forgotten Realms novels as well as any other high fantasy I could find. But this book reads like a terrible Dungeons and Dragons book. There is nothing new to anyone who has ever read fantasy or watched the Lord of the Rings movies. I remember most of the author's fantasy in the D&D guidebooks. Single use scroll spells, fireballs, Ogres who used to be intelligent and now are brutes, Dwarves, Elves, Gnomes, Orcs, Goblins, Giants....they are all in there and nearly exactly how I remember them for D&D. That aside, I found the writing not up to par. I know the book was translated from Russian, so I am not sure if it is a failing of the author or the translator. All I can say is that I will not be picking up the second book of this series.

Excellent fantasy novel, especially loved the Russian and semi-eastern European basis for the fantasy races, the elves are represented more as they were -before- Tolkien had his way with them, which is to say they are more like the Seelie/Unseelie from Irish folklore. Gnomes and Dwarves come across mostly as we know them with a few small twists (which I won't ruin for you).

The protagonists are enjoyable and decently fleshed out and the world has a good basis, although as the one reviewer mentions, it could use a map.

It should be remembered that the original tale is written in Russian though. Occasionally syntax and word choice is a little odd (only once did I ever find it actually jarring) but all in all its one of the best translated fantasy novels I've ever read.

Also, it doesn't (or didn't) make this immensely clear on the Amazon page, this is the first of three in a Trilogy. Those expecting a standalone fantasy novel will not be pleased.

Well worth the money.

Shadow Prowler by Alexey Pehov

Pehov may be well known in his native Russia but I had never heard of him until I read this book. I think the quality of this book will insure that Pehov will be known far and wide as well as in Russia. Shadow Harold, a master thief, finds himself enmeshed with the establishment to save the world as they know it.

Shadow Harold is an enjoyable rogue. Harold is a master thief of exceptional skill and a healthy interest in avoiding heroics. Pulled into quest to avoid the doom precipitated by The Nameless One, Harold finds himself surrounded by highly unlikely allies. The interplay between the allies, their likes, dislikes and individual peccadilloes provides both amusement and tension. Pehov provides suitable mystery and excellent action.

I highly recommend the book and am looking forward to the sequel.

Shadow Prowler and Shadow Chaser are the first two books respectively of The Chronicles of Siala trilogy by Russian author Alexey Pehov. The series is a best-seller and award-winner in Russia, and has been translated into English by Andrew Bromfield (translator of the Night Watch series) for Tor.

The world of Siala has seen several Ages. Only the ogres survived from the Dark Era into the succeeding Grey Era, which saw the arrival of the Orcs and Elves (immediate mortal enemies) into the world. Dwarves and gnomes appeared next, and though the two got along at first, they have since become fierce enemies. The Era of Accomplishments followed with the arrival of humans.

The series takes place in the Era of Dreams, when the Nameless One (a dark sorcerer) begins to rise once again, massing a huge army of ogres, giants and other creatures of the Desolate Lands. Meanwhile, the Orcs are also readying to attack and a new, previously unknown, threat--The Master--appears on stage. The only chance to defeat the Nameless One apparently is an ancient magic horn. The only problem is the horn has been buried in the Hrad Spein (The Palace of Bones) an ages-old underground burial site for all the races, far away through the land of the orcs and elves, a massive site that over the centuries has been filled with horrors and traps.

In Shadow Prowler, a human master-thief named Harold is tapped to be part of the third attempt to retrieve the horn. The first quarter or so of the novel introduces us to Harold, then shows us how he is forced into taking on his king's Commission to seek the horn. When it is learned that the only maps of Hrad Spein lie in the Stain--a mysterious section of the city walled off by sorcery from which almost nobody has ever returned, Harold must find a way in and then out with the plans. Meanwhile, he is targeted for death by minions of both the Nameless one and the Master. Eventually, he sets out for Hrad Spein with a small band that includes ten Wild Hearts (the best, most experienced human soldiers who man the border with the Desolate Lands), a small band of Elves including the nobleborn Miralissa, and an odd pair of best friends--the dwarf Deler and the gnome Halla. The final member of the group is the king's jester Kli-Kli, a goblin who plays the fool but seems far more knowledgeable about things, including an ancient prophecy that seems to point to Harold being the Dancer With Shadows who will save the world. Shadow Prowler ends with the group reaching the city of Ranneng, though not without having suffered losses and setbacks along the way. Shadow Chaser picks up almost immediately afterward and follows the band as they continue their journey, facing sorcerous attacks and battles along the way, until they finally reach the last stage before the Palace of Bones itself--the Forests of Zagabra home to fierce elves, orcs, and goblins.

One problem with the series can be seen right away from the description--the overly familiar setting and basic plot: goblins, orcs, dwarves, elves (with some of them fiercely opposed to one another), wizards, an evil dark sorcerer rising once more, a magical talisman that will defeat him, an underground palace of beauty and horror, a master-thief, verse prophecy, a small band of outnumbered heroes trying to sneak under the dark one's radar. It all has a been-there, done that feel to it (Mines of Moria, Legolas and Gimli, to name just two obvious analogues) and while Pehov throws in a few twists: elves are fanged and swarthy (but still great archers natch), gnomes have invented gunpowder, a few kinds of undead--it isn't quite enough to overcome the familiarity of character types and plot events. One exception to this is the appearance of a long-dead (or quasi-dead) magician, but he is used far too sparingly.

It doesn't help that the novels, which are episodic in nature, are structured so straightforwardly, moving from point A to point B to point C (or plot event A to plot event B . . . ) geographically and chronologically step by step with the group. The only times the linear structure breaks are those few occasions when Harold has some visions of long-past events. Unfortunately, for various reasons, they stand out amidst the novels as much more interesting--more compelling, tense, and creative--since many of the real-time events are relatively pedestrian.

The main character, Harold, is solidly engaging, but pales a bit as time goes on. The others don't really stand out much at all as separate creations, blurring into a group of stock veteran soldier or aloof elf types. The same holds true for the villains (if all are in fact villains), whether it be a pale assassin or an evil sorcerous. None get enough page time to register as more than an obstacle, and an overly familiar one at that. The only character beyond Harold who really sticks out is Kli-Kli. Unfortunately, while he has lots of potential due to the complexity of his dual nature (a fool who knows a lot), he's far too often simply annoying (not quite Jar Jar Binks but I'd be lying if I said that name didn't flash before my eyes a few times).

Shadow Prowler seriously bogs down in the last third of the book and Shadow Prowler never picks it up again; I really struggled to finish. I'll continue on since the series is supposed to stop at Book Three to see if the story is redeemed in its climax, but at this point, I can't recommend beginning it. Check back next year.

I am one of those jaded fantasy (and science fiction) readers, I find it harder and harder to find a book that I could classify as "pretty darned good" and "Shadow Prowler" falls in that category. I say this without the slightest hesitation; yes as some other reviewers have mentioned the book does have it's (huge) share of cliches but the way the author molds the story around the characters is what make this a great read, the characters are the book strongest assets and regardless of "I have heard this story a thousand times before" at the end of the book you are going to find yourself blinking and asking for more. You will laugh, you will mourn and you will even be scared a bit, and it will be a heck of a ride!

Shadow Prowler

Alex Pehov

Picked up the audio book version of this novel on a lark and was very pleasently surprised. As others write, this novel doesn't necessarily break any new ground but it does a fantastic job of setting a fun, engaging story within a familiar fantasy genre landscape.

Pehov shows a real skill at creating quickly likable characters whose secrets logically spill out over time. Particularly engaging is the King's jester and the development of his relationship to the main character, Harold. Pehov also shows some originality by mixing up some of the common relationships between fantasy races.

The action is well told, if a bit too safe in parts. The threat is common enough within the genre that Pehov doesn't have to spend too much time in this book building up the big bad. He moves through some of the background quickly to get to the meat of the plot. He does make some odd choices in telling backstory a couple of times but that may be more due to the translation than the original text (I'm not sure).

Finally, the production values on the audio book are great. MacLeod Andrews does a fantastic job throughout most of the book. His characters have distinct voices and he really keeps the pace moving.

Highly recommended for a light, fun read/listen.

As others have already given a summary, for the sake of keeping things simple and concise, I will not offer one. The narrative voice of Harold the thief is wryly colorful and entertaining. A very easy character to traverse the tale with, despite his ignoble profession. Though many of the themes in this story are familiar, Pehov offers his own spin and twists to prevent them from becoming overused and predictable. The storytelling is distinctive and unique. From the first pages this book grabbed my attention immediately. A thoroughly enjoyable story reminiscent of a contemporary Tolkien tale. I will eagerly be waiting until the next book in this trilogy is translated and released.

I picked this book up on a whim. It was a slow start but before I knew it I couldn't out the book down. A good read I look forward to reading the rest of the series