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8 of 10 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
AMAZING TRILOGY!!!, June 4, 2004
This review is from: Shadowdale (Forgotten Realms: Avatar Trilogy, Book One) (Mass Market Paperback)
Definitely a great fantasy epic and one of my personal favorites, The Avatar Trilogy- Shadowdale, Tantras, and Waterdeep, is about the Time of Troubles when the Gods walked the Earth (in this case Toril). The books are 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. The authors have truly outdone themselves and have presented us with a masterpiece of literature the likes of which we have seen only in 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. Love, honor, bravery, magic, and heroes are all about. In conclusion, it's what Fantasy reading SHOULD be. A GREAT trilogy indeed and a must read along with James Lowder's Prince of Lies and Troy Denning's Crucible: The Trial of Cyric! DON'T MISS IT!!!
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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Good intro to the series and its main characters, September 17, 2000
This review is from: Shadowdale (Forgotten Realms: Avatar Trilogy, Book One) (Mass Market Paperback)
If you like fantasy literature, do yourself a favor and pick up this book. Once you do, you'll be compelled to get the rest of the series (and probably any other books involving the same characters.) The gods of the Forgotten Realms have been cast down from the heavens to live among mortals by their overlord (Lord Ao, or "The One Who is Hidden.") because of the theft of the Tablets of Fate (two Ten Commandments-like items that show the names of the gods and their roles in the pantheon.) The are to remain among the mortals until the Tablets are recovered and their thief (or thieves) uncovered. Four heroes are thrust into the role of questing for the tablets: Cursed mercenary Kelemvor Lyonsbane, vain priest Adon of Sune, mysterious soldier Cyric, and novice magician Midnight. I'm not going to spoil the book(s) for you by going any deeper than that, but I will say that each of the characters will evolve tremendously throughout the course of the series. The climactic battle between the heroes and the armies of the evil Bane (God of Strife and Tyranny) is something to behold. It will whet your appetite for the rest of the series. Stick with it, 'cause it's worth your time.
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6 of 8 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
And then they fell., February 24, 2000
This review is from: Shadowdale (Forgotten Realms: Avatar Trilogy, Book One) (Mass Market Paperback)
It is the Year of Shadows, and all is about to change. In this, the first of the core avatar series, we witness as four common souls embark upon a most life-altering journey. Midnight, Kelemvor Lyonsbane, Cyric of Zhentil Keep, and Adon of Sune: some of the most renown figures in the Forgotten Realms library, if you desire to see where it all began, this is the book. I have read this title twice, the first time I read the tale I devoured it, lusting for more, and finding it in the pair of sequels. The second time I read through it, tempered by my recollection of the tale, and by the reading of other novels. I have concluded that while not ground breaking; the book is well worth the read. I have recommended it to three other friends, and they all enjoyed the novel as well. However, more importantly it opens the door to the series. Often I have heard complaints against the series as a tactic to usher in AD&D2e. I have also heard complaints that the writing and editing were poor. I disagree, while not "The Hobbit" or "Great Expectations", the writing maintained a consistent voice, and handled the deific characters admirably. I also found the novel, and the trilogy as a whole, stood up better as novels than as gaming tools. If you do decide to take up the tale of Shadowdale, be sure to follow it up with the rest of the Avatar series: "Tantras" & "Waterdeep" by Richard Awlinson, The Shadows of the Avatar series ("Cloak of Shadows", "Shadows of Doom", & "All Shadows Fled") by Ed Greenwood, "Prince of Lies" by James Lowder, and "Crucible: Trial of Cyric the Mad" by Troy Denning. I rather liked the later pair best, but the magic of the first three allowed for that emersion.
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