Customer Reviews

Shadowdale (Forgotten Realms: Avatar Trilogy, Book 1)

5 star:		(11)
4 star:		(12)
3 star:		(8)
2 star:		(8)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

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!!!

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.

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.

It is clear from the way this novel is written that author Scott Ciencin expects the reader to have read the D&D Player's Handbook, or the Forgotten Realms Campaign Setting at the very least. Quite simply, Shadowdale reads more like a D&D module than a fantasy novel, complete with terse descriptions of spellcasting that refer only to the spell's name. I was almost expecting to see a footnote in the margin saying "See Pg. 168 in the Player's Handbook for description." Some of his attempts at detailed description are rather amusing, such as a reference to "Spanish moss." I'm sure everyone in the Realms knows exactly where Spain is, eh? The author consistently refers to the party of four (Kelemvor, Midnight, Adon, Cyric) as 'the heroes,' even before they have demonstrated the capability to do anything remotely heroic. By the way, that's exactly how a D&D module would describe [insert your player character's names here].

The characters in this book are described like a Dungeon Master would describe them- basic physical stats like hair color, height, and build, and everything else is what they're doing at a particular time. There's some thoughts here and there, but it's random and shallow, as if Ciencin himself isn't quite sure what they're thinking. At the same time, the author sometimes goes to great pains to distance this novel from D&D. Please note that he calls Midnight a 'magic-user' rather than a 'mage' or 'wizard,' even though the term gets noticeably repetitive and it's much easier to type the other two. The perspective jumps around in seemingly random fashion, and the characters often say things that don't make much sense, and that I doubt real people would say. At first I thought that this was because Ciencin was a lousy author with no sense of how to write dialogue, but after reading more than halfway through this novel I decided that he probably is a good one (at least potentially), but he's just not good at indicating the passage of time on paper. On closer examination, some single-line phrases span whole days, which is why his running description of events seems completely disjointed.

Then again, some things the characters do STILL don't make sense, even considering the unseen passage of time. I don't think any self-respecting woman would let a complete stranger treat her like dirt for so long, even if he's a big buff stud like Kelemvor. Midnight not only puts up with him, but decides to bed him! With some explanation of what's going on in her wizardly mind, perhaps there could be a justification for this, but the author leaves you guessing. Also, Cyric sticks with the rest of the party on their whole string of quests... but for what? The guy is obviously a rogue with no real loyalties or desire to work for free, but that seems to be exactly what he's doing. At the same time, there's something sinister brewing in the guy (those who have read the FRCS may have some idea) and he regularly lies to his trusted companions. I can totally see Cyric as being the PC of a new D&D player that doesn't really like the adventure, but just wants to play to be with the rest of his friends. So he puts up with the plot and with the stupidity of his fellow party members while snickering to himself the whole time and doing things to make the DM squirm. Speaking of reluctant PCs, has anyone figured out why Adon was even in this novel? It must be something in one of the other books in the trilogy, because I couldn't figure it out by reading this one. Another mystery is the first thing you'll notice when you pick up this book- the cover. Who are these people in the illustration? They don't seem to match the descriptions of any of our heroes. I wouldn't be surprised if they just took the picture out of Dragon magazine, for lack of an available artist.

If this isn't enough to convince you that Shadowdale reads like a D&D module, also consider the plot itself. The heroes periodically run into encounters of ascending difficulty, with enemies often appearing out of nowhere and attacking for no particular reason. The only thing it was missing was the DM doling out experience points and gold at the end of each encounter. I found one encounter particularly amusing, in which a haunted forest pops out of nowhere and conjures undead monsters and spider-dogs that swarm the party. I suppose this could be reasoned to be a result of magic going nuts, or an indirect attack by someone (who?), but the author does little enough to explain it. Rather, it looks more like a 'hey, we're due for some killing' random encounter that Ciencin put in to break the monotony of a long journey.

I must say that as the story progresses, things do get a bit better, especially toward the end. It seems like this story took a lot of time to write- time which the author used to learn how to write a novel. He gets steadily better until the end, which culminates in a cool battle.

In short, Shadowdale is a 'good book' with some great ideas and epic adventuring experiences. Note that this is precisely the way you would describe a typical Dungeons & Dragons campaign. I had never even heard of Ciencin prior to this, but just by reading this I can tell that the author is far better at writing modules than novels. He should stick to those, and leave the novels for experts like Denning and Salvatore. If you are the type of person that gets kicks just reading D&D rulebooks, then this is your game. If not, then maybe you should look elsewhere.

*Note: This review is based on the first 2 books in the series--Shadowdale, and Tantras*

I've been an avid reader most of my life, especially fantasy, and lately fantasy set in the Forgotten Realms universe. For those unfamiliar with it, it started as a setting for the Dungeons and Dragons table-top game, and now is a place where many authors have the opportunity to weave their own tales within a world that readers can grow accustomed to. Basically, it allows the world and its people to come alive through the infusion of multiple ideas coming from many different minds.

That being said, this series of books covers one of the most momentous happenings in the history of Faerun, the world in which the Forgotten Realms stories takes place. The event to which I refer is the "Time of Troubles" or the "Arrival" or a multitude of other names penned for it. Without giving too much away, it's the time when there's a shifting in the Pantheon of gods--someone has stolen the Tablets of Fate. As punishment, the power above the gods themselves has cast them out of their otherworldly abode and into the mortal realm, forcing the gods to take on mortal avatars to house their immortal essence. Due to this occurence, magic itself is unstable, causing chaos when it is used, and also creating havoc with the world itself--earthquakes, moving mountains, and random explosions and the like. The story focuses on a group of adventurers, who through chance or fate, have been thrust into the plight of the gods. Sounds like a great start, a wonderful beginning to an epic story, right? WRONG.

The first two books are plagued by grossly undercharacterized and overly-cliched heroes. We've got the fighter, Kelemvor, struggling with a secret he dare not reveal to his friends. Midnight, the mage, who seems to be guided by destiny into a fate she isn't sure she wants. Adon, the cleric of Sune, suddenly faced with doubts as to his faith. And Cyric, the thief, haunted by a past he cannot escape. So much potential here, and it's completely undone by Scott Ciencin's inability to craft a story worth reading. Kelemvor's secret is revealed far too early, and the characters basically get over it in a paragraph. Midnight's cloudy fate can be easily guessed by a 10 year old. Adon, who goes into a semi-comatose state for about 2 days, snaps out of it suddenly, no explanation given. He just starts talking. Cyric, who is shown gradually spiraling out of control, had so much potential he practically screamed for a better author to pen him.

One of the worst parts, for me at least, occured in the first book. The heroes (Be prepared to hear that a lot. Ciencin can't find anything else to call them but "the heroes" or "the thief" *snore*) are traveling along, and suddenly a forest sprouts in front of them. Due to the instability in magic and the world at large, the forest not only appears out of the blue, but it also grows upside down; branches are on the ground and roots in the air. The group of adventurers says NOTHING. They go right through it. No debate on if it's dangerous, not even a "Hey, a forest sprouted upside down right in front of us. Neat." And NOTHING HAPPENS IN IT. They ride their horses through it for a sentence and keep going.

Therein lies the problem. The author is in such a hurry to get to a plot point or action sequence (neither of which are well done) that he rushes over what happens in between. We never get a feel for what these characters go through--the struggles that precede an epic battle, or a sudden revelation. It all feels so rushed.

I usually devour books as soon as I get them. I had to keep putting the first book down because it bored me so much, and I NEVER do that. I got the second one on a lark, hoping against hope that it would improve. It doesn't. I'm currently debating whether or not to get the third one, considering that it's Troy Denning who penned that one, and I know he can write.

Final Verdict: Read it if you'd like to find out about a momentous event in Faerun's history, one that affects many better books after these. Better yet, find a summary somewhere that lists the important things. I don't recommend this series, and I point you toward Ed Greenwood (the Forgotten realms creator), R.A. Salvatore, or a few others if you'd like to delve into the rich world of Faerun. Scott Ciencin, at least in these 2 books, feels far too much like an adolescent writing a story he thinks his friends would like.

I have read this book many times, and each time I lijed it more. The book shows the strugles of four men fighting for the destiny of the world and it's Gods, wich have fallen from heaven becouse of the evil of some of them.

The book open a Serie (wich will end with Crucible, the Trial of Cyric the Mad) about the Gods of Faerun and his worshipers. Its great to know more about those who seldom appear in the others book but in shouts of war, or of surprise or fear. And, even if you aren't fascinated with the idea of seeing gods walking like mortals all around faerun, the book itself its Great! It has a great plot, and the characters aren't the so-often heroic and perfect paladins or great mans, pure souls. Great book to read (and the four novels that follow this one).

WOW! Thats all i can say for this book in one word is, WOW!! I loved it!! One day i went to the bookstore cause i recently finish my harry potter book ( im a big fan on that hehehe) And someone recommended me Forgotten Realms books, so i was like "hey, i'll give it a try". So i looked through many books, and i stumbled upon this book, seeing that it was a first in a series of books turned me onto it, so i bought it. That night a started reading it, and i got hooked! This book was simply wonderful! Scott Ciencin, James Lowder, & Troy Denning should take a bow for this one, because its an excellent read, and don't let anyone else tell you otherwise, because they don't know what they're thinking! After finishing this book i quickly picked up the other two too it, and one of its sequels, i still have yet to see what lies in the sequels lol.. But whoever said this book 'wasn't up to par', or 'a waste of time', they don't know what they are talking about because this book is full of action & humor, it will keep you entertained throughout the whole book, the characters are very well created, making you love each and every one of them, they are irresistable! I only wish the charaters where in other books..maybe they are..hmm... But anyway, to my conclusion, if you like action/humor/some romance, this books is your cup of tea, beleive you'll enjoy it, go pick up this wonderful book, you won't regret it! You owe yourself to at leats try it out, beleive, you have my word! Now i'm gonna go off browsing for more FR books! Happy reading! Thanx 'Richard Awlinson'!!!!!! You guys made me a fan!! =)

As a 15 year veteran of the D&D world, the novels are one aspect which I grade harshly. After years of putting it off, I bought the whole Avatar trilogy. To my dismay, I discovered I could have put it off a little longer. My main gripe is that the plot, and character developments respectively are are handled poorly by Mr.Ciencin. Descriptions of encounters seem rushed, and characters and settings are described in that same, dry, wooden rote manner you will find in a D&D game module. For example, Ciencin has a hard time focusing on character traits for Cyric (The thief). ***SPOILERS*** This character starts out as a likeable almost happy go lucky character. With very little explanation or motivation, He suddenly kills the thief who raised him like a son for no better reason other than he (the older thief) wanted him back in the thieves guild. They don't even bother to so much as hint that maybe they hated each other, or the older thief might have been abusive. We get absolutely no insight into how he went from 0 to killer. NOTHING!. As for Adon and Kelemvor, its sometimes hard to figure out just why those two were hanging out together, other than a hastily mentioned past on some mission. Kelemvor is chosen by Mystra because he is allegedly an "Honest" guy. But then we find out he is cursed to be motivated only by money, so her choice is questionable. As for the Gods themselves, Scott Ciencin drops the ball on really developing great characters that could have added to the story, instead they come off as lifeless descriptions from a monsters manual. In the end, whatever motivated TSR to hand off writing this seminal Forgotten Realms trilogy to a novice author led to the trilogy getting a story that confused more than it explained, a shoddy history for a realm that provided everything you would need to chronicle it well and characters that had to wait for later books and other authors to make them as good as they deserved . Sadly what this trilogy needs is one of those wonderful Hollywood Reboots in literature form. Well, that's it. Don't even get me started on the second book. That whole trial thing was just laughable. IT MADE NO SENSE!
Read the Dark Elf Trilogy instead. Now THAT'S A+ work!

The Avatar Trilogy is often entertaining, but the quality of the writing is shaky at best. The authors employ too many literary cliches, and the text is blemished by a number of technical mistakes which any decent copy editor ought to have caught. I did enjoy the authors' uncommon characterization of the gods as petty and meddlesome -- this idea, reminiscent of the ancient Greek pantheon, is curiously absent in most of today's fantasy literature. Overall, the books earn a marginal thumbs-down from me. My advice: read the trilogy if you have a chance, but don't buy; borrow instead.

I have read several Forgotten Realms novels and I rank this author right up there with Salvatore. Salvatore is better on the fight scenes but Richard Awlinson ties the whole plot together and develops his characters nicely too. This was a fun read and I plan to read the other two in the trilogy as soon as possible. Also, this is a great place to start if you are new to fantasy or to the Forgotten Realms setting.