Customer Reviews

The Spell of the Black Dagger (Legends of Ethshar)

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Young Tabaea the Thief becomes Tabaea the Empress in this installment of Lawrence Watt-Evans' Ethshar series. The point of view begins with Tabaea overhearing the secret of wizardry and how to create an athame, the magical dagger that all wizards use to channel their power. But with no training and no patience, her spell goes awry and her dagger appears worthless.

But when she uses it as a weapon, she finds that if it kills someone, she inherits all their power and ability. So Tabaea goes on a wizard-killing spree to become the strongest of them all, and then installs herself of Empress of Ethshar of the Sands.

What LWE does well is show how fantastical elements impact real people, in terms of politics, relationships, and day to day living. Many of us might have had daydreams where we take over a castle, but which of us thought it through enough to realize that you need the support of all those retainers and servants to keep the place running? LWE did, and shows the results of an impetuous teenaged monarch with no one to receive her orders.

Several reviewers mentioned the switching point of view between Tabaea and Lady Sarai, who investigates the serial murders. I agree the book would have been more effective if LWE stuck with one or the other, or at least not told us so much of Tabaea's doings in advance of Sarai's discovering them.

Note: this book is contemperaneous with Watt-Evans new Ethshar novel, _Ithanalin's Restoration_. However, as with most of the Ethshar series, they stand alone well and can be read in any order.

Tabaea of Ethshar of the Sands has led a rather unfortunate life, and becoming a thief hasn't particularly helped. However, when she spies on a wizard teaching his apprentice how to make a magical dagger, she decides that magic is the life for her. When she makes her dagger, though, everything seems to go wrong, and the result is a seemingly ineffective black dagger. But, botched magic can have strange results, and this one results in the creation of one of the most powerful magical devices that the world has ever seen!

Lady Sarai's ability to solve mysteries has landed her the jobs of Minister of Investigation and acting Minister of Justice. When a series of magicians start turning up murdered, all in the same, seemingly ritualistic, way, Lady Sarai investigates. The magical traces found by magicians point to a coven of magicians of various schools...or do they? The Guild of Wizards is worried...Lady Sarai is worried...and they have good reason to be worried!

This is another great Ethshar book! In certain ways, it is different than the other Ethshar books that I have read, focusing in on two major characters (Tabaea and Sarai). But, as with the others, it is an exciting story, with lots of intrigue, magic, and nail-biting adventure. If you like stories of wizards, powerful magic and high adventure, then I highly recommend this great book to you!

I liked the book, but I seemed to keep wanting the thief to win. I liked her too much. I felt the rulers were mean.

Reviews Of Unusual Size!

Re: Tabaea the thief just planned on stealing a few valuable trinkets when she broke into the house on Wizard Street but when she stumbles across a wizard teaching his apprentice the secret spells to create an athame, the wizard's magic dagger, she decides to watch and later, make her own. But she botches something in the spell and ends up with a dagger of black steel that will change her life forever and may even result in her becoming empress!

Outstanding: Tabaea is an exquisite character, both simple and sympathetic and twisted. The black dagger is a weapon that rates up there with some of the best enchanted weapons in fantasy. The way the palace is treated and Tabaea's plans for the realm rings true to life and was a kick to read.

Unacceptable: Some of the bickering amongst the magicians got old.

Summary: This novel is told a bit differently than Watt-Evans' other novels and differently than most fantasy novels as well, with the bulk of the book centering around the investigation of the black dagger. The story takes some bold twists and has a strong ending. I hadn't read it in quite a few years and had forgotten how much I enjoyed it.

5/5

Notes: This is the sixth Ethshar novel.

All of Lawrence Watt-Evans books are wonderful. Please print these in hardcover though!!! I hope somebody is listening out there.

Let's see: This is an Ethshar series book and is therefore an excellent read. That may sound like a bold statement, but it is a fact. Before you run out and buy it I recommend that you start at the beginning with the first book "The miss enchanted sword", that way you will understand what is going on. Get the whole series and enjoy many hours wasting time reading about a world of total fantasy.

Note: This applies to every book in the series, I have read them all.

I love the Ethshar series, with the exception of Taking Flight, and this book is the best that LWE has produced. Some people don't like the way that the book is written or the way that the heroine in the tale turns out to be the villain, but to me this book was fast paced, had great fighting, and a tangible sense of impending doom if she isn't stopped. Don't listen to the other reviewers, as they aren't happy that this book kind of breaks from the mold of the other Ethshar novels. Give it a chance.

I enjoyed the charaterizations in this book and the descriptions of the realm itself. However, I also found myself wanting Tabaea to win, she seemed so innocent to me, she wasn't an evil person, just a little misguided. Too bad she couldn't have become a wizards apprentice instead of dying.