| T O P I C R E V I E W |
| Dennis |
Posted - 04 Jul 2011 : 05:52:54
The Shadow Stone by Richard Baker tells the journey of a half-elf Aeron Morieth on his way to becoming one of most powerful wizards in the Forgotten Realms... Fleeing from a “crime” he never intended to commit, Aeron, accompanied by his sister, found himself in the outskirts of the Maerchwood, where he met the old elf Fineghal. It appeared their encounter wasn't a coincidence. From then on, Aeron apprenticed himself to the elf, learning the intricacies and subtleties of elven magic. But there's only so much that Fineghal could teach him. Soon he referred Aeron to his friend, Telemachon from the College of Mages in Cimbar, where the young half-elf was to continue his studies of the arcane....
The book started slow, almost plodding. But I read on, knowing the promise the story held. And I was lucky I did. It turned out this novel is a true gem.
Baker's depiction of Cimbar was hardly evocative, but sufficient nonetheless. The politics of the city was expounded to a point. The Sceptanar (the city's supreme ruler) and the high mages of the University looked like the only ones that stood between the delicate balance of order and chaos.
I like the development of the character of Aeron. 'Twas smooth, paced so well, and plausibly executed. The frustration he experienced upon trying to cast certain spells and his unquenchable thirst to learn more were shown with credibility. I particularly like how he dealt with the bullies in the university. I appreciate his control, and understand the times when he's got more than he'd bargained for and therefore lashed back. His decision to learn from the sly High Conjuror, despite his doubts, was fairly understandable given the circumstances. I must commend Baker for not turning Aeron into some super-being with so little time involved. The manner that Aeron dealt with the Shadow Stone and Oriseus was just right, a combination of cleverness and magic within the level expected of his age and education.
One more thing that makes me commend Baker is his amazing choice of villain: a four thousand year-old Imaskari archwizard. I'm sick and tired of villains who cackle like idiots. We have a plethora of them in and out of FR. Madryoch, once known as the Ebon Flame, who possessed the body of Oriseus, was clearly composed, though he had a penchant for jolliness (without sounding absurd). Megalomania was his only sin. And obviously, he'd stop at nothing to get what he wanted. I like it that he was no fool as to leave things to chance or act in sheer arrogance---he took time (quite a lot of it) to ensure he had enough lackeys to aid him accomplish his goal, to help him deter possible meddlers. I also find it interesting that his fate at the end was left vague. Who knows, Baker might (stop writing about the silly elves) and revisit this great character.
This book is full of supporting characters who were almost as captivating as the leads. The High Diviner Telemachon was an epitome of wisdom. I do like that spell he cast in his room before his confrontation with the High Conjuror. Melisanda was a bore when alone but mildly interesting when shoved to a quandary with Aeron. And Dalrioc played his part very well. He'd sow evil when his master wasn't around. You'd hate him, but for the right reasons. He was a compelling antagonist inside the university, though not that much outside.
There's a certain death in this book that's plainly absurd. I got it that the Weave was not easily accessible when the Shadow Stone ravaged the land of Chessenta and that Weave-dependent spellcasters were at a disadvantage. But killing a centuries-old powerful being with just a few stabs of a knife, and not magical at that? Silly. I don't like their race, but that doesn't mean I would like to see them used in novels quite effectively only to die a stupid death.
I was surprised to learn some things about the Imaskari in this novel. For one, I didn't know they never utilized the Weave. As Aeron said, “The old Imaskari knew things we don't today. They did not wield the Weave the way we do. They used another source of power to fuel their spells.”
To those of you who are wondering where the Shadow Stone came from (and don't mind a little spoiler), then read on... Oriseus once said, “Thousands of years ago, the Imaskari arose, first of all men to walk in this world. Unfettered by the powers and restrictions of gods, they had nothing to defy their understanding, their comprehension. The glories of Netheril and fallen Raumanthar were mere reflections of the first mages, the sorcerer lords who mastered magic in that forgotten age.
“And so the Imaskari ruled vast lands thousands of years before the rise of Mulhorand, of Unther, of Netheril and the other ancient kingdoms of man. They roamed the planes, building portals to a thousand times and worlds. And so they aroused the ire of the petty gods who rule over this sphere. These powers sought to bring down the Imaskari by withholding the Weave from them. The lords of the Imaskari thus turned to a source of magic from beyond this world, a source of magic that they could wield without answering to the rude demipowers of this sphere. They brought the Shadow Stone into this world, establishing a link or conduit through which they could draw on an energy that exists outside all time and space.”
I am a fan of both Imaskar and Netheril. However, I don't agree with the statement that Netheril was but a mere reflection of Imaskar. While the empire of Imaskar was unmatched in their might during their time, Netheril was able to harness magic in ways the Imaskarans could only dream of.
In spite of a few quibbles, I would still recommend this book. Highly recommend, that is. It's part history lesson on the fallen Imaskar, and part journey (an exciting and memorable one) of an individual who proved that some things are worth the sacrifice, and that an evil or good act should not be judged by the doer's weapon, but by his utmost, sincerest intention.
Rating: 9/10 |
| 18 L A T E S T R E P L I E S (Newest First) |
| fred |
Posted - 23 Oct 2013 : 15:47:18
Hello everybody.
I can't find a copy of the novel.
Can someone list the powers of the Shadow Stone? |
| Dennis |
Posted - 02 Oct 2011 : 17:19:06
I read here in CK about Aeron's fate, among other things, before I grabbed the novel. And such helped form my expectations... |
| zenmichael |
Posted - 02 Oct 2011 : 16:39:28
quote:
Originally posted by Dennis:
Are you saying you expected him to be a villain in the end?
Yes, absolutely. Last minute sacrifice to redeem himself would've been accepted, but this totally felt like Mark Millar's "Wanted" to me, a supervillain origin story.
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| Dennis |
Posted - 02 Oct 2011 : 07:24:40
quote:
Originally posted by zenmichael
trying to reorient myself to aeron now being a slightly flawed hero rather than a well-intentioned villain was REALLY difficult.
Are you saying you expected him to be a villain in the end? I didn't get that kind of vibe from him. Confused, corrupted, and conflicted, yes, but not evil. |
| zenmichael |
Posted - 01 Oct 2011 : 15:50:11
quote:
Originally posted by Dennis
I wouldn't say there's an inconsistency. People sometimes show a stroke of fickle-mindedness. Or they find out, after careful deliberation, that they have to change their views and decisions for the sake of their well-being. Aeron's decisions can be attributed to either of those.
OK, sure, I'll buy the first half. BUT you must also concede that that's reality; in a novel we are shown a specific side/sides of a personality/character for certain reasons. It felt to me like the first half of the book Baker purposefully shows us the sides of Aeron that make him feel like he's on the path of Anakin Skywalker: good intentions but too interested in power fast. When Aeron refuses to touch the shadow stone it totally threw me out of the book. 'why the hell WOULDN'T he accept this power? it goes against EVERYTHING we've been shown of this character so far!' was essentially my reaction. trying to reorient myself to aeron now being a slightly flawed hero rather than a well-intentioned villain was REALLY difficult.
again, however, i did enjoy the book. i just felt like, at that moment, our main character got switched out for a different, fairly similar main character. |
| Dennis |
Posted - 01 Oct 2011 : 08:27:38
I wouldn't say there's an inconsistency. People sometimes show a stroke of fickle-mindedness. Or they find out, after careful deliberation, that they have to change their views and decisions for the sake of their well-being. Aeron's decisions can be attributed to either of those. |
| zenmichael |
Posted - 01 Oct 2011 : 05:31:13
Interesting. We both liked the book, but for wildly varying reasons. My review of the book ended up taking damn near my entire 15-ish minutes on my YT channel. It's weird how this is a 2E book but it really FEELS 3E, isn't it?
My biggest complaint was that Aeron's characterization, "arc" and motivations seemed unbelievably inconsistent, yet it seemed to work for you. /shrug/ Oh well, different strokes and all. |
| Dennis |
Posted - 30 Sep 2011 : 09:25:19
quote:
Originally posted by entreri3478
quote:
Originally posted by Dennis
Even the ending calls for a sequel. Great characters should often be used. [Bring Aeron back!]
Aeron was great. The current realms novels needs some new awesome stand-alones like The Shadow Stone
The trend nowadays is having stand-alone novels with common themes, making them seem like a series, like The Citadels and The Wizards. Maybe Aeron could appear in a 'series' like The Shades or The Masters of Shadow. |
| Artemas Entreri |
Posted - 25 Aug 2011 : 19:34:07
quote:
Originally posted by Dennis
Even the ending calls for a sequel. Great characters should often be used. [Bring Aeron back!]
Aeron was great. The current realms novels needs some new awesome stand-alones like The Shadow Stone |
| Dennis |
Posted - 25 Aug 2011 : 17:46:57
Even the ending calls for a sequel. Great characters should often be used. [Bring Aeron back!] |
| Artemas Entreri |
Posted - 25 Aug 2011 : 16:23:16
The Shadow Stone was a great book and i would love to see a follow up novel. |
| Dennis |
Posted - 09 Jul 2011 : 04:09:50
With the amount of attention given to Shadow Weave-based spellcasters in 4E, we might soon see Aeron again. He's quite an interesting character, full of boundless potential, to just be (seemingly) gone with the wind. |
| Copper Elven Vampire |
Posted - 08 Jul 2011 : 16:16:29
One of my fave FR books of all time. Never understood why Aeron wasn't written about again. Hell... he's even mentioned in the 3ED FR campaign setting book. I also remember something somewhere about the shadow stone being a shard of a greater shadow weave artifact created by Shar herself. I believe it was in one of the last 3.5ED adventures that revolved around the shadow weave and the Shadovar. |
| Dennis |
Posted - 06 Jul 2011 : 00:18:59
quote:
Originally posted by BARDOBARBAROS
Nice review and nice book...
Thanks.
I make it a point to review only those which I can recommend. |
| Bakra |
Posted - 05 Jul 2011 : 22:40:55
A little known fact: it was originally scheduled to be a Birthright novel.
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| BARDOBARBAROS |
Posted - 05 Jul 2011 : 18:33:15
Nice review and nice book... |
| Dennis |
Posted - 05 Jul 2011 : 06:21:29
There's ebay and amazon, LK. It's available there, so as in other online stores. I was lucky to purchase it from a used bookstore in good condition. Having read your reviews, it seems like you favor strong characterization so much, and this book certainly has that. So you'll love it, I guess. |
| Lord Karsus |
Posted - 05 Jul 2011 : 06:07:59
-One of the few older Forgotten Realms books that I never got my hands on, that I wish I did. |
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