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Alaundo
Head Moderator
United Kingdom
5695 Posts |
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Ranak
Learned Scribe
USA
190 Posts |
 Posted - 06 Mar 2008 : 02:23:42
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I had forgotten how many characters appeared in unclean and it took me quite awhile to remember everyone's history. The book is set ten years after the first, in the Year of Blue Fire, and several characters have been changed by a decade of war.
The quality of the writing is good, but this book appears to be more "event driven" whereas the last book was more "character driven." Rather that focusing on individuals, the first 75 pages is non-stop advancement of the war in Thay. The book starts with a fight with a living boneyard that seems to be pointless and I think could have been done without.
So far, I am really enjoying it, and I suspect 75 pages into it that the story will settle down to a more character focused pace after the battle at the Keep of Sorrows.
I was hoping for a bit more background info on Xingax and how he (it?) became teamed up with Tam, but given the events in Chapters 1-2 their relationship could be changing...
I was truly not expecting the death of Mystra to play a part in this story, but I should have suspected it might when I read the book was set in 1385. The timing could not have been more perfect, or more impactful. Well done.
Thay is an excellent place to introduce the Spellplague, because they have already endured 10 years of horrible war against undead. When it hits, the Thayans bottle up their panic and look at it as another mountain to climb. I imagine in other corners of the Realm, where resolve hasn't been honed so thoroughly, the reaction will be less pragmatic.
I chuckled, at one point Tam thinks to himself "But Mystra's demise was a discontinuity, the birth of a new reality, where the rules were different and certainties were warped. (p75)."
I wonder if the author was attempting some meta-humor there, since the death of Mystra has brought a new set of game rules  |
Edited by - Ranak on 06 Mar 2008 02:24:48 |
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ywhtptgtfo
Seeker
89 Posts |
Posted - 10 Mar 2008 : 02:21:22
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| Leaves me to wonder if Yaphyll's truly dead. |
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The Red Walker
Great Reader
USA
3567 Posts |
Posted - 20 Apr 2008 : 03:27:22
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I really enjoy reading Richard's work, it always is a good read.
I like that this book seems less action oriented and more focused on the intrigues and behind the scene machinations that have to happen for all the "big stuff" to occur. Reminds me alot of George RR Martin in that sense. Not that the book lacks action, it just doesnt fall back on it as a crutch.
As always I enjoy the characters you write Richard and it is very nice to get to spend time with them again! Aoth is fascinating to me, so duty bound and stoic....resigned to his life as a soldier. That is until he desides to desert, it was a nice twist. Although you knew the bard would interfere because losing Aoth could threaten his vengence. I enjoy him as a character as well , him getting darker as a person keeps him interesting. As I said in regards to the first book, I am not a big fan of Thay, but it is VERY cool to watch it rip itself apart! |
A little nonsense now and then, relished by the wisest men - Willy Wonka
"We need men who can dream of things that never were." -
John F. Kennedy, speech in Dublin, Ireland, June 28, 1963
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Richard Lee Byers
Forgotten Realms Author
USA
1814 Posts |
Posted - 20 Apr 2008 : 03:35:52
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| Glad you're enjoying it, RW. |
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Ecap
Acolyte
8 Posts |
Posted - 23 Apr 2008 : 07:06:03
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Wow, I happened to find this website by chance when I was googling book reviews for this very book, "undead". I had no idea there was such a following for forgotten realms books - that's great, I'm a huge fan!
I have always enjoyed reading recreationally, and I delved into the Forgotten Realms world in my very early adolescence and still read them to this day. I took a break for a while and indulged my myself with some King horror among other things, and I eventually ran out of material. Nostalgically, I picked up some of my old Forgotten REalms novels and re-read a couple.
Over the past couple years a lot of 'new' forgotten realms books have come out. I would notice these with their distinct, abstract artwork, the new forgotten realms heading insignia, etc. I was always hesitant to pick them up, worrying that it might tarnish my fanciful, aged notions of what the forgotten realms 'should be'.
In any case, on a lark one evening after studying @ barnes and noble, I picked up 'unclean' and 'undead' on a whim. Man... I am glad I did!!
These books really offered some refreshing characters. Particularly, the nobility of Bareris and Aoth being strained under the "corrosive culture" of Thay politic was so well-done. I loved the realism of the characters. How Thay was there homeland, despite its chronic troubles, and they thought it was beautiful and would fight for it.
And the bad guys are great! I loved Xingax in the first novel and was dissapointed to see less (if there was any?) narration from his perspective in the second book. Described as resembling an 'aborted baby fetus' his perspectives on life were very entertaining. And of course Szass Tam - I recall being exposed to him in an earlyer 'thayan' novel (and through forgotten realmsian anecdotes) and it was great to see him back in action! Ive always been a fan of him. I wanted to root for him so bad, but he was so devious, haha.
If I had to FORCE myself to complain about something in this book, it would be the two-dimensional zulkir personalities. I always feel like the zulkirs are slighted - these people are masters of their field of magic. Nevron was demented and interesting (especially his interactions with the demons), but a lot of the other characters seemed so petty. I would love to see evil zulkirs with debth and rationale!
Malark is a also one of my favorite characters. His immortality story was fascinating - and its always fun to see how he reacts to situations.
My only dissapointment is that apparently the third installment isn't out yet. I went back to barnes and noble to purchase it apparently its due in 2009? I want to know what happens before then
=(
Anyways I noticed that the author actually posts here!! If you read this GREAT job man, please keep pumping out FR literature and I promise I will keep buying! In fact, I'll pay extra for a signed copy!!
Cheers,
Ecap |
Sink or Swim |
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KnightErrantJR
Great Reader
USA
5402 Posts |
Posted - 13 Jun 2008 : 23:29:15
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After the initial shock of realizing that the series had shot ahead this far, I really did enjoy settling back into these characters. I'm not sure exactly what it is, but RLB always delivers on interesting characters that are fun to read in their interactions with one another.
While I'm not thrilled about the changes to the Realms, I did kind of like that since the timeline has shot forward, we actually got to see a conflict that didn't have to wrap up in less than a year, no matter how titanic the conflict was suppose to be. I can very easily see a lich plan out a war of attrition that spans a decade or more.
I already liked Aoth and Bareris from the first book, but I really like the tension that Bereris' manipulation put into the relationship between the characters. Mirror, while he was an interesting element of the first book, really became an character that I wanted to learn more about in this section. |
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Tremaine
Seeker
United Kingdom
86 Posts |
Posted - 17 Dec 2010 : 19:53:55
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quote:
Originally posted by KnightErrantJR
I already liked Aoth and Bareris from the first book, but I really like the tension that Bereris' manipulation put into the relationship between the characters. Mirror, while he was an interesting element of the first book, really became an character that I wanted to learn more about in this section.
I'm really enjoying this novel and liked tension between Aoth and Bareris as well. would like to find out more about mirror his a great character |
Edited by - Tremaine on 17 Dec 2010 19:55:33 |
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Dennis
Great Reader
9933 Posts |
Posted - 12 Jan 2011 : 16:51:48
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| The prologue of this book is one of the most captivating among Realms (and even non-FR fantasy) novels, the best that RLB has written so far, IMO. |
Every beginning has an end. |
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Undead: Prologue & Chapters 1 - 5
