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SirUrza
Master of Realmslore
USA
1283 Posts |
 Posted - 18 Aug 2013 : 00:41:52
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Are the three Shadowbane books worth reading?
Also, Shadowbane and Eye of Justice are both still in ebooks format only correct?
And, when should I read Realms of the Elves: The Greater Treasure and Depths of Madness?
Lastly, anyone know where can I find "The Fox and the Dispossessed?"
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"Evil prevails when good men fail to act."
The original and unapologetic Arilyn, Aribeth, Seoni Fanboy. |
Edited by - SirUrza on 18 Aug 2013 01:57:23
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scererar
Master of Realmslore
USA
1618 Posts |
Posted - 18 Aug 2013 : 02:16:38
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| I feel that the Shadowbane books and short stories to go with them are very worth the read. I have not read eye of justice yet though for full disclosure, but the reviews and threads on here about it lean towards very positive. I have the ebook and it is on deck to read next, but I have started the companions first. Not sure if they are only in ebook format. |
Edited by - scererar on 18 Aug 2013 02:17:27 |
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Tanthalas
Senior Scribe
Portugal
508 Posts |
Posted - 18 Aug 2013 : 02:44:14
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Yes, both Shadowbane and Eye of Justice only exist in the e-book format.
I haven't read "The Greater Treasure" yet, but Depths of Madness comes before all of the Shadowbane books (though its not required reading if you want to enjoy the Shdaowbane books).
I highly recommend these books, even though they are not perfect, they're really fun to read. |
Sir Markham pointed out, drinking another brandy. "A chap who can point at you and say 'die' has the distinct advantage". |
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SirUrza
Master of Realmslore
USA
1283 Posts |
Posted - 18 Aug 2013 : 17:49:30
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Good to know.
Anyone know if The Greater Treasure should be read before or after Depths of Madness? |
"Evil prevails when good men fail to act."
The original and unapologetic Arilyn, Aribeth, Seoni Fanboy. |
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Erik Scott de Bie
Forgotten Realms Author
USA
4598 Posts |
Posted - 20 Aug 2013 : 06:50:12
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Hail and well met!
quote:
Originally posted by SirUrza
Are the three Shadowbane books worth reading?
I'm hopelessly biased as to that question, naturally. Rather, I'll explain the central concept of the book:
Shadowbane is a thief turned paladin, wielding the last shard of a dead god's power, beset on all sides by mystery and shadow. A beggar boy inspired to walk the path of the light after a chance encounter with the last paladin of dead Helm, Kalen Dren dons the mantle of a vigilante paladin, using the skills of the thief to punish the wicked and purge the world of darkness.
And the books have got some great reviews on Amazon. 
quote:
Also, Shadowbane and Eye of Justice are both still in ebooks format only correct?
For the moment, yes. One can speculate that they may eventually show up in an omnibus of some kind, but that's probably some way off. If you're interested in a paper book, I recommend supporting said ebook, which will make WotC more likely to bring it out in print.
(And for those who already own the ebook and are itching for a print version, I'd encourage you to post a review saying so and/or communicating your desires to WotC.)
quote:
And, when should I read Realms of the Elves: The Greater Treasure and Depths of Madness?
This story and novel provide some of the vast backstory for a "mostly-retired adventurer" who is a minor character in Downshadow and becomes a major (though not POV) character in SB: EOJ. It's certainly not required reading, but if you like that character and want to learn a little more about her, you might enjoy glancing back at a couple of her harrowing adventures (which are written in a rather different style).
Also, chronologically, "The Greater Treasure" (1362, I believe) takes place somewhat before DoM (Nightal 1374).
quote:
Lastly, anyone know where can I find "The Fox and the Dispossessed?"
I wrote said article (a 3.5 writeup of the Fox-at-Twilight and some of her allies/enemies) along with Tom Costa, who approached me because he liked the characters so much. All three articles in that series are available on the Bard's Rumors section of Alaundo's Library, but here are some direct links:
The Fox and the Dispossessed, Part 1 (The Fox-at-Twilight)
The Fox and the Dispossessed, Part 2 (Gargan and Tlork)
The Greater Treasure: A Heart of Darkness and Ynloeth's Legacy
Cheers |
Erik Scott de Bie
'Tis easier to destroy than to create.
Author of a number of Realms novels (GHOSTWALKER, DEPTHS OF MADNESS, and the SHADOWBANE series), contributor to the NEVERWINTER CAMPAIGN GUIDE and SHADOWFELL: GLOOMWROUGHT AND BEYOND, Twitch DM of the Dungeon Scrawlers, currently playing "The Westgate Irregulars" |
Edited by - Erik Scott de Bie on 20 Aug 2013 06:54:43 |
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SirUrza
Master of Realmslore
USA
1283 Posts |
Posted - 20 Aug 2013 : 12:20:09
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| Thanks Eric, I appreciate the response. :) |
"Evil prevails when good men fail to act."
The original and unapologetic Arilyn, Aribeth, Seoni Fanboy. |
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The Red Walker
Great Reader
USA
3567 Posts |
Posted - 20 Aug 2013 : 15:24:42
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More than worth reading, in my opinion they are must reads. Especially if you like well developed and interesting characters.
and The Greater Treasure and Depths of Madness should be read ASAP! |
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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Edited by - The Red Walker on 20 Aug 2013 15:25:29 |
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jornan
Learned Scribe
Canada
256 Posts |
Posted - 20 Aug 2013 : 22:43:59
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I enjoyed Downshadow quite a bit, but wasn't all that fussed on Shadowbane. To be honest, it might have been the ereader format more than anything that caused be to not be able to get into it. I'm not ruling out reading Eye of Justice, but I have a few other Realms books to catch up on first.
I also felt that the Luskan portrayed in Shadowbane incongruous with RAS's post Pirate King Luskan. There were the gang battles to determine who was ruling the city, but no mention that I can recall of the "ships" that rule it in RAS's works. Furthermore no mention of the Dark Elves who are present and the true powers of the city right now.
Erik deBie, can you shed some light on this? |
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Tanthalas
Senior Scribe
Portugal
508 Posts |
Posted - 21 Aug 2013 : 00:14:35
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| Well, technically, RAS's last book with stuff in Luskan (I haven't read The Companions yet, so I only know about stuff the happened in The Last Threshold) took place at least a decade (probably two) before Shadowbane. Stuff in Luskan could have changed during those two decades. |
Sir Markham pointed out, drinking another brandy. "A chap who can point at you and say 'die' has the distinct advantage". |
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Lilianviaten
Senior Scribe
489 Posts |
Posted - 21 Aug 2013 : 02:31:16
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quote:
Originally posted by jornan
I enjoyed Downshadow quite a bit, but wasn't all that fussed on Shadowbane. To be honest, it might have been the ereader format more than anything that caused be to not be able to get into it. I'm not ruling out reading Eye of Justice, but I have a few other Realms books to catch up on first.
I also felt that the Luskan portrayed in Shadowbane incongruous with RAS's post Pirate King Luskan. There were the gang battles to determine who was ruling the city, but no mention that I can recall of the "ships" that rule it in RAS's works. Furthermore no mention of the Dark Elves who are present and the true powers of the city right now.
Erik deBie, can you shed some light on this?
The portrayals of Luskan confused me too, until I saw the timeline. The way I understand it, the drow have sucked Luskan dry of the few resources that remained. By the time we get to "Shadowbane", Luskan has hit rock bottom. Dahlia easily murdered the chief of the remaining pirate captains, which showed just how tenuous their hold over the city had become. As the Pirate King showed us, the High Captains only controlled the city due to the backing of the Arcane Brotherhood, which was completely destroyed.
The way I see it: Starting with the Pirate King, RAS shows us the collapse of Luskan's infrastructure and the immediate aftermath. "Shadowbane" gives a full view of Luskan's new power structure. Without the old institutions in place, no group can control the entire city.
Also, consider the Gauntlgrym is now up and running as a drow colony. Plus, Bregan Daerthe has a lucrative new trade agreement with the Netherese. (Both were confirmed in the Last Threshold) The minimal profit they may turn in collapsed Luskan isn't worth the drow's time to pursue.
"Shadowbane" is a completely different book from "Downshadow", so I could see why it may not have worked for you. Do yourself a favor and read "Eye of Justice" though. It's a very different book from either, which is part of what I loved about the series. You get excellent portrayals of Waterdeep, Luskan, and Westgate. They seem worlds apart, and each environment (and its citizens) brings out a new struggle inside Shadowbane.
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Diffan
Great Reader
USA
4491 Posts |
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Erik Scott de Bie
Forgotten Realms Author
USA
4598 Posts |
Posted - 22 Aug 2013 : 21:59:33
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Hi Jornan,
quote:
Originally posted by jornan
Erik deBie, can you shed some light on this?
Lilten's post above sheds excellent light on these subjects, and he is absolutely correct. The Luskan of RAS's book (Gauntlgrym) and my Luskan (Shadowbane) are around two decades apart, and the previous power structure has almost entirely crumbled since then. I tried to weave in explanations as I went, but I mostly had to stick to my own story. I'll make a couple additions:
1) The "Five Captains" continues as a governmental structure, in a sense. The five biggest gangs in the city are still ruled by the "Five Captains." They aren't necessarily the same groups as seen in Gauntlgrym (in fact, it's fairly clear they aren't). But the old ways don't die easily, and so the name lingers.
With it infrastructure broken and its powerful lords gone, no one can control the entire city now--it's a bunch of gangs constantly vying for control. And Shadowbane broke more than one of the major gangs it established.
We can speculate that there may be surviving relatives of the old Five Captains who left Luskan for other places to regroup and cool their heels, waiting for a good reason to return. At this point, Luskan has almost nothing to offer (see #2), so there's really no reason a legitimate or criminal business person would invest in maintaining a power base there.
2) By 1480, the drow have abandoned Luskan. Not unlike a spider, they sucked the city dry and abandoned the corpse. Luskan has nothing else to offer them--at least nothing as interesting as Neverwinter and Gauntlgrym, which is where they are focusing their efforts.
3) I avoided touching the remains of the Hosttower, which RAS blew up in The Pirate King. What exactly is going on there is beyond the scope of Shadowbane.
4) Luskan may take a totally different turn in DnD-Next. Who knows, really? But probably something big would have to happen for the Five Captains to sail back into the city and set up shop once again. The unexpected discovery of some mineral resource, or a lost kingdom, or something like that. Only time will tell.
Cheers |
Erik Scott de Bie
'Tis easier to destroy than to create.
Author of a number of Realms novels (GHOSTWALKER, DEPTHS OF MADNESS, and the SHADOWBANE series), contributor to the NEVERWINTER CAMPAIGN GUIDE and SHADOWFELL: GLOOMWROUGHT AND BEYOND, Twitch DM of the Dungeon Scrawlers, currently playing "The Westgate Irregulars" |
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Krafus
Learned Scribe
246 Posts |
Posted - 22 Aug 2013 : 23:38:18
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| The Shadowbane books restored my interest in the Forgotten Realms and D&D. Prior to reading Downshadow last May, it had been a number of years since I had last truly enjoyed a Forgotten Realms novel, which I've been reading since the early 90s. There had been some decent to good ones, certainly, but none that elicited that "must-read-another-page" excitement that keeps me up and reading when I should instead be seeking out my bed. I'm pleased to say that Downshadow inspired in me that level of excitement. In fact, I was so impressed by Downshadow that soon after finishing it, I bought the next two books of the series, and a half-dozen other Forgotten Realms novels besides. |
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jornan
Learned Scribe
Canada
256 Posts |
Posted - 23 Aug 2013 : 03:46:19
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| Thanks Erik, I am curious though in the companions dated 1484 DR it mentions the five ships and specifically mentions that Ship Kurths captain is a disguised member of Bregan D'Aerth (for having read these books for the past 20 years you would think I would know how to spell that) |
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Erik Scott de Bie
Forgotten Realms Author
USA
4598 Posts |
Posted - 24 Aug 2013 : 23:32:38
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Glad you enjoyed, Krafus! I'm very pleased to have lured you back.
quote:
Originally posted by jornan
Thanks Erik, I am curious though in the companions dated 1484 DR it mentions the five ships and specifically mentions that Ship Kurths captain is a disguised member of Bregan D'Aerth (for having read these books for the past 20 years you would think I would know how to spell that)
I can't comment specifically on the intentions of a novel I didn't write, but I will say that Shadowbane was a snapshot of the political system at the time (1479-1480), the time of the 4e FRCG. In 1484, The Companions is set 4 years after my book, and it's entirely possible (in fact very likely) that the five ship captains have returned--that they sailed back in, subdued the gangs, and reclaimed the city.
It's also possible that Bregan D'aerthe never actually left Luskan (and the heroes of my novel just never encountered them, because why would any self-respecting drow get in the way of a threshing machine like Shadowbane or--worse--Myrin), or that the drow have returned in the interim, or that they only maintain distant interest in the city.
For a more specific answer, you'd have to ask Bob.
Cheers |
Erik Scott de Bie
'Tis easier to destroy than to create.
Author of a number of Realms novels (GHOSTWALKER, DEPTHS OF MADNESS, and the SHADOWBANE series), contributor to the NEVERWINTER CAMPAIGN GUIDE and SHADOWFELL: GLOOMWROUGHT AND BEYOND, Twitch DM of the Dungeon Scrawlers, currently playing "The Westgate Irregulars" |
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jornan
Learned Scribe
Canada
256 Posts |
Posted - 25 Aug 2013 : 01:45:30
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| Thanks for the insight Erik, i was just curious how the two stories meshed. |
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SirUrza
Master of Realmslore
USA
1283 Posts |
Posted - 25 Aug 2013 : 23:09:43
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| Sounds like these are all a read then. After I finish Erin's books I'll jump on these. :) |
"Evil prevails when good men fail to act."
The original and unapologetic Arilyn, Aribeth, Seoni Fanboy. |
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skychrome
Senior Scribe
713 Posts |
Posted - 28 Aug 2013 : 04:26:07
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Here my five cents: I think ESdB is improving dramatically from book to book.
While Depths of Madness had great great potential but did not live up to it for me, Downshadow was reasonably entertaining and Shadowbane was already one of the best FR novels I have read so far. Truly great.
Currently I am reading Eye of Justice and it at least maintains the level of Shadowbane. Personally I like it even better.
If it was just for Shadowbane and Eye of Justice, then I'd say we are seeing one of the best FR authors here and why did he not get a book in the Sundering series??
Please keep up the good work Erik! If your trend continues, then you next book will probably be one of the best FR books ever.  |
"You make an intriguing offer, one that is very tempting. It would seem that I have little alternative than to answer thusly: DISINTEGRATE!" Vaarsuvius, Order of the Stick 625 |
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Erik Scott de Bie
Forgotten Realms Author
USA
4598 Posts |
Posted - 28 Aug 2013 : 04:59:13
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Thanks for the kind words, SC, and I'm glad you're enjoying the book. Please post reviews and send WOTC your feedback. They're the gatekeepers on this.
My plans for SHADOWBANE: KINGDOM OF NIGHT are indeed pretty epic.
Cheers |
Erik Scott de Bie
'Tis easier to destroy than to create.
Author of a number of Realms novels (GHOSTWALKER, DEPTHS OF MADNESS, and the SHADOWBANE series), contributor to the NEVERWINTER CAMPAIGN GUIDE and SHADOWFELL: GLOOMWROUGHT AND BEYOND, Twitch DM of the Dungeon Scrawlers, currently playing "The Westgate Irregulars" |
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The Red Walker
Great Reader
USA
3567 Posts |
Posted - 28 Aug 2013 : 16:44:25
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quote:
Originally posted by Erik Scott de Bie
Thanks for the kind words, SC, and I'm glad you're enjoying the book. Please post reviews and send WOTC your feedback. They're the gatekeepers on this.
My plans for SHADOWBANE: KINGDOM OF NIGHT are indeed pretty epic.
Cheers
Ohhhhh.....epic like start of a new trilogy or better yet The Shadowbane Pentad?
Give us more Erik! |
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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Erik Scott de Bie
Forgotten Realms Author
USA
4598 Posts |
Posted - 28 Aug 2013 : 17:09:36
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Epic like awesome. And maybe those others.
Cheers |
Erik Scott de Bie
'Tis easier to destroy than to create.
Author of a number of Realms novels (GHOSTWALKER, DEPTHS OF MADNESS, and the SHADOWBANE series), contributor to the NEVERWINTER CAMPAIGN GUIDE and SHADOWFELL: GLOOMWROUGHT AND BEYOND, Twitch DM of the Dungeon Scrawlers, currently playing "The Westgate Irregulars" |
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Tanthalas
Senior Scribe
Portugal
508 Posts |
Posted - 28 Aug 2013 : 19:43:44
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| I hope we get to hear about more FR novels soon after The Sundering series is out. |
Sir Markham pointed out, drinking another brandy. "A chap who can point at you and say 'die' has the distinct advantage". |
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The Red Walker
Great Reader
USA
3567 Posts |
Posted - 28 Aug 2013 : 20:05:59
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quote:
Originally posted by Erik Scott de Bie
Epic like awesome. And maybe those others.
Cheers
Well so far with your work, Awesome is a given....so I assumed you were hinting at something more |
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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Shadowbane books?
