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J D Dunsany
Learned Scribe
United Kingdom
180 Posts |
 Posted - 17 Mar 2007 : 19:32:02
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Here's a longish review of Erik Scott de Bie's rather tasty 'Ghostwalker'. This is an unashamedly positive review; I enjoyed it thoroughly and can't wait for more of his work. That said, feel free to disagree, pick at and otherwise disparage the review. I'm a big boy; I can take it! 
PS: Don't take my comments about fighters too personally! 
Ghostwalker Review
Fighters. Never played one personally. Can’t really explain why. I mean, they’re undeniably useful characters to have around. The traditional fighter is the knight in heavy armour, taking large amounts of damage and dishing an even larger amount out. In 3rd Edition, fighters have access to all sorts of exciting feats like Cleave, Power Attack and Whirlwind Attack. But, when it comes time to roll up and start filling in that blank character sheet, I never pencil the word ‘fighter’ next to the word ‘class’. Where does this aversion to fighters come from, I wonder? Maybe it’s because I’ve always associated them with strength and physical skill and a commensurate lack of intelligence. Maybe it’s because they’re the ‘vanilla’ default stereotype hero of fantasy literature: boring, one-dimensional and usually raised on farms.
The reason I’ve been considering this issue in the first place is because I’ve been (admittedly very slowly!) working my way through The Fighters series and every assumption I’ve ever had about the class has been well and truly knocked on the head. Two books in to the series, I’ve been confronted with tales that, although packed with some breath-taking action scenes, have more than half an eye on wider issues of morality, politics and psychology. Fighters may be dumb oxen, but their authors certainly aren’t.
Master Of Chains, the first novel in the series, traced the fates of two brothers initially fighting an unjust feudal lord and, subsequently, an easily identifiable threat to that ruler’s legitimate power. In amidst the very well-described battle sequences and intriguing political manoeuvring behind the scenes, the focus of the novel turns out to be the contrasting moral stances of the two brothers – one idealistic; the other pragmatic. (No prizes for guessing which one doesn’t survive the novel!)
Ghostwalker has a similar interest in … well, I hate the phrase ‘situational ethics’ but I think you know what I mean, and features two brothers, too. Sort of. But a key focus of the novel is really parents and sons and, as the most casual reader of Sophocles could tell you, this gets nasty. Very quickly.
In a novel that has more than its fair share of selfishly-motivated characters, Lord Singer Dharan Greyt stands out as an impressive and brave creation. An accomplished bard and former adventurer, Greyt is the self-styled ‘Hero of Quaervarr’ and has the ability to bend a crowd to his will. He has more than a few skeletons in the closet, however, and, with a private army of rangers in his employ, proves a dangerous man to cross. When all’s said and done, his outward charm and sophistication is a sham, ‘spin’ that masks a life of violence, deceit, lust and murder. Author Erik Scott de Bie resists the temptation to descend into pantomime villainy by allowing Greyt moments of regret and even tenderness with his wife Lyetha. Greyt’s obsession with being seen as a hero, however, leads him into patterns of deception and paranoia, making him a pathetic and at the same time insanely dangerous adversary.
His relationship with his bastard son Meris is pivotal to the novel. Both have a grudging respect for each other, but Meris has inherited his father’s callousness and sadism and, coupled with a continually simmering resentment towards his father, they guarantee the shocking ending of their relationship later in the book.
There are echoes of Macbeth in Greyt’s character. Like Shakespeare’s eponymous Scottish regicidal warrior, Greyt has moments when the mask slips – even early on in the novel when a public performance doesn’t quite go as well as it should. Similarly, much of the death that occurs in the novel is a direct consequence of Greyt’s obsession with power and reputation, each murder and act of violence taking him inexorably nearer to losing both. His wife suffers for his ambition, although she’s considerably more innocent than Lady M. Like Macbeth, Greyt places great store in a prophecy whose fulfilment does not quite turn out as expected. Like Macbeth he is unable to enjoy fully his power and position; he even has his very own Banquo’s ghost – a “horrible shadow” who disrupts his plans.
This is, of course, the ghostwalker of the title. Although in many ways a much more subtle character, Walker is just as compelling as Greyt, although his initial emotional detachment makes him somewhat more difficult to identify with. The journey Walker takes – from spirit of vengeance to more human (and loving) hero – is impressively realised. Action sequences are cleverly thought out and satisfyingly visceral (this is The Fighters series after all!) but it’s the progression of Walker’s character that is perhaps the most enjoyable aspect of the novel. And it takes a woman’s intervention to start the changes. Though her two sidekicks are drawn with a bit too broad a brush for my liking, Arya of Silverymoon is a noble, hard-fighting, politically astute creation, who tugs Walker lovingly and insistently towards the land of the living.
The journey is not without its complications. As any girl will tell you, meeting the mother-in-law is always an experience fraught with potential problems and Arya’s meeting with Gylther’yel, the vengeful druidess ghost who’s taken Walker under her wing, is no exception. Gylther’yel’s interest in Walker becomes more and more suspect as the book unfolds. While you start the novel assuming that this is going to be a straightforward story of vengeance, the mystery of Rhyn/Walker’s past increasingly becomes the focus and Erik Scott de Bie has an impeccable sense of timing in hitting you with revelations about that past when you (and Walker!) least expect it. An intricate web of relationships is gradually revealed, culminating with the final piece of the puzzle falling into place at the end.
All told, this novel is impressive both for its plotting and its characterisation. It has enough tricks, twists and turns to keep this reader guessing and some of the more action-orientated passages are particularly gripping. That said, it’s the characters of Greyt, Walker and Meris who ultimately hold your attention. Their faults, failings and sometimes contradictory motivations give them a life that lingers in the mind long after the book has been closed. On this and other recent showings, I’d say the Forgotten Realms line is in good shape. Certainly Jess Lebow and now Erik Scott de Bie have done a great service to the ‘vanilla’ class of fighter – they’ve made it interesting again!
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"How content that young woman looks, don't you think? How content, and yet how flammable." - Lemony Snicket, The Unauthorized Autobiography |
Edited by - J D Dunsany on 18 Mar 2007 08:17:45
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Erik Scott de Bie
Forgotten Realms Author
USA
4598 Posts |
Posted - 17 Mar 2007 : 21:40:22
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Wow.
Just.
Wow.
I am impressed, honored, and all kinds of staggered to read such a glowing review and such deep analysis. You sound like you should do this professionally.
Thank you so very much for sharing.
Have you considered posting this review on, say, Amazon? It's such a wonderfully realized reaction to the novel, and hits on so many things that I wanted to say!
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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Chosen of Moradin
Master of Realmslore
Brazil
1120 Posts |
Posted - 18 Mar 2007 : 00:01:43
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I only have to say that I fully agree with your review.
Ghostwalker is the best Realms novel that I ever read (well, one of the best novels that I ever read, by the way.), and have a well deserved place of honor in my bookshelf.
Chosen of Moradin |
Dwarf, DM, husband, and proud of this! :P
twitter: @yuripeixoto
Facebook: yuri.peixoto |
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The Hooded One
Lady Herald of Realmslore
5056 Posts |
Posted - 18 Mar 2007 : 01:18:24
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Indeed. I dropped in on Ed today, and saw in the bowels of his library (a.k.a. the bookroom in the basement, as opposed to all the REST of the library) little folding tables where he's piling up all the books publishers are sending him for judging the World Fantasy awards, as they arrive. There were also "read, but nope" tables and "read, and found good; keep for consideration" tables (not labelled, of course, but I managed to figure out which was what by later "unrelated" chatting with Ed [asking him what he thought of this specific title and that one, the two being books I'd remembered as being on Table A and Table B), and GHOSTWALKER was on the latter table. Which reveals what Ed thinks of it. (DEPTHS OF MADNESS, BTW, was sitting on his bedside table, to be read in the next few nights; Ed reads about a book a night.)
And for whatever it's worth, I agree. NICE book, Erik!
love,
THO |
Edited by - The Hooded One on 18 Mar 2007 01:21:00 |
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Erik Scott de Bie
Forgotten Realms Author
USA
4598 Posts |
Posted - 18 Mar 2007 : 02:05:36
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It is indeed worth a great deal! Thank you!
What an amazing honor -- to have pleased such a graceful lady herald as yourself and to make the reading desk of our overlord himself, who built this wonderful, vast world in which we might all play.
You have my most sincere gratitude, and I am very happy to please. I hope to continue to do so for many books to come!
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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Conlon
Learned Scribe
Canada
132 Posts |
Posted - 18 Mar 2007 : 06:52:22
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| As you may have read in the book club and "favourite books ever" or somesuch scroll, I also really enjoyed Ghostwalked. I'll echo Erik in saying that perhaps JD should be writing reviews professionally. Well done. |
My hopes are ashes, my dreams are dust. All my intentions mean nothing unless they are followed by action. |
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J D Dunsany
Learned Scribe
United Kingdom
180 Posts |
Posted - 18 Mar 2007 : 08:34:19
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quote:
Originally posted by Erik Scott de Bie
Wow.
Just.
Wow.
I am impressed, honored, and all kinds of staggered to read such a glowing review and such deep analysis. You sound like you should do this professionally.
Thank you so very much for sharing.
Have you considered posting this review on, say, Amazon? It's such a wonderfully realized reaction to the novel, and hits on so many things that I wanted to say!
Cheers
 Thanks for the positive feedback.
To be perfectly honest, I've done a (very) little paid written work over the last ten years or so, but it's not really enough for me to be considered a 'professional' writer. I'm an English teacher by trade and I love reading and thinking about reading. And writing about reading.  I'm very interested in the process of writing - the 'how' as well as the 'what' and I believe in giving writers due credit for the incredible amount of hard work they put into their writing.
Forgotten Realms novels have become increasingly sophisticated over time, so they've become an increasingly interesting thing to write about.
So, thanks for the compliments, Erik (and Conlon), but really I should be thanking you for writing such a fantastic, intelligent and well-planned novel in the first place.
*raises his mug and tips his hat in your direction*
Best!
JDD |
"How content that young woman looks, don't you think? How content, and yet how flammable." - Lemony Snicket, The Unauthorized Autobiography |
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Reefy
Senior Scribe
United Kingdom
892 Posts |
Posted - 18 Mar 2007 : 15:44:17
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| I've not read the book, but I'll happily stick my oar in and say what an interesting and well-thought out review and analysis of the book that was. |
Life is either daring adventure or nothing. |
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Ghostwalker review - long with spoilers
