This is a standalone murder mystery set (obviously) in Cormyr. It is of a similar sort to Ellis Peters’ Cadfael series, or some other murder mysteries I am not familiar with.
Ironically, I’d already read a couple murder mysteries set in Cormyr, The Wyvern’s Spur by Kate Novak and Jeff Grubb and Spellstorm by Ed Greenwood, and after reading this but before this review was published I also read Stormlight by Ed Greenwood which fits the label too.
The setup for this one is in rural, eastern, Cormyr near the Vast Swamp. In the village of Ghars someone is beheaded and ghosts are causing the locals to fear. Benelaius had come to retire from the War Wizards quietly with his cats, but events require him to help his new community. The back blurb would tell you more but that reveals an event that takes place halfway through the book. Ware!
The novel is in first person, a rarity for the Forgotten Realms. I’m having a hard time thinking of other novels in such a form. The narrator is Jasper, Benelaius’s indentured servant who is short because of his 1/4 halfling blood. He blames this blood for his thieving ways which is some odd racism.
The tale opens with a recounting of local history, which is quite a treat, and then we discover how Jasper is caught thieving and making the acquaintance of the retired War Wizard, Benelaius. He did this on a dare which could be chalked up to his youth. Instead of sending him to jail, he goes into what is almost slavery, but not quite since Cormyr doesn’t do slavery or serfdom.
The story is set over a few days in the month of Eleint in the years 1366 DR, with a small section in 1367 DR at the end. In an odd turn of events, the Vast Swamp is experiencing a drought. It is also going to feature a certain market event for the country, the Grand Council of Cormyr’s Merchant Guild is having their annual meeting there, and Vangerdahast makes an appearance!
Williamson supposedly had never played Dungeons & Dragons while writing this novel. Because of that, you see o’clock used instead of bells and week over tenday and some geography seems slightly distorted. But I wasn’t sure how having magic in what is so obviously set out to be a whodunit would work at all. The formula seems like it couldn’t handle such powerful force that could easily solve any murder mystery, right?
But Williamson makes an entertaining and lighthearted read, that is at times dark as the Realms can be. It works as a mystery and a Realms novel. This isn’t an epic quest, not anything dealing with gods or vast polities or entities, but about small-town folk and conversation. We get glimpses of literature, epic poetry, and scientific learning to bott! In particular, The Adventures of Camber Fosrick stands out as a fun in-world piece of information.
We do get some politics of Cormyr, The Iron Throne, and a tiny bit of Sembia. I enjoy Benelaius and his cats and the adventurer Kendra. Getting the people that inhabit Ghars really makes it come to life too and will help as in my current campaign the party will go there soon. I always appreciate Cormyr, and it was nice to see such an unspotlighted piece of it, and in a Good novel no less.
