“You should not give in to evils, but proceed ever more boldly against them.”
Storm Silverhand, Bard of Shadowdale.
1996
Ed Greenwood
Before Brandon Sanderson’s Stormlight Archive, there was a Forgotten Realms novel, number 14 in The Harpers, but truly a standalone, called Stormlight.
The prologue introduces Lord Athlan Summerstar in Firefall Vale, looking at the sunset behind the Thunder Peaks from the edge of Hullack Forest: that’s Cormyr, FYI. We are told this will be his last sunset, though he does not know it. It is Flamerule, a Summer month, in the Year of the Sword, 1365 DR.
Athlan is a Harper, acquainted with Storm Silverhand and some magic. Shortly, a magic book in his tower that proves his doom.
Then we meet Storm fighting a cambion and a marilith with Maxer. The latter is her lover and is doomed similarly to Athlan. Or is he? Sylune, a ghost and sister of Storm’s, comforts her during these presaging events. Storm is a daughter and Chosen of Mystra, Lady of Mysteries and goddess of magic. She has silver hair and is immortal as far as aging goes; she can die from harm. She’s also a Harper.
Characters include Pheirauze Summerstar, the dowager matriarch of the noble family. Renglar Baerest, the family seneschal. Ergluth Rowanmantle, the local Boldshield, a commander for the Purple Dragons, and more. It starts bloody and gets bloodier swiftly.
“Whenever I think I can relax at last, someone hastens to brutally point out to me that I’ve fresh work to do: it’s time to save the world again.”
There is Greenwood’s penchant: casual nudity. And on the second chapter it became evident that I was in for yet another murder mystery set in Cormyr. One where the Harpers, and particularly Storm, have an interesting involvement with local Purple Dragon authorities.
Storm is bold and takes her job seriously, but is polite where appropriate. She is nonchalant in nudity, saying “Look all you want! I’m not ashamed of this body—but it still amazes me how many men are!” and the opposite of a prude. I do wish we had as many men naked as women, make it more equal? It does happen, but not as much.
The story is rather straightforward. Sure, we get some ideas of the Realms from its creator, information, and certain flairs other authors don’t have for the setting, but he is rather controlled, and the tale is pretty straightforward. It’s a very bloody one, with some power-hungry characters and others simply misguided. Some quotable lines in this one and small details that actually come back to matter, which is nice to see in a murder mystery.
Ed is generally divisive, and he does fluctuate in his focus. He is pretty focused here, not too many absurdities and asides, but he’s not tame, never tame. This one made me chuckle, or was it giggle, a couple of times; quite funny. Bold jokes and pantie raids…
It’s also horrifying and full of immolation and gruesome deaths. That’s also typical of Greenwood. Written in a different manner, this is easily horror, and it can at times be chilling.
And for a setting and book with so many novels, they do largely preen and complain bullheadedly. There is some comeuppance, though. Not everyone in power deserves it, and “sometimes mighty mages are just as tired and careless as the rest of us”.
Also, Storm, as a seemingly immortal character, is very different than the bored and melancholy variety; she may be a tad mad, though. Lots of madness and death, that might be a complaint and a compliment, Greenwood is not afraid to kill off character,s but many I like die, and many we don’t get enough time to know well.
And for those interested in the god Bane, this has some interesting bits concerning him after his death during the Avatar Crisis and his rebirth in 1372 DR.
Greenwood doesn’t give us much obscure Realms lore, besides some local geography, but does provide some strange spells like fingersword and blood lightning. And all that being said, the novel gets super repetitive later on, lots of action. To some that will satisfy, to me, not so much. So while enjoyable and with Greenwood's good, it also has some of his bad. With the messier back half the book really is just Acceptable.
“I don’t want to rule anyone, so I don’t. I do love growing things and being able to walk among forests and gardens, so I do. I love music, and meeting people, so I harp. And the Harpers want to help people and fight evil by turning out secrets before they become bigger, darker things—they don’t want to rule, either, and so don’t.”
