Review: Masquerades by Kate Novak and Jeff Grubb

Masquerades by Kate Novak and Jeff Grubb released in 1995 as book ten of The Harpers, its more accurately a sequel to the Finder’s Stone Trilogy. It is set ten years after Song of the Saurials, and follows Olive Ruskettle, Dragonbait, and Alias now residing in Westgate. The year is 1368 DR. 

These are some of my favorite Forgotten Realms characters and it was so nice being back with them. An awesome artificial swordswoman and her dragon like companion that speaks in scents and some high pitched clicks the human ear cannot hear. He is also a Paladin. Alias has the azure tattoos of her once magical bonds that made her an assassin, but she is now her own woman though copies of her are out there. She also remembers a childhood didn’t actually happen. She’s kind of like a fantasy Kusanagi from Ghost in the Shell. I should say that both her and Alias was a big influence on my own book.

This novel focuses on dealing with the Night Masks gang, which also features in the Cleric Quintet and “Another Name for Dawn” by Paul S. Kemp.  This guild is headed by a being called The Faceless, and the Night Masters serve under him.

But the story starts with Alias looking at two youngsters falling in love in a crowded street. They are looking for the sage Mintassan to give him a staff sent with them by Grypht, the Lost Vale saurial mage, in exchange for a scrying device. 

The action begins after, only a couple pages in, and it gets intense swiftly. We learn more about the making of Alias by Finder Wyvernspur. We get quite some surprises and action. I would recommend reading Finder’s Stone first, which starts with Azure Bonds. 

A big focus is cutting down the Night Masks to size as they have free rein over the city, but not everyone likes this, including the leader of the city. 

Jamal is another character, along with the Faceless leader of the Night Masks and the Croamarkh of Westgate, and the young charismatic noble Victor Dhostar; all are great characters and neat version of a party paired with an antagonist. 

Alias faces different challenges this time. This is less adventure and more of a job in the city. The versimilitude this time around elevates it higher than being simple game fiction, and I like that. Alias is still fierce and wildly capable but must face corruption along with gangsters and magic. Within this journey smoke powder makes an appearance as a competitor to magic. I’m pretty sure in places like Cormyr this is banned, since it can make magic somewhat obsolete and give those with ill intentions great strength with ease. But for those wondering why guns are not really a thing in the Realms, this novel touches on that subject. 

There is a nice mystery element as far the leadership of the Night Masks too. I was having fun trying to figure out the identities. There’s also a joke about common people voting for the leaders and the plight of poverty.  I appreciated the nobility of the young noble Victor as well as his thirst for finding lost treasure too. He wants to use it to help the city, so his romantic speeches tell us.  

Overall, there’s a fun plot, setting, and cast. I’m happy with it, and even enjoyed the romance that was thrown in. And it works well on its own and as a sequel with some familiar sights to the earlier adventures of Alias and Dragonbait. I think counting what it's attached to, it is easily a Exceptional read, I tore through it. And Grubb and Novak add so many tidbits I highlighted. Definitely will finish up their scant Realms writing and will have to cherish it with rereads.

"We weren't meant to fit into society. We must be 

what we are, and let society fit around us." 

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You can track my current progress here.

Review: The Reaver by Richard Lee Byers

The Reaver is a standalone book by Richard Lee Byers set in the Forgotten Realms during the events of The Sundering, when the cosmology got smacked around and gods were reborn and many changes brought by the Spellplague were brought back.

The Reaver is technically book four of The Sundering book series, but they’re all effectively standalone, though one character from The Reaver makes a cameo in the fifth book, The Sentinel by Troy Denning. And technically Stedd first appeared in book 3, The Adversary, but that was just a small introduction to him. The whole Sundering series is one of the few Forgotten Realms books you’ll find at Barnes and Noble these days.

The Reaver introduces us to some pirates of the Sea of Fallen Stars somewhere near the city of Teziir on the Dragon Coast. The Inner Sea has been wracked with endless storms in this time of upheaval. Our main characters are Anton Marivaldi who is a “renowned reaver with a insatiable thirst for bounty who, when it comes to a choice between two evils, always chooses the one he’s never tried” as the back of the book tells us. He is originally from Turmish

“When the tempest is born,

As Storm-tossed waters rise uncaring,

The promised hope still shines.

And the Reaver beholds 

The Dawn-born chosen’s gaze,

Transforming the darkness into light”

So prophesied Elliandreth of Orishaar in the days of the First Sundering aeons before.

Evendur Highcastle, is an undead pirate captain, and chosen of Umberlee, who is the Queen of the Depths, evil sea goddess often fittingly called The Bitch Queen, funnily enough, who is after a perpetual tempest to cover the seas. 

“[V]ying with high castle for the hearts and minds of the people is Stedd Whitehorn, a little boy and the chosen of a god thought lost to time: Lathander, the Morninglord”, the god of the Dawn.

Umara Ankhlab is a red wizard of Thay, in service to a vampire and sent as sent by the undead ruler of Thay, the lich Szass Tam. 

The year is 1486 DR, so just a few years before most fifth edition Dungeons & Dragons adventures. Byers really makes the setting come to life, and it was interesting following someone of a more wicked bend. When finally getting a grasp of the situation in chapter one, Byers throws a wrench in.

We have pirates, vampires, chosen of the gods (alive and dead), sea monsters, gangs, and celestials, 

Byers writing is nice though often over my head, he utilizes many words I’ve never heard before, in all his works. These words aren’t literary or archaic generally either, just very particular. 

An interesting relationship develops in the book, one I wasn’t expecting. I always appreciate an unlikely friendship. While the story itself is good I was largely not drawn in and left disappointed by that. I found it Acceptable. I leave it up to you to decide if you may like it.

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You can track my current progress here.

Review: Another Name for Dawn by Paul Kemp

Another Name for Dawn is the origin story for Erevis Cale, and a good read for fans after reading The Erevis Cale Trilogy. The story can be found on pages 72-80 of Dragon Magazine issue #277 from November 2000, the same time that Shadow's Witness, the book of  Sembia series starring Cale was released.

The story follows Vasen Coriver as he seeks to escape Westgate, a city on the Sea of Fallen Stars coast, and the Night Masks guild of cut-throats, assassins, and thieves. This is a great read for those who are fans of Westgate, Sembia, the Dragon Coast region, or anyone reading the novel Night Masks (book 3 of the Cleric Quintet by Salvatore) which is me on all accounts.

story art by Carlo Arellano

The story takes place in The Year of the Serpent, 1359 DR. It's a quick read that gives a good glimpse of the character of Vasen as he makes his swift escape during the night. Though it is short it's Exceptional glimpse into the world of the Forgotten Realms and I recommend it for those who can't get enough of the premier setting for the worlds greatest role-playing game.

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You can track my current progress here.

Completed Series: Finder's Stone Trilogy by Kate Novak and Jeff Grubb

The Finder's Stone trilogy is a series of novels written by the husband and wife duo of Kate Novak & Jeff Grub. They were some of the first novels released in the Forgotten Realms setting, and along with other authors like Greenwood, Niles, etc. set a high bar for future novels to come. I read this series after I finished with Erevis Cale, as I was wanting to read one of the older series before continuing with Kemp's books. I was not disappointed with my choice.

Remember that I give each book a rating and at the end combine them to rate the series as a whole.

Azure Bonds (1988) - Exceptional

The Wyvern's Spur (1990) - Good

Song of the Saurials (1991) - Good

Azure Bonds begins with the warrior woman, Alias, waking up in The Hidden Lady inn in Suzail, Cormyr with amnesia and azure symbols tattooed onto her arm, made of odd sigils, "the sigils [are] alive the way a golem [is].” The year is 1357 DR, during the reign of Azoun IV. She embarks immediately to rid herself of the curse and the control they have over her. 

There is so much I loved here in Azure bonds, it's hard to condense it here, but I can say that the dialogue is written well; we get a good idea of what the lay of the Heartlands of Faerûn is like; and there are plenty of ideas thrown out that one can incorporate into their own game sessions.

We have a curse, a dragon, a lich, an evil sorceress, Moander an evil god, and a brave band of adventurers on an epic quest spanning from Yulash to Westgate. It's works like these that make me confused as to how The Crystal Shard became popular over works of the same time frame like Darkwalker on Moonshae and this book, Azure Bonds.

We learn about an interesting custom among dragon culture, called a Feint of Honor. I'm filing it away next time a draconic, imminent death is upon a character.

Among the party is a human wizard, a halfling "bard" and a bipedal, lizard dinosaur finhead; Dragonbait. Some may recognize him from Tomb of Annihilation.

The book was later adapted into an adventure and then an SSI video game, both titled Curse of the Azure Bonds.

This book is a great piece of Realms fiction, one I think anyone could enjoy. It is so full of goodies that it is nothing if not Exceptional. Unlike most which are about 300-320 pages long, this one is ~380.

 “From perils come pearl and power”

The Wyvern’s Spur starts in Ches 1358 DR, almost a year after the events of the first book. The main character is Giogi, the most tertiary character of the first book. A nice family tree is at the front along with a map of Immersea, Cormyr. For those wondering, though it says Amber Leona was born in 1333, being the daughter of Frefford and Gaylyn who get married in Azure Bonds. This is not Dale Reckoning. 1357-1358 DR is equivalent to 1332-1333.

Giogioni Wyvernspur, often described as a fop, reminds me a bit of Chaney Foxmantle and Tamlin Uskevren both from the Sembia series. This story is more lighthearted than Azure Bonds. Olive, from the first book, is present and is a key partner in helping Giogi solve the mystery of a stolen, magical heirloom.

While the book is a swift read, being around the 300 page mark of an average Forgotten Realms novel, I would like to point out that the back blurb is bad. The person mentioned on it doesn’t die until the 1/3 mark ; and Cat isn’t introduced until almost page 90. I would suggest not reading it if you can.

Overall I liked the Wyvernspur's and getting to know Immersea. The nobles patron is Selune, which is personally cool because my first 5e character was a paladin of Selune from Immersea.

The story is somewhat of a whodunit (like Ice Out or Spellstorm). While I guessed most surprises beforehand, I didn’t guess all, and it was fun to mentally sift through the evidence. Overall it has a compelling and enticing story that was fun to read; it is Good.

Song of the Saurials acts as more of a sequel to Azure Bonds, it seems to take place a month or two after the events of The Wyvern’s Spur. We are introduced to Nameless, Olive, Alias and crew relatively quickly and of course things become interesting; you may have guessed it has something to with saurials, Dragonbait’s race. I would not recommend skipping The Wyvern's Spur, though if you specifically care about Alias and Dragonbait, you easily could, as all pertinent information from The Wyvern's Spur does come out at some point.

“Nameless is only a man” 

The evil god Moander is the main threat in the third book, and unlike before where he seemed to have a willing clergy, now they all seem to be decaying puppets of the Darkbringer. This time, him as the villain, is not overshadowed by other threats as he was in Azure Bonds.

It is 1358 DR (though at one point Shend mentions an event from Azure Bonds being two years ago, though Azure Bonds is 1357, this is likely a mistake or just the character rounding up).

We see a lot more of Finder’s ego and Alias’s insecurities. Very interesting dynamic, and I think Alias and her "sisters" are an intriguing concept.

I overall have less to say about this book, it wasn't as compelling but tells a good story around trust. The ending helps this book a lot, and the action is sporadic, which wasn't bad. It could have profited from being longer. Good, but not as good as The Wyvern’s Spur. 

While the overall quality of the books go down, they are all enjoyable and easy to read. Finder's Stone, a powerful artifact, connects all three, though it's greatest role is played in the last book. Novak and Grubb showcased the Realms in a grand light early on, and I'm glad their tale holds up more than three decades later. They would go on to write book 10 of The Harper's series, and the two Lost Gods books set in the Realms. These are now books I looked excitedly forward to. The Finder's Stone Trilogy is Good.

Spoiler for end of book 3: when I make my next bard he will be a worshipper of Finder rather than Oghma or Milil.

"One eye to lift and one eye to sleep,

One to charm man and one for beast.

One eye to wound and one eye to slow,

One to bring fear and one to make stone.

One eye makes dust and one eye brings death,

But the last eye kills wizards more than all of the rest."

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You can track my current progress here.