Last year, Wizards of the Coast
announced The Sundering series. The series is meant to consist of six
stand alone novels based on Dungeons and Dragons universe, each book
will be written by a different author. I am not a Dungeons and
Dragons player, but I like reading novels based on the world of
Dungeons and Dragons. Therefore, I was excited by this announcement, I have been
reading The Sundering series since the first book came out in August last year.
The novels in The Sundering series are
pretty good, I enjoyed most of them. The Reaver, is the fourth
installment. After reading The Reaver, I have decided this is
currently, my favorite book in this series.
Synopsis:
Endless rains plague the people who
live in the coastal regions surrounding the Sea of Fallen Stars. Crops are dying, and harvests are failing, as agricultural produce
drown in the never-ending rainfall. In despair, some people have
returned to the evil Goddess Umberlee, Queen of the Depth, offering
sacrifices in hope for relief from this miserable condition.
Evendur Highcastle, an undead pirate
captain, is the chosen champion of Umberlee. He attempts to seize
this opportunity, and use it to further the power of the cult of
Umberlee.
Among the hopelessness and despair, a
little farm boy called Stedd Whitehorn became the chosen for
Lathander the Morninglord, to bring renewed hopes of peace and
kindness. The teachings of the Morninglord is in stark contrast to the savage ways of Evendur and
the ways of Umberlee.
Evendur hired Anton Marivaldi, an
infamous and formidable pirate, to capture Stedd Whitehorn in
exchange of a handsome bounty. Yet, Anthon soon found himself tangled up in a web of affairs that will concern the future fate of
all who reside at the Sea of Fallen Stars..
What I think about this book:
The Reaver is my favorite book in this
series yet. It has a straight forward, yet interesting and gripping
story. The characterization is the main strength of this book. Anton
the reaver, is the main character in this book. He started off as a
somewhat selfish and antagonistic character, whose moral compass is
dictated by gold. As the story progresses, Anton's character
gradually changed. Other supporting characters such as Stedd and
Umara are fascinating as well. Stedd brings into the story an aspect
of innocence, and he will do what is right even if it causes danger
to himself. When Stedd's innocence meets Anton's self preserving/profiteering moral attitude, the result is a dynamic relationship that is thought provoking.
The story is also well paced, I was
never bored while reading this book. The action scenes are well
described, and exhilarating. Overall, The Reaver is a good,
traditional sword and sorcery novel, with swashbuckling high
adventures, memorable characters, and a good story. It reminds me why
reading fantasy novels can be so much fun.
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