Annihilation

Screw all those people who say this book sucks or whatever...! The series gets better and better... So many things in here you just don't see happening and when they do, they blow you the frak away!! The battles, the gore, the intrigue, the deciet, it's just too good to say anything negative about it. If they say it wasn't good, ask em why they all read 6!!

I have loved all the books in this series so far. this one was no exception. Great storytelling. Very descriptive battles, although some of them seemed to be a bit long and overdrawn. All in all a great addition to the series.

Excellent episode 5. Despite the fact that the action is splitted in three places (Allistra, Qenthel and Mezzoberanza), the story is never confused. The tension is steadily growing. There is more drama as the "winnowing" of characters is starting so only the most worthy drows survive for the final trials. Smooth reading, enthralling story. What more to ask ?

I give the book high remarks. Remember what we're dealing with here: drow and their capricious demon goddess, Lolth -- both of whom are innately evil and chaotic. It helps while reading this book if you try to divorce yourself from the typical fantasy book, if you can. Think of this story from a Dungeons and Dragons game rules perspective just for a moment (yes, the book's events takes place in the D & D game universe, not some fantasy world without published game rules). [Spoilers] Indeed, as other reviewers have noted, Ryld does die in this book. He's killed by Jeggred -- who is following orders from Danifae (Jeggred's new mistress and controller). From a balance of power perspective for Valas and Pharaun, Ryld's demise is unfortunate. But remember who caused it and why: Danifae, who acts the way any jealous, vengeful and cunning drow priestess still loyal to her silent diety would act. Again, think of the way drow are portrayed in the latest D & D game rules; in R.A. Salvatore's drow books; and even way back in Gary E. Gygax's original D & D modules (D1, D2, D3 and Q1: Queen of the Demonweb Pits), and this drow behavior makes sense. Thus it doesn't surprise me that someone in the original drow party, Ryld in this case, dies. Drow are evil and chaotic, and the author depicts this very well. Despite them needing Ryld's expertise and sword arm, he was a pawn to be played like all others in the drow party, and the author (and the others in the series) describe this well, too. Side note for D & D fans: if you look at the D & D game rules, half-demons like Jeggred (a draegoloth) are TOUGH! Yes, a master fighter like Ryld is tough, too, but Jeggred is stronger, and gets lucky (by breaking Ryld's greatsword). The author kept the tension high during this battle scene. The excellent and extensive spell combat between Dyrr (the lich) and Gromph (a high-level wizard and Master of Sorcere) was exciting and followed the D & D rules quite well (it was fun reading the spell combat descriptions and trying to figure out which spells were used from the D & D Players Handbook during the spell combat. And yes, high level spells like "Wish" and "Mordenkainen's Disjunction" were used during combat -- much to my satisfaction as a Dungeon Master). I found it interesting that the author suggests Lolth had left the 66th plane of the Abyss (i.e, the "Demonweb Pits") to form her own plane elsewhere. This book doesn't go into much detail about where her new plane of existance will be, aside from indicating that it's no longer in the Abyss. So I'm looking forward to reading about this in the next (and final) book in the series. As a long-time D & D player, I knew the Demonweb Pits are in the "Abyss," this is nothing new (starting with Gary E. Gygax's "Q1 - Queen of the Demonweb Pits" adventure module, circa 1979?), but I'm curious where Lolth will take herself and her demonweb from here. Perhaps, thanks to the author's efforts here, the D & D rules on cosmolo

Having read all of the War of the Spider Queen Series, I would say that I am impressed by all the authors who had the difficulty of working on such a project as this. But I must say that I was surprised at Phillip Athans. After having read his book,Baldur's Gate, I hated his work. But after reading Annihilation I was very surprised. I enjoyed the violence, bloodshed, and overall dark fantasy type writing that he envoked in this book. I actually enjoyed the way that Athans spaced out the fight between Gromph and Dyrr, and I loved the way it ended as well. I cannot wait until the next book, which is supposedly to be written by Paul S. Kemp, a master of dark fantasy. If anything I would complain that all the Forgotten Realms novels are too short, as if Wizards of the Coast does not allow the authors to expand what they are writing about because of budget. Overall awesome book!