Bladesinger

I had a lot of doubts if I should buy this book or not, given the other reviews here, but I am glad I bought it. First, it is important to say that this is not a book that will please everyone. If you don't know what the words Rashemen, bladesinger, Cormanthor and Thay mean, this is probably not for you. Second, the story is very simple and straightforward. Don't get me wrong here... I liked it quite a bit, but it tells a story just for the sake of it. The main character is quite interesting, even though the outcast/renegade half-elf thing is a very old cliche. The other characters are not as interesting, but are far from boring. As a fun reading for FR elf fans, the book does quite a good work.

I found this book riveting and full of complex characters. The main characters are not your cliche heroes. They are gritty and rough around the edges. Taen, the main character, has a background that unfolds throughout the story that really makes the book hard to put down. His companions are not portrayed as deeply, because they are side characters, but they are also not your run of the mill happy go lucky heroes. In addition to the quick moving plot and complex main character, the action in the book is purposeful. Not only that, but Taen's character behaves differently from major battle to major battle as he handles his own inner conflicts. Another thing I liked was that the heroes actually got hurt during battles - I don't think they came out of any fight completely unscathed. In all, I hope all FR and fantasy readers give this book a chance. It features a main character who is very interesting, and I sincerely hope Wizards writes more about him.

I liked it. The story had a clear objective from the beginning, which I love in a Realms book. I have read many of the Realms books and some of them just felt like i was being dragged along until they actually got to the actual plotline of the book. This one was suprisingly refreshing in the fact that it was very direct in it's plotlines. As far a writing mechanics go, it was right on par with most of the other Realms novels that I have read. Individual characters, tho, lacked a bit. I was highly amused with the halfling (Roberc), and the half-elf main character (Taen) was quite deep (in a brooding sort of way), but I failed to connect with the others on more than a "yay they kick butt in combat" level. Overall, tho, I would say that the book is "greater than the sum of it's parts". It's a solid story that will keep you turning the pages. I finished it in 2 days (about 4.5 hours of total reading time) and despite my critisisms, that's saying something. thanks for reading.