Crucible: The Trial of Cyric the Mad

But unlike the Cyrinishad, this will not make you into a Follower of the One. Yes, Midnight, Kelemvor, Adon, and Cyric (and even Fzoul) are back again, albeit somewhat changed. But our hero, and narrator, is Malik, a merchant turned spy, devoted faithful of the mad god Cyric, riding forth on his not-really-that-faithful bone-crunching steed Halah (named after his not-really-that-faithful prince-dallying wife). With his Inspector Clouseau like antics, his god-given inability to suffer harm, and his "Liar Liar" like inability to say anything but the truth (even to his god), he provides us with a presumably accurate, sometimes touching, often gruesome, and occasionally humorous account of the time of Cyric's madness. Of course Midnight is now known as the Harlot, Kelemvor is the Ursurper, etc. etc. but their dialogue and actions are still familiar to those of us who have known them since Shadowdale. Mystra's love and devotion to Kelemvor, Adon, and her followers stands out, as do her frustrations in being reprimanded by the gods for her lack of objectivity or neutrality concerning good and evil. The story of the gods is interwoven with Malik's story of his quest to cure his god's madness while being pursued by the veiled Harper witch, Ruha, from Troy Denning's "The Parched Sea." We don't see enough of Adon (who's been getting the short end of the stick time-wise since his scarring in the Avatar Trilogy), and Rinda and Gwydion deserved more screen time. But Denning's prose and imagination really shine in this story -- here's hoping this isn't the last! And if you (like me) have a secret crush on Mystra, then you've got to get this book dude.

A worthy finale to the Avatar series. A certain couple's cheap death really annoyed me but overall the book is... "addictive". When I realized what Lord Death had sacrificed to restore a certain priest's faith in his deity I almost wept. A good read well worth your time.

I though Prince of Lies by James Lowder was the best book ever written for Forgotten Realms. Well, I was wrong.Troy Denning has managed to take all the cliches of fantasy fiction and shake 'em up good. The main character, as people have pointed out, is evil and the book is almost a justification for evil gods and characters. However, it actually just shows why evil isn't all black and white.Few books make you doubt if the definition of evil is correct. The Crucible not only makes you doubt, it makes you scream out loud: "Who is evil here? "

If you're looking for the brave, valiant knight that leads the forces of good to victory over unholy evil then look elsewhere. The story is told from the perspective of Malik, a follower of Cyric, the evil God of Strife, Lies and Murder. Malik is an unlikely anti-hero who possesses traits more of a merchant and part-time rogue than a warrior who brandishes steel to combat his enemies directly. Malik is comical and sometimes clumsy. However its' his unwavering devotion to his god that gets him through a grueling fanatical life, which all makes him a very distinctive, unconventional, and enjoyable character.The book fleshes out how Kelemvor and Mystra/Midnight came to terms with their new role as gods, and their transition from mortality to the responsibility of immortality and the worshipers and portfolio that came with it. On the other side of the coin, it also deals with Cyric's self-delusions caused by the Cyrinshad debacle, which drove him insane.You'll also read of interactions between the newly crowned gods and the established personalities within the Faerunian Pantheon. Much intrigue occurs, particularly between Mask and Cyric, which I found highly amusing.If you feel very strongly for the forces of good from the books in the Avatar Trilogy and Prince of Lies, then Crucible will probably leave a bitter taste in your mouth. If you abhor Cyric or similar evil Gods, then you'll be disappointed. If you've got an open mind about how mortals deal with their new existence and responsibilities that come with attaining godhood, as Troy Denning spells out here, then I think it's an excellent read.Troy Denning, one of my favorite authors, has written an unconventional book that isn't your standard fair FR novel. This is how I'd describe Crucible in one statement: "Attaining power is easy, understanding it is difficult, and keeping it is extremely hard."

The new idea of using the first person as a narrator doesn't seem great, but it really is when you realize he's on the evil side! For once the good guys get practically crushed, it almost feels good, and it was almost sad to see Mystra and Kel.. well I won't say more 'cause I won't spoil, but they formed one of my favorite couple. Well, even I recognize it was a great idea. Malik is hilarious in his descriptions of "Oghma the thieving, unknowning god" and "Mystra the Harlot". I never read the Parched Sea, but I believe I will because Ruha intrigued me. Good work Troy, much better than the Twilight Giants trilogy (which wasn't bad, just a lil stale). Mask and Cyric the Mad rule.