Downshadow: Ed Greenwood Presents Waterdeep

Wow, I did not expect to like this book. Having been bored and looking for a new series to start, I chose the Post Spellplague Waterdeep series. So far, I am loving it..but this book...was the best. Nice mystery, romance and swordsplay...I am begging for a sequel. Fayne is an enjoyable character and should be made a permanent part of Waterdeep Lore..and that goes for Rath as well. The ending to the book leaves you hanging...will Kalen find Myrin? Who is Myrin really? *********spoiler************ Does Myrin hold some part of Mystra within herself? Why cant she remember her past? Was are the blue runes? So many questions...with zero answers! There had better be a sequel!

I've read some great FR novels in the last year. The FR authors that I'm familiar with have done a great job. I'm often reluctant to try new authors (new to me, that is), and I was reluctant to start Downshadow. That reluctance died within the first 30 pages. This was one of the best FR books I've ever read. It's Greenwood caliber, if I may use that term. So many classic references, and I've been waiting for them for, what, 3 or 4 post-spellplague novels? The Yawning Portal, Curious Past, the masquerade, all the subtle references that only a true Realms fan would catch, I really enjoyed that. Mention of Westgate and Manshoon, Halaster, Danilo Thann... I know I'm missing several others. Shadowbane. I thought Erevis Cale was cool, but Shadowbane made the hairs on the back of my neck stand on end. That early scene, where Shadowbane is stalking that sputtering merchant, that was absolutely awesome. It's arguably one of the coolest moments in FR fiction. That's right, I said it! I definitely see Batman there, but I never rolled my eyes over it. I don't know if I've ever witnessed a "Batman" type in Faerun aside from Cale in his earlier books, though the comparison blurs quickly. I bought it and accepted it immediately as totally cool. I'm hooked on Shadowbane. The plot was also very juicy, with tons of 3D characters that really stood apart from one another. A lesser author would have confused me with Lorien, Ilira, Fayne, Cellica, Myrin, and Araezra. They all stood out very well, and not just because of their appearances. Rath was just as impressive as Shadowbane. Cellica is a memorable character. I really enjoyed Fayne's character, primarily trying to figure out what she is. She's very unique, and I thought her conflicts with all the characters were rock solid. I might also add that the writing itself was sharp, clever, quite daring, and just fun to read. Great dialogue, great narration, compelling shifts in perspective... I ate it up. You're on my FR must-read list now, Erik. I'm excited to read more of your books, and I'm even more excited to read more about the characters in Downshadow.

The main plot of Downshadow by Erik Scott de Bie is about Shadowbane who continually strives to rid Downshadow of its less than desirable denizens and meets a challenging foe along the way. A couple of subplots involve a love interest between a few of the characters, a guard captain and her ambition to keep Waterdeep safe and find out more about Shadowbane. This leads to a Batman type feel of the story as well as the use of "Broadsheets", a form of newspaper that is used in Waterdeep. I liked the addition of these broadsheets and the spots of banter that happens between the vendors; it just added a livelier feel to the city. Other subplots are the mysteries of a spellplagued child and the underhanded dealings of a second antagonist whose duality is ever changing. I have really enjoyed Mr. de Bie's writing in the past tow stand alone realms novels, Ghostwalker and Depths of Madness and feel that Downshadow keeps up the fantastic writing that I came to enjoy. The pace of Downshadow is fast and held my interest the whole way through. The battle and chase scenes are captivating and wonderfully illustrated. The whole story just flows right along from one scene into the next. The descriptions of Waterdeep are very well balanced to not drown the reader in details and still give an extremely vivid visualization of Waterdeep and Downshadow. I have never felt so drawn into a city since Paul Kemp's descriptions of Selgaunt. Mr. de Bie also picked a great story to add to the many that have happened in Waterdeep. I felt that life in Waterdeep (city life) accurately matched the pacing of the book. A couple minor criticisms: 1. For as great as Downshadow is, I think that I would have liked something a little better than a superhero type story. This one just emulated too much of a Batman (Dark Knight version) story too much for me. 2. Continuing with the superhero theme, I don't know if this is just the way that WofC is going with the 4E, but the spellplagued people had an X-men feel to them. I can understand the mistrust other folks will have towards spell scarred individuals, but it just seems to move the prejudices of before to a new type of people instead of a certain race. 3. This may just be me and my trying to understand something that I am not used to reading. The constant use of the work "aught" in the dialogue with most of the characters was confusing at times. Sometimes it seemed that the word meant one thing and when it was used in another conversation, it was used for something else. Some positives: 1. One thing that I love is books that I can not put down and Downshadow is no exception. Mr. de Bie knows how to use intrigue and gossip as well as battles and magic to draw the reader it, strap them to the chair, and let them have the coaster ride of a lifetime. 2. I have spoken about the downside of the spell scarred people, now for the upside. I like the idea of the spellplagued. It gives the addition of a new type of character with infini

I have to admit that I was a bit hesitant when I first picked up this one. I really enjoyed Mr DeBie's previous stories, but this one is set in the new 4th Edition, and some of the changes made to this edition didn't sit right with me. However, I was glad to have been proven wrong when it comes to this novel. The main story centers around Shadowbane, a paladin who struggles to do good in Downshadow, Waterdeep's dark side. At the same time the paladin must struggle with his own morality, being constantly surrounded by evil. The characters are entertaining, complex, and diverse, which is usually the case with DeBie's writing, and it really felt like they were driving the story along, instead of the opposite. Rath and Myrin stands out as clear favorites, and I hope they will be revisited in future stories. The only criticism I have with the novel is that sometimes I felt like some of the people acted out of character, I thought they were going do to one thing but they did another. It didn't really have any effect on the story as a whole, I was just a bit surprised. Fans of DeBie's previous stories will be rewarded, as easter eggs are dropped here and there about their fates. I won't say more than that since I don't want to spoil the book. The action scenes are very well written, in a style not too different from R.A. Salvatore. The detail is very precise, so it wasn't hard for me at all to envision the actual fights. If you're unsure whether to take the step into 4th Edition, pick this up. You won't be disappointed.

Downshadow by Erik Scott DeBie is the third book in a series of stand alone novels in the Ed Greenwood Presents Waterdeep series. The story centers around Shadowbane , a paladin that is desperately trying to adhere to his faith while ridding Downshadow of its more nefarious denizens. He struggles to choose between justice or vengeance when he encounters a nearly unstoppable adversary. The story was fast paced and drew me in from the beginning. DeBie gives the reader just enough information to set the hook and draw the reader deeper and deeper into the story. The characters grow throughout the story and are very well fleshed out by the end. The fight scenes were vivid and well thought out. I could actually hear Hans Zimmer in the background as the heroes and villains battled throughout the book. DeBie made me really care for the characters, good and bad alike. They are all tortured and flawed in some way and their histories are interwoven throughout the book and I kept turning page after page for a glimpse into what made these characters tick. I highly recommend this book to new and longtime readers of the Forgotten Realms. If you are looking for a fast paced, action packed book with fantastic characters that leave you wanting more, then Downshadow is the book for you.