Realms of War

War in the fantasy world can be uplifting or it can be cruel. See what happens when twelve talented authors put their spin on things in REALMS OF WAR.... In Paul S. Kemp's "Continuum", Rivalen was willing to do anything to serve his priestess. But was the cost worth it? Continuum is an entertaining albeit slightly confusing story to readers unfamiliar to the background. It took me a bit to get into the storyline and see where it was going and I wish it had answered more questions than it did. On the other hand, it makes me want to hunt down more stories by Paul S. Kemp just to see where all the events are leading to! Lisa Smedman takes readers on a wild ride in "Weasel's Run". Weasel is trapped by The Beast and has a chance to live. Will he survive the Hunt? Lisa Smedman weaves together a clever tale that seamlessly flows back and forth in time as the pieces begin to fit together. Sometimes it isn't how big one is but rather how quick one can think that wins and the author shows this well. "The Last Paladin of Ilmater" by Susan J. Morris features two women on a quest involving a child and the undead. The ending is both startling and brilliant. Susan J. Morris packs a lot of tension into such a short story as her characters are vibrantly alive in this fascinating tale. "Black Arrow" by Bruce R. Cordell is perhaps my favorite story in the anthology. Jotharam Feor finds a way to get involved in the war despite his mother's wishes and his actions make him a hero. Who can't help but love the impetuousness of Jotharam? Bruce R. Cordell perfectly captures the heart of this brave and daring adolescent in this heartbreaking story? "Black Arrow" shows how heroes come in all shapes, sizes, and yes, even ages as Jotharam is a hero to remember. In "Too Many Princes" by Ed Greenwood, Mirt the Merciless is faced with a dilemma. The vizier has created doubles of numerous people including Mirt and the trap is about to be sprung. Ed Greenwood's tale is more than a bit confusing as no one is ever sure if the person before them is really that person. Perhaps if I'd been more familiar with the world itself, this would have been an easier read. The ending was a bit of a disappointment, too, as it seemed like the author took the easy way out. "The Siege of Zerith Hold" by Jess Lebow is a story of war. Goblins are attacking and it is up to two men to inspire their men as the odds seem hopeless. "The Siege of Zerith Hold" is pure action as the story details an intense and sometimes heartbreaking battle. Fans of the Forgotten Realms world will probably appreciate this one more than readers new to the world. "Mercy's Reward" by Mark Sehestedt features Gethred showing mercy and freeing a wolf ensnared in a trap. Sometimes doing the right thing can pay off in a big way. "Mercy's Reward" was initially a bit difficult to follow for a newcomer to the storyline with all the various intrigues and characters but it q

In the world of Faerun, war seems eternal. Sometimes, battle can be decided by strength, sometimes by trickery. Often, though, it comes by finding unexpected allies--or by making allies out of those who seemed enemies. The highest wisdom comes, it seems, in recognizing that victory itself is not really the ultimate goal, and in finding the humanity in everyone in the fight. A number of top Forgotten Realms authors join to create an anthology of stories spanning almost two thousand years. Too often, in an anthology, authors bash off something and then return to their real love--their novels. And the form of the short story, coupled with the fact that many readers in their own series won't read the anthology, means that real advances in their continuing story line are impossible. Fortunately, all of these stories are readable and most of the authors have chosen, wisely, to use the short story format to look more deeply into individual characters during a few moments or days of their lives. A few of the twelve stories deserve special attention. "Weasel's Run" by Lisa Smedman, is a really enjoyable adventure. "Changing Tides" by Mel Odom gives us a great character in in Rytagir, and a look at a part of the Forgotten Realms that is often, well, forgotten. "Bones and Stones" by R. A. Salvatore, is a profound miniature as two warriors revisit a battlefield to recover the bodies of their fallen young. A couple of the authors got carried away in battle, forgetting that we read these stories to learn about people rather than military tactics, but even these stories were well written and held my interest. I'm not usually a fan of the short story collection: I enjoy the longer format of the novel, and find multiauthor collections too often simply attempts to capitalize on the big name authors. REALMS OF WAR is an exception and an enjoyable read.

Over all, I liked the stories in this anthology as they highlighted some interesting aspects of many of the Realms' wars, with a bulk of the stories taking place in more recent times. As a whole, this anthology is well done and was definitely worth the read. The best part of this book, though, is the sampling of new authors, such as Susan J. Morris, Mark Sehestedt, and Jaleigh Johnson. Of course, the heavy hitters contribute some amazing tales, like Elaine Cunningham, R.A. Salvatore, and Mel Odom (whom I thought long gone from the Realms a while ago). This anthology is based upon the backdrop of the recent events told by Paul S. Kemp of a Shadow War that is currently unfolding in the Realms. Reviewing all the stories will take a lot space and time so I will only highlight them rather than go in depth. As I said, the whole book is great to add to another collection and truly reveals the talents of so many of the authors. Continuum, by Paul S. Kemp, is another fine tale spun out of Paul's miracle fabric of characterization. This story spotlight's an aspect of the Shadow War Paul is currently telling and certainly reveals his talent in bringing the Realms into succinct reality with his penchant for creating such believable characters, even gods. In this story, I did feel a little rushed in some way but I attribute it the tone of the story in which Erevis Cale's girlfriend (for lack of a better term) is suddenly roused by a horrific storm happening in distance Sembia but spreading in her direction. As she tries to escape, she finds another group of refugees trying to get away and joins them. She meets an interesting stranger who not only saves her from the storm but protects her from unknown enemies. This tale brings to focus an aspect in Erevis Cale's life that may have much deeper meaning in following books. Lisa Smedman's Weasel's Run is fun story with a tragic ending. Not revealing spoiler information but as with all stories of war happy endings are a rarity. But, her story shows how humanity can certainly have an effect on one's principles and attitude. The tone was lighthearted but somber, fast paced but not hectic and it crammed some solid characterization into the story's short amount of space. Very nice! The Last Paladin of Ilmater, by Susan J. Morris, was an enjoyable plot driven story. The characters revealed themselves well enough but I didn't feel I saw real change in them and very much depth. The story was very good though, and I certainly look forward to more of Morris's contribution to the Realms. What I liked most about the story was how Susan revealed the paladin's downfall. This concept should resonate on many different levels to readers. It has a definite religious feel to it, after all it is about a paladin, but the unfolding story shows how we each can learn from failure. I enjoyed reading this though it may have been just a little slow in places. The Black Arrow is a great story, yet I felt robbed at th

"Realms Of War" is a kinetic grab bag of twelve war stories edited by Philip Athans. It is a cross of dark fantasy and old fashioned sword and sorcery fiction wrapped in the world of the Twilight War trilogy. If you haven't read these Forgotten Realms books before, you'll find that this collection both stands by itself as good reading and is compelling enough to make you want to dive into the Twilight War books by Paul S. Kemp. Each of the stories in Realms of War is a quick thirty pages long and packed with bigger-than-life heroes, (mostly) pretty girls, exotic places, strange and mysterious villains. These are action stories loaded with magic and they don't disappoint. With settings across "all the lands 'twixt bustling Waterdeep and the sparkling waves of The Sea of Fallen Stars" you get to sample bit-sized pieces of the very best this world has to offer. The very first story, Continuum by Paul S. Kemp, is magnificent. It's character's are very well developed and are expertly woven into their world. The blend of intrigue, magic and action is only topped by an ending that zings with a really appealing twist. The other stories in the anthology are also very good, but a couple of them stand out. Changing Tides by Mel Odom has an undersea salvage operation, a titanic sea battle, fiercesome creatures seeking flesh (or simply meat as they call it) and a strange alliance of humans and magical creatures. Chase the Dark by Jaleigh Johnson takes the concept of battle, cause, effect and consequence to an entirely new level. Very well done! "Realms Of War" is a fast, fun read and doesn't require having read the first two books in the Twilight War trilogy - Shadowbred and Shadowstorm - to slip into the action and enjoy the ride. After reading "Realms Of War", you'll probably find that you'll want to check out Shadowbred and Shadowstorm sometime before Shadowrealm is released later this year.

Realms of War is the latest anthology released by Wizards of the Coast. All of the stories are edited by Philip Athans. This anthology is a direct tie-in to Paul S. Kemp's latest trilogy titled The Twilight War. The crux of this anthology is each of these stories take place in a war that has occurred, or is occurring, in the Realms. There are many events, and characters, that astute readers will recognize. Fans of the Forgotten Realms will recognize many of the authors in this anthology, such as Kemp, R.A. Salvatore, Ed Greenwood, and many more. Instead of reviewing each story individually, which would take entirely too long. I will say a few words about each story and give my general impressions of it, and hope that will suffice. #1 - Continuum by Paul S. Kemp - This story ties right into Mr. Kemp's Twilight War trilogy. While it doesn't answer many questions, it does provide some significant background into a couple of the characters as well as leaving the reader with at least two major questions. Fast pacing and solid writing here - just what we have come to expect from Mr. Kemp. 4 out of 5 #2 - Weasel's Run by Lisa Smedman - This is a quick little self contained tale. Nothing Realms shattering by any means, but the pacing and characters more than held my attention. After what I considered a disappointing second book in the Lady Penitent trilogy it is nice to see Ms. Smedmann return to form. Another solid story for this anthology. 4 out of 5. #3 - The Last Paladin of Ilmater by Susan J. Morris - Editor Susan Morris tries her hand at the short story with this tale. High praises around. Very interesting story, solid characters, and enough action to keep me turning the pages. It already seems as though small things are happening in the Realms gearing up for something major. Yet another solid addition to this anthology. 4 out of 5. #4 - Black Arrow by Bruce R. Cordell - A quaint story about a boy doing what his mom tells him not to. However, Mr. Cordell wraps this story in a very nice shell and the presentation is spot on. In fact, I would have liked to see this one as a novella, there was so much more I wanted to read about. Good plot, great characters, and equally solid pacing. A very good addition tot his anthology. 4 out of 5. #5 - Too Many Princes by Ed Greenwood - This story had quite a bit of promise. A solid build up, an interesting plot and entertaining characters. Then, Mr. Greenwood does what he always does and brings in the ultra-strong characters that runs roughshod over everything and everyone totally destroying the plot and all the build up. Sometimes, you just have to leave those characters at home. A good start and disappointing finish. 2 out of 5. #6 - The Siege of Zerith Hold by Jess Lebow - A solid tale detailing a battle at a fortress known as Zerith Hold. Mosltly all plot and action here. There are some interesting characters, but being that this is a short story there is not a lot of time for character development.