Spectre of the Black Rose

This book is the sequel to Knight of the Black Rose. Once again Lowder does a masterful job of telling the story of Lord Soth and what makes him tick. Past book about Lord Soth focus on him being a supreme villian and the history of his 'transformation' into a Death Knight. Yet, in this book, Lowder does a very good job of getting inside Soth's head and letting the reaer know what he is thinking. Unlike the first Ravenloft book about Soth this one has a little more intrique in it. There is a mystery in this book that Soth is continually faced with, just who is the White Rose? Fans of the Dragonlance Chronicles will understand this subplot the more they read about it. Lowder again proves that he can create interesting characters and stories behind those characters with seemingly very little effort. The Bloody Cobbler being one of the most interesting Ravenloft characters I have ever read about. I wish he would have gotten his own book, but alas we don't always get what we want. If you are a fan of the Dragonlance books I highly suggest you pick up this book and give it a shot, I don't think you will be disappointed.

Having been a long time fan of Soth and the gang, I thought that this was an intriguing way to climax his life in Ravenloft. It was also an ingenious way of creating an escape from the mists. Not only that but it also portraid Soth as something other than a bloodthirsty maniac. This is good. Even beneath the undead exterior lurks the heart of a knight. (even though a crispy one.

I just finished this spectacular novel and all I can say is...WOW! Lowder and Robinson did a superb job in taking us back through the Mists and into the fey realm of Sithicus, where new troubles await everyone's favorite Ravenloft DarkLord, Lord Soth, Knight of the Black Rose. Old favorites like Magda, the Vistani heroine, and Azrael, the soulless lycanthrope, are back along with some new antagonists and protagonists, such as the Bloody Cobbler and the White Rose, two spectres who are all too familiar to His Royal Badness (no not Prince!!!). The end result is a smashing example of literary genius, guaranteed to hold the reader spellbound until the last page...well the last page of text, not the annoying ads for books that have been released for three years. Bottom line: buy it or you might just end up in the dark...or worse yet, in the Mists...

These two authors do an excellent job creating some fresh characters and tying them all together in a tale that establishes once and for all just how evil Soth can be. The Ghost Cobbler and the Whispering Beast are two very unique creations. One is a spirit that has a horrific method of guiding people to their proper paths in life by, shall we say, exchanging the soles of their feet with those of another. The other is a relentless master of all those who break their oaths. The White Rose also makes an appearance for the first time. There are clues as to the identity of this trio midway through the novel. The author reveals just who they are at the finale, in a confrontation that explains why Soth and Sithica became imprisoned in the Ravenloft realm. I disagree with readers who say that Soth was written as gullible. Despite his staggering power, and tactical mind past tales have established that Soth has always been a slave to his rage. And in this story he stays true to form. The reader's attention is held by the story all the way to the last page not just by the mysterious trio, but by the covert power play occuring in Sithica unbeknownst to Soth, and by the efforts of one young man to recover his bride in the midst of all this. This book provides a thrilling, intricate story with rich characters. But the ending leaves me thinking that this is the last tale for the character Soth. I don't see how his character can develop from this point. But I must say that if his story concludes here, it is a well-thought and powerful conclusion.

The book was well writen, and the subplots keep you on edge to the last page. I've been a follower of both Ravenloft & Dragonlance novels for a long time. SoTBR brings the two together in a way that fans of both will enjoy it. SoTBR has many intersting subplots that will keep you guessing at what happened to the end. I really loved it and think you will too. Nothing I can say can give it the credit It deserves!