Well of Darkness (The Sovereign Stone Trilogy, Book 1)

When it comes to fantasy, Well of Darkness has it all. Weis and Hickman have packed into this book an array of events that continue to surprise and intrigue the reader. The conflicts throughout the book are magnificently described and all the while intricately tie into eachother. The characters are brilliant, ambitious, ingenius, and the enigma that surrounds them reaches an awe inspiring resolve. By reading this first book in the Sovereign Stone Trilogy, a reader will be compelled to complete the series post-haste.

Water From the Well of Darkness is a book that is slow to start but ends making the reader say to himself, "Damn this was a good book!" Every book, or every good book I might add, should start with character buildup and world buildup if it is in a new world. MW and TH do just that in this new series. It is very unpredictable as if they based this book off a role-playing game they played just a few days before, it shocked the heck out of me at the end anyways. The reader will finish the book wanting more of this new series, its a shame we'll have to wait at least another year before the next book comes out. The book contains and is definately not limited to, romance (lots and lots of this), action (also lots and lots of this), humor, and a bunch of minor conflicts that will either cause the reader to laugh their head off or want to say "damn this to the Void!" This is now my favorite quote after reading this book. Especially towards my English teacher but I won't get into that. Sovereign Stone will be yet another series these two authors, in my opinion, will come out ahead of their colleagues who also write fantasy. I have never read a novel by Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman that I have found boring. Well of Darkness will be another book that will go on my read again list. Well I haven't said much about the content of the book. I don't want to spoil it for those of you who haven't read it and there are other reviews that tell about the content. I can guarantee it if you are a fantasy fan you'll not be dissappointed, or if you have the Sovereign Stone role-playing game this book provides a lot of insight on the world and will give you adventures to run in on your campaign. Another reason to have this book. So in these final sentence's I'm giving MW AND TH a big two thumbs up. I may not be a critic but I give praise to the authors who know fantasy best.

Once in a great while, you find a book that turns conventionsal fantasy on its ear. Well of Darkness does just that, but to explain how would be a grave injustice to the reader. The World of Loerem is one that must be explored. What it borrows from the traditions of Tolkien and classic fantasy it quickly makes its own. Not since Death Gate, have Weis and Hickman produced such an ambitious tale, full of evocative imagery, strange and alluring races, and powerful characters.As the title implies, there is a dark quality we do not often see in their work. Weis and Hickman have proven that they aren't afraid to take heroic fantasy out of its pristine, plastic packaging. They succeed in showing us the dark side of the human soul, without preaching and without the needless and overbearing sex and violence that so many fantasy authors fall prey to. What remains is a dynamic story of human nature, where no soul is purely good nor evil.If you've ever been a Weis & Hickman fan, take the opportunity to read this book. If you've never read Weis & Hickman, this is a wonderful place to begin.

Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman have been telling stories of fantastic worlds for over 15 years. WELL OF DARKNESS gives us another kind of world, where the Tolkienesque races and concepts are not quite what we'd expect. Elves are concerned with honor, face, and distrust magic. Orks are a sea-faring race whose superstitious predictions have an eerie habit of coming true. The gods, who take such an active role in the worlds of Dragonlance and Rose of the Prophet, are distant and uninterested in this new world.This is a story of love, loyalty, and difficult choices. Gareth is brought to Vinnengael as the Whipping Boy for young Prince Dagnarus -- and fills his role both literally and figuratively, absorbing the emotional impact of Dagnarus' choices while the Prince grows more selfish and ambitious. Gareth is torn between his love for Dagnarus and his admiration for the king's oldest son, Helmos. The two princes become polar opposites--Helmos striving for ideals impossible in the real world, while Dagnarus becomes increasingly amoral in the pursuit of his own goals. This book is slightly darker and a bit more political than some of Weis and Hickman's other efforts--but this book stands out as one of the best fantasy novels in recent memory. The world is fully realized, from the gardens of the elves to the waterfalls of Vinnengael, with characters who are not black and white--but rather varying shades of grey. Readers will each put this book down with a different view of the characters and events described, and may find themselves drawn back to read it again to understand how chance, fate, and choice lead to the novel's unsettling conclusion.

Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman's new novel, Well of Darkness, is a wonderful departure from what we are used to seeing from the duo by way of their fantasy novels. Famous for their DragonLance books, Weis and Hickman explore the dark underside of court intrigue and politics in Well of Darkness.Well of Darkness tells the story of how a young prince, Dagnarus, lets jealousy and hate rule his life, eventually turning him into the bane of his family, friends and country. Weis and Hickman skillfully relate a story that is both compelling and frustrating at the same time. The story begins with Dagnarus as a young boy, who wishes to one day become king. He knows that it isn't possible since he is the younger son of a second marriage and that his half-brother is in line for the throne. His whipping boy, Gareth, is the young prince's only companion and friend, and with his help, Dagnarus begins to learn of the terrible and forbidden secrets of Void magic. As they grow into men, Dagnarus becomes a mighty warrior while Gareth delves deeper into the arcane Void lore at the behest of his Prince. Dagnarus' ambitions to become king come to full blossom and he determines that the best course of action is to first become a Dominion Lord, a paladin of light, like his brother. His reasoning is that a king must be a strong warrior so that he can protect his people. Helmos, Dagnarus' elder brother and the Crown Prince of Vinnengael, in Dagnarus' eyes, is weak, with his nose always pressed firmly into a book. The young prince believes that if he can become a Dominion Lord, that he will have more than enough credentials to usurp his brother and become king.During this whole time, momentous events are happening around the world, and the Kingdom of Vinnengael is at the center. King Tamaros, the father of Helmos and Dagnarus, is trying to forge a lasting peace and understanding between the Elves, Orks, Humans and Dwarves. Each have their own personal agendas, and distrust among them runs high. Assassination, missed opportunities, and intrigue all plague the king's attempts, and that's not counting the rivalry between his sons at home.How does all of this end up? Does Dagnarus become a Dominion Lord, and then King of Vinnengael? Does Helmos retain his position as rightful heir? And what about Gareth and his dark discoveries? In all honesty, I don't want to give away the ending. I can say though that the finale to Well of Darkness is absolutely earth shattering!