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Forgotten Realms: Erevis Cale #2
Dawn of Night
The shadows recede from a lost temple in a forgotten wilderness.
The sun rises on a new calling for a man as loyal as he is mysterious.
The day's beginning finds Erevis Cale holding in his steady hands more power than he dared hope for - and more responsibility than he ever imagined.
For now, he will have to put his trust in a god served by thieves and born of chaos.
The sun rises on a new calling for a man as loyal as he is mysterious.
The day's beginning finds Erevis Cale holding in his steady hands more power than he dared hope for - and more responsibility than he ever imagined.
For now, he will have to put his trust in a god served by thieves and born of chaos.
320 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published June 1, 2004
58 people are currently reading
747 people want to read
About the author
Paul S. Kemp
88 books934 followersBestselling speculative fiction author, creator of Egil and Nix, Erevis Cale, drinker of scotch, smoker of cigars, amiable dude. :-)
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 45 reviews
January 2, 2013
What a ride!
Again, strong character development interspersed with deep and varied Realsmlore makes Kemp's writing style highly addictive. In my view, he is a masterful bottom up storyteller who draws you in with an intense focus on character. Setting is a function of the characters's journey and in this instance, as in all of the Cale books I've read thus far, it really engages.
As a big Realms fan, I throughly appreciate Paul's attention to detail in fleshing out areas that scream for the spotlight. Examples in this book include, Skullport (and The Skulls), Starmantle, The Weave Tap, and Elgrin Fau, to name a few.
A Realms fan be you? Read this you must.
Again, strong character development interspersed with deep and varied Realsmlore makes Kemp's writing style highly addictive. In my view, he is a masterful bottom up storyteller who draws you in with an intense focus on character. Setting is a function of the characters's journey and in this instance, as in all of the Cale books I've read thus far, it really engages.
As a big Realms fan, I throughly appreciate Paul's attention to detail in fleshing out areas that scream for the spotlight. Examples in this book include, Skullport (and The Skulls), Starmantle, The Weave Tap, and Elgrin Fau, to name a few.
A Realms fan be you? Read this you must.
May 24, 2012
Dawn of Night by Paul S. Kemp- This is the second book in The Erevis Cale Trilogy. The first is Twilight Falling and the last is Midnight’s Mask. However, the first appearance of many of these characters are found in the Sembia: Gateway to the Realms series. There is a short story in Halls of Stormweather anthology entitled “Resurrection” and the second book in the series entitled Shadow’s Witness. Then after this trilogy, the story continues in The Twilight War trilogy (Shadowbred, Shadowstorm, and Shadowrealm).
Caution: Spoilers are present if you haven’t read Twilight Falling!
The story picks up right where Twilight Falling left off. We find Erevis Cale, now a shade, and the group in the Plane of Shadows. Somehow Cale transported his friends to the Plane of Shadows from the closing and disappearance of the Fane of Shadows, saving them all from drowning. On the Plane of Shadows, the group try to find their way out of a bog, Cale faces down a shadow dragon, and they come across a city full of the dead. Throughout this “adventure,” Drasek Riven slowly makes Cale embrace his “shadedom” which allows them to leave the Plane. Meanwhile, the slaadi and their master the Sojourner, plan on using the Weave Tap to tap into the magical properties of Skullport, an underground city beneath Waterdeep. The Sojourner wants to create a thing called the Crown of Fire and needs to plant seeds from the Weave Tap to cause this to happen. After discovering where the slaadi are, Cale and the group travel to stop them. But are they in time?
Negatives:
1) “Villain” Parts. They just are so boring. I hate to say it, but it feels like nothing happens and it just drags on and on. The Sojourner is the worst of them. His scenes are just so lackluster and just feel unimportant and a little forced. He honestly isn’t that interesting of a character. With the slaadi, Azriim I really liked in Twilight Falling, but here he just seems like he is just there. He doesn’t do anything and he seemed to lose all his quirks and everything that made him interesting up until the last 100 or so pages. It just felt forced and the scenes didn’t feel right. They didn’t have the menace or presence that they did in the last book. Like I said, the parts were really boring.
2) Grammar and Spelling Errors. Now, this isn’t a fault on the book, but rather an observation on a lot of recent Forgotten Realm books. They have been really sloppy. I think these books have editors, but they sure are missing a lot of these misspellings, grammatical errors, and errors in who’s who and what’s what. There were times when I honestly couldn’t believe what was in there, or missed rather. It just boggles the mind.
3) The “Love Interest.” The love interest between Cale and this random woman named Varra was just so sudden and unexpected that I barely believed it doesn’t fit in here. For one things, she’s just in one chapter, and yet Cale acts like he is in “love,” well to be honest not love-love but he cares about her. It’s just so random and unbelievable.
Positives:
1) “Good Guys.” Now while the villains were boring and unexciting, the heroes are just wonderful. Cale’s fight against if he is human was beautifully done. His concern about what he has become and his worry about what he is done in a way in which you can sympathize with what he is going through. Riven is another interesting character. In the last book, Riven was a mean, cruel, yet likable assassin. Here he starts off as a little bit of a nicer version of himself, but slowly comes to become the heartless killing machine he is. Magadon is the last character who I really liked. He reminds me a lot like Drizzt Do’Urden (of R. A. Salvatore fame) in his ideals and character. He is a nice foil to the two assassin’s in the group. Then being what he is, just makes him even more interesting.
2) Descriptions of Cities. I really liked the way that Paul S. Kemp described the cities of Elgrin Fau and Skullport. He paints Elgrin Fau as this lost deserted city on the Plane of Shadow. The emptiness and eerie feel really makes it feel lonely and creepy. And it only get worse (in a good way). Then with Skullport was given this view of utter corruption and horror. The Skulls (the enforcers of the city) were really brought to life. While other authors views of the city seemed to hint at the corruption throughout the city, Kemp really brings it to life.
3) Twist. The ending really comes at a shocker. You honestly never would have thought this is the way the second book would have ended. But looking back, you could see what happened and why it happened. It was perfectly executed.
Side Notes:
1) Jak. While still a little annoying, the halfling did seem able to handle himself a little better in the book than the last. He didn’t come off as pathetic.
2) Explanations. I like how things were explained. There are some stories in which you don’t understand why this or this happened, yet here you get an explanation. For example, the exit out of the Plane of Shadows. Simple, yet you could see why it had to be done that way.
3) Cover Art. It annoys the eye. Cale’s face is okay. It is a little annoying with the frown, or at least I think he’s frowning, but he looks bland. Then what’s up with the globe? It’s barely mentioned in the story, yet bam! It’s on the cover again. At least the book Cale received would have made more sense. Then what’s the stuff coming off Cale’s face? Shadow? It just looks like a cheesy tattoo artwork with skulls.
Overall: 4/5
Final Thoughts:
The boring villain scenes really made parts of the book a chore to read through. But the story with our heroes really make it bearable.
Caution: Spoilers are present if you haven’t read Twilight Falling!
The story picks up right where Twilight Falling left off. We find Erevis Cale, now a shade, and the group in the Plane of Shadows. Somehow Cale transported his friends to the Plane of Shadows from the closing and disappearance of the Fane of Shadows, saving them all from drowning. On the Plane of Shadows, the group try to find their way out of a bog, Cale faces down a shadow dragon, and they come across a city full of the dead. Throughout this “adventure,” Drasek Riven slowly makes Cale embrace his “shadedom” which allows them to leave the Plane. Meanwhile, the slaadi and their master the Sojourner, plan on using the Weave Tap to tap into the magical properties of Skullport, an underground city beneath Waterdeep. The Sojourner wants to create a thing called the Crown of Fire and needs to plant seeds from the Weave Tap to cause this to happen. After discovering where the slaadi are, Cale and the group travel to stop them. But are they in time?
Negatives:
1) “Villain” Parts. They just are so boring. I hate to say it, but it feels like nothing happens and it just drags on and on. The Sojourner is the worst of them. His scenes are just so lackluster and just feel unimportant and a little forced. He honestly isn’t that interesting of a character. With the slaadi, Azriim I really liked in Twilight Falling, but here he just seems like he is just there. He doesn’t do anything and he seemed to lose all his quirks and everything that made him interesting up until the last 100 or so pages. It just felt forced and the scenes didn’t feel right. They didn’t have the menace or presence that they did in the last book. Like I said, the parts were really boring.
2) Grammar and Spelling Errors. Now, this isn’t a fault on the book, but rather an observation on a lot of recent Forgotten Realm books. They have been really sloppy. I think these books have editors, but they sure are missing a lot of these misspellings, grammatical errors, and errors in who’s who and what’s what. There were times when I honestly couldn’t believe what was in there, or missed rather. It just boggles the mind.
3) The “Love Interest.” The love interest between Cale and this random woman named Varra was just so sudden and unexpected that I barely believed it doesn’t fit in here. For one things, she’s just in one chapter, and yet Cale acts like he is in “love,” well to be honest not love-love but he cares about her. It’s just so random and unbelievable.
Positives:
1) “Good Guys.” Now while the villains were boring and unexciting, the heroes are just wonderful. Cale’s fight against if he is human was beautifully done. His concern about what he has become and his worry about what he is done in a way in which you can sympathize with what he is going through. Riven is another interesting character. In the last book, Riven was a mean, cruel, yet likable assassin. Here he starts off as a little bit of a nicer version of himself, but slowly comes to become the heartless killing machine he is. Magadon is the last character who I really liked. He reminds me a lot like Drizzt Do’Urden (of R. A. Salvatore fame) in his ideals and character. He is a nice foil to the two assassin’s in the group. Then being what he is, just makes him even more interesting.
2) Descriptions of Cities. I really liked the way that Paul S. Kemp described the cities of Elgrin Fau and Skullport. He paints Elgrin Fau as this lost deserted city on the Plane of Shadow. The emptiness and eerie feel really makes it feel lonely and creepy. And it only get worse (in a good way). Then with Skullport was given this view of utter corruption and horror. The Skulls (the enforcers of the city) were really brought to life. While other authors views of the city seemed to hint at the corruption throughout the city, Kemp really brings it to life.
3) Twist. The ending really comes at a shocker. You honestly never would have thought this is the way the second book would have ended. But looking back, you could see what happened and why it happened. It was perfectly executed.
Side Notes:
1) Jak. While still a little annoying, the halfling did seem able to handle himself a little better in the book than the last. He didn’t come off as pathetic.
2) Explanations. I like how things were explained. There are some stories in which you don’t understand why this or this happened, yet here you get an explanation. For example, the exit out of the Plane of Shadows. Simple, yet you could see why it had to be done that way.
3) Cover Art. It annoys the eye. Cale’s face is okay. It is a little annoying with the frown, or at least I think he’s frowning, but he looks bland. Then what’s up with the globe? It’s barely mentioned in the story, yet bam! It’s on the cover again. At least the book Cale received would have made more sense. Then what’s the stuff coming off Cale’s face? Shadow? It just looks like a cheesy tattoo artwork with skulls.
Overall: 4/5
Final Thoughts:
The boring villain scenes really made parts of the book a chore to read through. But the story with our heroes really make it bearable.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 13, 2017
Erevis Cale and his allies have survived a confrontation with the slaadi servants of the enigmatic Sojourner, but now find themselves lost on the Plane of Shadow with no way home. Meanwhile, Azriim and his fellows seek to execute the next part of the Sojourner's plans and head for Skullport, one of the darkest and most dangerous cities in the Realms.
The second volume of the Erevis Cale trilogy picks up immediately after the first book and once again pits Cale and his band of willing and not-so-willing 'heroes' against Azriim and his fellow slaadi. The first novel, Twilight Falling, was entertaining but also suffered from clunky writing and some bad pacing. Dawn of Night is a notable improvement, with a more notable focus on the battle of wills between Cale and his sometimes-ally Riven to prove themselves the better man. The prose is more polished (though still prone to odd lapses) and there's also a satisfying amount of weirdness invoked when Cale and his friends find themselves lost on the Plane of Shadow. Skullport - one of the most vividly memorable locations in the Forgotten Realms setting - is also brought to life in all its squalid, grubby splendour.
As well as the Cale/Riven rivalry, the book also brings into play several other interesting devices. The duality of having two 'adventuring bands' diametrically opposed to one another is an interesting touch, and Kemp imbues each character with their own quirks and motivations that fleshes them out nicely. It's not the deep-seated characterisation of modern masters of fantasy, but it's enough to make the book more interesting than the average tie-in novel. Kemp also takes an interesting approach to magic, which is so codified by rules and structures (since it is based on the D&D magic system) that it's use has become routine and even perfunctory. This depiction may be slightly dull - the wonder of someone unleashing a powerful magical spell in another book is here totally missing - but it also makes sense in a world where the use of magic has become routine over the course of thousands of years.
On the minus side, the book suffers somewhat from middle book syndrome (there is no beginning or end, which is to be expected) and there are moments when the setting's game origins are again laid bare, such as being able to tell when the characters have succeeded at making a saving roll against a spell. These are much less frequent than the first novel but still a little wince-inducing when they happen.
Overall, Dawn of Night (***½) represents a notable improvement over the first book in the series. It's still, at heart, an adventurous romp with an unusually conflicted band of heroes as its sole major twist (which is less of a twist now than when the book originally came out), but remains an entertaining read.
The second volume of the Erevis Cale trilogy picks up immediately after the first book and once again pits Cale and his band of willing and not-so-willing 'heroes' against Azriim and his fellow slaadi. The first novel, Twilight Falling, was entertaining but also suffered from clunky writing and some bad pacing. Dawn of Night is a notable improvement, with a more notable focus on the battle of wills between Cale and his sometimes-ally Riven to prove themselves the better man. The prose is more polished (though still prone to odd lapses) and there's also a satisfying amount of weirdness invoked when Cale and his friends find themselves lost on the Plane of Shadow. Skullport - one of the most vividly memorable locations in the Forgotten Realms setting - is also brought to life in all its squalid, grubby splendour.
As well as the Cale/Riven rivalry, the book also brings into play several other interesting devices. The duality of having two 'adventuring bands' diametrically opposed to one another is an interesting touch, and Kemp imbues each character with their own quirks and motivations that fleshes them out nicely. It's not the deep-seated characterisation of modern masters of fantasy, but it's enough to make the book more interesting than the average tie-in novel. Kemp also takes an interesting approach to magic, which is so codified by rules and structures (since it is based on the D&D magic system) that it's use has become routine and even perfunctory. This depiction may be slightly dull - the wonder of someone unleashing a powerful magical spell in another book is here totally missing - but it also makes sense in a world where the use of magic has become routine over the course of thousands of years.
On the minus side, the book suffers somewhat from middle book syndrome (there is no beginning or end, which is to be expected) and there are moments when the setting's game origins are again laid bare, such as being able to tell when the characters have succeeded at making a saving roll against a spell. These are much less frequent than the first novel but still a little wince-inducing when they happen.
Overall, Dawn of Night (***½) represents a notable improvement over the first book in the series. It's still, at heart, an adventurous romp with an unusually conflicted band of heroes as its sole major twist (which is less of a twist now than when the book originally came out), but remains an entertaining read.
February 14, 2020
First off, this series is one big story - which is great for me because I'm a binge-reader and want to keep the party going. And as you'd hope, it gets better with each fast-turning page - clearly headed towards a big finish... It's unusually dark and sinister, full of gruesome creatures, with magic more powerful and varied than should be possible. One minute you're above ground, the next down below, sometimes jumping between planes ... Talk about suspension of disbelief- it reminds me of how I felt as a kid at Disney World, except now that I'm older and my innocence long lost, the Realms is a much better fit... And this story is more than just another day in The Realms - it has more intensity than the War of the Spider Queen series and that is saying something... Paul Kemp must be considered a writer's writer - If I ever become a writer I will be sure to let you know. As a reader, I am not sure what else I would want or could expect from a fantasy series... If you're on the fence about reading this series, not sure whether or not to pull the trigger, then listen to me very carefully... close your eyes and listen to the sound of my voice... you are getting sleepy... very sleepy... Can you hear me? Yes? Good... I want you to read this series... read the Erevis Cale Trilogy... Ok, when I count to five I want you to wake up and go buy the books - One... Two... Three... Four... Five. Wake up!
August 19, 2017
The second book of a trilogy that really should just be one long book, which means this book really felt like the middle of a book. There wasn't a whole lot of point to the plot, besides the heroes are chasing the villains and some stuff happens along the way. Cale does get a huge power upgrade and can do some pretty neat shadow magic stuff now. Jack is more annoying and pointless than ever. Riven gets crueler and . There is some vague mention of goings on by the Slaad but nothing really seems to happen fully. It's just a stepping stone in the whole process.
Despite this, it was a fun exciting short read. There were some really cool creatures, scenes, and locations. The shadow dragon in the beginning was fittingly terrifying. The skulls in control of the Underdark slave market city were neat (and made me think of Bob from Dresden).
Overall a worthwhile book for one read and I look forward to the conclusion.
Despite this, it was a fun exciting short read. There were some really cool creatures, scenes, and locations. The shadow dragon in the beginning was fittingly terrifying. The skulls in control of the Underdark slave market city were neat (and made me think of Bob from Dresden).
Overall a worthwhile book for one read and I look forward to the conclusion.
March 7, 2021
All the book waiting for a final that never really happen... you wait 300 pages for the good to catch the bad guy but the author try a surprise ending to set the third book but clearly a smoke screen..
We don't really gain anything with this book accept the characters gaining more free powers. The psionic guide overused, he got a power for ever thing.
So I take a break from the trilogy, will only read the next book because I already bought it. Kemp is a good writer so still hope for the third book even if I didn't like the plot in this one.
We don't really gain anything with this book accept the characters gaining more free powers. The psionic guide overused, he got a power for ever thing.
So I take a break from the trilogy, will only read the next book because I already bought it. Kemp is a good writer so still hope for the third book even if I didn't like the plot in this one.
August 29, 2018
This was an excellent little bit of FR fantasy. Kemp has done a great job weaving this tale of assassins and sorcerers!
In this installment, we see the party move from the Shadow Realm to the infamous Skull Port, an underground city of never-do-wells precariously ruled by a group of insane flying, flaming skulls (the last remains of a band of wizards from Nethril).
We are introduced to the power behind the evil Sladi that were introduced in the first novel, and if we weren't concerned about our heroes succeeding in the first book, we most definitely are now. This is very much an "Empire Strikes Back" kind of plot...which is, of course, an excellent ploy to keep us reading. Which I intend to.
In this installment, we see the party move from the Shadow Realm to the infamous Skull Port, an underground city of never-do-wells precariously ruled by a group of insane flying, flaming skulls (the last remains of a band of wizards from Nethril).
We are introduced to the power behind the evil Sladi that were introduced in the first novel, and if we weren't concerned about our heroes succeeding in the first book, we most definitely are now. This is very much an "Empire Strikes Back" kind of plot...which is, of course, an excellent ploy to keep us reading. Which I intend to.
October 29, 2020
I am convinced the Legend of Erevis Cale will end better than a particular drow's legend.
It took me a little while to get through this, since the semester started. This is one of the better Forgotten Realms books out there, and I'm excited for the final installment of the trilogy. Cale's predicament is fun to read about, and Jak, Magadon, and Riven are an interesting party. Hopefully I'll get the third book knocked out soon and have a series overview on on my blog.
It took me a little while to get through this, since the semester started. This is one of the better Forgotten Realms books out there, and I'm excited for the final installment of the trilogy. Cale's predicament is fun to read about, and Jak, Magadon, and Riven are an interesting party. Hopefully I'll get the third book knocked out soon and have a series overview on on my blog.
January 6, 2019
It's surprising the things you can see when you're willing.
Immortality was easy to attain, (he) knew. It was living a meaningful existance that was hard.
The worst things you can imagine, those things you can buy cheap. It's the things you won't even consider until you see them that cost the real coin.
Immortality was easy to attain, (he) knew. It was living a meaningful existance that was hard.
The worst things you can imagine, those things you can buy cheap. It's the things you won't even consider until you see them that cost the real coin.
July 2, 2019
Totally fell short for me. I really liked the first one. I got about half way through this and quit. The writing wasn't horrible. It's just that the plot just didn't make any sense. The charachters had no reason to be in the situations they were in or make the choices they did. It read like a steamrolled D&D game.
Read
November 21, 2019Second book in this D&D trilogy I picked up after reading The Godborn by the same author. I feel lukewarm; the main characters are all dark and brooding edgelords that end up blending together a bit, they are super-serious all the time and easily offended by banter, female characters are barely existent and poorly handled and villains are saturday morning cartoon-y. I think teenage boys would definitely be the target audience. There's a memorable encounter early on in this book 2 and plenty of variety in action and sights, but I definitely prefer the author's later work.
October 11, 2023
For me, a very uneven book. The main strength is its rich description of well-known D&D and Realms locales, Skullport and the Demiplane of Shadow. The characters are interesting, but their motivations already seem arbitrary. Also, like with most Realms novels, I find myself skipping through the action sequences, they just don't seem that interesting.
August 7, 2024
A serviceable, fun sequel that knows how to leverage the readers familiarity with the characters to continue bouncing them off of each other, all while they go on a quest for revenge and justice. It's a bit too "more of the same" but that can be a good thing, it's still solidly written and well paced.
June 14, 2017
I liked Skullport and the denizens of that city. I enjoyed this book a little more than the first.
May 30, 2019
Quite epic and makes me want to learn more about the Shadow Weave and Netheril. Great skulduggery as well.
October 26, 2019
Exciting Read
Good story line, though a little rushed. I enjoyed the ending of the book. I am looking forward to book III.
Good story line, though a little rushed. I enjoyed the ending of the book. I am looking forward to book III.
January 9, 2020
Very good book. Written well and tells a good story.
August 15, 2021
Z počátku mě kniha moc nebavila. Takové vyprávěné dobrodružství, ale postupem času mě to chytlo.
October 23, 2021
I liked it. These books are fun. I loved getting a novel description of Skullport and seeing slaadi in action.
March 23, 2024
6.5/10
January 11, 2025
I really enjoyed the novel. I hate spoilers, so I won't tell you anything about it :)
May 24, 2012
Dawn of Night is the second book of the Erevis Cale Trilogy (following Twilight Falling) and continues the exploits of Erevis Cale and his three companions, Jak Fleet, a Halfling cleric, Drasek Riven, a one-eyed human assassin and Magadon, a psionic tiefling (demon-spawn).
As book two begins we are introduced to the being The Sojourner the being who "created" the slaadi, the three main antagonists from book one who were responsible for stealing the Weave Tap, a "sapling" of immense magic, and whose actions turned Cale from a human into a shade, a creature half man and half shadow. In this novel, the three slaadi are ordered to place a seed from the weave into a massive power source located in the bowls of the planet, outside of an underground city know as Skull port.
Before even getting to Skullport, Cale and the others, who we left at the end of book one about to drown beneath the cold waters of a lake, find themselves marooned on The Plane of Shadows, a realm that sucks the life, color and energy out of everything, but seems to give Cale a better understanding of his abilities as a Shade and finds out that he may very well be apart of something much greater then he realived.
The journey eventually finds them to Skullport, a city catering the very worst creatures and the most foul vices associated with such monsters. Again, we discover more and more about each of our main protagonists. Magadon is at war with his demonic half, Jak must face down the horror of witnessing such vile and desperate acts that he sees in Skullport, while Riven himself must face down memories of a previous time he spent in the city of skulls.
The final confrontation leasds to a shocking betrayal that is to difficult to watch happen. This is what makes Paul S. Kemp a fanrtastic writers, the ability to make the reader empathy's with the chacters makes make this an excellent second novel of the trilogy.
As book two begins we are introduced to the being The Sojourner the being who "created" the slaadi, the three main antagonists from book one who were responsible for stealing the Weave Tap, a "sapling" of immense magic, and whose actions turned Cale from a human into a shade, a creature half man and half shadow. In this novel, the three slaadi are ordered to place a seed from the weave into a massive power source located in the bowls of the planet, outside of an underground city know as Skull port.
Before even getting to Skullport, Cale and the others, who we left at the end of book one about to drown beneath the cold waters of a lake, find themselves marooned on The Plane of Shadows, a realm that sucks the life, color and energy out of everything, but seems to give Cale a better understanding of his abilities as a Shade and finds out that he may very well be apart of something much greater then he realived.
The journey eventually finds them to Skullport, a city catering the very worst creatures and the most foul vices associated with such monsters. Again, we discover more and more about each of our main protagonists. Magadon is at war with his demonic half, Jak must face down the horror of witnessing such vile and desperate acts that he sees in Skullport, while Riven himself must face down memories of a previous time he spent in the city of skulls.
The final confrontation leasds to a shocking betrayal that is to difficult to watch happen. This is what makes Paul S. Kemp a fanrtastic writers, the ability to make the reader empathy's with the chacters makes make this an excellent second novel of the trilogy.
January 10, 2015
The plot continues immediately after the somewhat-cliffhanger ending in book 1, where we find out how they managed to survive.
Book 2 continues along the lines of delving into Cale's and Riven's transformation into Mask's Chosen. I cannot help but wonder what exactly is Mask's interest in the main plot. Thievery I suppose? There's some character development for each of the four protagonists, but their motivation for the main plot feels somewhat weak. Being anti-heroes (except for Jak I suppose), they really needed a stronger motivation - this was present in book 1 - to explain why they're so doggedly going after villains. I really enjoyed the lore and flavour in this book, this time the Plane of Shadow, and later Skullport.
The main plot moves along pretty quickly so the pace never gets slow. I kind of like the flow. Also, being able to read from the villain's POVs is nice, seeing things from their side and presenting their motivations. Too bad that I found the revealed plot to be a bit unbelievable though, unbelievable in the sense that it's being done in so much secrecy so successfully.
Book 2 continues along the lines of delving into Cale's and Riven's transformation into Mask's Chosen. I cannot help but wonder what exactly is Mask's interest in the main plot. Thievery I suppose? There's some character development for each of the four protagonists, but their motivation for the main plot feels somewhat weak. Being anti-heroes (except for Jak I suppose), they really needed a stronger motivation - this was present in book 1 - to explain why they're so doggedly going after villains. I really enjoyed the lore and flavour in this book, this time the Plane of Shadow, and later Skullport.
The main plot moves along pretty quickly so the pace never gets slow. I kind of like the flow. Also, being able to read from the villain's POVs is nice, seeing things from their side and presenting their motivations. Too bad that I found the revealed plot to be a bit unbelievable though, unbelievable in the sense that it's being done in so much secrecy so successfully.
September 5, 2013
Once again Paul Kemp manages to provide us a great, amazing book. For me this is one of the most interesting storylines in the forgotten realms universe. The first one had already been excellent and this only continues that tradition. The characters are very relatable, being different amongst themselves. The story's pace is only a bit slowed when Cale and friends are in the shadow plane, but the writing is pnenomenal, because i found myself drudging along those chapters as the characters drudged alon the shadow plane. The greyness and claustrophobic feeling is given in such a way that you feel it in a very deep level. For me, this is what good writing is all about, being able yoonvey that, make you feel what the characters are feeling, not just understand it, but feel it yourself. I was screaming for Cale to man up and use his powers to get them out of there. Afterwards it just goes rolling down at a fast pace. Again Paul Kemp manages to write about a place not many novels go to' skullport, and he manages to give you a real sense of being there, of getting to know that place. The vaillains are still despicable and you really want to inflict them as much pain as possible as a payback to what they do. Aaaand, there are many twists and surprises along the book, which ends again with a great cliffhanger, as well as a major turn. Excited about the third which i will start right away. Definitely recommend.
July 20, 2015
The Dawn of Night is the second book of the Erevis Cale Trilogy, continuing the Sembian adventures Paul Kemp's main Forgotten Realms character. This book deals with Cale and his companions chasing a band of evil creatures on a mission for an evil Arch-mage who is trying to gain world controlling power. he is also dealing with the changes made in him in book one, which transformed him into a Shade, an Avatar of the God of Shadows, Mask. With the help of his companions, he chases the evil creatures into the Underdark, to that den of Villainy, Skullport, where the battle continues in an epic confrontation, with a betrayal costing the party dearly.
The plotting is solid, with some seriously interesting elements that really bring the story to life. Erevis's new Shade abilities are quite powerful, but they come at a cost. The question is, how much is he willing to pay? The characters are fleshed out some more, especially Riven the Assassin and Jak Fleet the Halfling. The villains are well thought out, and you root against them the whole book. I am really looking forward to reading the Third book. This book should appeal to fans of RA Salvatore's Drizzt Books.
The plotting is solid, with some seriously interesting elements that really bring the story to life. Erevis's new Shade abilities are quite powerful, but they come at a cost. The question is, how much is he willing to pay? The characters are fleshed out some more, especially Riven the Assassin and Jak Fleet the Halfling. The villains are well thought out, and you root against them the whole book. I am really looking forward to reading the Third book. This book should appeal to fans of RA Salvatore's Drizzt Books.
May 24, 2012
This second book in the series was an improvement. The heroes are still not interesting to me. There are just too many cliches and not enough wit to like them. They are arguably antiheroes, but a good antihero has something about them that you can invest in or enjoy, whether it is wit, or compelling motivation or something. These guys have none of these. What is more, there is exactly one female character in the novel and she is a former whore which the hero must save. There are cardboard characters and pointless narrative wanderings.
So, why do I say I like it. The villains for one. The main villain of the series is introduced here and he is reminiscent of a classic Stan Lee cosmic villain. He could be drawn by Jack Kirby. Also, the villainous city of Skullport is described richly and with some real flourish. The writing overall improved, the pacing is better, and it is in many ways a better novel than the first.
So, why do I say I like it. The villains for one. The main villain of the series is introduced here and he is reminiscent of a classic Stan Lee cosmic villain. He could be drawn by Jack Kirby. Also, the villainous city of Skullport is described richly and with some real flourish. The writing overall improved, the pacing is better, and it is in many ways a better novel than the first.
July 19, 2021
Not as good as the first of the series, but still a solid read, Dawn of Night follows up from where the previous book ended and ends in a cliffhanger. I finished it yesterday and I'm picking up book 3 today!
April 27, 2015
Meh - I will not be continuing / Finishing this trilogy - 1st, if you have a Someone Name Trilogy, they obviously cannot die in book one - and please, do NOT repeat this in book two - even though Cale walks away, his "close call with death" had no real tension because I knew that there would be a book 3, and I doubt that things get resolved in an earlier timeline - this isn't Back to the Future - Forgotten Realms Edition or similar - and I hate that every tavern in these books has horrible tasting "swill" and smell rank and disgusting - they would not be able to stay in business - why is it that the Mercenaries and assassin's all like to go to the dark and smelly places with bad food and drink and horrible service - no - I for one am quite done - thank you for showing me what NOT to write, Mr Kemp.
May 24, 2012
I wrote that the first book in this trilogy was just good enough to keep me interested in continued reading. I'd say that this book continued the trend. It wasn't spectacular, but it wasn't terrible either. Erevis Cale is just a hard character to read, which I think is intentional on the part of the author, but I think that he sometimes takes it a little too far and borders on frustrating the reader for no good reason.
This book certainly moved the story forward, added some new wrinkles, and had a pretty big surprise at the end. I wouldn't say I'm excited to find out what happens in the third book, but I would definitely say I'm curious.
This book certainly moved the story forward, added some new wrinkles, and had a pretty big surprise at the end. I wouldn't say I'm excited to find out what happens in the third book, but I would definitely say I'm curious.
May 24, 2012
In the second installment of the Erevis Cale Trilogy, darkness fills every corner of Erevis's mind as he rapidly uncovers the plot of the Sojourner and why his god, Mask the God of Thieves, had led him to chase the evil wizard. Full of imaginative settings and deep main character plots that let you see the inner workings of each of Kemp's heroes, this installment rivals the professionalism of the first one. As the plot thickens, and the world falls apart, Erevis begins to debate whether he should listen to his human side, or the side that Mask has embedded literally into him.
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