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The War of the Spider Queen #6
Resurrection
"Danifae Yauntyrr, former battle-captive of House Melarn, has come too far to stop now. She has regained her freedom after years of servitude, but has yet to exact her revenge. Though she has grown in both power and ambition, Danifae still needs to kill Halisstra Melarn. But how can she when she's followed by Quenthel and Pharaun into the heart of Lolth's reformed domain, a hellish world of demonic spiders bent on eating each other, and anything else stupid enough to get in their way - including the chosen vessel of Lolth herself." Halisstra has come to Demonweb Pits with a very different agenda. In her hands she holds the fabled Crescent Blade, a sword she believes will grant her the power to kill the Spider Queen herself - but only if she finds Lolth before the goddess fully completes her mysterious resurrection.
369 pages, Paperback
First published April 1, 2005
42 people are currently reading
2536 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 91 reviews
August 16, 2011
That was a strong finish to the series. Yeah, the good guys really don't win, but we knew that was going to happen when the series started, so the bitter taste that leaves isn't as bad as it could be.
What I liked: strong battle scenes and evocative locations. The puzzle of Gromph Baenre trying to puzzle out the location of (and then destroy) the Lichdrow's phylactery was actually a lot of fun. The final battle of Pharun was exciting, and ingenious.
What I didn't like: Halisstra's fall was too abrupt. Descriptions of locations especially in the Demonweb Pits in the last half of the book were very confusing. The Pass of the Soulreaver was rushed and unfinished; especially Danifae's dream sequence there.
What I liked: strong battle scenes and evocative locations. The puzzle of Gromph Baenre trying to puzzle out the location of (and then destroy) the Lichdrow's phylactery was actually a lot of fun. The final battle of Pharun was exciting, and ingenious.
What I didn't like: Halisstra's fall was too abrupt. Descriptions of locations especially in the Demonweb Pits in the last half of the book were very confusing. The Pass of the Soulreaver was rushed and unfinished; especially Danifae's dream sequence there.
June 25, 2010
Excellent ending of this 6-book series, each by a different author. Kemp is definitely one of the better ones as he managed to stay true to each of the characters, the plot, and the overall theme.
The story flows very smoothly from the start, building up tension, and picks up speed towards the end, shooting to a conclusion. The author has a flair with describing scenery and situations, and kudos to staying true to the characters, most especially Pharaun - back to why I really liked him in the first place. What happened to him at the end... well, let's just I was disappointed, but the little maybe-not hook that was added in was a superb touch.
Also deserving special mention are the parts that focused on Gromph were also very nicely told and described; a very refreshing and interesting part of the tale.
The motivations and plot twists all stayed true - the drow to their ruthless nature, and Lolth to her chaotic nature. The nature of chaos, alluded to by Lolth her self in the story, is what many people totally missed when reviewing or commenting on the last few chapters. The visions, their motivations, their abrupt ends, the senselessness of certain acts... that is the very essence of what is means to be a follower of Lolth.
The story flows very smoothly from the start, building up tension, and picks up speed towards the end, shooting to a conclusion. The author has a flair with describing scenery and situations, and kudos to staying true to the characters, most especially Pharaun - back to why I really liked him in the first place. What happened to him at the end... well, let's just I was disappointed, but the little maybe-not hook that was added in was a superb touch.
Also deserving special mention are the parts that focused on Gromph were also very nicely told and described; a very refreshing and interesting part of the tale.
The motivations and plot twists all stayed true - the drow to their ruthless nature, and Lolth to her chaotic nature. The nature of chaos, alluded to by Lolth her self in the story, is what many people totally missed when reviewing or commenting on the last few chapters. The visions, their motivations, their abrupt ends, the senselessness of certain acts... that is the very essence of what is means to be a follower of Lolth.
September 18, 2019
Φιναλε σε μια αρκετα καλη σειρα που διαδραματιζεται στον κοσμο των forgotten realms.Drow,δαιμονες κα ολα τα πλασματα του underdark σε μια σειρα που αξιζει να διαβαστει απο τους οπαδους των forgotten realms!!!!!!
November 11, 2018
Gromph <3
April 25, 2020
The War of the Spider Queen truly was a wild ride. I just finished reading it back to back and I have to say I have very mixed feelings about the second trilogy (books 4-6), especially the last book. Paul S. Kemp's writing style is extremely solid and while I am looking forward to reading his independent works, I feel this one didn't quite let him use his full potential.
The Plot
In Resurrection we have two main plot lines - Gromph's quest to find the lichdrow's phylactery and the dark elf party's trek to reach the temple of Lolth in her revamped Demonweb Pits. With the latter intertwined is a very minor sub-plot involving a new character (about that later) and a possible setup for future series. Both plot lines are extremely solid, however there is an overall problem with pacing. Most of the book is stretched and populated with almost meaningless events, while the ending is rushed. Also, the new sub-plot is very ad hoc and feels like it was inserted to inflate page count and not to supplement the story. Which is sad, because the dream sequences towards the end of the book were an interesting addition and could've been made much longer to properly engross the reader. The way they were executed in Soulforge by Margaret Weis, for instance, was amazing. Lastly, Gromph's plot line wasn't all that relevant to the overall story of the Spider Queen, diminishing its meaning.
The Characters
We get introduced to a new minor character, Inthracis, an ultroloth necromancer. To anyone who's familiar with the Planescape universe and the Blood War, this is welcomed homage. Sadly, Inthracis and his regiment are completely misused in this book and deserve much better exposition in a story of their own, which they have not received thus far. It really makes me wonder what the motivation behind adding Inthracis was. Perhaps a setup for future series? Strange, though, since until now nothing about him has been written.
Quenthel Baerne still doesn't receive the character development she should've, but I do realize that she already appeared in the Drizzt Do'Urden books so she's not completely unfamiliar to readers.
Halisstra Melarn makes almost no sense to me. Because of her poor choices Ryld Argith dies in book 5. Worse yet, those choices are in no way justified and left unexplained. She loved him dearly, yet she was completely okay with letting him fight Jeggred alone. In this book Halisstra's streak continues. The resolution of her part of the story makes perfect sense, but is so forced and so clearly dictated by the main story line that it just saddens me. It goes against reason and to a significant extent against her character. The Lady Penitent series further explores this interesting character, perhaps in a more compelling direction.
Pharaun Mizzrym deserved better, is all I can say without spoiling too much. Especially, considering there was ample opportunity for that. What I always found funny was that other than Gromph, he seemed to be the only capable wizard in the entire series. All of the remaining wizards either lacked the wits and cunning to climb the social ladder or had the intellect of a desiccated worm.
Jeggred Baerne remains as 2-dimensional as the first time he was introduced. It seems not even the authors have much love for this dolt.
Danifae Yauntyrr, the underdog of the series shines in book 5, but even more so in book 6. I get the impression that the design of this character received the most attention, however the reasoning behind her actions isn't always clearly presented to the readers. Still, Danifae is a very compelling character.
Valas Hune appears very briefly to get some closure to his part of the story. I guess it would've been nice to see more of him, but it was very clear from the beginning that he's more of a background character.
The overall problem I had with the protagonists of the story was that they were protected by layers upon layers of "plot armor" and had the power to vanquish foes much stronger than them. Pharaun pulverizing Balshezu without breaking a sweat in book 5 was a complete joke. There are more situations like that in book 6. Our heroes get burnt to death, bludgeoned to death, stabbed to death, poisoned to death, etc. Yet, they always manage to throw in that extra healing chant/spell/potion to return from the brink of death. This makes the final battles in the series especially unsatisfying.
The Ending
There is a bit of foreshadowing in book 5 as to who may become Lolth's Chosen (Yor'thae). However, book 6 manages to conceal that and confuse readers enough so that we're not sure until the final chapters of the book. The ending is predictable, but in a way that Lolth's unpredictable, chaotic nature is.
The Plot
In Resurrection we have two main plot lines - Gromph's quest to find the lichdrow's phylactery and the dark elf party's trek to reach the temple of Lolth in her revamped Demonweb Pits. With the latter intertwined is a very minor sub-plot involving a new character (about that later) and a possible setup for future series. Both plot lines are extremely solid, however there is an overall problem with pacing. Most of the book is stretched and populated with almost meaningless events, while the ending is rushed. Also, the new sub-plot is very ad hoc and feels like it was inserted to inflate page count and not to supplement the story. Which is sad, because the dream sequences towards the end of the book were an interesting addition and could've been made much longer to properly engross the reader. The way they were executed in Soulforge by Margaret Weis, for instance, was amazing. Lastly, Gromph's plot line wasn't all that relevant to the overall story of the Spider Queen, diminishing its meaning.
The Characters
We get introduced to a new minor character, Inthracis, an ultroloth necromancer. To anyone who's familiar with the Planescape universe and the Blood War, this is welcomed homage. Sadly, Inthracis and his regiment are completely misused in this book and deserve much better exposition in a story of their own, which they have not received thus far. It really makes me wonder what the motivation behind adding Inthracis was. Perhaps a setup for future series? Strange, though, since until now nothing about him has been written.
Quenthel Baerne still doesn't receive the character development she should've, but I do realize that she already appeared in the Drizzt Do'Urden books so she's not completely unfamiliar to readers.
Halisstra Melarn makes almost no sense to me. Because of her poor choices Ryld Argith dies in book 5. Worse yet, those choices are in no way justified and left unexplained. She loved him dearly, yet she was completely okay with letting him fight Jeggred alone. In this book Halisstra's streak continues. The resolution of her part of the story makes perfect sense, but is so forced and so clearly dictated by the main story line that it just saddens me. It goes against reason and to a significant extent against her character. The Lady Penitent series further explores this interesting character, perhaps in a more compelling direction.
Pharaun Mizzrym deserved better, is all I can say without spoiling too much. Especially, considering there was ample opportunity for that. What I always found funny was that other than Gromph, he seemed to be the only capable wizard in the entire series. All of the remaining wizards either lacked the wits and cunning to climb the social ladder or had the intellect of a desiccated worm.
Jeggred Baerne remains as 2-dimensional as the first time he was introduced. It seems not even the authors have much love for this dolt.
Danifae Yauntyrr, the underdog of the series shines in book 5, but even more so in book 6. I get the impression that the design of this character received the most attention, however the reasoning behind her actions isn't always clearly presented to the readers. Still, Danifae is a very compelling character.
Valas Hune appears very briefly to get some closure to his part of the story. I guess it would've been nice to see more of him, but it was very clear from the beginning that he's more of a background character.
The overall problem I had with the protagonists of the story was that they were protected by layers upon layers of "plot armor" and had the power to vanquish foes much stronger than them. Pharaun pulverizing Balshezu without breaking a sweat in book 5 was a complete joke. There are more situations like that in book 6. Our heroes get burnt to death, bludgeoned to death, stabbed to death, poisoned to death, etc. Yet, they always manage to throw in that extra healing chant/spell/potion to return from the brink of death. This makes the final battles in the series especially unsatisfying.
The Ending
There is a bit of foreshadowing in book 5 as to who may become Lolth's Chosen (Yor'thae). However, book 6 manages to conceal that and confuse readers enough so that we're not sure until the final chapters of the book. The ending is predictable, but in a way that Lolth's unpredictable, chaotic nature is.
June 4, 2014
1.5 stars, Resurrection is the long and drawn out conclusion to the War of the Spider Queen, the constant fussing of the lead characters finally comes to an end.
It saddens me to have to give this novel such a poor rating, as I know that R.A. Salvatore, Paul Kemp, and the other 5 authors of this series put so much work and effort into it, yet I have to give my honest opinion.
Here is why I didn't like it.
The never-ending bickering of the lead characters grew annoying quickly in the series, and continues in this book. They are all bark and no bite, they argue like school children.
Many of them should have died countless times over, but they have so many ridiculous healing and regenerative abilities that they are practically immortal, so every time there is a battle there seems to be no real danger.
It seems obvious that each author had a different idea of where they wanted the story to ultimately go. There were a lot of build ups and character developments that didn't particularly fit in the end. Don't get me wrong, I love twists and turns in plot lines, but there is a right way to do it and a wrong way to do it. The best part about the ending to this one was that I was glad it was over.
There were a few scenes in this book that could've worked very well but for the fact that our characters can't die. There was one point when I thought for sure that one of them was dead and turned out not to be, which made all of that characters actions afterwards feel empty.
The only reason I gave the rating an additional half star was because I felt that Gromph's story ending was executed well. Much of the individual endings for each character worked well for the most part, but were so long overdue that it was ultimately unsatisfying.
Kemp took on the difficult challenge of ending a series with 5 previous authors. I am not sure what kind of guidelines or restrictions he was under so I'm not being critical of his authorship, mostly of the series and conclusion as a whole. I believe the story could have been told much better in fewer books. There were hundreds of pages of pointless non-entertaining battles and endless bickering between the characters throughout the whole 6 books. Perhaps the redundancy was so glaring because I read all 6 books so quickly (2 weeks.)
Most of the time when I finish a series I am left with a feeling of "Wow, that was amazing! I would like to read it again some day!" or "Good series, I think I will check out more from this author," but never have I felt like I do now - "What a complete waste of time." Well, almost a complete waste. I enjoyed Richard Lee Byers, Richard Baker, and Philip Athans writing style, so at least now I know which authors I prefer in this bunch. Nonetheless, I would have preferred to read a recap of the series, just so I could keep up to date on Menzoberranzan.
If you have read the first 5 books in the series and need to finish it, I would only recommend reading the last few chapters of Resurrection.
I will more than likely not read another series comprised of multiple authors again.
It saddens me to have to give this novel such a poor rating, as I know that R.A. Salvatore, Paul Kemp, and the other 5 authors of this series put so much work and effort into it, yet I have to give my honest opinion.
Here is why I didn't like it.
The never-ending bickering of the lead characters grew annoying quickly in the series, and continues in this book. They are all bark and no bite, they argue like school children.
Many of them should have died countless times over, but they have so many ridiculous healing and regenerative abilities that they are practically immortal, so every time there is a battle there seems to be no real danger.
It seems obvious that each author had a different idea of where they wanted the story to ultimately go. There were a lot of build ups and character developments that didn't particularly fit in the end. Don't get me wrong, I love twists and turns in plot lines, but there is a right way to do it and a wrong way to do it. The best part about the ending to this one was that I was glad it was over.
There were a few scenes in this book that could've worked very well but for the fact that our characters can't die. There was one point when I thought for sure that one of them was dead and turned out not to be, which made all of that characters actions afterwards feel empty.
The only reason I gave the rating an additional half star was because I felt that Gromph's story ending was executed well. Much of the individual endings for each character worked well for the most part, but were so long overdue that it was ultimately unsatisfying.
Kemp took on the difficult challenge of ending a series with 5 previous authors. I am not sure what kind of guidelines or restrictions he was under so I'm not being critical of his authorship, mostly of the series and conclusion as a whole. I believe the story could have been told much better in fewer books. There were hundreds of pages of pointless non-entertaining battles and endless bickering between the characters throughout the whole 6 books. Perhaps the redundancy was so glaring because I read all 6 books so quickly (2 weeks.)
Most of the time when I finish a series I am left with a feeling of "Wow, that was amazing! I would like to read it again some day!" or "Good series, I think I will check out more from this author," but never have I felt like I do now - "What a complete waste of time." Well, almost a complete waste. I enjoyed Richard Lee Byers, Richard Baker, and Philip Athans writing style, so at least now I know which authors I prefer in this bunch. Nonetheless, I would have preferred to read a recap of the series, just so I could keep up to date on Menzoberranzan.
If you have read the first 5 books in the series and need to finish it, I would only recommend reading the last few chapters of Resurrection.
I will more than likely not read another series comprised of multiple authors again.
April 4, 2008
Interesting enougth, this book is better than the last two in the series. In the end, it closes to a Divine revelation, as we all expected, and suits just fine for us to known Lolth, the most infmaous deities in D&D. And the battle between the archmage for the ultimate destruction of the lichdrow is really interesting, even as it evolves in trhee books!
January 26, 2010
ARGH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
The ending of this whole series frustrated me to the point that I was yelling before the last page.
Lolth would be pleased. If you "get" that, then this series is for you.
The ending of this whole series frustrated me to the point that I was yelling before the last page.
Lolth would be pleased. If you "get" that, then this series is for you.
April 4, 2019
Perfect ending to the series.
September 4, 2011
Really bummed over the ending. My favorite character dies like that? Couldn't he survive the war so there could be a spin-off on him and Ryld? ARGH!!!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 24, 2012
Loved this series! If you love the "bad" guys in books. U will want to read the spider queen books. Cause they are all bad. It's just a matter of degree.
June 22, 2024
I didnt read this book I hate it and after flipping through to check for any cool parts and seeing halisstra have a 2nd crisis and return to lolth there is not a force on God's green earth that could make me read it.
Halisstra is a bad character with a terrible story arc and it is ridiculous that she is introduced right at the end of the second book in this series and matters so much
Pharaun is the only character worth rooting for in this book and he dies alone and terrified which a slight against the character that had been established up to this point
There is nowhere near enough plot to fill six books, half of it is filler and doesn't matter and the other half still doesn't matter all conflicts are resolved in order to return to the status quo there are no meaningful changes to anything that matters
In book 5 nearly half of it is dedicated to a fight between gromph and lich that is meaningless and dragged out, in book 3 the main group spend several chapters messing around in the desert and FOR WHAT
This book series was a waste of time
Halisstra is a bad character with a terrible story arc and it is ridiculous that she is introduced right at the end of the second book in this series and matters so much
Pharaun is the only character worth rooting for in this book and he dies alone and terrified which a slight against the character that had been established up to this point
There is nowhere near enough plot to fill six books, half of it is filler and doesn't matter and the other half still doesn't matter all conflicts are resolved in order to return to the status quo there are no meaningful changes to anything that matters
In book 5 nearly half of it is dedicated to a fight between gromph and lich that is meaningless and dragged out, in book 3 the main group spend several chapters messing around in the desert and FOR WHAT
This book series was a waste of time
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 22, 2018
El esperado final de la saga resulta ser un libro mucho mas oscuro que los previos, lleno de situaciones, criaturas y escenarios salidos de una autentica pesadilla.
Me ha impactado mucho la escenografía, especialmente todo lo relacionado con Inthracis y su castillo.
Desconozco si éste personaje tiene una saga propia, pero lo que respecta al libro y después de haberle dedicado capitulos enteros a su presentación me ha parecido un personaje totalmente desaprovechado al que parece que solo tenian interés en introducirnos pero que finalmente no aporta nada.
Sinceramente, esperaba mucho mas del final de éste libro, me ha dejado muy decepcionada que después de 5 libros de 300 páginas el final haya durado 10 páginas , no sé que mania tienen los autores de terminar sus historias de esa manera tan breve y abrupta pero no va conmigo en absoluto.
Muchos temas pendientes de rematar y poco sobre sobre la situación del mundo tras todos los acontecimientos.
Me ha impactado mucho la escenografía, especialmente todo lo relacionado con Inthracis y su castillo.
Desconozco si éste personaje tiene una saga propia, pero lo que respecta al libro y después de haberle dedicado capitulos enteros a su presentación me ha parecido un personaje totalmente desaprovechado al que parece que solo tenian interés en introducirnos pero que finalmente no aporta nada.
Sinceramente, esperaba mucho mas del final de éste libro, me ha dejado muy decepcionada que después de 5 libros de 300 páginas el final haya durado 10 páginas , no sé que mania tienen los autores de terminar sus historias de esa manera tan breve y abrupta pero no va conmigo en absoluto.
Muchos temas pendientes de rematar y poco sobre sobre la situación del mundo tras todos los acontecimientos.
March 19, 2024
Very good conclusion on this epic 6-part Forgotten Realms saga! the whole series was so worth it!
February 18, 2023
After 6 books and 1800 pages the adventure finally ends. And while the journey was long and enjoyable, the ending might leave a few readers unsatisfied. Loth may be a goddess of chaos but some decisions need to make sense, namely what was the purpose of all this. And once more, the series continues to suffer by being based on DnD, with the creature design being at times ridiculous. Still, younger readers and fans of DnD might enjoy the series especially as a summer read.
August 11, 2020
I'm going to let this review serve as a review for the entire War of the Spider Queen series.
Although the first book was fun, this series rapidly took a nose dive and never recovered. Four main problems with WotSQ:
1) There is just not enough story to fill six books. Too much filler, and the way the story lines alternate you have to read half the series to get any real plot advancement. Reading this series is like watching a soap opera; you inch along at an agonizing pace.
2) There are plot elements that are arbitrary or outright tension killers, and the lich-Gromph battle is a great example of both. Why does Dyrr send Gromph to the halfling afterlife, which is basically Club Med, when he could transport him to, say, the Elemental Plane of Fire, which is basically an ever-burning furnace? This is never explained.
Also, how the hell can that battle be exciting when Gromph carries a magical ring that will not let him die? The reader basically slogs through chapters and chapters of battle towards a foregone conclusion. Speaking of which...
3) Nothing changes. There are some momentous events, all of which lead to...the status quo. A slave revolt in Menzoberranzan! Defeated. An invasion of duergar and tanarukks! Beaten back. A battle royale between the Archmage and the oldest wizard in the Underdark! The Archmage wins by dint of better magical items. Why are the authors--there are six of 'em--putting the drow city in peril when nothing will come of any of it?
I get that Salvatore or WotC wants to retain Menzoberranzan as a fan favorite, but good story tellers know you don't put anything in jeopardy if you aren't willing to see that thing change.
4) These books are very male-gazey, even the one written by a woman. The female characters are constantly described in lavishly erotic terms, whereas the males--when they are described at all--are "slender" or "handsome." The women also spend a lot of time trading on sexual charms, which is odd for women who come from a matriarchy, and who believe in the inherent superiority of females. Finally, the old fan-boy trope of women-on-women action makes frequent appearances, and it ain't a gesture towards diversity. The males barely glance at one another; apparently, in the Underdark, homosexuality is a way for women to titillate men.
Ugh. Skip this.
Although the first book was fun, this series rapidly took a nose dive and never recovered. Four main problems with WotSQ:
1) There is just not enough story to fill six books. Too much filler, and the way the story lines alternate you have to read half the series to get any real plot advancement. Reading this series is like watching a soap opera; you inch along at an agonizing pace.
2) There are plot elements that are arbitrary or outright tension killers, and the lich-Gromph battle is a great example of both. Why does Dyrr send Gromph to the halfling afterlife, which is basically Club Med, when he could transport him to, say, the Elemental Plane of Fire, which is basically an ever-burning furnace? This is never explained.
Also, how the hell can that battle be exciting when Gromph carries a magical ring that will not let him die? The reader basically slogs through chapters and chapters of battle towards a foregone conclusion. Speaking of which...
3) Nothing changes. There are some momentous events, all of which lead to...the status quo. A slave revolt in Menzoberranzan! Defeated. An invasion of duergar and tanarukks! Beaten back. A battle royale between the Archmage and the oldest wizard in the Underdark! The Archmage wins by dint of better magical items. Why are the authors--there are six of 'em--putting the drow city in peril when nothing will come of any of it?
I get that Salvatore or WotC wants to retain Menzoberranzan as a fan favorite, but good story tellers know you don't put anything in jeopardy if you aren't willing to see that thing change.
4) These books are very male-gazey, even the one written by a woman. The female characters are constantly described in lavishly erotic terms, whereas the males--when they are described at all--are "slender" or "handsome." The women also spend a lot of time trading on sexual charms, which is odd for women who come from a matriarchy, and who believe in the inherent superiority of females. Finally, the old fan-boy trope of women-on-women action makes frequent appearances, and it ain't a gesture towards diversity. The males barely glance at one another; apparently, in the Underdark, homosexuality is a way for women to titillate men.
Ugh. Skip this.
February 2, 2009
To start, I really wanted to like this book. In fact, for the first 2/3 of it I truly did! This book had me thinking 4 stars until it took a complete turn toward the disconnected skips and hops. The last 1/3 of the book doesn't flow well and feels very disjointed with minimal resolution. It almost feels as if he squandered most of the space in the book and then said to himself "oh man, I only have about 100 pages left and nothing is resolved! I better cram this stuff together and wrap things up fast!".
On a positive note, Kemp does a good job of describing scenery and specifics. I give him credit for that. Another element I did enjoy was the characterization and the fact that nearly everyone seemed true to character, especially Pharaun and Danifae. Contrary to some of the reviews here, I believe the characters were handled well and stayed true to form.
On the contrary, what the characters were doing and some of the results of actions were handled oddly near the end of the book. Without spoilers really...There is a portion that contains some form of "dream sequence" or foreshadowing by the priestesses Quenthel, Danifae and Hallistra where they see incorrect visions of the future or truly believe they are living the result of Lolth's Resurrection. Later you see that all of this was false and was NOT the result of what happened. This part didn't hold water and made absolutely no sense once you finish the book! I have no idea what Kemp wanted to accomplish with that.
The actual ending was not much of a surprise, although there are a few interesting twists. Its a shame certain characters had to die, although that is to be expected with drow nature and didn't leave me shocked or upset.
All in all this book had its moments, was really good up until about 2/3 of the way through and then just lost the connectivity and felt crammed in an effort to wrap things up. It could have been much better.
On a positive note, Kemp does a good job of describing scenery and specifics. I give him credit for that. Another element I did enjoy was the characterization and the fact that nearly everyone seemed true to character, especially Pharaun and Danifae. Contrary to some of the reviews here, I believe the characters were handled well and stayed true to form.
On the contrary, what the characters were doing and some of the results of actions were handled oddly near the end of the book. Without spoilers really...There is a portion that contains some form of "dream sequence" or foreshadowing by the priestesses Quenthel, Danifae and Hallistra where they see incorrect visions of the future or truly believe they are living the result of Lolth's Resurrection. Later you see that all of this was false and was NOT the result of what happened. This part didn't hold water and made absolutely no sense once you finish the book! I have no idea what Kemp wanted to accomplish with that.
The actual ending was not much of a surprise, although there are a few interesting twists. Its a shame certain characters had to die, although that is to be expected with drow nature and didn't leave me shocked or upset.
All in all this book had its moments, was really good up until about 2/3 of the way through and then just lost the connectivity and felt crammed in an effort to wrap things up. It could have been much better.
October 20, 2010
I wanted to like this series, to the point that I've read the entire thing three times over trying to convince myself it isn't as bad as I thought at first. Unfortunately, while the series is very well written and has a host of characters that I really enjoyed, the end of the story is horridly bad. I can't exactly put my finger on it, but I guess it has something to do with the fact that the characters that are interesting are either killed or are basically changed into something else by the end of the series, and the absolute worst character (everyone who has read the book already knows who I'm talking about) lives through everything without any real change. I loved the first five books of this series, but every time I've come back going "why in the world don't I like these books, they're awesome!" I get to this book and the bottom falls out.
June 30, 2011
A vaguely lacklustre end to a series which showed so much promised so much excitement when it began. That's not to say this is a bad book, it's much stronger than the previous entry in the series but it struggles under the weight of bad decisions made before and a seeming desire to reset a lot of the changes which seemed sure to occur. Still, it does provide a good enough ending and is a satisfying magical romp through any number of confusing planes.
THe main problem it has dealing with the death of a major character in the previous book before the end of his story arc, in a decision by the previous author which really hamstrung the ability of this author to inject any 'human' drama here. The characters which at the start of the series seemed interesting and varied in their attitudes become vague outlines of themselves.
THe main problem it has dealing with the death of a major character in the previous book before the end of his story arc, in a decision by the previous author which really hamstrung the ability of this author to inject any 'human' drama here. The characters which at the start of the series seemed interesting and varied in their attitudes become vague outlines of themselves.
June 16, 2013
Quite the ending!
This is the final book in the 'War of the Spider Queen' saga.
Lolths 'chosen one' is making her way to the Demon Web Pits, and it could be any one of three female worshipers.
The book keeps you guessing till the very end. It really could be only two of the three females who end up in the demon-web pit, but it almost seems as if that third female might actually be chosen. Yes, this vague but I don't wanna spoil it!
The entire series is a good read. Each book is written by a different author, but they do very well at keeping the 'language' of flow of the books really connected.
- CJ
This is the final book in the 'War of the Spider Queen' saga.
Lolths 'chosen one' is making her way to the Demon Web Pits, and it could be any one of three female worshipers.
The book keeps you guessing till the very end. It really could be only two of the three females who end up in the demon-web pit, but it almost seems as if that third female might actually be chosen. Yes, this vague but I don't wanna spoil it!
The entire series is a good read. Each book is written by a different author, but they do very well at keeping the 'language' of flow of the books really connected.
- CJ
April 25, 2016
I finished up my re-reading of the War of the Spider Queen series with _Resurrection_ by Paul S. Kemp. What a great read!
Without spoiling anything one does find out who Lolth's "Yorthae" ends up being which is basically her hand picked drow female and one learns what happens to the original group of drow who leave the city in order to find out where Lolth went to and why.
Kemp also deftly juggles Gromph's situation involving an out of favor drow household which makes for a terrific spell-filled read.
The whole series was just great to re-read again. I missed a lot of stuff the first time around. Not sure why, but it was fun to revisit the intriguing world of the drow again.
Without spoiling anything one does find out who Lolth's "Yorthae" ends up being which is basically her hand picked drow female and one learns what happens to the original group of drow who leave the city in order to find out where Lolth went to and why.
Kemp also deftly juggles Gromph's situation involving an out of favor drow household which makes for a terrific spell-filled read.
The whole series was just great to re-read again. I missed a lot of stuff the first time around. Not sure why, but it was fun to revisit the intriguing world of the drow again.
January 31, 2013
This book reminded me a lot of the music in Nolan's Dark Knight. It gives this feeling of anxious build up and tension all the way to the very end. I'm sure the author was given all the checkmarks that had to be hit by the end, but he really kept up the anticipation until the last few pages. The Gromph arc is phenomenal, but I was a bit disappointed with the abruptness of the end of some other characters. In the end I had to laugh and shake my head because how could it have been any other way with a cast full of ultra powerful drow! Excellent series.
February 18, 2014
The end was shockingly, suprisingly cruel. I expected something else, so it is good point. However the way to the end was quite painfull. The meaningless circles in the storyline, the characters who came back from the very edge of the death were also painfull... These moments were absolutely senseless.
This book wasn't bad, it provide good entertainment to me, so it wasn't a waste of time. I hope I'll read better books this year.
This book wasn't bad, it provide good entertainment to me, so it wasn't a waste of time. I hope I'll read better books this year.
September 23, 2012
I'd be interested to know what other fans think. I felt the ending was a let-down, and overly cynical. However, I think the author did a good job throughout the series of capturing the hostility and sarcasm of drow females.
April 2, 2022
"Her webs encase all … and the world is her prey.”
Resurrection, the sixth and final book in The War of the Spider Queen, continues the fantasy series’ strong delivery, ending with a bang (if not completely satisfying) finale. With the drow on Lolth’s doorstep, it’s time for scribe Paul S. Kemp to remind us just how dastardly the dark elves can be. This one is pretty brutal as both main and supporting characters meet some pretty awful fates. Kemp plays no favorites and this is one case where hyperbole - no character’s safe! – is actually apt.
Like the last book in the series, Kemp opens with suitably grisly chapter one, introducing a new villain and a castle that is wonderfully grotesque. Kemp even manages to make Lolth’s son Vhaeraun interesting (for a few pages at least) before moving us on to the novel’s two main threads: the drow priestesses’ quest to find a (by now) resurrected Lolth and (meanwhile back on the Prime Material plane), the efforts of the dark elves in Menzoberranzan to rid themselves of the treacherous lich Dyrr.
As much as I enjoyed the book (and this series as a whole), a few flaws keep it from perfect. It’s not quite as tightly plotted as I would have liked and quite a few of the series’ main antagonists are quietly shuffled off to the side – maybe for future adventures – but honestly after five books, I felt a few more subplots deserved their curtain call. And while Archmage Gromph’s two book duel with the Lich Dyrr is both intricate and interesting, it ends up feeling a bit like small potatoes as the rest of the drow are battling gods and demons. The subplot isn’t unpleasant filler, but it still feels like filler.
On the other hand, the ending chapters certainly deliver … and I would advise readers to give yourself plenty of uninterrupted time to plow through the last third of the book … I found it impossible to quit reading once past the Soulreaver’s cave … and the final payoffs are pretty impressive … even if … well, maybe not everything makes sense(?). Why Lolth went silent, why all of this happened, why all the pain and suffering, I’m not sure as the series doesn’t quite end with crystal clarity. And maybe that’s the point. As Lolth scolds (in one of her few direct lines), “You seek reasons, purpose, and that is your failing. Do you not see? Chaos offers no reasons, has no purpose. It is what it is and that is enough.”
Maybe so. While I would have liked a bit more sense from Lolth’s scheme, maybe the spider queen has a point. As a reader, it’s been a long-time since I enjoyed a fantasy mega-series this much and maybe it doesn’t tie up every loose strand of webbing by the final page, but few series are so consistently entertaining. And maybe … that is enough.
June 30, 2017
This is a six book series that is situated in the Forgotten Realms campaign setting of the Dungeons and Dragons role-playing game by Wizards of the Coast. The general premise of this series is that Lloth, the god of the Drow (evil elves), has shut herself off from her priestesses and followers, and what kind of impact that holds for her ‘children’.
The first book deals with the jewel of the underdark, Menzoberranzan and how the loss of Lloth impacts the power struggles and day to day life of those in this city.
The 2nd book follows the ‘protagonists’ of the story and their traveling to the next closest city of the Drow in an attempt to discern if the issue is isolated or universal.
The 3rd – 6th books continue on the journey and the various external people that impact on the ‘antagonists’ journey to find their goddess and how they help or hinder for the reasons of their own.
I have put the term ‘antagonists’ in quotes as the heroes of this story are all members of the evil race of the Drow and as such are neither good or lawful, so for some readers it might be distasteful to see how callous and selfish they are during their mission.
Each book has a short prologue that deals with Lloth and what she is doing during the time of the book in question. These were rather well done as they were written in a dreamlike or allegorical method and were such that I was finding myself looking forward to these prologues of every book.
These novels were written by six different authors, despite their being one continuing tale of six primary characters. I found that this cooperative story telling method was both a good and bad thing. It was bad as the differing styles and tones of the authors were quite apparent and nearly distracting from the story, but was good as if the story was only written by one of these authors, I most likely would not have continued it, as not all the authors were to my liking.
Overall I found the concept of what was being set forth by this series to be an excellent idea with lots of opportunity for engaging stories, but I found the overall final product to be rather lacking to the point of finding myself saying “for such a huge concept, they didn’t seem to go very far with it”.
I would suggest to any lovers of the Drow or of the Forgotten Realms, that this would be a worthwhile series to borrow or loan from the library, but not anything one would or should invest their personal monies into.
The first book deals with the jewel of the underdark, Menzoberranzan and how the loss of Lloth impacts the power struggles and day to day life of those in this city.
The 2nd book follows the ‘protagonists’ of the story and their traveling to the next closest city of the Drow in an attempt to discern if the issue is isolated or universal.
The 3rd – 6th books continue on the journey and the various external people that impact on the ‘antagonists’ journey to find their goddess and how they help or hinder for the reasons of their own.
I have put the term ‘antagonists’ in quotes as the heroes of this story are all members of the evil race of the Drow and as such are neither good or lawful, so for some readers it might be distasteful to see how callous and selfish they are during their mission.
Each book has a short prologue that deals with Lloth and what she is doing during the time of the book in question. These were rather well done as they were written in a dreamlike or allegorical method and were such that I was finding myself looking forward to these prologues of every book.
These novels were written by six different authors, despite their being one continuing tale of six primary characters. I found that this cooperative story telling method was both a good and bad thing. It was bad as the differing styles and tones of the authors were quite apparent and nearly distracting from the story, but was good as if the story was only written by one of these authors, I most likely would not have continued it, as not all the authors were to my liking.
Overall I found the concept of what was being set forth by this series to be an excellent idea with lots of opportunity for engaging stories, but I found the overall final product to be rather lacking to the point of finding myself saying “for such a huge concept, they didn’t seem to go very far with it”.
I would suggest to any lovers of the Drow or of the Forgotten Realms, that this would be a worthwhile series to borrow or loan from the library, but not anything one would or should invest their personal monies into.
December 30, 2022
In which the never-ending war of the spider queen wends its way to an end. Surprisingly, there are betrayals. Whoda thunk? I suppose the trick with drow not named Drizzt is to somehow maintain suspense while all the while knowing every back is a possible receptacle for not one but many knives. Perhaps the suspense is maintained the longest with the former battle captive Danifae, hottie priestess, erstwhile winner in the battle for drow-demon-spawn Jeggred's . . . affections? Loyalties? Something. Danifae as a character manages to balance on the knife edge of multiple possible allegiances for longer than any other character, which means she gets to be the last one to betray someone, which finally makes her the best candidate of any for a renewal of Lolth. That part of the plotting is clear enough. What isn't particularly clear in this or any of the previous installments, is exactly why ol' Lolth needs an upgrade: i.e. why the whole shebang started in the first place. I suppose wanting some kind of coherent explanation for the overarching story of a goddess of chaos just shows I lean toward lawful in my evil (or maybe chaotic neutral, the most selfish of alignments, since reading for pleasure is the most selfish aim of all in a book and mine requires a soupçon of verisimilitude, even from icons of unreason). What else happens here? Quenthel spends more time talking to her whip (there's a good joke here somewhere) while Halisstra changes her mind once again. Oh yeah, and spiders. Lots of spiders. Really. Pharaun remains interesting comic relief, though without a more placid male to contrast with (Ryld and Valas having departed in earlier volumes), there's just smirking at Jeggred, which finally isn't as much fun. Fortunately there is one more ridiculous face off (sorta) between Gronph and the lichdrow he done defeated before, because as everyone knows, you gotta bogart the phylactery or that zombie bastard will come back stronger than ever, and the Dyrr baddie done hid his in, like, the worst (and most obvious) place ever. So there's more crazy problem-solving mage stuff that calls for some creative writing. Overall the series as a whole is reasonably entertaining. Some volumes are stronger than others. This closing narrative is neither the weakest nor the strongest (honors there probably go to Lisa Smedman's fourth volume in the series.
November 8, 2017
I find that in my fiction writing, I don't write about Gods and their goings on. It seems that a lot of books that I've read this year have Gods in them. Are authors I like exploring Pantheons more these days? or am I? I think it's just random happenstance given that this series was written many years ago.
This book, like the rest of the series, was excellent. The parts I didn't like were eclipsed by the parts I did. It had me thinking about societal structure, social norms, ideas for writing, and appreciating the work of Gary Gygax that D&D, then Forgotten Realms, then these Novels built on. I'm grateful to live in a time where I have access to such awesome books. The books generated new ideas for how to use magic items and wards and portray evil NPCs in my games. I haven't spent much time with the Planes in D&D and liked researching each creature as it was introduced into series. It was awesome to look up stats for characters online during this read. Again, layer upon layer from many very bright people drawing upon a common knowledge base makes these worlds vibrant and full of depth. Like taking Tolkien to the next level of awesome writing. Similar to standing on the shoulders of giants in science.
The plots and their surprises were well done. It's hard to tell a story across 6 different authors and keep the same feel. They've done a great job with it and it felt like it was written by RA Salvatore.
This book, like the rest of the series, was excellent. The parts I didn't like were eclipsed by the parts I did. It had me thinking about societal structure, social norms, ideas for writing, and appreciating the work of Gary Gygax that D&D, then Forgotten Realms, then these Novels built on. I'm grateful to live in a time where I have access to such awesome books. The books generated new ideas for how to use magic items and wards and portray evil NPCs in my games. I haven't spent much time with the Planes in D&D and liked researching each creature as it was introduced into series. It was awesome to look up stats for characters online during this read. Again, layer upon layer from many very bright people drawing upon a common knowledge base makes these worlds vibrant and full of depth. Like taking Tolkien to the next level of awesome writing. Similar to standing on the shoulders of giants in science.
The plots and their surprises were well done. It's hard to tell a story across 6 different authors and keep the same feel. They've done a great job with it and it felt like it was written by RA Salvatore.
January 3, 2022
A high 3 stars.
Overall, of the entirety of the series, nothing terribly consequential has happened. Things remain largely status quo. Kinda disappointed that nothing came about from the enmity between Gromph and Quenthel which seemed so significantly set up in Dissolution.
This book could've done with an additional 30 or so pages to flesh out... I don't know what, but something was missing just a tad. Maybe the ultroloth's army clashing with Lolth's horde could've done with something extra, or another moment in history about Haliistra's and Danifae's relationship with each other to further hit home their respective internal conflicts, or lack thereof. But, having said that, Gromph's infiltration of House Dyrr's HQ and the ensuing spell battle/puzzle was pretty meaty D&D-based awesomeness. We get to see Tenser's Transformation along with 7th-9th level uber-spells in action, a la Contingency and Wish. Also, Pharaun felt like Pharaun under Kemp's authorship; witty, clever, mercurial.
This is the second of Kemp's books I've read and I wasn't really impressed with the first one, Shadow's Witness. But I've really warmed up to his style with this one. It's engaging, atmospheric and exciting; better than Athans' style, which, while very readable, is pretty functional, plain and succinct. I'm keen to check out the Erevis Cale trilogy. Rating amongst the six authors of this series, I place Kemp's impressive effort second in place after Byers.
Overall, of the entirety of the series, nothing terribly consequential has happened. Things remain largely status quo. Kinda disappointed that nothing came about from the enmity between Gromph and Quenthel which seemed so significantly set up in Dissolution.
This book could've done with an additional 30 or so pages to flesh out... I don't know what, but something was missing just a tad. Maybe the ultroloth's army clashing with Lolth's horde could've done with something extra, or another moment in history about Haliistra's and Danifae's relationship with each other to further hit home their respective internal conflicts, or lack thereof. But, having said that, Gromph's infiltration of House Dyrr's HQ and the ensuing spell battle/puzzle was pretty meaty D&D-based awesomeness. We get to see Tenser's Transformation along with 7th-9th level uber-spells in action, a la Contingency and Wish. Also, Pharaun felt like Pharaun under Kemp's authorship; witty, clever, mercurial.
This is the second of Kemp's books I've read and I wasn't really impressed with the first one, Shadow's Witness. But I've really warmed up to his style with this one. It's engaging, atmospheric and exciting; better than Athans' style, which, while very readable, is pretty functional, plain and succinct. I'm keen to check out the Erevis Cale trilogy. Rating amongst the six authors of this series, I place Kemp's impressive effort second in place after Byers.
January 14, 2019
Było nudno...
Nie wiem, ale mam wrażenie, że temu cyklowi starczyłoby te 5, może nawet 4 tomu. Nudziłam się, bo bohaterowie szli, byli niezwyciężeni, sporo przedłużeń i tak koniec końców chciałam tę książkę, jak i serię, po prostu zmordować i skończyć. Nic więcej. Zawiodłam się na wielu wątkach. Zawiodłam się na tym, że niektóre wątki mogły zostać ukazane, a zostały całkowicie pominięte na rzecz Drow - czyli tam i z powrotem, a więc wędrówki głównej paczki.
No i zakończenie...
Hmm, nie było złe. Wiele osób narzekało na ostateczne losy wielu postaci, ale uważam, że praktycznie każda postać dostała ciekawe zakończenie. Akurat lubię jak kogoś zabijają na końcu, więc tu nie mam żadnych problemów. Tak samo cieszę się z losu Halisstry. Oj, cieszę się... Tak więc seria zakończona. Polecam? Raczej nie. Zaczęło się naprawdę genialne, ale jakoś tak skończyło... średnio. Zbyt wiele przedłużeń, wiele wątków pominięto, z bohaterów zrobili nieśmiertelne cizie, bo inaczej tego nie nazwę, a tempo akcji zwolniło... Oj, strasznie...
Nie wiem, ale mam wrażenie, że temu cyklowi starczyłoby te 5, może nawet 4 tomu. Nudziłam się, bo bohaterowie szli, byli niezwyciężeni, sporo przedłużeń i tak koniec końców chciałam tę książkę, jak i serię, po prostu zmordować i skończyć. Nic więcej. Zawiodłam się na wielu wątkach. Zawiodłam się na tym, że niektóre wątki mogły zostać ukazane, a zostały całkowicie pominięte na rzecz Drow - czyli tam i z powrotem, a więc wędrówki głównej paczki.
No i zakończenie...
Hmm, nie było złe. Wiele osób narzekało na ostateczne losy wielu postaci, ale uważam, że praktycznie każda postać dostała ciekawe zakończenie. Akurat lubię jak kogoś zabijają na końcu, więc tu nie mam żadnych problemów. Tak samo cieszę się z losu Halisstry. Oj, cieszę się... Tak więc seria zakończona. Polecam? Raczej nie. Zaczęło się naprawdę genialne, ale jakoś tak skończyło... średnio. Zbyt wiele przedłużeń, wiele wątków pominięto, z bohaterów zrobili nieśmiertelne cizie, bo inaczej tego nie nazwę, a tempo akcji zwolniło... Oj, strasznie...
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