Project Realms Reads discussion

Released December, 1989

Spoiler schedule and suggested reading dates:
November 1st to the 8th: chapters 1 - 5.
November 9th to the 15th: chapters 6 - 9.
November 16th to the 24th: chapters 10 - end.

Happy reading, everyone!

So I'm a couple days behind, but I did finish this novel! I rated it 3 stars. I thought it was alright, but there was some glaring plot holes, a deus ex machina at the end, and a really weird focus on a specific body type.

I liked how the trio in this book each got their own little backstories and motives and how we got to see that throughout the book. The mini-missions at different locations with Phlan as the hub was nice. And I liked how each character got multiple opportunities to shine. I liked how at the end, our villain is still out there which gives incentive to continue the series (I think the Moonshae books did a poor job of this).

What I didn't like was the author's weird focus on buff-ness. Seriously, everyone is big and buff and tall and giving bedroom eyes to all the other big and buff and tall characters. This was not a smutty book, but it was smutty-adjacent.

I've noticed a lot of these Forgotten Realms books have a problem where side characters often get introduced just when the plot needs them, and half they time they're there to be a mini-boss and get smashed by our heroes by the end of the chapter. I'd love to see some more thought put into the introduction of side characters so it happens less as the books progress.

Honestly I've read worse Forgotten Realms books so I'm not dreading the next one in the series.