Swords of Eveningstar

by Ed Greenwood

Book Overview

The paperback release of an exciting new book by the creator of the Forgotten Realms ! After they saved his life, the king grants Florin and his friends what they've always dreamed of: an adventure! But the "adventure" proves a little more difficult then the newly named Swords of Eveningstar had thought it would be. Scions of evil from across the Realms manipulate the Swords like pawn, and it's all the Swords can do just to stay alive!

• Format: Mass Market Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 078694272X
• ISBN13: 9780786942725
• Release Date: June 2007
• Publisher: Wizards of the Coast
• Length: 425 Pages
• Weight: 0.45 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.2" x 4.1" x 7.0"

Customer Reviews

Just the Way I Remember It

I waited a long time for this book. And this series. Once upon a time, I discovered the Forgotten Realms. Not from the Dungeons and Dragons game, but from the novels. The Realms, as we fans call it, is a vast and magical place, full of wonderful stories of heroes, villians, and magic. Ed Greenwood wrote a book entitled Spellfire. In that book, amidst the overall plot he describes a group of young, experienced adventurers who more often than naught rescue the young heroine and her boyfriend. These are the KNIGHTS OF MYTH DRANNOR. They are a fun-loving band and have wonderful adventures while doing what is right. The whole time I read that book, I was like, I want more. More Knights. More Fun. Who are these guys? Where did they come from? Why are they so experienced? This book and the two that follow will answer those questions. Without going into too many details and thereby ruin the book for you, let me just say, this book starts out with five friends who want to be adventurers to get out of their boring lives. One of them, a young ranger to be, Florin Falconhand, gets more time in the limelight, because he is the coolest of them. (Just being honest) The five friends, in their search for adventure, get embroiled in a series of plots against the kingdom of Cormyr and ultimately save the day. Was that a spoiler? No, because why would you want to read a book that ends badly. This is not a Shakespearan tradegy. This is a fun, good time fantasy novel. That is not to say that everything goes well and all our heroes emerge unscathed, but the good guys win. And there's nothing wrong with that. Now for a brief message on style. As other reviewers have noted, Ed Greenwood has an interesting story-telling style. At times, it feels like he is telling four or five stories at once. He switches between them frequently, often at seemingly random times. It is his way of creating drama, of captivating your attention as a reader, but it can be confusing at times. Take it slow, enjoy the ride, and all the pieces will eventually fall into place. For fans of the Forgotten Realms, Ed will include many cameos from the "movers and the shakers" of the Forgotten Realms. As the original creator of many of these characters, he likes to show how seemingly inconsequential events have earth-shaking impacts in the world of Forgotten Realms. There is some Deux ex Machina at times(which means he uses his super-powerful wizards and kings to rescue or move the plot along without regard for his main characters) but overall, you get the sense of suspense and drama that make for great fantasy. I loved this book and I am getting the next one right away. There is not a lot of fun fantasy for adults anymore. Everything has to be so dramatic and tension filled that it chokes the life out of much of the genre. This is not like that. This is fantasy the way I remember it, back when I first opened that first Forgotten Realms book. I hope you give it a try and enjoy it as much as I did.

The Beginings of the Knights

Ed Greenwood takes us back on a trip down Faerun's memory lane, showing us the start of one of the most well known adventuring bands. Swords of Eveningstar comes across more like a dungeons and dragons campaign, played in true Ed Greenwood style. This novel (first of the trilogy) does jump quite a bit throughout, changing view point and setting, but that seems to just add to the book's charm. Greenwood commands his character's well, no voice seems flat, nor does a single plot fall by the way side. The development of the Knights allows one to connect instantly with them, each of us has had our own Dungeons and Dragons characters, and a resemblance is felt. This is quite apt, since these characters are of Ed Greenwood's own Dungeons and Dragons group. Yes, this story perhaps is the kind that requires you to take notes, following the twisting plot lines; but is that not the essence of a great book? One that you wish to pursue on a quest of knowledge finding more as you dig deeper. I personally found myself listing the characters presented, taking notes on places, ideas, that I could use within my own Dungeons and Dragons campaign. The master of the Forgotten Realms has presented us with a wealth of knowledge on the past, giving us readers almost a source book with which to formulate our own fantasy ideas from. A must read for any Forgotten Realms or Dungeons and Dragons fan. And even if you don't classify yourself under those labels, Swords of Eveningstar still presents itself as a strong fantasy novel, from a master within his field.

The Forgotten Realms from the begining

This is a good book and one of Ed Greenwood's best so far. He is the man who created the Realms and these are the adventures that forged it. Now, you must be warned that Ed Greenwood does have an "interesting" writing style. It is a lot like watching college football on Saturday with my dad as he clicks back and forth watching every game being broadcast. While reading one of Ed's books, you might want to keep notes as to which, wizard is which ;) Another good aspect of this book is that we get to see an group of novice adventures. Far too many Forgotten Realms books start off with epic characters who challenge gods and rewrite the rules of the game during the book. One aspect of the book I do have a problem with is the timeline Without any dates, it is hard to get a feel of just how much time passes in this book. It "feels" like very little time has passed, but judging by the spells being cast and of the area that Narantha traveled, at least a few months must have passed, if not most of a year. Overall, a very good begining to a what I hope will be a very good series of books.

Excellent Book

Swords of Eveningstar is Ed Greenwood's best book to date. Some people complain about Ed's writing style, that he "crams" too many characters into his books, but his style does not take away from his story. Like Elminster's Daughter, Spellfire, and numerous other Greenwood tales, he includes many players in this book, which is a real treat for Forgotten Realms fans. You do have to pay attention while you are reading this book because the story's fast pace can leave the novice reader behind. I will leave the review at that to avoid any possible spoilers because this is a must-read for any Forgotten Realms fan, or any fan of fantasy in general.