Tethtoril's Bookshelf

Rising Tide
The Threat From THe Sea Trilogy - Book 1


TSR Code:

21312 21312.jpg (31802 bytes)
Product Type: Novel
ISBN Number: 0-7869-1312-6
Author: Mel Odom
Cover Artist: Don Maitz
Release Date: January 1999
Format: Paperback book (343 pages).
Description:
The text below is taken from a description by TSR on the reverse of the actual product:

'From the murky depths of the Shining Sea rises a prehistoric menace who commands a rising tide of invasion to crash over the shores of Faerun.
Iakhovas has plotted for long, bitter years to regain the powers that were torn from him by an angry goddess.  Now, nothing will stand in his way, and the face of Toril will never be the same again.
Oblivious to the growing danger of the undersea civilizations, the surface world is about to awaken to a new horrifying threat from the sea'.

Other titles in The Threat From The Sea Trilogy:

See also the Realms of The Deep anthology.

Reviews:
By: Jason L Redfern Date: 18-May-1999
Rating: GoodGoodGood
Rising Tide begins the next major world-shattering event in the Forgotten Realms since the Time of Troubles and the Tuigan Wars.  'The Threat from the Sea' trilogy, in my opinion, should have been released as a single novel, as the first book 'Rising Tide', is basically just 343 pages of character building with only minor clashes and events in the characters lives and a slow build up for the second book in the series.  The book was, however, quite an enjoyable read, but lacked a increasing flow and climaxe at the end of the novel.  Whereas other novels which have been part of a trilogy have been complete in themselves but clearly have hanging plots and obvious lead-ons to the following novel, this is clearly cut off leaving you wondering what you've just read about in the past 300+ pages.  Although this is going to be an epic, I believe it should have been a single, full, hard-hitting hardcover novel, not a trilogy. 
On the content of the book, the sahuaghin attack on Waterdeep seemed to lack impact.   The feeling of total choas, panic and mayhem wasn't brought across.  Giving the size, population and activity of Waterdeep, especially in the Dock Ward, the attack seemed as though it was taking place in a small remote fishing village rather than the City of Splendors.  More descriptions of the panic and public involvement was needed.   Maybe book two of this trilogy will contain another attack on the city at a greater scale and will deliver the feeling and atmosphere which you would imagine from a city such as Waterdeep.
All in all, the book does give a feeling that something big is brewing and the chaos is definately yet to come. It is not an action novel but as I say, more a character building novel, just maybe spread over a few too many pages.
Reviews:
By: Adam Coakley Date: 19-February-2006
Rating: GoodGoodGood GoodGood
Having read a fair few Forgotten realms books in my time i would have to say that the threat from the sea trilogy is by far the best, and the series high point is of course the first book, packed with plot and believeable characters this really is a triumph of writing genius. I hope to find more series that i will enjoy as much but i dont hold much hope as it truly is excellent.

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