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Lord Karsus
Great Reader
USA
3738 Posts |
 Posted - 17 May 2011 : 08:07:03
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Son of Thunder
By Murray Leeder
Book III, The Fighters
I liked Son of Thunder when I first read it, all those years ago. Surprisingly, re-reading it did not make me like it less, but actually made me like it even more. Simply remember the book, I would have ranked it a pretty good Forgotten Realms novel. Having re-read it, and having it fresh in my mind, I’d say it’s in my top five, in terms of favorite Forgotten Realms novels go.
As any of you who read my reviews know, I am a very character driven reader. A good character or three can redeem even the worst plotline, while even the best plotline can be spoiled by bad characters. Surprisingly, Son of Thunder did not have too many characters that I liked, and it was the plotline that really did it for me. Vell the Brown, the main protagonist, didn’t really do it for me. His character was purposefully supposed to be bland and ordinary, making his selection by the Thunderbeast totem all the more striking, but bland and ordinary protagonists are…well, bland and ordinary. He never had much of a personality throughout the book, and when his inner monologues and personality were highlighted, he came off as whiney and annoying (with good reason, though- he was transformed from an undistinguished Uthgart to were-Brachiosaurus)- he has that whole hero-who-doesn’t-want-to-be-a-hero-but-circumstances-dictate-that-he-has-no-choice vibe going. Kellin Lyme, the sorcereress from Candlekeep, she, too, was a bland personality. For the most part, all of the protagonists were.
The antagonists, on the other hand, were a lot more interesting. Lord Geildarr Ithym, Mayor of Llorkh, was an excellent character. He was not pure evil and maniacal, like many evil villains are. He was a self-serving type of evil, a much more realistic, relatable form. More importantly, though, he exhibited a side that a lot of Forgotten Realms villains don’t- a realistic side. He had interests outside of being evil, killing things, and so on. He was a collector, for example, of items of antiquity, both magical and mundane. He murdered the previous mayor, and was more-or-less installed by the Zhentarim, but he seemed to care about the residents of his city when it was being besieged during the endgame sequence. He liked feeling like he was in charge, but knew that he was ultimately at the whim of people more powerful than he- mainly Fzoul and Sememmon. Mythkar Leng, the Cyricist priest, was a character in the aforementioned “pure evil and maniacal” mold, but he pulled it off. It doesn’t get more evil than lighting a Treant on fire in the High Forest, sadistically torturing and corrupting a faerie just to see what would happen, and attempting to pollute and blaspheme the Unicorn Run. Ardeth Chale, Geildarr’s protégé, her character didn’t quite do it for me for most of the novel- I don’t like protagonists or antagonists who always seem to feel like they’re in control of any given situation, and have the power to back up their confidence. The swerve at the end, though, that she was actually a Shade agent manipulating Geildarr (and the Zhentarim), was really cool, though. Gan the Hobgoblin, a throw-away antagonists, sadly, I found his character more interesting than Kellin, one of the main protagonists. The Hobgoblin respecting and wanting to serve the strongest, and the effects that the magical axe had on him intensifying those urges, it made for an interesting dynamic, at any rate.
I am partial to the areas of the North that the novel primarily took place in- the High Forest, the Star Mounts- and the story elements that were featured- Netheril, dinosaurs- so maybe that colored my opinion of the setting and plotline, but all of that was A+. In general, the book was chock full of Realmslore. The power struggle within the Black Network between Bane and Cyric was highlighted. The Fountains of Memory were briefly featured, and were described nicely. We had an instance of wizard weather. Elaacrimalicros was briefly seen flying high across the sky. A flashback to a Netherese city after the Fall of High Netheril. Plenty of Uthgart history- their entire history, really, from their progenitors to the current day. The Grandfather Tree.
I do have a few nitpicks, though. The religious ceremony at the beginning of the novel, where Vell was “chosen” by the Thunderbeast totem, was too short. Within the span of a few pages, we go from being introduced to Vell and the other Uthgart, to suddenly Vell being a werecreature. It could have been stretched out a bit more. The burgeoning romance between Vell and Kellin also seemed a little out of place- I had forgotten about it, and was so disappointed when, ¾ of the way through the novel, a hokey romance sprung up; I thought I had a novel where hokey romances were not going to be found. The extent of their relationship was an embrace (I didn’t read it euphemistically), but suddenly, at the end, we have Vell wishing to leave everything for her, when she returns to Candlekeep. Seemed a bit silly.
Overall, out of a possible Five Beholders, I give Son of Thunder Five Beholders.
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(A Tri-Partite Arcanist Who Has Forgotten More Than Most Will Ever Know)
Elves of Faerûn
Vol I- The Elves of Faerûn
Vol. III- Spells of the Elves
Vol. VI- Mechanical Compendium |
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Quale
Master of Realmslore
1757 Posts |
Posted - 18 May 2011 : 12:17:26
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The Uthgardt parts were my favourite, there was an online short story about their history, I used that part for a Talfiric/Thaeravel tribe, not the usual Netherese descent.
I did not like the names of most characters. |
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Lord Karsus
Great Reader
USA
3738 Posts |
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Marc
Senior Scribe
657 Posts |
Posted - 19 May 2011 : 20:55:45
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The Uthgardt do have a few Germanic sounding names, for example those in Grunwald. This was too modern sounding, imagine a shaman named Nietzsche, that'd be fun.
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Quale
Master of Realmslore
1757 Posts |
Posted - 19 May 2011 : 21:03:21
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| I don't remember a Kierkegaard |
Edited by - Quale on 19 May 2011 21:24:47 |
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Lord Karsus
Great Reader
USA
3738 Posts |
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Murray Leeder
Forgotten Realms Author
Canada
228 Posts |
Posted - 20 May 2011 : 04:53:44
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His name was Keirkrad, and any complaints about that name will have to go to Paul Jaquays, not I.
L.K., I sent you a private message a few days ago thanking you for your thoughts on SoT. I didn't want to chime in here too quickly because I thought that the "Voice of God" intruding might restrict unguarded discussion. I'm happy to hear any comments, positive and negative. In keeping with L.K.'s review, I will be plead guilty when it comes to crafting more interesting villains than heroes in that novel. |
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Brimstone
Great Reader
USA
3286 Posts |
Posted - 20 May 2011 : 07:37:03
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Nice, throw Paul under the bus!
JK.
I have this book. I just haven't found the time to read it.
Interesting villians? |
"These things also I have observed: that knowledge of our world is
to be nurtured like a precious flower, for it is the most precious
thing we have. Wherefore guard the word written and heed
words unwritten and set them down ere they fade . . . Learn
then, well, the arts of reading, writing, and listening true, and they
will lead you to the greatest art of all: understanding."
Alaundo of Candlekeep |
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Murray Leeder
Forgotten Realms Author
Canada
228 Posts |
Posted - 20 May 2011 : 16:35:21
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| The funny thing is, I was most of the way through the manuscript when I realized the name in the sourcebooks was "Keirkrad" and not "Keikrad." Both are fine names, but it tooks some adjustment to type it with an extra r. |
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Lord Karsus
Great Reader
USA
3738 Posts |
Posted - 22 May 2011 : 22:43:34
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quote:
Originally posted by Murray Leeder
His name was Keirkrad, and any complaints about that name will have to go to Paul Jaquays, not I.
-I was posting on my phone, not being home, so close enough. 
quote:
Originally posted by Murray Leeder
L.K., I sent you a private message a few days ago thanking you for your thoughts on SoT.
-I did not receive it, but no matter. Thanks for writing a real good book. I was completely unaware you (still) post(ed) here, also. If I did, I think that actually would have made this review a little more difficult. I'm in the process of reviewing Erik de Bie's Depths of Madness, for example. I know he posts here, and is a cool guy besides, so I don't want to write a review that makes it look like I'm shilling for him, but at the same time, I don't want to bury him.
quote:
Originally posted by Murray Leeder
In keeping with L.K.'s review, I will be plead guilty when it comes to crafting more interesting villains than heroes in that novel.
-I don't want to say it's a universal maxim, since my own perceptions and opinions constitute a small sample size, but I think, in general, it's easier to make villains that are more interesting/cool/badass/whatever than heroes. Compare the Jedi and the Sith, for example. Both are fundamentally incorrect about the nature of the Force, but the Jedi are a whole lot more nondescript and bland, over the thousands of years of their history, as compared to the Sith, over the thousands of years of their history. |
(A Tri-Partite Arcanist Who Has Forgotten More Than Most Will Ever Know)
Elves of Faerûn
Vol I- The Elves of Faerûn
Vol. III- Spells of the Elves
Vol. VI- Mechanical Compendium |
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Murray Leeder
Forgotten Realms Author
Canada
228 Posts |
Posted - 23 May 2011 : 03:02:04
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Well I thank you for your unguarded thoughts. And sorry that my P.M. didn't reach you. You're right, it's not in my outbox, so something must have gone wrong in the sending. I honestly think, however, that top five among FR novels is too kind -- I doubt SoT is in the top fifty.
I did want to make sure from the start that I was not writing a fantasy novel that happened to take place in Faerun, but a Forgotten Realms novel, just like I had been reading since my teens. To that end, I wanted to make sure it was dripping with Realms feel. So I'm glad people respond to it on that level.
I agree that the Vell/Kellin romance is inadequately developed. The way to have done it, I think, would have been to convey that they were latching onto each other out of mutual desperation. Vell is estranged from his tribe by the end, feels removed from the history of his people by knowing too much about it (facts Sungar and Thluna are willing to forget but he cannot), and Kellin is his way out. I picture them months later at Candlekeep, unable to think of subjects to even talk about. |
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Kno
Senior Scribe
452 Posts |
Posted - 24 May 2011 : 18:54:29
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| I wish there were more novels with the Uthgard, one for each tribe including the lost ones |
z455t |
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Lord Karsus
Great Reader
USA
3738 Posts |
Posted - 25 May 2011 : 05:55:45
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quote:
Originally posted by Kno
I wish there were more novels with the Uthgard, one for each tribe including the lost ones
-For as much happens in the North/Heartlands, novel-wise, there's a surprising few appearances of Uthgardt, yeah.
-Personally, I never liked the Uthgardt too much, so I'm not complaining. I like the concept of totem barbarians and such, but, I don't know what it is about them in general, but the Uthgardt never really did it for me. |
(A Tri-Partite Arcanist Who Has Forgotten More Than Most Will Ever Know)
Elves of Faerûn
Vol I- The Elves of Faerûn
Vol. III- Spells of the Elves
Vol. VI- Mechanical Compendium |
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Kno
Senior Scribe
452 Posts |
Posted - 25 May 2011 : 12:09:27
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what other totem barbarians do you have in mind?
I like the most the were-dinosaur idea, it's awesome if you ignore that dinosaurs are common in Faerun |
z455t |
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Lord Karsus
Great Reader
USA
3738 Posts |
Posted - 25 May 2011 : 18:24:41
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quote:
Originally posted by Kno
I like the most the were-dinosaur idea, it's awesome if you ignore that dinosaurs are common in Faerun
-That was addressed in the book. Down in Chult, those creatures might exist, but up that far north, in a region that isn't exactly suited for dinosaurs because of both the terrain and temperature, they were near mythical beasts- and, of course, Chult, to most of these people, is a near mythic place to begin with. |
(A Tri-Partite Arcanist Who Has Forgotten More Than Most Will Ever Know)
Elves of Faerûn
Vol I- The Elves of Faerûn
Vol. III- Spells of the Elves
Vol. VI- Mechanical Compendium |
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LK's Novel Reviews: Son of Thunder
