Shadow of the Avatar Trilogy & Shandril Saga

[Ziroc]

I Read all 3 books of that Shandril Saga, and it seems like this is how ALL 3 books go:

We gotta run to Silverymoon
Get stopped, attacked
Walk some more
Get stopped, attacked
Walk more...
Get stopped, attacked
Get stopped, attacked
Get stopped, attacked
Get stopped, attacked
Torm has a witty smartass quip
Get stopped, attacked
Take a wagon to waterdeep
Get stopped, attacked
Get stopped, attacked
ALL people on wagon are bad
Get stopped, attacked
Get stopped, attacked
Get stopped, attacked

And on and on.. as Memnoch said, NO imagination at all. And the book ended exactly the was I knew it would--bad. [img]smile.gif[/img]

Now... I just read book 1 of the Shadow of the Avatar Trilogy, and...to be truthful, it was boring, and sucked. One fight after another. is Book 2 and 3 as bad?

I LOVED the 'Avatar Trilogy' though.. Ed Greenwood just sucks I guess.

[ 01-19-2003, 02:58 AM: Message edited by: Ziroc ]

[Ziroc]

anyone? [img]smile.gif[/img]

[Memnoch]

[img]graemlins/rant.gif[/img]

Seriously Z...I don't know about you, after reading that printed toilet paper that was Elminster in Hell, I've just about given up on Ed Greenwood. know I've written essays on him here in the past but it comes down to 2 things in the end: 1) he has the WORST prose and writing style ever; and 2) he can't create a plot for shit. Elminster in Hell - is this guy for REAL?? [img]graemlins/wow.gif[/img] So much promising material undelivered - it's like getting mad at yourself because you bought a Yugo which you know was a piece of crap but you bought it anyway and true enough it was a piece of crap!

With Elminster In Hell, Ed creates basically what is a series of UNCONNECTED short stories (don't worry, there aren't any spoilers since there isn't any plot to spoil) randomly interspersed with some lame BS about Elminster being dragged into Hell and captured by a devil who tortures the living bejesus out of him and ends up revealing his sexual secrets with all these random events that took place in Ed's - oops, I meant El's - life.

SURELY Ed Greenwood was taking the piss out of everyone when he was writing this (taking the piss is an Australian euphemism - the closest translation could be "poking people with a stick to piss them off"). He should put somewhere on the back cover a statement saying that the book is a collection of short vignettes about Elminster's sex life which has SFA to do with being in Hell. In one fell swoop he DESTROYED my image of the Lords of the Nine and the archdevils - not to mention the Simbul. [img]graemlins/madhell.gif[/img] After reading that rubbish I had to immediately reread Lynn Abbey's "The Simbul's Gift" to reorient my brain to perceiving the Simbul the way I want to perceive her - the way Abbey perceived her.

It took me over a year to finish this book - I was seriously concerned that it might give me a lobotomy - and the only reason I finished it (it was the biggest piece of garbage I have EVER read from him and I have tried to block it from my mind) was because I was on an airline flight and didn't have anything to read!!!

Having said that, Gary Gygax's Ubermunchkin Bible novel "Dance of Demons" was probably worse than this. [img]graemlins/wow.gif[/img]

Damn, I have to go take a Valium now... [img]graemlins/rant.gif[/img]

Sorry Z...I guess I'm not the best person to ask about Shadow of the Avatar. I think Larry's suffered through it, he may be able to help... [img]redface.gif[/img]

[ 01-20-2003, 10:08 AM: Message edited by: Memnoch ]

[Ziroc]

Heh! You love Ed huh?

Yeah, I just have all 3 books (bought them years ago) and decided, 'hmmm, lets SEE if these are better'.. geez. Nope. [img]smile.gif[/img]

On a lighter note, that other book I was talking about IS excellent! Read it in 2 nights!

[Tar]

Heh seriously, I don't really like the books the Ed Greenwood wrote. Sure, he wrote a couple of rather nice ones but the rest really took me a looong time to finish it. I really have to drag myself to finish them [img]tongue.gif[/img]

Personally, I prefer Elaine Cunningham's book (her series about Danilo and Arilyn). And that author who wrote that wyvenspur and finder's bard series. I think even RA Salvatore lost his touch, a real pity since his Dark Elf trilogy was really great.

btw, who are the rest of the FR authors who are good?

[Luvian]

I bought the Elminster in Hell hardcover when it came out. I liked it more than Silverfall, Stories of the Seven sisters.

Out of all the novels I have read in my life. Ed is the worse writer.

[Memnoch]

Originally posted by Tar: btw, who are the rest of the FR authors who are good?

Richard Lee Byers and Thomas Reid came up with the first two books in the War of the Spider Queen series, and they were pretty good efforts - particularly from Reid. Still, it's his first book - I look forward to seeing more.

Richard Baker is writing the third one and he's one of the better ones.

Troy Denning is another one who is pretty good, though his Return of the Archwizards trilogy started out great and ended up with a whimper rather than a bang.

I've always had a lot of time for James Lowder, though he's not written many, those he's written have all been excellent.

[AzRaeL StoRmBlaDe]

Z i would really give up on Ed I don't know why you guys keep reading books from the guy. Instead of reading the next book, just come to me and I will take your 5 dollars and beat you over the head with a wet carp for the next 20 minutes. You will feel as foolish, and have as big of a headache, as if you spent the last 2 days reading the latest ed greenwood novel, "Elminster's edible undies", except it will save you time.

[ 01-22-2003, 07:08 PM: Message edited by: AzRaeL StoRmBlaDe ]