Shadowbred and Shadowstorm

First and foremost:
Happy new year – have a good start into 2008 and may you be more healthy than I currently am ;).

Besides health I had a very good start into this year, having found my apetite for books again and very recently finished with the two available books of Paul S. Kemp’s Twilight War Trilogy. (And I have to admit my heart is longing very much for Shadowrealm.)
First all started with Shadowbred. The books very much starts where Midnight Falling leaves you. It was nice to read of Mr. Cale again honestly.
I have to admit my personal hero of the story so far (and she will probably not have a lot of parttaking in part 3) was the daughter of the overmistress. It was a brilliant combination of drug addicted, mad-wo-man and scheming priestess of Shar. I really loved her in the book. (Erevis, Riven and the masklings were great as usual) and furthermore I like the falling paladin very much. It was a genuine scenario of a paladin falling, one hard to ignore and truly understandable.
I remember not very long past I had a cleric of Lathander in the ranks of my players and he endured not even a hint of the pain this paladin took and converted right to Shar 😉 back then. I wouldn’t have another priest that easily convertable in my player’s ranks nowadays but back then it was pretty much stuff for legend – not perfect but still something to remember.

was the second one and I honestly have to admit no matter what they say about Kemp’s colleagues when it comes to massive battles ( I just started with The Orc King of Salavatore and in the foreword they tell he does one of the best jobs when it comes to epic battles…) Dear Paul – you did an outstanding job on the epic battle you started. Every page was filled with surprise and struck me as reader – pushed me forward and let me forget any need for sleep or other things. I honestly have to admit I would have loved to see Rivalen fall against the Green – it was the perfect moment with the antimagic field to take place but I guess that would have had further implications and was not “allowable” at that time. The only sad moment for me when Rivalen survived the battle – because it was a bit too close.

Still it was a great start into the new year. I can honestly say it was one of the best books so far and hope you’ve at least read the Erevis Cale trilogy before you start with this one. Best if you now a bit of Netheril or Shade Enclave from other books, too since several princes are involved into this.
Well then I wish you a happy reading and all the best for 2008.

Last I have forgotten how all started. I had read Erevis Cale a while ago and haven’t been a very active reader lately. But I happen to know Paul a bit from myspace and read all his bulletins. He posted one a while ago with a link to a story. I still haven’t read that one but remembered the bulletin and visited his homepage. There you can download around 50% of the first book – try reading it. It captivated me, the halfling-story was enough for me to order it seconds later and of course I ordered the second book, too – who loves reading only parts of a story…
If you’re interested in the ongoings of Paul S Kemp’s Author live – you might drop by his livejournal. That one is worth reading, too.