Mistshore (Forgotten Realms: Ed Greenwood Presents Waterdeep, #2) by Jaleigh Johnson

Mistshore (Forgotten Realms: Ed Greenwood Presents Waterdeep, #2) Reviews

• 
  Travis

  Mistshore by Jaleigh Johnson
  
  Mistshore is the second book in the Ed Greenwood Presents Waterdeep series if stand-alone novels set in the Forgotten Realms setting of Dungeons and Dragons. There are five other novels set in this series which include; Blackstaff Tower by Steven E. Schend, Downshadow by Erik Scott de Bie, City of the Dead by Rosemary Jones, The God Catcher by Erin M. Evans, and Circle of Skulls by James P. Davis. Jaleigh Johnson has written a few other novels set in the Forgotten Realms universe; The Howling Delve which is part of The Dungeons series of stand-alone novels and the Unbroken Chain series which includes, Unbroken Chain and Unbroken Chain: The Darker Road. She has also wrote a number of short stories for various anthologies and magazines. Mistshore was released in September 2011 and was published by Wizards of the Coast, Inc.
  
  Icelin Tearn isn't your ordinary twenty year old girl. Blessed and cursed with a perfect memory, she remembers all the horrors that she has witnessed at her hands. However, a chance encounter with a scarred elf named Cerest Elenithil, leaves her questioning her memory and past. Cerest claims to have been friends with Icelin's grandfather, but his actions since meeting Icelin doesn't seem to match what an old friend would do. Icelin, now being chased by Cerest and Waterdeep's Watch, is forced to leave her home and travel to the one place that Waterdeep's Watch won't enter, Mistshore. She is told that a man named Ruen Morleth will help her until she can figure things out, but Ruen doesn't seem to be the kind of person that would be willing to help. What does Cerest know about Icelin's past and why does he go to extremes to claim her as his own?
  
  Criticisms:
  1) Development. While the characters in Mistshore were fantastic and interesting, there was some minor problems with how they developed as the story went on. That's not to say by the end of the novel the characters didn't change or remained static, because they did develop as the story went on, but there were times when development didn't quite feel natural. The problem really was with how uneven their development was. Generally speaking, most characters go through a steady progression with how they develop and that never really stops. Mistshore's characters never felt that way. There were times when it felt like the characters just did things outside any experiences they've had to continue the narrative. Thankfully this doesn't happen to often, but it's still noticeable.
  
  Praises:
  1) Characters. Even with the questionable moments of development, the characters were fantastic. The main three; Icelin, Ruen, and Cerest, made Mistshore an enjoyable read. Mistshore is really all about the characters. They did feel well-rounded at the end of the novel and they were all distinctly different. They just didn't have any real cliché characteristics that most fantasy based characters have. They were unique. Out of those three, only Ruen felt like he 'belonged' in a fantasy story. Ruen had the characteristics that many typical fantasy heroes have, but he had one thing that most lack; mystery. You don't know what or who he really is and as the story progresses, you learn little tidbits about him, but your appetite is never really satisfied. By the end of the novel, you do know a little more about him, but you still want to know more. The other two main characters don't have that typical fantasy characteristics about them. Icelin isn't your normal heroine. In fact, she more like a normal, if special, woman. There is nothing heroic about her except that she can cast spells, at a cost, and is has perfect memory. That cost is interesting, but aside from that, everything else about her is 'normal'. As you read through the novel, you begin to see that she's totally out of her element and way in over her head, and she stays that way for the majority of the novel. She acted like how a real, actual person would act in the situation that she was thrown into. It was that, along with her personality, that makes her an enjoyable character. Then we have the antagonist, Cerest. He wasn't like your normal cliché fantasy antagonist. All he wanted was for Icelin to join him, yet he makes increasingly rash and stupid decisions that pushes her further away. It's those rash decisions and stupid mistakes that make him interesting. He's a flawed and imperfect villain. You don't like him and you never are supposed to. As for the other characters, they weren't that interesting. Sull is the more interesting out of the group but that's due to his one moment in the spotlight halfway through the novel. You like the guy, but he never leaves that much of an impression on you. The others never really seemed to matter. However, the main three were fantastic and really carried the novel.
  2) Secrets. Mistshore is all about secrets, personal and setting-wise. The whole setting of Mistshore is cloaked in mystery. It's an area of Waterdeep that is never really explored and best avoided. Because of this mystery the setting is very interesting. It feels like a rundown slum that you don't know anything about and don't want to know anything about. But the real mystery lies with the characters. Icelin's, Cerest's, and even Ruen's pasts made for an interesting story. How their backgrounds were slowly dished out added to the mystery of who these people really are. It's hard to talk about this subject without giving away anything, else it would ruin the story. That said, uncovering these secrets and the withheld information was really enjoyable and keeps you going.
  3) Story. The basic story for Mistshore really draws you in and all the minor plots and motivations make you stay for it. This really goes hand in hand with the backgrounds of the main characters and what they want. It's an interesting way how the story is told. Nothing is really known until the last few pages about why Cerest is chasing Icelin, and it makes you invested in finding out the truth. It's that whole sense of discovery that makes the story and main plot interesting. Then you throw in some subplots that spice up the main plot and make is slightly larger, and you can't help but find yourself deeply invested in everything and everyone involved.
  
  Side Notes:
  1) Mistshore. This is one rundown area of Waterdeep. However, it never felt like it was that dangerous. It's dangerous, but with the way it's talked about in the novel makes it seem not as bad. Sure it is bad, but it wasn't as bad as you are lead to believe.
  2) Spellplague. Truth be told, this is the first novel that I can safely say explains what the Spellplague is. Sure it's still vague, but there is a lot more detail about it and what spellscars are in Mistshore than in the countless other novels that focus on it.
  3) Cover Art. The artwork really brings the rundown nature of Mistshore to life. When looking at Mistshore's cover, you can see the ships in disrepair, the grimy nature of the place, and the cramped quarters. It's dark and dreary, and the use of warmer colors really offsets the browns and blacks wonderfully. The orange and red colors draw your eye into the artwork and you start to see how detailed and beautiful it is.
  
  Overall: 5/5
  Final Thoughts:
  Mistshore is a fantastic novel with some memorable and likable characters. While there were times when the development of the characters didn't feel natural and steady, it didn't hamper the overall enjoyment of reading about these characters. Aside from that, there is nothing that holds this novel back. The main characters; Icelin, Ruen, and Cerest, were fantastic. They were unique, different, and a definite change from the usual heroes in fantasy novels. What made them great was not only their personalities, but their unique backgrounds. You don't really know anything about these characters, and as the story continues, you learn more about them and their pasts. It makes you invested in these characters. Then you have the story. It's simplicity at its finest and really weaves into the characters backgrounds and motivations. The story is all about discovering and uncovering these characters. On top of that, the main story is relatively small, but it connects to something bigger. This way it makes it easier to jump into and understand. So is Mistshore worth picking up and reading? Yes it is. Those new to the Realms won't find themselves that lost in the references and the characters are easily identifiable.
• 
  Liam

  It wasn't always that exciting, but Sull, Ruen and Icelin, and even Cerest made the story a fun ride. I loved Icelin's unfolding past and the stubborn resolve of Sull was always heartwarming.
  I'm pretty sure this takes place a few months before Blackstaff Tower which is slightly confusing at one part, but not so much.
• 
  Kagan Oztarakci

  Pain is only alluring when there is the possibility of surviving it
  
  Everyone knows that the best liars are children, and the best storytellers are liars
  
  The problem is that when we're children we're only conscious of our own suffering
  
  Stubbornness had never known a more faithful lover.
  
  
• 
  Garrett

  Ah, so I was wrong. This is a series but not following the same cast, only following the city of Waterdeep. This one was similar to the last but I am not that interested in Waterdeep to continue the series.
• 
  Timothy Sussman

  5 stars all the way through. Great story, great characters. You really find yourself on the adventure with them.
• 
  Kenn Anderson

  This was a great story
• 
  Jim

  I'm a newcomer to the Realms, but I picked up several Forgotten Realms books at GenCon and have been slowly familiarizing myself with the world and the history.
  
  Mistshore is the story of Icelin, a girl scarred by spellplague and left with a perfect memory and very imperfect magic -- the kind that tends to holds the potential to kill her and everyone around her. She encounters a scarred elf named Cerest who knows secrets about Icelin's past soon becomes obsessed with claiming Icelin for his own. With the help of a butcher named Sull and a thief/monk named Ruen, Icelin flees to Misthore, the most dangerous part of the city of Waterdeep.
  
  Mistshore is a fascinating place, a makeshift town on the water, made up of wrecked ships and other debris. The inhabitants are the lowest of the low, but still preferable to the cold evil that is Cerest and his hirelings.
  
  The book follows a small party through an adventure, but it didn't feel like an Adventuring Party. Our heroes have a more common feel to them. They're less Heroic, and more just regular people trying to survive. Ruen was the only one who really stood out as having an actual character class (dual-class monk/thief), such as when he uses his monk abilities in unarmed combat or to catch missile weapons. Sull is no fighter. Though he fills that role, he's simply a butcher doing what he can to protect Icelin. His weapons aren't daggers or axes, but his meat cleavers. And while Icelin shares some traits with D&D wizards, she doesn't feel like a Wizard or Sorcerer.
  
  There were still moments my unfamiliarity with the Realms made me stumble. I don't know what the spellplague is, for example. And there were other references I missed, but nothing that completely threw me out of the story. I think most readers would be able to pick up Mistshore and enjoy it regardless of whether they've read anything else from the Realms.
  
  This is a somewhat gritty book. Mistshore isn't a pleasant place, and Johnson allows us to see some of that ugliness. Some of it still feels a little romanticized -- the lepers with the hearts of gold, for example. But you get enough of the harsh edges to realize how nasty a place Mistshore can be. Combine that with Cerest -- he's an elf in a fantasy world, but he's also a very realistic stalker. The obsession with which he pursues Icelin ... let's just say it was vivid enough to make me uncomfortable, and I mean that as a compliment to Johson's writing. The result is fantasy which isn't shiny and fun and heroic, but down-to-earth and desperate and real. Not the tone I was expecting, but it worked well.
  
  Good setting, good characters, and a good plot. What more does a book need?
• 
  E J

  We've all heard of Salvatore, Cunningham, Kemp, Byers, et al. Not to diminish those authors, but out of left field, Johnson tells a story with such a fascinating talent for characters, smart dialogue and pathos that I have no compunction in putting Mistshore in my top 10 FR books, probably top 5. I wouldn't really recommend it for man-children though; those who likes their fantasy bling, outlandish monsters and Action Jackson type non-stop battles read at a fast pace. No, this book made me read at such a pace that I had to visualise the micro expressions from the characters and paying attention to their social dynamics and cues. Thoroughly immersive stuff.
  
  In short; haunting, introspective, memorable, brilliant. You bet your sweet ass I'll read Spider and Stone.
  
  Five stars, unequivocal.
• 
  Chris

  One of the better D&D/Forgotten Realms novels I've read. The cast of characters - particularly Icelin, Ruen, and Celest - is well-developed and complex, each person with a three-dimensional personality and outlook. The publisher's blurb describes this as a story about a girl with wild magical powers fleeing from a man she harmed, but it's so much more: a tale of a fugitive (a nice deviation from the standard adventure-style fare of D&D novels), a tale of a person with perfect memory trying to recall the one memory she doesn't remember, a tale of Spellplague victims, and of a misunderstood, flawed villain.
• 
  Angela

  I've read quite a few stories based in Faerun but this has been by far one of the best that I've come across and even better no romance in it just pure adventure and snarky characters. Cerest was annoying and I'm glad of the outcome that befell him. I think Icelin and Ruen have potential for quite a few books, they played off each other well and Sull was a decent background character. While I never liked the whole Spellplague scenario it does make things interesting I have to admit. For fantasy readers who enjoy the world of Faerun I'd definitely recommend reading this book.
• 
  David Given Schwarm

  I read this with the WotC Novel club & really liked it--quick and easy read with a very unusual protagonist for a Fantasy book--also a deeper look into some of the darker parts of the Forgotten Realms. Highly recommended for any FR fans.
• 
  Jana

  Predictable reading. A D&D adventure with less plot than action. Good for hen you want something purely escapist fluff.
• 
  Jon C

  Meh.
• 
  Pie Pie

  Terrible characters, terrible plot, nonsensical ending. Skip this one.
• 
  Jack

  another good forgotten realms book! highly recommended