| Title | : | Forsaken House (Forgotten Realms: The Last Mythal, #1) |
| Author | : | |
| Rating | : | |
| ISBN | : | 0786932600 |
| ISBN-10 | : | 9780786932603 |
| Language | : | English |
| Format Type | : | Paperback |
| Number of Pages | : | 338 |
| Publication | : | First published August 1, 2004 |
Forsaken House (Forgotten Realms: The Last Mythal, #1) Reviews
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This book is so satisfying if you love elves. The lore in the story is rich. The types of elves, the places they live, their history, clothing, etc are all described in beautiful detail.
There are a TON of strong female characters in this that aren't love interests! I was very surprised because I didn't expect that from just looking at the book. From a forest warrior with a giant (female as well!) wolf, a beautiful moon elf who is the queen of all elves, a half elemental young lady who's just incredible, and a powerful archer/ magic caster. That's not even all of them and all of these are main characters! Made me very happy.
It even has a WONDERFUL twist ending which I won't spoil. You won't see it coming and it is SO satisfying. I was literally jumping around squealing.
Have already ordered the second. Love it! -
The first book of the Last Mythal series. Forsaken house is the epic telling of the rise of a house of Demon Fey (called Fey'ri ). House Dlardreageth has been imprisoned for five thousand years, now they want their revenge on the Palebloods (elves) who imprisoned them.
An army from Evermeet (the extra planar home of the elves) returns to Faerun to aid their cousins in repelling an enormous army made of Fey'ri, demons, orcs and ogres, determined to destroy the elven cities of Evereska and Silverymoon.
Moderately paced, and intricately woven plotlines and a huge cast of characters all get a fair share of the attention from author Richard Baker. This first book sets up a Story that will forever change the shape of Faerun. A wonderful book for the elf lover. -
Overall Rating:1.75/5
This book looked like it was going to be good. The premise was interesting, and for the first hundred pages or so I was enjoying it. So why the low score?
Quite a few of the names in the book ruined the flow for me. The appendix in the back of the book helped with the pronunciation of the names, but they just don't roll off the tongue very easily.
Another complaint is the amount of characters that are in the book. There are a lot of them, and all of them are easily forgettable. And with the exception of Maresa, the main characters all come off as bland and generic. I would have liked it if some of the characters had been developed further, rather than introducing more characters that aren't mentioned again.
One thing that Baker does right is description. The settings and descriptions of characters were well done, and the fight scenes were good too (though the use of the word 'spell' was way too overdone in every battle scene. Could use improvement there).
Overall this book is pretty meh. Fairly bland and generic characters, average plot, good descriptions. I'll read the other books in the trilogy just to see if there is any improvement, but I doubt I'll revisit this trilogy once I'm done reading it. -
Forsaken House by Richard Baker
Forsaken House is the first book in The Last Mythal trilogy. The second book is titled Farthest Reach and the final book is titled Final Gate. The Last Mythal trilogy is set in the Forgotten Realms setting of Dungeons and Dragons. Richard Baker has written a number of books, most of which are set in the Forgotten Realms. His Forgotten Realms work includes; the eighth book in the Double Diamond Triangle saga titled Easy Betrayals, a stand-alone book titled The Shadow Stone, a book in The Cities series titled The City of Ravens, the third book in R. A. Salvatore's War of the Spider Queen series titled Condemnation, and the Blades of the Moonsea trilogy which includes Swordmage, Corsair, and Avenger. He has written another book outside the Forgotten Realms for the Star*Drive series of novels titled Zero Point. Forsaken House was released in August 2004 and was published by Wizards of the Coast, Inc.
After a brutal attack on a wizards tower on the island of Evermeet, the elves of the island learned that something important was stolen from the tower's vault. Araevin Teshurr discovers the exact artifact that is missing, a shard that is capable of removing any magical ward. He also discovers the body of one of the towers archmages, and finds a hidden gemstone on the body. The gemstone, as Araevin discovers, is called a telkiira and holds information within the gems depths. After unraveling the mystery encased in the gem, Araevin goes off to seek another telkiira to hopefully shed more light on attackers. He brings along his betrothed, Ilsevele, with him and goes to Faerûn to find the gem. He also puts a call out to his old traveling companions in hopes that they will assist. However, the beings who attacked the tower and stole the shard are planning something bigger. Revenge. They prepare for an all out war on the elves of Faerûn. After catching wind of the march against the elves of Faerûn, the elven refuge of Evermeet has a decision to make. Send help to their brethren or offer them to retreat to the island and prepare for an attack there.
Criticisms:
1) Amount of Characters. The biggest problem I had with Forsaken House is the vast amount of characters that are in the novel. There are about fifty-seven people brought up throughout the story. About ten of those only appear once or twice during the story, and were easy to forget. They didn't really play any major part and were just there to fill in a need for a name. Then you are left with about forty-seven characters. About twenty of those characters are just bit players. They are seen once or twice, say their parts, and leave. That leaves about twenty-seven characters left who play a big role. Some may not have that as much scene time as others, but it quickly became hard to remember who was who. What's worse is that a lot of the names are very similar to one another and it can cause a bit of confusion. Another major draw back due to the vast amount of people is that there is hardly any character development. For example, let's take the easiest character to remember, Araevin. Why was he the easiest to remember? Because he was the main character. However, he had almost no character development. By the end of the story, he was just like he was when it started. Sure he learned a new spell or twenty, but that's not development. That's just picking up a new trick. When there are a vast amount of characters, it becomes hard to remember them and there is a lack of real development for them, which makes not very memorable.
2) Background. Another problem with Forsaken House is that you need a good amount of background in Dungeons and Dragons and Forgotten Realms in order to really understand everything that is going on. There are a lot of references to events that aren't (to my knowledge) told in other novels, but in source books for the pen and paper game. There is also references to other series and other author's works as well. Truth be told, a lot of Forgotten Realms books are like that, but most of them do go into greater detail with things that the average reader wouldn't know. With Forsaken House, there is a lot of references that aren't necessarily explained as thoroughly as they could have been. Now, I would call myself 'knowledgeable' on the Forgotten Realms, but I found myself scratching my head more times than not. There are things referenced that I had no idea happened, and that I had no idea where I could find information about these things and events. The amount of references does become distracting and annoying, and would probably turn off a newer reader.
Praises:
1) Descriptions. The best part about Forsaken House is the very detailed descriptions. Everything was vivid. You could easily picture almost anything that was mentioned. In other words, the descriptions are perfect. Everything that needed to be described was. However, there is an unfortunate side-effect to having extremely detailed descriptions. The story is very slow. The descriptions are so good that it bogs the story down at various times. This isn't such a bad thing in this case, it actually works to the story's advantage. It helps the story seem more real and helps place you into it. It's rare that this happens, that a slow story is this good. The descriptions really help you picture the world in greater detail.
2) Maresa. Out of all the characters, she seemed the most interesting. Maresa is the daughter of one of Araevin's old traveling companions. For someone who is a minor character, she really made an impact on me. She had the most personality out of everyone and really did leave a huge impression. She also has that mysterious background quality to her. Not a lot is known about her and it adds an element of the unknown. When her past is brought up, she doesn't really answer it directly. Instead, she takes a very indirect method and it felt unique. The more she talked, the more she became interesting. She's not the average adventurer. She's extremely cocky, snarky, and gets in your face. It just made me like her more. Maresa really added some much-needed character to this story and was one of the more memorable characters.
3) Story. Forsaken House has something you don't see in very many Forgotten Realms novels, political intrigue. Sure there's the usual adventure that is found in a lot of Forgotten Realms novels, but it's downplayed. It seemed like the story wanted to focus more on the elven court and what it means to go to war than on the adventure aspect. Truthfully, it felt like the real story was if Evermeet would send aid or not, instead of Araevin finding the other telkiira. The political intrigue seemed more important. I may not be very good at understanding politics, but it was interesting to see it play a big role in Forsaken House. Now don't get me wrong. Araevin finding the other telkiira was interesting, but I just felt like the more political aspect of the story mattered more. This novel had a very different, and welcomed, feel to it.
Side Notes:
1) The Company of the White Star. I wouldn't mind seeing some of the adventurers that Araevin and The Company of the White Star undertook. Plus I would have liked to see more of the relationship he had with his former friends.
2) Slow Pace. Forsaken House is very slow on developing things, however, it's excusable. The reason for this is that it's mostly due to the amount of amazing description there is. This is just something you should note before reading.
3) Cover Art. Honestly, I hate this cover art. It looks bland and ugly. First off, the white border that takes up half the cover annoys me. It's almost like the artwork is ashamed to show itself and it's distracting. Instead of focusing in on the artwork, I find myself looking at the white. However, the artwork isn't any better. It's not terrible, it's just ugly. Maybe if it was the full cover, I would think it was as ugly but something about it is off-putting. Maybe it's just the white border doesn't go with the cover, but it's something. The 'demons' in the background are a nice touch, but their faces are just wrong. The faces just don't look good. Araevin, the main focus of the cover, doesn't look good. What's up with his hair? Is there wind? Is it on fire? Then what's with his face? He has an almost emotionless look to him. I just don't like this cover.
Overall: 4/5
Final Thoughts:
Forsaken House is a good story but it does have its problems. There are too many characters introduced to the reader and it's hard to follow who's who. I couldn't count how many times I forgot a name or who the person was altogether. The other issue is that there is a lot of background you need to know about the history of the Forgotten Realms' elves. You can get by without any knowledge, but you may find yourself chest deep in references and outside events. However, it's still good a very good novel. The descriptions were fantastic. They may have slowed the pace of the novel down, but it was well worth it. Things were vivid and very easy to picture, and it made me feel like I was there. The most memorable character has to be Maresa. She has a lot of personality and she's memorable. There wasn't a time I forgot who she was. Also this isn't a 'normal' Forgotten Realms novel. The adventure part is very played down and seems almost unimportant at times. Instead it focuses more on political intrigue and war. Basically, it felt like the events really mattered to the world. Forsaken House isn't for those new to the Forgotten Realms universe. You do need a lot of background to really enjoy the book. However, those who are familiar with the setting, would really enjoy it. So my recommendation is to check it out if you have a good amount of knowledge of the Realms. -
A solid DnD adventure which will be highly enjoyable for those who have dabbled in the game although it is generic in places. A fun adventure and a very good summer read which nevertheless is let down by overcomplicated names dropped everywhere and poor monster design, although that is the fault of DnD and not the author. Younger audiences will be able to appreciate it much more.
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This one is certainly one of the best written FR books I have read so far. The description of battles in a purely fantasy world is convincing and sound. I also liked the extreme detail and care taken when handling canon facts in the FR timeline. Highly recommended.
As a side note, consider that toril-shattering events take place in these pages, there are a LOT of epic-level happenings, related to the elves of Faerun... -
This is one of the best Forgotten Realms books I have read since Elminster! I love how Richard Baker ties all the stories of fallen Cormanthyr and Myth Drannor into this amazing series! If you've ever played World of Warcraft, this is the book for you.. if you've ever read Elminster, this is the book for you.. and if you love a good fantasy series, this is definitely the book for you! :)
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Pretty good series so far. I have loved most of the Forgotten Realms books I have read. The world in which it takes place has been so thoroughly fleshed out that there is always so many different things going on in so many different places and they all matter to you.
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Solid.
Richard Baker is one of the better authors tasked with making the Forgotten Realms vivid in our eyes.
This tale of elves, adventure, forgotten lore and history is skillfully woven and gives the Background story for the Return of the Elves in Faerun after their Retreat towards Evermeet.
I really liked the protagonists, the antagonists were not so well detailed (explained the spirit in the gem, really enjoyed that one), but ok.
What I found sometimes lacking were good tactics or strategy in the big battles. The small encounters were skillfully done but the big battles showed a lack of tactical acumen which was a bit startling, considering the experience of all the good and bad guys involved. Nonetheless, there was action aplenty. -
So this was OK... But you know, I like the Realms setting, and I like elves, and I like stories which add to the lore of elves in the Realms, so it gets an extra star. Actually, it's nothing special as a book in its own right and suffers from supporting characters who are boring and forgettable, and having a bit of a boring plot - though is largely just a set up for the trilogy.
Not really recommended to anyone who is not predisposed to like this kind of franchise novel anyway. -
While not quite as good as his first book in the Blades of the Moonsea Trilogy, this is an excellent read. It balances politics and dangerous adventure very well, the villains are sinister, and the battles are well written. He could have perhaps made the central mystery a bit more intriguing, but the climax was cool as hell and I recommend this book to anyone who is a fan of the realms or just has an elfy itch to scratch.
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Okay, it’s a Dungeons and Dragons book but curse me for a diseased Gibberling if I didn’t enjoy it.
I felt that there was a slight excess of unnecessary names but there was also plenty of recognisable stuff from the game that was written into the story without the forced clumsiness that often plagues these things.
Book 2 awaits. -
The only thing more awful than a battle won is a battle lost.
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Starts off a bit slow, and the names are hard to follow, but winds up being an enjoyable read, especially towards the end
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You can read the full review over at my blog:
https://shadowhawksshade.wordpress.co...
It has been a good long while since I’ve read a Forgotten Realms novel. The last one was in December of last year, Elfshadow by Elaine Cunningham. It was a fairly good read, but I’ve definitely read better, from the works of Erin M. Evans and Paul S. Kemp and Richard Baker and all. It is definitely a setting that I love exploring and the more I read in it, the more excited I get about it. Forgotten Realms fully explores the multiverse side of things for a fantasy setting, and that is part of the charm, in addition to the utter abundance and wonder of its many different races and cultures and what not.
And in that respect, Richard Baker’s first novel in the Last Mythal Saga, Forsaken House, is really good. It presents many different facets of Elf life in the Forgotten Realms and it also presents a really fast-paced, excitable and intriguing premise paired with some really interesting characters. The only other novel of Richard’s I’ve read before this is his Condemnation, the third novel in the 6-part War of the Spider Queen multi-author extravaganza and that too was a damn fine read. It is great to see Richard’s best replicated here, and the Last Mythal Saga is definitely a tale that I want to read in full now.
Elves are a fantasy race that I have been enamoured of ever since I read The Hobbit and The Lord of The Rings. They are fascinating in many aspects and their grace and beauty attracts me as much as the dour brashness and roughness of dwarves. And given that, the many different societies and cultures of Elves presented in Forsaken House are a treasure trove indeed, and in just the perfect way of Forgotten Realms. There are wood elves, sun elves, moon elves, dark elves, demon elves etc aplenty in this novel and part of its charm comes from this very element. Richard Baker doesn’t really delve much into the differences between all these cultures, but he does a good job of navigating those differences, and that’s where the true value of the novel is.
As I said before, the novel also has some really great characters, whether they be of the forces of good or evil. The premise is that an ancient Elven evil has reawakened and wants to reclaim its lost powers, thanks to the fell magics of the underworld, and the opposition to this evil power is both mundane and magical for Elves wizards and warriors have both responded to the call for battle, and are rallying around their champions. The first twenty percent or so of the book deals with all the setup and once that phase of the story is over with, Richard quickly delves into the main plot and he does so with an almost wild abandon that I found thrilling to watch unfold.
The mage Araevin, the warrior father-daughter duo of Seiveril and Ilsevele Miritar, Queen Amlaruil of Evermeet, and more are characters that I really wanted to read more about. They are all of those Elves who left Faerun behind for Evermeet, or at least descendants of such, and their interplay is one of the strongest elements of the novel. Given the way that events unfold, Seiveril and Amlaruil also present quite an interesting view of Elven politics in Evermeet, and that was quite good to see because it broke up all the physical tension nice enough and provided me with something else to focus on beyond the adventuring side of things that Araevin and Ilsevele and their friends engaged in or the more martial aspect of things once Seiveril made his big play. And that balance in itself is a great positive because too often fantasy novels easily sway towards an extreme. An unbalanced novel like that can be quite draining to read and I’m glad that Richard maintained that balance here.
Of course, where the good guys are all excellent, the villains are the same. Sarya Dlardrageth, Lord Floshin and others did a good job at brightening up the scene with their out-and-out villain. It was refreshing to read about villains who start off as evil and end as evil. Forsaken House is no origin story, for that I’m thankful, and part of that is because Richard lets the tale of the feyri, the demon-elves unfold quite naturally through the prose rather than playing it out in scenes (whether in the present time or flashbacks or what have you). There is a certain complexity to the characters sure, and it is more surface-deep, but I loved the simplicity of the villains nonetheless. You know where you stand with these villains and that’s important because then you aren’t guessing too much about what they are going to do next. They are dependable, is I guess the word.
And I love that! I most certainly do! -
This was an enjoyable book to read and I'm looking forward to starting the next part of the trilogy. It represents a very pivotal period in Faerûn's history; a world that I've long been very personally invested in, ever since I started reading playing the famous RPG table tops. In many ways this is the story about Faerûn that I always wanted to read, but while I had to wait a long time for it to be published, it was well worth it.
Richard Baker does a fantastic job, right on the heels of Ed Greenwood, in describing the eternal elves, their politics and many faceted society. It is enjoyable to read just how different elves are and how their perspectives of the world is so very different from humans, whom are so very short lived by their standards.
Baker also does a great job of wiving together separate plots and events that are all happening concurrently, and describing those events brilliantly in a very unbiased, non-cliche manner. Naturally, being knowledgeable about the world of Faerûn is useful but I do not personally feel it is required to enjoy this book. At most, I would recommend googling a quick map of Faerûn to know where everything is and that is all you need to understand and appreciate the story. -
This was very clearly the first book in a trilogy. That said, it was a very good first book and I look forward to reading the rest.
While reading, I kept getting the impression that I was reading the novelization of a DM's multi-group epic campaign sessions. This is far from a bad thing; on the contrary, it added a sense of derailed planning to the plot, as though dice were rolled to determined which way the action turned.
The main adventuring party is very closely linked to one that had previously existed, as though an established group of players were all starting this new campaign together.
There are encounters that go horribly awry with near TPKs, as though the only one having a good dice night was the DM.
There were battles that were presented from both macro and micro scales, each group's actions invariably influencing the other's battles, and loved how interwoven all the plotlines were.
What appeared to be a straight-forward "hunt for the magic thing" turned into a true adventure that affects the face of Faerun and the future of the Elven races. -
Enn ein sagan sem kollvarpar samfélagi Gleymdu svæðanna. Baker kynnir til sögunnar gleymdar álfaættir sem kynblönduðust djölfum í von um að ná völdum með auknum kröftum. Þær voru sigraðar og fangelsaðar um árþúsund en eftir að álfarnir höfðu flestir flúið Gleymdu svæðin til fyrirheitna landsins þá sleppa álfadjölfarnir úr fjötrum og hefja fyrri baráttu sína um yfirráð. Sundurleitur hópur gamalla hetja reyna að standa í vegi fyrir þeim en ókunn öfl virðast standa að baki skrattakollunum.
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Meh...
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I am only in the first 20 pages or so, so I'll read on and see - but so far I am not impressed at all, from the wooden writing and cliched characters, races and worldbuilding. Oh well, we'll see.
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easily one of my favorite series in forgotten realms. Read this book!
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A good foray into the Drow and Cormanthor and the elves, in the Year of Lightning Storms (1374 DR). Pretty solid for fans of the Forgotten Realms of D&D.
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it was hard but a good one one of the best i think
