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Forgotten Realms: The Priests #2
Mistress of the Night
Mistress of the Night is the second title in this Forgotten Realms novel series that focuses specifically on priests, the popular D&D iconic class also known as clerics. Each title chronicles priests loyal to a different deity in the Forgotten Realms pantheon. Like the preceding series The Rogues, each novel in The Priests series is written as a stand-alone adventure, allowing new readers an easy entry point into the Forgotten Realms world.
311 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published September 1, 2004
11 people are currently reading
411 people want to read
About the author
Don Bassingthwaite
34 books51 followersDon lives with his partner in Toronto, surrounded by gadgets, spice jars, and too many books.
No, I don’t normally refer to myself in the third person. That’s the official author bio from the back of my most recent books. You want some other trivia?
I’m a fan of the serial comma.
I’m a huge fan of breakfast cereal.
I own one (and only one) stuffed animal — a Highland cow from Edinburgh named “Ewan MooGregor.”
I love Edinburgh and London — other large cities visited in the UK include Bath and Plymouth. I’ve also been to Cheddar where I ate a really good cheese sandwich.
I like cheese, especially hard and blue cheeses (Mmmm. Stilton.).
I look terrible in hats with the exception (for unknown reasons) of a few ball caps of particular colour and design.
I look good in rugby shirts, but don’t really own any as I neither play rugby nor follow the sport enough to feel honest buying the shirt of any particular team.
I don’t play or follow soccer either, but that didn’t stop me from choosing a “shirt team” in the last World Cup, wearing their shirt, and cheering for them in pubs. Go Netherlands!
To quote Paul S. Kemp, “Mmm. Beer.”
I have seriously considered buying a kilt. Update March 2008: The kilt has been bought!
Kilt, cow, and fondness for Edinburgh aside, I’m not Scottish.
More to come, I’m sure!
No, I don’t normally refer to myself in the third person. That’s the official author bio from the back of my most recent books. You want some other trivia?
I’m a fan of the serial comma.
I’m a huge fan of breakfast cereal.
I own one (and only one) stuffed animal — a Highland cow from Edinburgh named “Ewan MooGregor.”
I love Edinburgh and London — other large cities visited in the UK include Bath and Plymouth. I’ve also been to Cheddar where I ate a really good cheese sandwich.
I like cheese, especially hard and blue cheeses (Mmmm. Stilton.).
I look terrible in hats with the exception (for unknown reasons) of a few ball caps of particular colour and design.
I look good in rugby shirts, but don’t really own any as I neither play rugby nor follow the sport enough to feel honest buying the shirt of any particular team.
I don’t play or follow soccer either, but that didn’t stop me from choosing a “shirt team” in the last World Cup, wearing their shirt, and cheering for them in pubs. Go Netherlands!
To quote Paul S. Kemp, “Mmm. Beer.”
I have seriously considered buying a kilt. Update March 2008: The kilt has been bought!
Kilt, cow, and fondness for Edinburgh aside, I’m not Scottish.
More to come, I’m sure!
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Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews
March 9, 2023
i decided to read two of the four standalone books in the “priests” quartet largely because while i was shopping around for a deity for a character i was building, i discovered one who definitely didn’t fit but who i was nonetheless immediately interested in (loviatar, goddess of pain, torture, and sadomasochism) as well as one who fit my vibe & the character i was building so completely it was kind of scary (selûne). and it turned out that both of them had books about their clerics in this quartet!
i decided to start with selûne’s, both because it was technically the earlier of the two published (not that that actually matters for standalones), and because mining it for lore was a bit more urgent than reading about a goddess that made my subby little brain feel some kinda way.
i did end up getting quite a bit of useful lore out of this book, but i also found myself way more wrapped up in the story than i expected to be! there’s a mystery plot, which i’m totally always super down for. the main character is genuinely cool, and a werewolf! and there’s also some great action on top of it all.
there was a subplot introduced pretty early on that i initially was a bit annoyed by because i kept wanting to get back to the moon priest stuff since that was what i was here for, but it ended up pretty quickly unfolding into an actually surprisingly thoughtful depiction of someone being recruited & exploited by a cult??? like, i just thoroughly was not expecting that when i picked this book up?
like, admittedly, some of it is quite a bit more dramatic than how a lot of actual cults operate (the kidnapping for a ritual of initiation is totally a thing that happens sometimes, but not usually), but the overall structure of how disaffected people are sought out, groomed, selectively praised & ostracized & otherwise manipulated while leverage is gained over them until they feel trapped… it’s just shockingly well-depicted. like this is just exactly how cults & other organizations with culty overtones operate, and seeing that depicted in such an empathetic way really makes me wonder if either of the authors have personal experience with this kind of thing.
but, yeah! i’m super glad i ended up randomly picking up this book regardless of any flavor i gleaned for the character i’m building.
but yeah ngl as much as i did like this one, i’m definitely super excited to get to the literal bdsm goddess one next, lmao.
i decided to start with selûne’s, both because it was technically the earlier of the two published (not that that actually matters for standalones), and because mining it for lore was a bit more urgent than reading about a goddess that made my subby little brain feel some kinda way.
i did end up getting quite a bit of useful lore out of this book, but i also found myself way more wrapped up in the story than i expected to be! there’s a mystery plot, which i’m totally always super down for. the main character is genuinely cool, and a werewolf! and there’s also some great action on top of it all.
there was a subplot introduced pretty early on that i initially was a bit annoyed by because i kept wanting to get back to the moon priest stuff since that was what i was here for, but it ended up pretty quickly unfolding into an actually surprisingly thoughtful depiction of someone being recruited & exploited by a cult??? like, i just thoroughly was not expecting that when i picked this book up?
like, admittedly, some of it is quite a bit more dramatic than how a lot of actual cults operate (the kidnapping for a ritual of initiation is totally a thing that happens sometimes, but not usually), but the overall structure of how disaffected people are sought out, groomed, selectively praised & ostracized & otherwise manipulated while leverage is gained over them until they feel trapped… it’s just shockingly well-depicted. like this is just exactly how cults & other organizations with culty overtones operate, and seeing that depicted in such an empathetic way really makes me wonder if either of the authors have personal experience with this kind of thing.
but, yeah! i’m super glad i ended up randomly picking up this book regardless of any flavor i gleaned for the character i’m building.
but yeah ngl as much as i did like this one, i’m definitely super excited to get to the literal bdsm goddess one next, lmao.
June 12, 2025
This was anther good Forgotten Realms book! I feel like I have been on a roll with the last three I've read!
In BG3, as well as the D&D game I play in, there is a lot of stuff going on with Selune and Shar. So this was a welcome romp through a new city with the backdrop of the on-going feud between the two moon goddesses.
Bassingthwait does a good job giving the reader some information about the goddesses, but really lets their influence show up with the actions of their priests and zealots. There is an interesting aspect of this book that deals with converting individuals to worship a goddess that is not traditionally 'good'. It was cool to watch someone's slow demise, as they slip further and further into their misdeeds.
There is a cool, ancient organization that is introduced. There is an epic battle. And the relationships between the characters play a big role in this one.
Worth the time.
In BG3, as well as the D&D game I play in, there is a lot of stuff going on with Selune and Shar. So this was a welcome romp through a new city with the backdrop of the on-going feud between the two moon goddesses.
Bassingthwait does a good job giving the reader some information about the goddesses, but really lets their influence show up with the actions of their priests and zealots. There is an interesting aspect of this book that deals with converting individuals to worship a goddess that is not traditionally 'good'. It was cool to watch someone's slow demise, as they slip further and further into their misdeeds.
There is a cool, ancient organization that is introduced. There is an epic battle. And the relationships between the characters play a big role in this one.
Worth the time.
November 1, 2018
"There are things to be seen in the moonlight that sunlight cannot reveal."
"Writing...is a marvelous thing. Someone can write down a thought they had or a story they heard or a description of something they experienced, and that thought or story or experience is preserved. It will last as long as the writing itself lasts. If the writing is copied, it can last even longer. Through writing, even the humblest man or woman can become, in a way, immortal. Without magic. Without the favor of gods."
"A strong defense was better than a vain hope of rescue!"
"We can learn from where we have been, but we can't go back."
"Writing...is a marvelous thing. Someone can write down a thought they had or a story they heard or a description of something they experienced, and that thought or story or experience is preserved. It will last as long as the writing itself lasts. If the writing is copied, it can last even longer. Through writing, even the humblest man or woman can become, in a way, immortal. Without magic. Without the favor of gods."
"A strong defense was better than a vain hope of rescue!"
"We can learn from where we have been, but we can't go back."
January 15, 2019
I have no idea what it is about this book that makes me enjoy it over some of the others I've read recently, but I'll try to quantize. The characters are relatable, perhaps. The descriptions are flowery, without being over the top. There's a good ebb and flow of different types of action and learning by the characters. It also gives a nice backstory to Selune and Shar, while still peripherally keeping all the other gods in the Forgotten Realms some say.
November 3, 2022
A fun stand-alone set in Yhaunn, Sembia, a country which doesn’t get enough novels.
This is a face off between followers of Shar and those of Selune, the oldest of deity rivalries.
Feena is a charaxter in Dave Gross’s Black Wolf and the Leaves of One Night are very important in The Twilight War trilogy by Paul S. Kemp.
This is a face off between followers of Shar and those of Selune, the oldest of deity rivalries.
Feena is a charaxter in Dave Gross’s Black Wolf and the Leaves of One Night are very important in The Twilight War trilogy by Paul S. Kemp.
October 28, 2020
Probably the only really good one in this series! Sadly they do not have any other books that follow this character. Awesome character who is a werewolf and priest of Selune. Such an awesome backstory wish they would do more on this character and her specific sect.
October 9, 2011
I read fast. Being as that I was re-reading this novel, having previously read it years and years ago, when it first came out, I wasn’t surprised that I was flipping through it relatively quickly- I knew and remembered a lot of the main plot points and details of the story. When, at the end of the day, after commuting to-and-from work, and reading on my lunch break, I was 2/3 through the book, I surprised myself. But, that’s the hallmark of a good book- you pick it up, and don’t even realize how engrossed you become in it. Mistress of the Night was a good book.
Don Bassingthwaite and Dave Gross show a keen attention to detail. Little things, like the priest Milfano being the bearer of the ‘Waxing Crescent Sword’ and the priestess Velsinore being the bearer of the ‘Waning Crescent Sword’ are details that aren’t too relevant to the reader (they have some importance to the book, and the world itself, but that importance is never particularly harped on in the book). As such, they could have been completely left out, and we’d be none the wiser. But, they were included, and the book is enriched as a result. During the Sharran initiation scene involving Keph, he drinks the “elixir of the void” from the “cup of night”. Details that, if they weren’t included, wouldn’t impact the book whatsoever. That they were included, however, enriches the book a great deal. Certain gates named after phases of the moon in Moonshadow Hall are only used during their corresponding lunar phases? Details that wouldn’t impact the book whatsoever, but enriched it, since they were. Personally, I think that these are the things that separate decent Forgotten Realms novels from the pantheon of ‘the great ones’. Certain authors, without naming names, have interesting characters, or good stories, but their novels just don’t quite make it into the pantheon of ‘great ones’. These little things, these are probably what separates them. All of the ‘great ones’ that I can think of, they’re chock full of the little details.
Feena, the werewolf priestess of Selûne was an interesting character. Though her being a werewolf was important to the story towards the end, I don’t know. I’m not too big of a fan of characters being exotic for the sake of it, and for most of the novel, that’s the vibe I got from Feena. Keph, the “Sharran”, I liked the character a lot more, though he was maybe a little more moody than what was believable. Growing up thinking you’re not good enough, being taunted about it, being angry and vengeful about it, they’re all powerful motivators, as is love, but at times, Keph was going from hateful to remorseful and back again, all over the place. I guess that highlights the difference between Sharrans, the “true” Sharrans and the “emo” (as I like to call them) Sharrans- the “emo” ones are in the moment and (as the name says) emotional. When they’re angry, they’re all vengeful. When they’re sad, they’re all sorrowful. A “true” Sharran, while espousing Shar’s dogma, they’re emotionally flat. They manipulate and play the “emo” Sharrans. And, speaking of just that, the Sharrans priestess Variance and cultist Bolan highlighted the difference between the “proper” clergy of Shar, and ordinary cults of Shar, which I liked a great deal. To frame it in Star Wars terms, the Sharran clergy are akin to the Jedi (or the Sith, more aptly), trained and honed, while cults dedicated to Shar are akin to individual force users, raw with talent, and a willingness to harness it.
The ending was a little anticlimactic. The endgame was proceeding, and then it just kinda stopped. It was designed like that, of course, since everything ending was simply dependent on Keph bringing the Leaves of One Night to Variance, which he did. Ah, the Leaves of One Night, planting the seeds in Mistress of the Night for later Forgotten Realms novelists to pick up on and weave an amazing tapestry of a story, in the Erevis Cale and Twilight War trilogies. That aside, though, I enjoy reading in-game about the various holy texts of different faiths and philosophies they encompass. The one thing that I wish there was more on, regarding the various faiths of Abeir-Toril, are their holy texts. Sure, some might not have any specific ones, while others might have numerous, but I wish there was a central list somewhere, and that previous books, like Faiths and Avatars, Powers and Pantheons, Demihuman Deities, and Faiths and Avatars did more, in this regard.
My one complaint, and it’s not much of a complaint, is that Sharran priests and/or priestesses are not the main characters in the book. Feena, the Selûnite priestess is. That is not to say that Shar, or her clergy, aren’t featured prominently in Mistress of the Night, however. Given the title of the book, when I first bought it, I was expecting a Sharran to be the protagonist, with (presumably) a Mystraran or a Selûnite as the antagonist- making the “bad guy” the “good guy”, a point of view not commonly used in the Forgotten Realms novels thus far. That’s not to say that Shar wasn’t featured adequately, or that the Sharrans in the book weren’t interesting characters. I just thought, maybe, we’d get something relatively new.
Don Bassingthwaite and Dave Gross show a keen attention to detail. Little things, like the priest Milfano being the bearer of the ‘Waxing Crescent Sword’ and the priestess Velsinore being the bearer of the ‘Waning Crescent Sword’ are details that aren’t too relevant to the reader (they have some importance to the book, and the world itself, but that importance is never particularly harped on in the book). As such, they could have been completely left out, and we’d be none the wiser. But, they were included, and the book is enriched as a result. During the Sharran initiation scene involving Keph, he drinks the “elixir of the void” from the “cup of night”. Details that, if they weren’t included, wouldn’t impact the book whatsoever. That they were included, however, enriches the book a great deal. Certain gates named after phases of the moon in Moonshadow Hall are only used during their corresponding lunar phases? Details that wouldn’t impact the book whatsoever, but enriched it, since they were. Personally, I think that these are the things that separate decent Forgotten Realms novels from the pantheon of ‘the great ones’. Certain authors, without naming names, have interesting characters, or good stories, but their novels just don’t quite make it into the pantheon of ‘great ones’. These little things, these are probably what separates them. All of the ‘great ones’ that I can think of, they’re chock full of the little details.
Feena, the werewolf priestess of Selûne was an interesting character. Though her being a werewolf was important to the story towards the end, I don’t know. I’m not too big of a fan of characters being exotic for the sake of it, and for most of the novel, that’s the vibe I got from Feena. Keph, the “Sharran”, I liked the character a lot more, though he was maybe a little more moody than what was believable. Growing up thinking you’re not good enough, being taunted about it, being angry and vengeful about it, they’re all powerful motivators, as is love, but at times, Keph was going from hateful to remorseful and back again, all over the place. I guess that highlights the difference between Sharrans, the “true” Sharrans and the “emo” (as I like to call them) Sharrans- the “emo” ones are in the moment and (as the name says) emotional. When they’re angry, they’re all vengeful. When they’re sad, they’re all sorrowful. A “true” Sharran, while espousing Shar’s dogma, they’re emotionally flat. They manipulate and play the “emo” Sharrans. And, speaking of just that, the Sharrans priestess Variance and cultist Bolan highlighted the difference between the “proper” clergy of Shar, and ordinary cults of Shar, which I liked a great deal. To frame it in Star Wars terms, the Sharran clergy are akin to the Jedi (or the Sith, more aptly), trained and honed, while cults dedicated to Shar are akin to individual force users, raw with talent, and a willingness to harness it.
The ending was a little anticlimactic. The endgame was proceeding, and then it just kinda stopped. It was designed like that, of course, since everything ending was simply dependent on Keph bringing the Leaves of One Night to Variance, which he did. Ah, the Leaves of One Night, planting the seeds in Mistress of the Night for later Forgotten Realms novelists to pick up on and weave an amazing tapestry of a story, in the Erevis Cale and Twilight War trilogies. That aside, though, I enjoy reading in-game about the various holy texts of different faiths and philosophies they encompass. The one thing that I wish there was more on, regarding the various faiths of Abeir-Toril, are their holy texts. Sure, some might not have any specific ones, while others might have numerous, but I wish there was a central list somewhere, and that previous books, like Faiths and Avatars, Powers and Pantheons, Demihuman Deities, and Faiths and Avatars did more, in this regard.
My one complaint, and it’s not much of a complaint, is that Sharran priests and/or priestesses are not the main characters in the book. Feena, the Selûnite priestess is. That is not to say that Shar, or her clergy, aren’t featured prominently in Mistress of the Night, however. Given the title of the book, when I first bought it, I was expecting a Sharran to be the protagonist, with (presumably) a Mystraran or a Selûnite as the antagonist- making the “bad guy” the “good guy”, a point of view not commonly used in the Forgotten Realms novels thus far. That’s not to say that Shar wasn’t featured adequately, or that the Sharrans in the book weren’t interesting characters. I just thought, maybe, we’d get something relatively new.
September 13, 2018
I give this book 3,5 stars. It is well written and you get a good feeling about the rivalry between the two goddess (Shar and Selune).
July 4, 2020
I came close to giving this book four stars. It moved at a solid pace without sacrificing characterization or detail along the way. (It didn't drag in the middle, as I find often happens with Forgotten Realms novels.) Moreover, the plot for the first 90 percent of the book was engrossing. I honestly had no idea how Bassingthwaite and Gross were going to wrap up the story, and I was excited to see how it all came together. But, I'm ultimately giving it three stars because the authors don't really address the mysteries that made the first 90 percent of the book so exciting in the first place. Spoilers ahead.
In sum, if you're considering reading this book because you really liked Feena in "Black Wolf," you may be a bit disappointed in not seeing the events of "Black Wolf" reflected in this story. I'd say the people who'd enjoy this book the most are people really into reading about the followers of Selune or Shar. For everyone else, it's a mostly fun read so long as you're not expecting a satisfying conclusion at the end.
In sum, if you're considering reading this book because you really liked Feena in "Black Wolf," you may be a bit disappointed in not seeing the events of "Black Wolf" reflected in this story. I'd say the people who'd enjoy this book the most are people really into reading about the followers of Selune or Shar. For everyone else, it's a mostly fun read so long as you're not expecting a satisfying conclusion at the end.
June 4, 2012
There are books you get involved and then there are books... Something like that. I was hospitalized when I read this book. I didn't had that many books so I read it... Maybe iff I was at home I wouldn't had finished in only two days or even finished at all...
The plot is very simple... Feena (tha main character) is a werewolf and a priestess of Selune who returns to the temple in yhuann where a Sharran cult is emerging (Sharr is the evil side of Selune... or so they think). A local wizards son (the family was very interesting and I really hope that they had a book themselves) is recruited by that Sharran Cult because he has main access to his father room.
I think the authors drag a bit on some of uninteresting parts which would be more fruitful if focusing on the main anthagonist which was portrayed very nicely... even if it has some minor cameos...
The good thing was the details about the Selune and Sharr clergy rituals, rties and hierachy.
I will not read this book again but it was entretainment... I would only advice if you play D&D
The plot is very simple... Feena (tha main character) is a werewolf and a priestess of Selune who returns to the temple in yhuann where a Sharran cult is emerging (Sharr is the evil side of Selune... or so they think). A local wizards son (the family was very interesting and I really hope that they had a book themselves) is recruited by that Sharran Cult because he has main access to his father room.
I think the authors drag a bit on some of uninteresting parts which would be more fruitful if focusing on the main anthagonist which was portrayed very nicely... even if it has some minor cameos...
The good thing was the details about the Selune and Sharr clergy rituals, rties and hierachy.
I will not read this book again but it was entretainment... I would only advice if you play D&D
December 9, 2022
So, I wasn't expecting anything great and I knew nothing going into the book. I mean, just look at the cover. It's dreary, bleak, drab. Coming from the heels of awesome stories and authors such as Byers, Evans, Cunningham, or even Johnson's 'Mistshore' and Bassingthwaite's 'Yellow Silk' how could a book with the relatively benign title of 'Mistress of the Night' compete?
It could and it did. I don't give 5 stars lightly. Very satisfying read. One of my favourite FR stories. FR lore buffs interested in the rivalry between Shar and Selune, as well as some of Yhaunn's history will be pleased. All three of you.
PS: Favourite character of the book; Julith.
----
Reread: Still an enjoyable read, although I'd probably rate it 4 stars now. One complaint I have is that Yhaunn is the size of a large city (pop. 25k), but it feels small because only 3 or 4 locations are visited and with frequency. One thing I failed to notice in the first read was that basically the bad guys win. Nice!
It could and it did. I don't give 5 stars lightly. Very satisfying read. One of my favourite FR stories. FR lore buffs interested in the rivalry between Shar and Selune, as well as some of Yhaunn's history will be pleased. All three of you.
PS: Favourite character of the book; Julith.
----
Reread: Still an enjoyable read, although I'd probably rate it 4 stars now. One complaint I have is that Yhaunn is the size of a large city (pop. 25k), but it feels small because only 3 or 4 locations are visited and with frequency. One thing I failed to notice in the first read was that basically the bad guys win. Nice!
January 1, 2025
After playing Baldur's Gate 3, I wanted to delve more into the lore of the Sharrans and the worship of Shar and Selune. This book seemed like a great way to learn more. However, I was a bit disappointed, maybe a lot of the lore was fleshed out specifically for BG3, but this novel focused on the in-fighting and politics within the Temple of Selune and the Sharrans were treated more as an afterthought. I was intrigued by questions about why someone would worship a dark goddess like Shar and the character who was attracted to Shar was that way mostly because he wasn't good at magic and was jealous of his brother. Maybe those are actual reasons people join a cult? I don't know, I guess I expected something deeper. Mistress of the Night is just kind of a typical fantasy tale it is not bad and if you are interested in the worship of Shar within the Forgotten Realms it is one of the only novels out there for you.
October 5, 2009
This is one book which is unique in the way it flows. It stars a demented priestess, and a werewolf, who have to fight a cult which is being resurrected after a long quietus where the people were able to forget how bad it really was.
The werewolf is summoned to the priests stronghold/home to help and then gets caught up in web of deceit, tangled lies, and murder - all of which she gets accused of.
A good read overall.
The werewolf is summoned to the priests stronghold/home to help and then gets caught up in web of deceit, tangled lies, and murder - all of which she gets accused of.
A good read overall.
March 20, 2012
Pretty good story, but there were a lot of typos and errors that were really distracting >_<
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