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Brimstone Angels #1
Brimstone Angels
It’s a simple thing.
Rejected at birth and raised in a village of tiefling misfits, Farideh expects a life without friends, love, or control over her destiny. Then she makes a pact with a devil named Lorcan, and everything changes.
You’ll have the power to do as you please.
Lorcan promises all she ever dreamed of and asks for nothing in return. Her twin sister Havilar urges Farideh to resist the devil’s sway. But Farideh’s not so sure. Lorcan may be dangerous but the power he offers is exhilarating.
Say you’re mine.
In the ruins of Neverwinter, Farideh’s doubts get tangled up in a devilish snare six layers deep. A succubus playing human pawns against an otherworldly foe sees the twins as obstacles in her path. And Lorcan’s monstrous sisters have their eyes on the city—and on Farideh. There’s no time to question her pact with Lorcan—it will take every ounce of Farideh’s newfound powers to get out of Neverwinter alive.
Rejected at birth and raised in a village of tiefling misfits, Farideh expects a life without friends, love, or control over her destiny. Then she makes a pact with a devil named Lorcan, and everything changes.
You’ll have the power to do as you please.
Lorcan promises all she ever dreamed of and asks for nothing in return. Her twin sister Havilar urges Farideh to resist the devil’s sway. But Farideh’s not so sure. Lorcan may be dangerous but the power he offers is exhilarating.
Say you’re mine.
In the ruins of Neverwinter, Farideh’s doubts get tangled up in a devilish snare six layers deep. A succubus playing human pawns against an otherworldly foe sees the twins as obstacles in her path. And Lorcan’s monstrous sisters have their eyes on the city—and on Farideh. There’s no time to question her pact with Lorcan—it will take every ounce of Farideh’s newfound powers to get out of Neverwinter alive.
339 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 2011
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July 13, 2019
Standard "do you need to know about D&D to read this" question. There may be some slight confusion as to the differences between a tiefling, a fiend, a demon, and a devil (yes those are all meaningfully different things) but ultimately no, a working knowledge of game mechanics is not needed.
Setting:
This book takes place in the forgotten realms one of the canonical settings for dungeons and dragons. Unlike Salvatore's Homeland, which is in the FR but feels mostly just like a big cave system, this book does properly feel like it takes place in the world of D&D. This is largely due to two of the main characters being tiefling (essentially a race of former humans who have been altered by a pact that some people made a long time ago that has tainted their bloodline making them look somewhat demonic). Though the frequent mention, and occasionally visits to, the hells and seeing their hierarchy helps the effect. The inclusion of a major city from the setting and a D&D specific monster, the aboleth, are the final nails in that coffin.
Characters:
Farideh: Our lead character is a tiefling and she hates that she is routinely judged for a choice made many generations before she was born. She also knows well that she is not her adoptive father's favorite daughter. She finds herself constantly under scrutiny and looking for some means of feeling less useless. She finds those means by making a pact (essentially trading obedience for magical powers) with a man named Lorcan. You know what they say about things that sound too good to be true though right?
Havilar: Havilar is Farideh's twin sister and she is absolutely in love with her glaive. She is in some ways the favored daughter of their adoptive dragonborn father for her skill in combat, though her brash recklessness might knock her down a bit if he noticed it. While the twins don't always agree, they are certainly supportive and loving of each other.
Lorcan: Lorcan is the cambion (half devil half human) with who Farideh makes her pact. Lorcan's motivations are somewhat unclear. He is trying to collect a set of warlocks such that he will have descendants of the original 13 people who made the pact which created the first tieflings. What it is he wants to do with this magical baker's dozen is unclear. Perhaps he thinks they'll look good on his proverbial mantle. What is quite clear is that he is keenly interested in keeping Farideh around as she is descended from the rarest of the 13 bloodlines. He'll do whatever it takes to keep her around.
Plot:
The back of the book would suggest that the plot of this novel involves some goings-on in the town of Neverwinter, and yes eventually we do get to that, (there's a succubus there with plans to do something nefarious) but it's not until about half way through the book that we actually reach the city.
The real plot of the novel is about Farideh coming to terms with her pact with Lorcan, how the world sees her, and how she sees herself.
My Thoughts:
I mentioned earlier that the book does come off feeling like it is set in the world of D&D and that's true. It's worth mentioning here that the various settings of D&D have been being built for literally decades so there is a tremendous wealth of stuff available for the author to pull out and play with. Evans does an excellent job of pulling out enough to make the setting feel distinct without pulling out so much as to make the setting overly confusing or requiring of large info dumps. Tieflings are considered strange and not well liked. This is established in the first chapter between Farideh being scolded for her interest in a subject which an older tiefling believes is precisely the sort of thing that makes them hated and Lorcan using her status as an outcast (both in terms of race and more personally) to prey on her and coax her into accepting his deal. The idea of the hierarchy of the hells is understood as some demons report to others and we see demons being demoted into lesser forms and hoping to be promoted to higher forms.
The other major accomplishment here is the relationship between Farideh and Lorcan. Lorcan is nice and helpful to his ward while scheming ways to make her ever more dependent upon him. Farideh is distrusting and, at times, openly hateful to Lorcan but she so loves what he has to give her. The pact is quite bluntly a deal with a devil to gain superhuman abilities. Tough to say no. Tough to say yes.
Not much else to say. Actually nothing sticking out to me as worth complaining over. Some minor hinting at a possible romance between Farideh and Lorcan, would rather not see the series go that way. Very enjoyable, looking forward to the next one.
Setting:
This book takes place in the forgotten realms one of the canonical settings for dungeons and dragons. Unlike Salvatore's Homeland, which is in the FR but feels mostly just like a big cave system, this book does properly feel like it takes place in the world of D&D. This is largely due to two of the main characters being tiefling (essentially a race of former humans who have been altered by a pact that some people made a long time ago that has tainted their bloodline making them look somewhat demonic). Though the frequent mention, and occasionally visits to, the hells and seeing their hierarchy helps the effect. The inclusion of a major city from the setting and a D&D specific monster, the aboleth, are the final nails in that coffin.
Characters:
Farideh: Our lead character is a tiefling and she hates that she is routinely judged for a choice made many generations before she was born. She also knows well that she is not her adoptive father's favorite daughter. She finds herself constantly under scrutiny and looking for some means of feeling less useless. She finds those means by making a pact (essentially trading obedience for magical powers) with a man named Lorcan. You know what they say about things that sound too good to be true though right?
Havilar: Havilar is Farideh's twin sister and she is absolutely in love with her glaive. She is in some ways the favored daughter of their adoptive dragonborn father for her skill in combat, though her brash recklessness might knock her down a bit if he noticed it. While the twins don't always agree, they are certainly supportive and loving of each other.
Lorcan: Lorcan is the cambion (half devil half human) with who Farideh makes her pact. Lorcan's motivations are somewhat unclear. He is trying to collect a set of warlocks such that he will have descendants of the original 13 people who made the pact which created the first tieflings. What it is he wants to do with this magical baker's dozen is unclear. Perhaps he thinks they'll look good on his proverbial mantle. What is quite clear is that he is keenly interested in keeping Farideh around as she is descended from the rarest of the 13 bloodlines. He'll do whatever it takes to keep her around.
Plot:
The back of the book would suggest that the plot of this novel involves some goings-on in the town of Neverwinter, and yes eventually we do get to that, (there's a succubus there with plans to do something nefarious) but it's not until about half way through the book that we actually reach the city.
The real plot of the novel is about Farideh coming to terms with her pact with Lorcan, how the world sees her, and how she sees herself.
My Thoughts:
I mentioned earlier that the book does come off feeling like it is set in the world of D&D and that's true. It's worth mentioning here that the various settings of D&D have been being built for literally decades so there is a tremendous wealth of stuff available for the author to pull out and play with. Evans does an excellent job of pulling out enough to make the setting feel distinct without pulling out so much as to make the setting overly confusing or requiring of large info dumps. Tieflings are considered strange and not well liked. This is established in the first chapter between Farideh being scolded for her interest in a subject which an older tiefling believes is precisely the sort of thing that makes them hated and Lorcan using her status as an outcast (both in terms of race and more personally) to prey on her and coax her into accepting his deal. The idea of the hierarchy of the hells is understood as some demons report to others and we see demons being demoted into lesser forms and hoping to be promoted to higher forms.
The other major accomplishment here is the relationship between Farideh and Lorcan. Lorcan is nice and helpful to his ward while scheming ways to make her ever more dependent upon him. Farideh is distrusting and, at times, openly hateful to Lorcan but she so loves what he has to give her. The pact is quite bluntly a deal with a devil to gain superhuman abilities. Tough to say no. Tough to say yes.
Not much else to say. Actually nothing sticking out to me as worth complaining over. Some minor hinting at a possible romance between Farideh and Lorcan, would rather not see the series go that way. Very enjoyable, looking forward to the next one.
November 10, 2011
Disclaimer-If you read the review and feel there is a spoiler in it, please let me know and I will remove that section. Also, if you have any questions, don't hesitate to ask. Thank you.
Brimstone Angels is the second stand-alone novel by Erin M. Evans. Her first is The God Catcher: Ed Greenwood Presents Waterdeep.
Brimstone Angels follows the misadventures of a Tiefling named Farideh who unwittingly makes a pact with a cambion and is exiled out of the village with her twin sister and their foster father who is a dragonborn. All this happens in the prologue. Now turned bounty hunters, they end up in Neverwinter where there are many plots unfolding. The levels of intrigue are deep and dangerous and through it all some subplots have Farideh learning more about herself and the connection with her sister and foster father, a devil who is “not really a bad guy”, and others that would lead to spoilers.
This book was excellent and very different from the norm that has been rehashed through the FR world. Not only that but it also brings all the elements of what has happened into one great story without the downfalls of those elements. What I mean is everything is there from the spellplague, a little bit of the spellscarred which is used very appropriately, and the Abolethic Sovereignty. The flow of the story is well done, though there are a few little grammar hick-ups but not enough to make it too annoying, and even transitions wonderfully from one event to the next. The pace is the perfect combination of action and exposition and keeps the pages turning. I am not one to read more than 30 to 50 pages a day and this one had me reading more than a 100 in the past 2 days. The character development is also nicely done and there is a good range of depth to the characters
Some criticisms:
1. I really only have one criticism and that is the fact that the devils and such from the Hells really seem nicer than I would have expected. There are some parts where the reader is expecting this niceness as the devils are trying to persuade for their own special gain, but at times I found myself actually rooting for them. Most just didn’t seem as evil maybe as they ought to have been.
Some positives:
1. One of the things that really make this novel stand out is the lack of human characters. It is a nice change of pace and is pulled off perfectly.
2. The characters were a joy to read and I felt I could really connect with all of them. Ms. Evans really had their individualities nailed down and each character has their own voice and quirks about them.
Though this book is subtitled as A Neverwinter Novel, the reader does not need any background from R.A. Salvatore’s trilogy and really this book could be read without any background info of the world itself. Any mention of the past I feel would only provide a reader with a reason to go back and read previous novels that deal with the Abolethic Sovereignty and the Spellplague. For those tired of the standard human fantasy and want a change of pace, I highly recommend checking this one out. For FR fans this one is great. I feel if Ms. Evans is going to continue writing books like this one and The God Catcher, she will not long find herself among the FR greats like R.A. Salvatore, Paul S. Kemp, Erik Scott de Bie, Bruce Cordell, etc.
Happy reading
-Dimndbangr
Brimstone Angels is the second stand-alone novel by Erin M. Evans. Her first is The God Catcher: Ed Greenwood Presents Waterdeep.
Brimstone Angels follows the misadventures of a Tiefling named Farideh who unwittingly makes a pact with a cambion and is exiled out of the village with her twin sister and their foster father who is a dragonborn. All this happens in the prologue. Now turned bounty hunters, they end up in Neverwinter where there are many plots unfolding. The levels of intrigue are deep and dangerous and through it all some subplots have Farideh learning more about herself and the connection with her sister and foster father, a devil who is “not really a bad guy”, and others that would lead to spoilers.
This book was excellent and very different from the norm that has been rehashed through the FR world. Not only that but it also brings all the elements of what has happened into one great story without the downfalls of those elements. What I mean is everything is there from the spellplague, a little bit of the spellscarred which is used very appropriately, and the Abolethic Sovereignty. The flow of the story is well done, though there are a few little grammar hick-ups but not enough to make it too annoying, and even transitions wonderfully from one event to the next. The pace is the perfect combination of action and exposition and keeps the pages turning. I am not one to read more than 30 to 50 pages a day and this one had me reading more than a 100 in the past 2 days. The character development is also nicely done and there is a good range of depth to the characters
Some criticisms:
1. I really only have one criticism and that is the fact that the devils and such from the Hells really seem nicer than I would have expected. There are some parts where the reader is expecting this niceness as the devils are trying to persuade for their own special gain, but at times I found myself actually rooting for them. Most just didn’t seem as evil maybe as they ought to have been.
Some positives:
1. One of the things that really make this novel stand out is the lack of human characters. It is a nice change of pace and is pulled off perfectly.
2. The characters were a joy to read and I felt I could really connect with all of them. Ms. Evans really had their individualities nailed down and each character has their own voice and quirks about them.
Though this book is subtitled as A Neverwinter Novel, the reader does not need any background from R.A. Salvatore’s trilogy and really this book could be read without any background info of the world itself. Any mention of the past I feel would only provide a reader with a reason to go back and read previous novels that deal with the Abolethic Sovereignty and the Spellplague. For those tired of the standard human fantasy and want a change of pace, I highly recommend checking this one out. For FR fans this one is great. I feel if Ms. Evans is going to continue writing books like this one and The God Catcher, she will not long find herself among the FR greats like R.A. Salvatore, Paul S. Kemp, Erik Scott de Bie, Bruce Cordell, etc.
Happy reading
-Dimndbangr
November 5, 2018
I must say I really liked Brimstone Angels, but the fact that it was set in an already established world and had a pretty complex plot to boot (hellish politics, literally) made it a bit hard to keep up at times. I suspect the already established setting, creatures, mythology, etc also were the reason the worldbuilding sometimes felt a bit lacking. It wasn't bad, but readers were assumed to already know everything about everything other than these specific characters, and so that's what the plot focused on. The setting itself and the creatures in it felt a bit bland (are all the orcs evil? why? how do cultures differ between species? is there no culture clash?)
And I really liked the characters and their dynamics! Having the most important relationships be familial and platonic but also strained the way it sometimes is between siblings or parent and child was a breath of fresh air from all the romances out there. It's clear these characters love each other but there's so much shit going on in their lives and the world has such prejudiced ideas of them that they have to work really hard not to drive each other insane.
Farideh especially was awesome. She's made a pact with a devil for the sake of magical abilities because that's the only way she saw of not getting stuck in what society had set out for her, and no matter how much trouble said decision brought her and her family she doesn't regret it and won't give up her pact. And I like that! I like that we get a female character who wants power without being turned into a selfish villain, that she gets to have conflicting feelings about what she can do and why, that even if she's stuck in a pact with a DEVIL likely to get her or her loved ones killed she won't give it up because then she'll be defenseless again.
I'm also a sucker for devils and demons in general, so of course I loved Lorcan and his scheming and the fact that he's an undoubtedly bad person but still kind of cares. Also, tiefling main characters! Yes!
And I really liked the characters and their dynamics! Having the most important relationships be familial and platonic but also strained the way it sometimes is between siblings or parent and child was a breath of fresh air from all the romances out there. It's clear these characters love each other but there's so much shit going on in their lives and the world has such prejudiced ideas of them that they have to work really hard not to drive each other insane.
Farideh especially was awesome. She's made a pact with a devil for the sake of magical abilities because that's the only way she saw of not getting stuck in what society had set out for her, and no matter how much trouble said decision brought her and her family she doesn't regret it and won't give up her pact. And I like that! I like that we get a female character who wants power without being turned into a selfish villain, that she gets to have conflicting feelings about what she can do and why, that even if she's stuck in a pact with a DEVIL likely to get her or her loved ones killed she won't give it up because then she'll be defenseless again.
I'm also a sucker for devils and demons in general, so of course I loved Lorcan and his scheming and the fact that he's an undoubtedly bad person but still kind of cares. Also, tiefling main characters! Yes!
February 3, 2016
One of the better D+D novels of the last few years, and certainly far better than the execrable drivel that Salvatore is pumping out with his Drizzt novels of late.
June 8, 2020
I was expecting this book to have a lot of explanation to the world of Dungeons and Dragons. To some degree, my expectations were met.
As someone who plays Dungeons and Dragons on a fairly regular basis (I know, librarian AND a tabletop gamer? Shocker) it was very interesting to see Faerun in a completely new light, in addition to the inner workings of some different classes from the previous edition of the game. NOTE: If you don't play dungeons and dragons, don't worry - this is still a fun book to read. You may get lost within the first three chapters, but it does well to establish the world you're in once you get into it.
In Brimstone Angels, we follow tiefling twins Farideh and Havilar. Tieflings being the mortal spawn of devils, Farideh had always felt like an outcast. But when she accidentally makes a pact with a real honest-to-badness devil named Lorcan to gain magical powers, her village kicks her, her sister and their Dragonborn guardian, Mehen, out.
Enter Brinn, a mysterious cleric boy who is on the run from his cousin. Reasons? Unknown. But when he meets Farideh and Havilar by chance, he decides to tag along as the four travel to the new Neverwinter settlement, where more than devils seem to await them.
I will admit, it definitely started out slow. And I mean SLOW. The prologue really didn't do much to establish more than how Farideh became a warlock, which is important, but it didn't do much to show me who she WAS or what her village was like until well into the book. Granted, maybe not knowing the whole story outright was the point, but it did feel a little agonizing. I learned more about Mehen than Farideh in the first few pages, and that's saying a lot. But all the characters are well-written, and I was excited to know how the story would end. The book ends on a cliffhanger, leading smoothly into the next (which I am currently reading) and it was great to see the relationships between the characters bloom naturally.
All in all, if you like fantasy books based on the world of Dungeons and Dragons, this is your book. Keep in mind, it doesn't follow all the rules of 3.5 edition, but that's what books are for. And this one definitely built my understanding of the history Faerun quite a bit as well as the inner-workings of the Hells. I loved it, but I gave it little points for its pacing.
As someone who plays Dungeons and Dragons on a fairly regular basis (I know, librarian AND a tabletop gamer? Shocker) it was very interesting to see Faerun in a completely new light, in addition to the inner workings of some different classes from the previous edition of the game. NOTE: If you don't play dungeons and dragons, don't worry - this is still a fun book to read. You may get lost within the first three chapters, but it does well to establish the world you're in once you get into it.
In Brimstone Angels, we follow tiefling twins Farideh and Havilar. Tieflings being the mortal spawn of devils, Farideh had always felt like an outcast. But when she accidentally makes a pact with a real honest-to-badness devil named Lorcan to gain magical powers, her village kicks her, her sister and their Dragonborn guardian, Mehen, out.
Enter Brinn, a mysterious cleric boy who is on the run from his cousin. Reasons? Unknown. But when he meets Farideh and Havilar by chance, he decides to tag along as the four travel to the new Neverwinter settlement, where more than devils seem to await them.
I will admit, it definitely started out slow. And I mean SLOW. The prologue really didn't do much to establish more than how Farideh became a warlock, which is important, but it didn't do much to show me who she WAS or what her village was like until well into the book. Granted, maybe not knowing the whole story outright was the point, but it did feel a little agonizing. I learned more about Mehen than Farideh in the first few pages, and that's saying a lot. But all the characters are well-written, and I was excited to know how the story would end. The book ends on a cliffhanger, leading smoothly into the next (which I am currently reading) and it was great to see the relationships between the characters bloom naturally.
All in all, if you like fantasy books based on the world of Dungeons and Dragons, this is your book. Keep in mind, it doesn't follow all the rules of 3.5 edition, but that's what books are for. And this one definitely built my understanding of the history Faerun quite a bit as well as the inner-workings of the Hells. I loved it, but I gave it little points for its pacing.
February 10, 2014
Forgotten Realms can at times be a daunting read. With all the all fantasy and words that aren't typical to the layman's vernacular, it can be an overwhelming experience at times. I am a huge fan of fantasy novels, and had taken a break from my latest tryst with Forgotten Realms (was entirely too emotionally vested to some characters, which left me traumatized at its finish). I had decided to try once more to fall in love with the characters presented to me in this world, and ready myself for heartbreak.
Erin Evans brought me back and reminded me why I loved this setting, and loved reading these books. She introduced entirely believable characters that one can relate to. It is sometimes difficult to relate to fantasy novels as I don't have experience finding demons, devils and the such, but I can relate to the real life concerns of being a young, lonely girl unsure of herself and her future. She paints an excellent picture that connects you to all the characters in her book, even so much that I loved to hate some of the lesser appealing characters in the novel.
This book is excellent for a new reader to the Forgotten Realms/ Neverwinter series. You don't need the background of this world to understand her writing. Its a great starting point, or a great continuation if you are already involved in the books.
I also enjoyed the fact that this story followed a pair of Tiefling sisters and their foster Dragonborn father. It was a different flavor from my typical drow filled readings. The pacing of the story was excellent and the way she tied in different aspects of the world happenings into her story was perfect.
I would highly recommend this book to anyone interested in Fantasy novels.
Just make sure you have the time to read - you won't want to put it down.
Erin Evans brought me back and reminded me why I loved this setting, and loved reading these books. She introduced entirely believable characters that one can relate to. It is sometimes difficult to relate to fantasy novels as I don't have experience finding demons, devils and the such, but I can relate to the real life concerns of being a young, lonely girl unsure of herself and her future. She paints an excellent picture that connects you to all the characters in her book, even so much that I loved to hate some of the lesser appealing characters in the novel.
This book is excellent for a new reader to the Forgotten Realms/ Neverwinter series. You don't need the background of this world to understand her writing. Its a great starting point, or a great continuation if you are already involved in the books.
I also enjoyed the fact that this story followed a pair of Tiefling sisters and their foster Dragonborn father. It was a different flavor from my typical drow filled readings. The pacing of the story was excellent and the way she tied in different aspects of the world happenings into her story was perfect.
I would highly recommend this book to anyone interested in Fantasy novels.
Just make sure you have the time to read - you won't want to put it down.
March 19, 2017
Erin Evans is the second D&D author I have read, the other being R.A. Salvatore and the first five Legend of Drizzt books. This one is okay, though I really couldn't get past how by-the-game her language and world is. I think Salvatore does a good job abstracting away features of D&D to create a rich world of magic and creatures without hearing the die rolls behind everything the character's do. The same cannot be said of Evans's writing. The potions really bothered me, having literal all-purpose healing potions was just too bluntly taken from the core game. Another thing that bothered me was the zero explanation of aboleths. I felt like they could really have used more description into the Sovereignty and the Chasm, I found some of this kind of confusing and wonder if it's expected that the reader has read other Neverwinter based D&D books before. Missing that really screws up comprehending the importance of the overall plot of Glasya...which has a twist in the end that seemed a bit of a stretch, and seemed to come to the main character's knowledge a bit magically (in a bad way).
There were some points I really did like, though, that made me want to finish this book. I liked Lorcan a lot and enjoyed the hell scenes, I felt his character was pretty interesting. Minor spoilers approaching so I can be detailed about his character...okay. The lazy, low tier devil of the hells stealing from his powerful mother, sneaking from his dangerous half-devil tattle tale of a sister, with this material plane alter ego of a powerful devil to his warlocks. I thought it was pretty fun to learn that his whole interest in Farideh is purely for basically a hobby, something a half-devil like himself can do for prestige as nearly every pathway to advancement is barred from him give he's only half a devil. He's almost an old money, spoiled young adult kind of character - except in hell, for probably hundreds of years living like that. I loved how the plot evolved very nicely from his own selfish, sneaky actions totally spiraling out of his control to engulf him and our Torill heroes in this larger than themselves conflict.
I have to say, though, in the end I'm just not a huge fan of a lot of the good guy characters. Our own Brimstone Angels spend a lot of time squabbling, wresting with the constant struggle of loving your sister but taking her for granted, being jealous of her, etc. etc. Brin was the flattest character to me - Tam gets less attention but I think was more interesting. Mehen I had trouble buying as a father...for some reason the love for his adopted daughters to me felt quite forced.
I saw a lot of potential starting this book, but in the end I'm not so sure the writing and character's grew as well as they could have. I may try the second book - authors do get better the more they write. But maybe not.
There were some points I really did like, though, that made me want to finish this book. I liked Lorcan a lot and enjoyed the hell scenes, I felt his character was pretty interesting. Minor spoilers approaching so I can be detailed about his character...okay. The lazy, low tier devil of the hells stealing from his powerful mother, sneaking from his dangerous half-devil tattle tale of a sister, with this material plane alter ego of a powerful devil to his warlocks. I thought it was pretty fun to learn that his whole interest in Farideh is purely for basically a hobby, something a half-devil like himself can do for prestige as nearly every pathway to advancement is barred from him give he's only half a devil. He's almost an old money, spoiled young adult kind of character - except in hell, for probably hundreds of years living like that. I loved how the plot evolved very nicely from his own selfish, sneaky actions totally spiraling out of his control to engulf him and our Torill heroes in this larger than themselves conflict.
I have to say, though, in the end I'm just not a huge fan of a lot of the good guy characters. Our own Brimstone Angels spend a lot of time squabbling, wresting with the constant struggle of loving your sister but taking her for granted, being jealous of her, etc. etc. Brin was the flattest character to me - Tam gets less attention but I think was more interesting. Mehen I had trouble buying as a father...for some reason the love for his adopted daughters to me felt quite forced.
I saw a lot of potential starting this book, but in the end I'm not so sure the writing and character's grew as well as they could have. I may try the second book - authors do get better the more they write. But maybe not.
March 9, 2021
I loved this! My fiancé suggested that I read up on Neverwinter as I currently play a tiefling warlock FROM Neverwinter and BOOM Brimstone Angels! I made my character way before I knew this was a thing and I'm so glad there's a series about it because it helps me to play my character better. The writing is great, it's nice to learn about the everyday life of an adventurer and learn more about the different races and such. I had such a great time following the story of Lorcan and Farideh along with all of the other super interesting side characters. I would highly suggest listening to the audiobook for this as the reader does a fantastic job of playing the characters out. It's comforting to know that there are more books in this series as I have come to think of these characters as friends! Can't wait to hear what they get into next!
August 13, 2022
I really liked it! The story was good, the World building seemed a bit underwrought, but that's probably for the benefit of D&D fans who are already familiar with the material. Worldbuilding and Storytelling are always a delicate interplay.
Considering the devilish material, i would have preffered an 'R rating over the 'PG13 that we got. (teenagers drinking whiskey didn't jibe well with the PG13 however)
As far as the writing goes:
Negatives... Descriptions are lacking at times. PoV is average. Passive voice throughout. Far too many was's...
The positives... Characters are likeable. The sisters contrast well. Dialogue is great. At times funny in a very girly way. The sister's motives are clear. History is expertly interwoven throughout. Evans doesn't make the mistake of over writing the details, as so many fantasy writers tend to do.
Considering the devilish material, i would have preffered an 'R rating over the 'PG13 that we got. (teenagers drinking whiskey didn't jibe well with the PG13 however)
As far as the writing goes:
Negatives... Descriptions are lacking at times. PoV is average. Passive voice throughout. Far too many was's...
The positives... Characters are likeable. The sisters contrast well. Dialogue is great. At times funny in a very girly way. The sister's motives are clear. History is expertly interwoven throughout. Evans doesn't make the mistake of over writing the details, as so many fantasy writers tend to do.
December 19, 2025
Dear friends, what benefits us, benefits Asmodeus, and what benefits Asmodeus, benefits us all. Welcome to another monster story review.
I asked Chat for a suggestion as to what I could read set in the Forgotten Realms-universe. And when I added that I would prefer something concerning warlocks, character flaws (introspection) and, perhaps, even a little romance, it suggested this story about two tiefling sisters ("one's a curiosity, two's a conspiracy, three's a curse") and their adoptive dragonborn father. It actually told me it would be a perfect match.
She couldn't bear, she realised, to be nothing but the daughter of Clanless Mehen. (p.197)
And guess what? I LOVED this. It reads like an old school fantasy book, and after chasing the thrill of romantasy "classics" like ACOTAR and the Empyrean series (I know they're not classics), I've been onto those tropes for maybe too long. Because even though this series promises a slow burn, it feels like coming back to the YA books that I loved.
I cannot wait to see how this story unfolds!!! Get in nerds, we're going reading about mean men and angry woman on paths to being better people/tieflings/cambions.
I asked Chat for a suggestion as to what I could read set in the Forgotten Realms-universe. And when I added that I would prefer something concerning warlocks, character flaws (introspection) and, perhaps, even a little romance, it suggested this story about two tiefling sisters ("one's a curiosity, two's a conspiracy, three's a curse") and their adoptive dragonborn father. It actually told me it would be a perfect match.
She couldn't bear, she realised, to be nothing but the daughter of Clanless Mehen. (p.197)
And guess what? I LOVED this. It reads like an old school fantasy book, and after chasing the thrill of romantasy "classics" like ACOTAR and the Empyrean series (I know they're not classics), I've been onto those tropes for maybe too long. Because even though this series promises a slow burn, it feels like coming back to the YA books that I loved.
I cannot wait to see how this story unfolds!!! Get in nerds, we're going reading about mean men and angry woman on paths to being better people/tieflings/cambions.
November 24, 2011
Brimstone Angels by Erin M. Evans
Brimstone Angels is a stand-alone novel set in the Forgotten Realms universe of Dungeons and Dragons. However, the novel does tie into R. A. Salvatore's Neverwinter Trilogy, along with having ties to other events in various recent series set in the Forgotten Realms. The novel will also tie into an upcoming Massively Multiplayer Online game that will be set in Neverwinter. Erin M. Evans has written a novel for the series Ed Greenwood Presents Waterdeep titled The God Catcher, as well as contributing a short story to the Realms of the Dead anthology titled "The Resurrection Agent". Brimstone Angels was released in November 2011 and was published by Wizards of the Coast, LLC.
After unwittingly accepting a pact with a cambion, Farideh realizes that she has made a huge mistake. After the town she grew up in learns of her unfortunate pact, Farideh, her twin sister, Havilar, and their adoptive father, a dragonborn named Mehen, are forced out. Thankfully, they find work as bounty hunters, but Farideh realizes that she still doesn't fit in, and it doesn't help that the cambion, Lorcan, keeps popping up. As the trio track a bounty towards the ruined and rebuilding city of Neverwinter, Farideh may have found a way out of her pact, or at least a way to control it. The only problem is the powers in Neverwinter has their own plans for the devastated city, and Farideh, Havilar, Mehen, and Lorcan find themselves in the middle of it all.
Criticisms:
1) References. Brimstone Angels has a lot going for it. There's great characters and an interesting plot. However, there is one problem that doesn't pop up until close to the end where there seems to be a slew of references to events outside the story thrown out for the reader to try to digest. The story at this point becomes bogged down with references to the Abolethic Sovereignty, current events in Neverwinter, and some other references that may go over a new reader's head. This wouldn't have been a huge issue, but the amount of information given in such a short time span is overwhelming. It does take you out of the story, for a short time, and make you wonder what exactly is going on.
Praises:
1) Characters. There are a few things that make Brimstone Angels a phenomenal book and it all starts with the characters. Every single character in this novel is wonderful. Not only are they developed, they go beyond that. They seem like real people in their actions and motivations. You don't see that much depth to characters in stand alone novels. The most impressive thing about the characters is that none of them came off as cliché. They didn't rely solely on one note personalities, defining attributes, or paper-thin motivations. The characters are so vivid that talking about them would cause this review to go on for a long time, as well as cheapen the experience of meeting these characters. Needless to say, everyone in this novel is just phenomenal and is a joy to read about.
2) Story. Another thing that makes Brimstone Angels work is the story. The story takes the typical "save such-and-such" and puts it in the background, and focuses more on being a character-driven story. The plot on its surface is about Farideh saving Neverwinter, but it never felt like it was about that. Instead, the characters seemed to drive the plot, leading it all the way to its conclusion. Everything the characters did had a direct impact on the plot and made sense. There never felt like there was any deus ex machina to help move the plot along. Instead, the characters felt totally in control, or at least as much as they can be. It all was logical with how events unfolded. Everything just worked with each other to make the plot work.
3) Settings. Brimstone Angels has some very interesting settings. Each place that comes up feels real and seems to have a life of itself. While Neverwinter is an interesting locale with all the events surrounding it, the most interesting setting is the sixth layer of Hell, Malbolge. The Hells seems to only be talked about and rarely seem to take a large role in Forgotten Realms novels. In Brimstone Angels it is prominent and paints an interesting, and frightening, picture of the layer. The amount of details and descriptions for Malbolge makes it easy to picture, in all its horrific glory. The same can be said about Neverwinter, with the amount of detail, but Malbolge just seemed more interesting. With Neverwinter, it feels like you were taking in the sights of the city with Farideh. But with Malbolge, it felt like something entirely new and exciting. All in all, the settings really helped in bring Brimstone Angels to life.
Side Notes:
1) Infernal Pact. It's nice to see a novel focusing on how warlock pacts work and it's interesting to see how they develop as time goes on. I also found the interactions between Farideh and Lorcan very intriguing and something that seemed to be missing from other warlocks that I've read. Just having Lorcan directly interact with Farideh felt different and unique.
2) Abolethic Sovereignty. After reading Brimstone Angels, I felt like I finally began to understand what the Abolethic Sovereignty is about. Kind of. It's still vague, but now I understand that it's supposed to be vague.
3) Cover Art. I really like the cover artwork for Brimstone Angels. The characters look great and exactly how I pictured them while reading. Farideh and Havilar look fantastic. You can almost see the cocky attitude that Havilar has and Farideh's worrisome nature. Also, it's a nice touch to have Farideh's eyes the two shades, silver and gold. Most covers may overlook this fact, but I'm glad it's noticeable here. The character that steals the show on the cover is Lorcan. He just looks awesome, and that's the best way to describe it. Also, there is a noticeable feeling of action going on. Just looking at it makes you pumped up to start reading the novel. It's one of those covers that you'll just enjoy.
Overall: 5/5
Final Thoughts:
Brimstone Angels can be summed up in one word; phenomenal. Everything about the novel felt right. Even the problem with the slew of references doesn't bog it down for too long. It's noticeable, but it doesn't affect the overall enjoyable experience you will have by the end. Characters are phenomenal, the story is just wonderful, and the settings are vivid and exciting. Everything works and makes it one of the funnest books I've read this year. If you want an enjoyable, character-driven novel, definitely pick this one up. If you don't want that, still pick this one up. There is a reason Erin M. Evans is quickly becoming one of my favorite authors, and Brimstone Angels will show you why.
Brimstone Angels is a stand-alone novel set in the Forgotten Realms universe of Dungeons and Dragons. However, the novel does tie into R. A. Salvatore's Neverwinter Trilogy, along with having ties to other events in various recent series set in the Forgotten Realms. The novel will also tie into an upcoming Massively Multiplayer Online game that will be set in Neverwinter. Erin M. Evans has written a novel for the series Ed Greenwood Presents Waterdeep titled The God Catcher, as well as contributing a short story to the Realms of the Dead anthology titled "The Resurrection Agent". Brimstone Angels was released in November 2011 and was published by Wizards of the Coast, LLC.
After unwittingly accepting a pact with a cambion, Farideh realizes that she has made a huge mistake. After the town she grew up in learns of her unfortunate pact, Farideh, her twin sister, Havilar, and their adoptive father, a dragonborn named Mehen, are forced out. Thankfully, they find work as bounty hunters, but Farideh realizes that she still doesn't fit in, and it doesn't help that the cambion, Lorcan, keeps popping up. As the trio track a bounty towards the ruined and rebuilding city of Neverwinter, Farideh may have found a way out of her pact, or at least a way to control it. The only problem is the powers in Neverwinter has their own plans for the devastated city, and Farideh, Havilar, Mehen, and Lorcan find themselves in the middle of it all.
Criticisms:
1) References. Brimstone Angels has a lot going for it. There's great characters and an interesting plot. However, there is one problem that doesn't pop up until close to the end where there seems to be a slew of references to events outside the story thrown out for the reader to try to digest. The story at this point becomes bogged down with references to the Abolethic Sovereignty, current events in Neverwinter, and some other references that may go over a new reader's head. This wouldn't have been a huge issue, but the amount of information given in such a short time span is overwhelming. It does take you out of the story, for a short time, and make you wonder what exactly is going on.
Praises:
1) Characters. There are a few things that make Brimstone Angels a phenomenal book and it all starts with the characters. Every single character in this novel is wonderful. Not only are they developed, they go beyond that. They seem like real people in their actions and motivations. You don't see that much depth to characters in stand alone novels. The most impressive thing about the characters is that none of them came off as cliché. They didn't rely solely on one note personalities, defining attributes, or paper-thin motivations. The characters are so vivid that talking about them would cause this review to go on for a long time, as well as cheapen the experience of meeting these characters. Needless to say, everyone in this novel is just phenomenal and is a joy to read about.
2) Story. Another thing that makes Brimstone Angels work is the story. The story takes the typical "save such-and-such" and puts it in the background, and focuses more on being a character-driven story. The plot on its surface is about Farideh saving Neverwinter, but it never felt like it was about that. Instead, the characters seemed to drive the plot, leading it all the way to its conclusion. Everything the characters did had a direct impact on the plot and made sense. There never felt like there was any deus ex machina to help move the plot along. Instead, the characters felt totally in control, or at least as much as they can be. It all was logical with how events unfolded. Everything just worked with each other to make the plot work.
3) Settings. Brimstone Angels has some very interesting settings. Each place that comes up feels real and seems to have a life of itself. While Neverwinter is an interesting locale with all the events surrounding it, the most interesting setting is the sixth layer of Hell, Malbolge. The Hells seems to only be talked about and rarely seem to take a large role in Forgotten Realms novels. In Brimstone Angels it is prominent and paints an interesting, and frightening, picture of the layer. The amount of details and descriptions for Malbolge makes it easy to picture, in all its horrific glory. The same can be said about Neverwinter, with the amount of detail, but Malbolge just seemed more interesting. With Neverwinter, it feels like you were taking in the sights of the city with Farideh. But with Malbolge, it felt like something entirely new and exciting. All in all, the settings really helped in bring Brimstone Angels to life.
Side Notes:
1) Infernal Pact. It's nice to see a novel focusing on how warlock pacts work and it's interesting to see how they develop as time goes on. I also found the interactions between Farideh and Lorcan very intriguing and something that seemed to be missing from other warlocks that I've read. Just having Lorcan directly interact with Farideh felt different and unique.
2) Abolethic Sovereignty. After reading Brimstone Angels, I felt like I finally began to understand what the Abolethic Sovereignty is about. Kind of. It's still vague, but now I understand that it's supposed to be vague.
3) Cover Art. I really like the cover artwork for Brimstone Angels. The characters look great and exactly how I pictured them while reading. Farideh and Havilar look fantastic. You can almost see the cocky attitude that Havilar has and Farideh's worrisome nature. Also, it's a nice touch to have Farideh's eyes the two shades, silver and gold. Most covers may overlook this fact, but I'm glad it's noticeable here. The character that steals the show on the cover is Lorcan. He just looks awesome, and that's the best way to describe it. Also, there is a noticeable feeling of action going on. Just looking at it makes you pumped up to start reading the novel. It's one of those covers that you'll just enjoy.
Overall: 5/5
Final Thoughts:
Brimstone Angels can be summed up in one word; phenomenal. Everything about the novel felt right. Even the problem with the slew of references doesn't bog it down for too long. It's noticeable, but it doesn't affect the overall enjoyable experience you will have by the end. Characters are phenomenal, the story is just wonderful, and the settings are vivid and exciting. Everything works and makes it one of the funnest books I've read this year. If you want an enjoyable, character-driven novel, definitely pick this one up. If you don't want that, still pick this one up. There is a reason Erin M. Evans is quickly becoming one of my favorite authors, and Brimstone Angels will show you why.
April 10, 2020
Fun Read
First non-Drizzt Forgotten Realms book in ages. High adventure and likeable fand flawed characters that have rooting for and against them.
First non-Drizzt Forgotten Realms book in ages. High adventure and likeable fand flawed characters that have rooting for and against them.
February 17, 2017
Entirely subjective review:
This book just managed to check most of my favorite tropes, and while I objectively realize it's not the greatest thing out there, it still has:
- a bunch of strong and badass (and unapologetically evil) ladies
- two girls as main characters
- two tieflings (aforementioned) as main characters (and their dragonborn dad) (I really like tieflings)
- pacts with devils and 9 Hells business (that one certain devil is also apparently good looking, and I'm not the one to pretend I'm not at least a bit shallow)
- characters struggling to be accepted by society, introspecting, talking their issues out, siblings getting along, man it's just so nice and I love the smallest things, and it makes it easy to relate to characters
- characters learning (and struggling) to use their newly found powers
- quite fast paced, no time to lose
- a lot of DnD references as one would expect (I've taken up 5E recently, never played before, love every single one of the references and possible inspirations for my own campaign)
- various characters and races
It was nice reading about Neverwinter. The name always sounded cool, but I honestly had no idea, before this book, that it was actually a city. Or that a calamity had befallen it before. Or just about anything. There wasn't much of Faerun shown, but it was certainly talked about and created the feeling of that vast fantasy setting we all seek and love in books.
One might not like the book for it's relative shortness, fast pace without some (too) grand plottwists and abrupt ending (though it might just be me binging the book?), but thank gods there are 5 more and I'm about to read them all. Thank you Erin Evans!
This book just managed to check most of my favorite tropes, and while I objectively realize it's not the greatest thing out there, it still has:
- a bunch of strong and badass (and unapologetically evil) ladies
- two girls as main characters
- two tieflings (aforementioned) as main characters (and their dragonborn dad) (I really like tieflings)
- pacts with devils and 9 Hells business (that one certain devil is also apparently good looking, and I'm not the one to pretend I'm not at least a bit shallow)
- characters struggling to be accepted by society, introspecting, talking their issues out, siblings getting along, man it's just so nice and I love the smallest things, and it makes it easy to relate to characters
- characters learning (and struggling) to use their newly found powers
- quite fast paced, no time to lose
- a lot of DnD references as one would expect (I've taken up 5E recently, never played before, love every single one of the references and possible inspirations for my own campaign)
- various characters and races
It was nice reading about Neverwinter. The name always sounded cool, but I honestly had no idea, before this book, that it was actually a city. Or that a calamity had befallen it before. Or just about anything. There wasn't much of Faerun shown, but it was certainly talked about and created the feeling of that vast fantasy setting we all seek and love in books.
One might not like the book for it's relative shortness, fast pace without some (too) grand plottwists and abrupt ending (though it might just be me binging the book?), but thank gods there are 5 more and I'm about to read them all. Thank you Erin Evans!
August 7, 2015
I found this book to be much better than I expected! Don't get me wrong, I didn't expect Erin M. Evans to write poorly or to disappoint me in the technical sense... but I usually consider these types of books - those based on the D&D game, to be precise - to be a ton of fluffy, but usually poorly constructed, trite, tries-too-hard type of writing with mediocre characterization and meandering go-nowhere storylines. THAT IS NOT THIS BOOK. This book is awesome! So much more than I expected from the D&D genre!
The characters acted in a way that made sense for each of them. While the character growth was not off the charts, it WAS present and appropriate. The two main characters are teenagers, so some of the dialogue and interactions are very immature, but that is what I would expect from teens thrown into the situations described in the story.
The storyline made sense and each character had their own, unique motivation that was distinct to the character, even though some of them overlapped a bit. I do feel that, at times, the cultists of Asmodeus seemed more evil than the devils themselves, but that is possibly only because most direct interaction was between the main characters and the cultists and, with the exception of Lorcan, the devils only interact with each other. Also, the devils are schemers, so their evilness is a behind-the-scenes sort of thing (until the end) without direct interaction with the main characters. Meanwhile the cultists have direct interaction with the main protagonists, so you read/experience them doing evil things and they come off as more evil than the devils themselves. In my mind this is completely acceptable, so the "devils aren't acting as evil as I think they should be" is a moot point for me.
Lorcan might be a different story... but I feel like I don't know everything about his motivations, so the reasons why he treats Farideh the way he does in some scenes was a bit puzzling... but then again, I feel that his motivations are not entirely laid bare, so once again, I can suspend disbelief enough to enjoy the book a great deal.
As a D&D novel in the 4e era I could see the connections to the game mechanics, but not in a way that was intrusive or extremely obvious - i.e. it didn't break the flow the story. Anyone not familiar with 4e will not notice the connections and won't "miss" anything, but those who are familiar with 4e will feel a sense of knowledge that is satisfying, but not in the way of book.
In short - this was one of the most refreshing D&D based books I have read, if not THE most refreshing. Thank you Ms. Evans, for bringing back the joy of the D&D novel!
The characters acted in a way that made sense for each of them. While the character growth was not off the charts, it WAS present and appropriate. The two main characters are teenagers, so some of the dialogue and interactions are very immature, but that is what I would expect from teens thrown into the situations described in the story.
The storyline made sense and each character had their own, unique motivation that was distinct to the character, even though some of them overlapped a bit. I do feel that, at times, the cultists of Asmodeus seemed more evil than the devils themselves, but that is possibly only because most direct interaction was between the main characters and the cultists and, with the exception of Lorcan, the devils only interact with each other. Also, the devils are schemers, so their evilness is a behind-the-scenes sort of thing (until the end) without direct interaction with the main characters. Meanwhile the cultists have direct interaction with the main protagonists, so you read/experience them doing evil things and they come off as more evil than the devils themselves. In my mind this is completely acceptable, so the "devils aren't acting as evil as I think they should be" is a moot point for me.
Lorcan might be a different story... but I feel like I don't know everything about his motivations, so the reasons why he treats Farideh the way he does in some scenes was a bit puzzling... but then again, I feel that his motivations are not entirely laid bare, so once again, I can suspend disbelief enough to enjoy the book a great deal.
As a D&D novel in the 4e era I could see the connections to the game mechanics, but not in a way that was intrusive or extremely obvious - i.e. it didn't break the flow the story. Anyone not familiar with 4e will not notice the connections and won't "miss" anything, but those who are familiar with 4e will feel a sense of knowledge that is satisfying, but not in the way of book.
In short - this was one of the most refreshing D&D based books I have read, if not THE most refreshing. Thank you Ms. Evans, for bringing back the joy of the D&D novel!
June 3, 2024
Brimstone Angels offers a compelling dive into the world of intrigue and politicking among the infernal houses of Glacia and Asmodeus. The scheming and power plays are engaging and keep the narrative lively. I particularly enjoyed the intricate machinations and the tension between the different factions, wishing there had been even more of this element throughout the book.
However, the two tiefling twins, Farideh and Havilar, detracted from my overall enjoyment. Their teenage stubbornness and frequent clashes made their point of view a chore to get through. At 17, their behavior might be understandable, but it often felt grating and overshadowed the more interesting aspects of the story. Other characters' perspectives were much more captivating, and I found myself eagerly awaiting those sections instead.
Overall, "Brimstone Angels" is a solid read. It's not a masterpiece, but it has its strengths. One significant caveat is that this book is not suitable for newcomers to the Forgotten Realms or Dungeons & Dragons lore. Despite being recommended as a beginner-friendly D&D book, it assumes a level of familiarity with the universe that could leave newcomers frequently pausing to look up terms and concepts. As someone with limited prior knowledge, I found this aspect frustrating and time-consuming.
However, the two tiefling twins, Farideh and Havilar, detracted from my overall enjoyment. Their teenage stubbornness and frequent clashes made their point of view a chore to get through. At 17, their behavior might be understandable, but it often felt grating and overshadowed the more interesting aspects of the story. Other characters' perspectives were much more captivating, and I found myself eagerly awaiting those sections instead.
Overall, "Brimstone Angels" is a solid read. It's not a masterpiece, but it has its strengths. One significant caveat is that this book is not suitable for newcomers to the Forgotten Realms or Dungeons & Dragons lore. Despite being recommended as a beginner-friendly D&D book, it assumes a level of familiarity with the universe that could leave newcomers frequently pausing to look up terms and concepts. As someone with limited prior knowledge, I found this aspect frustrating and time-consuming.
February 3, 2017
Good Forgotten Real novel 3.5 stars
Brimstone angels is set in the Forgotten Realm of the RPG world of Dungeons and Dragons. The main character are two Tieflings twins (Human - devil mix, not evil, but distrusted because of it) and their adopted Dragonborn father. The story starts when one of the two twins reluctantly/ accidentally accepts a pact with a devil and are forced out of the village they live in because of it. What follows is their adventures and the live, quibbling, fighting and classic D&D scheming.
An interesting, Lore heavy novel with a bunch of fun characters and a good sister-sister dynamic between the two main characters. This novel is probably more interesting for those with some background knowledge, than the a casual reader would have. But other than that this is a good novel and a fun read.
Brimstone angels is set in the Forgotten Realm of the RPG world of Dungeons and Dragons. The main character are two Tieflings twins (Human - devil mix, not evil, but distrusted because of it) and their adopted Dragonborn father. The story starts when one of the two twins reluctantly/ accidentally accepts a pact with a devil and are forced out of the village they live in because of it. What follows is their adventures and the live, quibbling, fighting and classic D&D scheming.
An interesting, Lore heavy novel with a bunch of fun characters and a good sister-sister dynamic between the two main characters. This novel is probably more interesting for those with some background knowledge, than the a casual reader would have. But other than that this is a good novel and a fun read.
December 3, 2011
If you want to know about Tieflings, Devils, & Archdevils in the post spellplague world of D&D, then this is the book to read. I would recommend it to any gamer who is considering playing a Tiefling!
December 20, 2016
Great start to a new series in Forgotten Realms world. I enjoyed all of the main characters and look forward to the next five in the series.
August 10, 2017
This was the first book I have read by Erin and you can consider me a fan! This is very well written and Farideh is a great heroine! Picked up book two right after finishing this one.
November 23, 2021
Lots of promise...characters are good. Ending felt a bit off...but I hope it's just setting up for the future books.
January 19, 2025
only god knows why i'm reading this (it's a buddy-read and it was my friend's turn to pick a book and he picked this monstrosity)
September 10, 2022
I was expecting this book to have a lot of explanation to the world of Dungeons and Dragons. To some degree, my expectations were met.
As someone who plays Dungeons and Dragons on a fairly regular basis (I know, librarian AND a tabletop gamer? Shocker) it was very interesting to see Faerun in a completely new light, in addition to the inner workings of some different classes from the previous edition of the game. NOTE: If you don't play dungeons and dragons, don't worry - this is still a fun book to read. You may get lost within the first three chapters, but it does well to establish the world you're in once you get into it.
In Brimstone Angels, we follow tiefling twins Farideh and Havilar. Tieflings being the mortal spawn of devils, Farideh had always felt like an outcast. But when she accidentally makes a pact with a real honest-to-badness devil named Lorcan to gain magical powers, her village kicks her, her sister and their Dragonborn guardian, Mehen, out.
Enter Brinn, a mysterious cleric boy who is on the run from his cousin. Reasons? Unknown. But when he meets Farideh and Havilar by chance, he decides to tag along as the four travel to the new Neverwinter settlement, where more than devils seem to await them.
I will admit, it definitely started out slow. And I mean SLOW. The prologue really didn't do much to establish more than how Farideh became a warlock, which is important, but it didn't do much to show me who she WAS or what her village was like until well into the book. Granted, maybe not knowing the whole story outright was the point, but it did feel a little agonizing. I learned more about Mehen than Farideh in the first few pages, and that's saying a lot. But all the characters are well-written, and I was excited to know how the story would end. The book ends on a cliffhanger, leading smoothly into the next (which I am currently reading) and it was great to see the relationships between the characters bloom naturally.
All in all, if you like fantasy books based on the world of Dungeons and Dragons, this is your book. Keep in mind, it doesn't follow all the rules of 3.5 edition, but that's what books are for. And this one definitely built my understanding of the history Faerun quite a bit as well as the inner-workings of the Hells. I loved it, but I gave it little points for its pacing.
As someone who plays Dungeons and Dragons on a fairly regular basis (I know, librarian AND a tabletop gamer? Shocker) it was very interesting to see Faerun in a completely new light, in addition to the inner workings of some different classes from the previous edition of the game. NOTE: If you don't play dungeons and dragons, don't worry - this is still a fun book to read. You may get lost within the first three chapters, but it does well to establish the world you're in once you get into it.
In Brimstone Angels, we follow tiefling twins Farideh and Havilar. Tieflings being the mortal spawn of devils, Farideh had always felt like an outcast. But when she accidentally makes a pact with a real honest-to-badness devil named Lorcan to gain magical powers, her village kicks her, her sister and their Dragonborn guardian, Mehen, out.
Enter Brinn, a mysterious cleric boy who is on the run from his cousin. Reasons? Unknown. But when he meets Farideh and Havilar by chance, he decides to tag along as the four travel to the new Neverwinter settlement, where more than devils seem to await them.
I will admit, it definitely started out slow. And I mean SLOW. The prologue really didn't do much to establish more than how Farideh became a warlock, which is important, but it didn't do much to show me who she WAS or what her village was like until well into the book. Granted, maybe not knowing the whole story outright was the point, but it did feel a little agonizing. I learned more about Mehen than Farideh in the first few pages, and that's saying a lot. But all the characters are well-written, and I was excited to know how the story would end. The book ends on a cliffhanger, leading smoothly into the next (which I am currently reading) and it was great to see the relationships between the characters bloom naturally.
All in all, if you like fantasy books based on the world of Dungeons and Dragons, this is your book. Keep in mind, it doesn't follow all the rules of 3.5 edition, but that's what books are for. And this one definitely built my understanding of the history Faerun quite a bit as well as the inner-workings of the Hells. I loved it, but I gave it little points for its pacing.
October 14, 2019
It took me so long to get this book. I searched for it while reading The Adversary, in second-hand bookshops, on eBay and Amazon. But online it was always so expensive, often over £100. Finally, after a long search, I found a copy on eBay for £50 including shipping, which I considered to be a good deal. And that's how I bought my most expensive book ever.
The book is the first in the Brimstone Angels series, followed by Lesser Evils, and then The Adversary, which I have already read and reviewed. I don't think it was a mistake starting with the third book, but reading the first one definitely makes things clearer, and explains quite a bit. We get to know Farideh and Havilar quite a bit, see how Farideh made her pact with Lorcan and left her hometown, and find out how the twins met Brin and Tam. It then builds up to quite a lot of drama and action when they reach the ruined city of Neverwinter. There is mind-control, cultists, and fighting. It's awesome.
Now, I still love D&D devils and tieflings, so again this book really fits my interests. However, since I read The Adversary I've also become quite interested in aboleths, and also the Sword Coast cities (through two different campaigns). And what do you know, this book is largely set in Neverwinter, featuring heavily something called The Abolethic Sovereignty. It's perfect for me.
I am giving it one less star than its second sequel, because, while it may be more action packed, and perhaps has more soul, the writing is definitely smoother in The Adversary. Evans has really developed as a writer. BA also feels less like it has an epic, overarching plot. It's just Farideh and Havilar trying to get by and save people in their paths. Which is absolutely fine and entertaining, I'm just more about the overarching plots, personally.
The book is the first in the Brimstone Angels series, followed by Lesser Evils, and then The Adversary, which I have already read and reviewed. I don't think it was a mistake starting with the third book, but reading the first one definitely makes things clearer, and explains quite a bit. We get to know Farideh and Havilar quite a bit, see how Farideh made her pact with Lorcan and left her hometown, and find out how the twins met Brin and Tam. It then builds up to quite a lot of drama and action when they reach the ruined city of Neverwinter. There is mind-control, cultists, and fighting. It's awesome.
Now, I still love D&D devils and tieflings, so again this book really fits my interests. However, since I read The Adversary I've also become quite interested in aboleths, and also the Sword Coast cities (through two different campaigns). And what do you know, this book is largely set in Neverwinter, featuring heavily something called The Abolethic Sovereignty. It's perfect for me.
I am giving it one less star than its second sequel, because, while it may be more action packed, and perhaps has more soul, the writing is definitely smoother in The Adversary. Evans has really developed as a writer. BA also feels less like it has an epic, overarching plot. It's just Farideh and Havilar trying to get by and save people in their paths. Which is absolutely fine and entertaining, I'm just more about the overarching plots, personally.
January 8, 2025
Brimstone Angels by Erin M Evans
I had a hard time with this book. The author is one of my favourites on a podcast that I listen a lot to and she is very good, a far better writer than I am. This book is good, but something like the second scene really threw me off.
It's not a spoiler as it happens right at the start. The main character's sister summons a demon and instead of any caution or even concern, just leaves it with her sister. Things go wrong because it isn't even bound and thus the main character pretty much has to sell her soul to the demon. Their house gets burned down, they are thrown out of their village and the sister doesn't even seem to feel bad about this. If my sister had done this, I'd be out for blood and at very least would never associate with them again. I would laugh at their misfortune and wish them nothing but ill. But nope, the main character just weathers being a demon's plaything like her sister gave her chickenpox; just something that happens.
Granted, once this set-up is done the adventure commences, which moves along at a swift pace. It's convoluted, dealing with the politics of the hells and demons. Certainly a knowledge of the Forgotten Realms, the setting for this book, is a big advantage.
Aside from what I mentioned above, the characters, and there are many, are well written and interesting. One thing I really did like is the dynamic that develops between the characters as the book moves on, the shifting alliances are well done as well.
I will definitely look at the other books of this series in the future.
I had a hard time with this book. The author is one of my favourites on a podcast that I listen a lot to and she is very good, a far better writer than I am. This book is good, but something like the second scene really threw me off.
It's not a spoiler as it happens right at the start. The main character's sister summons a demon and instead of any caution or even concern, just leaves it with her sister. Things go wrong because it isn't even bound and thus the main character pretty much has to sell her soul to the demon. Their house gets burned down, they are thrown out of their village and the sister doesn't even seem to feel bad about this. If my sister had done this, I'd be out for blood and at very least would never associate with them again. I would laugh at their misfortune and wish them nothing but ill. But nope, the main character just weathers being a demon's plaything like her sister gave her chickenpox; just something that happens.
Granted, once this set-up is done the adventure commences, which moves along at a swift pace. It's convoluted, dealing with the politics of the hells and demons. Certainly a knowledge of the Forgotten Realms, the setting for this book, is a big advantage.
Aside from what I mentioned above, the characters, and there are many, are well written and interesting. One thing I really did like is the dynamic that develops between the characters as the book moves on, the shifting alliances are well done as well.
I will definitely look at the other books of this series in the future.
November 8, 2017
Brimstone Angels is a great DnD novel. It has a number of great characters, some of which develop really well over the course of the book.
Farideh is an orphaned tiefling (devil person: horns, red skin, tail) girl who makes a pact with a rather charming devil after her twin sister summons him to cure her boredom in their lonely town of Arush Vayem. All Hells (*wink*) break loose as Farideh and her family are forced to flee.
The characters all have interesting and distinct personalities, some of which stray far away from morally 'good'.
Pro's
- Better than other *cough* Salvatore *cough* Dungeons and Dragons books.
- Interesting characters
- Avoids a lot of RPG character stereotypes and presents some moral ambiguity.
- Not a very long read
Con's
- Uses some DnD vernacular that may confuse readers e.g. Draconic and Infernal language phrases.
- I found the main character a little pathetic thus a little unlikable for a lot of the book. She eventually become badass though.
Bonus points. The main characters twin sister Havilar, is coincidentally very much like my DnD character Avalhae, an angry, glaive wielding, tiefling girl with a slice shit, ask questions later attitude.
Farideh is an orphaned tiefling (devil person: horns, red skin, tail) girl who makes a pact with a rather charming devil after her twin sister summons him to cure her boredom in their lonely town of Arush Vayem. All Hells (*wink*) break loose as Farideh and her family are forced to flee.
The characters all have interesting and distinct personalities, some of which stray far away from morally 'good'.
Pro's
- Better than other *cough* Salvatore *cough* Dungeons and Dragons books.
- Interesting characters
- Avoids a lot of RPG character stereotypes and presents some moral ambiguity.
- Not a very long read
Con's
- Uses some DnD vernacular that may confuse readers e.g. Draconic and Infernal language phrases.
- I found the main character a little pathetic thus a little unlikable for a lot of the book. She eventually become badass though.
Bonus points. The main characters twin sister Havilar, is coincidentally very much like my DnD character Avalhae, an angry, glaive wielding, tiefling girl with a slice shit, ask questions later attitude.
January 6, 2025
"Brimstone Angels," the eponymously named first title in the Brimstone Angels series, follows the story of Faridah, a Tiefling (a humanoid with fiendish blood) warlock as she attempts to find her place in Faerûn and the Hells. Without dropping too many spoilers, I was instantly taken with Erin Evans's writing style; as many of you know Forgotten Realms is an "open source" setting for Dungeons and Dragons and the novels are no exception. Each author who contributes to Forgotten Realms brings a different skill level and interpretation of that world. Erin Evans's style is concise and the characters are relatable, the author includes a great deal of relationship building that it is intertwined with the action of the story, at no point did I find myself wandering mentally or becoming bored as I was reading. Evans also provides, for those interested in world building or DMing, an in-depth take on warlocks and their pacts as well as their relationships to their patrons. I found her knowledge of the lore to be deep and entertaining, as of this review I am starting the third book and plan to read the entire series. I would recommend this book as both a rollicking adventure tale and a wonderful introduction to the universe of the Forgotten Realms and the associated novels.
October 4, 2021
Far too many superfluous characters that don't contribute anything to the main story but occupy large parts of the book. The story itself--overall simple--is delivered in a confusing manner, probably to obscure the fact it relies on coincidences to get everything moving. Most of the protagonists don't even know what's going on or understand the motivations of their numerous villain(s) until the final moments, and some of them end the book having no idea what just happened.
Both Mehen and Brin should've been cut in editing. Both were rather ridiculous characters for different reasons and distracted from the more interesting parts of the story. Not enough time is spent on characterization, almost no one but Farideh progresses in a significant way.
I am truly disappointed; I was looking forward to a story of intrigue and mystery between devils in Neverwinter starring a tiefling warlock, but the book is hellbent on keeping Farideh confused in the dark and more-or-less powerless outside of combat, and moving the camera away from her, spending way too much time on boring side-characters.
Both Mehen and Brin should've been cut in editing. Both were rather ridiculous characters for different reasons and distracted from the more interesting parts of the story. Not enough time is spent on characterization, almost no one but Farideh progresses in a significant way.
I am truly disappointed; I was looking forward to a story of intrigue and mystery between devils in Neverwinter starring a tiefling warlock, but the book is hellbent on keeping Farideh confused in the dark and more-or-less powerless outside of combat, and moving the camera away from her, spending way too much time on boring side-characters.
July 24, 2021
Took me a year to finish this book, Lol. It had nothing to do with the content and everything to do with the f**king small print used in the mass market copy I had. In fact, I only got about 1/2 way with the book and decided I couldn’t read it anymore because my eyes hurt and I kept getting headaches. So, I actually bought the audio-book and listened to it through Audible. Having started reading it and then re-listening as an audiobook was a great experience actually. So many things I never really picked up on in print I was able to hear in audio format.
I really enjoyed the characters, especially the tiefling sisters. I thought they were written well as teen adventurers along with their dragonborn father figure. Having the cult of Asmodeus involved made for a good epic threat and Lorcan was both enjoyable and annoying. There’s quite a bit going on and lots of plot lines that intersect. Highly enjoyable.
I really enjoyed the characters, especially the tiefling sisters. I thought they were written well as teen adventurers along with their dragonborn father figure. Having the cult of Asmodeus involved made for a good epic threat and Lorcan was both enjoyable and annoying. There’s quite a bit going on and lots of plot lines that intersect. Highly enjoyable.
November 28, 2025
this was such a fun, engaging trip in the forgotten realms with a fresh cast of characters that i fell in love with. the back of the book/opening quote made me think there would be a prominent, phoned-in romance, but whatever romance there was (which was basically only the seeds) was not the main focus of the story at all.
the book was surprisingly slow burn, with a lot of different plot threads building up in the first half of the book, kind of going to shit (in a good way) in the second half, and then culminating into an exciting and satisfying ending that also leaves you NEEDING to read the next book.
there were also a lot of varied, interesting characters that we followed, and there wasn't a single perspective that bored or irritated me. i love all of them so much, and i can't wait for us to learn more about them in later books.
if you are able to get your hands on a copy of this book and you like fantasy, PLEASE READ IT. you will have an amazing time :^]
the book was surprisingly slow burn, with a lot of different plot threads building up in the first half of the book, kind of going to shit (in a good way) in the second half, and then culminating into an exciting and satisfying ending that also leaves you NEEDING to read the next book.
there were also a lot of varied, interesting characters that we followed, and there wasn't a single perspective that bored or irritated me. i love all of them so much, and i can't wait for us to learn more about them in later books.
if you are able to get your hands on a copy of this book and you like fantasy, PLEASE READ IT. you will have an amazing time :^]
July 31, 2017
So, game fiction is often not awesome. Some like the books of Paul S Kemp are down right insultingly bad. Some are just good adventure tales with little depth. This on is more the later. It is a solid adventure tale with a likable protagonist and her family. The downside here is the Lorkin character. He is the devil that provides Farideh's pact. D&D has never made devils interesting. They are like devils from the heavy metal album covers. This book is filled with that and it is why this 3 stars instead of 4. That said, the Farideh and Havilar are excellent characters, flawed in human ways but still heroic. Their Dragonborn adoptive father is a bit one note, but still nice. This book is not going to win a Pulitzer or anything but I found most of the main characters likable and the action was good.
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