What do you think?
Rate this book
The bards of Waterdeep remember the past. Or do they? Even as they sing their ballads, a mysterious spell is changing their memories. Danilo Thann, Harper and would-be bard, sets out to uncover the mystery. In this quest, his closest companion is his deadliest enemy, the rogue elf Elaith Craulnober.
At stake is not merely the future of Faerûn but also its past.
At stake is not merely the future of Faerûn but also its past.
324 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 1994
46 people are currently reading
1018 people want to read
About the author
Elaine Cunningham
153 books534 followersLibrarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name. See this thread for more information.
Elaine Cunningham is an American fantasy author.
Elaine Cunningham is an American fantasy author.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 43 reviews
December 8, 2020
I regret that I have to rate this with "I did not like it", because Elaine Cunningham is a better Forgotten Realms writer than others who garnered one-star ratings from me (Ed Greenwood, I'm looking at you). I simply did not like this book, despite my efforts. Before starting, I thought back to it's predecessor, Elfshadow, and realized that aside from the main characters and a general sense of enjoyment, I did not recall much of the events of that book. So, I read a plot synopsis, and oh boy was it ever complicated. We see a bit more of that here; unnecessary complication with multiple factions. It seems to make for good tabletop RPG campaign fodder, but I don't think it made a good book in this instance. For one thing, the story depends on an interest in bardcraft in the D&D world, as well as a familiarity with the bard's power status following the Time of Troubles in the TSR-endorsed overriding storyline at the time of the game edition transition from 1st to 2nd or to 3rd or whatever was going on at the time this book was written. I like D&D, but I can't stand the bard character concept. I find them wussy and annoying. Despite this, I promise that I did NOT intentionally kill the bard in my current D&D group's first session (for real, Todd!) In Elfsong, the main villain's goal is to restore the glory and heritage of the now-defunct bardic colleges, which seems... not really an evil thing to do, so I'm not sure why she's going about it all evilly?
If you have not read Elfshadow AND the short story "The Bargain" found in the Realms of Valor anthology, I recommend you do so before starting this book, as both works are referenced frequently. As such, this book is only for die-hard Forgotten Realms novel readers, a group to which I belong for reasons which are increasingly unclear. If I did not already enjoy the character of Danillo Thann from those slightly earlier works, there would have been nothing to keep me even slightly interested in Elfsong, and I didn't really like him here. Elaine Cunningham is seen as one of this publishing line's best authors, so hopefully I will find her next books more enjoyable.
If you have not read Elfshadow AND the short story "The Bargain" found in the Realms of Valor anthology, I recommend you do so before starting this book, as both works are referenced frequently. As such, this book is only for die-hard Forgotten Realms novel readers, a group to which I belong for reasons which are increasingly unclear. If I did not already enjoy the character of Danillo Thann from those slightly earlier works, there would have been nothing to keep me even slightly interested in Elfsong, and I didn't really like him here. Elaine Cunningham is seen as one of this publishing line's best authors, so hopefully I will find her next books more enjoyable.
November 16, 2022
I enjoyed this book a lot. 4 star. Goes to show just how important bards are in the world of the forgotten realms.
December 24, 2018
A sequel to Elfshadow, this 8th book in the Harpers series follows Danilo Thann, nephew of archmage Khelben Arunsun, in his attempt to solve the mystery of a mysterious spell that has affected all of the bards of Waterdeep. Seems the bard’s tales and memories have been re-written, dangerously so, and a green dragon who loves riddles is at the bottom of it all. Joined by companions old and new, Danilo is drawn into the mystery only to discover there is far more to this than meets the eye.
I enjoyed this entry in the Harper’s series, largely due to the author, I’m sure. Elaine Cunningham writes with just the proper mix of character and plot for these sorts of D&D adventures and doesn’t take these stories too seriously. My tastes in fantasy reading have grown considerably since my youth when I first discovered Drizzt Do’Urden and the vast open world of the Forgotten Realms. But it’s still fun, now and again, to return to the world of Faerun and just enjoy a good fantasy adventure with characters you’ve encountered before.
I enjoyed this entry in the Harper’s series, largely due to the author, I’m sure. Elaine Cunningham writes with just the proper mix of character and plot for these sorts of D&D adventures and doesn’t take these stories too seriously. My tastes in fantasy reading have grown considerably since my youth when I first discovered Drizzt Do’Urden and the vast open world of the Forgotten Realms. But it’s still fun, now and again, to return to the world of Faerun and just enjoy a good fantasy adventure with characters you’ve encountered before.
September 6, 2024
ELFSONG is the second of Elaine Cunningham's fantastic SONGS AND SWORDS series that was also part of the Harpers series (confused yet?). They're a set of books which follow Harper Assassin (as in a Harper who is an Assassin not an assassin of Harpers, though she was accused of that too), Arilyn Moonblade, and Danilo Than who is a Wizard/Fighter who pretends to be a Bard but is also a Harper. Okay, now I've confused myself. The first book, Elfshadow, was fantastic and really deserved a much longer series. Thankfully, Elaine Cunningham managed to write five books in the series even if I'm sorry to say she never released the completed sixth one.
The premise for Elfsong is that the main pair are split up after the events of the first book. Danilo Thann has been recalled back to Waterdeep and is once more working for his "uncle", Khelben the Blackstaff. A disgruntled bard named Garnet has decided to strike back at the Harpers for, essentially, making the "Spoony Bard" trope into an in-game reality. She points out the grand historical tradition of bards, their important role in politics, and their grand heritage as preservers of history when written lore was unavailable. Garnet points out that bards have been reduced to being a bunch of immature wananbe superheroes in the Harpers and involved more in "fighting evil" than their historical role.
I 100% agree with Garnet and note that Elaine Cunningham is using her knowledge of history to make the argument of the villain all the more effective. Elaine Cunningham is also one of the D&D writers who does extensive research on the game before she does her books so this one is littered with material from THE COMPLETE BOOK OF BARDS, one of the two best of that series alongside THE COMPLETE BOOK OF ELVES (without said book's ridiculous elf-touting). There's Dwarvish Jesters, Riddlemasters, and Elf spellsingers. Danillo also decides to Multiclass as Bard, which is probably as redundant a choice in class as has ever been made.
In any case, Garnet's revenge is a somewhat backhanded way of redeeming the honor of bards as she starts ruining their ancient songs and turning them into hit pieces on the Lords of Waterdeep and Khelben specifically. This is a pretty common thing for "sympathetic" villains as you have them make a perfectly valid point and then blow up a schoolbus of children to show they're bad AKA the "Falcon and the Winter Soldier" effect. Mind you, this isn't a bad storytelling device as if they weren't doing villainous things then the hero wouldn't be fighting them. Still, you have to wonder what benefit to bards there will be when she's allying with the Devil-worshiping Knights of the Shield.
The bulk of the book is the frenemy relationship between Danilo and Elaith Craulnobler the Serpent. An elvish crime lord, Elaith despises Danilo because he's a human, he's a Waterdeep nobleman, he's courting Arilyn, and he's a Harper. Not necessarily in that order. Elaith is very similar to Jaime Lannister in some respects in that he's a naturally honorable person who, having lost his honor, decides to live down to everyone's worst fears.
In conclusion, Elfsong is fantastic and while I sympathized with Garnet's cause, this is not where the book's moral ambiguity lies. It is much more a character piece of Danilo versus Elaith over what constitutes morality. Elaine Cunningham has a very tense relationship regarding elvish and human relationships that I don't recall existing anywhere else in the Realms. I also appreciated the handling of the behind the scenes of the Lords of Waterdeep, which we normally don't get in the Forgotten Realms novels.
The premise for Elfsong is that the main pair are split up after the events of the first book. Danilo Thann has been recalled back to Waterdeep and is once more working for his "uncle", Khelben the Blackstaff. A disgruntled bard named Garnet has decided to strike back at the Harpers for, essentially, making the "Spoony Bard" trope into an in-game reality. She points out the grand historical tradition of bards, their important role in politics, and their grand heritage as preservers of history when written lore was unavailable. Garnet points out that bards have been reduced to being a bunch of immature wananbe superheroes in the Harpers and involved more in "fighting evil" than their historical role.
I 100% agree with Garnet and note that Elaine Cunningham is using her knowledge of history to make the argument of the villain all the more effective. Elaine Cunningham is also one of the D&D writers who does extensive research on the game before she does her books so this one is littered with material from THE COMPLETE BOOK OF BARDS, one of the two best of that series alongside THE COMPLETE BOOK OF ELVES (without said book's ridiculous elf-touting). There's Dwarvish Jesters, Riddlemasters, and Elf spellsingers. Danillo also decides to Multiclass as Bard, which is probably as redundant a choice in class as has ever been made.
In any case, Garnet's revenge is a somewhat backhanded way of redeeming the honor of bards as she starts ruining their ancient songs and turning them into hit pieces on the Lords of Waterdeep and Khelben specifically. This is a pretty common thing for "sympathetic" villains as you have them make a perfectly valid point and then blow up a schoolbus of children to show they're bad AKA the "Falcon and the Winter Soldier" effect. Mind you, this isn't a bad storytelling device as if they weren't doing villainous things then the hero wouldn't be fighting them. Still, you have to wonder what benefit to bards there will be when she's allying with the Devil-worshiping Knights of the Shield.
The bulk of the book is the frenemy relationship between Danilo and Elaith Craulnobler the Serpent. An elvish crime lord, Elaith despises Danilo because he's a human, he's a Waterdeep nobleman, he's courting Arilyn, and he's a Harper. Not necessarily in that order. Elaith is very similar to Jaime Lannister in some respects in that he's a naturally honorable person who, having lost his honor, decides to live down to everyone's worst fears.
In conclusion, Elfsong is fantastic and while I sympathized with Garnet's cause, this is not where the book's moral ambiguity lies. It is much more a character piece of Danilo versus Elaith over what constitutes morality. Elaine Cunningham has a very tense relationship regarding elvish and human relationships that I don't recall existing anywhere else in the Realms. I also appreciated the handling of the behind the scenes of the Lords of Waterdeep, which we normally don't get in the Forgotten Realms novels.
February 21, 2020
Sevgili Bihter ve Hatice aracılığıyla okuduğum bu serinin önce ikinci kitabını değerlendireceğim. Şarkılar ve Kılıçlar ismine ait bu serinin isminin hakkını veren nitelikte olduğunu bu kitapla anlıyorsunuz. Elaine Cunningham'ı biraz araştırdığımızda karşımıza müzikle olan bağlantısı çıkıyor. Özellikle bu kitaptaki yaklaşımı ve yazım dilinde sezilen lirikalitesi hoşuma giden noktalardı.
Kurguya gelirsek Arilyn'in sadece başlangıçta olacağına inanmayan bir tarafımın dumur oluşu benim için komik bir durumdu. Sevdiğim ana karakterin gelip ortalığı düzeltmesini beklediğim çokça an oldu ama mevzunun onunla hiç alakası olmamasına rağmen bunca keyifli bir akış daha çok hoşuma gitti.
Yazar kurguya dair bütün bilgileri o kadar incelikle işliyor ki ilerledikçe çorabın söküleceğine inandığınız noktalarda daha büyük düğümlerle karşılaşıyorsunuz. Özellikle halk, arpçılar, lordlar, büyücüler, ozanlar, ticaret kanalları, denizciler, askerler gibi sınıfları adeta zihnimizle satranç oynar gibi hareket ettiriyor. Hep birlikte yazarın kumpasına düşüyoruz.
Temelde akışta birçok detayın da öncesinde verilerek gitmesi beni mutlu etti. Çünkü tepeden inme işleri ekstra kolaya kaçma çözümler olarak görüyorum. Okuduğum metnin kalitesi kurguya hakim yazarlarla daha da netleşiyor. Sadece fazlaca detay aktarmak için epey çaba sarf eden yazarımızın Lal ve Vartain kapışması kısmında fazlaca hızlandırılmış bir yola girdiğini düşünüyorum. Evet asperisi onun giderek iyi bir amaçla hareket etmediği konusunda uyarıda bulunan hareketler yapıyordu ve Vartain'in bilmecesine yanlış cevap verdikten sonra sözüne uymaması da buna kanıttı. Ama yine de bunca ince düşünen bir karakter olan Lal'ın daha epik bir sonu olmasını isterdim.
Devam etmek gerekirse Danilo'nun ne kadar renkli bir karakter olduğunu görmek beni çokça sevindirdi. Ama asıl vurulduğum karakter Elaith oldu. Değişime ve dönüşüme sonsuz inançla son kitabı merak ediyorum!
Kurguya gelirsek Arilyn'in sadece başlangıçta olacağına inanmayan bir tarafımın dumur oluşu benim için komik bir durumdu. Sevdiğim ana karakterin gelip ortalığı düzeltmesini beklediğim çokça an oldu ama mevzunun onunla hiç alakası olmamasına rağmen bunca keyifli bir akış daha çok hoşuma gitti.
Yazar kurguya dair bütün bilgileri o kadar incelikle işliyor ki ilerledikçe çorabın söküleceğine inandığınız noktalarda daha büyük düğümlerle karşılaşıyorsunuz. Özellikle halk, arpçılar, lordlar, büyücüler, ozanlar, ticaret kanalları, denizciler, askerler gibi sınıfları adeta zihnimizle satranç oynar gibi hareket ettiriyor. Hep birlikte yazarın kumpasına düşüyoruz.
Temelde akışta birçok detayın da öncesinde verilerek gitmesi beni mutlu etti. Çünkü tepeden inme işleri ekstra kolaya kaçma çözümler olarak görüyorum. Okuduğum metnin kalitesi kurguya hakim yazarlarla daha da netleşiyor. Sadece fazlaca detay aktarmak için epey çaba sarf eden yazarımızın Lal ve Vartain kapışması kısmında fazlaca hızlandırılmış bir yola girdiğini düşünüyorum. Evet asperisi onun giderek iyi bir amaçla hareket etmediği konusunda uyarıda bulunan hareketler yapıyordu ve Vartain'in bilmecesine yanlış cevap verdikten sonra sözüne uymaması da buna kanıttı. Ama yine de bunca ince düşünen bir karakter olan Lal'ın daha epik bir sonu olmasını isterdim.
Devam etmek gerekirse Danilo'nun ne kadar renkli bir karakter olduğunu görmek beni çokça sevindirdi. Ama asıl vurulduğum karakter Elaith oldu. Değişime ve dönüşüme sonsuz inançla son kitabı merak ediyorum!
August 14, 2012
After reading "Elfshadow" I was intrigued to see what else would happend to Arylin and Danilo, and was a little dissapointed that Arylin only appears at the beginning of the book and that her role is inconsequential to the overall story.
Yet "Elfsong" is a powerful, witty and smart tale that made me savor every page from beginning to end. Elfsong is not a stand alone adventure about Danilo Thann; rather, it sets him on the spotlight of a plot that endangers the past, present and future of Faerun. A strange spell is making bards forget the great heroic deeds of the past while the Lords of Waterdeep are being mysteriously attacked. To make matters worse, Danilo is forcet to become allies with "The Serpent" Craulnobber in recovering an artifact that ca save the city of Waterdeep, despite Elaith's hidden agenda.
The book is filled with songs, prose and riddles as Danilo and his company attempt to save Waterdeep form a great catastrophe launched by a disgruntled sorceress.
I found that I enjoyed Danilo even more in this book. I found it a relaxing read compared to Elfshadow and I found the mystery even more appealing, although the conclusion was much more simpler than the other book, which I found a little let down. Overall, it was a great read.
Yet "Elfsong" is a powerful, witty and smart tale that made me savor every page from beginning to end. Elfsong is not a stand alone adventure about Danilo Thann; rather, it sets him on the spotlight of a plot that endangers the past, present and future of Faerun. A strange spell is making bards forget the great heroic deeds of the past while the Lords of Waterdeep are being mysteriously attacked. To make matters worse, Danilo is forcet to become allies with "The Serpent" Craulnobber in recovering an artifact that ca save the city of Waterdeep, despite Elaith's hidden agenda.
The book is filled with songs, prose and riddles as Danilo and his company attempt to save Waterdeep form a great catastrophe launched by a disgruntled sorceress.
I found that I enjoyed Danilo even more in this book. I found it a relaxing read compared to Elfshadow and I found the mystery even more appealing, although the conclusion was much more simpler than the other book, which I found a little let down. Overall, it was a great read.
June 10, 2015
This book was a lot better than the first one in this series. The storyline was much more interesting, and the characters were very capturing! I found myself liking even Elaith, even though he is just waiting for the right moment to kill off poor Danilo. The music in this book was amazing as well. I loved how it was combined with spell casting for an even greater effect. Songs and Swords is a perfect series name for this book in particular.
October 14, 2024
Attention, spoilers below! But if my spoilers can refrain the reader from reading this book, then I will have done something useful.
I am aware that the Harpers series has a rollercoaster quality, and few books are definitely good. But this one is an obscene miscarriage that should never have been written. Not as bad as The Night Parade, of course, but still a good attempt.
Let's put it clearly. I read everything fantasy, from the most acclaimed masterpieces to the worst obscure rubbish. This doesn't mean that I can't tell the former from the latter, and we are definitely in the latter here.
And I am quite surprised, because I remember that I definitely liked Elfshadow. Not that I can remember the plot very well, so it didn't leave a strong impression, but I remember it as a definitely good book nonetheless.
Simply put, the moral of this book, the point that it wants to make, is that bards are a cool class in the AD&D game. Which is something that I know already, but this book utterly fails at making that point.
First and foremost, this book is a mishmash of a lot of Forgotten Realms stuff that contributes to make a very complex plot, but one of which the author has no mastery at all. A lot of stuff is thrown into the cauldron: Harpers, Knights of the Shield, Lords of Waterdeep, music, bards, riddles, a dragon, and characters from the previous book. The author is completely incapable of juggling all these topics, and the result is totally messy.
For example, the dragon does not really fit in the story. It seems that the author just threw in a dragon because, hey, this is Dungeons and Dragons, so, since I'm not putting a dungeon in, then I have to put in at least a dragon. But the dragon, which at first appears to be a relevant element of the plot, eventually turns out to be a small part of the background, and the deus ex machina that kills the villain at the end.
Many things in this book don't make any sense at all. Starting with the villain: she does all that she does because she wants to restore the honor of bardcraft. Seems a bit lame, huh? That's not all. She wants to take revenge on the world because the world has allowed the old barding colleges to fall into decline, and that she cannot forgive.
… Well, that's just idiotic. You want the barding colleges? Since you're so powerful and influential, you can start your own, right? Hey, wasn't a high intelligence score one of the requirements for bards in AD&D…?
Furthermore, what's the point of giving the scroll to Grimnoshtadrano in exchange for the Morninglark? Couldn't you get it in some other way, instead of basically laying down the means to thwart your own plans? Also, why do you cast a terrible storm, and when the dragon appears you immediately fly up, so that your amazingly precious flying mount instantly loses control and the dragon snatches you up? Couldn't you just hide in the huge Waterdeep crowd to escape the dragon? Hey, wasn't a high intelligence score one of the requirements for bards in AD&D…?
At least, I would have expected a bit of background for the villain's motives. There's nothing of the sort. She was a bard back then, with Finder Wyvernspur, and then fast forward a few centuries and she wants to destroy the Lords of Waterdeep.
Not that I see any direct connection between the Lords of Waterdeep and the decine of bardcraft, either.
So, all in all, the villain is an idiot, does a lot of unnecessary and dumb things, and the reader is not even given an explanation. Definitely one of the lamest villains in a fantasy book.
The main characters are also terrible. Very few insights are given, they are just a bunch of characters put in the typical AD&D party when their players were too lazy to write a decent background. Apart from saying that Morgalla started drawing because no one took her seriously with songs and dancing, nothing is said about Wyn, Elaith, or Vartain. Apart from stuff that is of immediate use in a game, such as Vartain's thieving skills, which come out of the blue, while the other thief, the one charged by Elaith to steal Danilo's ring, is totally forgotten.
A lot of other things appear to be totally random. For example, the relationship between the villain and the asperii might be a prelude to an internal struggle within Garnet, some sort of fall from grace. Nope. It is once mentioned in passing that the asperii is reluctant to obey its master, maybe because her motives are not so good, and then it is left as a loose thread.
What about Danilo being threatened with knives while planning to teleport to Blackstaff Tower? The foes were approaching, he could have grabbed Wyn and Morgalla (the scroll was already in his hand) and activated the ring before anyone could get close enough. But no, that would have been against the author's plot projects, so he must be a total inept, let Elaith and the mercenaries approach, and give in to his demands. The author must have taken inspiration from a lot of retards to design her characters.
I could go on for a while in describing how bad this book is, but I think it isn't all that worth my time, so I will deem this sufficient.
I am aware that the Harpers series has a rollercoaster quality, and few books are definitely good. But this one is an obscene miscarriage that should never have been written. Not as bad as The Night Parade, of course, but still a good attempt.
Let's put it clearly. I read everything fantasy, from the most acclaimed masterpieces to the worst obscure rubbish. This doesn't mean that I can't tell the former from the latter, and we are definitely in the latter here.
And I am quite surprised, because I remember that I definitely liked Elfshadow. Not that I can remember the plot very well, so it didn't leave a strong impression, but I remember it as a definitely good book nonetheless.
Simply put, the moral of this book, the point that it wants to make, is that bards are a cool class in the AD&D game. Which is something that I know already, but this book utterly fails at making that point.
First and foremost, this book is a mishmash of a lot of Forgotten Realms stuff that contributes to make a very complex plot, but one of which the author has no mastery at all. A lot of stuff is thrown into the cauldron: Harpers, Knights of the Shield, Lords of Waterdeep, music, bards, riddles, a dragon, and characters from the previous book. The author is completely incapable of juggling all these topics, and the result is totally messy.
For example, the dragon does not really fit in the story. It seems that the author just threw in a dragon because, hey, this is Dungeons and Dragons, so, since I'm not putting a dungeon in, then I have to put in at least a dragon. But the dragon, which at first appears to be a relevant element of the plot, eventually turns out to be a small part of the background, and the deus ex machina that kills the villain at the end.
Many things in this book don't make any sense at all. Starting with the villain: she does all that she does because she wants to restore the honor of bardcraft. Seems a bit lame, huh? That's not all. She wants to take revenge on the world because the world has allowed the old barding colleges to fall into decline, and that she cannot forgive.
… Well, that's just idiotic. You want the barding colleges? Since you're so powerful and influential, you can start your own, right? Hey, wasn't a high intelligence score one of the requirements for bards in AD&D…?
Furthermore, what's the point of giving the scroll to Grimnoshtadrano in exchange for the Morninglark? Couldn't you get it in some other way, instead of basically laying down the means to thwart your own plans? Also, why do you cast a terrible storm, and when the dragon appears you immediately fly up, so that your amazingly precious flying mount instantly loses control and the dragon snatches you up? Couldn't you just hide in the huge Waterdeep crowd to escape the dragon? Hey, wasn't a high intelligence score one of the requirements for bards in AD&D…?
At least, I would have expected a bit of background for the villain's motives. There's nothing of the sort. She was a bard back then, with Finder Wyvernspur, and then fast forward a few centuries and she wants to destroy the Lords of Waterdeep.
Not that I see any direct connection between the Lords of Waterdeep and the decine of bardcraft, either.
So, all in all, the villain is an idiot, does a lot of unnecessary and dumb things, and the reader is not even given an explanation. Definitely one of the lamest villains in a fantasy book.
The main characters are also terrible. Very few insights are given, they are just a bunch of characters put in the typical AD&D party when their players were too lazy to write a decent background. Apart from saying that Morgalla started drawing because no one took her seriously with songs and dancing, nothing is said about Wyn, Elaith, or Vartain. Apart from stuff that is of immediate use in a game, such as Vartain's thieving skills, which come out of the blue, while the other thief, the one charged by Elaith to steal Danilo's ring, is totally forgotten.
A lot of other things appear to be totally random. For example, the relationship between the villain and the asperii might be a prelude to an internal struggle within Garnet, some sort of fall from grace. Nope. It is once mentioned in passing that the asperii is reluctant to obey its master, maybe because her motives are not so good, and then it is left as a loose thread.
What about Danilo being threatened with knives while planning to teleport to Blackstaff Tower? The foes were approaching, he could have grabbed Wyn and Morgalla (the scroll was already in his hand) and activated the ring before anyone could get close enough. But no, that would have been against the author's plot projects, so he must be a total inept, let Elaith and the mercenaries approach, and give in to his demands. The author must have taken inspiration from a lot of retards to design her characters.
I could go on for a while in describing how bad this book is, but I think it isn't all that worth my time, so I will deem this sufficient.
December 28, 2023
DNF at 22%.
The premise is fantastic and immediately drew me in. I’ve never read Elaine Cunningham before, but this seemed as good a place as any to start. Forgotten Realms novels are always a risk — they can be absolutely fantastic, just okay, or plain awful. The reviews of this book seemed mixed, but I wanted to give this author a shot and this is the one that interested me the most. Sadly, this one probably wasn’t the best place to start.
The prologue is incredible. The prose are so lyrical, the plot set-up is wonderful, and the characterization is incredible. I adore dragons, so that was an automatic plus for me, and Garnet’s interaction with Grimnosh was tense and tactful, as any interaction with a dragon should be. Her characterization beyond that was really great, and I was immediately sold on her as a villain. Villains of the Forgotten Realms can be a bit lackluster sometimes (Salvatore, I’m looking at you), but not here. The introduction of Wyn and Kerigan was also great, and I loved how their clashing personalities blended so well and so comedically. And the descriptions of all four of these characters not only served to give us a mental image, but to give us a sense of their personality and values.
The problem is, the energy in the prologue stops at the prologue. The characters we’re so beautifully introduced to aren’t our main characters. Instead, we’re introduced to a new main character, a carefree rogue named Danilo. He was interesting enough, but I honestly just didn’t care about him as much as Wyn and Kerigan. I wasn’t invested in him at all. Wyn is sort of around, but Danilo doesn’t clash as well with him like Kerigan did.
All-in-all, I felt narratively betrayed that the characters I put stick into were abandoned in favor of other that were shoe-horned into the story. There were reasons that Danilo had to be the main character (he’s a bard with magic), but it feels like an extremely flimsy excuse… Why couldn’t she have written Wyn that way? Then we could have had the Wyn-Kerigan duo throughout. To make the story more cohesive, she either needed to do away with Danilo entirely, or have him be the one we’re introduced to in the prologue.
I do want to try out another of Cunningham’s works, because she is a master at writing prose — but this was one was odd.
The premise is fantastic and immediately drew me in. I’ve never read Elaine Cunningham before, but this seemed as good a place as any to start. Forgotten Realms novels are always a risk — they can be absolutely fantastic, just okay, or plain awful. The reviews of this book seemed mixed, but I wanted to give this author a shot and this is the one that interested me the most. Sadly, this one probably wasn’t the best place to start.
The prologue is incredible. The prose are so lyrical, the plot set-up is wonderful, and the characterization is incredible. I adore dragons, so that was an automatic plus for me, and Garnet’s interaction with Grimnosh was tense and tactful, as any interaction with a dragon should be. Her characterization beyond that was really great, and I was immediately sold on her as a villain. Villains of the Forgotten Realms can be a bit lackluster sometimes (Salvatore, I’m looking at you), but not here. The introduction of Wyn and Kerigan was also great, and I loved how their clashing personalities blended so well and so comedically. And the descriptions of all four of these characters not only served to give us a mental image, but to give us a sense of their personality and values.
The problem is, the energy in the prologue stops at the prologue. The characters we’re so beautifully introduced to aren’t our main characters. Instead, we’re introduced to a new main character, a carefree rogue named Danilo. He was interesting enough, but I honestly just didn’t care about him as much as Wyn and Kerigan. I wasn’t invested in him at all. Wyn is sort of around, but Danilo doesn’t clash as well with him like Kerigan did.
All-in-all, I felt narratively betrayed that the characters I put stick into were abandoned in favor of other that were shoe-horned into the story. There were reasons that Danilo had to be the main character (he’s a bard with magic), but it feels like an extremely flimsy excuse… Why couldn’t she have written Wyn that way? Then we could have had the Wyn-Kerigan duo throughout. To make the story more cohesive, she either needed to do away with Danilo entirely, or have him be the one we’re introduced to in the prologue.
I do want to try out another of Cunningham’s works, because she is a master at writing prose — but this was one was odd.
December 10, 2018
Books like these remind me why I follow authors more so that just what the content of the books seem from a quick exterior examination. Well written, plot is intriguing and complex enough to keep my attention riveted. I loved it that there were riddles, particularly those craftily involving a dragon (and the intellectually satisfying use of a dragon and their D &D abilities into a reasonable plot line) and enough plausible bad guys to keep the story moving at an appropriate pace. I can only recall a few books in FR that go into detail concerning the mystery behind the “Lords of Waterdeep” and this definitely goes into several details about them. I even complained about this after reading the prior book in the series and I hope the information tread continues as this series goes on. At least I know there are at least 15 of them (now 16 unless one stepped down behind the story).
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 29, 2024
Me ha encantado! Este libro nos trae de nuevo a Danilo Thann como personaje principal, lo cual me ha fascinado, ya que se ha convertido en uno de mis personajes favoritos y definitivamente en mi bardo preferido.
La historia nos lleva de vuelta a lugares increíbles de la Costa de la Espada, incluyendo Waterdeep, y explora los orígenes de los Arpistas y los bardos.
Aparecen tanto personajes nuevos como conocidos del primer libro, y hay de todo: dragones, aasperis, melodías y aventuras. Esta historia tiene momentos de risa y de intriga, además de un desarrollo profundo de la personalidad de los personajes y muchas visitas a tabernas. Ha sido una pasada leer este libro, tanto que lo terminé en solo una semana y media.
Ahora, ¡automáticamente empiezo con el tercero!
La historia nos lleva de vuelta a lugares increíbles de la Costa de la Espada, incluyendo Waterdeep, y explora los orígenes de los Arpistas y los bardos.
Aparecen tanto personajes nuevos como conocidos del primer libro, y hay de todo: dragones, aasperis, melodías y aventuras. Esta historia tiene momentos de risa y de intriga, además de un desarrollo profundo de la personalidad de los personajes y muchas visitas a tabernas. Ha sido una pasada leer este libro, tanto que lo terminé en solo una semana y media.
Ahora, ¡automáticamente empiezo con el tercero!
January 5, 2024
I'm a big fan of these characters. Danilo and Arilyn are both really fun protagonists and Elaine Cunningham includes more than enough gray characters to keep it interesting. Elaith and Kelben are the standouts on this end at opposite ends of the moral spectrum. FR books tend to be on the shallow side but Elaine regularly adds more depth by having her characters be forced to make ugly choices. This was a reread and it's admittedly one of my favorite authors in the FR world. I'm always happy to spend time w/Elaine's characters.
September 10, 2019
A complex and knotty plot in a D&D book? Yes, that's what we have here, and for once, the motives of the main antagonist aren't entirely dire. In fact, the true villains are the motley assortment of folks this antagonist gets to do her dastardly deeds, even if a few of them are simply misguided.
Some stronger characterisations at play too, which makes this novel one of the stronger installments in this series. I'm beginning to like Elaine Cunningham's stories.
Some stronger characterisations at play too, which makes this novel one of the stronger installments in this series. I'm beginning to like Elaine Cunningham's stories.
August 11, 2022
This was a decent fantasy adventure book. The characters were colorful, the story progresses from multiple sides that weren't too many, there was a sense of nostalgia that drove the whole plot (would've liked it better if it were better explored), and it could've been even more satisfying if a couple of people would not have survived from the brinks of death.
Read it as an adventure novel, because otherwise you won't enjoy much of it.
Read it as an adventure novel, because otherwise you won't enjoy much of it.
September 19, 2023
Another book that I was simply re-reading, having last enjoyed it many, many years ago. I recall on a previous go-through that I definitely liked Elf Shadow more than Elfsong. This time however, I'm not sure that was the case. While I very much loved Elf Shadow, I may actually have enjoyed Elfsong even more. This is a fantastic, fun read, and I breezed through it much more quickly than I do with most books.
August 29, 2018
A fun and witty outing in the pop-fantasy world of Faerun. Elfosng has just the right amount of substance, and a very interesting premise in the idea of magical music. The character Danilo matures nicely, as does Cunningham's skill as a writer. I'll continue to read her work, and hope to see Danilo again.
June 14, 2023
I ended up liking this installment more than I thought I would when I started. It was a slower build to the action and stakes that I cared about, but it was overall really strong. I did have trouble keeping the repeated "L" names straight, though... there were more than a few times I had to keep looking back to remind myself which character was actually associated with whom.
March 19, 2020
Another solid entry featuring Danilo Thann. Not quite as entertaining as Elfshadow, but solid fantasy adventure with plenty of chances for the deceptively hapless protagonist to shine as he seeks to discover the secret of magical song to avert disaster.
August 16, 2021
Part 2 of the Songs & Swords; a book about a female half-elf who is part of the secret organization of the harpers. Entertaining and believable; well worth your time if you like fantasy-novels with stories from the forgotten realms.
January 24, 2025
This was actually kind of boring, it didn't start that way, but it ended up being pretty mundane. So much build up and scheming...for, well, basically nothing. If this was supposed to showcase how awesome bards are, it didn't really do a good job in actually executing the message.
September 24, 2017
no comment
October 4, 2018
I so enjoyed these books when I was younger, but as I've gotten older I just don't find them as compelling.
August 11, 2019
A pleasure to see Danilo Thann again, one of my more well liked characters from the forgotten realms. I enjoyed it equally to Elfshadow.
January 13, 2021
This was a solid story with plenty of action and intrigue. The riddles were clever and refreshingly intermingled with the typical sword and sorcery fare.
February 4, 2021
Elaine Cunningham's work with TSR raises the bar far above what most of the other authors. Her characters sparkle, her sense of humor is on point, and her worldbuilding is believable.
January 20, 2022
Even better than Elfshadow.
June 20, 2023
I found this book to be a bit boring, I don't know why, because the writing was excellent.
April 9, 2024
Even though Arilyn only makes the smallest of cameos this still manages to be a good novel.
January 1, 2026
Was excited to return to the world of familiar characters amd frankly, I am pleased. Elaine did a great continuing the stories of most of characters from Elfshadow, however there are multiple points and arcs woven throughout the book. Its easy enough to keep track of all the characters and groups, so not a deal breaker. I will say, another 20 pages of additional background could have improved this book immensely.
The continuation of Dan's story was great, and this being the first Harpers novel with a prominent Dwarf was great! Our old friend Elaith had new motives for his behaviors and it was refreshing to see all these new angles.
Overall, 4.0 and again, looking forward to seeing what else develops with Elaine's characters.
The continuation of Dan's story was great, and this being the first Harpers novel with a prominent Dwarf was great! Our old friend Elaith had new motives for his behaviors and it was refreshing to see all these new angles.
Overall, 4.0 and again, looking forward to seeing what else develops with Elaine's characters.
September 11, 2009
Okay,
So I liked this book, but not as much as I usually like this author. This is one of her first books, so maybe that could be part of the reason.
The things that I liked were the intrigue in the city of Waterdeep and a bit of insight into the polotics of the Lords. I liked getting to know the character of Elaith and the relationship between him and Danilo.
I didn't like that Arilyn was not in this book (except in the very begining). I didn't like that the antagonist wasn't really evil, but disgruntled and you never really knew where she stood. The whole book seemed a bit anti-climactic, with the antagonist disapearing without any real follow up. The biggest problem I found was with the sub plot, with the Knights of the Sheild, Waterdeep's rivals in Tethyr. I felt like this would have been a better advisary, at least I was more interested in it then a disgruntled old bard.
Cunningham is still a great realm's writer and I'm looking forward to the next instalment...maybe there will be more about Tethyr in that one.
Cheers-
So I liked this book, but not as much as I usually like this author. This is one of her first books, so maybe that could be part of the reason.
The things that I liked were the intrigue in the city of Waterdeep and a bit of insight into the polotics of the Lords. I liked getting to know the character of Elaith and the relationship between him and Danilo.
I didn't like that Arilyn was not in this book (except in the very begining). I didn't like that the antagonist wasn't really evil, but disgruntled and you never really knew where she stood. The whole book seemed a bit anti-climactic, with the antagonist disapearing without any real follow up. The biggest problem I found was with the sub plot, with the Knights of the Sheild, Waterdeep's rivals in Tethyr. I felt like this would have been a better advisary, at least I was more interested in it then a disgruntled old bard.
Cunningham is still a great realm's writer and I'm looking forward to the next instalment...maybe there will be more about Tethyr in that one.
Cheers-
Displaying 1 - 30 of 43 reviews