Crucible: The Trial of Cyric the Mad

Forgotten Realms: Avatar #5

by Troy Denning

This title is the final in a series of recovers of the popular Avatar series. At the time of its original release, this series presented key events that impacted the entire Forgotten Realms world, and the effects of those events are still felt in current novels. This re-released series features a cohesive cover design and all-new art and was written by New York Times best-selling author Troy Denning.

Cyric the Mad

Who betrayed his friends Midnight and Kelemvor and sought to destroy them.

Who ascended to godhood and now spreads his lies and intrigues into every corner of Faerun.

Who is the Lord of Murder, the Prince of Lies--and insane.

Genres: Forgotten Realms, Fantasy, Fiction, Dungeons and Dragons, Science Fiction Fantasy, Ebooks, Adventure

388 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 1998

About the author

Also known as Richard Awlinson.
See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Troy_Den...

Reviews

[Soph]

free my man. he did all of it but i don't care

[PRJ Greenwell · Rating 2 out of 5]

This series started off meh, and ended that way. A couple of the books in the midst were decent. With this one, the viewpoint from the Cyric worshipper Malik is interesting, and an interesting concept for a D&D novel, but in the end, it's part of the formula. Not a bad novel, but par for the course for Troy Denning who struggles to rise above formulaic mediocrity. Oh well, on to a new series.

[Liam · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting end, was not expecting development from the deities of Mystra, Kelemvor, and Cyric. It’s also narrated by a Calimshite loyal to Cyric, which makes for a great intra-diegetic time.

[Jesse · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book. This was an interesting series, some books are much better than others, and this one was definitely on the better side.

I really liked that Denning told most of the story through the eyes of a very unlikeable character. This was a new technnique in the Forgotten Realms books that I've read, and it made the book a lot more fun.

Denning played with some of the concepts around the gods. It was interesting to read about how a god might view their world through tinted glasses that only allow them to see events that pertain to their portfollio. Also, the ideas that if a god is too lenient and leans towards good or evil that it will upset 'the balance' and all mankind will suffer.

Overall, this was a fun story. I'm glad the series ended with a bang!

[Richard · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this maybe 10 years ago. It bears a strong resemblance to Jack Vance's Cugel Saga, which I had thoroughly enjoyed.

This book was a very interesting read because the protagonist is a coward with almost no skills and few redeeming qualities in a world filled with divine entities, primordial beings, powerful arcanists, and masterful warriors. Compared to such hallowed company, the protagonist may as well be a helpless child with a switch stick.

Despite (or perhaps, because of) his glaring flaws, the protagonist is chosen as the champion of an insane and immoral god and is tasked with a mission that is critical to the continued well-being of that deity. How he goes about trying to achieve this goal is truly epic.

[Kagan Oztarakci · Rating 4 out of 5]

"If worthy men do not fear dying, they will leave life to the unworthy..."
"If it is not cruel, it is not punishment."
"Incompetence by way of humanity"

[Keith · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was an excellent read. The POV here threw me to start with but once I'd got used to it I found that it gave the novel real drive and flavour and enabled you to see the characters in a new light.

This is very much a set of 2 alongside James Lowder's Prince of Lies. While both are excellent, in different ways, this just edged it for me I think.

If you want to read the Avatar books just do yourself a favour and start with Waterdeep (book 3) - there are better things to do with your life than waste them reading Shadowdale and Tantras, 2 of the worst books I've ever completed in my life.

[Karmakosmik · Rating 3 out of 5]

Leggermente inferiore al precedente Prince Of Lies, ma pur sempre un libro interessante. L'inseguimento di Malik per mezza Faerun è forse più un riempitivo narrativo che altro, ma tutta la parte riguardante il processo fatto a Cyric, Mysthra e Kelemvor, con i vari intrighi e contro-intrighi è senza alcun dubbio degna di lettura. Nel finale si butta tutto un po' in caciara, ma il finale era assolutamente inaspettato.

[Jason Fawkes · Rating 2 out of 5]

It's always a struggle for me with a protagonist I don't like, and that's the case with this. The at least half mad merchant acolyte of Cyric who narrates the story is a deeply unsympathetic character, and the tale, based around Toril's Gods, doesn't hit the mark for me, I prefer the more ground level heroic fantasy of most Forgotten Realms novels.
It is amusing to spend New Year's Day reading two Troy Denning Novels with the same name from different franchises! I wonder if this was a bit of an injoke with Denning himself.

[Zoe · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really good story. The framing of it being an in-universe text written by a devotee of Cyric is very interesting and a fun narrative framing. Seeing the effect, the burden, of being a god on the characters of Mystra and Kelemvor was really neat. I like the exploration of the fact that an effective and non-disruptive death god must be completely impartial and neutral. The whole quest to cure Cyric's madness was entertaining. A solid finish to the Avatar series.

[Philip Dussault · Rating 3 out of 5]

Pas pour tous les goûts : le livre est de la perspective du personnage Malik qui vénère Cyric. Si toute la série avait suivie ce concept, j'aurais considéré le lire, mais je ne l'ai même pas terminé (moins du 1/4...). Les personnages d'intérêt des livres précédents sont de moindre importance et l'intrigue n'est plus la même.

[Judi · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great end to the Avatar series! Mr. Demming's books are always a great read. He keeps you guessing with twists in the plot when you least expect it. My only quibble is the way he treats Midnight's relationship with Kel...but then, I do like a happy ending, which doesn't always happen. I still don't like Cyric; no matter what Malik says. Mystra should have handled him better. Recommended.

[Eric Benjamin · Rating 3 out of 5]

The fifth entry in this series, Crucible: The Trial of Cyric the Mad is a strange book. Focusing on an interesting but awful character, Crucible frames the gods of Faerun in a unique, but disappointing light. It would be difficult to recommend this book to anyone but the most hardcore Forgotten Realms fans.

[Nenad Pavlović · Rating 3 out of 5]

While a far cry from the previous entry in the series quality-wise, Crucible is still a very fun read. The perspective of a cowardly weakling-fanatic was very interesting, refreshing and fun, and there are many genuinely powerful scenes and ideas (what gods should be and act like), but still the book is kind of a mess.

[Mike · Rating 3 out of 5]

My least favorite of the series.
Pros:
-gods were well written
- the 'quest' was fun
- good way to establish the new status quo

Cons:
-did not like the storytelling technique
-did not like the new characters added to the series

[Benjamin Hesdorf · Rating 5 out of 5]

After I had finished reading Prince of Lies I found it hard to believe that I would ever read such a fascinating novel about Cyric again. Troy Denning certainly made those beliefs shatter, and I am very glad the I took the time to read this book as well. I highly recommend it!

[Seth Kennedy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Best of the series, really enjoyed the choice of narrator and the flavor it added to the story.

[david carter · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great one

Read the entire series years ago and loved it. Started reading D&D Books novels again and most like this one is still great!

[Kirk Udvardi · Rating 5 out of 5]

The final book in the Avatar series. Wonderful stuff dealing with the Gods of Faerun. If you enjoy D&D and the Faerun world, these books are great fun and very well written.

[Tata · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very funny and refreshingly nihilist compared to some of the other books, provided you don't mind some of the most 90s depictions of fantasy islam imaginable.

[Elijah Schreurs · Rating 5 out of 5]

It took me a bit to get into it, but once I did I finished it in a few days. I really enjoyed the different perspectives in chapters, though sometimes it got a bit confusing.

[The Batman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Enjoyed a different perspective of the gods

[G.G. Lapresa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cenar hemos cenao.

[Gerard Van Der Waal · Rating 4 out of 5]

The best work of Denning I have read thus far. Also, a rare instance of a novel set in the Forgotten Realms where the form (the book is written through the lens of Maleek the chosen of Cyric) is given more than a little thought and is dictated by the story. This is also the number one book that goes into the workings of the Dungeons and Dragons cosmology and the way that the deities and different pantheons work. Highly recommended to anyone interested in the gods of Dungeons and Dragons.

[Alberto · Rating 2 out of 5]

Nada que decir.
Los tres primeros algo mejores

[David · Rating 3 out of 5]

Historia más adelante en el tiempo, profundiza en los tejemanejes de los dioses a través de un personaje principal que casi parece secundario cómico pero que tiene su gancho mientras hace de cronista. Cyric, el dios loco, es puesto entre la espada y la pared en un juicio de los dioses pero esto es solo el comienzo, donde se muestran los peligros de la falta de equilibrio y las buenas acciones a esos niveles. Recomendable como final de la saga de Avatar, aunque aún da pie a continuar la trama en un final tal vez demasiado previsible. Cyric y su seguidor forman un tandem que arrastra a leer y leer aún siendo una "novela de franquicia"

[David · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is probably the best of the Avatar series. Parts of it are told from a first-person perspective. As the protagonist in those parts is a Cyricist, it can be quite morbid or disturbing at times but it is nevertheless well-written and flows smoothly. The book, as per book 4, continues the struggles that arises from the conflict of the newly ascended divine powers. Characters are introduced well (and many times, killed well too) and the ending is good in that it gives a sense of completion to the series and transitions into the known lore of Forgotten Realms setting.

[Marian York · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was very well written. I'm not giving it a 3 star rating because of that. I'm giving it a 3 star rating because... I just didn't enjoy reading an account from the perspective of a follower of Cyric.

Because it was from Malik's understanding and perspective I wasn't really sure that what I was reading was correct. There were moments I very much enjoyed and ones I found hilarious even though they were probably meant to be dramatic (I'm sorry, I'm on Jergal's side).

In all, a well-written novel. If you don't mind the perspective you'll enjoy it more than I did.

[Drizztl · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not as bad as the the first three books of the series, but also not as good as the fourth one. An interesting story, I especially liked the way Kelemvors transformation was potrayed...but I didnt like how they used Adon in the story...and Malik was somehoe too lucky in the end. Would give it a solid 6/10

[Hollyca · Rating 2 out of 5]

Плохое завершение для такой замечательной серии.
Ясное дело - другой автор, другие характеры - но тем не менее персонажи, знакомые по трилогии - ведут себя совершенно иначе, чем можно было бы предположить.
Похоже на плохой спектакль - декорации те же, а вот актеры не подходят. Как, например, 40-летняя Джульетта.