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The Wizards #2
Bloodwalk
This novel focuses on a sorcereress with the hellish magic of a blood magus at her command and a mounting ambition for territory and domination in her heart, and a ghostwalker’s attempts to defend a village from her seemingly inevitable success.
320 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published July 11, 2006
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423 people want to read
About the author
James P. Davis
16 books26 followersI am a freelance writer (horror, fantasy, and some occasional sci-fi) married and living in the same house with a psychotic feline creature that most people mistake for a cat. I'm occasionally addicted to sudoku and cannot pass up a good riddle, logic puzzle, or mystery (my wife refuses to watch CSI with me and I play Clue with a vengeance). I play D&D as often as I can and like trying to kill my friends using dice, books, and math. I have an odd sense of humor.
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Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews
June 17, 2010
Bloodwalk by James P. Davis- This is the second book in a stand-alone series called The Wizards. The first book is Blackstaff by Steven E. Schend, the third is Darkvision by Bruce R. Cordell, and the final book is Frostfell by Mark Sehestedt. With this series, each book is a separate entity and can be read out-of-order. The only theme to mention is that each novel revolves around wizards and magic. Bloodwalk is set in the Forgotten Realms universe of the role-playing game Dungeons and Dragons. This is James P. Davis very first novel and he has contributed a short story titled “Possessions” to the Realms of the Dragons II anthology. His other full length novels are all set in the Forgotten Realms. These include; The Shield of Weeping Ghosts (The Citadels series), The Restless Shore (The Wilds series), and Circle of Skulls (Ed Greenwood Presents Waterdeep series). Bloodwalk was released in 2006 and published by Wizards of the Coast.
Morgynn died at her own mother's hands, only to be reborn as a power mage called a blood magus. After that fateful day, Morgynn has used anyway possible to increase her magical knowledge. After being forced from numerous cities, she sets her sights on Brookhollow on the edge of the haunted and deadly Qurth Forest. The only thing stopping her is the city's circle of seer's, but that is easily remedied. Creating a false prophecy that a ghostwalker, Quinsareth, will save the city and to not fight back that is shown in a vision to the High Seer, it's up to Quinsareth and a hunter to stop Morgynn's plans. Only Quinsareth doesn't want to be a hero and isn't a the hero type. He only seeks justice for the slain, not to get involved with stopping fate. After the High Seer tells her disciples to not fight back, one of the hunters named Elisandrya defies the edict in order to find the ghostwalker. However, we learn that Elisandrya has other reasons for defying the High Seer. Does Quinsareth and Elisandrya save the people of Brookhollow? Or does Morgynn get a firm hold on the city?
Criticisms:
1) Pacing. This story is insanely slow to read. Honestly, most nights I had to force myself to read two chapters. I even feel asleep reading at some points. But it wasn't necessarily boring, it was just incredibly slow. I do see two things that could be the cause for this. The first is all the build up of the main antagonist, Morgynn. She seems to have a part in each chapter that builds up a certain aspect of her character. This parts add bits and pieces to her back story and her personality. However, I won't delve to deeply into her character at the moment. The other problem for the slow pacing is that every detail or description seems to be repeated over and over. I hate to say it but after page fifty, I got extremely annoyed with Morgynn feeling everyone's pulse and blood. A few times would have been okay, but not once or twice every chapter! Not only that, but other things were being constantly repeated but with slightly different wording. It just became a little tiresome. The slow pacing is definitely the novel's biggest flaw.
2) Morgynn. I don't know why, but I just couldn't like this character. She felt one-dimensional and flat for most of the book. You never really got her motivations down, other than she's the villain. Don't get me wrong, there were times when there were interesting aspects of her character, but they just never developed correctly. I think the biggest flaw with her is that you don't know if your meant to like her, hate her, or just feel for her. Really, she was just a standard villain. Her powers were interesting, but everything else wasn't.
Praises:
1) Setting. I did really enjoy the creepy and dark tone of the story. There were plenty of things that made me shiver. The best part is, this feeling never really dwindles. Almost every chapter gives you something new to experience, be it being ripped open from the inside or a Qurth Forest being a death trap. Then you have some of the imagery. There is one scene early in the book where Quin is walking into a town that felt like something out of a psychological horror movie or a Silent Hill game. The atmosphere is really what's great about this book.
2) Quinsareth. I don't know why, but I just liked Quinsareth. Maybe it's because I enjoy the idea of ghostwalkers themselves or that Quin is a reluctant hero, but I just thought he dominated every character in the book. Sure, there were times when he seems to disappear into the background, but something always made me look forward to each part he had. There is also the fact that he is a cold, brutal killer that really sets him apart from other protagonists. I really don't know what else to say about him other than I liked him.
Side Notes:
1) Magic. The whole premise of the series is to spotlight mages and wizards. That being said, it was very interesting to see a type of magic never really seen in the Realms.
2) Dues Ex Machina. It seems liked every major problem in the plot was solved by really simple and random solutions. For example, the shield to the druids 'creature'. While the shield is more believable, the 'creature' really did feel a little tacked on and sudden.
3) Cover Art. It's not bad, but it's not good. I do like the use of reds, but Morgynn just somehow annoys me. It could be the cocked hips (which is a horrible art cliché for female characters) or her odd-looking expression (she looks more like a cheesy vampire), but she just rubs me the wrong way. But I do like the dead solider in the foreground, that's a nice touch that is almost missed. But overall, not really great.
Overall: 3/5
Final Thoughts:
Bloodwalk could fall as either a two or a three for a rating. This is my second time reading it and to put it bluntly, I hated it the first time. In fact, I would have called this book one of the worst books I've read. However, after a second read through, I don't really see why I would think that way. It's not a horrible book, but it's not a great one either. It just falls as average. The biggest flaw is the pacing, and that's why I say Bloodwalk could be either a two or a three. There are times when the story is a flat-out two, due to the pacing, but it picks up just enough to get it to the next level. But in reality, the atmosphere really saves it from being a two. I constantly kept getting a creepy feeling throughout the novel and it did help the book out. With the characters, they mostly fall in two categories, good and bad. The worst being Morgynn and the best being Quinsareth. Would I recommend this book to a casual reader? I'd have to say maybe. If you like creepy atmosphere and gore, then yes. If you don't, then no. If you do pick it up and hate it, try to read it again, maybe you'll like it.
Morgynn died at her own mother's hands, only to be reborn as a power mage called a blood magus. After that fateful day, Morgynn has used anyway possible to increase her magical knowledge. After being forced from numerous cities, she sets her sights on Brookhollow on the edge of the haunted and deadly Qurth Forest. The only thing stopping her is the city's circle of seer's, but that is easily remedied. Creating a false prophecy that a ghostwalker, Quinsareth, will save the city and to not fight back that is shown in a vision to the High Seer, it's up to Quinsareth and a hunter to stop Morgynn's plans. Only Quinsareth doesn't want to be a hero and isn't a the hero type. He only seeks justice for the slain, not to get involved with stopping fate. After the High Seer tells her disciples to not fight back, one of the hunters named Elisandrya defies the edict in order to find the ghostwalker. However, we learn that Elisandrya has other reasons for defying the High Seer. Does Quinsareth and Elisandrya save the people of Brookhollow? Or does Morgynn get a firm hold on the city?
Criticisms:
1) Pacing. This story is insanely slow to read. Honestly, most nights I had to force myself to read two chapters. I even feel asleep reading at some points. But it wasn't necessarily boring, it was just incredibly slow. I do see two things that could be the cause for this. The first is all the build up of the main antagonist, Morgynn. She seems to have a part in each chapter that builds up a certain aspect of her character. This parts add bits and pieces to her back story and her personality. However, I won't delve to deeply into her character at the moment. The other problem for the slow pacing is that every detail or description seems to be repeated over and over. I hate to say it but after page fifty, I got extremely annoyed with Morgynn feeling everyone's pulse and blood. A few times would have been okay, but not once or twice every chapter! Not only that, but other things were being constantly repeated but with slightly different wording. It just became a little tiresome. The slow pacing is definitely the novel's biggest flaw.
2) Morgynn. I don't know why, but I just couldn't like this character. She felt one-dimensional and flat for most of the book. You never really got her motivations down, other than she's the villain. Don't get me wrong, there were times when there were interesting aspects of her character, but they just never developed correctly. I think the biggest flaw with her is that you don't know if your meant to like her, hate her, or just feel for her. Really, she was just a standard villain. Her powers were interesting, but everything else wasn't.
Praises:
1) Setting. I did really enjoy the creepy and dark tone of the story. There were plenty of things that made me shiver. The best part is, this feeling never really dwindles. Almost every chapter gives you something new to experience, be it being ripped open from the inside or a Qurth Forest being a death trap. Then you have some of the imagery. There is one scene early in the book where Quin is walking into a town that felt like something out of a psychological horror movie or a Silent Hill game. The atmosphere is really what's great about this book.
2) Quinsareth. I don't know why, but I just liked Quinsareth. Maybe it's because I enjoy the idea of ghostwalkers themselves or that Quin is a reluctant hero, but I just thought he dominated every character in the book. Sure, there were times when he seems to disappear into the background, but something always made me look forward to each part he had. There is also the fact that he is a cold, brutal killer that really sets him apart from other protagonists. I really don't know what else to say about him other than I liked him.
Side Notes:
1) Magic. The whole premise of the series is to spotlight mages and wizards. That being said, it was very interesting to see a type of magic never really seen in the Realms.
2) Dues Ex Machina. It seems liked every major problem in the plot was solved by really simple and random solutions. For example, the shield to the druids 'creature'. While the shield is more believable, the 'creature' really did feel a little tacked on and sudden.
3) Cover Art. It's not bad, but it's not good. I do like the use of reds, but Morgynn just somehow annoys me. It could be the cocked hips (which is a horrible art cliché for female characters) or her odd-looking expression (she looks more like a cheesy vampire), but she just rubs me the wrong way. But I do like the dead solider in the foreground, that's a nice touch that is almost missed. But overall, not really great.
Overall: 3/5
Final Thoughts:
Bloodwalk could fall as either a two or a three for a rating. This is my second time reading it and to put it bluntly, I hated it the first time. In fact, I would have called this book one of the worst books I've read. However, after a second read through, I don't really see why I would think that way. It's not a horrible book, but it's not a great one either. It just falls as average. The biggest flaw is the pacing, and that's why I say Bloodwalk could be either a two or a three. There are times when the story is a flat-out two, due to the pacing, but it picks up just enough to get it to the next level. But in reality, the atmosphere really saves it from being a two. I constantly kept getting a creepy feeling throughout the novel and it did help the book out. With the characters, they mostly fall in two categories, good and bad. The worst being Morgynn and the best being Quinsareth. Would I recommend this book to a casual reader? I'd have to say maybe. If you like creepy atmosphere and gore, then yes. If you don't, then no. If you do pick it up and hate it, try to read it again, maybe you'll like it.
May 17, 2022
I'm glad that I finished this, but it was more tedious than I originally expected.
Bloodwork is the second book in The Wizards series, but like the majority of Forgotten Realms series, it is a standalone novel. So this features a different set of characters than in the first novel, Blackstaff, is in a different part of the Realms, and features an almost completely different them. Blackstaff featured some really high-level magic, some almost incomprehensible uses of the Weave, and a huge cast of characters people familiar with the series would recognize.
Bloodwalk has almost none of this. In reading it, I felt like I was reading my first Forgotten Realms novel all over again. The terms were unfamiliar, the location was unfamiliar, and the plot was cumbersome at first. Ghostwalkers, aasimars, blood-mages, oh my. These terms don't see much use in the Realms, but James P. Davis spins a very intricate tale.
The odd thing was that there is no dialogue at all for the first several chapters. This paces the early parts of Bloodwalk like a Tolkien novel, and it's a dash of cold water against the usual pace of a Forgotten Realms novel. When the dialogue starts up, it's sporadic until the last third of the novel, where it finally picks up what I would consider a normal rhythm. As a result, it was hard to really get a feel for the characters until about halfway through Bloodwalk.
Still, Davis spins a very grisly tale, and the concept of a blood-mage villainous wizard is very intense. It's almost a shame that this was a self-contained standalone novel, because it would have been interesting to see the characters move on from this and appear in other adventures.
Bloodwork is the second book in The Wizards series, but like the majority of Forgotten Realms series, it is a standalone novel. So this features a different set of characters than in the first novel, Blackstaff, is in a different part of the Realms, and features an almost completely different them. Blackstaff featured some really high-level magic, some almost incomprehensible uses of the Weave, and a huge cast of characters people familiar with the series would recognize.
Bloodwalk has almost none of this. In reading it, I felt like I was reading my first Forgotten Realms novel all over again. The terms were unfamiliar, the location was unfamiliar, and the plot was cumbersome at first. Ghostwalkers, aasimars, blood-mages, oh my. These terms don't see much use in the Realms, but James P. Davis spins a very intricate tale.
The odd thing was that there is no dialogue at all for the first several chapters. This paces the early parts of Bloodwalk like a Tolkien novel, and it's a dash of cold water against the usual pace of a Forgotten Realms novel. When the dialogue starts up, it's sporadic until the last third of the novel, where it finally picks up what I would consider a normal rhythm. As a result, it was hard to really get a feel for the characters until about halfway through Bloodwalk.
Still, Davis spins a very grisly tale, and the concept of a blood-mage villainous wizard is very intense. It's almost a shame that this was a self-contained standalone novel, because it would have been interesting to see the characters move on from this and appear in other adventures.
September 29, 2025
This was okay. Only the second book I've read of the "Wizards" novels in Forgotten Realms (the first one wasn't great either), and I was not super impressed with it.
The story goes back and forth between the antagonist's early life, and the several protagonists' actions happening currently. The characters were interesting, in the sense that they were unique classes that made the way they fought unpredictable, so that was kind of fun.
We see how the antagonist, a Blood Magus, gains her power as a child...and then we see her growing into her powers, and ultimately using them to try and take over a city.
The plot feels like it moves at a snails pace because of the going back in time. It was an okay read, but not the best Forgotten Realms books I have come accross.
The story goes back and forth between the antagonist's early life, and the several protagonists' actions happening currently. The characters were interesting, in the sense that they were unique classes that made the way they fought unpredictable, so that was kind of fun.
We see how the antagonist, a Blood Magus, gains her power as a child...and then we see her growing into her powers, and ultimately using them to try and take over a city.
The plot feels like it moves at a snails pace because of the going back in time. It was an okay read, but not the best Forgotten Realms books I have come accross.
December 11, 2018
The main character of the book and the most interesting is not the one on the cover.
The main antagonist, the blood mage on the cover, starts off strong then becomes increasingly dull over the course of the story. Her reasons for the destruction she causes are vague and unfounded and it's hard to like her.
You'll get an interesting adventure, with some very nicely crafted heroes. Too bad that the main antagonist is lacking.
The main antagonist, the blood mage on the cover, starts off strong then becomes increasingly dull over the course of the story. Her reasons for the destruction she causes are vague and unfounded and it's hard to like her.
You'll get an interesting adventure, with some very nicely crafted heroes. Too bad that the main antagonist is lacking.
February 4, 2020
This book has a great overall story line and some interesting characters.
I liked that it dealt with new types of magic (to me) but that played by the overall rules of the world. The Grass witches lore was interesting to me.
I loved reading about these people getting ready for a siege anyway they could. Gave me vibes of... whatever Drizzt book it is where Nesmé is sieged.
If you have read his other book The shield of weeping ghosts you’ll like this one.
I liked that it dealt with new types of magic (to me) but that played by the overall rules of the world. The Grass witches lore was interesting to me.
I loved reading about these people getting ready for a siege anyway they could. Gave me vibes of... whatever Drizzt book it is where Nesmé is sieged.
If you have read his other book The shield of weeping ghosts you’ll like this one.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 5, 2020
Allowing room for hope makes it easier to keep a victim lying still...
"Prepare for the worst" matched his experiences better than "hope for the best."
Occasionally, the destruction of which we hold dear brings us closer to what we really are.
"(she) had lost but still had much more to lose.
There is a certain wisdom in madness that should not be dismissed so readily.
"Prepare for the worst" matched his experiences better than "hope for the best."
Occasionally, the destruction of which we hold dear brings us closer to what we really are.
"(she) had lost but still had much more to lose.
There is a certain wisdom in madness that should not be dismissed so readily.
February 17, 2018
Excellent story. Well told.
Excellent story. well crafted. Terrific characters. Hopefully this story continues. Clever to create a magician using her own blood in place of components. Brilliant history of the main characters giving structure to the current story.
Excellent story. well crafted. Terrific characters. Hopefully this story continues. Clever to create a magician using her own blood in place of components. Brilliant history of the main characters giving structure to the current story.
January 15, 2011
This is another time when I wish Goodreads had a rating system out of 10 instead of 5. I'm really torn between 3 or 4 stars, and 3.5 would've been just right. In the end, seeing as how this is the first novel for the author, I gave it 4.
Firstly, I'd like to say that the setting and tone of the entire story was very good - it was dark and bleak. You could almost feel the aura of doom descending. Tension exists, but unfortunately it got stretched by slow pacing. Parts of the story in the middle were slow to read, with a lot of repetitive descriptions regarding both the protagonist and villain. The plot itself has moments of horror (the beginning was especially good), lots of action, questions of faith, and even some romance thrown in.
The main protagonist is the classic good-guy-doing-bad-things - i.e. the good-aligned killer (D&D 3.5E) - in this case, a ghostwalker (prestige class). He's a reluctant hero with a strong personality, dealing with his own internal conflict of light and dark.
The villain, despite wielding the rarely mentioned (rare in novels) blood magic, was a little one-dimensional in her evil. She's just... evil. Her background and dominating personality was superbly crafted, how it led to her current state. Too bad her motivations were left a little weak; she could've been even more interesting.
Overall, this is a good read; a story about prophecies and the reluctant pieces that got tied up into it.
Firstly, I'd like to say that the setting and tone of the entire story was very good - it was dark and bleak. You could almost feel the aura of doom descending. Tension exists, but unfortunately it got stretched by slow pacing. Parts of the story in the middle were slow to read, with a lot of repetitive descriptions regarding both the protagonist and villain. The plot itself has moments of horror (the beginning was especially good), lots of action, questions of faith, and even some romance thrown in.
The main protagonist is the classic good-guy-doing-bad-things - i.e. the good-aligned killer (D&D 3.5E) - in this case, a ghostwalker (prestige class). He's a reluctant hero with a strong personality, dealing with his own internal conflict of light and dark.
The villain, despite wielding the rarely mentioned (rare in novels) blood magic, was a little one-dimensional in her evil. She's just... evil. Her background and dominating personality was superbly crafted, how it led to her current state. Too bad her motivations were left a little weak; she could've been even more interesting.
Overall, this is a good read; a story about prophecies and the reluctant pieces that got tied up into it.
October 21, 2010
I'll be quick about this one. I didn't like it. When I first read it I couldn't understand a thing, it's like switching channels and stumbling upon something in the middle of a movie, how about an introduction? Who're these characters, what are their supposed powers?
Writing style was average but a glossary of terms would've been useful. This is the first time I skipped to the last page just to get it over with. I was looking for a fantasy read, I don't care if it's bloody or violent. The idea was creative and promising, it's just too bad that there wasn't a good follow through.
I have to admit the magic and spells are fascinating but again, it's like watching something without any sounds. I wasn't even captivated, I don't know who the protagonist or antagonist was, I was intrigued by the cover that's why I picked it up and it's a good thing I got it for a dirt-cheap price in a brand new condition.
Writing style was average but a glossary of terms would've been useful. This is the first time I skipped to the last page just to get it over with. I was looking for a fantasy read, I don't care if it's bloody or violent. The idea was creative and promising, it's just too bad that there wasn't a good follow through.
I have to admit the magic and spells are fascinating but again, it's like watching something without any sounds. I wasn't even captivated, I don't know who the protagonist or antagonist was, I was intrigued by the cover that's why I picked it up and it's a good thing I got it for a dirt-cheap price in a brand new condition.
July 25, 2011
Ever want to know what a blood mage is all about? Davis shows us what the evil side of using blood to tap the weave is all about. The book is a stand alone and even though it is book 2 in the Wizards series, it is not dependent on having read book 1. Davis also ends the story somewhat open and leaves the reader wondering if we will see more of the hero & heroine!
January 16, 2008
I'm the type who turns pale at sight of blood. I don't think I could have written this book and James dished up several "eeek" moments. Try it out if you like your fantasy bloody! And if you check out James' journal or MySpace site, you'll find he is a funny guy with a neat outlook on life.
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August 12, 2012I enjoyed it really good first novel found it odd how the villian was built up more than the heroes with more back story but it worked
Read
April 26, 2013This is the only forgotten realms book ever I did not like and did not finish. Will try again in a few years. the others in the series were fine.
September 15, 2014
couldn't really get into the characters in the first half but the second got more enjoyable
Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews