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Brimstone Angels #2
Lesser Evils
Mere weeks after escaping Neverwinter, Farideh’s dreams are still haunted by Lorcan, the cambion devil whose power fuels her own. One of only four known descendents of the original Brimstone Angel, Farideh has no regrets about the pact she made with the devil. But no one in the Hells knows that she has a twin—an impulsive eager sister, just waiting to be corrupted. At least as long as Lorcan can keep her secret.
Determined to protect her sister, Farideh searches for a ritual that could call Lorcan out of the Hells. But in the midst of her hunt, she’s drawn into an assignment for the secret society the Harpers, an assignment which leads her and a ragtag group of allies to an ancient Netherese library deep underground. While the group combs the site, dodging ghosts and magical traps, Farideh discovers a magical book whose pronouncements throw into question everything she thought she knew about herself and her sister.
The more the Book gives up its macabre secrets, the more one thing becomes clear—a traitor lurks among them.
Determined to protect her sister, Farideh searches for a ritual that could call Lorcan out of the Hells. But in the midst of her hunt, she’s drawn into an assignment for the secret society the Harpers, an assignment which leads her and a ragtag group of allies to an ancient Netherese library deep underground. While the group combs the site, dodging ghosts and magical traps, Farideh discovers a magical book whose pronouncements throw into question everything she thought she knew about herself and her sister.
The more the Book gives up its macabre secrets, the more one thing becomes clear—a traitor lurks among them.
388 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 2012
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April 23, 2019
A battle of proper nouns.
Brimstone Angels: Lesser Evils presents a problem for me. I read the 1st book approximately 7 years ago while on deployment. I did not care for it much then for reasons that I no longer recall. But I owned both books so finally decided to read book #2. Coming at it again 7 years later I'm inundated with proper nouns whose derivation and history are lost to me (if I ever knew them). While I recognize that I am a large nerd and have rolled a 20-sided die in my time, I am stymied. I am utterly incapable of making heads or tails of this story or of the myriad characters within it.
It reads as a standard Dungeons and Dragons adventure where a party of adventurers goes off to a mysterious location (in this case a hidden library) to try to collect mysterious and magical weapons, spell books, and artifacts. The major character arc is that of Farideh, a Tiefling (half-devil) who has been “bonded” with a full devil, Lorcan, turning her into a warlock—who can now practice magic by drawing on the powers of hell—i.e. a “Brimstone Angel.” Farideh is on the adventure to find the mysterious library while Lorcan is a prisoner in one of the multiple levels of Hell trying to escape.
Crystal clear, right?
That is all fine and good, however, the execution leaves a lot to be desired. Specifically, there are so many proper names involved that unless you have an encyclopedic knowledge of the world of the Forgotten Realms you will be utterly lost. That's always a risk with certain shared-world genre fiction novels (Dungeons and Dragons being one of the foremost among them) but nevertheless with a skilled author even a neophyte can still find some entry way or some familiarity with what is being presented in the book.
That is not the case here. Ultimately this becomes an exercise of [proper noun] versus [proper noun] talking about [proper noun]. That can be forgiven if there is some attempted exposition that explains things for the reader. However, in this novel there is so much assumed knowledge on the part of the reader that it becomes utterly impenetrable.
I've seen other reviews of this novel that have been described as very character driven. On some level that's true in the sense that there are several characters in the book. However, their development is dictated primarily dialogue-driven which in this novel is VERY choppy. I think it’s meant to be “punchy” in that it’s intended to be snarky, witty, and sharp. Here, however, it’s choppy, broken up at various and it illogical and jarring intervals.
Admittedly this novel is 7 years old and no longer in print and I hear that the author, Erin Evans, has improved to be one of the better Forgotten Realms writers. While I can see potential on some level, this novel did not work for me.
Brimstone Angels: Lesser Evils presents a problem for me. I read the 1st book approximately 7 years ago while on deployment. I did not care for it much then for reasons that I no longer recall. But I owned both books so finally decided to read book #2. Coming at it again 7 years later I'm inundated with proper nouns whose derivation and history are lost to me (if I ever knew them). While I recognize that I am a large nerd and have rolled a 20-sided die in my time, I am stymied. I am utterly incapable of making heads or tails of this story or of the myriad characters within it.
It reads as a standard Dungeons and Dragons adventure where a party of adventurers goes off to a mysterious location (in this case a hidden library) to try to collect mysterious and magical weapons, spell books, and artifacts. The major character arc is that of Farideh, a Tiefling (half-devil) who has been “bonded” with a full devil, Lorcan, turning her into a warlock—who can now practice magic by drawing on the powers of hell—i.e. a “Brimstone Angel.” Farideh is on the adventure to find the mysterious library while Lorcan is a prisoner in one of the multiple levels of Hell trying to escape.
Crystal clear, right?
That is all fine and good, however, the execution leaves a lot to be desired. Specifically, there are so many proper names involved that unless you have an encyclopedic knowledge of the world of the Forgotten Realms you will be utterly lost. That's always a risk with certain shared-world genre fiction novels (Dungeons and Dragons being one of the foremost among them) but nevertheless with a skilled author even a neophyte can still find some entry way or some familiarity with what is being presented in the book.
That is not the case here. Ultimately this becomes an exercise of [proper noun] versus [proper noun] talking about [proper noun]. That can be forgiven if there is some attempted exposition that explains things for the reader. However, in this novel there is so much assumed knowledge on the part of the reader that it becomes utterly impenetrable.
I've seen other reviews of this novel that have been described as very character driven. On some level that's true in the sense that there are several characters in the book. However, their development is dictated primarily dialogue-driven which in this novel is VERY choppy. I think it’s meant to be “punchy” in that it’s intended to be snarky, witty, and sharp. Here, however, it’s choppy, broken up at various and it illogical and jarring intervals.
Admittedly this novel is 7 years old and no longer in print and I hear that the author, Erin Evans, has improved to be one of the better Forgotten Realms writers. While I can see potential on some level, this novel did not work for me.
August 25, 2012
I was lucky to receive an advanced review copy of Lesser Evils, so this review will contain absolutely no spoilers. I very much enjoyed this, the second novel in the “Brimstone Angles” series. Erin M. Evans is becoming one of the Forgotten Realms rising stars, and is well deserving of every bit of praise I intend to lavish upon her. With her twin tiefling protagonists, Farideh and Havilar, Evans has created a pair that will steal your heart…or perhaps cut it out. Her characterization of the insecurity and indecision inherent in any seventeen-year-old is perfectly portrayed, and the banter between these two will have you nodding and smiling at every turn. Temptation, power, jealousy, young hormones and the fear of what they are and what they could become play like the fingers of a virtuoso harpist on the reader throughout the story. Choices of good or bad, not only in who she is, wants to be and should be, but also in with whom she will share her first kiss, wreak havoc on within these two young women, and the reader will find themselves rooting for the bad as often as they are rooting for the good.
Intrigue upon intrigue laced together with plenty of action dominate this novel. If you dislike complex plots, I will warn you, you may have difficulty keeping up. Nothing is as simple as it seems, and Evans pulls no punches. The reader will find themselves biting their fingernails at every turn, as the characters often do, not that which might be logical or ‘good’, but that which plays into their own motivations. Girls will be girls, and devils will be devils, after all, and the righteous must adjust their prejudices as to what is ‘right’ and what is ‘good’, not by their preconceived notions, or who they are judging.
You will be seeing more from Erin M. Evans, without a doubt, for there is trouble brewing in the Realms, and when the dam breaks, she will be riding the crest of the wave. Well done, Erin, and may your tumultuous twins find themselves deep in the midst of the chaos when all the hells break loose! I look forward to the mayhem!
Intrigue upon intrigue laced together with plenty of action dominate this novel. If you dislike complex plots, I will warn you, you may have difficulty keeping up. Nothing is as simple as it seems, and Evans pulls no punches. The reader will find themselves biting their fingernails at every turn, as the characters often do, not that which might be logical or ‘good’, but that which plays into their own motivations. Girls will be girls, and devils will be devils, after all, and the righteous must adjust their prejudices as to what is ‘right’ and what is ‘good’, not by their preconceived notions, or who they are judging.
You will be seeing more from Erin M. Evans, without a doubt, for there is trouble brewing in the Realms, and when the dam breaks, she will be riding the crest of the wave. Well done, Erin, and may your tumultuous twins find themselves deep in the midst of the chaos when all the hells break loose! I look forward to the mayhem!
November 25, 2024
So this was pretty much just more of the previous book with extra characters. Not that that’s a bad thing per say. I feel like Dahl as a character just shouldn’t have existed and it should have built more on Brin from the previous book. Some of the characters are super flip floppy with some things which can be a little jarring at times. But I still really enjoy Farideh and Havilar, and the world we have crafted here is pretty great. This was for sure intended to be followed up by a sequel (which it is) because there is a lotta stuff left open at the end here. The ending felt a little rushed perhaps, some of it was just kinda like “oh this thing we talked about how it was going to be insanely hard we just did in two seconds” which was a little disappointing. (You spend all this time, literally the whole book, building up to this ultimate scroll, then when they finally use it it actually does not matter at all). But I did have a fun time with this, even if it took my two months to read (I was busy I had school okay)
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 28, 2012
Just finished this and honestly, quite stunned. Not to Erin's obvious talent, but to the detail of the storytelling, adventure, and character development that is this novel. I loved Brimstone Angels, and this book takes it a new level. Forget the IP, Forget the chatter, If you love fantasy at all...READ THESE BOOKS!
August 12, 2020
This D&D book is a very interesting continuation from the first. Farideh, her sister and Bryn are left in Waterdeep while Mehen attends to personal business. Madness ensues.
First off, it was interesting to see the inner workings of certain factions of Waterdeep, and a full description of the city, at that. The Sword Coast is an interesting setting, and seeing it from the perspective of a teenage warlock is even better! Second, and this is the biggest deal breaker for whether I would continue the series or not; This book is far better paced than the first, however it feels like there's a lot happening at once - which is exactly like being in a normal game of Dungeons and Dragons.
The series continues to intrigue me, and I highly recommend it to anyone who enjoys Dungeons and Dragons, or who wishes to know the relative history of the world the games are set.
~Bailey
First off, it was interesting to see the inner workings of certain factions of Waterdeep, and a full description of the city, at that. The Sword Coast is an interesting setting, and seeing it from the perspective of a teenage warlock is even better! Second, and this is the biggest deal breaker for whether I would continue the series or not; This book is far better paced than the first, however it feels like there's a lot happening at once - which is exactly like being in a normal game of Dungeons and Dragons.
The series continues to intrigue me, and I highly recommend it to anyone who enjoys Dungeons and Dragons, or who wishes to know the relative history of the world the games are set.
~Bailey
October 14, 2023
I liked the plot and action scenes well enough, but my gods I can’t stand the characters. Between all the petty egos and jealous squabbling, it felt like I was reading a poorly-written YA novel. If I were in a campaign with these PCs, I would quit. There’s a difference between writing flawed characters and ones that are willfully determined to be angry at the world and each other for no reason.
March 24, 2013
Lesser Evils is Erin Evans’ second book revolving around the twin sisters, Feridah and Havilar. Her first book, Brimstone Evils, introduces these characters under the Legends of Neverwinter story line and continues to add depth and dimension to each character and their relationship to each other and those around them. Lesser Evils picks up where Brimstone Angels leaves off but there is very little reference to the original that the reader can consider each a solid standalone novel. I would consider reading both books in order though to fully appreciate the overall character growth but by no means is this required as both novels hold their own.
In Brimstone Angels: Lesser Evils, power hungry mages from a returned city of ancient Netheril are seeking to acquire an artifact that may lead them to powerful magic, strong enough to dominate all of Faerun. The sisters become involved in the search for this artifact and time is running out as agents of the Netherese mages as well as other interested factions seek this treasure, not to mention the dangers hidden deep within the lost home of a long dead Netherese archmage.
Erin Evans explores the relationship between the sisters, with Havilar seeking to learn about love and romance, and her own value, while Farideh tries to understand the her feelings toward her cambion benefactor, a beautiful half-devil who has given her access to hellish magic. The sisters must seek out this artifact in the midst of an eclectic group who each seem to have their own agenda, and without their adopted father present they need to trust each other and more importantly themselves even more.
In this book, Erin is able to bring a refreshing approach to fantasy storytelling by incorporating the typical tropes of the genre but using personal relationships and interactions to tell the story: Feridah’s relationship with the cambion, Havilar’s crush with Brin, the scholar’s need to prove his capability beyond his failure, the priest who needs to protect his daughter even though she’s grown and reconcile his past with her, and the daughter’s desire for knowledge, no matter what means she takes to acquire it. It is these particular elements woven in such a way that make it compelling and interesting beyond just an action adventure story.
The story carries a strong pace throughout most of the book, though it did seem to lag and lose itself in a bit of tedium toward the middle, just past the character’s entrance into the library. It was the exploration and development of the setting, a key piece of story element here, that seemed to run on its own tangent while leaving the characters and the forward momentum of the story a little behind. This section was thankfully short enough, it was as if the reader had turned down a dark hallway and got lost before stumbling back in to the lighted room with all the characters carrying on like it never happened. The story picked up and moved along quickly after that point, getting the reader fully vested into the story again.
Overall, this is a great story and very enjoyable. This is definitely a recommended read and shows Erin definitely has storyteller chops and easily breathes life into the Realms.
In Brimstone Angels: Lesser Evils, power hungry mages from a returned city of ancient Netheril are seeking to acquire an artifact that may lead them to powerful magic, strong enough to dominate all of Faerun. The sisters become involved in the search for this artifact and time is running out as agents of the Netherese mages as well as other interested factions seek this treasure, not to mention the dangers hidden deep within the lost home of a long dead Netherese archmage.
Erin Evans explores the relationship between the sisters, with Havilar seeking to learn about love and romance, and her own value, while Farideh tries to understand the her feelings toward her cambion benefactor, a beautiful half-devil who has given her access to hellish magic. The sisters must seek out this artifact in the midst of an eclectic group who each seem to have their own agenda, and without their adopted father present they need to trust each other and more importantly themselves even more.
In this book, Erin is able to bring a refreshing approach to fantasy storytelling by incorporating the typical tropes of the genre but using personal relationships and interactions to tell the story: Feridah’s relationship with the cambion, Havilar’s crush with Brin, the scholar’s need to prove his capability beyond his failure, the priest who needs to protect his daughter even though she’s grown and reconcile his past with her, and the daughter’s desire for knowledge, no matter what means she takes to acquire it. It is these particular elements woven in such a way that make it compelling and interesting beyond just an action adventure story.
The story carries a strong pace throughout most of the book, though it did seem to lag and lose itself in a bit of tedium toward the middle, just past the character’s entrance into the library. It was the exploration and development of the setting, a key piece of story element here, that seemed to run on its own tangent while leaving the characters and the forward momentum of the story a little behind. This section was thankfully short enough, it was as if the reader had turned down a dark hallway and got lost before stumbling back in to the lighted room with all the characters carrying on like it never happened. The story picked up and moved along quickly after that point, getting the reader fully vested into the story again.
Overall, this is a great story and very enjoyable. This is definitely a recommended read and shows Erin definitely has storyteller chops and easily breathes life into the Realms.
December 7, 2012
Erin M. Evans follows up the wonderful Brimstone Angels with this sequel; it is her best work yet.
Beginning shortly after Brimstone Angels we find Farideh and party in Waterdeep. While in the city Farideh's ability to find entanglements where a multitude of power groups intertwine comes to the for and leads to a search for an ancient Netherese library. With a party composed of individuals with very different goals, most hidden from the others, the developments plot and intercharacter relations are fun and engaging to behold. The climax is entertaining and has a good payoff. Finally, threads of the upcoming Sundering series ,that Ms. Evans' next book is part,appearing in this book.
With this I put Ms. Evans with the best of the Realms authors, I'll impatiently wait her next novel with knowing I can expect tales of the quality that R.A. Salvatore, Elaine Cunningham, and Paul S. Kemp have been known
Beginning shortly after Brimstone Angels we find Farideh and party in Waterdeep. While in the city Farideh's ability to find entanglements where a multitude of power groups intertwine comes to the for and leads to a search for an ancient Netherese library. With a party composed of individuals with very different goals, most hidden from the others, the developments plot and intercharacter relations are fun and engaging to behold. The climax is entertaining and has a good payoff. Finally, threads of the upcoming Sundering series ,that Ms. Evans' next book is part,appearing in this book.
With this I put Ms. Evans with the best of the Realms authors, I'll impatiently wait her next novel with knowing I can expect tales of the quality that R.A. Salvatore, Elaine Cunningham, and Paul S. Kemp have been known
January 11, 2015
Strong warlock women and clumsy paladin boys trapped in a mystical library with evil intentions. A brainy, magical adventure with good exposition on the priestly powers and their struggles. This was the perfect background research on the intricacies of warlock pacts for my character in Neverwinter Online.
April 8, 2015
Who do you trust? The Paladin or the Devil? The Harper or the Zhentarim? Another great read with WONDERFUL characters. Bravo!
November 9, 2015
If you enjoy your D&D in book form, this one's pretty good. I'll probably read the next and see how the Brimstone Angles trilogy ends. At least, I think its a trilogy :)
October 11, 2017
Lorcan, as a character, is amazing. The relationship with Farideh feels forced, and somewhat pathetic.
August 12, 2018
Lesser Evils - 4/5
Non-spoiler review
A fun, interesting and, in some places, gripping adventure, continuing well from the events of the first book. Well worth continuing the story if you have read and enjoyed the first book.
Pros:
- Exciting to see the main character, Farideh, develop further after the events of the first book.
- Excellent new characters to add on to the list of already good characters from the first book. Good character development for both new and old characters. Some a lot better than others however.
- Enjoyable and interesting plotline with a thematically spectacular ending.
Cons:
- The book gets a little bogged down and slow in the second half developing characters and explaining their backstories. I feel the focus on the characters histories and their inter-personal relationships during this part of the book detracts from the story a little.
- The climax of the book felt confusing and very rushed. Thematically it was supposed to be an epic climax, however, I had to re-read a number of paragraphs to figure out what was going on and which characters were doing what and why. In total the actual description of the climax seemed only served by several, confusingly written, pages (at least on my kindle).
- Some of the 'bad guys' felt a touch boring. Written to be sort of evil for the sake of it, with flimsy or unexplained motivations. There a number of 'evil' characters and/or factions mentioned within this book however, this criticism only applies to one or two.
SPOILER review
Pros:
- Adolican Rhand and Tarchamus, the books two central villain figures were great. Both are introduced as inviting and persuasive, while the characters are somewhat swayed, the reader can quickly pick up on their darker undertones due to the fact the book switches characters perspectives.
- I loved Mira as a character and her interaction with her father Tam. Further, Tam was written to show more flaws, displaying his control freak, lone wolf tendencies, rather than being
- Further development of the machinations of the infernal hierarchy through the lens of the captured and tortured cambion, Lorcan, were intriguing and very well executed. This applies especially to the short epilogue describing the meeting between Glasya and Sairché. Excellent foreshadowing.
There are plenty more things I enjoyed immensely about this book, but short of writing a novel myself, and listing everything that happened, the pros above were the most stand out aspects I enjoyed.
Cons:
- Sections of the library of Tarchamus were confusing. I found it difficult to envisage the layout of the library many times which led to a lot of confusion when it came to some action scenes, especially those before and during the climax.
- Havilar, the main characters twin sister, seems to get little character development, even less so than she seemed to in the first book. What development did happen - namely the 'will they, won't they' and eventual burgeoning romantic relationship with Brin - felt uninteresting and unnecessary, seemingly to serve little beyond to pad out the already heavy amounts of writing about the characters chaotic inter-personal relationships.
- While Farideh may still be a teenager/ young adult, her angst is starting to wear on me. It made sense at the beginning of the first book, but after the development of the character over two books it seems a little out of place, especially given the development of her warlock powers, her independence and confidence. While not completely as angsty as previously, some of it being replaced with anger and confidence, what angst is there feels out of place with her development. However, given the dangers she and her family and friends find themselves in, it could perhaps be forgiven.
Non-spoiler review
A fun, interesting and, in some places, gripping adventure, continuing well from the events of the first book. Well worth continuing the story if you have read and enjoyed the first book.
Pros:
- Exciting to see the main character, Farideh, develop further after the events of the first book.
- Excellent new characters to add on to the list of already good characters from the first book. Good character development for both new and old characters. Some a lot better than others however.
- Enjoyable and interesting plotline with a thematically spectacular ending.
Cons:
- The book gets a little bogged down and slow in the second half developing characters and explaining their backstories. I feel the focus on the characters histories and their inter-personal relationships during this part of the book detracts from the story a little.
- The climax of the book felt confusing and very rushed. Thematically it was supposed to be an epic climax, however, I had to re-read a number of paragraphs to figure out what was going on and which characters were doing what and why. In total the actual description of the climax seemed only served by several, confusingly written, pages (at least on my kindle).
- Some of the 'bad guys' felt a touch boring. Written to be sort of evil for the sake of it, with flimsy or unexplained motivations. There a number of 'evil' characters and/or factions mentioned within this book however, this criticism only applies to one or two.
SPOILER review
Pros:
- Adolican Rhand and Tarchamus, the books two central villain figures were great. Both are introduced as inviting and persuasive, while the characters are somewhat swayed, the reader can quickly pick up on their darker undertones due to the fact the book switches characters perspectives.
- I loved Mira as a character and her interaction with her father Tam. Further, Tam was written to show more flaws, displaying his control freak, lone wolf tendencies, rather than being
- Further development of the machinations of the infernal hierarchy through the lens of the captured and tortured cambion, Lorcan, were intriguing and very well executed. This applies especially to the short epilogue describing the meeting between Glasya and Sairché. Excellent foreshadowing.
There are plenty more things I enjoyed immensely about this book, but short of writing a novel myself, and listing everything that happened, the pros above were the most stand out aspects I enjoyed.
Cons:
- Sections of the library of Tarchamus were confusing. I found it difficult to envisage the layout of the library many times which led to a lot of confusion when it came to some action scenes, especially those before and during the climax.
- Havilar, the main characters twin sister, seems to get little character development, even less so than she seemed to in the first book. What development did happen - namely the 'will they, won't they' and eventual burgeoning romantic relationship with Brin - felt uninteresting and unnecessary, seemingly to serve little beyond to pad out the already heavy amounts of writing about the characters chaotic inter-personal relationships.
- While Farideh may still be a teenager/ young adult, her angst is starting to wear on me. It made sense at the beginning of the first book, but after the development of the character over two books it seems a little out of place, especially given the development of her warlock powers, her independence and confidence. While not completely as angsty as previously, some of it being replaced with anger and confidence, what angst is there feels out of place with her development. However, given the dangers she and her family and friends find themselves in, it could perhaps be forgiven.
December 25, 2025
The book for yearning over manipulative, handsome cambions.
Between Malborge, Waterdeep and Tarchamus' chamber; Tam, the Selunite harper, Dahl, his unwanted apprentice, Mira, his daughter and the tiefling sisters with one demon and one heir apparent, we're delving into another mystery - AND we're loving it!
He drew a steady finger down the center of the mirror—pointedly did not think of Farideh, the heir of Bryseis Kakistos, the Brimstone Angel, rarest of the Toril Thirteen—and pretended it wasn’t such a hard thing to do.
Tam and Mira grew on me in this book. The myriad of characters might be both this book's best feature, the soul of the story - but also its crux. Every time Farideh gave us something new or went off to something exciting, a new POV about Dahl, sulking about, came on. And although I enjoy all the characters, I want to get to know Farideh more.
“You are never alone,” Viridi said. “You’re a link in a chain, a knot in a silk rug.
All in all, the books feel a lot like there's a looming overreaching plot that threatens them, but there's also the story of the book. And the latter is exciting and fun and reminiscent of what a campaign would feel like.
Half-human means half a soul, she thought. You’re not doomed, and maybe he isn’t either.
I'm already looking forward to opening the next book event though I, at some point, am in for a couple of heartbreaks. At least that's what I understood from the last few pages.
Between Malborge, Waterdeep and Tarchamus' chamber; Tam, the Selunite harper, Dahl, his unwanted apprentice, Mira, his daughter and the tiefling sisters with one demon and one heir apparent, we're delving into another mystery - AND we're loving it!
He drew a steady finger down the center of the mirror—pointedly did not think of Farideh, the heir of Bryseis Kakistos, the Brimstone Angel, rarest of the Toril Thirteen—and pretended it wasn’t such a hard thing to do.
Tam and Mira grew on me in this book. The myriad of characters might be both this book's best feature, the soul of the story - but also its crux. Every time Farideh gave us something new or went off to something exciting, a new POV about Dahl, sulking about, came on. And although I enjoy all the characters, I want to get to know Farideh more.
“You are never alone,” Viridi said. “You’re a link in a chain, a knot in a silk rug.
All in all, the books feel a lot like there's a looming overreaching plot that threatens them, but there's also the story of the book. And the latter is exciting and fun and reminiscent of what a campaign would feel like.
Half-human means half a soul, she thought. You’re not doomed, and maybe he isn’t either.
I'm already looking forward to opening the next book event though I, at some point, am in for a couple of heartbreaks. At least that's what I understood from the last few pages.
January 6, 2025
"Lesser Evils" is the second entry in the Brimstone Angels setting by Erin Evans. "Lesser Evils" follows right on the tail of "Brimstone Angels" and finds the main character Faridah caught up with the Harpers. "Lesser Evils" was an excellent follow-up to "Brimstone Angels," the characters continue in their arcs and Evans releases more information regarding their backgrounds and motivations to the readers. Spoilers start here. Evans also does a good job once again of balancing world building with narrative. Again I would highly recommend "Lesser Evils" to anyone looking for a good adventure book and easy page turner.
July 31, 2017
This is better than the first book. There are less devils involved in this story, so I was less distracted by there annoying portrayal in D&D. This is a straight up D&D adventure for the most part. The new characters are a bit shallow but enjoyable non the less. Farideh and company get sucked into a races to a lost netherese archive against Shadovar forces. Good comradery. The mysteries in the archive are fun to see unfold.
My one problem, which is a little of hold over from the previous story, is the parts involving the devils. A more annoying thing is the fact Farideh is still swooning over her abuser, Lorkin. In the first book it could be forgiven, she is young and he holds power over her. Book two, she goes out of her way, risks her life and her friends lives to rescue a guy who is emotionally abusive, manipulative, and also a freaking Devil. This is super irritating in the way that Twilight and other romances often go. It is a trope I kind of hate and I want it to go away.
That said, the rest of the book is excellent. I like all the main characters with the exception of Lorkin. The heroine gets to be pretty heroic.
My one problem, which is a little of hold over from the previous story, is the parts involving the devils. A more annoying thing is the fact Farideh is still swooning over her abuser, Lorkin. In the first book it could be forgiven, she is young and he holds power over her. Book two, she goes out of her way, risks her life and her friends lives to rescue a guy who is emotionally abusive, manipulative, and also a freaking Devil. This is super irritating in the way that Twilight and other romances often go. It is a trope I kind of hate and I want it to go away.
That said, the rest of the book is excellent. I like all the main characters with the exception of Lorkin. The heroine gets to be pretty heroic.
January 14, 2021
Havilar snorted. "What are you afraid we're going to do?”
"Be seventeen and short of temper,” Tam replied. "And I'd hate to explain that again to Mehen. Come out of this without being arrested, cursed, grievously wounded, or impregnated, and I think we'll be fine."
If she wasn't going to corrupt all at once in a spectacular collapse of morals for love of power, bit by bit through good intentions and fond feelings was nearly as good.
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 (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.
Characters:
Farideh: Farideh has gotten quite used to being a warlock. This makes it so much harder on her that Lorcan’s life expectancy is somewhat questionable. Fari winds up torn between trying to help her family and friends and doing what she can to help save Lorcan.
Dahl: Dahl is a recent recruit of the Harpers and seems to be lacking in personal confidence. Not everything though, he does know what he’s good at and is confident in his skills.
Plot:
This book picks up right after the first Brimstone Angels book. Farideh, Havilar, Brin, Tam, and Mehen have managed to escape Neverwinter and Mehen is eager to take his daughters to the city where they can collect their bounty. Some difficulties in pricing means that only Mehen and their quarry are allowed through leaving the tiefling twins in the city with Tam and Brin. Havilar wants a quiet few days off while they wait for Mehen’s return. Farideh wants to find a spell by which to summon Lorcan from the hells, thus saving him from whatever horrible fate has befallen him.
Additionally an old relic has entered the town. It’s rumored to be a map to an ancient treasure and it turns out it is. Surely there wouldn’t be anything dangerous in an old dead sorcerer's library right?
My Thoughts:
This is very much a case of two different parts. The first two thirds of the book is quite slow as the characters mill about town for a very long time, then mill about a second town for a shorter amount of time, then mill about a third location for a long time. In all three cases, there are things going on but the book does feel like it twiddles it thumbs rather a lot.
Right about at the two thirds mark though this changes dramatically and it becomes a wild ride right to the end of the book and all the setup from the first two thirds does wind up paying off.
Both Farideh and Dahl are well realized characters. Farideh continues growing from the first novel steadily growing more in her powers as a warlock, how she feels about being a warlock, and her thoughts on her relationship with Lorcan. Dhal presents an interesting character as a recent Harper inductee with something in his past that clearly troubles him. He likes Farideh’s magic even less than Tam and makes no secret of the fact. These two characters work great individually and even better in scenes together. The other characters in the novel, notable Havilar, Brin, and Tam are less well developed, have less growth, and are generally less interesting. Not bad, just not nearly as good as Farideh and Dhal.
On the whole the book is enjoyable though it definitely winds up being a very slow burn for most of the page count. I do plan to continue with the series.
"Be seventeen and short of temper,” Tam replied. "And I'd hate to explain that again to Mehen. Come out of this without being arrested, cursed, grievously wounded, or impregnated, and I think we'll be fine."
If she wasn't going to corrupt all at once in a spectacular collapse of morals for love of power, bit by bit through good intentions and fond feelings was nearly as good.
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 (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.
Characters:
Farideh: Farideh has gotten quite used to being a warlock. This makes it so much harder on her that Lorcan’s life expectancy is somewhat questionable. Fari winds up torn between trying to help her family and friends and doing what she can to help save Lorcan.
Dahl: Dahl is a recent recruit of the Harpers and seems to be lacking in personal confidence. Not everything though, he does know what he’s good at and is confident in his skills.
Plot:
This book picks up right after the first Brimstone Angels book. Farideh, Havilar, Brin, Tam, and Mehen have managed to escape Neverwinter and Mehen is eager to take his daughters to the city where they can collect their bounty. Some difficulties in pricing means that only Mehen and their quarry are allowed through leaving the tiefling twins in the city with Tam and Brin. Havilar wants a quiet few days off while they wait for Mehen’s return. Farideh wants to find a spell by which to summon Lorcan from the hells, thus saving him from whatever horrible fate has befallen him.
Additionally an old relic has entered the town. It’s rumored to be a map to an ancient treasure and it turns out it is. Surely there wouldn’t be anything dangerous in an old dead sorcerer's library right?
My Thoughts:
This is very much a case of two different parts. The first two thirds of the book is quite slow as the characters mill about town for a very long time, then mill about a second town for a shorter amount of time, then mill about a third location for a long time. In all three cases, there are things going on but the book does feel like it twiddles it thumbs rather a lot.
Right about at the two thirds mark though this changes dramatically and it becomes a wild ride right to the end of the book and all the setup from the first two thirds does wind up paying off.
Both Farideh and Dahl are well realized characters. Farideh continues growing from the first novel steadily growing more in her powers as a warlock, how she feels about being a warlock, and her thoughts on her relationship with Lorcan. Dhal presents an interesting character as a recent Harper inductee with something in his past that clearly troubles him. He likes Farideh’s magic even less than Tam and makes no secret of the fact. These two characters work great individually and even better in scenes together. The other characters in the novel, notable Havilar, Brin, and Tam are less well developed, have less growth, and are generally less interesting. Not bad, just not nearly as good as Farideh and Dhal.
On the whole the book is enjoyable though it definitely winds up being a very slow burn for most of the page count. I do plan to continue with the series.
September 10, 2022
This D&D book is a very interesting continuation from the first. Farideh, her sister and Bryn are left in Waterdeep while Mehen attends to personal business. Madness ensues.
First off, it was interesting to see the inner workings of certain factions of Waterdeep, and a full description of the city, at that. The Sword Coast is an interesting setting, and seeing it from the perspective of a teenage warlock is even better! Second, and this is the biggest deal breaker for whether I would continue the series or not; This book is far better paced than the first, however it feels like there's a lot happening at once - which is exactly like being in a normal game of Dungeons and Dragons.
The series continues to intrigue me, and I highly recommend it to anyone who enjoys Dungeons and Dragons, or who wishes to know the relative history of the world the games are set.
First off, it was interesting to see the inner workings of certain factions of Waterdeep, and a full description of the city, at that. The Sword Coast is an interesting setting, and seeing it from the perspective of a teenage warlock is even better! Second, and this is the biggest deal breaker for whether I would continue the series or not; This book is far better paced than the first, however it feels like there's a lot happening at once - which is exactly like being in a normal game of Dungeons and Dragons.
The series continues to intrigue me, and I highly recommend it to anyone who enjoys Dungeons and Dragons, or who wishes to know the relative history of the world the games are set.
August 30, 2017
The plot was great. But Farideh disappointed me. I loved that she was young and unassuming but this Lorcan love/hate mess is just an awful read. I kept skipping pages they were together. How many times can he be awful and everyone tell her to ditch him? She obviously knows best. Such a shame, I don't like watching good characters be repetitively stupid for the sake of a romance arc.
I adored the plot here, but both romance angles were an epic fail. I hope Farideh gains some sense and a backbone in the later novels. Also, id like to see a novel with no Lorcan, or that she'd smarten up to his useless, predictable personality. He's such a trope. And she needs a backbone.
Ms. Evans, please keep writing these great plots, but ditch the romance with the devil, please!
I adored the plot here, but both romance angles were an epic fail. I hope Farideh gains some sense and a backbone in the later novels. Also, id like to see a novel with no Lorcan, or that she'd smarten up to his useless, predictable personality. He's such a trope. And she needs a backbone.
Ms. Evans, please keep writing these great plots, but ditch the romance with the devil, please!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 17, 2018
Your mileage may vary, but I got a huge kick out of this. It's got all your favorite Forgotten Realms stuff, and an intriguing and genuinely spooky mystery. The thing about the Realms books is that our heroes tend to be so powerful that it's hard for them to be ... spooky. But the big set-piece ending of this one (in which our heroes are sent on a mission to a hidden library, not searingly original but LOADS of fun) has a neat mystery behind it, a good reveal...
It's not perfect. The reason WHY our various heroes end up on this particular adventure is like half-important. And while the main cast - particularly Farideh and Tam - are great, there's a LOT of POV switches to the Hells. There's a lot of devilish intrigue, but part of me wishes we knew less about it and it was just tighter to Farideg's perspective. That said, the author is clearly setting things up for the next book, so it makes sense.
Again - for lots of folks this might be a two star. But it has warlocks and a talking book and mysterious library and unlikely heroes not getting along very well. It's my exact cup of tea. At it's best, Farideh and her sister's interpersonal problems set against adventuring... comes close to getting that much-sought-after-but-rarely-achieved Buffy-vibe.
It's not perfect. The reason WHY our various heroes end up on this particular adventure is like half-important. And while the main cast - particularly Farideh and Tam - are great, there's a LOT of POV switches to the Hells. There's a lot of devilish intrigue, but part of me wishes we knew less about it and it was just tighter to Farideg's perspective. That said, the author is clearly setting things up for the next book, so it makes sense.
Again - for lots of folks this might be a two star. But it has warlocks and a talking book and mysterious library and unlikely heroes not getting along very well. It's my exact cup of tea. At it's best, Farideh and her sister's interpersonal problems set against adventuring... comes close to getting that much-sought-after-but-rarely-achieved Buffy-vibe.
April 12, 2021
The second in the series, and one of the good reads of the Forgotten Realms novels. Erin Evans is definitely one of the better FR writers, and I enjoy her Tiefling sisters very much, with Farideh and her conflicted relationship with cambion Lorcan the focus as ever.
For those reading around the campaign setting (it was 4th edition I think) it's a good historical insight into the threat of Shade, and the evolution of the Harpers vs. Zhentarim that played out in earlier editions, and seems to have re-kindled in 5th.
I think if you read this without prior knowledge of the setting it might get confusing. Perhaps a decent glossary (I read an e pub) would have broadened the appeal. But for a solid adventure yarn with good characters it works.
For those reading around the campaign setting (it was 4th edition I think) it's a good historical insight into the threat of Shade, and the evolution of the Harpers vs. Zhentarim that played out in earlier editions, and seems to have re-kindled in 5th.
I think if you read this without prior knowledge of the setting it might get confusing. Perhaps a decent glossary (I read an e pub) would have broadened the appeal. But for a solid adventure yarn with good characters it works.
September 16, 2020
This story pretty much picks up where Brimstone Angels #1 left of. Farideh and her sister are on their way to Waterdeep, and Farideh's devil (Lorcan) has been imprisoned by his sister (Sairché). Farideh's relationship w/ Lorcan has changed somewhat since the events of the last book, and she's determined to find a way to help him out of his predicament. This book gets into the Harpers a little more, and the Brimstone Angels' journey takes them all the way from Waterdeep to a mysterious, ancient library in search of a spell so powerful it can level entire cities.
Read
February 14, 2022I know I shouldn't be shipping Fari and Lorcan. I know it will only lead to bad things and heartbreak.
Though it seems like Fari and I share the same moral problem.
This book was the perfect sequel, some loose ends got tied up but not a lot. Just building on top of what we already had. Leading us to a GREATER destination than we would of ever thought of.
I am so excited to read the next book.
This book was so good, action, adventure, betrayal.
Erin killed it in this book <3
Though it seems like Fari and I share the same moral problem.
This book was the perfect sequel, some loose ends got tied up but not a lot. Just building on top of what we already had. Leading us to a GREATER destination than we would of ever thought of.
I am so excited to read the next book.
This book was so good, action, adventure, betrayal.
Erin killed it in this book <3
July 13, 2023
I'll be completely honest, I started reading this series because I heard that (Minor spoilers for later book) Graz'zt was in book 5, and I love that slut. But by the end of this book, I was so invested in these characters and I didn't even realize it until I was genuinely worried for their safety. It wasn't just the main characters from the first book, but the new ones too, that really found myself caring about. Onto book 3, can't wait to see where it takes me.
December 31, 2018
Fantastic! Possibly better than the first book even. The developing relationships between characters have me well and truly hooked. The middle of the book had me becoming confused alongside the characters, but as it all came together in the climactic action at the end, it was very satisfying. Tremendous.
June 11, 2021
Like the turn to psychological horror here. Good character pieces, Lorcan continues to be fascinating, and the portion of the book set in the library was particularly effective. Miss Mehen in this book, but does give us some room to spend more time with the couple of new characters introduced. Overall a slight improvement on the already good first book.
February 16, 2024
The plot truly carries this book — with the middle and the end being particularly strong. However, some janky and inconsistent writing occasionally breaks the immersion by forcing the reader to do some rewiring. Still, the settings, action and characters redeem the story and keep it from being a merely average Forgotten Realms title.
March 26, 2020
A more traditional D&D style adventure than the previous entry, it overall had better characters but flow issues, as if Evans had more she wanted to do but editorial reviews forced her to condense. Still absolutely better than the vast majority of D&D novels.
September 10, 2020
Not a fan of the reader, but its listenable. Loved how I was confused for awhile, which is sooooo rare in a book for me, but it all panned out. I really loved the set up for the next book, it really left me with anticipation.
June 10, 2024
I enjoyed the first book more and was a little bored while they were in the cave. I also just didn’t care most of the time when the characters talked but was charmed in the banter of the first book. The fight scenes however were pretty cool and each one different in this book.
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