Viperhand

Forgotten Realms: Maztica #2

by Douglas Niles

This 2nd novel  in the Maztica Trilogy by Douglas Niles brings to life an exotic setting within the Forgotten Realms world.  
 
Erix, the former slave girl, and Halloran, the legionnaire, flee from the waves of catastrophe sweeping Maztica. The God of War feasts upon chaos while the desperate lovers strive to escape from enemies on all sides. Finally each is forced into a choice of historical proportions and deeply personal emotion. The gods themselves awaken, and the destruction of the fabulously wealthy continent of Maztica looms on the horizon. Yet Erix bears with her a desperate secret, and with that secret comes the lone hope that Maztica can survive.

Genres: Forgotten Realms, Fantasy, Fiction, Dungeons and Dragons, Ebooks, Collections, High Fantasy

313 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 1990

About the author

Douglas Niles is a fantasy author and game designer. Niles was one of the creators of the Dragonlance world and the author of the first three Forgotten Realms novels, and the Top Secret S/I espionage role-playing game. He currently resides in Delavan, Wisconsin with his wife, Christine, and two Bouviets, Reggie and Stella. He enjoys playing his guitar, cooking, and visiting with family.

Reviews

[Raechel · Rating 2 out of 5]

The second entry in a series usually isn't good, and this is no exception.

We continue the "you can copy my homework just change some stuff" story of the Maztica trilogy, where a lot of it is just waiting around for Erix's vision to happen. There are so many characters and each chapter jumps characters several times, it's hard to get a real feel for each scene or to understand the timeline. From Erix's POV the city will be destroyed in a few days, but then we have a runaway jaguar knight who finds a settlement, learns their ways, teaches them his ways, goes on a vision quest, and comes back to the city... all in three days? It's confusing.

Not a lot happens in this story other than people trying to kill other people, and a lot of mentions/attempts of sexual assault. We see the conquistador stand-ins swarm a woman, and one of the secondary characters is obsessed with assaulting Erix--and another character is happy to help arrange it. Why? What is appeal to add this type of stuff into your stories?

The whole subplot with the albino drow is very problematic and also just doesn't make sense. She tricks a group of men into thinking she's one of those good, light-skinned elves... when in realty she's actually one of those evil dark-skinned ones. Also, these drow have been isolated on this continent for who knows how long. So how did Darien get to the Sword Coast or wherever to start all of this? And why, if they can just leave when they want to? And why isn't this drow civilization matriarchial? I thought that was their thing in there old books.

I'm not looking forward to the conclusion of this series, it's not good and I do not have high hopes.

[Steve · Rating 2 out of 5]

Finishing Viperhand brings the 3rd full year of the Forgotten Realms franchise to a close in 1990. Clearly a project still in it's infancy trying to find what it wants to be. Douglas Niles will take this experience and become a really good fantasy author, and there are flashes in Viperhand, but not many. Again, it's not a horrible book, and I have to say that distancing the role playing game aspect in their novels has vastly improved them.

The first release in 1991 is the 3rd book in the Empires trilogy and first book in the Realms for James Lowder.

[Francisco Becerra · Rating 3 out of 5]

The story should have ended here. It is a nice try to blend mesoamerican history with fantasy, though the main characters a very poorly done.

[Jeff Jellets · Rating 4 out of 5]

’They remain unaware of Lloth, creeping ever closer, growing ever larger.’

I’m still a little astounded about how much I’m enjoying Douglas Niles’ The Maztica Trilogy as he continues to ‘re-imagine’ the historical Spanish conquest of the Americas through the lens of the Dungeons and Dragons’ Forgotten Realms setting. The sophomore book in the series picks up the pace as Cordell/Cortés and his Golden Legion march on the Heart of True World -- the fabled city of Nexal/Tenochtitlan –while more sinister forces, dug from the deep fantasy lore of proper D&D, puppeteer a bloody coup from within the volcanic caverns under the rumbling Mount Zatal.

I continue to like Niles’ rather seamless fusion of history and fantasy, particularly as Cordell seizes control of Nexal and the impact this shadow play of mortals has on the empyreal plane as a contest between new gods and old, a joust between Helm the Vigilant and Zaltec the Terrible. This technique worked quite well for the Dragonlance series and is just as effective here as hardcore D&D players will appreciate the chill shadow that the demon queen of spiders Lloth extends over the series as she both relishes the coming bloodshed and – jealous goddess that she is -- chastises her wayward drow followers.

Also, to his credit, Niles isn’t just stringing us along – a problem for many middle parts -- to get us to the third book in trilogy where all the ‘big stuff’ happens. I was pleasantly surprised in the climatic battle that brings Viperhand to a close and with Niles’ willingness to polish off a few ‘baddies’ to give this one lots of weight at the finish. The last stand of the Golden Legion is rather riveting even given the moral ambivalence of Cordell and his men.

Wasn’t sure how eager I’d be for the final book in this series, but with the decks clear, Niles has pretty much come to the end of his historical antecedents. I’m actually pretty excited to see where he goes next given the freedom to write an entirely different ending to the final fate of the Americas.

[Jesse · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was actually better than I expected.

We pick right up from where we left off in the previous book, but we have added a new player. Lloth is upset that some of her drow are worshipping another evil god, and gets involved with Maztician spiritual politics.

The three companions continue their quest to reach Nextal. The invaders have conquered a small Mazitican city and absorbed it's army which they plan to use against the war-like Nextals. All the while, the "Ancient Ones", drow that now worship Zaltec, move the players around their private chess board.

Ultimately, we get to see a great battle in Nextal. The companions have a love triangle that is resolved just how you would imagine, and Lloth takes out her revenge on her disobedient children. And it changes the face of Maztica forever!

[PRJ Greenwell · Rating 4 out of 5]

More good fun. I think Niles has hit his straps as a novelist with this series after the very ponderous and occasionally silly Moonshae trilogy. What works the best is the story-telling. It moves, and it's catchy, and for the majority of one's reading experience, that's all that matters.

For sure, the characterisations are nothing noteworthy (they rarely are in these novels) and the setting has been lifted straight out of Meso-American history. Niles still has issues conveying romance in the written word - you get the idea he's a little awkward with the whole rosy thing, especially with his tentative tiptoes on the subject of love triangles.

All up however, I'm happily surprised with this series, especially after slogging through some Forgotten Realms dross to get to them.

[Cesare Bartolini · Rating 4 out of 5]

Like the first in the series, this book went beyond my expectations. The plot is interesting, with good twists, especially at the end. The characters are well-defined. There is a basis of free rewriting of historical occurrences, with a good deal of pure Forgotten Realms flavor, including magic, organizations, and deities. The book is engaging enough that at some point I got upset at events in the plot. Also, the pace is rather fast, without significant shallow or boring parts. Finally, the author manages to follow the unfolding events from a plurality of points of view without ever becoming confusing or making the reader get lost.

Douglas Niles would not fit among peak fantasy authors such as Leiber or Le Guin, but in my opinion he is definitely the best Forgotten Realms author.

[Fco. Salvador · Rating 1 out of 5]

Mismas impresiones que en el primer volumen. Quizá le pondría dos estrellas, como a la primera parte, pero he decidido rebajarlo por la escasa originalidad de lo contado, que no deja de ser una simplificación de los hechos que llevaron a la Noche Triste.
Cordel (un Cortés engañado) y Naltecona (un Moctezuma simplón) siguen ahí, y la entrada a Nexal (que guarda un excesivo-pero-ya-no-sorprendente parecido con México-Tenochtitlan) se produce en similares circunstancias. Tan similares que hasta el nombre del padre de Naltecona, en cuyo palacio son hospedados los ejércitos procedentes de Espa... perdón, de la Costa de la Espada.
El giro que quizá debería causar sorpresa se ve venir de lejos, el amor entre los protagonistas es infantil... Para qué seguir.

[Brandon · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked this book the most out of this series. It felt less like the rewriting if real world history, while the first book in the series felt like it was relying on it. I like some of the drow stuff it added a lot to the story but like other people have mentioned Darien's story doesn't really make sense but it still is the most interesting one here for me.There are quite a few things it does that make no sense as well. The natives appear remarkably stupid not knowing how to use things that they surely would given the rest of what we know about them. Some language used felt odd like the bishop calling the Maztican gods pagan . The romance is pretty awful if it was gone I would have liked it better. The shatil storyline was okay but it kinda didn't amount to much in the end.

[Jeff Pryor · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is part of a reread of this series.

I didn't think the second book held up as well as the third. I had a hard time believing anyone could be as stupid/greedy as Cordell in this. His decision at the end of the first book still comes back to haunt him, and he's left his men in a horrible spot. How he still holds any authority over them at this point is beyond me.

Overall, the story moves at a good pace, but it seemed almost forced at times. Hopefully there is a rebound with the third book and I'm drawn back into the story.

[Karmakosmik · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fino a circa un quarto di libro, ero quasi tentato di abbandonare la lettura di questo Viperhand, poi quando la legione dorata arriva a Palul, Niles non perde colpi e riesce a mantenere azione e tensione fino a fine romanzo. Questa trilogia di Maztica si sta sempre più dimostrando una delle più interessanti serie di Forgotten Realms

[Bradley · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not bad. Better than the first in the series.

[Taylor Crain · Rating 5 out of 5]

Immersive

I’ve long wondered what life was like on this side of Toril. My wife is Mexican and would love to be a pluma powered cleric of Qotal in a game.

[Benjamin Hesdorf · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was even better than the first. Now I simply must read the third of the series!

[Erik Blank · Rating 3 out of 5]

I like the world being established here, but I wish the story moved at a faster pace.

[David Sarkies · Rating 1 out of 5]

The Meso-American ripoff continues
21 June 2014

There are a couple of things that I have noticed on the page for this book, the first being that there are only two write ups on this novel, one saying that the trilogy should have ended with the first book, and the second saying well, not actually saying anything beyond it being a fantasy version of the fall of the Meso-American world. I do note that the blurb describes this book as being the second novel in a series that brings to life an exotic setting, though to be honest with you, while it may be exotic, it is nothing really all that new, and in fact seems to fall into the same category as you would put the Horselords trilogy: a blatant rip off of an historical event.

However, the reason that I have decided to write on this particular book was because today I went to the Melbourne Museum and saw an exhibition on the Aztecs, which, to be honest with you, was much more interesting than this particular book. For instance, they called themselves Mehicans (or something like that) which makes me wonder where we got the term Aztec from, because Mexico, and Mexican, seems to hark back to those ancient roots. The other thing that I discovered was that their capital city was referred to as 'The Venice of the New World' namely because it was built on a lake and, like Venice, is built on islands with canals and bridges.

A part of me wonders whether there is a lot of criticism against the Spanish for destroying this empire and treating them as barbarians, however I suspect that we all know that these particular people were not all that strong on human rights. For instance they simply loved to sacrifice people (though it was strongly tied into their religion, but despite that, if it was still around today there would be a lot of us decrying the barbarity of the practice), and then there was also the slave owning nature of their society, and their aggressive expansionism. That means that while the Spanish may have come in and pretty much destroyed the culture, I'm sure if the tables were turned, the Aztecs would have done the same to us.

[Daniel Connaughton · Rating 3 out of 5]

Note: This is more a review of Ironhelm and Viperhand (books 1 and 2 of The Maztica Trilogy).

I read a few Dungeons & Dragons novels back when I was a teenager. A few years back I tried rereading one that I remembered as my favorite and didn’t get too far into it before setting it aside. So, when I came across Ironhelm, I was a little reluctant. The setting is what attracted me- there are few books that I have been able to find that take place in the Aztec/Mayan/Incan type setting (fantasy or historical fiction) (if anyone has recommendations, please let me know!).

The story in Ironhelm and Viperhand is captivating and the setting is very immersive. We get both sides of the story, the invaders and the defenders, as outsiders arrive in the lands of Maztica. I like how we get a variety of point of view from both sides of the conflict that quickly ensues. The “good guys” defender point of views are handled well- giving us characters not directly involved in the heart–ripping out sacrificing but who still go along with. They don’t question that their gods demand heart sacrifices, yet they remain sympathetic characters. Meanwhile, the invaders religion is equally driven and its followers just as devoted. The “bad guys” on both sides of the conflict for the most part remain 1-dimensional and their scenes focus on them being evil- you can almost hear them giggling maniacally at times if you listen hard enough.

The conflict is as much about clash between invaders and defenders as it is between two conflicting religions.

From what I’ve read about the Spanish conquest / invasion of South America, the book seems to draw heavily on that history but with a D&D fantasy twist, but also departs largely from it in places as well.

The more D&D-like aspects don’t fully appear until the second book, but that is mainly due to the setup of the plot. There is plenty of magic and gods throughout, including magic based on feathers which is a neat concept.

Overall, this was a fun read with lots of fast-paced action and a great setting brought to life.

[Balazs Badics · Rating 1 out of 5]

"Viperhand" by Douglas Niles is a fantasy novel that, while having its moments, falls short in several areas. The plot, though intriguing at times, can feel disjointed and lacks the cohesion needed to fully engage the reader. Some characters, despite their potential, come across as underdeveloped and fail to leave a lasting impression.

The pacing of the story is uneven, with certain sections dragging on while others rush through key events, making it difficult to maintain a consistent level of interest. Additionally, the dialogue occasionally feels stilted and unnatural, detracting from the overall immersion in the world Niles has created.

While "Viperhand" has its strengths, such as imaginative world-building and a few standout scenes, it ultimately struggles to deliver a compelling and satisfying narrative. Fans of the genre might find some enjoyment, but it may not be the most memorable read in their collection.

[Peter Gorman II · Rating 4 out of 5]

Going to go against the grain of the other reviews here. I will start with the disappointment I had in Ironhelm and say the idea was utterly unoriginal and executed in a simple retelling of "facts".

Viperhand was a comeback for Niles. It is only fair to judge book 2 on the confines created by book 1. Given these limitations, I really enjoyed it. I love the battles of the gods. I am a sucker for a book with no clear villain or hero. There are those individuals you root for, but no clear good 'side'. In fact, you rather wish them all to fail.

Throw in a fun origin story of the goblinoids and Driders, some of my favorite fiends, and Niles really has something cooking. The book did seem altogether final, which has me worried where an entirely third novel will find its plot.

[Rafael Yaocoyotl · Rating 2 out of 5]

Como el volumen anterior de la trilogía, el argumento es la invasión europea a Mesoamérica; los personajes están pobremente desarrollados, la trama tiene alguno que otro giro interesante, pero, en general, por estar basada en un hecho histórico, es predecible. La construcción de mundo es muy simple, ni porque cuando se escribió, ya se contaba con mucha información del méxico prehispánico. Pero, en fin, sólo leeré el tercero para no dejar incompleta la trilogía.

[Kevin Zuech · Rating 4 out of 5]

At first I didn't really enjoy this book. it was more of the same writing style from the Moonshae Trilogy but midway through it became very entertaining. Erix, Hal and Poshtli make for a good trio. A nice surprise twist towards the end and finally the gods fight it out. I look forward to see where the third book goes from here.

[Doug Kallies · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mr. Niles certainly does a good job of making me hate the villains in this story. I kept waiting for the "bad guys" to "get theirs". And they did. The climactic battle was fantastically written. Thanks for another enjoyable story. Looking forward to the conclusion!

[Hildegart · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is the second book in the series which parallels Latin American history.