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Forgotten Realms: Anthologies #7
Realms of the Deep
When armies of evil rise up from the seas around Faerun, no one is safe.
A young mage battles at the side of Khelben Arunsun to defend the city of Waterdeep.
A merman struggles to fulfill his desperate mission to reach the Sea of Fallen Stars.
Twelve all new stories by such Forgotten Realms stars as Mel Odom, Ed Greenwood, Elaine Cunningham, Troy Denning, Lynn Abbey, and Clayton Emery.
A young mage battles at the side of Khelben Arunsun to defend the city of Waterdeep.
A merman struggles to fulfill his desperate mission to reach the Sea of Fallen Stars.
Twelve all new stories by such Forgotten Realms stars as Mel Odom, Ed Greenwood, Elaine Cunningham, Troy Denning, Lynn Abbey, and Clayton Emery.
352 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published November 1, 1999
4 people are currently reading
426 people want to read
About the author
Philip Athans
55 books246 followersI 100% support AUTHORS AGAINST BOOK BANS
https://www.authorsagainstbookbans.com
I give every book 5 stars in protest against the concept of star ratings in general and the ever-unfolding algorithm dystopia!
Philip Athans, an anti-AI, anti-book bans liberal, is the founding partner of Athans & Associates Creative Consulting (www.athansassociates.com), and the New York Times best-selling author of Annihilation and more than a dozen other fantasy and horror books including The Best of Fantasy Authors Handbook Vol. I 2009-2013, The Guide to Writing Fantasy & Science Fiction, and Writing Monsters. Born in Rochester, New York he grew up in suburban Chicago, where he published the literary magazine Alternative Fiction & Poetry. His blog, Fantasy Author’s Handbook, is updated every Tuesday (https://fantasyhandbook.wordpress.com), less regularly on the FAH YouTube channel (https://www.youtube.com/@FantasyAutho...), and you can follow him on Twitter @PhilAthans. He makes his home in the foothills of the Washington Cascades, east of Seattle.
https://www.authorsagainstbookbans.com
I give every book 5 stars in protest against the concept of star ratings in general and the ever-unfolding algorithm dystopia!
Philip Athans, an anti-AI, anti-book bans liberal, is the founding partner of Athans & Associates Creative Consulting (www.athansassociates.com), and the New York Times best-selling author of Annihilation and more than a dozen other fantasy and horror books including The Best of Fantasy Authors Handbook Vol. I 2009-2013, The Guide to Writing Fantasy & Science Fiction, and Writing Monsters. Born in Rochester, New York he grew up in suburban Chicago, where he published the literary magazine Alternative Fiction & Poetry. His blog, Fantasy Author’s Handbook, is updated every Tuesday (https://fantasyhandbook.wordpress.com), less regularly on the FAH YouTube channel (https://www.youtube.com/@FantasyAutho...), and you can follow him on Twitter @PhilAthans. He makes his home in the foothills of the Washington Cascades, east of Seattle.
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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
May 16, 2010
Realms of the Deep edited by Philip Athans was released in 1999. The anthology is composed of twelve short stories written by Lynn Abbey, Elaine Cunningham, Peter Archer, Ed Greenwood, Richard Lee Byers, Clayton Emery, Mel Odom, Troy Denning, Larry Hobbs, Thomas M. Reid, Steven E. Schend, and Keith Francis Strohm. Also included is a calendar, telling the names of the various months in the Realms. This anthology goes with The Threat From the Sea trilogy written by Mel Odom, and deals with all things with the sea.
"Hard Choices" by Lynn Abbey- The story is about a sea elf named Shemsen, the lone survivor of a Sahuagin attack on an outpost in Waterdeep Harbor. Shemsen feels uncomfortable as for the reason of his survival and goes deep down to a ship-sized hole called Umberlee's Cache, where he hears the goddess' voice giving him orders and a conch shell. Shemsen has to face his past and his origin to make a choice, save his friends or save his blood relatives.
Negatives:
1) Sentence structure. I don't care for the writing style at times. In the beginning the story was hard to follow because of how it was awkwardly written. It didn't seem coherent or understandable. It just felt like the words were just thrown down to create a "sentence."
2) Intertwined Scenes. In the middle of the story there was this scene of Shemsen going to Umberlee's Cache and recalling his past, which is fine. But how it read made it hard to tell what was the past and what was the present. There were no breaks or clues (right away) that we were in the past.
3) Cliché. I don't want to go into detail about this without giving away much so needless to say, it's been done before.
Positives:
1) Interesting idea. I do like the clichéd concept however. It could have worked pretty well but it just fell flat on its face.
2) Shemsen. While I didn't feel like you really get to know his struggle, he was an interesting character. I don't really know why I think this, but I just liked him.
Overall: 2/5
*Cliché, confusing scenes, and sentences in which nothing is really told are the lowlights of this story. It fell flat in many ways and it's sad because I thought it did have some potential.*
"Fire is Fire" by Elaine Cunningham- The story is about an apprentice wizard, Sydon, when he is protecting Waterdeep Harbor from the attack of the sahuagin. Also there are parts when the battle focuses on a sahuagin soldier and his fight.
Negatives:
1) Rushed. This really felt like a rushed story. It didn't help that it felt short and just blew by fairly quickly. I wanted to read more and have this story last a little longer.
Positives:
1) Sydon. He was an interesting character. You felt like he enjoyed throwing magic around and later you really could tell he was very scared and frightened. The emotions he felt were really portrayed well.
2) Action. The action scenes were pretty well written. All the bloodshed and the magic throwing was pretty neat and exciting.
Overall: 4/5
*Pretty fun and interesting story, I just thought it was a little rushed and I really wanted to read more.*
"Messenger to Seros" by Peter Archer- The story is about a merman named Thraxos and his journey to deliver a message to the Sea of Fallen Stars to send some reinforcements to Waterdeep because of the earlier attacks. Along the way, Thraxos gets transported to a place where he meets a little girl who helps him on his way.
Negatives:
1) The Beginning. I didn't care for the introduction to Thraxos. It seemed cheesy and just overdone with the fish parting and whatnot. It was like I was watching a bad movie were the hero comes out of the flames or something like that.
2) The Ending. It just kind of ended. I don't know what really happened and it just didn't seem like it should have ended.
Positives:
1) Thraxos. He was an interesting character because he didn't seem like the kind of character that you would read about. He wasn't really remarkable yet I liked him. Also I like how he was very flawed in some aspects. He just felt different.
2) The Middle. This was a pretty good part of the story. All the events, even the mundane ones, were pretty interesting and exciting.
Overall: 3/5
*What really made this story not work was the sudden ending. It was just too abrupt and sudden.*
"The Place Where Guards Snore at Their Posts" by Ed Greenwood- The story mainly focuses on an apprentice mage named Brandor and how he is a prankster of a mercenary company, the Black Buckler Band, stationed on the island of Mintarn.
Negatives:
1) Inconsistent. I just felt that somethings about the story was a little inconsistent. For example, I was lead to believe that Brandor never really spoken to the Tyrant of Mintarn's daughter Shalara, yet later on it said that they talked often. Unless I miss read, which could be seeing as-
2) Sentence Structure. The sentence structure was horrible. I couldn't make sense of what I was reading at times, and then other times I didn't know who did what. This really brought the overall story down. It's just too confusing and seemed to lack a few key details a lot.
3) The First Scene. One word can describe this... Irreverent. It doesn't seem to have any significance upon the story, and it seemed the "plan" that was brought up wasn't even used. Just pointless. Heck, the way the beginning was going I thought it was going to be an interesting story. Yet, nothing came out of this.
Positives:
1) Brandor. The only real good thing was the main character, and even he wasn't that interesting. While the idea behind him was really overused, he at least made the story bearable. The reason for this is because everyone knows he's a troublemaker, and that his pranks are pretty funny and a little elaborate.
Overall: 1/5
*Confusing, confusing, and pointless seems to be the idea behind this story. I wasn't interested and it sure didn't try to keep my interest. Seriously, what was up with that first part?*
"Lost Cause" by Richard Lee Byers- The story is about a little village of Port Llast and their battle against crabmen and giant jellyfish. The telling of the story is through the eyes of Sergeant Kendrack of how the port's new First Captain, Hylas of Elturel, is trying to deal with the problem.
Negatives:
None.
Positives:
1) Entertaining. Everything about this story is entertaining. It's fast paced, funny, and action packed at times. Just a real fun story.
2) Sergeant Kendrack. He was an interesting character. You got to see his doubts as well as what he thinks about the First Captain. Also, how he deals with the garrison made him seem like a general leader.
3) Hylas. Although he comes off as a pompous, arrogant fool, it was nice to see how he changed. Also it's surprising how the men regarded him in the beginning than at the end.
Overall: 5/5
*Maybe it's because of the dreadful Greenwood story, but Richard Lee Byers really made this story fun and interesting. It was well written and kept me wanting more.*
"Forged In Fire" by Clayton Emery- The story is about a pirate captain named Heart of a Lion as his pirate crew is attacking a merchant vessel. The merchants put of a good fight, but alas they surrender. However, before anyone can celebrate, threats from the deep decide to join in.
Negatives:
1) Word Choice. I felt that at times, some of the words seemed wrong and didn't make much sense to me. Mainly because I have no knowledge of boating/ sailing terms. But never the less, there were times when I didn't follow what was going on because of a certain word didn't seem to make much sense.
Positives:
1) Action. The action I thought was well done. It was exciting and felt like it was well done.
2) Descriptions. I thought the way Clayton Emery described some of the creatures and whatnot were very helpful and pretty in-depth. He did a good job in painting a picture in my mind.
Overall: 4/5
*Pretty good story. It was fun to read and really kept the excitement at all times it seemed.*
"One Who Swims With Sekolah" by Mel Odom- The story focuses on how the sahuagin of the Alamber Sea were able to break down the Sharksbane Wall and be able to swim in the Sea of Fallen Stars. The focus of the story is on a priestess of Sekolah, the god of the sahuagin, a malenti named Laaqueel and her part in finding the ways to break down the wall. She serves the self-proclaimed king of the sahuagin, Iakhovas, who ironically, isn't sahuagin. The story (I believe) ties in with Mel Odom's Threat From the Sea trilogy, which this anthology comes from.
Negatives:
1) Background. Okay, so this is a personal fault I found with the story. I haven't read Mel Odom's Threat From the Sea trilogy as of yet, so I don't know the background of what is happening. In hindsight, it would have been a good idea to read that trilogy before reading this, but I digress.
Positives:
1) Characters. Every main character in the story is interesting and creative. Laaqueel and Iakhovas are both the main focuses and they don't disappoint. Laaqueel is fairly straightforward, she at times seemed level head and at others her sahuagin side gets the best of her but she was very interesting. She didn't seem as heartless as some of the other characters who are malenti, but at the same time she was bloodthirsty and cruel. Then to top it off, she still remained somewhat of a mystery. Continuing with that thought, Iakhovas is a total mystery. You get glimpses and looks of what and who he is but it never really is throughly covered in too much detail and it works very well.
2) Exciting. The whole story is exciting. I felt that every aspect (characters, plot, etc.) were really well done and did have me at the edge of my seat at times. It never really got boring or slow, and even when it started to, it still made it very interesting.
Overall: 5/5
*Granted I had an issue with it, but it was of no fault to the story. The characters were the big highlight along with the way it was told. Everything was just well done and I really do want to read the trilogy now.*
"The Crystal Reef" by Troy Denning- The story is about two reef giants, Tanetoa and Kani, caught in between the war between the surface races and the water races. All Tanetoa wants to do is protect his reef and not get into the middle of the conflict but things don't go the way he wants them to.
Negatives:
None.
Positives:
1) Descriptions. The wonderful description of the reef makes you really picture it in your mind. It really is the main focus of the story and it really does show.
2) Conflict. I like how Troy Denning did the conflict here. You really feel sorry for Tanetoa because all he wants is to not get involved, yet human's and locathah's (a race of nomadic fishmen) both make Tanetoa choice their respective sides. Then things start to fall apart. It was just done wonderfully and you do feel bad for what happens to Tanetoa.
Overall: 5/5
*Great story about a peaceful person being forced into some conflict they don't want to be in. I really did feel bad about Tanetoa.*
"The Patrol" by Larry Hobbs- The story is about a recruit named Riordan, who is a watchmen for the city named Cimbar. Riordan is not liked by the other watchmen because of the mistakes and unnecessary dangers he puts on others. Throughout the story, Riordan slowly becomes a better swordsman and watchmen with the help from a former companion of his father named Bashar. When the everyone in the city thinks it's under attack by a rival city, Riordan and Bashar find out that it's not the case and that the creatures of the deep are the attackers.
Negatives:
1) Simple. Usually I don't mind a story being simple, but this one just seemed like it was just to easy. For example, how fast Riordan picks up on becoming a better swordsman. It just happens within a few days. Not only that but just the overall story was simple.
2) Cliché. The reason the story was simple because it was just so clichéd. Who would have thought that the main character was of noble blood. Seen it before right? Then a "wise old man" teaches our hero. Done before. Now these things aren't terrible or awful, but just felt like they weren't really original and fresh.
Positives:
1) Riordan. Even though his back story and training were kind of clichéd and simple, he was an enjoyable character. He really seemed to wanted to be taken seriously by his fellow watchmen. It just felt "real" in a way.
2) Elf. While this may spoil a little bit of the plot, the elf that they encounter was pretty interesting. He wasn't overused and seemed to really connect the story together. I just like the use of the elf.
Overall: 3/5
*It's not really a bad story, just wasn't that original. The characters were pretty good and the plot was solid.*
"Star of Tethyr" by Thomas M. Reid- The story is about a crewman named Merrick on a naval ship called Lancer. While the building of a new flagship for Tethyr, an attack happens in which Merrick has to defend the new ship, called Star of Tethyr.
Negatives:
None.
Positives:
1) Merrick. He isn't the normal "superhuman hero" that really appears in a lot of Forgotten Realms books. He doesn't do anything really remarkable or heroic, and that is want makes him a good character. The most heroic thing he does is wound a dragon turtle, after three shots. But it didn't seem to matter because you got to see this young crewman become a "man" and a true sailor from this attack.
2) Action. The battle was wonderful. While not to overly detailed, there was just enough to make the surrounding fighting really impressive. It's just perfect really, not overdone or underdone. Also, the time between each focus was good. It was just enough to make it okay to switch to another fight, instead of the random moving some authors use.
Overall: 5/5
*Good story about a normal person being normal. That may sound bland, but in reality, it worked really well, and I can't really explain why that is.*
"Persana's Blade" by Steven E. Schend- The story is about a young triton named Keros who, by fate, becomes something called the Persana's Blade. While Keros is cleaning a mural, it starts to break apart, knocking him unconscious. Upon awaking to his little sister trying to awake him, he finds the place a war zone, the triton's were under attack. His mother tells him to take his sister and a sword far away from there and he does. However, hearing his mothers scream he turns around and heads back. Seeing his parents in trouble, he attacks the leader of the raid and comes away with some unexpected consequences.
Negatives:
1) Rushed. The whole story had a feeling of, "gotta finish, gotta finish now, Now, NOW." There wasn't any time to catch your breath. Another result of this rushed feeling is that everything seemed to jump around a lot. And I mean A LOT.
2) What Just Happened? The first part of the story you see Keros cleaning a mural, then the mural breaks apart, the wall behind breaks apart, and then he gets knocked out. When he wakes up, it doesn't feel like right after him being knocked out, more like days later. Oh so I was lead to believe it was days later when in fact it was pretty much right after. The sense of time was really messed up.
3) Characters. Bland, unimpressive, and simple. No one stood out in my mind. Maybe it's because a new name seemed to be added on every page and each person was just not very memorable. I'm not a fan of the name throwing game that I've seen some other authors do, it just really complicates things. Also, it doesn't allow you to begin to like the main character(s).
4) Lack of Descriptions of Creatures. I'm never picked up a DnD Monster Manuel (Is that it's called?) nor have played a game like that (not counting video games), so when some of this creatures popped up, I have no idea about what they looked like. For example, I don't know anything about a triton's or morkoth's. It just made me scratch my head and wonder what they look like. While the triton was described later, the morkoth never really was, or wasn't enough so I could picture it clearly. This is just really a personal problem but I like to know what creatures look like...
Positives:
1) Idea. I do like the concept and idea of the story. Be it a little cliché, it still held promise.
Overall: 1/5
*Rushed, rushed, and rushed. There wasn't any real good descriptions, any chance to know what is going on and at some points you have no idea how you ended up there. Not to mention the name throwing and the bland, boring characters.*
"And The Dark Tide Rises" by Keith Francis Strohm- The story is about a young fisherman named Morgan Kevlynson and his part in spreading the news of the sahuagin attacks. While fishing with his grandfather, Morgan notices, or daydreams, seeing a sea elf next to the boat. Morgan is always being called "Sea-touched" because he as a certain fixation on the sea. During the night, he hears is name in the wind and goes out to investigate. He finds that the source of the voice is, in fact, coming from a sea elf, the same one he thought he saw earlier. She tells Morgan about the sahuagin invasion and to go warn a wizard named Dhavrim. Morgan sets off to warn him and comes across the horrors of the deep.
Negatives:
1) Slow. There were parts in which I thought were unbearably slow-moving. They didn't really impact the story but I just felt that they were a little annoying.
2) The "Love" Story. The whole Morgan and Avadriel love interested seem lack luster. It wasn't done very well to make it believe able and at times I thought it was the point. What I mean is, it seems from Morgan's view that they loved each other but it just didn't seem to work.
Positives:
1) Morgan. He was a good character. Not all that great and powerful but good nonetheless. I think that's what I liked about him... He seemed average. It really did work for the story.
2) Mood. The mood of the story was pretty unique. The middle section really had a sense of desperation. The only thing that didn't work was the romantic feeling. But you could really feel the desperation.
Overall: 3/5
*It's really just an average story. The average character of Morgan worked well because of this.*
OVERALL ANTHOLOGY: 3/5
*It really boils down to an average anthology. Yes, there were great and interesting stories within, but at the same time there were bland and boring ones as well. But I did find them interesting in that they all talk about the Forgotten Realms sea life, which isn't in very many books.*
Highlights:
Star of Tethyr by Thomas M. Reid
The Crystal Reef by Troy Denning
One Who Swims With Sekolah by Mel Odom
Lost Cause by Richard Lee Byers.
"Hard Choices" by Lynn Abbey- The story is about a sea elf named Shemsen, the lone survivor of a Sahuagin attack on an outpost in Waterdeep Harbor. Shemsen feels uncomfortable as for the reason of his survival and goes deep down to a ship-sized hole called Umberlee's Cache, where he hears the goddess' voice giving him orders and a conch shell. Shemsen has to face his past and his origin to make a choice, save his friends or save his blood relatives.
Negatives:
1) Sentence structure. I don't care for the writing style at times. In the beginning the story was hard to follow because of how it was awkwardly written. It didn't seem coherent or understandable. It just felt like the words were just thrown down to create a "sentence."
2) Intertwined Scenes. In the middle of the story there was this scene of Shemsen going to Umberlee's Cache and recalling his past, which is fine. But how it read made it hard to tell what was the past and what was the present. There were no breaks or clues (right away) that we were in the past.
3) Cliché. I don't want to go into detail about this without giving away much so needless to say, it's been done before.
Positives:
1) Interesting idea. I do like the clichéd concept however. It could have worked pretty well but it just fell flat on its face.
2) Shemsen. While I didn't feel like you really get to know his struggle, he was an interesting character. I don't really know why I think this, but I just liked him.
Overall: 2/5
*Cliché, confusing scenes, and sentences in which nothing is really told are the lowlights of this story. It fell flat in many ways and it's sad because I thought it did have some potential.*
"Fire is Fire" by Elaine Cunningham- The story is about an apprentice wizard, Sydon, when he is protecting Waterdeep Harbor from the attack of the sahuagin. Also there are parts when the battle focuses on a sahuagin soldier and his fight.
Negatives:
1) Rushed. This really felt like a rushed story. It didn't help that it felt short and just blew by fairly quickly. I wanted to read more and have this story last a little longer.
Positives:
1) Sydon. He was an interesting character. You felt like he enjoyed throwing magic around and later you really could tell he was very scared and frightened. The emotions he felt were really portrayed well.
2) Action. The action scenes were pretty well written. All the bloodshed and the magic throwing was pretty neat and exciting.
Overall: 4/5
*Pretty fun and interesting story, I just thought it was a little rushed and I really wanted to read more.*
"Messenger to Seros" by Peter Archer- The story is about a merman named Thraxos and his journey to deliver a message to the Sea of Fallen Stars to send some reinforcements to Waterdeep because of the earlier attacks. Along the way, Thraxos gets transported to a place where he meets a little girl who helps him on his way.
Negatives:
1) The Beginning. I didn't care for the introduction to Thraxos. It seemed cheesy and just overdone with the fish parting and whatnot. It was like I was watching a bad movie were the hero comes out of the flames or something like that.
2) The Ending. It just kind of ended. I don't know what really happened and it just didn't seem like it should have ended.
Positives:
1) Thraxos. He was an interesting character because he didn't seem like the kind of character that you would read about. He wasn't really remarkable yet I liked him. Also I like how he was very flawed in some aspects. He just felt different.
2) The Middle. This was a pretty good part of the story. All the events, even the mundane ones, were pretty interesting and exciting.
Overall: 3/5
*What really made this story not work was the sudden ending. It was just too abrupt and sudden.*
"The Place Where Guards Snore at Their Posts" by Ed Greenwood- The story mainly focuses on an apprentice mage named Brandor and how he is a prankster of a mercenary company, the Black Buckler Band, stationed on the island of Mintarn.
Negatives:
1) Inconsistent. I just felt that somethings about the story was a little inconsistent. For example, I was lead to believe that Brandor never really spoken to the Tyrant of Mintarn's daughter Shalara, yet later on it said that they talked often. Unless I miss read, which could be seeing as-
2) Sentence Structure. The sentence structure was horrible. I couldn't make sense of what I was reading at times, and then other times I didn't know who did what. This really brought the overall story down. It's just too confusing and seemed to lack a few key details a lot.
3) The First Scene. One word can describe this... Irreverent. It doesn't seem to have any significance upon the story, and it seemed the "plan" that was brought up wasn't even used. Just pointless. Heck, the way the beginning was going I thought it was going to be an interesting story. Yet, nothing came out of this.
Positives:
1) Brandor. The only real good thing was the main character, and even he wasn't that interesting. While the idea behind him was really overused, he at least made the story bearable. The reason for this is because everyone knows he's a troublemaker, and that his pranks are pretty funny and a little elaborate.
Overall: 1/5
*Confusing, confusing, and pointless seems to be the idea behind this story. I wasn't interested and it sure didn't try to keep my interest. Seriously, what was up with that first part?*
"Lost Cause" by Richard Lee Byers- The story is about a little village of Port Llast and their battle against crabmen and giant jellyfish. The telling of the story is through the eyes of Sergeant Kendrack of how the port's new First Captain, Hylas of Elturel, is trying to deal with the problem.
Negatives:
None.
Positives:
1) Entertaining. Everything about this story is entertaining. It's fast paced, funny, and action packed at times. Just a real fun story.
2) Sergeant Kendrack. He was an interesting character. You got to see his doubts as well as what he thinks about the First Captain. Also, how he deals with the garrison made him seem like a general leader.
3) Hylas. Although he comes off as a pompous, arrogant fool, it was nice to see how he changed. Also it's surprising how the men regarded him in the beginning than at the end.
Overall: 5/5
*Maybe it's because of the dreadful Greenwood story, but Richard Lee Byers really made this story fun and interesting. It was well written and kept me wanting more.*
"Forged In Fire" by Clayton Emery- The story is about a pirate captain named Heart of a Lion as his pirate crew is attacking a merchant vessel. The merchants put of a good fight, but alas they surrender. However, before anyone can celebrate, threats from the deep decide to join in.
Negatives:
1) Word Choice. I felt that at times, some of the words seemed wrong and didn't make much sense to me. Mainly because I have no knowledge of boating/ sailing terms. But never the less, there were times when I didn't follow what was going on because of a certain word didn't seem to make much sense.
Positives:
1) Action. The action I thought was well done. It was exciting and felt like it was well done.
2) Descriptions. I thought the way Clayton Emery described some of the creatures and whatnot were very helpful and pretty in-depth. He did a good job in painting a picture in my mind.
Overall: 4/5
*Pretty good story. It was fun to read and really kept the excitement at all times it seemed.*
"One Who Swims With Sekolah" by Mel Odom- The story focuses on how the sahuagin of the Alamber Sea were able to break down the Sharksbane Wall and be able to swim in the Sea of Fallen Stars. The focus of the story is on a priestess of Sekolah, the god of the sahuagin, a malenti named Laaqueel and her part in finding the ways to break down the wall. She serves the self-proclaimed king of the sahuagin, Iakhovas, who ironically, isn't sahuagin. The story (I believe) ties in with Mel Odom's Threat From the Sea trilogy, which this anthology comes from.
Negatives:
1) Background. Okay, so this is a personal fault I found with the story. I haven't read Mel Odom's Threat From the Sea trilogy as of yet, so I don't know the background of what is happening. In hindsight, it would have been a good idea to read that trilogy before reading this, but I digress.
Positives:
1) Characters. Every main character in the story is interesting and creative. Laaqueel and Iakhovas are both the main focuses and they don't disappoint. Laaqueel is fairly straightforward, she at times seemed level head and at others her sahuagin side gets the best of her but she was very interesting. She didn't seem as heartless as some of the other characters who are malenti, but at the same time she was bloodthirsty and cruel. Then to top it off, she still remained somewhat of a mystery. Continuing with that thought, Iakhovas is a total mystery. You get glimpses and looks of what and who he is but it never really is throughly covered in too much detail and it works very well.
2) Exciting. The whole story is exciting. I felt that every aspect (characters, plot, etc.) were really well done and did have me at the edge of my seat at times. It never really got boring or slow, and even when it started to, it still made it very interesting.
Overall: 5/5
*Granted I had an issue with it, but it was of no fault to the story. The characters were the big highlight along with the way it was told. Everything was just well done and I really do want to read the trilogy now.*
"The Crystal Reef" by Troy Denning- The story is about two reef giants, Tanetoa and Kani, caught in between the war between the surface races and the water races. All Tanetoa wants to do is protect his reef and not get into the middle of the conflict but things don't go the way he wants them to.
Negatives:
None.
Positives:
1) Descriptions. The wonderful description of the reef makes you really picture it in your mind. It really is the main focus of the story and it really does show.
2) Conflict. I like how Troy Denning did the conflict here. You really feel sorry for Tanetoa because all he wants is to not get involved, yet human's and locathah's (a race of nomadic fishmen) both make Tanetoa choice their respective sides. Then things start to fall apart. It was just done wonderfully and you do feel bad for what happens to Tanetoa.
Overall: 5/5
*Great story about a peaceful person being forced into some conflict they don't want to be in. I really did feel bad about Tanetoa.*
"The Patrol" by Larry Hobbs- The story is about a recruit named Riordan, who is a watchmen for the city named Cimbar. Riordan is not liked by the other watchmen because of the mistakes and unnecessary dangers he puts on others. Throughout the story, Riordan slowly becomes a better swordsman and watchmen with the help from a former companion of his father named Bashar. When the everyone in the city thinks it's under attack by a rival city, Riordan and Bashar find out that it's not the case and that the creatures of the deep are the attackers.
Negatives:
1) Simple. Usually I don't mind a story being simple, but this one just seemed like it was just to easy. For example, how fast Riordan picks up on becoming a better swordsman. It just happens within a few days. Not only that but just the overall story was simple.
2) Cliché. The reason the story was simple because it was just so clichéd. Who would have thought that the main character was of noble blood. Seen it before right? Then a "wise old man" teaches our hero. Done before. Now these things aren't terrible or awful, but just felt like they weren't really original and fresh.
Positives:
1) Riordan. Even though his back story and training were kind of clichéd and simple, he was an enjoyable character. He really seemed to wanted to be taken seriously by his fellow watchmen. It just felt "real" in a way.
2) Elf. While this may spoil a little bit of the plot, the elf that they encounter was pretty interesting. He wasn't overused and seemed to really connect the story together. I just like the use of the elf.
Overall: 3/5
*It's not really a bad story, just wasn't that original. The characters were pretty good and the plot was solid.*
"Star of Tethyr" by Thomas M. Reid- The story is about a crewman named Merrick on a naval ship called Lancer. While the building of a new flagship for Tethyr, an attack happens in which Merrick has to defend the new ship, called Star of Tethyr.
Negatives:
None.
Positives:
1) Merrick. He isn't the normal "superhuman hero" that really appears in a lot of Forgotten Realms books. He doesn't do anything really remarkable or heroic, and that is want makes him a good character. The most heroic thing he does is wound a dragon turtle, after three shots. But it didn't seem to matter because you got to see this young crewman become a "man" and a true sailor from this attack.
2) Action. The battle was wonderful. While not to overly detailed, there was just enough to make the surrounding fighting really impressive. It's just perfect really, not overdone or underdone. Also, the time between each focus was good. It was just enough to make it okay to switch to another fight, instead of the random moving some authors use.
Overall: 5/5
*Good story about a normal person being normal. That may sound bland, but in reality, it worked really well, and I can't really explain why that is.*
"Persana's Blade" by Steven E. Schend- The story is about a young triton named Keros who, by fate, becomes something called the Persana's Blade. While Keros is cleaning a mural, it starts to break apart, knocking him unconscious. Upon awaking to his little sister trying to awake him, he finds the place a war zone, the triton's were under attack. His mother tells him to take his sister and a sword far away from there and he does. However, hearing his mothers scream he turns around and heads back. Seeing his parents in trouble, he attacks the leader of the raid and comes away with some unexpected consequences.
Negatives:
1) Rushed. The whole story had a feeling of, "gotta finish, gotta finish now, Now, NOW." There wasn't any time to catch your breath. Another result of this rushed feeling is that everything seemed to jump around a lot. And I mean A LOT.
2) What Just Happened? The first part of the story you see Keros cleaning a mural, then the mural breaks apart, the wall behind breaks apart, and then he gets knocked out. When he wakes up, it doesn't feel like right after him being knocked out, more like days later. Oh so I was lead to believe it was days later when in fact it was pretty much right after. The sense of time was really messed up.
3) Characters. Bland, unimpressive, and simple. No one stood out in my mind. Maybe it's because a new name seemed to be added on every page and each person was just not very memorable. I'm not a fan of the name throwing game that I've seen some other authors do, it just really complicates things. Also, it doesn't allow you to begin to like the main character(s).
4) Lack of Descriptions of Creatures. I'm never picked up a DnD Monster Manuel (Is that it's called?) nor have played a game like that (not counting video games), so when some of this creatures popped up, I have no idea about what they looked like. For example, I don't know anything about a triton's or morkoth's. It just made me scratch my head and wonder what they look like. While the triton was described later, the morkoth never really was, or wasn't enough so I could picture it clearly. This is just really a personal problem but I like to know what creatures look like...
Positives:
1) Idea. I do like the concept and idea of the story. Be it a little cliché, it still held promise.
Overall: 1/5
*Rushed, rushed, and rushed. There wasn't any real good descriptions, any chance to know what is going on and at some points you have no idea how you ended up there. Not to mention the name throwing and the bland, boring characters.*
"And The Dark Tide Rises" by Keith Francis Strohm- The story is about a young fisherman named Morgan Kevlynson and his part in spreading the news of the sahuagin attacks. While fishing with his grandfather, Morgan notices, or daydreams, seeing a sea elf next to the boat. Morgan is always being called "Sea-touched" because he as a certain fixation on the sea. During the night, he hears is name in the wind and goes out to investigate. He finds that the source of the voice is, in fact, coming from a sea elf, the same one he thought he saw earlier. She tells Morgan about the sahuagin invasion and to go warn a wizard named Dhavrim. Morgan sets off to warn him and comes across the horrors of the deep.
Negatives:
1) Slow. There were parts in which I thought were unbearably slow-moving. They didn't really impact the story but I just felt that they were a little annoying.
2) The "Love" Story. The whole Morgan and Avadriel love interested seem lack luster. It wasn't done very well to make it believe able and at times I thought it was the point. What I mean is, it seems from Morgan's view that they loved each other but it just didn't seem to work.
Positives:
1) Morgan. He was a good character. Not all that great and powerful but good nonetheless. I think that's what I liked about him... He seemed average. It really did work for the story.
2) Mood. The mood of the story was pretty unique. The middle section really had a sense of desperation. The only thing that didn't work was the romantic feeling. But you could really feel the desperation.
Overall: 3/5
*It's really just an average story. The average character of Morgan worked well because of this.*
OVERALL ANTHOLOGY: 3/5
*It really boils down to an average anthology. Yes, there were great and interesting stories within, but at the same time there were bland and boring ones as well. But I did find them interesting in that they all talk about the Forgotten Realms sea life, which isn't in very many books.*
Highlights:
Star of Tethyr by Thomas M. Reid
The Crystal Reef by Troy Denning
One Who Swims With Sekolah by Mel Odom
Lost Cause by Richard Lee Byers.
March 3, 2023
Maybe it's just me, but I don't find fights underwater all that cool. Sure, there's something intriguing about the idea of battling sea monsters or exploring hidden underwater caves, but after a while, it all starts to feel a bit stale. Unfortunately, "Realms of the Deep" didn't do much to change my mind.
Now, don't get me wrong, there were a few stories in this book that managed to hold my interest. But for the most part, I found myself struggling to stay engaged. It's not that the writing was bad per se, but rather that the stories themselves lacked that certain spark of excitement that keeps you turning the pages.
All in all, I wouldn't say that "Realms of the Deep" is a terrible book. But if you're looking for a collection of truly thrilling underwater adventures, you might want to look elsewhere. Unless, of course, you're a diehard fan of fights underwater (for whatever reason - aren't they just clumsy slow-motion fights?), in which case this book might just be right up your alley.
Now, don't get me wrong, there were a few stories in this book that managed to hold my interest. But for the most part, I found myself struggling to stay engaged. It's not that the writing was bad per se, but rather that the stories themselves lacked that certain spark of excitement that keeps you turning the pages.
All in all, I wouldn't say that "Realms of the Deep" is a terrible book. But if you're looking for a collection of truly thrilling underwater adventures, you might want to look elsewhere. Unless, of course, you're a diehard fan of fights underwater (for whatever reason - aren't they just clumsy slow-motion fights?), in which case this book might just be right up your alley.
January 25, 2022
I really enjoyed this book of shorts. As I continue to read through the Forgotten Realms Cannon, I am attempting to read the stories in order that they happen in the Realms timeline, not publishing date, which sometimes causes issues. All these stories take place prior to the attack on Waterdeep, but I think there is some base knowledge that might have made this group of stories a little difficult for someone that is not super familiar with FR...not a lot, just a little. And they would still probably be enjoyable.
My favorites were the ones by Lisa Smedman and Mel Odom (both have written on this race and topic in the past), but there really wasn't a story I didn't enjoy.
Another FR book done.
My favorites were the ones by Lisa Smedman and Mel Odom (both have written on this race and topic in the past), but there really wasn't a story I didn't enjoy.
Another FR book done.
January 7, 2018
Decent stories for the most part. The last one was awful though and unnecessary. I blew through this one unimpressed for the most part. I did not like the idea that every story had to deal with the monsters of the sea. Rather limiting the stories to that realm of course, but still, also limiting my interest in each story.
June 8, 2022
For a long time (since the book was published in 2000) I have dreaded reading this anthology. But I thought the 4 books connected to it were really good. Finally cracked this open and read the 1st story, which was very tasty as is all other stories in this book. This wound up being one of my favorite books of all Forgotten Realms & non-Forgotten Realms. As I have rated it....it is/was Amazing.
June 15, 2023
Not bad, some very fun stories but many are not too noteworthy. I do like how they all take place over a couple months with the war led by Iakhovas. Realms of War remains my favorite anthology for the Realms still, but I haven’t read many as of yet.
December 3, 2018
Great book. Awesome how the stories of different authors fits with one overall event. I'll definitely be reading more about the seafolk.
January 9, 2012
“Arrrr, ever been to sea, Billy?”
Welcome to my review of the anthology ‘Realms of the Deep’ written by various authors conversant with a Dungeons and Dragons shared world setting called Forgotten Realms.
Evil is boiling up from the seas and overrunning the Sword coast. It is up to humanity and her sea faring allies to stop the hordes from destroying all.
The evil is in the form of the Sahuagin, and they are using dark magic and countless aquatic troops to destroy the landlubbers . . .
If you wonder what a Sahuagin is let me tell you.
*Consults Monster Manual* - Wow, they are a challenge rating of 2 - pretty nasty little sea creatures. Physical description (just see book cover art) although the one depicted thereon has four arms. Only about one in two hundred have four arms. I would bet these guys are a challenge rating 3, not 2 since they get two extra attacks per round . . .
I know, enough with the gaming geek speak, what about the stories?
I just can’t help it though. I read these Dungeons and Dragons anthologies with an eye towards my own campaign and the other two I participate in.
Well, to be honest, I found the stories adequate but not exceptional. The only two which really stood out for me (maybe because they were not just sort of the same) were “Fire by Fire” by Elaine Cunningham. Inside that tale was a great battle between a Kraken and an animated statue . . .
The second cool (eye towards gaming) story was by “The Crystal Reef” by Troy Denning. In this tale we see a giant (a sea giant) protecting his precious island’s reef against invasion. I won’t give it away, but I thought it was imaginative and well done.
That is not to say the other stories were inferior or didn’t have really cool bits in them, they just didn’t appeal to me as much.
Actually, this collection is a kind of add-on to a three book Forgotten Realm series called “The Threat from the Sea” by Mel Odom. I have not read this series, but the short stories in “Realms of the Deep” all take place more or less at the same time as the huge sweeping war written about in Mel’s three books.
And Mel has a short story in this collection too. If you like Mel. I don’t recall too many details from his story.
So, should you rush out and find this work and read it? Hmm. Well, if you are like me and enjoy a good foray into a fantasy gaming world through fiction, and you like tales of the deep and sea creatures, then I would say yes. If you are just looking for great short stories, well then, this may not be the best.
On a 20 sided die, this anthology would roll about a 12. Of course, if you have the appropriate skill modifiers, the number would be adjusted higher.
Arrrrr!
Welcome to my review of the anthology ‘Realms of the Deep’ written by various authors conversant with a Dungeons and Dragons shared world setting called Forgotten Realms.
Evil is boiling up from the seas and overrunning the Sword coast. It is up to humanity and her sea faring allies to stop the hordes from destroying all.
The evil is in the form of the Sahuagin, and they are using dark magic and countless aquatic troops to destroy the landlubbers . . .
If you wonder what a Sahuagin is let me tell you.
*Consults Monster Manual* - Wow, they are a challenge rating of 2 - pretty nasty little sea creatures. Physical description (just see book cover art) although the one depicted thereon has four arms. Only about one in two hundred have four arms. I would bet these guys are a challenge rating 3, not 2 since they get two extra attacks per round . . .
I know, enough with the gaming geek speak, what about the stories?
I just can’t help it though. I read these Dungeons and Dragons anthologies with an eye towards my own campaign and the other two I participate in.
Well, to be honest, I found the stories adequate but not exceptional. The only two which really stood out for me (maybe because they were not just sort of the same) were “Fire by Fire” by Elaine Cunningham. Inside that tale was a great battle between a Kraken and an animated statue . . .
The second cool (eye towards gaming) story was by “The Crystal Reef” by Troy Denning. In this tale we see a giant (a sea giant) protecting his precious island’s reef against invasion. I won’t give it away, but I thought it was imaginative and well done.
That is not to say the other stories were inferior or didn’t have really cool bits in them, they just didn’t appeal to me as much.
Actually, this collection is a kind of add-on to a three book Forgotten Realm series called “The Threat from the Sea” by Mel Odom. I have not read this series, but the short stories in “Realms of the Deep” all take place more or less at the same time as the huge sweeping war written about in Mel’s three books.
And Mel has a short story in this collection too. If you like Mel. I don’t recall too many details from his story.
So, should you rush out and find this work and read it? Hmm. Well, if you are like me and enjoy a good foray into a fantasy gaming world through fiction, and you like tales of the deep and sea creatures, then I would say yes. If you are just looking for great short stories, well then, this may not be the best.
On a 20 sided die, this anthology would roll about a 12. Of course, if you have the appropriate skill modifiers, the number would be adjusted higher.
Arrrrr!
December 25, 2015
Mixed bag of short stories, some decent, so not so much. Better stories are by well-known authors like Troy Denning. This book actually has to be read between Books 2 & 3 of the Threat from the Sea trilogy as it contains a short story by trilogy author Mel Odom that is a significant part of the overall trilogy. The first time I read this trilogy, I skipped this anthology until after Book 3 and was a bit confused about how some events had happened. Overall, this anthology is okay.
sold
February 23, 2012Sold to Lewis White on eBay on 7-Jun-11:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/ws/eBayISAPI....
http://www.ebay.com/itm/ws/eBayISAPI....
January 17, 2012
I was not enamored of this collection of stories from the Forgotten Realms. I'm not sure why exactly but it really had trouble holding my attention.
May 24, 2018
Almost finished. Looking forward to finding more from the authors who wrote a story for this. Makes me wish I had a more extensive vocabulary when I read a story from an author I haven't read before.
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