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The Dark Knight Must Choose: Justice or Vengeance
Watchman by day, vigilante by night, Shadowbane's world is turned upside down when he runs across a powerful wizard--in the form of a confused, hunted girl who finds herself at the heart of a fell plot. When his friends start dying and the girl is kidnapped, Shadowbane must choose between the darkness and the light in his heart: to avenge the deaths of his friends, or to let the villain live to face--and possibly escape--justice.
Downshadow is thrilling tale of vigilante justice set in the classic City of Splendors and presented by Forgotten Realms(R) campaign setting creator and celebrated author Ed Greenwood. You don't want to miss out on this exciting glimpse into what the latest edition of the Realms has to offer.
Watchman by day, vigilante by night, Shadowbane's world is turned upside down when he runs across a powerful wizard--in the form of a confused, hunted girl who finds herself at the heart of a fell plot. When his friends start dying and the girl is kidnapped, Shadowbane must choose between the darkness and the light in his heart: to avenge the deaths of his friends, or to let the villain live to face--and possibly escape--justice.
Downshadow is thrilling tale of vigilante justice set in the classic City of Splendors and presented by Forgotten Realms(R) campaign setting creator and celebrated author Ed Greenwood. You don't want to miss out on this exciting glimpse into what the latest edition of the Realms has to offer.
320 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published April 7, 2009
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Displaying 1 - 27 of 27 reviews
July 27, 2010
Downshadow by Erik Scott de Bie- This is the third book released in the Ed Greenwood Presents Waterdeep series of stand-alone novels. The series contains five other entries, which are all written by different authors. Since each novel is a stand-alone, you can read this series out-of-order. The series is set in the Forgotten Realms setting of the pen and paper role-playing game, Dungeons and Dragons. The other novels in the series include; Blackstaff Tower by Steven E. Schend, Mistshore by Jaleigh Johnson, City of the Dead by Rosemary Jones, The God Catcher by Erin M. Evans, and Circle of Skulls by James P. Davis. Erik Scott de Bie has written two other full-length novels, both set in the Forgotten Realms. His first novel is Ghostwalker (part of The Fighters series) and his second novel is Depths of Madness (part of The Dungeons series). He has also written a number of short stories and game design books. Downshadow was released in 2009 and published by Wizards of the Coast.
The Shadowbane is a vigilante set on keeping justice in the labyrinth of Downshadow, which is just below Waterdeep. With an assassin and Waterdeep's Watch always on his trail, Shadowbane has to constantly watch his back, else his true identity may get discovered. But that may be harder than it appears, as temptation and honor war inside him. However, after a fateful encounter with a girl who doesn't know what she is, Shadowbane is thrust into a vile scheme. But after the girl starts to wield unspeakable power, Shadowbane's friends and family become the target of the assassin and a mysterious half-elf who is more than she appears.
Criticisms:
1) References. This is really the only huge problem I had while reading. There are so many vague references to things and people throughout the story that it became distracting and would take you out of the story. While it does make the story and world seem to be alive, it felt unnecessary at times. But in the long run, this issue doesn't really impact the story as a whole. It only distracts early on.
Praises:
1) Characters. Wow, were these characters memorable. Each main character had a distinct and wholly unique personality that will make you feel different about each one. Our man hero, Shadowbane, may be the more generic of the characters, but somehow that works to his advantage. While being the 'strong, silent hero' may be a well-known character archetype, Shadowbane really takes it and makes that archetype his own. The main antagonist, Rath, was just phenomenal. There's only been a handful of villains that I despised, and Rath is now among them. There is no gray area with him, you will hate him, and you'll love hating him. Every time Rath shows up, he takes the scene away from anyone else. He's presence can not be ignored. Fayne, who is neither good nor bad, is another unique character. She has this personality that you know you shouldn't love, yet you do. She unknowningly breaks the fourth wall with this and makes the reader feel this way, and it is a little scary, but in a good way.Which, come to think of it, would fit what she really is. We also have Myrin, a shy, innocent girl and while not the strongest or most defining personality, she still leaves an impression. The other minor characters, Cellica, Araezra, and Talanna also have this memorable quality to them, but I can't really get into them without ruining some of the story.
2) Humor. This story had a lot of very funny moments in it. Fayne always came up with these amusing quips to everything that was said. Cellica, had her funny moments when Shadowbane and Myrin were around. Then you have Talanna who always seemed to bring some what of a smile to my face, for some reason. I'm honestly surprised by how humorous this story actually was.
3) Motivations. I was really impressed by how each character had a wholly unique motivation. While some may have seemed stock, for example Shadowbane's drive for justice, everyone else had a unique and somewhat surprising motivator for what they do. The best example of this is Fayne, who seems to only want to cause pranks and tricks, but deep down, it's more than that. I was honestly surprised by how badly Fayne would go to reach her goals. Each character seemed to have a drive that, while simple at first, seemed to only get more and more complicated and deluded as the story went on.
Side Notes:
1) Superhero. I won't deny that Downshadow had a superhero-like feel to the story. You have Shadowbane, who is almost like Batman, and the spellscar's powers which seemed like something you'd find in X-Men. But does it really hurt the story? No. It's just an interesting idea of 'superheroes' in a fantasy setting.
2) Cover Art. It's not bad, it's just generic. The stone statue shooting lightning out of its hands is in the story, for maybe three paragraphs. The main problem is that it's just not exciting and just kind of bland. It doesn't really 'fit' with the story.
Overall: 5/5
Final Thoughts:
Downshadow is a fun and exciting read. Everything about this book is great. The only problem that I found was the referencing, which it just more like a pet peeve of mine. But aside from that, it's wonderful. The characters are vivid and unique, the humor is actually funny, and the motivations the characters have really surprise you at times. Sure, it may feel like a superhero story set in the Forgotten Realms and that it's a blend between Batman and X-Men, but it never seemed to matter to me. I just had a blast reading through it. Would I recommend Downshadow? Yes! Definitely pick it up no matter what. It's a wonderful read.
The Shadowbane is a vigilante set on keeping justice in the labyrinth of Downshadow, which is just below Waterdeep. With an assassin and Waterdeep's Watch always on his trail, Shadowbane has to constantly watch his back, else his true identity may get discovered. But that may be harder than it appears, as temptation and honor war inside him. However, after a fateful encounter with a girl who doesn't know what she is, Shadowbane is thrust into a vile scheme. But after the girl starts to wield unspeakable power, Shadowbane's friends and family become the target of the assassin and a mysterious half-elf who is more than she appears.
Criticisms:
1) References. This is really the only huge problem I had while reading. There are so many vague references to things and people throughout the story that it became distracting and would take you out of the story. While it does make the story and world seem to be alive, it felt unnecessary at times. But in the long run, this issue doesn't really impact the story as a whole. It only distracts early on.
Praises:
1) Characters. Wow, were these characters memorable. Each main character had a distinct and wholly unique personality that will make you feel different about each one. Our man hero, Shadowbane, may be the more generic of the characters, but somehow that works to his advantage. While being the 'strong, silent hero' may be a well-known character archetype, Shadowbane really takes it and makes that archetype his own. The main antagonist, Rath, was just phenomenal. There's only been a handful of villains that I despised, and Rath is now among them. There is no gray area with him, you will hate him, and you'll love hating him. Every time Rath shows up, he takes the scene away from anyone else. He's presence can not be ignored. Fayne, who is neither good nor bad, is another unique character. She has this personality that you know you shouldn't love, yet you do. She unknowningly breaks the fourth wall with this and makes the reader feel this way, and it is a little scary, but in a good way.Which, come to think of it, would fit what she really is. We also have Myrin, a shy, innocent girl and while not the strongest or most defining personality, she still leaves an impression. The other minor characters, Cellica, Araezra, and Talanna also have this memorable quality to them, but I can't really get into them without ruining some of the story.
2) Humor. This story had a lot of very funny moments in it. Fayne always came up with these amusing quips to everything that was said. Cellica, had her funny moments when Shadowbane and Myrin were around. Then you have Talanna who always seemed to bring some what of a smile to my face, for some reason. I'm honestly surprised by how humorous this story actually was.
3) Motivations. I was really impressed by how each character had a wholly unique motivation. While some may have seemed stock, for example Shadowbane's drive for justice, everyone else had a unique and somewhat surprising motivator for what they do. The best example of this is Fayne, who seems to only want to cause pranks and tricks, but deep down, it's more than that. I was honestly surprised by how badly Fayne would go to reach her goals. Each character seemed to have a drive that, while simple at first, seemed to only get more and more complicated and deluded as the story went on.
Side Notes:
1) Superhero. I won't deny that Downshadow had a superhero-like feel to the story. You have Shadowbane, who is almost like Batman, and the spellscar's powers which seemed like something you'd find in X-Men. But does it really hurt the story? No. It's just an interesting idea of 'superheroes' in a fantasy setting.
2) Cover Art. It's not bad, it's just generic. The stone statue shooting lightning out of its hands is in the story, for maybe three paragraphs. The main problem is that it's just not exciting and just kind of bland. It doesn't really 'fit' with the story.
Overall: 5/5
Final Thoughts:
Downshadow is a fun and exciting read. Everything about this book is great. The only problem that I found was the referencing, which it just more like a pet peeve of mine. But aside from that, it's wonderful. The characters are vivid and unique, the humor is actually funny, and the motivations the characters have really surprise you at times. Sure, it may feel like a superhero story set in the Forgotten Realms and that it's a blend between Batman and X-Men, but it never seemed to matter to me. I just had a blast reading through it. Would I recommend Downshadow? Yes! Definitely pick it up no matter what. It's a wonderful read.
August 21, 2024
I had to take a very long break in the midst of reading this book because when it wasn't making me furious it was so thuddingly boring.
This is a great example of the kind of writing made women and queer people wary of a lot of nerd spaces for so long, even when we still sought them out. Hyper sexualization of every woman that appears, even the one initially described as a teen only to be shifted just barely out of that frame to make Kalen's attraction to her "acceptable", ranged from absurdly comical to gross moment to moment. Every woman in the story falling in love with Kalen, some with history, some having just met him, was the biggest "oof big stretch" I've read in a long time. When he wasn't being a flat dnd Batman, he was a bland moron who couldn't seem to be present in any of the conversations happening around him. Fayne was the most interesting part of this book, a villain who manages to work her way into the main cast of good guys for a time, but we had to spend way too much time with the villain we were presented with most of the book, who was just an insane dwarf serial killer with no real purpose. We spent so much time with the Waterdhavian Guard in the front half of the book for them to be completely irrelevant to the rest of the plot and disappear almost entirely for the second half.
The worst of this series so far by a mile, so glad Kalen Dren gets the hell out of my beautiful city.
This is a great example of the kind of writing made women and queer people wary of a lot of nerd spaces for so long, even when we still sought them out. Hyper sexualization of every woman that appears, even the one initially described as a teen only to be shifted just barely out of that frame to make Kalen's attraction to her "acceptable", ranged from absurdly comical to gross moment to moment. Every woman in the story falling in love with Kalen, some with history, some having just met him, was the biggest "oof big stretch" I've read in a long time. When he wasn't being a flat dnd Batman, he was a bland moron who couldn't seem to be present in any of the conversations happening around him. Fayne was the most interesting part of this book, a villain who manages to work her way into the main cast of good guys for a time, but we had to spend way too much time with the villain we were presented with most of the book, who was just an insane dwarf serial killer with no real purpose. We spent so much time with the Waterdhavian Guard in the front half of the book for them to be completely irrelevant to the rest of the plot and disappear almost entirely for the second half.
The worst of this series so far by a mile, so glad Kalen Dren gets the hell out of my beautiful city.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 24, 2020
This book reads like a harem anime with a Batman main character who has no confidence in himself and no personality outside of "justice" or "vengeance". Even his oath is a hand-me-down.
It functions and has an interesting enough plot to follow to the end but is a significantly flawed book.
It functions and has an interesting enough plot to follow to the end but is a significantly flawed book.
February 22, 2025
"Ever wondered what it's really like to be a paladin?" the back cover asks. Nothing like this, I'd say. While set in the Forgotten Realms setting, the novel reads more like some form of harem anime, with the central character - a brooding and angsty youth - is beset by various women who all find him attractive. These include one character described thusly: "she would be quite beautiful when she grew to womanhood, but she was yet on the verge." Make of that what you will!
The book on the whole is obsessed with sex, although also sticking to a rather puritanical viewpoint that leaves things hinted at rather than described in any deep way. Throw in a little blackface and half-orcs being described as 'creatures', plus our supposed hero referring casually to one of his friends as a 'wench', and I would not recommend this book.
The book on the whole is obsessed with sex, although also sticking to a rather puritanical viewpoint that leaves things hinted at rather than described in any deep way. Throw in a little blackface and half-orcs being described as 'creatures', plus our supposed hero referring casually to one of his friends as a 'wench', and I would not recommend this book.
March 28, 2025
The book starts out a bit bland as a story about a Mary Sue character, somehow a high-level (valabrar) member of the Waterdeep City Guard, and a story set in Downshadow, to comply with the theme of the series, where each book takes place in a different part of Waterdeep. Thankfully, about 100 pages in, the author all but abandons both of those ideas and focuses on other, more interesting and flawed characters. He also allows the story to go visit different places in Waterdeep. Both are excellent choices and saved the book from being bland. By the end, I was craving more stories about these characters, and there are two more books, published separately from the series.
August 10, 2021
I came to this book after watching author mastering in the Westgate Irregulars on Youtube.
The book was very unexpected: more that D&D, this seems a little more like Batman or Daredevil, with a lone vigilante fighting crime in the City of Splendors.
Waterdeep as well looks very much like a city of XX century, more than a medieval city; probably more towards a Renaissance city, but that's ok.
Looking forward at the next chapter.
The book was very unexpected: more that D&D, this seems a little more like Batman or Daredevil, with a lone vigilante fighting crime in the City of Splendors.
Waterdeep as well looks very much like a city of XX century, more than a medieval city; probably more towards a Renaissance city, but that's ok.
Looking forward at the next chapter.
May 30, 2021
Quelle frustration ce roman... Ca commençait pourtant pas mal avec une histoire à la Batman dans les Royaumes Oubliés (Kalen, le membre de la garde de jour, justicier "masqué" dans les bas-fonds la nuit) avec tout ce que ça implique (les mensonges aux collègues, les dilemmes moraux, les combats contre des ennemis charismatiques, etc.). On sent que ça va être classique mais pas déplaisant dans un univers fantasy.
Et puis on attend. On attend qu'il se passe vraiment quelque chose en regardant le héros faire tomber sans vraie raison toutes les femmes du roman d'un regard ténébreux et torturé... Et c'est loooong. Ce ne serait pas vraiment un problème si on avait une véritable histoire à côté, sauf que ce n'est malheureusement pas le cas. Myrin débarque (comment, pourquoi, WTF, on ne saura pas). et on ne comprend pas bien ce que Fayne, l'antogoniste, essaye d'accomplir (elle ment à tout le monde, si bien qu'on ne distingue plus le vrai du faux). Ca flingue complètement le roman qui passe d'intriguant à.... un soufflet dégonflé trop vite. On pourra aussi rappeler qu'un roman qui s'appelle Downshadow, et dont l'histoire se déroule à 90% en dehors dudit quartier, c'est moyen...
C'est d'autant plus frustrant qu'il y a de bonnes choses ! Je pense à l'ambiance très londonienne de Waterdeep que j'adore, à Rath, le moine assassin nain qui noie son mal-être dans l'alcool et la violence. Je pense aussi aux combats, plutôt bien écrits, et à l'évolution du héros qui est pas dégueulasse.
Bref, au début, je lui aurait donné 4 étoiles. Mais au final, j'oscille entre les 2 et 3. Je penche vers 3, pour les quelques bonnes idées, mais ça reste un beau gâchis.
Et puis on attend. On attend qu'il se passe vraiment quelque chose en regardant le héros faire tomber sans vraie raison toutes les femmes du roman d'un regard ténébreux et torturé... Et c'est loooong. Ce ne serait pas vraiment un problème si on avait une véritable histoire à côté, sauf que ce n'est malheureusement pas le cas. Myrin débarque (comment, pourquoi, WTF, on ne saura pas). et on ne comprend pas bien ce que Fayne, l'antogoniste, essaye d'accomplir (elle ment à tout le monde, si bien qu'on ne distingue plus le vrai du faux). Ca flingue complètement le roman qui passe d'intriguant à.... un soufflet dégonflé trop vite. On pourra aussi rappeler qu'un roman qui s'appelle Downshadow, et dont l'histoire se déroule à 90% en dehors dudit quartier, c'est moyen...
C'est d'autant plus frustrant qu'il y a de bonnes choses ! Je pense à l'ambiance très londonienne de Waterdeep que j'adore, à Rath, le moine assassin nain qui noie son mal-être dans l'alcool et la violence. Je pense aussi aux combats, plutôt bien écrits, et à l'évolution du héros qui est pas dégueulasse.
Bref, au début, je lui aurait donné 4 étoiles. Mais au final, j'oscille entre les 2 et 3. Je penche vers 3, pour les quelques bonnes idées, mais ça reste un beau gâchis.
January 20, 2022
There was a lot of potential here, it's actually a great take on the Waterdeep setting and really brings Waterdeep to life, but the plot centers around a generic batman story with 1 dimensional characters, half of whom are awkwardly seductive.
It was a cringy experience, but I was doing research for a campaign; I am not sure if it was worth it or not.
It was a cringy experience, but I was doing research for a campaign; I am not sure if it was worth it or not.
May 25, 2025
This novel is written well, reads fast, has intriguing characters and has good world building. If you like fantasy and a comic book hero known as Batman, you will most likely love this book. I was taking a break from a different series I was reading and picked this up for a quick read. Alas, it is the beginning of another series that now I must finish. Highly recommend.
March 22, 2022
Good Book. Great Waterdeep content. I was reading for research for a campaign and it was very helpful. Fully immersive. I plot was great but left me wanting more. I realized there are more Shadowbane novels to find and read.
May 29, 2024
One of my favorite Forgotten Realms books
Reminds me of Batman, but the Forgotten Realms version such a cool character Shadowbane. I have read this book a few times and still enjoy it!
Reminds me of Batman, but the Forgotten Realms version such a cool character Shadowbane. I have read this book a few times and still enjoy it!
May 26, 2017
Nothing revolutionary, but a solid fun read.
October 28, 2017
One of the best.
Characters that leave you hopeful and saddened yet laughing at the banter and antics. A plot that twists much like a demon's knife.
Characters that leave you hopeful and saddened yet laughing at the banter and antics. A plot that twists much like a demon's knife.
May 17, 2019
Outstanding!! The Forgotten Realms novels never disappoints it's readers.
March 8, 2020
Quite enjoyable. It seems really messy at times but this is remedied at the end. I am not sure when it will happen, but I will surely read more of Shadowbane's story.
May 17, 2021
"You just don't understand my very humble needs...Yes - yourt heart, body, mind, soul - everything" She flashed her long lashes and feigned a kiss. "Is that really too much to ask?"
June 11, 2021
3.5 stars
November 12, 2022
Some good nuggets, but overall not a fun read. The constant illogical sexual interactions kept pulling the story down.
June 23, 2009
The main plot of Downshadow by Erik Scott de Bie is about Shadowbane who continually strives to rid Downshadow of its less than desirable denizens and meets a challenging foe along the way. A couple of subplots involve a love interest between a few of the characters, a guard captain and her ambition to keep Waterdeep safe and find out more about Shadowbane. This leads to a Batman type feel of the story as well as the use of “Broadsheets”, a form of newspaper that is used in Waterdeep. I liked the addition of these broadsheets and the spots of banter that happens between the vendors; it just added a livelier feel to the city. Other subplots are the mysteries of a spellplagued child and the underhanded dealings of a second antagonist whose duality is ever changing.
I have really enjoyed Mr. de Bie’s writing in the past tow stand alone realms novels, Ghostwalker and Depths of Madness and feel that Downshadow keeps up the fantastic writing that I came to enjoy. The pace of Downshadow is fast and held my interest the whole way through. The battle and chase scenes are captivating and wonderfully illustrated. The whole story just flows right along from one scene into the next.
The descriptions of Waterdeep are very well balanced to not drown the reader in details and still give an extremely vivid visualization of Waterdeep and Downshadow. I have never felt so drawn into a city since Paul Kemp’s descriptions of Selgaunt. Mr. de Bie also picked a great story to add to the many that have happened in Waterdeep. I felt that life in Waterdeep (city life) accurately matched the pacing of the book.
A couple minor criticisms:
1. For as great as Downshadow is, I think that I would have liked something a little better than a superhero type story. This one just emulated too much of a Batman (Dark Knight version) story too much for me.
2. Continuing with the superhero theme, I don’t know if this is just the way that WofC is going with the 4E, but the spellplagued people had an X-men feel to them. I can understand the mistrust other folks will have towards spell scarred individuals, but it just seems to move the prejudices of before to a new type of people instead of a certain race.
3. This may just be me and my trying to understand something that I am not used to reading. The constant use of the work “aught” in the dialogue with most of the characters was confusing at times. Sometimes it seemed that the word meant one thing and when it was used in another conversation, it was used for something else.
Some positives:
1. One thing that I love is books that I can not put down and Downshadow is no exception. Mr. de Bie knows how to use intrigue and gossip as well as battles and magic to draw the reader it, strap them to the chair, and let them have the coaster ride of a lifetime.
2. I have spoken about the downside of the spell scarred people, now for the upside. I like the idea of the spellplagued. It gives the addition of a new type of character with infinite possibilities. As long as the author does not go way out into left field, and Mr. de Bie does not, then there are some really neat creative yet believable characters that can arise from this.
3. The characters were awesome. Once again Mr. de Bie created wonderful characters whose voice and dialogue were their own. The only character that I had trouble connecting with was Myrin. There just seemed to be something lacking with her character. On the other hand, I enjoyed Shadowbane and Cellica. I would like to read a short story with a more detailed version of how their paths crossed. Then there is Rath the antagonist, a foe with an agenda all his own. It was great having a villain that was so nicely drawn and yet not so easily despised.
4. On top of having great characters, the character development was nicely done. Mr. de Bie really knows how to psychologically profile his characters and deduce possible decisions they may make and develop the characters accordingly, even the female characters.
Overall, great book, great story. I was thoroughly entertained and loved every minute of reading Downshadow. Mr. de Bie is a top notch author and I can’t wait for more. To WotC, why does this man not have his own trilogy yet?! I recommend this to all lovers of fantasy, especially those who like comic books and superheroes. If you are new to the realms and want to see a 4E story, then this is a perfect place to start.
-Dimndbangr
I have really enjoyed Mr. de Bie’s writing in the past tow stand alone realms novels, Ghostwalker and Depths of Madness and feel that Downshadow keeps up the fantastic writing that I came to enjoy. The pace of Downshadow is fast and held my interest the whole way through. The battle and chase scenes are captivating and wonderfully illustrated. The whole story just flows right along from one scene into the next.
The descriptions of Waterdeep are very well balanced to not drown the reader in details and still give an extremely vivid visualization of Waterdeep and Downshadow. I have never felt so drawn into a city since Paul Kemp’s descriptions of Selgaunt. Mr. de Bie also picked a great story to add to the many that have happened in Waterdeep. I felt that life in Waterdeep (city life) accurately matched the pacing of the book.
A couple minor criticisms:
1. For as great as Downshadow is, I think that I would have liked something a little better than a superhero type story. This one just emulated too much of a Batman (Dark Knight version) story too much for me.
2. Continuing with the superhero theme, I don’t know if this is just the way that WofC is going with the 4E, but the spellplagued people had an X-men feel to them. I can understand the mistrust other folks will have towards spell scarred individuals, but it just seems to move the prejudices of before to a new type of people instead of a certain race.
3. This may just be me and my trying to understand something that I am not used to reading. The constant use of the work “aught” in the dialogue with most of the characters was confusing at times. Sometimes it seemed that the word meant one thing and when it was used in another conversation, it was used for something else.
Some positives:
1. One thing that I love is books that I can not put down and Downshadow is no exception. Mr. de Bie knows how to use intrigue and gossip as well as battles and magic to draw the reader it, strap them to the chair, and let them have the coaster ride of a lifetime.
2. I have spoken about the downside of the spell scarred people, now for the upside. I like the idea of the spellplagued. It gives the addition of a new type of character with infinite possibilities. As long as the author does not go way out into left field, and Mr. de Bie does not, then there are some really neat creative yet believable characters that can arise from this.
3. The characters were awesome. Once again Mr. de Bie created wonderful characters whose voice and dialogue were their own. The only character that I had trouble connecting with was Myrin. There just seemed to be something lacking with her character. On the other hand, I enjoyed Shadowbane and Cellica. I would like to read a short story with a more detailed version of how their paths crossed. Then there is Rath the antagonist, a foe with an agenda all his own. It was great having a villain that was so nicely drawn and yet not so easily despised.
4. On top of having great characters, the character development was nicely done. Mr. de Bie really knows how to psychologically profile his characters and deduce possible decisions they may make and develop the characters accordingly, even the female characters.
Overall, great book, great story. I was thoroughly entertained and loved every minute of reading Downshadow. Mr. de Bie is a top notch author and I can’t wait for more. To WotC, why does this man not have his own trilogy yet?! I recommend this to all lovers of fantasy, especially those who like comic books and superheroes. If you are new to the realms and want to see a 4E story, then this is a perfect place to start.
-Dimndbangr
February 15, 2015
This is the third book of the series entitled Greenwood Presents Waterdeep. The First being Blackstaff Tower and the second Mistshore. I haven't read any of the above but this one intrigued me.
When I read this cover and after reading two of the priests series I thought to myself... time to get my hands on forgotten realms books... as a bibliophile as I am I bought a dozen books... I bought two books from the Citadels and two from the Dungeons, the trilogy The Haunted Lands, the Last Mythal and two books from Sembia (The first two), the Erevis Cale Trilogy and The Twilight Trilogy... (Too many don't you think? Oh do shut up)...
Well I had read Ghostwalker by de Bie and I enjoyed it so I gave it a try. I wasn't dissapointed but I didn't enjoyed as much as I would like...
First the Plot...
We follow the adventures that the mysterious Shadowbane as he patrols Downshadow as he deal with the it's wicked denizens. The book is very entertainment because it's full of altruistic deeds (not only by Shadowbane), betrayals and deceits acts and plenty of battles. In his first book I enjoy the fight scenes and in this book he didn't disapointed me. The flux of the book is mixed. Either is fast-paced or it's too slow... At sometimes I had to re-read a part because I felt kind of lost.
There are several characters on this book that we get to know... Kalen, Araezra, Talanna, Fayne, Rath, Myrin...
We have the evil doers that were portraid nicely and I think they were the jewel of this book. (alongside with Kalen). Talanna has a small part in the plot but I think it was essential. Shadowbane.. I prefered in the beginning (the first a hundred pages) then we know who his shadowbane and I think he lost depth. Kalen is the main character (and Shadowbane). I really enjoyed the back story and the plot. I learn something about spellplague and the fate of some of the gods. Araezra and Myrin were not that interesting... well only in the love story with the main character...
I learn as I said before about the spellplague and the spellscar powers.
Some dialogue were not that interesting and think the writer should had dwell some more time in it. (I tink the first novel by de Bie was better in this area). The powers they had (and I know this is just the beginning of the spellscar powers) were kind of ... x-men alike. I think Myrin powers were kind of deus ex machina .
The writing itself was very good. I think it was kind of dark writing and de Bie doesn't mind (or even secretly enjoyed) to drag the characters to a bitter downfall so they can stand up. I think this is are "real" characters who have pass some difficulty times. I enjoyed it...
The villains were very well portraied. Specially Rath. (It reminds me some of warhammer villains).
In the end a good book that seduced me to read other forgotten realms novels...
I think this author would do great in the Warhammer World. It's a darker world where he would fit very well.
When I read this cover and after reading two of the priests series I thought to myself... time to get my hands on forgotten realms books... as a bibliophile as I am I bought a dozen books... I bought two books from the Citadels and two from the Dungeons, the trilogy The Haunted Lands, the Last Mythal and two books from Sembia (The first two), the Erevis Cale Trilogy and The Twilight Trilogy... (Too many don't you think? Oh do shut up)...
Well I had read Ghostwalker by de Bie and I enjoyed it so I gave it a try. I wasn't dissapointed but I didn't enjoyed as much as I would like...
First the Plot...
We follow the adventures that the mysterious Shadowbane as he patrols Downshadow as he deal with the it's wicked denizens. The book is very entertainment because it's full of altruistic deeds (not only by Shadowbane), betrayals and deceits acts and plenty of battles. In his first book I enjoy the fight scenes and in this book he didn't disapointed me. The flux of the book is mixed. Either is fast-paced or it's too slow... At sometimes I had to re-read a part because I felt kind of lost.
There are several characters on this book that we get to know... Kalen, Araezra, Talanna, Fayne, Rath, Myrin...
We have the evil doers that were portraid nicely and I think they were the jewel of this book. (alongside with Kalen). Talanna has a small part in the plot but I think it was essential. Shadowbane.. I prefered in the beginning (the first a hundred pages) then we know who his shadowbane and I think he lost depth. Kalen is the main character (and Shadowbane). I really enjoyed the back story and the plot. I learn something about spellplague and the fate of some of the gods. Araezra and Myrin were not that interesting... well only in the love story with the main character...
I learn as I said before about the spellplague and the spellscar powers.
Some dialogue were not that interesting and think the writer should had dwell some more time in it. (I tink the first novel by de Bie was better in this area). The powers they had (and I know this is just the beginning of the spellscar powers) were kind of ... x-men alike. I think Myrin powers were kind of deus ex machina .
The writing itself was very good. I think it was kind of dark writing and de Bie doesn't mind (or even secretly enjoyed) to drag the characters to a bitter downfall so they can stand up. I think this is are "real" characters who have pass some difficulty times. I enjoyed it...
The villains were very well portraied. Specially Rath. (It reminds me some of warhammer villains).
In the end a good book that seduced me to read other forgotten realms novels...
I think this author would do great in the Warhammer World. It's a darker world where he would fit very well.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 4, 2011
Not a bad way for starting a series. FR is in dire need of post-spellplague stories. Erik also wrote Ghostwalker for FR which I also recommend to readers new to the franchise.
Everyone loves a tragic character and I find myself very interested in Kalen a.k.a Shadowbane. Erik showcases his internal struggles very well including crisis of faith, romantic struggles and matters of duty. However, much of his past is discussed late in the book and I would prefer if it was shown to readers earlier that we may better understand Kalen's motivations later in the book. One might draw comparisons between him and Erevis Cale (from Paul S. Kemp's books). Cale wins out as a character obviously but he's about 6 books ahead of Kalen. If Erik manages to make a longer series out of Kalen, I would be excited indeed.
Interesting as Kalen is, this book still manages to feature an ensemble of cool character. We have a half-elf shapeshifter, a bad-ass dwarven monk, a amnesiac mage and Kalen's ex-girlfriend in the Watch (who I feel deserves more pages than she got here).
One thing which I couldn't make sense of in this book however, is the amount of women that seem to fall head over heels for Kalen. This brings to mind harem animes, which I absolutely detest. It doesn't even succeed in making Kalen seem macho. After all, he's a disease-stricken guy with self-esteem issues. But that's why I love him as a character and why I cheered for him as he goes through his internal struggles. He doesn't need bitches to get all over him for me to respect him.
Minor inconveniences aside, this is a good book and I'm glad that Erik has managed to successfully adapt to writing for the 4th ed. FR world. I'll be looking forward to his next book, Shadowbane when he manages to get it published in paperback.
Everyone loves a tragic character and I find myself very interested in Kalen a.k.a Shadowbane. Erik showcases his internal struggles very well including crisis of faith, romantic struggles and matters of duty. However, much of his past is discussed late in the book and I would prefer if it was shown to readers earlier that we may better understand Kalen's motivations later in the book. One might draw comparisons between him and Erevis Cale (from Paul S. Kemp's books). Cale wins out as a character obviously but he's about 6 books ahead of Kalen. If Erik manages to make a longer series out of Kalen, I would be excited indeed.
Interesting as Kalen is, this book still manages to feature an ensemble of cool character. We have a half-elf shapeshifter, a bad-ass dwarven monk, a amnesiac mage and Kalen's ex-girlfriend in the Watch (who I feel deserves more pages than she got here).
One thing which I couldn't make sense of in this book however, is the amount of women that seem to fall head over heels for Kalen. This brings to mind harem animes, which I absolutely detest. It doesn't even succeed in making Kalen seem macho. After all, he's a disease-stricken guy with self-esteem issues. But that's why I love him as a character and why I cheered for him as he goes through his internal struggles. He doesn't need bitches to get all over him for me to respect him.
Minor inconveniences aside, this is a good book and I'm glad that Erik has managed to successfully adapt to writing for the 4th ed. FR world. I'll be looking forward to his next book, Shadowbane when he manages to get it published in paperback.
January 21, 2012
A fun, fast-paced read with some interesting, darker themes. The "superhero" approach translated well into high fantasy.
The characters are typically extreme - it seems every woman is perfectly beautiful and, of course, attracted to Kalen - yet despite their hyperbolic attributes, they're quite enjoyable and mostly well-developed. Rath made an interesting and unpredictable villain, but unfortunately, he saw the least amount of proper development. Kalen was a great protagonist: full of potential and capable of incredible feats, yet extremely flawed and fallible.
Plotwise, I felt it was a little unfocused at times and took some odd turns; the stakes weren't always as clear as they could have been. But all the major events were exciting reads - particularly Rayse chasing Shadowbane/Kalen, and the ball.
Like all Forgotten Realms/Dungeons & Dragons books I've read, this book is flawed; yet the total package, in this instance, picks up the slack.
The characters are typically extreme - it seems every woman is perfectly beautiful and, of course, attracted to Kalen - yet despite their hyperbolic attributes, they're quite enjoyable and mostly well-developed. Rath made an interesting and unpredictable villain, but unfortunately, he saw the least amount of proper development. Kalen was a great protagonist: full of potential and capable of incredible feats, yet extremely flawed and fallible.
Plotwise, I felt it was a little unfocused at times and took some odd turns; the stakes weren't always as clear as they could have been. But all the major events were exciting reads - particularly Rayse chasing Shadowbane/Kalen, and the ball.
Like all Forgotten Realms/Dungeons & Dragons books I've read, this book is flawed; yet the total package, in this instance, picks up the slack.
February 21, 2018
Well.. I started reading this book which has been on my kindle for ages, and noticed that my furthest page read was the end of the book..hmm.. Didn't think much of it, and began reading it. The beginning fight scene underground between Shadowbane and some ruffians, seemed very familiar. I thought maybe that I started this book and never continued. Well, soon we landed in a tavern, and met a non-bearded dwarf named Rath. That also seemed familiar.. As the book went on I knew that I had read it a couple of years ago but none of the story was really memorable. This time, the book didn't quite do it for me either. Just something about this story seemed lackluster and thin for me. I wonder if the next Shadowbane books will be better, or if I should simply stay away?! Oh well.
May 17, 2012
This book took a damned long time to finish. I love books set in the realms but haven't read many post-Spellplague yet as I'm still catching up on the many events pre-Spellplague that redefine Faerun. Parts of this book were brilliant, such as the combat sequnces, de Bie really has got them nailed. But the rest of the book I found a bit lacking. The plot was okay but nothing special and the ending was a bit expected. I am going to read the next novel featuring the same characters to see what happens next though :)
April 6, 2013
This story is for all of those who like to read sword and sorcery stories or stories about heroes. Shadowdown is one of those heroes that you really like because he has a conscience even though he can be a killer. You feel so much sympathy for Kalen Dren when he is faced with the choices that are put in front of him. This is the beginning his journey to find his true self even though that is the last thing he wants to do. I highly recommend this series if you enjoyed other epic fantasy series. This series has taken a place with all of the classics I have read over the years.
May 14, 2010
Good story. Could have done without the Epilogue though. Didn't like the way that it was ended so much.
August 8, 2012
Nice read. Much darker theme then a good number of FR books but worth grabb'n.
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