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Forgotten Realms: The Twilight War #1
Shadowbred
The Lady has spoken to me.
It has already begun .
Shadows move out of the shrinking desert, south to the rich and arrogant cities of Sembia.
“Be brave, little man,” says the shadowman, and the boy thinks his voice is surprisingly soft. “Stay with your mother. This will be over soon.”
The shadows swallow him and he is gone.
On the edge of a war that will change the face of Faerûn, the world will find that not all shadows serve Shade.
It has already begun .
Shadows move out of the shrinking desert, south to the rich and arrogant cities of Sembia.
“Be brave, little man,” says the shadowman, and the boy thinks his voice is surprisingly soft. “Stay with your mother. This will be over soon.”
The shadows swallow him and he is gone.
On the edge of a war that will change the face of Faerûn, the world will find that not all shadows serve Shade.
352 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published November 7, 2006
56 people are currently reading
1504 people want to read
About the author
Paul S. Kemp
61 books938 followersBestselling speculative fiction author, creator of Egil and Nix, Erevis Cale, drinker of scotch, smoker of cigars, amiable dude. :-)
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 39 reviews
May 24, 2012
The following review was taken from http://beezermn.laethyn.com/index.php
I highly recommend this website for this and other fantasy author reviews.
Shadowbred by Paul S. Kemp, is the first book in the Twilight Wars trilogy. This book follows the path of a character from a previous trilogy; The Erevis Cale trilogy, the three books in that set are: Twilight Falling, Dawn of Night, and Midnight’s Mask. I would encourage anyone who has not read those three books to do so before reading this new book. Otherwise things may not make as much sense, such as characters motivations, some of the backstories etc. They are all very good reads so don’t worry, you will enjoy it.
Few authors in the fantasy genre today have solid characters and a solid plot interwoven. Usually it is either really good characters or a really good plot. Mr. Kemp has the ability to weave the two together seamlessly. This allows for a deeper feeling of the book and a better understanding of what is going on. Readers are more able to become invested in the characters as well as caring about what is going on in the story.
The characters in this book are old hat. Some are characters from the first trilogy, Cale, Riven, Mags, etc. While there are now some new characters thrown into the mix for good measure. All of the characters in this book ‘feels’ like a different person. Some books each character is the same except in different skin. Some books have cliché ridden characters as well, not so here. Mr. Kemp also has a way of introducing depth to his characters in ways that are not usually seen in fantasy novels. For instance, Riven and his girls. A great way to show some of the underlying feelings characters has. As well as, Cale’s emotional turmoil over a specific event from the last trilogy. Mr. Kemp has created several truly memorable characters.
The plot of this book is not your typical – get a task – get a party – kill something – live happily ever after. There is political intrigue, posturing by nobles, self discovery, and yeah – some killing. I have heard that this series will be what is called a Realms Shaking Event, meaning the outcome of this trilogy will have an impact over all of the Forgotten Realms, I think that RSE is that Sembia is being thrown into a civil war. This war will have consequences that will transcend the entire setting. I am eagerly awaiting the next two books to watch this unfold. Yet, that is not all for this book’s plotlines. There are several subplots all expertly woven together to offer seamless transitions. Cale is searching for a friend, Cale has returned to help old friends, and Cale is also trying to keep a promise to another friend, all the time a god, or two, has their hands mixed into the batter to make sure things don’t go as planned.
The combination of the great characters and the fantastic storylines make this book a true marvel to read. It challenges the reader to put it down. Mr. Kemp’s prose allow for easy reading, and his descriptions are just enough to help me ‘see’ but not enough to bog me down with useless details. Mr. Kemp has proven himself to be one of the Forgotten Realms most talented writers and I can only imagine were his books will go from here.
I do have one criticism about this book though. There are a couple scenes that are done in first person, while the rest of the book is more traditional. I have never been a fan of first person books, or scenes, so when I got to these scenes it was hard for me to read them. It didn’t feel right with how the rest of the story flowed. It, at times, jarred me out of reading and I had to really work at reading them. Personally, I hope these scenes are done, but I can also see how others may appreciate them. It just didn’t work for me.
Overall, I think this was a fantastic book, and certainly a start to a great trilogy. I would recommend Mr. Kemp’s books to anyone who enjoys fantasy. Certainly, fans of the Forgotten Realms will appreciate the lore that he adds for good measure. People thinking about starting to read fantasy, or start reading the Forgotten Realms should really look into Mr. Kemp’s earlier works to get a feel. I have no doubt, that if they do, they will keep reading. A very entertaining read.
- BeezerMN
I highly recommend this website for this and other fantasy author reviews.
Shadowbred by Paul S. Kemp, is the first book in the Twilight Wars trilogy. This book follows the path of a character from a previous trilogy; The Erevis Cale trilogy, the three books in that set are: Twilight Falling, Dawn of Night, and Midnight’s Mask. I would encourage anyone who has not read those three books to do so before reading this new book. Otherwise things may not make as much sense, such as characters motivations, some of the backstories etc. They are all very good reads so don’t worry, you will enjoy it.
Few authors in the fantasy genre today have solid characters and a solid plot interwoven. Usually it is either really good characters or a really good plot. Mr. Kemp has the ability to weave the two together seamlessly. This allows for a deeper feeling of the book and a better understanding of what is going on. Readers are more able to become invested in the characters as well as caring about what is going on in the story.
The characters in this book are old hat. Some are characters from the first trilogy, Cale, Riven, Mags, etc. While there are now some new characters thrown into the mix for good measure. All of the characters in this book ‘feels’ like a different person. Some books each character is the same except in different skin. Some books have cliché ridden characters as well, not so here. Mr. Kemp also has a way of introducing depth to his characters in ways that are not usually seen in fantasy novels. For instance, Riven and his girls. A great way to show some of the underlying feelings characters has. As well as, Cale’s emotional turmoil over a specific event from the last trilogy. Mr. Kemp has created several truly memorable characters.
The plot of this book is not your typical – get a task – get a party – kill something – live happily ever after. There is political intrigue, posturing by nobles, self discovery, and yeah – some killing. I have heard that this series will be what is called a Realms Shaking Event, meaning the outcome of this trilogy will have an impact over all of the Forgotten Realms, I think that RSE is that Sembia is being thrown into a civil war. This war will have consequences that will transcend the entire setting. I am eagerly awaiting the next two books to watch this unfold. Yet, that is not all for this book’s plotlines. There are several subplots all expertly woven together to offer seamless transitions. Cale is searching for a friend, Cale has returned to help old friends, and Cale is also trying to keep a promise to another friend, all the time a god, or two, has their hands mixed into the batter to make sure things don’t go as planned.
The combination of the great characters and the fantastic storylines make this book a true marvel to read. It challenges the reader to put it down. Mr. Kemp’s prose allow for easy reading, and his descriptions are just enough to help me ‘see’ but not enough to bog me down with useless details. Mr. Kemp has proven himself to be one of the Forgotten Realms most talented writers and I can only imagine were his books will go from here.
I do have one criticism about this book though. There are a couple scenes that are done in first person, while the rest of the book is more traditional. I have never been a fan of first person books, or scenes, so when I got to these scenes it was hard for me to read them. It didn’t feel right with how the rest of the story flowed. It, at times, jarred me out of reading and I had to really work at reading them. Personally, I hope these scenes are done, but I can also see how others may appreciate them. It just didn’t work for me.
Overall, I think this was a fantastic book, and certainly a start to a great trilogy. I would recommend Mr. Kemp’s books to anyone who enjoys fantasy. Certainly, fans of the Forgotten Realms will appreciate the lore that he adds for good measure. People thinking about starting to read fantasy, or start reading the Forgotten Realms should really look into Mr. Kemp’s earlier works to get a feel. I have no doubt, that if they do, they will keep reading. A very entertaining read.
- BeezerMN
January 4, 2014
The first book of The Twilight War trilogy - picking up where The Erevis Cale trilogy left off - ranks a solid 3.5 for me. There are elements of this book that I've come to really enjoy from Paul's writing: strong characters, engaging battles, and deep Realmslore, but in all honesty, there just wasn't enough of it to warrant a higher rating from me.
The last quarter of the story really picks up the pace and fans of Paul's earlier work in the Realms won't be able to put it down (I couldn't). But know this, the majority of the book deals with the political situation in Sembia, the ramifications on some interesting new developments on Faerun, and the arcs of a number of new characters. There is also a smattering of first person narration, akin to a dream sequence, that Paul weaves into the story which for me, really distracted (one of the reasons I rounded down to three instead of up to four). At the end, readers will find the payoff needed to make sense of it, but even then, it just wasn't to my liking.
Without spoiling things, I will say that Paul really wraps things up well (another one of the elements of his style that I admire), immediately whetting readers' appetites for Shadowstorm (book two). I know... I'm already cracking the spine.
The last quarter of the story really picks up the pace and fans of Paul's earlier work in the Realms won't be able to put it down (I couldn't). But know this, the majority of the book deals with the political situation in Sembia, the ramifications on some interesting new developments on Faerun, and the arcs of a number of new characters. There is also a smattering of first person narration, akin to a dream sequence, that Paul weaves into the story which for me, really distracted (one of the reasons I rounded down to three instead of up to four). At the end, readers will find the payoff needed to make sense of it, but even then, it just wasn't to my liking.
Without spoiling things, I will say that Paul really wraps things up well (another one of the elements of his style that I admire), immediately whetting readers' appetites for Shadowstorm (book two). I know... I'm already cracking the spine.
December 6, 2024
I haven't read any of the Erevis Cale books before this but Shadowbred (Forgotten Realms: The Twilight War #1) by Paul S. Kemp was still a lot of fun. It's been a long time since I've read a Forgotten Realms book. It really reminded me that I hope we get more movies after how much I loved Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves.
September 29, 2013
You can read the full review over at my blog:
http://sonsofcorax.wordpress.com/2013...
Just about a year and a half ago, I read my first ever books from Wizards of the Coast: Paul S. Kemp’s excellent The Erevis Cale Trilogy (review). Set in WotC’s highly popular Forgotten Realms setting, these books took me for a great ride through a setting incredibly rich with characters and diversity. It was a… bold new world for me to explore, as someone who had never read any Forgotten Realms novels before, and who was heavily invested in Games Workshop’s Warhammer Fantasy setting. Paul’s books proved to be a great turning point and they inspired me to read more from WotC, and I soon followed up his novels with various others, such as the War of the Spider Queen series and Erin M. Evans’ Brimstone Angels series.
This year, I haven’t read nearly the same number of Forgotten Realms novels sadly, but I’ve started to change that around. I read R. A. Salvatore’s The Companions (review) just last month and a couple weeks ago I finished up Paul’s second Erevis Cale trilogy, Twilight War, constituting the novels Shadowbred, Shadowstorm and Shadowrealm. This trilogy proved to be even better than the first, and I’m really glad that I read it. Now I’m finally caught up with this series, right in preparation for reading Paul’s next Forgotten Realms novel, The Godborn, which is the seventh novel in this series and is the second novel that ties in to the current Forgotten Realms event, The Sundering.
Erevis Cale 04 ShadowbredNormally I would review each book in the trilogy separately. But that’s somewhat of a long and laborious process especially when a lot of the strengths of these books are shared between each other and I don’t want to rehash the same points further one. So I’m going to review this trilogy together.
When last we were with these characters, Erevis Cale, Drasek Riven and Magadon, they had just stopped a very powerful mage from unleashing some really dark sorcery on all of Faerun. But they had each suffered in their own way. Erevis Cale had lost much of his physical humanity and was now a creature of shadows. He had also become an agent of his god, Mask the Shadowlord. The same goes for Riven, who once used to be Erevis’ opponent and rival but is now a friend. Of course, he is another agent of Mask by now, and both he and Erevis are two halves of a greater whole, serving Mask as the Shadowlord needs or requires them to be. Seeing that friendship come about in The Erevis Cale Trilogy was most definitely a highlight of the omnibus. With Magadon, half-demon and half-human, that friendship extended even further, and together all three became a really solid and dependable unit of adventurers out to save the world.
When Twilight War begins, we see how the goddess Shar, the Lady of Loss, is beginning to use her agents throughout Faerun to unleash the Shadowstorm. An event of biblical proportions, its only purpose is to reshape Faerun according to the whims of Shar, a world where death and misery rule supreme and are the two constants. Bit by bit, Paul teases out his characters as they set on the path to stopping Shar and her agents, specifically a human devotee who worships Shar at the cost of her humanity and the other being a Prince of the Shadovar, creatures of shadow and darkness much like Erevis has now become, but a fallen civilisation from ages past who still hunger for world ascendancy.
The political intrigue in these novels is superb. Comparable easily to the detailed political machinations that I saw in C. L. Werner’s Black Plague #1: Dead Winter (review) last year, a novel that I regard as one of the best that Black Library has put out in the last five years, at the least. Initially, I disliked the heavy focus on all the politics, and the characters engaged in them. For one, it was all fairly predictable how events would fall out and second, I wasn’t interested in them in the first place. At least, until I finished Shadowbred I wasn’t interested. But by the time I was moving through Shadowstorm and later on into Shadowrealm, I was really enjoying all the political intrigue. I was now familiar with the characters, with the chess board of pieces that Shar had set in place and was playing off against each other. And I welcome all these political dealings. I enjoyed the slide into damnation that characters like Tamlin Uskevren and Mirabeta Selkirk were going through. It made for some really charged, excited reading.
http://sonsofcorax.wordpress.com/2013...
Just about a year and a half ago, I read my first ever books from Wizards of the Coast: Paul S. Kemp’s excellent The Erevis Cale Trilogy (review). Set in WotC’s highly popular Forgotten Realms setting, these books took me for a great ride through a setting incredibly rich with characters and diversity. It was a… bold new world for me to explore, as someone who had never read any Forgotten Realms novels before, and who was heavily invested in Games Workshop’s Warhammer Fantasy setting. Paul’s books proved to be a great turning point and they inspired me to read more from WotC, and I soon followed up his novels with various others, such as the War of the Spider Queen series and Erin M. Evans’ Brimstone Angels series.
This year, I haven’t read nearly the same number of Forgotten Realms novels sadly, but I’ve started to change that around. I read R. A. Salvatore’s The Companions (review) just last month and a couple weeks ago I finished up Paul’s second Erevis Cale trilogy, Twilight War, constituting the novels Shadowbred, Shadowstorm and Shadowrealm. This trilogy proved to be even better than the first, and I’m really glad that I read it. Now I’m finally caught up with this series, right in preparation for reading Paul’s next Forgotten Realms novel, The Godborn, which is the seventh novel in this series and is the second novel that ties in to the current Forgotten Realms event, The Sundering.
Erevis Cale 04 ShadowbredNormally I would review each book in the trilogy separately. But that’s somewhat of a long and laborious process especially when a lot of the strengths of these books are shared between each other and I don’t want to rehash the same points further one. So I’m going to review this trilogy together.
When last we were with these characters, Erevis Cale, Drasek Riven and Magadon, they had just stopped a very powerful mage from unleashing some really dark sorcery on all of Faerun. But they had each suffered in their own way. Erevis Cale had lost much of his physical humanity and was now a creature of shadows. He had also become an agent of his god, Mask the Shadowlord. The same goes for Riven, who once used to be Erevis’ opponent and rival but is now a friend. Of course, he is another agent of Mask by now, and both he and Erevis are two halves of a greater whole, serving Mask as the Shadowlord needs or requires them to be. Seeing that friendship come about in The Erevis Cale Trilogy was most definitely a highlight of the omnibus. With Magadon, half-demon and half-human, that friendship extended even further, and together all three became a really solid and dependable unit of adventurers out to save the world.
When Twilight War begins, we see how the goddess Shar, the Lady of Loss, is beginning to use her agents throughout Faerun to unleash the Shadowstorm. An event of biblical proportions, its only purpose is to reshape Faerun according to the whims of Shar, a world where death and misery rule supreme and are the two constants. Bit by bit, Paul teases out his characters as they set on the path to stopping Shar and her agents, specifically a human devotee who worships Shar at the cost of her humanity and the other being a Prince of the Shadovar, creatures of shadow and darkness much like Erevis has now become, but a fallen civilisation from ages past who still hunger for world ascendancy.
The political intrigue in these novels is superb. Comparable easily to the detailed political machinations that I saw in C. L. Werner’s Black Plague #1: Dead Winter (review) last year, a novel that I regard as one of the best that Black Library has put out in the last five years, at the least. Initially, I disliked the heavy focus on all the politics, and the characters engaged in them. For one, it was all fairly predictable how events would fall out and second, I wasn’t interested in them in the first place. At least, until I finished Shadowbred I wasn’t interested. But by the time I was moving through Shadowstorm and later on into Shadowrealm, I was really enjoying all the political intrigue. I was now familiar with the characters, with the chess board of pieces that Shar had set in place and was playing off against each other. And I welcome all these political dealings. I enjoyed the slide into damnation that characters like Tamlin Uskevren and Mirabeta Selkirk were going through. It made for some really charged, excited reading.
November 17, 2013
Shadowbred by Paul S. Kemp is the first book in the Twilight War series, set in the Forgotten Realms. This is a sequel to the previous series of books about Erevis Cale, and picks up a year after the events in those books. I've been looking forward to reading this series, as I thought that the previous books by Kemp about Erevis Cale were some of the best written for the Forgotten Realms - they had action packed plots, rich Realmslore and background, and interesting characters. Unfortunately, while the characters are just as interesting (and in many cases are the same as in the previous series), and the depth of Realmslore is there, relatively little actually happens in the book.
I'm not saying the book was bad - in fact, despite being relatively uneventful, it kept my interest and I did want to find out what happened next with characters I have enjoyed reading about in the past. The big problem is that too much in the book should be background that the main characters find out through investigation or in bits of exposition from other characters. Aside from a brief scene at the beginning, Erevis Cale basically isn't even in the first 100 pages of the book. Instead, there's a multi-layered plot by the secret church of Shar, goddess of loss, to disrupt the merchant kingdom of Sembia as a way to pave the path to restoring the ancient empire of Netheril by the Shades. As part of a secondary plot, the Shades need a sentient magic artifact called a mythellar, which was previously encountered by Erevis and his mind mage friend Magadon (who happens to be the son of an Arch-devil.) It's pretty complicated sounding just writing a brief summary. But, all that plot is needed to make the connection to Erevis - his friend Magadon was mentally scarred by the artifact, and as a mind mage, only he can restore it to full power. Therefore, the Shades kidnap him to force him to do this, and he sends a brief mental summons to Erevis to help him. Erevis unfortunately doesn't know where to find him, but just when you thought you had a bit of the plot accurately flow charted, Erevis' god Mask, the god of thieves, gets Erevis involved with the brewing civil war in Sembia instead, with vague promises that it will lead Erevis to the truth. Oh, and by the way, Erevis is mad at his god, and is a shade also, but because of his god (one of the reasons he's mad at him), and not related to the bad Shades.
Phew, now that the basic plot is out of the way, on to more specifics on what was good and bad in the book. The main bad part was too much happening that's not related to the main characters. WAY too much time is spent on what the bad guys are doing, and not enough on the protagonists. I HATE when authors do this (or movies, or TV, etc.) It's fine to show now and then just how evil the villains are, but for the most part, they should exist through the protagonist's point of view. I don't need to read about what the villains had for breakfast, how they interact with their minions, and certainly not how their minions enact their plots upon other people the reader or viewer has never encountered before. Instead, get the hero involved, and let them discover what's going on, and the reader will along with them. Eventually, though, Erevis does get along with things, and gets involved with the problems in Sembia, meets up with allies (old and new) and faces some pretty nifty challenges by the end of the book. In all, the book reads 2/3 like a very, very long prologue, and the last 1/3 like the beginning of the actual story. In that sense, I have high hopes that the remaining 2 books in the series are more like the last bit, and the super long prologue part is over. And hopefully, the last book isn't 2/3 really long epilogue.
I'm not saying the book was bad - in fact, despite being relatively uneventful, it kept my interest and I did want to find out what happened next with characters I have enjoyed reading about in the past. The big problem is that too much in the book should be background that the main characters find out through investigation or in bits of exposition from other characters. Aside from a brief scene at the beginning, Erevis Cale basically isn't even in the first 100 pages of the book. Instead, there's a multi-layered plot by the secret church of Shar, goddess of loss, to disrupt the merchant kingdom of Sembia as a way to pave the path to restoring the ancient empire of Netheril by the Shades. As part of a secondary plot, the Shades need a sentient magic artifact called a mythellar, which was previously encountered by Erevis and his mind mage friend Magadon (who happens to be the son of an Arch-devil.) It's pretty complicated sounding just writing a brief summary. But, all that plot is needed to make the connection to Erevis - his friend Magadon was mentally scarred by the artifact, and as a mind mage, only he can restore it to full power. Therefore, the Shades kidnap him to force him to do this, and he sends a brief mental summons to Erevis to help him. Erevis unfortunately doesn't know where to find him, but just when you thought you had a bit of the plot accurately flow charted, Erevis' god Mask, the god of thieves, gets Erevis involved with the brewing civil war in Sembia instead, with vague promises that it will lead Erevis to the truth. Oh, and by the way, Erevis is mad at his god, and is a shade also, but because of his god (one of the reasons he's mad at him), and not related to the bad Shades.
Phew, now that the basic plot is out of the way, on to more specifics on what was good and bad in the book. The main bad part was too much happening that's not related to the main characters. WAY too much time is spent on what the bad guys are doing, and not enough on the protagonists. I HATE when authors do this (or movies, or TV, etc.) It's fine to show now and then just how evil the villains are, but for the most part, they should exist through the protagonist's point of view. I don't need to read about what the villains had for breakfast, how they interact with their minions, and certainly not how their minions enact their plots upon other people the reader or viewer has never encountered before. Instead, get the hero involved, and let them discover what's going on, and the reader will along with them. Eventually, though, Erevis does get along with things, and gets involved with the problems in Sembia, meets up with allies (old and new) and faces some pretty nifty challenges by the end of the book. In all, the book reads 2/3 like a very, very long prologue, and the last 1/3 like the beginning of the actual story. In that sense, I have high hopes that the remaining 2 books in the series are more like the last bit, and the super long prologue part is over. And hopefully, the last book isn't 2/3 really long epilogue.
July 4, 2021
Fantastic from start to finish, glad to finally be back with Cale in Sembia.
Read my full thoughts here: https://www.forgottenrealmsreading.co...
Read my full thoughts here: https://www.forgottenrealmsreading.co...
December 24, 2019
განსხვავებით წინა ტრილოგიისგან, მასშტაბი არის რადიკალურად შეცვლილი. უბრალოდ ერევის კეილის და დრაიზეკ რივენის ისტორია აღარაა, ხვდები რო რაღაცა ბევრად უფრო მასშტაბურს შეეჯახე. ღმერთების მანიპულაციები და სერიოზული დაპირისპირება ილანდება ფონზე. რაც ერთი მხრივ საინტერესო წასაკითხია, მარა მეორეს მხრივ კეილის უბრალოდ ისტორიები მოგენატრება კაცს
February 5, 2020
Good book.
Most of it is used to set up where this trilogy is headed. Unlike the first book of the Erevis Cale Trillogy that told a full story that was wrapped up with a "to be continued". this book is obviously setting up for large events in Simbia. The book is well written, no the less. Taking into account how the good people can be manipulated into bad situations. The end of the book does a great job of upping the thrills till you can't put the book down.
With this edition, Paul Kemp continues to write a good book. It's still better then any Eliminster book I've read. Still sad to hear that he hasn't continued writing Evevis Cale books since the Sundering series.
Most of it is used to set up where this trilogy is headed. Unlike the first book of the Erevis Cale Trillogy that told a full story that was wrapped up with a "to be continued". this book is obviously setting up for large events in Simbia. The book is well written, no the less. Taking into account how the good people can be manipulated into bad situations. The end of the book does a great job of upping the thrills till you can't put the book down.
With this edition, Paul Kemp continues to write a good book. It's still better then any Eliminster book I've read. Still sad to hear that he hasn't continued writing Evevis Cale books since the Sundering series.
September 29, 2025
This was the best Forgotten Realms book I've read in a while; really enjoyed it.
Kemp has really done a masterful job with Erives Cale as a character. We've seen him through a lot, and this last installment does not seem like it will fail to deliver. The second series was EPIC; one of those stories that still pops up in my head, and I'm like "wow, that was crazy"
This next trilogy, "The Twilight War" seems like it will also deliver some of the most epic scenes we've seen in Forgotten Realms. Kemp weaves characters from previous novels into his tale, leaving the FR reader some great easter eggs.
I'm looking forward to more!
Kemp has really done a masterful job with Erives Cale as a character. We've seen him through a lot, and this last installment does not seem like it will fail to deliver. The second series was EPIC; one of those stories that still pops up in my head, and I'm like "wow, that was crazy"
This next trilogy, "The Twilight War" seems like it will also deliver some of the most epic scenes we've seen in Forgotten Realms. Kemp weaves characters from previous novels into his tale, leaving the FR reader some great easter eggs.
I'm looking forward to more!
April 9, 2022
We can definitely say that this is one of the best novels, if not the best, set in the Forgotten Realms. Several parallel storylines and political intrigues taking place against the backdrop of a more global confrontation between good and evil make this work a kind of mixture of 'historical' and epic fantasy. But what makes this literary composition perfect is Paul Kemp's ability to describe details and scenes that are forever etched in memory.
July 30, 2022
I wouldn't recommend starting with this trilogy as it spoils plenty of plot point from the earlier Erevis Cale trilogy. But I pick this trilogy up on the cheap and love this first tale. Kemp's writing has good pacing, solid characters, and a deftly woven plot. This book's first chapter was one of the best character introductions I have ever read.
I expect to tear through the next two books and read the original trilogy (spoiled or not) as well.
The writing is that good.
I expect to tear through the next two books and read the original trilogy (spoiled or not) as well.
The writing is that good.
August 17, 2019
Hope is an indulgence for the weak...let us not hope. Instead let us expect. And what I expect to see is opportunity.
All men keep a coffer full of secrets in their souls...But I will tell you this. You must open up that coffer and show the contents to another sometimesi or it rots in you.
...he despised anyone who purported to do so only because it was their job.
All men keep a coffer full of secrets in their souls...But I will tell you this. You must open up that coffer and show the contents to another sometimesi or it rots in you.
...he despised anyone who purported to do so only because it was their job.
July 10, 2025
As I mostly read audio books, it can sometimes be hard to decide if it's a book or narrator I don't like. I this case I think it's the book. Utterly boring and whatever the opposite of gripping is (releasing sounds weird in this context).
I kept hoping the characters would get killed and the book would shift to its real main characters, but sadly not.
I kept hoping the characters would get killed and the book would shift to its real main characters, but sadly not.
July 31, 2021
The writing was excellent and the characters well developed. The spells and descriptions of shadow magic and shades were spot on. The ending was a bit of a letdown, and a cliff hanger. I would have liked more of a resolution.
January 23, 2020
I liked the start of this series. As a teen book this would be a 5 star, but Cale seemed a tad over the top.
March 19, 2024
Best series in the forgotten realms!
March 24, 2017
7.5/10
February 1, 2015
This is the first book of the Twilight War trilogy by Paul Kemp. It's also the continuation of the characters first presented in the Sembia series and the Erevis Cale Trilogy right after that. People who want to read this book should first check the other books beforehand if the want to understand the characters and events described within the novel, or they could simply start with this one but they might have some trouble underastanding who is who and what happened in the past.
Story
The plot is quite interesting, being comprised of the goals the three main characters have. The first is the protagonist trying to keep a promise he made to a dead friend of his, to help others while at the same time trying to come to grips with his new role and trying to please his god, an entity of darkness. The second plot consists of a high priest's plan, devoted to the godess of darkness, secrets and loss to conquer through manipulation, backstabing and open warfare a country of decadent merchants (whose main desire is attaining more wealth). The third plot is made by another character descendant of an archdevil, who is trying to fight off his personal demons, while trying to elude his father and his evil influence, who seemingly has some hidden agenta with him in mind.
Characters
Erevis Cale's scenes and interractions with other characters are scene stealing right from the start. His character has the most character development as not only does he tries to keep a promise he made to his dead friend, that he'll try to become a hero, something that's against his nature and who he is, oddly enough keeping him human. The relationship with his god Mask also serves as a plot point and as character development as in the beginning of the story his faith is strained and he's lost the trust to his god, but as the story progresses he has to keep serving a god whose goals are unclear but he has to keep serving in order to save others. The interactions with Riven and their brotherlike relationship are wondefully done and even his scenes with Rivalen, who is his antithesis, are great.
Drasek Riven the second Chosen of Mask and assassin, once Cale's enemy and rival finaly seems to treat Cale with respect and speaks to him as an equal. Riven is Cale's mirror meaning he is what Cale would become without the moral support of his friend Jak, although Riven has a soft spot for his dogs. After realising how much alike he and Cale are, he appears to wonder why Cale has such a hard time accepting who he is and why Cale's relationship with Mask is so strained, while Riven accepts his god and faith. It's great to see the brotherlike realationship these two characters are starting to have, such as Riven accepting Cale's decision not to kill unless nessecary even though he doesn't agree with it.
Magadon's role from the previous novel has been expanded, as he's become addicted to the psionic artifact known as the Source whose usage gives great powers to those with mental powers like Magadon. While he's fighting his urges he is influenced by his heritage and by the nightmares sent to him by his father Mephistopheles. His scenes are very memorable as this is an almost realistic description of an ex addict who's trying to overcome his addiction, by doing things to occupy himself and with help from the memories of his friends.
The junkie priestess of Shar who is betraying her country and people, at the behest of the Nightseer her church superior, and who's hallucinations from the drugs and faith is memorable. Abelar the paladin of a god of Light trying to preach his faiths' beliefs to people whose main goal is making profit and no one cares about the coming age of darkness.
The pacing is a bit chaotic with scenes changing in and between chapters with all the characters making the story proceed at what seems to be "their own pace". However the story with all it's intrigues, plots and subplots continues captivating you and making you want to read more all until the end of the novel and making you to continue the read in the next novels.
Story
The plot is quite interesting, being comprised of the goals the three main characters have. The first is the protagonist trying to keep a promise he made to a dead friend of his, to help others while at the same time trying to come to grips with his new role and trying to please his god, an entity of darkness. The second plot consists of a high priest's plan, devoted to the godess of darkness, secrets and loss to conquer through manipulation, backstabing and open warfare a country of decadent merchants (whose main desire is attaining more wealth). The third plot is made by another character descendant of an archdevil, who is trying to fight off his personal demons, while trying to elude his father and his evil influence, who seemingly has some hidden agenta with him in mind.
Characters
Erevis Cale's scenes and interractions with other characters are scene stealing right from the start. His character has the most character development as not only does he tries to keep a promise he made to his dead friend, that he'll try to become a hero, something that's against his nature and who he is, oddly enough keeping him human. The relationship with his god Mask also serves as a plot point and as character development as in the beginning of the story his faith is strained and he's lost the trust to his god, but as the story progresses he has to keep serving a god whose goals are unclear but he has to keep serving in order to save others. The interactions with Riven and their brotherlike relationship are wondefully done and even his scenes with Rivalen, who is his antithesis, are great.
Drasek Riven the second Chosen of Mask and assassin, once Cale's enemy and rival finaly seems to treat Cale with respect and speaks to him as an equal. Riven is Cale's mirror meaning he is what Cale would become without the moral support of his friend Jak, although Riven has a soft spot for his dogs. After realising how much alike he and Cale are, he appears to wonder why Cale has such a hard time accepting who he is and why Cale's relationship with Mask is so strained, while Riven accepts his god and faith. It's great to see the brotherlike realationship these two characters are starting to have, such as Riven accepting Cale's decision not to kill unless nessecary even though he doesn't agree with it.
Magadon's role from the previous novel has been expanded, as he's become addicted to the psionic artifact known as the Source whose usage gives great powers to those with mental powers like Magadon. While he's fighting his urges he is influenced by his heritage and by the nightmares sent to him by his father Mephistopheles. His scenes are very memorable as this is an almost realistic description of an ex addict who's trying to overcome his addiction, by doing things to occupy himself and with help from the memories of his friends.
The junkie priestess of Shar who is betraying her country and people, at the behest of the Nightseer her church superior, and who's hallucinations from the drugs and faith is memorable. Abelar the paladin of a god of Light trying to preach his faiths' beliefs to people whose main goal is making profit and no one cares about the coming age of darkness.
The pacing is a bit chaotic with scenes changing in and between chapters with all the characters making the story proceed at what seems to be "their own pace". However the story with all it's intrigues, plots and subplots continues captivating you and making you want to read more all until the end of the novel and making you to continue the read in the next novels.
May 24, 2012
Shadowbred by Paul S. Kemp- The first book of The Twilight War trilogy. This follows Erevis Cale, Drasek Riven, and Magadon a year after the events of The Erevis Cale trilogy. Book two is Shadowstorm and the last book is Shadowrealm.
Sembia is in turmoil and on the brink of a civil war. The whims of a dark goddess sets the stage and her followers stage murder and a cry for war. All because of the people of the Shade Enclave wants a place to call “home.” Only the Chosen of Mask can try stop a war and save an old friend.
Negatives:
1) The beginning. I just felt that it started really slow. When we were first introduced to Rivalen, things seemed to drag on for me. Then you have the parts were the focus is on Elyril, which I didn’t care for at all.
2) The first person scenes. The only thing that bothered me is that they were just confusing. I did like the idea, but I wasn’t sure who or what was the thing talking and I just think it could have been better executed. It just seemed that they happened randomly and things weren’t as well ’explained’ as I thought they could have.
Question: Tamlin Uskevren stopped drinking at the end of Lord of Stormweather, not a big spoiler so don’t worry, then why is he drinking now? Granted, a year passed, but I swore that Tamlin was going to quit “the sauce.” So I’d have to say there is a small consistency problem, but nothing big.
Negative/ Positive:
There is something that I loathed but I realize that I’m meant to loath it, so hence this heading…
Elyril. I could not STAND this character. She was just, for lack of a better term, coke head. Yeah, you read that right. She and her actions just screamed, “Look at me! I’m a façade! But everyone is too stupid to see it! Snort, Snort!” Then all the things she sees are obviously derived from the drug use. She was just begging to be a negative of the story. But then again, I think that was the point. The way she acts makes her hated. I do hate her. So because it meant to be that way, I have to give it a positive, but at the same time, I loathed the character so much that it cancels out.
Positives:
1) The first chapter. I liked the beginning a lot, it sets up Erevis Cale perfectly.
2) Plot. Everything that happened it the story was not typical for a Forgotten Realms story, and it worked beautifully. The political intrigue, which is pretty rare in a series like this, was wonderfully done. I don’t have any problems with what was going on and how it happened, it just seemed to all fit and fit well.
3) Characters. The main characters are wonderful. Erevis Cale is always a joy to read about, and he grows a lot from when we last saw him. Riven, too, has changed, but it seems for the better. They are still some of my favorite Forgotten Realms’ characters. Magadon expanded role was wonderfully done I thought. You get to see into what really scares Mags and what troubles he is having. Rivalen is an interesting character. At first he came off as all-knowing and just plain annoying, but his actions continually changed my perspective on him.
Overall: 4.5/5
*Start of a great story, the only problem is with the slow beginning and having the first person parts lacking something.*
Sembia is in turmoil and on the brink of a civil war. The whims of a dark goddess sets the stage and her followers stage murder and a cry for war. All because of the people of the Shade Enclave wants a place to call “home.” Only the Chosen of Mask can try stop a war and save an old friend.
Negatives:
1) The beginning. I just felt that it started really slow. When we were first introduced to Rivalen, things seemed to drag on for me. Then you have the parts were the focus is on Elyril, which I didn’t care for at all.
2) The first person scenes. The only thing that bothered me is that they were just confusing. I did like the idea, but I wasn’t sure who or what was the thing talking and I just think it could have been better executed. It just seemed that they happened randomly and things weren’t as well ’explained’ as I thought they could have.
Question: Tamlin Uskevren stopped drinking at the end of Lord of Stormweather, not a big spoiler so don’t worry, then why is he drinking now? Granted, a year passed, but I swore that Tamlin was going to quit “the sauce.” So I’d have to say there is a small consistency problem, but nothing big.
Negative/ Positive:
There is something that I loathed but I realize that I’m meant to loath it, so hence this heading…
Elyril. I could not STAND this character. She was just, for lack of a better term, coke head. Yeah, you read that right. She and her actions just screamed, “Look at me! I’m a façade! But everyone is too stupid to see it! Snort, Snort!” Then all the things she sees are obviously derived from the drug use. She was just begging to be a negative of the story. But then again, I think that was the point. The way she acts makes her hated. I do hate her. So because it meant to be that way, I have to give it a positive, but at the same time, I loathed the character so much that it cancels out.
Positives:
1) The first chapter. I liked the beginning a lot, it sets up Erevis Cale perfectly.
2) Plot. Everything that happened it the story was not typical for a Forgotten Realms story, and it worked beautifully. The political intrigue, which is pretty rare in a series like this, was wonderfully done. I don’t have any problems with what was going on and how it happened, it just seemed to all fit and fit well.
3) Characters. The main characters are wonderful. Erevis Cale is always a joy to read about, and he grows a lot from when we last saw him. Riven, too, has changed, but it seems for the better. They are still some of my favorite Forgotten Realms’ characters. Magadon expanded role was wonderfully done I thought. You get to see into what really scares Mags and what troubles he is having. Rivalen is an interesting character. At first he came off as all-knowing and just plain annoying, but his actions continually changed my perspective on him.
Overall: 4.5/5
*Start of a great story, the only problem is with the slow beginning and having the first person parts lacking something.*
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 28, 2015
Well now, I guess this is where all the stuff done in the Erevis Cale trilogy pays off. Don't start this one before that previous trilogy - it's more like a 6-book series. Book 1 is basically where a major Realms event officially starts brewing. All the pieces are in place, and all that's left, is to set things in motion.
The pace of the book starts off leisurely, as we see the different players in the plot starting their engines and shifting in gear. The pace just keeps racking up to a strong finale, and dangles you off a cliffhanger - just like the previous trilogy (the cliffhanger part).
The plot is quite incredible; a massive conspiracy by Shar's faithful to plunge Sembia into civil war, Mask's mysterious behind-the-scenes machinations, then throw in ulterior motives and ties to previous back stories and you have a winner.
The protagonist of this book is Cale, since Magadon is a plot device and Riven doesn't show up until much later. We see Cale dealing with the aftermath of the previous trilogy, coming to grips with himself and his situation. Then getting called back to his old life in Sembia and stumbling upon conspiracy after conspiracy. I would say Cale didn't change much, despite the attempts at character growth - he's still the same old, struggling with the same emotions, but maybe to a lesser degree. But that's what makes him an interesting character.
Topping that would be the villains. We have agents of Shar placed in key positions of power, manipulating things to their dark ends. The Shadovar takes up a prominent part of the spotlight, showcasing what Cale is up against. I always find it refreshing when two evils (well, Cale's not exactly evil, but his deity is) go up against each other, and very entertaining when the author pulls it off with just the right motivations. All of the villains here are very well fleshed-out characters.
As the book ends with the first clash between the protagonists and the primary villains, yet another party shows up right at the end - the plot hasn't finished unfolding yet, not by far it seems.
The pace of the book starts off leisurely, as we see the different players in the plot starting their engines and shifting in gear. The pace just keeps racking up to a strong finale, and dangles you off a cliffhanger - just like the previous trilogy (the cliffhanger part).
The plot is quite incredible; a massive conspiracy by Shar's faithful to plunge Sembia into civil war, Mask's mysterious behind-the-scenes machinations, then throw in ulterior motives and ties to previous back stories and you have a winner.
The protagonist of this book is Cale, since Magadon is a plot device and Riven doesn't show up until much later. We see Cale dealing with the aftermath of the previous trilogy, coming to grips with himself and his situation. Then getting called back to his old life in Sembia and stumbling upon conspiracy after conspiracy. I would say Cale didn't change much, despite the attempts at character growth - he's still the same old, struggling with the same emotions, but maybe to a lesser degree. But that's what makes him an interesting character.
Topping that would be the villains. We have agents of Shar placed in key positions of power, manipulating things to their dark ends. The Shadovar takes up a prominent part of the spotlight, showcasing what Cale is up against. I always find it refreshing when two evils (well, Cale's not exactly evil, but his deity is) go up against each other, and very entertaining when the author pulls it off with just the right motivations. All of the villains here are very well fleshed-out characters.
As the book ends with the first clash between the protagonists and the primary villains, yet another party shows up right at the end - the plot hasn't finished unfolding yet, not by far it seems.
October 19, 2015
Paul S. Kemp is brilliant. I have said this countless times, but I can't stress this enough.
The characters and the world are very immersive. His work regarding "shadow-world" is great. I love the immersion level he gives us regarding Netheril (for me it's a particularly interesting culture).
The story, despite being a first book in a trilogy, is a continuation of Erevis Cale's story, and I won't be spoiling anything. There aren't any major surprises (one or two) or anything, but there is a good pace being kept.
Since this is the starter of the trilogy, Paul sets the stage pretty well to what is an amazing trilogy.
Many people complained about Magadon's introduction in earlier books (saying it felt as if Erevis and Mags relationship was too forced to be so good right from the start), to which I said there were many small moments not described in the books and said it might make sense in a world where personal relationships are much easier, due to physical proximity and adventure-stress.
However, Magadon plays one of the most dreadful parts for me in this trilogy. Spoiling a bit of the story, let's just say he undergoes a big change throughout the trilogy, which ends up setting a big part of the books on a first person narrative. For me it didn't connect, and instead of being "an insight on a crazy mind", it just felt more like "oh so many dillemmas going on through my mind" in an FP perspective, which draws away from the "real world" to an alternate reality, which ends up dragging the plot.
This I find is the most detrimental part in the trilogy.
Finally, another amazing point is the intrigue (political and religious) and the amazing characters that Paul has now introduced (namely Mirabeta and her niece). Their evil truly stands out.
Bottom-line: red it!
The characters and the world are very immersive. His work regarding "shadow-world" is great. I love the immersion level he gives us regarding Netheril (for me it's a particularly interesting culture).
The story, despite being a first book in a trilogy, is a continuation of Erevis Cale's story, and I won't be spoiling anything. There aren't any major surprises (one or two) or anything, but there is a good pace being kept.
Since this is the starter of the trilogy, Paul sets the stage pretty well to what is an amazing trilogy.
Many people complained about Magadon's introduction in earlier books (saying it felt as if Erevis and Mags relationship was too forced to be so good right from the start), to which I said there were many small moments not described in the books and said it might make sense in a world where personal relationships are much easier, due to physical proximity and adventure-stress.
However, Magadon plays one of the most dreadful parts for me in this trilogy. Spoiling a bit of the story, let's just say he undergoes a big change throughout the trilogy, which ends up setting a big part of the books on a first person narrative. For me it didn't connect, and instead of being "an insight on a crazy mind", it just felt more like "oh so many dillemmas going on through my mind" in an FP perspective, which draws away from the "real world" to an alternate reality, which ends up dragging the plot.
This I find is the most detrimental part in the trilogy.
Finally, another amazing point is the intrigue (political and religious) and the amazing characters that Paul has now introduced (namely Mirabeta and her niece). Their evil truly stands out.
Bottom-line: red it!
October 4, 2014
It is interesting to study what religion can do to different individuals. “Shadowbred” by author Paul S. Kemp describes this through the main characters Rivalen, Elyril and Erivis Cale. Rivalen is a shade who can travel through the shadows to the destination of his choosing. He is a priest who believes in the goddess shar;the lady of loss-as well as Elyril. They work together as allies to achieve the same goal but with very different tactics. Elyril uses insanity, murder, and politics while Rivalen is more complex and remains more of a mystery until the end of the novel. This just shows how two very different people can be influenced by religion and tricked, making me think of how susceptible we are towards faith and theology.
A book about war, religion and politics; "shadowbred" is truly a different book compared to most novels in this genre. I think that this book really surprised me in the fact that it was always interesting and that it actually presented a global issue-how politics can change the perspective of oneself. If you are interested in fantasy then this is a must read because it is different and because of that it is a great book overall.
A book about war, religion and politics; "shadowbred" is truly a different book compared to most novels in this genre. I think that this book really surprised me in the fact that it was always interesting and that it actually presented a global issue-how politics can change the perspective of oneself. If you are interested in fantasy then this is a must read because it is different and because of that it is a great book overall.
November 2, 2015
I initially picked this up about 2 years ago while at the Goodwill, perusing the bookshelves. I happened to find it sitting there with the second book in the trilogy and pulled up Goodreads to see how it was rated out of sheer curiosity and found the abnormally high rating for this sort of book. Sufficed to say, the $2 asking price for both books seemed well worth the risk.
That being said, this book was way better than it had any right being. It was a quick, fun, action-packed read. I can't ever recalling reading any of the Forgotten Realms series other than the very famous Drizz't books but this one puts those to shame. I'll definitely be finishing out the trilogy and might even read some of the other authors other books. It looks like he does some Star Wars books, too. I'll probably have to give those a try...
That being said, this book was way better than it had any right being. It was a quick, fun, action-packed read. I can't ever recalling reading any of the Forgotten Realms series other than the very famous Drizz't books but this one puts those to shame. I'll definitely be finishing out the trilogy and might even read some of the other authors other books. It looks like he does some Star Wars books, too. I'll probably have to give those a try...
May 24, 2012
Wow. I don't know exactly what changed, but this book is SO much better than the three in the Erevis Cale trilogy that preceded this trilogy. This is so much larger in scope, involves powerful and familiar characters, and has a sense of "mattering" that the previous trilogy lacked. I came so close to not reading this trilogy just because the first was so disappointing, but I'm glad I carried on. I'm very, very curious to see where this ends and I'm thrilled that Kemp either got his act together or else was given a freer reign to write. Well done.
February 17, 2016
This book was a quick pick, and it sparked my interest because of the character Erevis Cale. I suppose I enjoy the dark brooding hero / anti-hero. I have not read the preceding books, and this was merely a taste tester. I really enjoyed it. So I suppose I am a bit out of order. However, the book did its job and now Paul Kemp has my interest.
December 31, 2012
This book and series is a quantum leap above Paul S. Kemp's previous Erevis Cale trilogy. Not that the latter was bad, far from it. But The Twilight War shows marked improvements in plotting and character development. It's a treat to read and I cannot wait to see how it ends.
October 10, 2013
Great Book!
I only picked up this series to get an back story for "The Sundering" series but I am happy to say I could not put this book down! Great from start to finish! Can't wait to start the 2nd.
I only picked up this series to get an back story for "The Sundering" series but I am happy to say I could not put this book down! Great from start to finish! Can't wait to start the 2nd.
September 25, 2015
A quick, light read, continuing the adventures of Erevis Cale, Mags, and Riven from the previous trilogy. As I'd hoped, it moves at a brisk pace, full of danger and high stakes, and effectively evokes the political and mysterious landscape of Sembia. Good stuff.
May 24, 2012
Very good book
February 23, 2014
even though I wasn't enthralled with the first Cale trilogy, this immediately had me going and I didn't want to stop. It's sooooo good.
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