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When a wandering swordmage, trained by the elves of Myth Drannor, returns to his boyhood home on the windswept shores of the Moonsea, he finds that corruption has taken hold, leaving his friends and family open to a devastating evil.
Swordmage was the first novel to fully embrace the exciting new elements from the next edition of the Dungeons & Dragons game. This paperback resize releases fresh on the heals of the Forgotten Realms Campaign Guide , and showcases a major revision to the Forgotten Realms world that has fans buzzing.
From the Paperback edition.
When a wandering swordmage, trained by the elves of Myth Drannor, returns to his boyhood home on the windswept shores of the Moonsea, he finds that corruption has taken hold, leaving his friends and family open to a devastating evil.
Swordmage was the first novel to fully embrace the exciting new elements from the next edition of the Dungeons & Dragons game. This paperback resize releases fresh on the heals of the Forgotten Realms Campaign Guide , and showcases a major revision to the Forgotten Realms world that has fans buzzing.
From the Paperback edition.
384 pages, Kindle Edition
First published May 6, 2008
83 people are currently reading
1037 people want to read
About the author
Richard Baker
84 books226 followersA best-selling author and award-winning game designer, Richard Baker is known for his novels in the Forgotten Realms setting and his work on the Dungeons & Dragons game. His Realms novels include Condemnation (book 3 of the War of the Spider Queen), the Last Mythal trilogy, and the Blades of the Moonsea trilogy. He is currently working on a new military-themed science fiction series centered on the character Sikander North; Valiant Dust, the first book in the new series, debuts in November 2017 from Tor Books.
A native of Ocean City, New Jersey, Rich graduated from Virginia Tech in 1988 and went on to serve as a surface warfare officer in the United States Navy. When he's not writing fantasy or science fiction, he works in game publishing. He's the founder of Sasquatch Game Studio, a small game company based in Auburn, Washington.
Rich currently resides in the Seattle area with his wife, Kim, and their daughters Alex and Hannah. His interests include gaming (naturally), history, hiking, racquetball, and the Philadelphia Phillies.
A native of Ocean City, New Jersey, Rich graduated from Virginia Tech in 1988 and went on to serve as a surface warfare officer in the United States Navy. When he's not writing fantasy or science fiction, he works in game publishing. He's the founder of Sasquatch Game Studio, a small game company based in Auburn, Washington.
Rich currently resides in the Seattle area with his wife, Kim, and their daughters Alex and Hannah. His interests include gaming (naturally), history, hiking, racquetball, and the Philadelphia Phillies.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 59 reviews
May 18, 2010
Swordmage by Richard Baker- This is the first book in the Blades of the Moonsea trilogy. The second book is Corsair and the last book is called Avenger, which is due out in March of 2010. This trilogy is set in the Forgotten Realm universe. Richard Baker has written numerous novels for the Forgotten Realms and others. Some of his notable works in the Realms include; The Last Mythal trilogy (Forsaken House, Farthest Reach, and Final Gate), The Shadow Stone (part of The Adventures series), Easy Betrayals (a book in the Double Diamond Triangle Saga), The City of Ravens (part of The Cities series), and the third book in the War of the Spider Queen series called Condemnation.
The story follows a swordmage named Geran Hulmaster on his return to his home, a port city called Hulburg, to pay his respects to a friend who was murdered. He is accompanied by a ghostwise halfling named Hamil, who is Geran's business partner and friend. We find out that Geran is related the harmach, or ruler, of Hulburg. As he reacquaints himself with his family, he and Hamil do some investigating into his friends murder. After exploring the funeral burrow where Jarad, his friend, was found, he discovers that a foreign merchant company in Hulburg might be behind the murder and recent breaking into the funeral burrows around Hulburg. After Geran and Hamil find out why the merchant company is desecrating the barrows, they are stopped by the company and through a series of events, Geran becomes imprisoned. While all this is going on, we learn that a clan of orcs are preparing to attack Hulburg, along with a plot against the harmach and how the city is falling into the hands of the foreign merchant companies. Will Geran be freed in order to save his uncle, the harmach? Can Hulburg withstand a orc assault and the merchant coasters taking over the city?
Negatives:
1) Slow. The story has this story, plodding pace that causes it to take forever for something to happen. The first two hundred pages are just full of this slow pace and it quickly becomes boring and at times I lost drive to read much more. This is mostly due to the fact that there is just too much description, which is rare in a lot of books. When Hulburg is being described the same way over and over, it just became too much. All the street names became a blur and it was hard to follow where Geran was or why he was even there. Along with that, there is very little excitement to be found. There are a few exciting duels and scenes, but for the most part it's just exposition and forced dialogue.
2) Villains. The villains were, quite frankly, pathetic. They weren't interesting and I didn't ever really have the sense of menace I had from them. For example, Sergen, the step-nephew of the harmach was obviously the 'bad guy' and at times I did really hate him (in the good way). But there was no real mystery in that he is a villain. I mean it's so obvious that I'm surprised that the other characters couldn't tell he was up to no good. It just didn't work. Then the war chief of the orcs, Mhurren, was just a generic villain. He was just not interesting and very bland. The only other interesting 'villain' was the King in Copper, Aesperus, who is a lich and from reading the back of the book, you would assume he is supposed to be the main villain of the story. But nope, he has one scene and is only mentioned here and there.
3) Too Many Story Lines. To me, there was just to many story lines. First you have the investigating Jarad's murder. Then you have the subplot of Sergen trying to get rid of the harmach tied into that one. Then you have the whole orc attack along with Sergen using the undead to kill the harmach. Then you have the city falling away from its native citizens. It just was too much. Most of the plot lines were at least wrapped up in the end, but it felt like every other chapter added a new problem or a new issue to the story. It was a little hard to keep up with at times.
Positives:
1) Geran and Sarth. For a story basically following Geran, he was the only main character that you kind of liked. It was hard to like him, seeing as he doesn't seem to have any real personality and he was at times dull as a doorknob, but for some reason I enjoyed him. The other characters didn't really have much to offer. I really found it hard to like Kara, Geran's cousin. I don't know why but she just wasn't interesting. Then Hamil was enjoyable at times, but at others just dull. The only character, for me, that really stole the scenes is the teifling named Sarth. It seemed like every scene with him in it was just a little more interesting and exciting. There was a surrounding mystery behind him, with his lack of back story and his unknown reasons for doing things, that made him the only character I really liked.
2) The Last One Hundred Pages. This is where the story picked up a lot and it was hard to really put down for to long. Maybe it's because of the orc battle, the harmach's 'castle' being besieged by the undead, Geran's imprisonment, or the showdown between Geran and Sergen. Wait, maybe it's because Sarth is present. But everything was exciting and fast paced. It did fizzle out a little towards the last few chapters, but it was a better ride then the majority of the story.
3) Descriptions. Even though there were way too many, they still were wonderful descriptions. They did paint a great picture of the landscapes and the city, even if at times it was too much. You could see places like Griffonwatch, the harmach's 'castle', and the various barrows the main characters enter. Everything was well detailed.
Side Notes:
1) Spellscar. This is really the only story in which a lot of people feared the spellscarred. I didn't quite understand it. This is the first novel set after the Spellplague, and yet the other novels I've read seemed to not really fear them. I do understand the fear someone may have with not knowing what they could do, but it just didn't feel right to me.
2) Spellplague. Like I just mentioned, this was the first novel to take place after the Spellplague in the Forgotten Realms universe. So why is there not any real in-depth descriptions of the event or what changed with the onset? Yes there are a little tidbits here and there, but not much explanation.
3) Cover Art. While I like the art, it just has too much going on. Not to mention the scene depicted never happened in the story. Yes, Geran faces the King in Copper, but it was more like him taking the book you see in his hand and leaving, with Geran staring with his chin to the ground. It's a nice, action oriented cover, but it just has too much stuff going on in the foreground with the debris flying.
Overall: 3/5
Final Thoughts:
The story has many faults. It's way too slow, is bogged down in wonderful descriptions, and there just is way to much going on to follow. No wonder why it's a three hundred seventy-five page book. The characters, for the most part are bland and unexciting. Geran, for example, isn't that great, but he has something about him that makes him a little likable. The only character I thoroughly enjoyed was Sarth, for all his mystery. While the descriptions felt like ninety percent of the story, they still were great. This is just a mediocre book to say the least.
The story follows a swordmage named Geran Hulmaster on his return to his home, a port city called Hulburg, to pay his respects to a friend who was murdered. He is accompanied by a ghostwise halfling named Hamil, who is Geran's business partner and friend. We find out that Geran is related the harmach, or ruler, of Hulburg. As he reacquaints himself with his family, he and Hamil do some investigating into his friends murder. After exploring the funeral burrow where Jarad, his friend, was found, he discovers that a foreign merchant company in Hulburg might be behind the murder and recent breaking into the funeral burrows around Hulburg. After Geran and Hamil find out why the merchant company is desecrating the barrows, they are stopped by the company and through a series of events, Geran becomes imprisoned. While all this is going on, we learn that a clan of orcs are preparing to attack Hulburg, along with a plot against the harmach and how the city is falling into the hands of the foreign merchant companies. Will Geran be freed in order to save his uncle, the harmach? Can Hulburg withstand a orc assault and the merchant coasters taking over the city?
Negatives:
1) Slow. The story has this story, plodding pace that causes it to take forever for something to happen. The first two hundred pages are just full of this slow pace and it quickly becomes boring and at times I lost drive to read much more. This is mostly due to the fact that there is just too much description, which is rare in a lot of books. When Hulburg is being described the same way over and over, it just became too much. All the street names became a blur and it was hard to follow where Geran was or why he was even there. Along with that, there is very little excitement to be found. There are a few exciting duels and scenes, but for the most part it's just exposition and forced dialogue.
2) Villains. The villains were, quite frankly, pathetic. They weren't interesting and I didn't ever really have the sense of menace I had from them. For example, Sergen, the step-nephew of the harmach was obviously the 'bad guy' and at times I did really hate him (in the good way). But there was no real mystery in that he is a villain. I mean it's so obvious that I'm surprised that the other characters couldn't tell he was up to no good. It just didn't work. Then the war chief of the orcs, Mhurren, was just a generic villain. He was just not interesting and very bland. The only other interesting 'villain' was the King in Copper, Aesperus, who is a lich and from reading the back of the book, you would assume he is supposed to be the main villain of the story. But nope, he has one scene and is only mentioned here and there.
3) Too Many Story Lines. To me, there was just to many story lines. First you have the investigating Jarad's murder. Then you have the subplot of Sergen trying to get rid of the harmach tied into that one. Then you have the whole orc attack along with Sergen using the undead to kill the harmach. Then you have the city falling away from its native citizens. It just was too much. Most of the plot lines were at least wrapped up in the end, but it felt like every other chapter added a new problem or a new issue to the story. It was a little hard to keep up with at times.
Positives:
1) Geran and Sarth. For a story basically following Geran, he was the only main character that you kind of liked. It was hard to like him, seeing as he doesn't seem to have any real personality and he was at times dull as a doorknob, but for some reason I enjoyed him. The other characters didn't really have much to offer. I really found it hard to like Kara, Geran's cousin. I don't know why but she just wasn't interesting. Then Hamil was enjoyable at times, but at others just dull. The only character, for me, that really stole the scenes is the teifling named Sarth. It seemed like every scene with him in it was just a little more interesting and exciting. There was a surrounding mystery behind him, with his lack of back story and his unknown reasons for doing things, that made him the only character I really liked.
2) The Last One Hundred Pages. This is where the story picked up a lot and it was hard to really put down for to long. Maybe it's because of the orc battle, the harmach's 'castle' being besieged by the undead, Geran's imprisonment, or the showdown between Geran and Sergen. Wait, maybe it's because Sarth is present. But everything was exciting and fast paced. It did fizzle out a little towards the last few chapters, but it was a better ride then the majority of the story.
3) Descriptions. Even though there were way too many, they still were wonderful descriptions. They did paint a great picture of the landscapes and the city, even if at times it was too much. You could see places like Griffonwatch, the harmach's 'castle', and the various barrows the main characters enter. Everything was well detailed.
Side Notes:
1) Spellscar. This is really the only story in which a lot of people feared the spellscarred. I didn't quite understand it. This is the first novel set after the Spellplague, and yet the other novels I've read seemed to not really fear them. I do understand the fear someone may have with not knowing what they could do, but it just didn't feel right to me.
2) Spellplague. Like I just mentioned, this was the first novel to take place after the Spellplague in the Forgotten Realms universe. So why is there not any real in-depth descriptions of the event or what changed with the onset? Yes there are a little tidbits here and there, but not much explanation.
3) Cover Art. While I like the art, it just has too much going on. Not to mention the scene depicted never happened in the story. Yes, Geran faces the King in Copper, but it was more like him taking the book you see in his hand and leaving, with Geran staring with his chin to the ground. It's a nice, action oriented cover, but it just has too much stuff going on in the foreground with the debris flying.
Overall: 3/5
Final Thoughts:
The story has many faults. It's way too slow, is bogged down in wonderful descriptions, and there just is way to much going on to follow. No wonder why it's a three hundred seventy-five page book. The characters, for the most part are bland and unexciting. Geran, for example, isn't that great, but he has something about him that makes him a little likable. The only character I thoroughly enjoyed was Sarth, for all his mystery. While the descriptions felt like ninety percent of the story, they still were great. This is just a mediocre book to say the least.
December 10, 2022
Face each new day, and try to do better p 597
Monsters. Skeleton soldiers. Swords and sorcery. Tongue-twisted unspellable names and terms. Shifting alliances and betrayals.
End leads to sequel. Villains escape, step-cousin Sergen, and elf Rho. Geran returns home with halfling Hamil to find killer of old friend Jarad. Burial mound robbers. Black tome.
Everyone seems narrow, one-sided. Sarth Darsi of House Veruna is a smart seductive villainess, only pawn to usurper Sergen. Kara with serpent birthmark leads family soldiers , strong, brave, deserves her own story.
One side is bigger in muscles and numbers. Vaasan mages bring ogres to alliance with Red Skull orcs. Ancient dark King of Copper brings skeleton warriors.
One side is smaller, shorter, and weakened. Sergen brings dwarf Iron mercenaries. Darsi calls back Veruna mercs. Geran calls out city civilian unskilled militia and Kara brings her human troops.
Monsters. Skeleton soldiers. Swords and sorcery. Tongue-twisted unspellable names and terms. Shifting alliances and betrayals.
End leads to sequel. Villains escape, step-cousin Sergen, and elf Rho. Geran returns home with halfling Hamil to find killer of old friend Jarad. Burial mound robbers. Black tome.
Everyone seems narrow, one-sided. Sarth Darsi of House Veruna is a smart seductive villainess, only pawn to usurper Sergen. Kara with serpent birthmark leads family soldiers , strong, brave, deserves her own story.
One side is bigger in muscles and numbers. Vaasan mages bring ogres to alliance with Red Skull orcs. Ancient dark King of Copper brings skeleton warriors.
One side is smaller, shorter, and weakened. Sergen brings dwarf Iron mercenaries. Darsi calls back Veruna mercs. Geran calls out city civilian unskilled militia and Kara brings her human troops.
February 1, 2021
That's the way of it with a bully. Sooner or later you've got to stand up to him in the nose, and damn what follows. You might get trashed, but he will think twice 'fore he pushes you again.
No one can change the past...All we can do is face each new day and try to do better
No one can change the past...All we can do is face each new day and try to do better
October 20, 2015
They say you can't judge the book by the cover - well - in this case you can. Didn't like the cover of the book - either because of the too crowded use of the fonts or the, surprisingly, not impressive artwork by Raymond Swanland (probably both things being the fault of the layout designer). I am trying to remember why in the first place I bought this book, and can't recall it. probably some good review at goodreads made me think it was something good as I was looking for trilogies to read in Forgotten Realms. Well - I doubt I will try the second book in the series after such a mild start.
Generic.
Maybe I was too influenced by the epic War of The Twilight books I read prior to this, and then followed by the first book in The Haunted Lands trilogy which were great novels in the Forgotten Realms setting, and The Twilight War being simply The Best Trilogy out there. And reasons for being so good is that they were simply unlike others - they had their distinctive trait where this book simply had none. Besides the fact that the even the title stresses out - main hero is a swordmage, which is not that common - a man wielding sword and enhancing ones abilities by magic (this time - with elven magic). Besides that - it was all so well predictable - ancient evil, treachery, revenge, orcs, grand battle with sadly foreseeable outcome. ANd I am a man who really doesn't care about the outcome, as I am usually interested in how it all came to that - the process. ANd this leads to the next issue.
Writing.
I am definitely in no position to criticize anyone's writing that was so good that was published by Wizards of The Coast, and set in the Forgotten Realms, but I had a feeling that this was not a work of a renown author and the work of NY Times's best selling writer. I had a totally different impression about the author when reading his part in the War of The Spider Queen sextet. But here - I see bland writing, with no spark in it, no passion. Since I started playing DnD games in real life I have a habit of comparing novels to the campaign playthroughs - and this one wouldn't even be a good campaign. I mean - it simply was not interesting. Felt as if author wasn't in the mood to write this book, but did it as he had a contract for it. And as result of this writing -the last of the main issues arise.
Characters.
I could have labeled it under the generic issue, but well - these characters deserve to have their own paragraph. The biggest letdown and star of the show - Geran - the main character. One of the, if not the most bland characters I have ever encountered in Forgotten Realms world. I simply see no reason for him to be the main character. I mean - yes, there is pre-requisite him to be in this book and he is the decisive factor of many events - but as an interesting lead, whom you are ready to follow the whole book - he simply has no feats of that sort. When he was placed int he cell - I was glad! I was even more happier to read about Orc chieftain than this lot. His lines were simple, his thinking straightforward, and he definitely wasn't witty. If I had to measure his "hero metrics" compared, let's say to the canonical Drizzt Do'Urden - he would be worth 1/500th.
And other characters followed the same suit - nothing about them was of much interest - a classy templates with no deepness to them. No character to cheer for, or wish to see it dead, no archenemy per se (event though in fact there was supposed to be an evil from times before, but oh well - it wasn't anything more as a reason for one thing lead to another). There were tries to refresh something, but that was it - a try - and also it was made as a simple reference of the events and changes of the 4th edition of the DnD - mainly - Spellplague and its aftermath - in this case - changelands (pieces of alien land that crushed into the Faerun), spellscarred (mutation due to the influence of the magic) and one of the new front-line races - tieflings (humans with demonic ancestry).
I sadly can't find anything but few moments in the book that were not letdowns. Can't recommend at all - maybe only to the collectors of Forgotten Realms lore. I hate being a critic, but it is at it is, at least in my opinion - 1/5. (maybe too harsh, but in goodreads even 2 stars means that it was an ok tale - but It wasn't)
Generic.
Maybe I was too influenced by the epic War of The Twilight books I read prior to this, and then followed by the first book in The Haunted Lands trilogy which were great novels in the Forgotten Realms setting, and The Twilight War being simply The Best Trilogy out there. And reasons for being so good is that they were simply unlike others - they had their distinctive trait where this book simply had none. Besides the fact that the even the title stresses out - main hero is a swordmage, which is not that common - a man wielding sword and enhancing ones abilities by magic (this time - with elven magic). Besides that - it was all so well predictable - ancient evil, treachery, revenge, orcs, grand battle with sadly foreseeable outcome. ANd I am a man who really doesn't care about the outcome, as I am usually interested in how it all came to that - the process. ANd this leads to the next issue.
Writing.
I am definitely in no position to criticize anyone's writing that was so good that was published by Wizards of The Coast, and set in the Forgotten Realms, but I had a feeling that this was not a work of a renown author and the work of NY Times's best selling writer. I had a totally different impression about the author when reading his part in the War of The Spider Queen sextet. But here - I see bland writing, with no spark in it, no passion. Since I started playing DnD games in real life I have a habit of comparing novels to the campaign playthroughs - and this one wouldn't even be a good campaign. I mean - it simply was not interesting. Felt as if author wasn't in the mood to write this book, but did it as he had a contract for it. And as result of this writing -the last of the main issues arise.
Characters.
I could have labeled it under the generic issue, but well - these characters deserve to have their own paragraph. The biggest letdown and star of the show - Geran - the main character. One of the, if not the most bland characters I have ever encountered in Forgotten Realms world. I simply see no reason for him to be the main character. I mean - yes, there is pre-requisite him to be in this book and he is the decisive factor of many events - but as an interesting lead, whom you are ready to follow the whole book - he simply has no feats of that sort. When he was placed int he cell - I was glad! I was even more happier to read about Orc chieftain than this lot. His lines were simple, his thinking straightforward, and he definitely wasn't witty. If I had to measure his "hero metrics" compared, let's say to the canonical Drizzt Do'Urden - he would be worth 1/500th.
And other characters followed the same suit - nothing about them was of much interest - a classy templates with no deepness to them. No character to cheer for, or wish to see it dead, no archenemy per se (event though in fact there was supposed to be an evil from times before, but oh well - it wasn't anything more as a reason for one thing lead to another). There were tries to refresh something, but that was it - a try - and also it was made as a simple reference of the events and changes of the 4th edition of the DnD - mainly - Spellplague and its aftermath - in this case - changelands (pieces of alien land that crushed into the Faerun), spellscarred (mutation due to the influence of the magic) and one of the new front-line races - tieflings (humans with demonic ancestry).
I sadly can't find anything but few moments in the book that were not letdowns. Can't recommend at all - maybe only to the collectors of Forgotten Realms lore. I hate being a critic, but it is at it is, at least in my opinion - 1/5. (maybe too harsh, but in goodreads even 2 stars means that it was an ok tale - but It wasn't)
September 21, 2016
This is a pretty fun D&D novel, with good characters and some nice uses of game mechanics. I love the bits about Geran, the protagonist, having to spend time rememorizing his spells. My favorite is when he uses a series of teleports to get himself and his halfling buddy out of a tomb. For that matter, the inclusion of tomb exploration, alongside a ton of undead and a lich king, was very D&D and a lot of fun. In a way, the plot is a bit like a typical superhero story. Geran has been away from his hometown for years and years, and now that he's back, he's discovered that things have gone to hell. So Geran devotes himself to cleaning up the city and restoring law and order. The resemblance certainly isn't hurt by the fact that Geran is related to the Harmach, the ruler of Hulburg. However, Geran does a lot less brooding (and also no talking about "his city" as if he were about to have sex with it), making me enjoy him much more than, say, Oliver Queen in Arrow. Plus, he's a swordmage, and I've always found that class to be pretty cool. The other characters are generally well done. Sergen, Geran's step-cousin and the main villain, is the sort of smug jerk you really want to beat up. Hamil, Geran's halfling buddy, is entertaining and has telepathic powers which is a nice twist on the typical halfling. I also loved Mhurren, the half-orc warchief whose armies march against Hulburg in the climax. The chapters from his point of view were an enjoyable depiction of the "evil" side of things, and actually made me think that playing as a half-orc could be fun. (Amusingly enough, Wizards seem to agree since a description of Mhurren is included in the new Player's Handbook discussion of half-orcs.) The plot has a nice mix of investigation, intrigue, and action. I was especially pleased to see Geran and Hamil actually thinking through some of their problems and trying to reason out solutions rather than just running through a dungeon smashing everything in sight. The epilogue sets up a pretty nice twist that promises even more adventure and excitement in the sequels, and I'm definitely looking forward to reading the rest of this trilogy. While a lot of people didn't like the 4E Forgotten Realms, I do, and I feel like this is an excellent story that makes good use of the places, peoples, and game concepts introduced by fourth edition, and thus I had a great time reading it.
December 21, 2023
4.5 stars [Fantasy]
(W: 4.5, P: 4.53, O: 4.5)
Exact rating: 4.51
#7 of 113 in genre
The first 44% of this book approached perfection. Amazing verisimilitude swelled every sentence. Baker spared not a paragraph for unimaginative verse. What leapt out was the reality of the characters, more so than any other fantasy book I've read. Characters interacted as if they weren't expecting every line that came next, orcs spoke to each other in convincing dialects, cultural differences between races and regions were contemplated and worked around, people had histories—and their fathers had histories—that were remembered (often fantasy never mentions more than a passing reference to a character's family beyond some cheap character development). More than just adults populated this book (imagine that!); children, teenagers and old men existed alongside the normal axiomatic adventurers, and they spoke and had feelings. Affairs weren't solved by sticking an enchanted sword through it; laws existed and were uncomfortably endured out of economic necessity. A hundred other uncommon details freshened the narrative.
Swordmage was about a man who came back to his hometown to mourn a best friend's death, but then saw how his home had changed for the worse. He struggled to set things aright without the familiar fantasy deus ex machina.
Baker didn't quite achieve a 5 star rating for plot. A few things were a little too neat (like Geran being foiled at exactly the right time, out in the middle of a forsaken moor, with nearby help staying conveniently at home), and it had too short of a climax and denouement.
Still, this book should be held up as how a fantasy book should be written. Not for nothing does it stand in my top 10 out of more than 100 fantasy books.
(W: 4.5, P: 4.53, O: 4.5)
Exact rating: 4.51
#7 of 113 in genre
The first 44% of this book approached perfection. Amazing verisimilitude swelled every sentence. Baker spared not a paragraph for unimaginative verse. What leapt out was the reality of the characters, more so than any other fantasy book I've read. Characters interacted as if they weren't expecting every line that came next, orcs spoke to each other in convincing dialects, cultural differences between races and regions were contemplated and worked around, people had histories—and their fathers had histories—that were remembered (often fantasy never mentions more than a passing reference to a character's family beyond some cheap character development). More than just adults populated this book (imagine that!); children, teenagers and old men existed alongside the normal axiomatic adventurers, and they spoke and had feelings. Affairs weren't solved by sticking an enchanted sword through it; laws existed and were uncomfortably endured out of economic necessity. A hundred other uncommon details freshened the narrative.
Swordmage was about a man who came back to his hometown to mourn a best friend's death, but then saw how his home had changed for the worse. He struggled to set things aright without the familiar fantasy deus ex machina.
Baker didn't quite achieve a 5 star rating for plot. A few things were a little too neat (like Geran being foiled at exactly the right time, out in the middle of a forsaken moor, with nearby help staying conveniently at home), and it had too short of a climax and denouement.
Still, this book should be held up as how a fantasy book should be written. Not for nothing does it stand in my top 10 out of more than 100 fantasy books.
May 31, 2011
After reading Richard Baker's contribution to the War of the Spider queen - easily the best book in that series - I picked up this novel with high hopes. Well, it certainly did not disappoint; I read it in one weekend, rapt with the story.
Swordmage follows a member of Hulburg's ruling family on his return to his native town after a ten-year absense, and he finds himself in a city that isn't as he remembered: foreign merchant companies run much of the town with the help of those who strayed from their loyalty, there are strange goings-on that tie together the death of a friend and the raiding of tombs outside of town. Furthermore, the orc tribes to the north gather strength under a new alliance and an ancient evil stirs and has some relation to the tomb raiding.
The book is very well written and the while the characters don't have too much depth to them, they aren't paper thin either. A particular plus for me is that not once does it degenerate into what so many fantasy novels do, with superhuman characters that end up more powerful than an army of men or archmages that are veritable gods. The characters are simple, plain, have their flaws, they are vulnerable and magic plays only a small role. This makes the book plausible which in turn makes it more interesting than many of those other books.
Highly recommended.
Swordmage follows a member of Hulburg's ruling family on his return to his native town after a ten-year absense, and he finds himself in a city that isn't as he remembered: foreign merchant companies run much of the town with the help of those who strayed from their loyalty, there are strange goings-on that tie together the death of a friend and the raiding of tombs outside of town. Furthermore, the orc tribes to the north gather strength under a new alliance and an ancient evil stirs and has some relation to the tomb raiding.
The book is very well written and the while the characters don't have too much depth to them, they aren't paper thin either. A particular plus for me is that not once does it degenerate into what so many fantasy novels do, with superhuman characters that end up more powerful than an army of men or archmages that are veritable gods. The characters are simple, plain, have their flaws, they are vulnerable and magic plays only a small role. This makes the book plausible which in turn makes it more interesting than many of those other books.
Highly recommended.
September 20, 2013
One of the best books I have read. I am now a fan of you, Richard Baker. I will hold any details of the book to avoid any spoilers and this is my first short review so spare me.
The characters were very well thought out and executed perfectly. Only a few number of authors would make me love the characters that plays their roles in an "unscipted way". The way he tells the story leaves no crack on an unimaginative verse. It was perfect in all sense to say. I also have to applaud the cultural differences swelled from the orcs, humans, and elves that are just plenary. Anyone would feel looking at it in a different world like how the Daedra sees the humans if you have ever read/played Elder Scrolls.
This is one of the books I would highly recommend if you are into magics, deep lores, rivalry and war. I am definitely looking forward to reading the next book.
The characters were very well thought out and executed perfectly. Only a few number of authors would make me love the characters that plays their roles in an "unscipted way". The way he tells the story leaves no crack on an unimaginative verse. It was perfect in all sense to say. I also have to applaud the cultural differences swelled from the orcs, humans, and elves that are just plenary. Anyone would feel looking at it in a different world like how the Daedra sees the humans if you have ever read/played Elder Scrolls.
This is one of the books I would highly recommend if you are into magics, deep lores, rivalry and war. I am definitely looking forward to reading the next book.
April 5, 2010
Hola, I finished this book very quickly.
I found it to be an extremely fun read. The fight scenes were great (particularly the battle scenes).
The characters were well defined and I cared about them--mostly the bad guys.
The story, though fairly obvious, was not overly predictable or tired.
The presented Realm lore was subtle and enjoyable.
I am really looking foreword to reading the rest of this series. Thanks, David S.
I found it to be an extremely fun read. The fight scenes were great (particularly the battle scenes).
The characters were well defined and I cared about them--mostly the bad guys.
The story, though fairly obvious, was not overly predictable or tired.
The presented Realm lore was subtle and enjoyable.
I am really looking foreword to reading the rest of this series. Thanks, David S.
December 11, 2012
As a Drizzt lover, I thought this book would be right up my alley, and perhaps it would be. I'm saddened to say I couldn't finish it. I found the style of writing too forced for me to get into the story. I'm not a minimalist by any means, but I felt the author simply said to much, falling into that precarious trap of telling rather than showing. With too much description and internal dialogue, there's no work for me, as the reader, to do. Which is boring.
July 14, 2013
Enjoyed this book a lot. It seemed a bit better than most of the stuff I had been reading from Forgotten Realms for awhile. Great characters, and really liked how everything seemed to move quickly. Can't wait to read the next two.
May 1, 2013
IT's great. the characters are great, the enemies fought, the intrigue. It's amazing how the swordmage character is depicted, but I think geran also has a level or two in wizard or sorcerer lol Or a basic understanding. Very fun to read and exciting.
May 12, 2015
Entertaining!
A very entertaining story told by one of best fantasy authors of day. It was great, as a rpg player, to see a little known character brought to light in such a rich manner.
A very entertaining story told by one of best fantasy authors of day. It was great, as a rpg player, to see a little known character brought to light in such a rich manner.
August 14, 2020
This book was a pleasant surprise. My local library had a book sale and they didn't have a large selection of fantasy, so anything that was labeled as such I scooped it up.
I was actually reading Slipknot before this, and right in the beginning of that book I picked up this one and I was so interested in the prologue that I kept reading this one and decided not to go back to Slipknot.
I had no idea that dungeons and dragons made books, but I am pleased to learn that they tell great stories. I enjoyed Gerans point of view and even his cousin Sergan. I liked the general plot and the overall tale that got things going. Though some of it was predictable I found the authors writing entertaining none the less and was already excited to find out what would happen next.
Luckily I scooped up the entire trilogy for this arc and I look forward to the next ones.
I was actually reading Slipknot before this, and right in the beginning of that book I picked up this one and I was so interested in the prologue that I kept reading this one and decided not to go back to Slipknot.
I had no idea that dungeons and dragons made books, but I am pleased to learn that they tell great stories. I enjoyed Gerans point of view and even his cousin Sergan. I liked the general plot and the overall tale that got things going. Though some of it was predictable I found the authors writing entertaining none the less and was already excited to find out what would happen next.
Luckily I scooped up the entire trilogy for this arc and I look forward to the next ones.
August 18, 2021
Over all book was decent had a slow build up but got action packed and hard to put down by the last half. The first part of the book follows in the the synopsis given on the back cover of the book. It's mostly a murder mystery, who done it, who is breaking into tombs and why. This part of the book is slow and a little boring. Once you hit the middle of the book and figure out the who, what, and why of the tomb raiding the book really picks up. There is an orc raid that has more build up then action on the raid itself. There is alot of inter politics between the lord ruler of the town and the Merchant Council that holds the real power of the town, and there is an attempted murder and coup.
All and all it is a decent book but it also has nearly all plot points tied up by the end. The Epilogue brings together two minor plot points for the potential to exploit them into the plot for a new book. As this is book one of a trilogy we will have to see if the next book takes and uses it or not.
I would have given this a 3 star for the slow beginning but the second half I enjoyed enough to bump it up to 4.
One other this the book needs is a map of the area. It has a map of Hulburg. The book talks about Thar, Vaasa, and Glister and it would be nice to know their location in reference to Hulburg.
All and all it is a decent book but it also has nearly all plot points tied up by the end. The Epilogue brings together two minor plot points for the potential to exploit them into the plot for a new book. As this is book one of a trilogy we will have to see if the next book takes and uses it or not.
I would have given this a 3 star for the slow beginning but the second half I enjoyed enough to bump it up to 4.
One other this the book needs is a map of the area. It has a map of Hulburg. The book talks about Thar, Vaasa, and Glister and it would be nice to know their location in reference to Hulburg.
March 3, 2020
This book was amazing. It is one of the first detective style books i have ever read, and it did not dissapoint. Most the book is built up step by step over the whole book. The last 5-6 chapters really slam it all together and you will be hard pressed to put it down.
The ending was both realistic and satisfying. They leave it open in a very nice way that really makes me want to jump to the second book in this series. If you want a story that requires no mental investment and spoon feeds you then avoid this book.
The ending was both realistic and satisfying. They leave it open in a very nice way that really makes me want to jump to the second book in this series. If you want a story that requires no mental investment and spoon feeds you then avoid this book.
July 24, 2020
A great starter book for those whom are just getting interested in DnD Fantasy Realm... While this book may not appeal to most die-hard fantasy realm readers, it was filled with a good plot and intrigue that captures the readers attention.
It was kinda slow in the beginning; however, things did pick up in the second and /or third chapter. A few more monsters and action scenes would have made it better in my opinion. Overall, a good read.
It was kinda slow in the beginning; however, things did pick up in the second and /or third chapter. A few more monsters and action scenes would have made it better in my opinion. Overall, a good read.
December 11, 2018
A nice little book set within The Forgotten Realms.
The hero, a mage trained in the Art by bladesingers from Myth Drannor, comes back to his hometown after he fins out an old friend from his childhood died. He will discover a changed city, a mysterious murder and even fight an invasion.
A really enjoyable book.
The hero, a mage trained in the Art by bladesingers from Myth Drannor, comes back to his hometown after he fins out an old friend from his childhood died. He will discover a changed city, a mysterious murder and even fight an invasion.
A really enjoyable book.
January 1, 2022
This was quite a fun read.
Don't expect any kind of literary opus magnum, for what you get is pulp fiction. But if you want that - and there are times when that is exactly the right thing - you're served pretty well by this book.
So, if you're in the right mood, and like D&D/Forgotten Realms, go for it and you won't be disappointed.
Don't expect any kind of literary opus magnum, for what you get is pulp fiction. But if you want that - and there are times when that is exactly the right thing - you're served pretty well by this book.
So, if you're in the right mood, and like D&D/Forgotten Realms, go for it and you won't be disappointed.
September 1, 2019
Another Enjoyable Forgotten Realms book
Only thought I would ever like Salvatore. Finding Baker and taking the journey with Geran has been a pleasent surprise! Definitely recommend it!
Only thought I would ever like Salvatore. Finding Baker and taking the journey with Geran has been a pleasent surprise! Definitely recommend it!
October 5, 2020
I got this book second hand. I'd never realised this was a series that came after the original Moonsea series. I thoroughly enjoyed this exciting fantasy novel. I have got the next 2 in the series and look forward to the further adventures of Geran the Swordmage.
November 7, 2025
Sorprendentemente bueno, moderno y oscuro. Guerra, traiciones, venganza y amistad. Justo lo que me gusta.
No conocía a Geran ni conocía Hulberg pero me he divertido mucho.
(La portada es una pasada)
No conocía a Geran ni conocía Hulberg pero me he divertido mucho.
(La portada es una pasada)
September 14, 2017
Excellent FR book. I've already started the second in the series. I recommend to anyone interested in D&D fantasy.
September 28, 2017
59% and I gave up... too much better books out there!
April 16, 2018
Good book, well paced, well written. A bit of a predictable read, but it's still not as bad as a lot of fantasy novels. I would actually look for the sequel to see how it plays out.
January 17, 2019
This was a fun read with likable heroes and a great way to get back into the Forgotten Realms a bit. I'll be checking out the sequels.
October 12, 2021
4.25 stars. One of the best non R.A. Salvatore FR novels that I've read.
April 11, 2023
Love this book. Richard Baker is an excellent Author and deserves respect. Thank you.
November 15, 2023
Fun battle scenes but not the most complex story.
July 19, 2024
Had to wait 200 pages until it got interesting. Main character Geran doesn't even fight Lich in book so false advertising from book cover.
Will read book 2 sometime, hopefully better.
Will read book 2 sometime, hopefully better.
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