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Stone of Tymora #2
The Shadowmask
Cross swords with a blue-skinned pirate—and unravel the mystery of the masked spellcaster—in this second Stone of Tymora adventure Though robbed by a masked spellcaster and left for dead by a demon, twelve-year-old Maimun refuses to give up the magic that rightfully belongs to him. After reuniting with dark elf Drizzt Do'Urden and Captain Deudermont's crew, Maimun sets off on a sea-faring chase that will test both the strength of his spirit and of his friendships. As perilous storms rock Sea Sprite and vicious pirates bombard its decks, a mysterious force gathers in the Moonshaes, determined to bring Deudermont's ship—and Maimun's quest—crashing to an end on its shores. In this second book of the Stone of Tymora trilogy, R.A. Salvatore and his son Geno continue their gripping tale of coming-of-age in a world filled with magic, featuring a cameo of R.A. Salvatore's signature character Drizzt Do'Urden.
304 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 2009
24 people are currently reading
947 people want to read
About the author
R.A. Salvatore
607 books11.3k followersAs one of the fantasy genre’s most successful authors, R.A. Salvatore enjoys an ever-expanding and tremendously loyal following. His books regularly appear on The New York Times best-seller lists and have sold more than 10,000,000 copies. Salvatore’s original hardcover, The Two Swords, Book III of The Hunter’s Blade Trilogy (October 2004) debuted at # 1 on The Wall Street Journal best-seller list and at # 4 on The New York Times best-seller list. His books have been translated into numerous foreign languages including German, Italian, Finnish, Greek, Hungarian, Turkish, Croatian, Bulgarian, Yiddish, Spanish, Russian, Polish, Portuguese, Czech, and French.
Salvatore’s first published novel, The Crystal Shard from TSR in 1988, became the first volume of the acclaimed Icewind Dale Trilogy and introduced an enormously popular character, the dark elf Drizzt Do’Urden. Since that time, Salvatore has published numerous novels for each of his signature multi-volume series including The Dark Elf Trilogy, Paths of Darkness, The Hunter’s Blades Trilogy, and The Cleric Quintet.
His love affair with fantasy, and with literature in general, began during his sophomore year of college when he was given a copy of J.R.R. Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings as a Christmas gift. He promptly changed his major from computerscience to journalism. He received a Bachelor of Science Degree in Communications from Fitchburg State College in 1981, then returned for the degree he always cherished, the Bachelor of Arts in English. He began writing seriously in 1982, penning the manuscript that would become Echoes of the Fourth Magic. Salvatore held many jobs during those first years as a writer, finally settling in (much to our delight) to write full time in 1990.
The R.A. Salvatore Collection has been established at his alma mater, Fitchburg State College in Fitchburg, Massachusetts, containing the writer’s letters, manuscripts, and other professional papers. He is in good company, as The Salvatore Collection is situated alongside The Robert Cormier Library, which celebrates the writing career of the co-alum and esteemed author of young adult books.
Salvatore is an active member of his community and is on the board of trustees at the local library in Leominster, Massachusetts. He has participated in several American Library Association regional conferences, giving talks on themes including “Adventure fantasy” and “Why young adults read fantasy.” Salvatore himself enjoys a broad range of literary writers including James Joyce, Mark Twain, Geoffrey Chaucer, Shakespeare, Dante, and Sartre. He counts among his favorite genre literary influences Ian Fleming, Arthur Conan Doyle, Fritz Leiber, and of course, J.R.R. Tolkien.
Born in 1959, Salvatore is a native of Massachusetts and resides there with his wife Diane, and their three children, Bryan, Geno, and Caitlin. The family pets include three Japanese Chins, Oliver, Artemis and Ivan, and four cats including Guenhwyvar.
When he isn't writing, Salvatore chases after his three Japanese Chins, takes long walks, hits the gym, and coaches/plays on a fun-league softball team that includes most of his family. His gaming group still meets on Sundays to play.
http://us.macmillan.com/author/rasalv...
Salvatore’s first published novel, The Crystal Shard from TSR in 1988, became the first volume of the acclaimed Icewind Dale Trilogy and introduced an enormously popular character, the dark elf Drizzt Do’Urden. Since that time, Salvatore has published numerous novels for each of his signature multi-volume series including The Dark Elf Trilogy, Paths of Darkness, The Hunter’s Blades Trilogy, and The Cleric Quintet.
His love affair with fantasy, and with literature in general, began during his sophomore year of college when he was given a copy of J.R.R. Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings as a Christmas gift. He promptly changed his major from computerscience to journalism. He received a Bachelor of Science Degree in Communications from Fitchburg State College in 1981, then returned for the degree he always cherished, the Bachelor of Arts in English. He began writing seriously in 1982, penning the manuscript that would become Echoes of the Fourth Magic. Salvatore held many jobs during those first years as a writer, finally settling in (much to our delight) to write full time in 1990.
The R.A. Salvatore Collection has been established at his alma mater, Fitchburg State College in Fitchburg, Massachusetts, containing the writer’s letters, manuscripts, and other professional papers. He is in good company, as The Salvatore Collection is situated alongside The Robert Cormier Library, which celebrates the writing career of the co-alum and esteemed author of young adult books.
Salvatore is an active member of his community and is on the board of trustees at the local library in Leominster, Massachusetts. He has participated in several American Library Association regional conferences, giving talks on themes including “Adventure fantasy” and “Why young adults read fantasy.” Salvatore himself enjoys a broad range of literary writers including James Joyce, Mark Twain, Geoffrey Chaucer, Shakespeare, Dante, and Sartre. He counts among his favorite genre literary influences Ian Fleming, Arthur Conan Doyle, Fritz Leiber, and of course, J.R.R. Tolkien.
Born in 1959, Salvatore is a native of Massachusetts and resides there with his wife Diane, and their three children, Bryan, Geno, and Caitlin. The family pets include three Japanese Chins, Oliver, Artemis and Ivan, and four cats including Guenhwyvar.
When he isn't writing, Salvatore chases after his three Japanese Chins, takes long walks, hits the gym, and coaches/plays on a fun-league softball team that includes most of his family. His gaming group still meets on Sundays to play.
http://us.macmillan.com/author/rasalv...
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Displaying 1 - 28 of 28 reviews
January 26, 2025
Pressing on with my Forgotten Realms journey with The Shadowmask! Another book that was co-written by Geno and Robert Salvatore, with the goal being to help get a younger crowd into not only the Forgotten Realms books but also Dungeons & Dragons as a game.
I mentioned in my review of the previous book, Stowaway, that I suspected the trilogy would only continue to improve with each subsequent addition, and that ultimately turned out to be true, at least thus far.
While Stowaway largely felt like its entire purpose was to set up future books and build the surrounding characters, The Shadowmask very much feels like the true beginnings of an epic YA fantasy story, and yes, the book (and its predecessor) noticeably feels like they were written to appeal to that younger crowd, but that's not inherently negative. In fact, there were many aspects of this book that reminded me a bit of reading Percy Jackson when I was young, which I feel is pretty solid praise, seeing as how that series is regarded as being one of the best YA fantasy series ever written.
The story really began heating up with this book, as did our character interactions and our action sequences. I love the little lines of dialogue Maimun has with his pirate captor before each new part begins, and it honestly makes me feel like this trilogy as a whole will have some impact on a book later on down the line, as Maimun in telling this pirate his story in the past tense, seemingly taking place years in the future. That means this book is effectively telling a story from the past, running parallel to events of The Halfling's Gem, and thus flushing out that section of the timeline even more, while also building to something greater for a future novel, or at least I suspect it is, and I personally love that.
Some aspects of the group do give me pause, however, as they do feel notably different and foreign to the concepts and world that R.A. Salvatore has defined with his related series, the Legend of Drizzt, so far. The biggest example of this that I can think of, are The Circle and the demon Asbeel. The Circle's powers seem so drastically superior to that of other characters I've read up to this point, literally controlling the weather itself. Asbeel also stands out as being freakishly strong, as we know he's battled one of these members and survived, while a powerful Balor like Errtu was defeated within a single chapter in a previous book. So is Asbeel just much stronger than Errtu? I guess it's possible, but since we still know virtually nothing about Asbeel up to this point, I guess I can't say. I just hope we get answers about him in the next book.
I do like the budding young relationship between Maimun and Joen, mostly because it gives Maimun something more to hold on to, which is especially important because of how much he's lost up to this point, but I won't lie and say the pacing of their romance feels organic either, which is very often a problem in YA books.
All in all, though, I did enjoy my time with this one and look forward to reading the third and final installment in the trilogy! I hope it'll provide answers to my questions, and will likely make it the next book I read. So my final score is 4 out of 5 stars. Keep in mind, that I am rating this accordingly with its intended age demographic in mind.
Wanna check out my other Forgotten Realms book reviews? Check em out below!
The Legend of Drizzt - Homeland: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
The Legend of Drizzt - Exile: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
The Legend of Drizzt - Sojourn: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
The Legend of Drizzt - The Crystal Shard: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
The Legend of Drizzt - Streams of Silver: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
The Legend of Drizzt - The Halfling's Gem: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Stone of Tymora - Stowaway: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Stone of Tymora - The Sentinels: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
The Cleric Quintet - Canticle: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
I mentioned in my review of the previous book, Stowaway, that I suspected the trilogy would only continue to improve with each subsequent addition, and that ultimately turned out to be true, at least thus far.
While Stowaway largely felt like its entire purpose was to set up future books and build the surrounding characters, The Shadowmask very much feels like the true beginnings of an epic YA fantasy story, and yes, the book (and its predecessor) noticeably feels like they were written to appeal to that younger crowd, but that's not inherently negative. In fact, there were many aspects of this book that reminded me a bit of reading Percy Jackson when I was young, which I feel is pretty solid praise, seeing as how that series is regarded as being one of the best YA fantasy series ever written.
The story really began heating up with this book, as did our character interactions and our action sequences. I love the little lines of dialogue Maimun has with his pirate captor before each new part begins, and it honestly makes me feel like this trilogy as a whole will have some impact on a book later on down the line, as Maimun in telling this pirate his story in the past tense, seemingly taking place years in the future. That means this book is effectively telling a story from the past, running parallel to events of The Halfling's Gem, and thus flushing out that section of the timeline even more, while also building to something greater for a future novel, or at least I suspect it is, and I personally love that.
Some aspects of the group do give me pause, however, as they do feel notably different and foreign to the concepts and world that R.A. Salvatore has defined with his related series, the Legend of Drizzt, so far. The biggest example of this that I can think of, are The Circle and the demon Asbeel. The Circle's powers seem so drastically superior to that of other characters I've read up to this point, literally controlling the weather itself. Asbeel also stands out as being freakishly strong, as we know he's battled one of these members and survived, while a powerful Balor like Errtu was defeated within a single chapter in a previous book. So is Asbeel just much stronger than Errtu? I guess it's possible, but since we still know virtually nothing about Asbeel up to this point, I guess I can't say. I just hope we get answers about him in the next book.
I do like the budding young relationship between Maimun and Joen, mostly because it gives Maimun something more to hold on to, which is especially important because of how much he's lost up to this point, but I won't lie and say the pacing of their romance feels organic either, which is very often a problem in YA books.
All in all, though, I did enjoy my time with this one and look forward to reading the third and final installment in the trilogy! I hope it'll provide answers to my questions, and will likely make it the next book I read. So my final score is 4 out of 5 stars. Keep in mind, that I am rating this accordingly with its intended age demographic in mind.
Wanna check out my other Forgotten Realms book reviews? Check em out below!
The Legend of Drizzt - Homeland: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
The Legend of Drizzt - Exile: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
The Legend of Drizzt - Sojourn: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
The Legend of Drizzt - The Crystal Shard: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
The Legend of Drizzt - Streams of Silver: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
The Legend of Drizzt - The Halfling's Gem: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Stone of Tymora - Stowaway: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Stone of Tymora - The Sentinels: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
The Cleric Quintet - Canticle: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
January 11, 2024
My man Maimun can't catch a break with his friends at all.
February 22, 2010
I was not a fan of the first book. I thought it was really just plunked down and thrown together. But wow did the Salvatores get it together with this book.
This book is still very much a YA book. It's written in first person, the young main character, the themes are all elementry YA and not too in depth. But Geno seems to have grown leaps and bounds in this book.
There was just so much more structure to this book and there was a flow of moments of no action to action instead of a long period of no action then bam bam bam action.
Still not a fan of cliffhanger endings. This has one but I will NEVER like cliffhanger endings like this. If you want a cliffhanger ending have some form of ending not just look the bad guys are coming and THE END. :)
This book is still very much a YA book. It's written in first person, the young main character, the themes are all elementry YA and not too in depth. But Geno seems to have grown leaps and bounds in this book.
There was just so much more structure to this book and there was a flow of moments of no action to action instead of a long period of no action then bam bam bam action.
Still not a fan of cliffhanger endings. This has one but I will NEVER like cliffhanger endings like this. If you want a cliffhanger ending have some form of ending not just look the bad guys are coming and THE END. :)
April 24, 2021
Got through this second installment of "The Stone of Tymora". These are very quick reads, obviously geared towards children. I recently read some comments that these are the worst books R.A. Salvatore has written. To which I would say two things: First, this is not an R.A. Salvatore novel, but a jointly created series with his son Geno, who he is obviously trying to help launch a writing career and wants to boost sales by attaching his well known name. Second, these are also children's books and should be viewed as such. And don't get me wrong, they are not on par with C.S. Lewis, Alexander Lloyd, or Alan Garner. But they do fill a very specific niche; that of the aging D&D nerd that wants to introduce their child to the wonderous worlds that he/she has spent hours enjoying. A 10 year old could read this and enjoy it. So for that, I give these novels kudos...maybe someday I will get to read them to my own kid!
The plot continues, there is a pretty epic battle at the end, and we learn a bit more about Maimun's tie to the Stone of Tymora.
The plot continues, there is a pretty epic battle at the end, and we learn a bit more about Maimun's tie to the Stone of Tymora.
January 26, 2025
A continuation of the Stone of Tymora trilogy, this one left me a bit disappointed. There's very little progress in the actual quest, and although there are some interesting scenes and more magic to go around, I found myself just reading to get to the conclusion. The relationship between Maimun and Joen develops more, which is great because it is a high point of this entry. The fight scenes however are too long and dull. For example, too much description for a simple move from Maimun made whole scenes feel anti-climactic. I've also noticed that most of the characters thoroughly enjoy having cryptic conversations with each other when not necessary. I just think there were many instances where a straightforward answer was more logical. Despite all the negatives, the overall story is interesting and worth reading.
July 21, 2017
We learn more about Elbeth, the woman whom Maimun thought was his mother, more about the Circle and their interest in the stone, and more about Joen, soon to be Maimun's girlfriend. Written as a frame story, Maimun tells his captor the tales regarding his adventures searching for the stone. The story seemed slow at parts and disjointed, although the action scenes were spot on. Drizzt makes another cameo appearance, which is seemingly linked to other novels including him and his fellow adventurers.
November 28, 2019
It’s a fun read, but I feel like it’s lacking. Dialogue jumps around quickly, we never really found out where the demon hunting Maimun comes from and his motives for getting the stone, though I’m hopeful that will come around in the final book.
It’s weird too because Drizzt is on all the covers, but he’s hardly in the book and really doesn’t do anything?
Still, it’s a fun read for people who have read the Legend of Drizzt series, but I feel I’d like it less if it were a series that wasn’t connected Drizzt.
It’s weird too because Drizzt is on all the covers, but he’s hardly in the book and really doesn’t do anything?
Still, it’s a fun read for people who have read the Legend of Drizzt series, but I feel I’d like it less if it were a series that wasn’t connected Drizzt.
July 30, 2019
An enjoyable follow up to the Forgotten Realms fantasy originally intended to bring in younger readers into the rpg setting. Reads like a fun YA fantasy series, but with the classic setting and elements of Forgotten Realms. The cameos are lessened in this volume but still very much a selling point sadly, the main characters stand well enough on their own and the story builds to a fun climax without feeling too much like the middle book in a trilogy. An enjoyable series.
August 21, 2021
More put together and exciting than the first book, but still standard young adult fantasy affair without much originality. The intrigue is increasing and the settings are far more varied. The youthful romance is somewhat believable. Quick read. The framing story is running thinner though and not going anywhere.
Read
December 11, 2019It is always nice to read a story with Drizzt but he was but a supporting role to the story. So much adventure, discovery and growth for the main characters.
June 19, 2021
Decent little story. Weird pacing. Never draws one in to go to the finish.
October 1, 2024
On one hand, I enjoyed the ending fight. It had its moments of daring and suspense. But my biggest hang-up with book 2, and why I struggle with giving it more than 3 stars, is how much whining and "woe is me" Maimun does. I concede the fact that he is only 12 or 13 years old, but still. I felt it somewhat added a tarnish to some of the other characters because you only get the perspective of Maimun and his opinion. Capt Deutermont is one of my favorites, but I felt his portrayal here somewhat tarnished his reputation. I didn't hate this... but I definitely didn't love it.
August 24, 2023
Again a decent young adult read, again an absurd price on the ebook for a 3 hour read. The trilogy is essentially one 20 dollar book.
June 18, 2010
The Shadowmask is the second book in the Stone of Tymora trilogy by R.A. and Geno Salvatore. The first book is The Stowaway and the third is The Sentinels due out in September 2010.
The Shadowmask begins right were The Stowaway left off finishing the cliff hanger from that book. It also continues the plot of Maimun telling his tale to a pirate who has captured him and through continuing the telling of his tale is keeping him alive. Once Maimun's predicament is resolved at the beginning, he continues on his journey now to be rid of the stone he possesses. An unfortunate incident happens and he aligns himself once again with Captain Deudermont and the Sea Sprite crew to chase pirates and retrieves what he has lost. Yet again there are special appearances by Drizzt and company and the reader is given a clue as to the timeline of this story which takes place during and after events in The Halfling's Gem from The Icewind Dale Trilogy. A couple subplots spring up in this one with Maimun's infatuation with a certain girl, the ambitions of a pirate captain, a woman wearing a shadowmask who can turn into a raven, and the mystery of an island.
This story moves much better than the first. There was more mystery involved and so help my interest much more. There wasn't as much of a need for character introductions so the story moved along nicely. Once again, this one is a fast read with short chapters and large print. This makes it ideal for a younger audience to read. The character development is done very well. A couple of the characters grow in ways that make sense and continues to define their growth. There is even a special appearance from one of the past characters, but to refrain from spoilers I won't say who. I feel this is a good bridge novel and I am looking forward to continuing this story. Geno Salvatore is doing a wonderful job and I am impressed with the improvement of his writing. The details and depictions of battles are just about as good as his fathers. It flows wonderfully and the pacing keeps the reader turning the pages.
Some criticisms:
1. Like the fist book, this one is written in the first person POV. I have never been a fan of this POV, but have make exceptions in the past and have read some good books utilizing this style, however, for this series, I believe a third person POV would have made the story much better.
2. Maimun's constant blaming of others or circumstances gets old. Instead of learning more about some situations it just continues to be the blame game over and over.
3. As with the first book, this one also has a cliff hanger ending, albeit, this time at least there is more of an actual ending and the cliff hanger leads more into the next book. At least this time he didn't end the book in the middle of a battle.
Some positives:
1. To me, the writing was much better and the action sequences are fantastic. The wording is not over done for the young adult audience it is geared towards.
2. Also set up for a younger audience is the length of the short chapters. It helps to five the YA reader a feeling of accomplishment while enjoying a well told story.
3. There is more of a mystery set up with this one and the way it plays out is excellent. Though there are still some things left out, I still enjoyed the read. I hope more is explained in the final book.
Overall, I had a good time reading this one. It was far better paced than the first and once again, the characters used from his father's books only enhanced the adventure and were not a focal point. Mr. Salvatore did a good job of making his characters the main part of the book. I really am looking forward to the conclusion in The Sentinels.
Happy reading
-Dimndbangr
The Shadowmask begins right were The Stowaway left off finishing the cliff hanger from that book. It also continues the plot of Maimun telling his tale to a pirate who has captured him and through continuing the telling of his tale is keeping him alive. Once Maimun's predicament is resolved at the beginning, he continues on his journey now to be rid of the stone he possesses. An unfortunate incident happens and he aligns himself once again with Captain Deudermont and the Sea Sprite crew to chase pirates and retrieves what he has lost. Yet again there are special appearances by Drizzt and company and the reader is given a clue as to the timeline of this story which takes place during and after events in The Halfling's Gem from The Icewind Dale Trilogy. A couple subplots spring up in this one with Maimun's infatuation with a certain girl, the ambitions of a pirate captain, a woman wearing a shadowmask who can turn into a raven, and the mystery of an island.
This story moves much better than the first. There was more mystery involved and so help my interest much more. There wasn't as much of a need for character introductions so the story moved along nicely. Once again, this one is a fast read with short chapters and large print. This makes it ideal for a younger audience to read. The character development is done very well. A couple of the characters grow in ways that make sense and continues to define their growth. There is even a special appearance from one of the past characters, but to refrain from spoilers I won't say who. I feel this is a good bridge novel and I am looking forward to continuing this story. Geno Salvatore is doing a wonderful job and I am impressed with the improvement of his writing. The details and depictions of battles are just about as good as his fathers. It flows wonderfully and the pacing keeps the reader turning the pages.
Some criticisms:
1. Like the fist book, this one is written in the first person POV. I have never been a fan of this POV, but have make exceptions in the past and have read some good books utilizing this style, however, for this series, I believe a third person POV would have made the story much better.
2. Maimun's constant blaming of others or circumstances gets old. Instead of learning more about some situations it just continues to be the blame game over and over.
3. As with the first book, this one also has a cliff hanger ending, albeit, this time at least there is more of an actual ending and the cliff hanger leads more into the next book. At least this time he didn't end the book in the middle of a battle.
Some positives:
1. To me, the writing was much better and the action sequences are fantastic. The wording is not over done for the young adult audience it is geared towards.
2. Also set up for a younger audience is the length of the short chapters. It helps to five the YA reader a feeling of accomplishment while enjoying a well told story.
3. There is more of a mystery set up with this one and the way it plays out is excellent. Though there are still some things left out, I still enjoyed the read. I hope more is explained in the final book.
Overall, I had a good time reading this one. It was far better paced than the first and once again, the characters used from his father's books only enhanced the adventure and were not a focal point. Mr. Salvatore did a good job of making his characters the main part of the book. I really am looking forward to the conclusion in The Sentinels.
Happy reading
-Dimndbangr
November 13, 2015
R.A. Salvatore is one of my favorite fantasy writers. Drizzt Do'Urden is one of my favorite fantasy characters. Geno Salvatore is R.A.'s son and The Shadowmask is his second published fantasy novel. The excitement of the Stone of Tymora series continues in The Shadowmask as Maimum persists in looking for his stolen stone.
From the first page to the last, this book is jam-packed with action and adventure. Geno Salvatore is following in his father's footsteps and is becoming an excellent writer of fantasy. Right now, with the collaborative effort in this series, readers will enjoy a seamless fantasy tale with both famous Forgotten Realms characters and new ones.
Maimum is a nice addition to this world, but he has some work to do if he is going to become as famous as Drizzt Do'Urden. I mean, I really like Maimum, but he doesn't stand out very much as being someone special. He doesn't have a unique talent, just a magical sword. Now, we don't quite know what his link to the Stone of Tymora is, or what the stone can do, and maybe this will end up being the one thing that sets him apart from other characters and will make him memorable.
The characters are well-developed and there are always plenty of adventures to be had in the Forgotten Worlds realm. I wish I knew why Asbeel wanted the Stone of Tymora so much. I guess I will have to wait for The Sentinels, the last book in this series due out in September of 2010.
Overall, The Shadowmask is another excellent story by both a new and old writer working together to spin the best fantasy yarn ever. So far, it is paying off big time.
I rated this book a 9 out of 10.
From the first page to the last, this book is jam-packed with action and adventure. Geno Salvatore is following in his father's footsteps and is becoming an excellent writer of fantasy. Right now, with the collaborative effort in this series, readers will enjoy a seamless fantasy tale with both famous Forgotten Realms characters and new ones.
Maimum is a nice addition to this world, but he has some work to do if he is going to become as famous as Drizzt Do'Urden. I mean, I really like Maimum, but he doesn't stand out very much as being someone special. He doesn't have a unique talent, just a magical sword. Now, we don't quite know what his link to the Stone of Tymora is, or what the stone can do, and maybe this will end up being the one thing that sets him apart from other characters and will make him memorable.
The characters are well-developed and there are always plenty of adventures to be had in the Forgotten Worlds realm. I wish I knew why Asbeel wanted the Stone of Tymora so much. I guess I will have to wait for The Sentinels, the last book in this series due out in September of 2010.
Overall, The Shadowmask is another excellent story by both a new and old writer working together to spin the best fantasy yarn ever. So far, it is paying off big time.
I rated this book a 9 out of 10.
January 12, 2010
In this second book we're told the continuation of the story began in The Stowaway. This time, Maimun is without his stone and is off to capture it again.
The story is full of characters such as Joen and Captain Deudermont which breathe life into it. Also a return is made by a character thought lost in The Stowaway, which was a pleasant surprise.
While I still had a bit of an issue with the telling of the story in first person (being somewhat corny), it begins to work better in this book. It feels like the authors are finally getting their stride and spinning a story worth telling. Despite this being the "bridge" in a trilogy, there are adventures that begin and end in the book that gave me a satisfied feeling and didn't make me too frustrated when it came to the, to be expected, cliffhanger ending.
Overall, a great series so far for young boys and girls. Lots of adventure, fun and easily read.
The story is full of characters such as Joen and Captain Deudermont which breathe life into it. Also a return is made by a character thought lost in The Stowaway, which was a pleasant surprise.
While I still had a bit of an issue with the telling of the story in first person (being somewhat corny), it begins to work better in this book. It feels like the authors are finally getting their stride and spinning a story worth telling. Despite this being the "bridge" in a trilogy, there are adventures that begin and end in the book that gave me a satisfied feeling and didn't make me too frustrated when it came to the, to be expected, cliffhanger ending.
Overall, a great series so far for young boys and girls. Lots of adventure, fun and easily read.
June 18, 2014
A boy continues his search for the mysterious Stone of Tymora. Along the way he encounters ominous characters and traverses over desert and sea. Written in first person, for young readers.
This story reminds me of the choose your own adventure books I used to read when I was a wee lad. It took me a while to get used to the first person narrative, and even after that, I couldn't get into it much.
I found Maimun's insubordination towards his captain, Deudermont, annoying. Also, I don't see how he is able to face a demon multiple times and survive; but I know this is a children's book so it makes more sense in that context.
I enjoyed the bits of Drizzt and the Companions, as part of their story in The Halfling's Gem runs parallel to this one; it's interesting to see it from another perspective.
This story reminds me of the choose your own adventure books I used to read when I was a wee lad. It took me a while to get used to the first person narrative, and even after that, I couldn't get into it much.
I found Maimun's insubordination towards his captain, Deudermont, annoying. Also, I don't see how he is able to face a demon multiple times and survive; but I know this is a children's book so it makes more sense in that context.
I enjoyed the bits of Drizzt and the Companions, as part of their story in The Halfling's Gem runs parallel to this one; it's interesting to see it from another perspective.
April 14, 2011
The Shadowmask is the second in the trilogy co-written by the father-son team of R.A. and Geno Salvatore. Continuing right from where the first story left off, Miamum is treated to big trouble after losing everything that was valuable to him and he wants it back, despite the many powerful and varied beings that also covet the things he once held closely to him. Teaming up with R.A.'s legend Drizzit once again, the duo makes another fast paces story that leaves little to question. Plot, character development and other such things are again rushed, but not to the point where it seems like they just wanted to get this over with. Instead, it makes a great novel for the younger readers to sink their teeth into.
June 2, 2011
Fast-paced and short read.....Geno following into the footsteps of his father as an economical, capable, and yet not outstanding writer. Salvatore books are to me what Burger King is to food. You are not going to get a book that wins any awards, but they leave you filled and satisfied when you are in a pinch. Epic fantasy book fans should obviously seek out the classics by Tolkien and C.S. Lewis, however. A friend of mine speaks highly of George Martin (Game of Thrones....as in the HBO series), so maybe that would be a suggestion you can take second hand.
January 13, 2024
Ez sem volt jobb, mint az előző könyv.
Ugyan a sivatagos rész tetszett és örültem a Tengeri Szellem ismételt megjelenének is, valamint Deudermont kapitánynak. De ezek ellenére is rettentő unalmas és semmitmondó volt a könyv. Nem tudom hová fog kifutni a történet Tymora kövével, de nem is igazán érdekel. Maimun továbbra is csak idegesítő és magával van elfoglalva.
Ugyan a sivatagos rész tetszett és örültem a Tengeri Szellem ismételt megjelenének is, valamint Deudermont kapitánynak. De ezek ellenére is rettentő unalmas és semmitmondó volt a könyv. Nem tudom hová fog kifutni a történet Tymora kövével, de nem is igazán érdekel. Maimun továbbra is csak idegesítő és magával van elfoglalva.
February 3, 2013
A better read and story that the firth part of the trilogy, maybe the partnership or writers worked slightly better. It seems less teeny than the first one, maybe that is just as I've got used to the style and it isn't bothering me as much
August 13, 2015
I'm usually leery of authors writing with their kids, but this series has been a pleasant surprise. As an added bonus, you can easily see where it fits into Drizzt's own series, so this is a great gateway series to get into those.
March 17, 2020
Maimun joins Captain Deudermont and the Sea Sprite for an adventure on the high seas in pursuit of pirates, his friend Joen, and a mysterious lady wearing the shadowmask. The action is good but the plot depends a lot on people refusing to communicate, like in a cheesy sitcom.
December 27, 2014
A nice ya adventure
January 7, 2016
this series is a quick, easy read. reading it as back story for The Pirate King. So story is decent enough.
June 23, 2019
Quick read, ok book.
November 19, 2016
Great series
A big fanboy Always happy with Salvatore's work, why are they making me write so many words? Who will actually read this heh
A big fanboy Always happy with Salvatore's work, why are they making me write so many words? Who will actually read this heh
June 5, 2012
I love the Drizzt series but I just couldn't get into these books.
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