La venganza elfa,

Forgotten Realms: The Harpers #2

by Elaine Cunningham

Los Arpistas de Faerun están siendo misteriosamente asesinados. Uno a uno, los miembros de la sociedad semi-secreta que defiende la causa del Bien en los Reinos, caen víctimas de un sigiloso asesino. Un agente Arpista y una hermosa asesina semielfa deben resolver el misterio. Si no lo consiguen, ellos serán las próximas víctimas. Pero en los Reinos, las cosas rara vez resultan tan sencillas.

Genres: Fantasy, Forgotten Realms, Fiction, Dungeons and Dragons, High Fantasy, Science Fiction Fantasy, Adventure

349 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1991

About the author

Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name. See this thread for more information.


Elaine Cunningham is an American fantasy author.

Reviews

[Robert · Rating 4 out of 5]

Arilyn and Danilo are my new favourite travelling companions.


Sorry, guys.

This book perhaps suffered a little from being overstuffed with secondary and tertiary characters but, given how these novels also had the mission to populate and introduce the relatively new setting of Faerûn to the reader, I suppose it can be forgiven.

As a protagonist Arilyn was a bit of a cypher, but fortunately Danilo's buffoonery alongside her more than compensated.


Couldn't help but imagine this dude as Danilo, tbh.

I will definitely be returning to this series, both within and without the Harper main line, to see what that wacky Moonblade gets up to next.

[Ranting Dragon · Rating 4 out of 5]

http://www.rantingdragon.com/review-o...

Elfshadow, the first of Elaine Cunningham’s forays into the Forgotten Realms, is both the second book in the multi-author, open-ended The Harpers series as well as the first book in Cunningham’s smaller Songs & Swords series. The latter series follows the characters of Arilyn Moonblade and Danilo Thann, who are introduced in this work. Elfshadow tells the story of a mysterious assassin who is murdering Harpers, a semi-secret force for “good” in the Realms, and the trail of clues that leads Arilyn to a confrontation with the killer. It also builds up the general depth of the Forgotten Realms setting through connections to the city of Waterdeep and the well-known characters who dwell there.

The foundation of the Realms
Published in 1991, Elfshadow was written while the the base canon and lore of the Realms were still being established. There were a lot of areas on the map and in the history books that had only a sentence or two to describe them. The Harpers series did a great job filling in a lot of those gaps. Creating a loosely organized series of over fifteen novels—set in wide ranging areas, with many original sets of characters tied together in The Harpers—allowed a number of authors to contribute their ideas simultaneously without worrying about stepping on one another’s toes.

Elfshadow specifically helped establish a lot of the elven lore that was somewhat lacking in the early, Dales-centric works by Ed Greenwood. The often stormy relationship between humans and elves in the Realms has become a very common feature of both the lore and fantasy settings in general. The threat present throughout this work—that Arilyn could inadvertently bring about the revelation of a portal to Evermeet from the mainland, thus allowing the presumed greedy and rapacious humans free reign—really helped set the stage for future Forgotten Realms novels and settings, including Cunningham’s later work, Evermeet: Island of the Elves.

One of my most favorite characters
This novel also introduced a character that remains one of my favorites in all of fantasy fiction, not just Realms lore: Danilo Thann. Although this scion of a noble Waterdeep family appears to be a worthless fop who drinks, wenches, spends his way through a lazy effete lifestyle, and wastes his time with frivolous nonsense, all of that is actually a front. He is an agent of his uncle, the archmage Khelben “Blackstaff” Arunsun, and a surprisingly accomplished mage and bard in his own right. He uses the cover of his birthright to keep people’s suspicions at bay, make them underestimate him, and allow him access to the salons and clubs where information can be gathered discreetly.

The dual nature of Danilo’s character has always appealed to me. It gives a level of depth to a character who would be superficial if either side of him was the only one we saw. Watching him struggle with playing the fool when he would rather be serious brings him to life in a way that a lot of Realms characters do not. Even when he is playing the fool, he does it with a biting wit and some phenomenal dialogue that is a credit to Cunningham.

Moonblades
Among the primary foci of this story are the ancient Elven artifacts, Moonblades. They are magical weapons, passed down through a family line, becoming stronger and stronger with each generation, and burning to a crisp any unworthy member of the family who tries to wield one. Arilyn possesses one—takes her name from one, even—which, as she is a half-elf, caused no small amount of scandal among the quite insular elven people. Each Moonblade is unique, gaining powers based upon the needs of the wielders. For a wizard, it might enhance arcane powers or help protect from more mundane attacks, whereas for a scout, it might confer temporary invisibility or magically obscure tracks. They are quite compelling both as a concept for a fictional narrative device, as well as for their place in the underlying gaming concepts as used in Dungeons and Dragons.

I always find it helpful to consider the effects that Dungeons and Dragons had on the Forgotten Realms as a fictional setting, and vice versa. So many of the Forgotten Realms authors, early and current, began their careers designing game modules that the influences the two sides had on each other is intrinsic to how the setting developed. The creation, description and execution of these ancestral weapons in the lore really helped support both sides of that equation. Plus, I’m just a sucker for really cool magical swords. Who isn’t?

Why should you read this book?
As with all of the books being reviewed as part of this article series, it is important to establish yourself in the grounding of a setting before you try to engage with the later works built on that setting. For that reason alone, Elfshadow is a must-read for anybody looking to get into the Forgotten Realms. That aside, however, Cunningham has also created several excellent characters with this and with the later books based upon it. With Arilyn and the elf Eliath Craulnober, there some great insights into the interrelation of elves and humans and the various sub-races of elves with one another. With Danilo, you get a surprisingly deep and clever semi-hero that keeps you engaged. And Cunningham’s work with Khelben Arunsun is really second only to Greenwood’s treatment of the character as one of the more powerful figures in Realms lore.

Outside the contributions to the setting, Elfshadow is also just a great book. It’s really a murder mystery, and it builds suspense and tension quite well as the victims begin piling up. The reveal, if not incredibly original in murder mystery fiction, is very well executed and played to the hilt. For fans of mystery who want to get into fantasy and vice versa, this is a great place to dip your toe in. Plus, nowhere else in the Forgotten Realms lore will you find a mage casting Snilloc’s Cream Pie.

[David Sarkies · Rating 3 out of 5]

After some people pointed out that The Parched Sea was little more than a rip off of Lawrence of Arabia, I was wondering whether the good people at TSR (as it was then) would take the same tact with this book and simply copy some pre-existing story and throw it into the Forgotten Realms. So, as I was reading it my mind was trying to come up with pop-culture equivalents to this book. So, what we have is a half-elf assassin and a magic-using companion who is regularly described as a dandy. It is also about a secret organisation known as the Harpers and they are attempting to track down an assassin who is killing off their members. So, taking the idea of a couple of cops, one straight, and the other rather eccentric, I immediately thought of this movie:



However, the since the Harpers are a secret organisation then equating them with the LAPD sort of didn't work. However, considering that it is about an assassin hunting down and killing members of this organisation, I considered that maybe they were copying this film:



Nope, doesn't work either.
Maybe we could go with this:



It sort of seems to work since the Harpers are a secret organisation, as is MI5, however the Harpers owe allegiance to no one where as MI5 owes allegiance to the Queen, and the Harpers seeks to fight for justice whereas MI5 simply fights for the interests of the British Empire. Still, close enough, especially since this book comes across with a lot more intrigue and mystery than many of the other Forgotten Realms (or even Dungeons & Dragons related books).
To be honest, I actually quite enjoyed it, and while it isn't in the league of Dostoyevski nor is it going to go down as a literary masterpiece in the same way as Madam Bovary (nor would I suggest that Cunningham took the attitude of Flaubert in making sure that every sentence that she wrote was written to perfection) it is still a rather fun book to while away the time and to give one's mind a rest between the more serious books I tend to read.
To be honest, the mystery itself was pretty good, and it actually had a decent twist in it that I never actually expected. There is also a decent world changing plot (involving a magical gate that connects Faerun with the elven island of Evermeet that if discovered could seriously compromise the security of the later place), so I guess there is that James Bond element in it as well. However, what it doesn't have is the hidden superfortress and the armies of mooks that get mowed down in a machine gun fight at the end, but then again this is a fantasy novel so I guess machine guns probably wouldn't fit.

[Fonch · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dedicated to the people of Eternam /Rebellion and to the gamer and YouTuber Turbiales .

Ladies and gentlemen, after the conclusion of the review of A Landscape with Dragons : The Battle for Your Child's Mind|1015234] by Michael D. O'Brien a humble servant realized that I forgot something important, there's still a remedy since the review wasn't posted on Goodreads , but there will be time to add that. When the previous review was written I was in a very gloomy and melancholic mood, that is to say, in a depressive phase, but just like the The Sorrows of Young Werther by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, but today I feel the same as when [book :Faust|406373] by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe was written in a euphoric phase, and I think one of the reasons for my contentment is that this novel brings back better times. I rediscover The Forgotten Realms https://www.goodreads.com/genres/forg... . This book , Elfshadow , or “ Elven Vengeance ” in Spanish, has as its backdrop the secret organization of the Harpers created by the great wizard Elfminster (a Gandalf-like figure JRR . Tolkien 4-Book Boxed Set: The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings) and, which is concerned with maintaining the balance of intrigues in the world of the Forgotten Realms always with a benevolent purpose although and, this is the reason why I did not sympathize with this organization that reminds me too much of the English espionage service orchestrated by Lord Burleigh, Sir. Francis Walsingham during the Elizabethan monarchy, who persecuted countless people with such ferocity and cruelty, considering them enemies of the state, especially English Catholics, and in a similar vein, Thurloe continued this work during the time of Oliver Cromwell (for more information see this book Spies of the Empire: History of the Spanish Secret Services in the Time of the Habsburgs (NO FICTION) by Fernando Martínez Laínez this plot reminds me of the novels of Ruled Britannia by Harry Turtledove), but ignoring this unfortunate historical reminiscence, if you are looking for literature to escape from your problems and have a good time, this is the ideal book for you because it successfully mixes fantasy, detective novel, thriller, and espionage. My negative view of the Harpers is not accidental, as I had a bitter experience with them in the video game Baldur's Gate II Shadows Of Amn Game manual|22431193]Baldur's Gate II: Shadows of AmnBaldur's Gate II: Shadows of Amn and, in Neverwinter Nights Official Adventure GuideNeverwinter Nights : Hordes of the Underdark Official Strategy GuideNeverwinter Nights : Shadows of Undrentide Official Strategy Guide ( Official) Strategy Guides (this expansion was scripted by fantasy writer Naomi Novik) nobody wanted to be a Harper. It's something that, unfortunately, despite having solemn members like Elfminster, Khelben Darkrod (who makes a cameo in this novel as a brilliant supporting character), and Volo, isn't very popular among fans of this saga, but with your indulgence, we'll go through it bit by bit.
Forgotten Realms is one of the different worlds that make up Dungeons and Dragons, created by Gary Gygax (I had the opportunity to read the Setne novels written by Gary Gygax in an alternate history world, and they weren't bad ) . The Anubis Murders The Samarkand Solution Death in Delhi being the second best, they are very underrated in my opinion) and, Dave Arneson. https://www.goodreads.com/genres/dung... has numerous worlds, I don't know them all . Forgotten Realms , Dragonlance , Eberron , Greyhawk , Dark Sun , Ravenloft , Eberron , Spellhammer , Placescape (see my review of Baldur's Gate), and possibly guest worlds like Exandria and Ravnica . Some are closer to the highbrow genre. fantasy and others closer to low fantasy , but none fall into grimdark , although Dark Sun is a post-apocalyptic world . From what I've heard, the best one is Ravenloft, but I know very little about it, except for the gameplay I did with my friend Turbiales (if he'll allow me to give him the title, and he's not bothered about teaming up with a guy like me). That world was created by Tracy Hickman and Laura Hickman, who also created the Dragonlance universe , which, due to its religious themes and those of its authors, is where I feel most comfortable. It's a shame they're not Catholic, but you can't have everything. However, the world I've enjoyed the most is the Forgotten Realms, thanks to the video games, because I didn't have a very good impression of the Forgotten novels. Realms , I always considered that the best novelists worked in the Dragonlance universe (this universe was also created by the Hickmans). I've been looking, but it seems there aren't enough role-playing games for Catholics, so I've seen Dragon Raid, Pendragon, and Custodio Animae , but I've been away from these themes for a long time. But in The Temple of Elemental EvilThe Temple of Elemental Evil Saint Mungo even appeared, and I've actually proposed that he be made the patron saint of role-playing games. Although some look to Saint Pancras as an intercessor, one of the main characters in Fabiola : Or , The Church of the Catacombs by Nicholas Wiseman or, Carlo Acutis my friend The Boy Who Knew : Carlo Acutis by Corinna Turner.
Getting back to the point, the place where I was happiest was in the Forgotten universe. Realms, where I had a wonderful experience in 2006-2007 in Eternam, although it ended badly because of the way I left—you could say I left in great dishonor. Someday the story will be told. That made me, like Karl Konrad Koreander, in The Neverending Story is an expert traveler and connoisseur of the Forgotten Realms. My initial impression, as mentioned, was that the best writers were in the Dragonlance world, but this novel is very good and raises the bar for this franchise. I should mention that I read some novels by RASalvatore and, I found them very weak and, I didn't hear good things about those by Ed Greenwood, but this one raises the level and, to finish this very long introduction, the Dungeons and Dragons universe is composed of a sun and ten planets; this would be the D&D cosmogony: The Sun, Anadia , Coliar , TORIL (this is the main world in which I have moved the most), Abeir , Salune , Karpri , Chandos , Glyth , Garden, H'Catha , and, regarding theology, it is a world very similar to that of The Silmarillion by JRR . Tolkien|656983], but there is a difference in this world of Dungeons and Dragons: there is a kind of twilight where the gods take human form and can die either in combat or through oblivion, and a mortal, just as in Greek mythology, can be deified. These are features of Norse and Greek mythology. In fact, this novel speaks of the Time of Troubles where the gods took human form and caused chaos, and three gods— Myrkul, Bane, and Bhaal (the father of the protagonist of Baldur's Gate)—took human form and were killed by Cyric, a mortal who also became a god and is the god of thieves and rogues.
Elaine 's novel Cunningham says you need to know a little about the Forgotten Realms universe, otherwise you'll get lost. The novel opens spectacularly with a regicide, and this will be essential to the story. In the second chapter, we are introduced to the protagonist, a half-moon elf named Arylin Moonleaf, whose mother (Zeberyl) has been murdered by robbers. Arylin has had problems with her mother's relatives who wanted her sword, but the sword has chosen her as its wielder. (Arylin is very pious and is almost always at the Temple of Cenali.) Hanali). Even so, Lord Kymil of Nimesin takes her on as a disciple, and this character will end up working in association with the Harpers without being a member of the organization (which is very wise). In the third chapter, she meets with Zhentarim because she has to infiltrate a Zhentarim fortress because a series of relics of the goddess Selune have been stolen (by someone named Cherbill Nimt), with whom she must negotiate their return (this mission shows us that Arilyn Moonblade is a woman of principle, with strong morals, and that she doesn't kill unless necessary, which makes her an atypical assassin). She must recover them by infiltrating the dark fortress. I already knew the Zhentarim from my adventures, an evil organization rival to the Harpers (in fact, there's a war between the two). I remember two idiots named Montaron and Xzar, and I grew fond of them despite their evil nature. In fact, I didn't care how their stories ended, even though they deserved it for being bad people. But even if you don't know the Zhentarim, just seeing the dialogue between Pistrati and Arilyn is enough to realize how bad they are. The protagonist manages to infiltrate the Darkfort, a fortress like Alamut, and complete the mission. However, things take a turn when the mission is finished, because it's revealed that a serial killer is targeting Harpers, and one of the victims is Rafe Silverspur. She feels stalked or watched, and after completing her mission to the Halfway Inn (in this world, the Innkeeper is key), the innkeeper Myrin Silverspear tells her that Lord Nimesin, with whom she doesn't get along very well, wishes to meet with her. He tells her that she is one of the killer's targets. Meanwhile, in Waterdeep, ruled by Piergieron and advised by the council, with the mage of Khelben Blackrod as one of his advisors, we meet the co-protagonist Danilo Thann, a young, green-faced dandy who fancies himself a bard. He is a blend of the character from [ book:The Scarlet Pimpernel|136116] by Emmuska Orczy Percy Blakeney , or El Coyote + La vuelta del Coyote by J . Mallorquí and, also has an air of Oscar Wilde and of Cary Grant and, surrounds himself with frivolous nobles like Callanthra or, Myrina (in fact Danilo Thann has a reputation for being a bungler inventing spells of his own invention) that is to say the most frivolous people in the city, but behind this appearance hides the nephew of Khelben Blackrod so he is a magician's apprentice and, probable successor (although he hides under that facade) and, is a brilliant mind. Then Khelben tells him that he must go and protect a half-moon elf named (by the way, the best character I met in Eternam was a moon elf and his name was Aleph; both he and Krassus were extraordinary and were great friends, even more so than my friend Kunniotani 's character, the dwarf Great Fink; I also met my friend Guedi there) Cosword and his wife Domino, so there were three Lasallians , four of us, but another one left before he arrived. I regret that Deigo wasn't with us, and I take this opportunity to greet my friends Lerzan and Driades (despite my disastrous departure, I still have some friends from Eternam ). Arilyn , who is the target of the Harpers serial killer. Both characters are at the halfway inn near the elven city of Evereska. One of the characteristics of Forgotten The thing about Realm is that many of the plots not only take place in the open countryside and in dungeons, but important parts of the plot also develop in cities (I personally have a great fondness for Atkathla, which reminds me of Spain and the cities of The First Law Trilogy by Joe Abercrombie, and I also really like Argluna , which is ruled by Salustriel , and I also like Waterdeep. Among the great heroes of the Forgotten Realms are also the Drow. Drizzt DoÚrden, created by RA Salvatore, Elfminster, Khelben Darkstaff, Wulfgar , the Dwarf King Bruenor , and Salustriel herself (Volo will get involved too). It's very interesting how Arilyn takes Danilo Thann hostage (or so she thinks) and flees from some Harvid thugs. Beornigath and his henchmen, with whom he had old scores to settle in the past. At the same time, a murder occurs that forces Arilyn (against her will) to work with the apparent dandy Danilo Thann, who wins over not only the characters in the novel but also the reader (I've always liked bards who are masters of nothing and apprentices of everything. The best character I ever saw was the Bard Deigo, played by my friend of the same name. He was even better than my character, a Beorning Cleric named Kunov from the Saga, who reached level 12. Paradoxically, I came to know J.R.R. Tolkien thanks to role-playing games; I hadn't yet read his books. I believe that God, through Providence, led me into his wise hands, but that story will be told later. It must be said that J.R.R. Tolkien, despite not being liked by Gary Gygax, was fundamental to the creation of the D&D universe, and the writers of SAGA Swordsmen and Sorcerer Guild of America. (It wasn't mentioned, but Gary Gygax was a non-practicing Jehovah 's Witness). One of the most hilarious moments is the battle against the goblins and lizardmen in Chelimber Swamp , and another of the novel's strengths is the dialogue, especially Danilo Thann 's comebacks . Once you reach Waterdeep (I don't know why they expected more adventures before reaching Waterdeep
continues...

[RoxanaSparrow · Rating 5 out of 5]

Acabo de terminar el primer número de la serie de Dungeons & Dragons: Reinos Olvidados - Los Arpistas: "La Venganza Elfa", de Elaine Cunningham, ¡y ya se ha convertido en uno de mis libros favoritos!

Este tesoro lo consiguió mi hermana en una librería de segunda mano por solo 5€, y no se puede igualar la cantidad de horas de diversión que me ha dado.

La historia transcurre, en gran parte, en Waterdeep y comienza con Arilyn Hojaluna, una semielfa pícara con una espada mágica, rodeada de misteriosas muertes de agentes arpistas. Más adelante conocemos a Danilo Thann... y hasta aquí puedo contar, ¡sin spoilers! Es alucinante cómo la trama entre estos dos personajes se va entrelazando. Para mí, Danilo se lleva la estrella en esta historia ¡me encanta! Cuando apareció, tenía mis sospechas sobre su clase y… ¡voilà! Resultó ser un bardo, lo cual me fascinó!

Despu��s de lo mucho que he disfrutado este primer número, no dudo en conseguir el resto. Además, ¡estoy totalmente "on fire" con D&D!

Si tuviera que sacarle una pega, sería la letra un poco pequeña, me imagino que por lo antiguo de la edición, pero al final uno se acostumbra.

[MasterSal]

Would like to read more in Forgotten Realms - and this author was recommended. Now to actually source the books - let the adventure begin.

[Brooke A Harding · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book should not have taken as long to read as it did. It's barely three hundred pages and it took me as long to read as 600 page books.
I enjoyed certain aspects of the book as relating to D&D. Candlekeep, Blackstaff, Waterdeep, the mention of "Oh, I can only cast this once per day", you know. Stuff like that. Not knowing D&D however would not make this incomprehensible. The locations are fleshed out enough as needed that where I was was not much of a problem (although I have no concept of Geography and that apparently translates to fictional maps as well).
Danilo is easily my favorite character.
However. This book felt so slow. It didn't get really interesting until the midpoint of the book and then all that potential just slipped away. And maybe that's my fault for expecting a different type of story but come on! It's a murder mystery with a secret organization. What more can I ask of it?
The foreshadowing was well done enough that I noticed it and figured things out.
Oh, yeah. The timeline jumps. It might have been my fault for not paying attention but I didn't realize that the half-elf with the sword and the girl at the beginning were the same person because of the weird time skips. It also took me an embarrassingly long time to figure out how the prologue related to the rest of the story.
I wanted to like it so much. I really did. I just...I couldn't.
I may read the sequel but it depends on what the story is.

[Wade Johnston · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very good 4 stars. Yes yes all the tropes are here, I hear you buuuut it's just so much FUN. The "tropes" are here but they're used in the best way possible. There are some somewhat important story beats mentioned several times but never followed up but there are several more books in this sub series(yes the world of the forgotten realms is MASSIVE and will forever be kept alive by Dungeons and Dragons) so I have a feeling those will be explored in the following books. The main characters are likeable. A LOT of lore which is one of my favorite things about these books. The side characters are also very likeable. I don't recall feeling like the story started to drag either as I was reading. It's a fun book and also could make a good entry point for new readers of the world of the forgotten realms.

[Terence · Rating 3 out of 5]

I seem to recall picking up this novel with a gift certificate and found Cunningham an engaging writer. If an apocalypse occurred and the only reading material left in the world was a shelf of Forgotten Realms serializations, Cunningham would be one of the authors who I wouldn't toss on the fire to keep warm on those long, radioactive nights.

The subsequent novels of hers I've read usually only merit 2 stars at most but that faint praise is only possible because of Cunningham's skill as a writer in rising above (if only a bit) the material she's writing about.

[Gwen · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fun fantasy full of Forgotten Realms lore. Half-elf Arilyn Moonblade is searching for an assassin who is killing people close to her... but what is their motive? Assisted by the foppish mage/bard Danilo Thann, they travel to Waterdeep with many adventures and intrigue along the way.

Well-written and quite funny at times, I raced through this book and enjoyed every minute. I did guess the ending but it was still very satisfying. I would love to read more Forgotten Realms books by this author. 4.5 stars rounded up.

[Justin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Arilyn Moonblade is a half-elf assassin. Or, perhaps, Bounty Hunter might be the better term. Almost unequaled with the blade, she works contracts for a number of shadowy organizations, most prominently among them the Harpers. But recently, even as she successfully dispatches agents of the Zhentarim, someone else is hunting Harpers. For each Zhentarim who falls, it seems, so too does a dear ally. And worst of all, despite not knowing anything about it, signs are starting to point to Arilyn.

Elfshadow was my first Elaine Cunningham novel, and it apparently was her first set in the Forgotten Realms. I think the thing that stood out to me the most about this book was its characters. Arilyn is a great character: focused, ruthless, impatient, and stubborn, but still possessed of a strong moral compass. Along the way she is joined by Danilo Thann, a bard of significant magical skill who spends his time posing as an aloof dandy. The two make for an unlikely pair, but the fact that they are almost forced into companionship by the events of the story results in surprising synergy, in addition to some genuinely hilarious moments.

I found the plot to be interesting, even if a bit convoluted. It delves into a lot of backstory about tensions between races of elves within the Realms, which was really interesting to learn about. I've read my share of Realms books, but distinctions between Moon Elves, Sun elves, etc, have never been given much attention in those books. The story made sense, but I will confess to occasionally having some trouble following it. I also thought that Cunningham's writing ranged from excellent to a little bit clumsy in some areas. I'm no genius with prose, to be sure, but I did feel that she had a tendency to overuse certain writing patterns. For example, she often referred to Arilyn as "the half-elf," which works a few times per novel but not the dozens of times it was used here.

Overall, it was a fun read. I'm probably going to read a few more of her books in the coming months at the suggestion of a goodreads friend, and I'm looking forward to seeing if these characters continue to appear.

[Jesse · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is one of the best Forgotten Realms books I've read in a long time. This author is one of my favorites, and this is her first book, so of course i loved reading about characters I've known for a long time, to learn their humble beginings.
Perhaps the plot is a bit streched, but the characters definitly made up for the overblown storyline. There was also good stuff about Waterdeep and Evereska, as well as the beginings of the long lasting feud between the Gold elves and the Grey Elves...good stuff.
This is the begining of a 5 part series, and I can't wait to get into the next one.

[Χρυσόστομος Τσαπραΐλης · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good old TSR novel, well-written, with characters the names of whose are the stuff of colourful Realmslore. Danilo Thann is a most satisfying dandy, swashbuckling character, and is excellently matched with Arilyn Moonblade. The plot is not that astounding, though it works well as a fireside story - the kind of book that this is. Also a good source of Waterdeep geography. An excellent addition in the Harpers series.

[Alyssa · Rating 4 out of 5]

It starts off a little chunky feeling: description, conversation, activity, but it begins to smooth out the further you go along until you don’t notice the transitions anymore. This was my first time reading a book like this so story wise I can’t say much beyond I enjoyed it and I’m going to read more in the series.

[Joel · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is probably my third copy of Elfshadow. My first copy has been missing from my collection since the late 1990s. Where is it? It’s probably languishing in the book dungeons and being whipped to a pulp by a friend and his son.

From Every Juan (http://everyjuan.co.cc/)

[Marina · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed the text and words and the revelation about Harper Assassin was excellent, only thing I didn't like forced characterization, Arilyn's poor description, silliness about some plot points. But great story and love Elfshadow.

[Kelly Hulslander]

Elaine Cunningham, she looks to be an interesting fantasy writer.

[C.T. Phipps · Rating 5 out of 5]

https://beforewegoblog.com/review-elf...

ELFSHADOW by Elaine Cunningham is one of my all time favorite FORGOTTEN REALMS novels. It was originally one of the HARPERS series but spun off into the Song and Swords series. It remains one of the great behind-the-scenes frustrations for fans because a coimplete manuscript called, RECLAMATION, was written to end the series in 2008 but it was never released because of executive shenanigans. Still, each of the books is more or less a standalone tale and contribute character development to the world while resolving their existing plots, which is how I like my series.

The premise is Arilyn Moonblade is the half-elf daughter of an elven warrior, Amnestria, who is assassinated in broad daylight by Gold Elf assassins. Arilyn is promptly adopted by a mysterious man named Kymil Nimesin, who trains her to be an assassin for the Harpers. Even in the Nineties, this seemed to be a strange job description for a member of the otherwise goodie-goodie faction but Arilyn is devoted to impressing her father figure.

Unfortunately, for Arilyn, every Harper around her is starting to end up dead. Assuming she is being stalked by an assassin, she decides to seek refuge in Waterdeep away from potential victims. Unfortunately, also for Arilyn, the Harpers have the reasonable theory that if every Harper around Arilyn is ending up dead then she is most likely the assassin. So, Khelben the Blackstaff dispatches his (distant) nephew, Danilo Thann, to investigate her. Danilo is a wizard who acts like a bard in what was a very funny joke back when Bards sucked as a class.

As mentioned, this is one of my favorite Forgotten Realms books as a whole and an excellent introduction to the series. It has a wonderful pair of protagonists and they have a classic romantic set up where she's the hardened killer straight woman and he's the eccentric hanger-on. The fact Danilo is a much-much better spy than Arilyn (who wears her heart on her sleeve) is part of the fun given the pair are both technically members of the same organization yet struggle to understand one another. Danilo is convinced of Arilyn's innocence early on but it is Arilyn who can't bring herself to care emotionally due to past traumas.

The book introduces the lore of the moonblades, which are artifacts utterly out of wack with game balance but absolutely fantastic for storytelling purposes. The elven equivalent of holy avengers but much-much more powerful, they will strike dead anyone unworthy of wielding them. So for a half-elf to wield one is a powerful statement of the gods' approval for Arilyn's character as well as their opinion on elven racism (which is negative as should be the case with Good aligned deities). Not all elves are down with this endorsement.

Which is perhaps the only warning to give with this book. I know some fantasy readers are quite tired of Fantastic RacismTM as a central plot point in their games, particularly when it involves the Fair Folk. For me, I think elves are fantastic metaphors for white privilege in fantasy and enjoyed dealing with the Thalmor as the Dragonborn in Skyrim doubly so with that as a plot point. Still, Arilyn has a complex about not being "elf enough", being disconnected from her heritage (Arilyn doesn't seem to have much care about her human heritage), and the fact she'll never be fully of her blood-obsessed community. If that puts you off, consider yourself forewarned.

In conclusion, if you're looking for a good popcorn fantasy then this is highly recommended and among the better examples of the genre. The fact that it is able to tell a complete story in one book is also a big credit. Arilyn, Danilo, and other characters all go through character arcs with quite a few twists as well as turns. We also get a lot of good world-building regarding elves in the Forgotten Realms.

[Wastrel · Rating 3 out of 5]

I've put up a full review of this on my blog (yes, it and I do still exist!).

I'm out of the habit of writing reviews. That's part of why this review is stupidly long even by my standards, relative to the merit (and length) of the novel. The other part is that, not having written a review in years, I took the leisure to go off on a couple of tangents more than I would normally do, talking about the genre as a whole a little bit.

But this lack of habit is also why I'm not writing a second review for GR, as I usually do. I'll just quote a few key points from the review linked above:

[The Fantasy Prelude is] not an inherently useless way to start a novel, but as its own genre it is riddled with clichés – and this example is no exception. But you have to admit, the author does warn you. When you kick off with a graceful elf tracking somebody across a dewy forest glade and you throw in words like “ancient”, “verdant” and “wench” in the first page or two, it’s clear you’re trying to preemptively ward off anyone who doesn’t have a very high tolerance for cringe-inducing cliché. It’s only a matter of time before somebody cries out “King Zaor lies dead!”

Because that’s one of the things that this novel is: a comfortable marination in the tropes of 1980s-1990s high fantasy, from its narrative tropes (like the Bond Villain prologue (here called a ‘prelude’ but it’s the same thing) through to its linguistic indulgences.

And boy is it indulgent.

and later:

George RR Martin, for instance, would have written a ten-tome epic cycle to bridge the gaps in space and time leapt across in the first three short chapters here.

and:

The first chapter is a good introduction into just how interesting and – in some ways – progressive a lot of pulp fantasy of this era was, in comparison to the reputation the genre often had as a bastion of conservative viewpoints.

Because this novel is also an exploration of liminality – as so much fantasy fiction is.

and:

Fantasy is often accused of being plot-driven, in the sense that other things are made subordinate to plot – and this is true. And yet in a more honest sense, it isn’t true at all – fantasy is not usually all about riveting plots in the way that, for instance, mysteries and thrillers often are. That’s because the role of plot in fantasy – the role of story as a whole – is somewhat paradoxical. Everything else serves the plot – and yet the plot is often only there to serve as an excuse for everything else.

and:

In the end, then, the truth is revealed: the entire story, the worldbuilding, the characters, the trappings of fantasy cliché, the thematic complexities, all are in the service of inducing us to spend time imagining what would happen if a two-faced imitation Bertie Wooster were to latch on like a limpet to an only-slightly sub-homocidal Jeeves in the middle of a mission of life and death (while Jeeves was having a crisis of racial and personal identity).

That… seems worth it, in hindsight, frankly. It shouldn’t be, but, at least for this reader, it totally is.

and finally:

It is not a masterpiece; it’s not even a minor masterpiece within the confines of its specific genre. On the contrary, it is disposable in significance, and in many ways rocky at best in its construction. Reading Elfshadow is unlikely to convert any skeptics into ardent fans of the fantasy genre as a whole, or of D&D tie-in novels in particular.

For those who are open to what it’s selling, however, there’s a lot here to like. Its unusual wit and intelligence, coupled with solid plotting and a restrained page-count make this a rewarding comfort read for those willing to forgive the idiosyncrasies of the genre and era and the missteps of a debut author.

[Rob · Rating 4 out of 5]

Growing up, my window into the world of Dungeons & Dragons were the Endless Quest (choose your own adventure style) books and the Dragonlance novels. I read a lot of Dragonlance - 17 books to be exact! So when the Forgotten Realms came out around that time, I was too heavily invested to consider a whole other universe of lands and characters.

Outside of Tolkien and the first Game of Thrones book, I have not read much fantasy since those teenage years. But with the social distancing thanks to the coronavirus, we started playing the board game, Lords of Waterdeep. This game is set in the world of the Forgotten Realms. While you don’t need to know anything about this world to enjoy the game, it pique my interest in the backstories underlying the game. So this novel marks my first foray into the Forgotten Realms.

It was fun to return to my old sword and sorcery days. This tale involves the mysterious murders of agents from a secret organization that fights against evil. Here you will meet Arilyn Moonblade and Danilo Thann - strong characters with unique personalities.

The story revolves around the mysterious sword - the moonblade. It reminded me of Excalibur, Durnadal, Gram, and other legendary swords.

I have to say that, with all due respect to Fred Fields, the cover of this book is just not good. They couple on the cover is not at all how I pictured them and it honestly looks pretty cheesy. I’m glad I had the eBook version of this one.

Since reading this book I learned that this was Cunningham’s first novel, which is impressive. While I picked this book to just to learn more about the characters and location of the board game, I plan to continue through this whole series.

[Nico · Rating 2 out of 5]

So what I learned here is that Sebastien deCastell has ruined me for swordfights. The description of battle was so wishy washy that I felt like I could just skip to the end to see who won and not miss any real action. If you're going to call your series "Songs & Swords" at least have some good, descriptive fight scenes.

The plot was good enough, but the whole book was weighed down by the cliche "we can't be honest with each other because reasons". That plot device can be used well, but I don't think it was implemented well here and it got pretty tired pretty quickly. The characters were just fine.

The book wrapped up comically fast which also is an irritant with me. After one confrontation scene, everything else was glossed over behind the scenes and we cut to people having drinks for our closing scene. Not too satisfying.

That said, I flew through this (even if my family had to put up with me cursing characters/the writing along the way), and I finished my first book in like 2 months, so I do have some amount of gratitude towards it. Would I recommend this however - probably not. It's not bad bad, but it's certainly not cracking any list of my favourite fantasy novels. I don't plan to continue with the series.

[Chris Arnott · Rating 3 out of 5]

A simple and nostalgic tale that firmly reminded me of my early days of playing Dungeons and Dragons and getting into the Forgotten Realms world. It really is just a lightehearted story for fantasy fans with nothing too special to it but nothing terrbile to make you groan aloud too often either.

The fact that it is also a Harpers tale and links to the modern D&D film are a bonus for any new or younger readers. The typical fantasy tropes abound and Arilyn Moonblade is one of numerous fantasy characters who follow in the tradition of cool and powerful half elves. She gets to do a lot of exciting action stuuf but the smart lines mostly get left to Danil Thann (handsoem bard and Harper) and Elaith Craulnober (roguish elf cad).

And of course there is a magic sword. Read with half your brain switched off and just enjoy.

[pelican eats books · Rating 3 out of 5]

On its own merits, this is definitely a fun and worthwhile read. Readers entering the Songs & Swords series might find it easier on themselves to go back and read The Harpers #1. I was often unsure if a character was someone I should have been familiar with already. I wanted to immerse myself in a Faerunian environ, and this book provided.

More critically, there are questions raised by elven intercultural racism that this book ultimately isn't equipped to handle gracefully, as I often find to be the case in fantasy. Combat and action scenes also tend to feel like one is reading a description of a wave, almost like the three body problem. The action just loses coherence as more bodies are introduced.

The twist at the end comes a lot later than necessary, but I think this would still be a fun read if you just want to get lost in a familiar fantasy world for a long while.

[Jason Ray Carney · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fun D&D novel. You get to experience the City of Waterdeep and outlying lands. A lot of Forgotten Realms elven lore is explored. The two main characters, Arilyn and Danilo, are great. They kind of recall the classic Fafhrd and the Gray Mouser sword and sorcery duo. Much of the novel orbits a conspiracy of sorts. It reads like an espionage or crime novel. There are several layers to the plot, and sometimes I got lost. But I was o.k. with the complex plot because Cunningham weaves FR lore so vividly throughout the novel. My one complaint is there is a paucity of monsters. One of the joys of playing D&D is encountering all the strange monsters. In this novel there is but one encounter with goblins; otherwise, this is mostly humans, elves, and espionage skullduggery.

[Fco. Salvador · Rating 3 out of 5]

Había leído buenas reseñas sobre esta serie, así que tenía ganas de leer algún libro de la autora. En ningún modo decepcionado. De lo mejorcito que he leído dentro de ese grupo de lo que llamo "autores de franquicia" que han escrito para Reinos Olvidados, Dragonlance o cualquier otro universo de fantasía medianamente conocido.
La novela se lee con ligereza (a lo cual contribuye una traducción más que digna), es entretenida y aunque presenta a sus personajes con rapidez, luego los va perfilando, y logra que destaquen sobre ese tapiz que son los Reinos, algunos de cuyos icónicos personajes se asoman por estas páginas.
Como pegas, que la resolución es bastante apresurada (lo cual es habitual en este tipo de literatura), y que la respuesta al misterio se ve venir a la legua.

[Marvin · Rating 5 out of 5]

A surprisingly fun read. Harpers across Faerun are mysteriously murdered by an assassin, and Danilo, a notorious fop in Waterdeep social circles, goes undercover with occasional Harper agent--and both suspect and possible target--Arilyn to discover the killer's identity. I read this book ~20 years ago and was rather put off by Danilo's buffoonish persona, but upon revisiting it as part of a Forgotten Realms book club I'm plumb charmed to death by his wit and silliness. Time makes dandies of us all, I suppose. A mildly convoluted mystery with serviceable action and adventure, Cunningham's characters really carry the day here.

[Karmakosmik · Rating 3 out of 5]

Libro inaspettatamente molto carino, molto atipico per un libro di Forgotten Realms, dove il giallo (misteriose morti tra membri degli Harpers e Zentarim) si sovrappone alle tipiche atmosfere fantasy. Inoltre, Elfshadow risulta essere anche piuttosto divertente per via del personaggio di Danilo Thann, una specie di dandy d'alto rango, mezzo bardo e mezzo mago, che stuzzica con battute e stupidaggini l'estrema seriosità di Arilyn Moonblade, la vera protagonista del libro. Peccato che il finale è buttato un po' via e tutto il mistero che circonda la spada di Arilyn è piuttosto banalotto, ma certamente leggerò anche gli altri romanzi della saga di Songs & Swords

[Katrin · Rating 4 out of 5]

very enjoyable book. even though it's in a series, one does not need have read the previous ones. this is quite the standalone book and it makes for a very gripping story. this is the trial of one half-elf and the way she finds out about her heritage, her powers and her destiny, through enough suspense and intrigues. the character of danilo was well crafted and their relationship was interesting to follow. there are some classic motives that we probably have seen many times before in one form or the other, still this was a novel that succeeded in being original.

[Stuart Schneider · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was only a matter of time before I truly started getting into the Harper stories if I could not read about Elminster, and this crossover series is the next closest thing to it. Good writing, easy to follow with the imagination and I always wanted to learn the backstory of Khelben and more importantly, Waterdeep itself. Few of the Forgotten Realms books go in-depth into Waterdeep, particularly concerning the mysterious rulers of same, of whom we know very little. In any event, enjoyed the story and I am looking forward to all of the Harper tales, not just the 5 in this series.

[Ross Kitson · Rating 4 out of 5]

As FR books go (this is maybe my 7th or 8th?) I was pleasantly impressed by Elaine Cunningham's debut. The now familiar settings of Waterdeep, Evereska, and the Halfway Inn are portrayed well and the characters are suitably fun and cinematic. Her style appeals to me far more than the more prolific FR authors Salvatore and Greenwood, and although not as casual as Erin Evans it was very easy to read and get engaged. Who cares if the characters err on the stereotypical, this was a fun fantasy yarn and a solid contribution to FR lore (even if Khelben Arunson's family history seems bonkers).