Status Updates From The Halls of Stormweather (...

The Second Son, David Gross: 4 stars. This is what a FR story is supposed to be: action, relevant references to gods, and evocative descriptions of the city of Selgaunt that go way beyond the four preceding stories. Never read Gross before; I'll have to change that. Also, fun to learn what that wolf is doing on the original cover. And I'm looking forward to reading more about Talbot, the second son of House Uskevren.

The daughter, Veronica Whitney-Robinson, 2 stars. I liked it, but... there's a lack of continuity between the stories. The protagonist is the daughter from the second story, who visits a location where she endured bizarre things some time ago without reflecting on them. Also, what does the word pagan mean in the Forgotten Realms? That should have referred to cults or deities on the fringe of society or something.

The Heir, Clayton Emery: Two Stars. We follow the son of Thamalon Uskevren, the protagonist of the first story, whose voice and characterisation are considerably different this time. Otherwise, it succeeds at what it aims to set out: It introduces the son, Tamlin, as a bumbling noble idiot who must settle a business deal but stumbles onto a dark conspiracy with flying dogs. Which doesn't really get cleared up.

The Matriarch, by Richard Lee Byers: Three Stars. A pleasant surprise. Especially with Greenwood's The Patriarch setting up expectations. A fun adventure starring a mother and her daughter, who, unbeknownst to each other, turn out to be thieves and have to stop an operatic ritual that is set to turn the city of Selgaun into literal chaos. Reads like a Call of Cthulhu investigation set in the Forgotten Realms.

The Patriarch, Ed Greenwood: Two Stars. Fun premise. A nobleman confronted with a plot to unseat him from his house by rivals who present him with his long-lost older brother. What follows is a flashback to the bloody night his family was slaughtered, followed by some magic item shenanigans that may disprove the claim of the 'brother.' Okay writing, with some holes in it that leave you wondering what just happened.

Its so cute how it closes out this anthology of thrilling tales with a personal story about the maid.

Dashing tale after another! A royal thief finding some horrific ritual in someone's basement and a newly blessed werewolf trying to find the reasoning behind his curse! Absolutely amazing!!

That's was definitely a comical chapter. This 1st son is a little bit on the slow side but he gets the job done.

So an orchestra, through the performance of a specific piece, unleashed a bit of the chaos plane and makes a manor go crazy. Absolute bonkers. This is the meaning of music.