Elfshadow

i added this to my list of d&d-related books to read largely because i remembered really liking her star wars njo book dark journey, which i was actually totally primed to hate because it was the book right after the series killed my favorite character, but it’s actually improbably one of my favorite books of the series? i just remembered really liking her writing style, and that did indeed prove to be the case for this book as well.

unfortunately i didn’t particularly connect with any of the characters or events, so while i found the book perfectly entertaining, i don’t think i’m going to continue with this particular series. i’m gonna give her other series, starlight & shadow, a try. i swear i didn’t go into this planning show more on just reading underdark-focused books, that’s just how it seems to be working out at the moment! show less

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Title: Elfshadow
Series: Forgotten Realms: The Harpers #2
Author: Elaine Cunningham
Rating: 3.5 of 5 Stars
Genre: SFF
Pages: 324
Format: Digital Edition

Synopsis:

Arilyn Moonblade, poor little half human and moon elf, is taken under wing by a gold elf who teaches her how to be the ultimate fighter. With her magical moonblade, she becomes an associate of the Harper organization to do the deeds they don't want to sully their hands with.

When Arilyn's show more acquaintances begin to die, all Harpers and all marked by a Harper symbol, she sets out to find the killer before the killer finds her. Unbeknownst to her however, her moonblade is a portal to the hidden elven realm of Evermeet and that is the true goal of the assassin.

She encounters Danilo Thann, foppish nobleman, amateur bard and in secret, the protege of Blackstaff Arunsen, major wizard in the city of Waterdeep. Danilo has been tasked with protecting Arilyn and her moonblade without revealing his true identity.

Lots of fights, flights and betrayals occur before the showdown where Arilyn learns about her family, who her secret adversary is and Danilo's true identity. Sometimes belonging to a secret organization isn't all that it's cracked up to be.

My Thoughts:

So much better than the first Harper book. The story was predictable as the sun and you know who the real badguy is by the halfway mark (at least, I did) but the interaction between Danilo and Arilyn was perfect. While Arilyn was the main character, Danilo was one of those sidecharacters who almost steals the show. He has to pretend to be a stupid fop even while being on guard against assassins both mundane and magical. The fact that he carries it off just made it all the better.

One problem I had, which is all me, is that I came across people and places whose names I recognized from other Forgotten Realms books but I couldn't remember a lot of detail. It doesn't help that I'm reading the overall Forgotten Realms books out of order. Evereska, city of Elves is mentioned as is Blackstaff Arunsen and both of those played a large part in the Return of the Archwizards trilogy.

After Denning's writing style in the first book (I don't like Denning and I'll probably never stop mentioning that, fyi), Cunningham's straightforward approach was refreshing. She can write well and while this setting doesn't allow for spectacular writing, I was pretty pleased with how she handled everything.

The story about Arilyn's moonblade, it's magical history, her family drama, etc, were all ok but really, I only liked the fighting bits. And as for the Elfshadow, that was so blatantly obvious that I don't even feel the need to comment on it beyond this.

On a kind of silly note, the cover just about makes me gag. Danilo looks like he's about to turn into a fat merchant in about 2 years while Arilyn looks like an angry hobbit with pointy ears. I also found out that the adventures of Arilyn and Danilo are not only part of the Harpers series but eventually split off to become their own little thing called Swords and Songs. I don't know if I'll pursue that at some point or not.

★★★☆ ½ show less

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.

An enjoyable book with a lot of Forgotten Realms lore, interesting characters and some good humor. I especially liked the character of Danilo - a sly, charming and utterly unphased bard

This is a decent fantasy novel, and I rather like the character of Danilo, but ultimately there's not anything here that stands out enough to recommend.

I really like this book - and the others by Elaine Cunningham in the series. It does have a lot of the tropes from 90's fantasy, but it's still an enjoyable book.

Of all the Forgotten Realms novels, this is one of my least favorites. I didn't find the plot or the characters very interesting.