Rating: Summary: An outstanding piece of work Review: A hero in the mold of Robin Hood, Bertram Wooster and Errol Flynn, Danilo Thann makes a great character to play around with and to bring out the personalities and characters of the others in the cast. However, I feel we are not sufficiently introduced to the character of Arylin, her acceptance of Danilo in that short time. More could have been written about Kemil and his elite, their workings and motivations. I always like a book with great Wodesian humour.
Rating: Summary: WOW!! Review: All I can say is this: Buy this book. Read it. Love it. That's exactly what I did and now I can hardly wait to read the next book.
Rating: Summary: One of the better books in the harper series. Review: Although i'm not a big fan of Elaine Cunningham primarily because of her writing style, I did find this book to be a bit better than some of her other writing. Arilyn Moonblade is an interesting character concept but a bit far fetched and underdeveloped. Danillo Thann seemed a bit silly to me for some reason. Overall, this novel is only moderately appealing for fans of the Forgotten Realms series because even though it was a well thought out concept, it lacked detail and depth. Although, it could be one of the highlights in the Harpers set as a whole...which doesn't say much.
Rating: Summary: Enjoyable beyond expectations Review: Anyone expecting non-stop swordplay and monsters being sliced apart by the scores will be sorely dissapointed. Anyone wanting a comedy/mystery (done very well) will be in Heaven. Arylin Moonblade, our half-elf, half-assasin, half-Harper heroine, has a bit of a problem, wherever she goes an assassin follows, and leaves a trail of dead Harpers in his wake. Meanwhile, the Harpers are divided, some believe that the assassin's main target is Arylin, others believe that Arylin herself is the assassin in question. Arylin must find and bring the assassin to justice before he kills again, and also to clear her name before the Harpers decide to act on their suspicions and bring her in for trial. She isn't alone in this endeavor, however, as she comes across an unlikely (and unwanted) partner in the form of Danilo Thann, a seemingly foolish and self-centered (but insanely funny) nobleman from Waterdeep who isn't quite what everyone thinks him to be. Together they must find and piece together the clues, most of which come from the most unlikely allies and even less-likely enemies, as time begins to grow shorter for the pair. This being my first Elaine Cunningham novel, I was far from dissapointed. She may not have the ability to narrate daring swordplay page after page like Salvatore, but she more than makes up for this in her writing of mystery, intriuge, and emotion. While the first 2 or 3 chapters seem to jump around quite a bit, things eventually settle down and become a very engrossing novel that always keeps you thinking about what will happen next. If you enjoy complexity in your novels and like not being sure just who the real villian is, then this book is a must read. On another note, Danilo Thann is easily one of my favorite characters in all the Realms, he is the only other character that has made me laugh almost as much as Tasslehoff in the DragonLance novels.
Rating: Summary: The love affair begins... Review: Arilyn & Danillo, to realms fans they bring to mind a vivid image of Waterdeep, of the Harpers, and a tie to all things Elven. Elfshadow, Elaine Cunninghams first venture into the lands of Faerun, and the second in the sixteen novel series dealing with the mysterious Harpers, provides us the introduction to these beloved rogues. When a mysterious Assassin begins killing Harpers, the secret orginanization begins seeking the murderer. Could it be Arilyn, the half-elven rogue born of a shadowy past, and wielder of the Moonblade? Khelban Arunsun, Arch-Mage of Waterdeep wonders, and so enters his foppish nephew, Danillo Thann. Mrs. Cunningham displays a keen insight into the minds of Fearuns elves--I dare say she is the master of Faerunian elves--and into the Harpers themselves. She displays a gift at providing well rounded characters, with a depth to them and to their motivations (Keep your eye on Elaith, he's a top notch character!). The story in which we find them thrust is a wonderful mystery, filled with age old lore, and long held grudges. Elaine does a wonderful job of giving the reader several choices in their quest for the true villain(s), and maintains the intensity even after you feel you know who's to blame. I would recommend this book to any who ask.
Rating: Summary: A great book Review: Arilyn is one of my favorite Realms heroines and Danilo was great.I liked the plot and how we found out about the moonblade.I've read all the books with Arilyn and Danilo but I still think that this is the best.
Rating: Summary: Arilyn Moonblade has won a place in my heart! Review: Definitely two of my all time favorites, Elfshadow and Elfsong, bring to life the story of Arilyn Moonblade, a half-elf Harper, and her adventures in the World of Faerun, as she tries to cope with her dual heritage and seeks to unlock the mysteries of her magical moonblade sword. The books are so incredibly well written that the reader feels that they have been transported to the Forgotten Realms universe and are actually present among the characters, seeing what they see, feeling what they feel, sensing what they sense. Elaine Cunnigham has truly outdone herself and has presented us with a masterpiece of literature the likes of which we have seen only in JRR Tolkien's work, RA Salvatore's The Dark Elf and Icewind Dale trilogies and in authors Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman's Dragonlance Chronicles and Legends trilogies. She has done a FANTASTIC job of both acquiring vast knowledge relevant to Faerun as well as presenting this material relating to the customs, the religion and the history of Toril, efficiently and successfully! Her solid grasp of factual detail makes her very capable of providing the necessary background needed to carry out the difficult task of writing Forgotten Realms novels, which is something often missing from the work of many Fantasy authors. Consequently, from the moment you pick up the books you have trouble putting them down and if that is not a clear sign of a fantastic writer/author who can come up with a great plot, I don't know what is! Elves, spies, assassins, honor, bravery, magic, and swordfights are all about. Elfshadow and Elfsong make up for a great trilogy along with Silver Shadows and are a "must read" together with Evermeet, especially for all those who have a soft spot for everything Elven! In short, it's what Fantasy reading SHOULD be! One should seriously start thinking about turning these books into movies...
Rating: Summary: One of the best Harpers books Review: Elaine Cunningham has the ability to not only get the reader involved in the story, she lets the reader borrow the stories emotions in order to feel the story. If you enjoy fantasy stories that don't try to wrap the "fate of the world" into one story, you'll enjoy elfshadow.
Rating: Summary: Elfshadow was amazing Review: Elaine Cunningham has to be one of my favorite writters of all time. Ever sence I picked up this series I can not put the books down. They are good reads and incorprates many respects, in my mind, a better name for Forgotten Relms. Very pleased, Bon
Rating: Summary: Gotta read this book! Review: For the past few years, I've read most of R.A. Salvatore's books, so I decided to give the other big Forgotten Realms writer a chance. Cunningham wrote a great book. If you are into character building then this is the book for you. You'll find yourself falling in love with Danilo. The book moves at a perfect pace that keeps the story moving with an ideal amount of detail. Everything in this book just works great, especially for Cunningham's first novel. End of story: I am now a huge Elaine Cunningham fan and I can't wait to read the next book in the series, or even any other book by Cunningham. If you are a FR fan, read this book. If not, read it anyway.
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