Rating: 
Summary: It's good but...
Review: ...it's, like another reveiwer said, written from Malik's pen. Not that it's bad, but to read a story viewed by a follower of a mad god doesn't agree with me. Yes, Malik is amusing, and his view of the gods is funny. But hey, it's not quite "official". i.e. Mystra told Ao she wanted to destroy Cyric because she's jealous of his power??? I've nothing against this style, but the story is too twisted. Actually, it's jsut as twisted the way Cyrinishad is.
Rating: 
Summary: Good but Depressing...
Review: Ah the finale for the story of Cyric, Mystra, and Kelemvor. This book was interesting to read although a bit...uncomfortable. I say uncomfortable because the book is from the perspective of a follower of Cyric, and thus causes a little confusion to the reader. Hm. The ending however is something that I believe no one expected...quite a bit depressing actually. This is a worthy book overall.
Rating: 
Summary: Vraiment excellent
Review: Bon un petit commentaire en fran?ais sur ce livre en anglais ?tant donn? la rapidit? incroyable de la traduction...Je dois dire que en tant que 5?me livre sur cyric, ce livre est vraiment super bon et remonte le niveau de cette suite apr?s le prince du mensonge que je trouves moins bon... Je conseil ce livre ? tout ceux aimant Cyric, voulant savoir ce qu'il devient une fois fou ou qui aime tout simplement les royaumes.
Rating:
Summary: Wonderfully Unorthodox from the Bad Guy's POV
Review: But unlike the Cyrinishad, this will not make you into a Follower of the One. Yes, Midnight, Kelemvor, Adon, and Cyric (and even Fzoul) are back again, albeit somewhat changed. But our hero, and narrator, is Malik, a merchant turned spy, devoted faithful of the mad god Cyric, riding forth on his not-really-that-faithful bone-crunching steed Halah (named after his not-really-that-faithful prince-dallying wife). With his Inspector Clouseau like antics, his god-given inability to suffer harm, and his "Liar Liar" like inability to say anything but the truth (even to his god), he provides us with a presumably accurate, sometimes touching, often gruesome, and occasionally humorous account of the time of Cyric's madness. Of course Midnight is now known as the Harlot, Kelemvor is the Ursurper, etc. etc. but their dialogue and actions are still familiar to those of us who have known them since Shadowdale. Mystra's love and devotion to Kelemvor, Adon, and her followers stands out, as do her frustrations in being reprimanded by the gods for her lack of objectivity or neutrality concerning good and evil. The story of the gods is interwoven with Malik's story of his quest to cure his god's madness while being pursued by the veiled Harper witch, Ruha, from Troy Denning's "The Parched Sea." We don't see enough of Adon (who's been getting the short end of the stick time-wise since his scarring in the Avatar Trilogy), and Rinda and Gwydion deserved more screen time. But Denning's prose and imagination really shine in this story -- here's hoping this isn't the last! And if you (like me) have a secret crush on Mystra, then you've got to get this book dude.
Rating:
Summary: Wickedly entertaining
Review: For months after I'd heard rumor this title was being released I waited in anticipation for its arrival. When it arrived I was not dissappointed. Following after the events in "Prince of Lies" by James Lowder, "Crucible" tells the tale of the eccentric Malik, a Calishite merchant, and devoted worshipper of Cyric. We watch as he seeks out the Cyrinishad, followed closely by a seethingly angry Ruha, a bedine witch made famous in "Veiled Dragon" also by Denning. The story is told as though Malik were the author, a tactic I found delightful. Not only does it allow you to look into the mind of a villain, but his narration in regards to the deities and other "good guys" is just wonderful, and often funny. Any follower of this series of novels will also delight in the further delving into power plays between deities within the Forgotten Realms world. This title does a marvelous job of detailing Jergal, Tyr, Helm, Mystra, Kelemvor, Talos, Mask, and especially Cyric. We witness as we are allowed a greater understanding of how the gods think, and how they pine against other deities. We also gain witness to the growth of Kelemvor as a Fearunian god. Despite a pile of nay sayers against this title, I suggest you give it a shot, it's a fun read, and a good book. However, if you're a staunch "canon" Realms fan, remember this is written by Malik, if you don't like his history consider it propoganda, but don't turn away from the book, it's worth the time.
Rating: 
Summary: Horrid Writing with a even more horrid plot
Review: I hate it so much when other writers screw up characters that have been created by other authors. In this case Troy Denning totaly destroies the characters of Kelemvor and Midnight created by James Lowder and Scott Ciencin respectively. Troy Denning decides to turn Kelemvor into something that he would not have had Lowder written this book and had Midnight just cry about it. Also, the way in which it was written was bad. Not that Denning is a bad writter, but writing from the first person is very difficult and he did not accomplish what he set out to in this book.
I think Denning destroyed the entire Faerunian Pantheon single handedly with this book. If you want a good ending to the Avatar Trilogy just stop reading at Price of Lies by James Lowder. It gives you a much more refreshing feeling when you are done rather than a putrid feeling.
Rating:
Summary: WELL DONE TROY DENNING!!!
Review: If you enjoyed The Avatar Trilogy- Shadowdale, Tantras, and Waterdeep, and the Prince of Lies, you will love Crucible: the Trial of Cyric the Mad, which is the conclusion to this wonderful series set in the magical world of Toril! The books are so incredibly well written that the reader feels that they have been transported to another plane of existence and are actually present among the characters, seeing what they see, feeling what they feel, sensing what they sense. The authors have truly outdone themselves and have 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. Magic, Gods and Heroes are all about. In conclusion, it's what Fantasy reading SHOULD be. A GREAT book indeed and a "must read" if you love Fantasy and especially if you love the Forgotten Realms! DON'T MISS IT!!!
Rating:
Summary: Great story and an even better format.
Review: The format of this book alone made it worth reading. I found it quite refreshing to read an epic tale from the first person view of the bad guy, particulary a bad guy who happens to be a minion of the God of Madness, Lies, and other assorted nastiness. It allows the reader to get inside the warped mind of a hopelessly irrational man and explore how he sees the world. Another thing I like about this novel is how Denning depicts godhood, which isn't easy to do. How do you write a character who is omniscient and staggeringly powerful. Denning gives his god characters all of this while also giving them human desires and human failings so that they seem real to the reader. A fast-paced and excellent read.
Rating:
Summary: A must read
Review: This book is the most amazing fantasy book I have ever read. I loved the first three books of the Avatar series, 4 was good. But this, it takes the cake without question. The intrgue created and the complexity of the trial allows you to see who the great powers really are. You can see at times, they are quite human and at times blind to anything that is not them. I couldn't put this down and the last 20 pages made my heart jump out of my chest. I didn't want this one to end. That is for sure.
Rating:
Summary: A must read
Review: This book is the most amazing fantasy book I have ever read. I loved the first three books of the Avatar series, 4 was good. But this, it takes the cake without question. The intrgue created and the complexity of the trial allows you to see who the great powers really are. You can see at times, they are quite human and at times blind to anything that is not them. I couldn't put this down and the last 20 pages made my heart jump out of my chest. I didn't want this one to end. That is for sure.
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