Rating: 
Summary: A battle of faith
Review: While on a pilgrimage to the Lost Vale, Finder's young priest stumbles upon a plot that could return one of the all time villains to the realms: Bane. Ten years ago Bane battled Torm and lost his unholy life over the city of Tantras during the godswar (see "Tantras" by Richard Awlinson), now dark forces seek his resurrection. Joel, a master bard who turned his back on the establishment to take up the banner of the Nameless Bard, Finder Wyvernspur, finds himself thrust into a great adventure that may affect all of Toril.I truly enjoyed this title; it did a marvelous job of seamlessly tying the lands of Abeir-Toril to those of the Multiverse. Without presumption and overly philosophical overtones, the story introduces fans of Forgotten Realms fiction to the basis of faith and the relationship of deity and worshipper. I also enjoyed the reprisal of the Banite clergy, and how the authors showed the mindset of one who would worship such a tyrant. Throw into the mix, a god of the old guard-Lathander-and watch the diversity of how deities interact with their faithful. Further, I loved seeing the tie-ins for other products without the explicate stating of the facts: see the Giants Craw scene, and then look to "The Sword of the Dales" module trilogy by Jim Butler. The authors also managed to handle the widely varying locations very well, from the rugged Daggerdale, the elusive Lost Vale, the ruinous desert of old Netheril (Anauroch), to the varying degrees of the planes, including: the astral plane, the Outlands, and the infamous city of doors, Sigil. Finally, the best part about this novel is the fact that while the previous titles (The Finder's Stone trilogy) would help to flesh out Finder; they are in no way necessary to read and enjoy this tale. This book is definitely worth the read.
Rating:
Summary: A battle of faith
Review: While on a pilgrimage to the Lost Vale, Finder's young priest stumbles upon a plot that could return one of the all time villains to the realms: Bane. Ten years ago Bane battled Torm and lost his unholy life over the city of Tantras during the godswar (see "Tantras" by Richard Awlinson), now dark forces seek his resurrection. Joel, a master bard who turned his back on the establishment to take up the banner of the Nameless Bard, Finder Wyvernspur, finds himself thrust into a great adventure that may affect all of Toril. I truly enjoyed this title; it did a marvelous job of seamlessly tying the lands of Abeir-Toril to those of the Multiverse. Without presumption and overly philosophical overtones, the story introduces fans of Forgotten Realms fiction to the basis of faith and the relationship of deity and worshipper. I also enjoyed the reprisal of the Banite clergy, and how the authors showed the mindset of one who would worship such a tyrant. Throw into the mix, a god of the old guard-Lathander-and watch the diversity of how deities interact with their faithful. Further, I loved seeing the tie-ins for other products without the explicate stating of the facts: see the Giants Craw scene, and then look to "The Sword of the Dales" module trilogy by Jim Butler. The authors also managed to handle the widely varying locations very well, from the rugged Daggerdale, the elusive Lost Vale, the ruinous desert of old Netheril (Anauroch), to the varying degrees of the planes, including: the astral plane, the Outlands, and the infamous city of doors, Sigil. Finally, the best part about this novel is the fact that while the previous titles (The Finder's Stone trilogy) would help to flesh out Finder; they are in no way necessary to read and enjoy this tale. This book is definitely worth the read.
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