Rating: Summary: Amazing book. A *must* read. Review: Lord Soth. You're never quite sure what to make of him. Is he a good guy, or a bad guy? But one thing that is for certain, he rocks! If you liked "Vampire of the Mists", you will like this book too, guranteed. Strahd is back in this book but this time he has a new foe. How do you root for the good guy when there isn't one? This is Ravenloft in all it's wonderful splendor!
Rating: Summary: Soth at his best Review: Many people complain that Lowder can't write. He can. Many complain Lowder doesn't use the English language well in his writings. He does. James Lowder's books are very deep. I'm guessing most people who didn't like this book either (1) didn't like it because it wasn't "their kind of book" or (2) Didn't actually understand what was going on, through faults of their own.Strahd is not a "wussy" as one reader commented, but rather, someone who wants to stay back and watch. He does not want an open confrontation with Soth, as he did not (intially) want an open confrontation with Azalin...
Rating: Summary: A gothic masterpiece Review: Pitting cursed evil against cursed evil, both beings manipulating pawns that are available, and one roaming the lands in search for what he wants. A book that has had a lot of work put into it. We see accurate accounts from Soth's life on Krynn and his attitude in (un)life. He stays true to his persona and never changes it, even when it's the cause of his curse and when he is faced with a chance at salvation. This story, while having little in the way of a 'stirring' plot, is masterfully produced in terms of action and a dark theme. I cannot rate it any less than a full 5 stars.
Rating: Summary: Pretty Good Review: Pretty good book with an evil protagonist. The story is engaging, but the ending is a let-down. Soth is a very cool character; I don't know why the author doesn't say anything about why Soth turns evil; pride?. A refreshing change from normal fantasy books of good vs evil.
Rating: Summary: A good book but not the best Review: pretty good book. If you like dragonlance and lord soth, then you will enjoy this book. not as good as dragonlance but pretty good...great endin
Rating: Summary: Soth vs Strahd? Review: Some parts of this book were very well done. Others left something to be desired. The encounters between Soth and Strahd were definitely the high points of the story. I anxiously awaited each one. I'm not really used to dwarves with names like "Azrael". His mannerisms and speech were a bit too human for my taste. His battle prowess on the other hand, was decidely dwarven. All in all, I'm glad I read Knight of the Black Rose.
Rating: Summary: Never judge a book by it's cover Review: The cover art is very eye-catching, but as the title of the review says, you should never judge a book by it's cover. As usual, Mr. Lowder's use of the English language is extremely sub-standard, as is the writing in general. He also proves himself unable to expand upon someone else's work, as the main characters go completely against all previously established personalities. I love this type of novel, and have understood the characters since their first appearance in both gaming and literature, and this novel made me truly nauseous. It's flat, dry, and poorly written. There is little in the way of character development and virtually no resolution. Even the "gothic" feel Mr. Lowder tries to evoke comes off as fake, as though written by someone describing it after a single exposure. My general opinion is that this is one of the worst novels of all time.
Rating: Summary: Fairly dark, and an interesting look at Lord Soth Review: This book starts off where the last book of the Dragonlance "Twins" series left off. Right after the battle where Raistlin fights the dark queen and Dalamar and Tanis are holding the Tower... The part where Lord Soth shows up and demands Kitara's soul... Unfortunatly, Lord Soth's actions land him in Ravneloft, and right into the lap of Count Strahd. Strahd of course, is devious enough to keep out of the direct path of the Death Knight's fury... but a lot of others aren't so lucky. Soth is dark, cold and fairly cool as he destroys anyone who stands in his way in his search to find a way out. The ending was not a surprise, but it was cool enough to not take away from the book. Worth reading, but you probably won't get a full appreciation of it if you haven't read all six of the previous Dragonlance novels...
Rating: Summary: What the hell was that? Review: This book was bad. REAL bad, even for a Ravenloft novel. The "I, Strahd" novels were interesting, unique and full of intrigue: what a Ravenloft novel should be at it's best. Lowder's grip of English is tenuous in that he offers no grace or emotion in his writing. The book is desert dry and, with a few modifications, would make a perfect book for pre-teens. How the hell did Lowder get this freakin' job? Characters are underdeveloped and flat, no suspense is ever developed, it isn't "Gothic" in the least, and no interest can ever be created in the lifeless pit dug where imagintion should be. Every time I finished reading a chapter I'd think: "You got to be friggin' joking." LOWDER CAN'T WRITE NOVELS. Period. Sorry James. Don't make this your day job.
Rating: Summary: A Nice RPG with plenty of darkness Review: This book was excellent. I entered Borders looking for any sort of RPG book to read and eventually chose this one. The beginning of the book can make you confused but it is definately worth getting. At the end a few points are left out, but if you ever want a Dark RPG get this. It is worth every penny. Lord Soth becomes my new favorite dark character.
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