Rating: 
Summary: Good start to a series
Review: "The Summoning" is the first in a three part series of the return of the City of Shade to the Forgotten Realms. Shade has been in the demi-plane of Shadow for the past 17 centuries. The story revolves around an elf desperately trying to redeem himself and coping with a newfound power that threatens to consume him.This book also has appearances of Elminster and Storm Silverhand. I found Denning's portrayal of Eliminster a trifle annoying. All in all I enjoyed this book and look forward to reading the other two. I think that Denning could have done a better job a fleshing out the characters but he may be saving that for later on the story. This book may not be one of Denning's greatest works but it is still worth reading for any fan of the Forgotten Realms.
Rating:
Summary: Good start to a series
Review: "The Summoning" is the first in a three part series of the return of the City of Shade to the Forgotten Realms. Shade has been in the demi-plane of Shadow for the past 17 centuries. The story revolves around an elf desperately trying to redeem himself and coping with a newfound power that threatens to consume him. This book also has appearances of Elminster and Storm Silverhand. I found Denning's portrayal of Eliminster a trifle annoying. All in all I enjoyed this book and look forward to reading the other two. I think that Denning could have done a better job a fleshing out the characters but he may be saving that for later on the story. This book may not be one of Denning's greatest works but it is still worth reading for any fan of the Forgotten Realms.
Rating: 
Summary: While it isn't bad, it is mediocre.
Review: A fairly unexciting story filled with forgettable, one dimensional characters. While the novel isn't bad, it is fairly mediocre, and fails to measure up to the standard set by other FR authors such as Ed Greenwood and Elaine Cunningham.
Rating: 
Summary: Please, Troy! Give us a break!
Review: Argh! I found this book to be completely and utterly frustrating!. I hated the characters (Particularly Vala!) and I also found them to be ridiculously overpowered (Taking on a demilich? Come on! That's almmost as bad as an R.A. Salvatore move!). I found it pretentious and the characters were too munchkin-like. Troy and R.A. Salvatore (Despite the fact that R.A. had nuttin to do with this book or it would have been even worse!).
Rating:
Summary: Powergamers please step forward?
Review: As a fan of the Realms and Troy Denning's books in general, I was eagerly looking forward to this book and in most regards it didn't disappoint. The book features the return of the ancient Netherese, the escape of the Phaerimm and the endangerment of Evereska, all very interesting story areas that have been in my opinion been sadly neglected and underdeveloped in the past. In addition to these new elements the book also revolves around a tour of "The North" with the characters visiting many of the sites and areas that have been previously been bought to life in the D&D campaign expansions for the North (Dekanter, High Forest, Karse etc). To top it off the book is well written like all Troy Dennings books (though it definitely should have been longer- it needed an extra 100 pages at least to do the story justice!!), with good action scenes, strong plot and interesting characters, including the return of 'Malik' who has to be just about the funniest and coolest servant of an evil god ever featured in Fantasy. The book also goes out of its way to incorporate the game features of the new 3rd edition game into the story, with the main character being a multiclassed sorceror and the action scenes also kinda reflecting the change in game mechanics (spells, skills etc).
Rating: 
Summary: Superb is the one work I want to use
Review: Everyone being overly critical of thsi book is wrong.. Read my review of the 2nd book of this series for some good info.. So many bad books out there (ex: BG Books novels, a lot of the harpers series etc..), but this one is great. Very Good characters, the evil ones are REALLY evil, not cartoonish (the Phaerimm are unbeliviably powerful Mages, alien like Mind Flayers who use humans and all others like cattle.) The Shadovar are complex, very, very cool as the only survivors of ancient Netheril, and they're back to the FR. Frankly, it was dumb to say that all of Netheril was destroyed, considering all the poweer rthey commanded as ArchWizards; now, with Shar the Goddess with her own source of magic, these Shadovars are NOT steretypical villains, but ruthless opportunists; they can do good, as well as evil.
One last thing, I still tingle when the elf mage DRAWS the City back to the Prime from the Plane of Shadow; very well done, very, very cool. BUY This one, they are rare when they are this good (Only early Drizz'zt and Ten-towns novels compare..)
Rating:
Summary: Great book, cataclysmic event for FR
Review: I really enjoyed this series. This first book describes how the main character accidently sets an extremely powerful race of evil free and then tries to right his wrong. I disagree adamantly with a previous reviewer who claims that this series portrays the elves as human sex toys. There is some interplay there, but unless you have some serious hangups it is a non-issue. The action in this book is great, as is the character development around Galaron. There isn't as much development of the supporting cast but they are just that, a supporting cast. What I really liked was the interaction between the humans and elves concerning magic. I've always been curious about the elvish high magic and them being a part of the weave, yet Mystra's chosen are all humans. This doesn't explain that but at least we get to see humans and elves interacting in a large, world-changing way, not just in a 5-person band of adventurers or something. The phaerrim (evil race) are awesome too. They were banished thousands of years ago and can basically think of spells to use them (no chanting, hand movements). Since they feed off of magic they want Evereska's mythal for their own. Of course the shadow mage that was released in the beginning along with the phaerrim is just one person in an entire city dating from ancient Netheril. This sets up a gigantic series of events between three very powerful forces: Evereskan elves+Mystra's Chosen; the Phaerrim; the shadow mages. Book two really kicks off this war.
Rating:
Summary: Great book, cataclysmic event for FR
Review: I really enjoyed this series. This first book describes how the main character accidently sets an extremely powerful race of evil free and then tries to right his wrong. I disagree adamantly with a previous reviewer who claims that this series portrays the elves as human sex toys. There is some interplay there, but unless you have some serious hangups it is a non-issue. The action in this book is great, as is the character development around Galaron. There isn't as much development of the supporting cast but they are just that, a supporting cast. What I really liked was the interaction between the humans and elves concerning magic. I've always been curious about the elvish high magic and them being a part of the weave, yet Mystra's chosen are all humans. This doesn't explain that but at least we get to see humans and elves interacting in a large, world-changing way, not just in a 5-person band of adventurers or something. The phaerrim (evil race) are awesome too. They were banished thousands of years ago and can basically think of spells to use them (no chanting, hand movements). Since they feed off of magic they want Evereska's mythal for their own. Of course the shadow mage that was released in the beginning along with the phaerrim is just one person in an entire city dating from ancient Netheril. This sets up a gigantic series of events between three very powerful forces: Evereskan elves+Mystra's Chosen; the Phaerrim; the shadow mages. Book two really kicks off this war.
Rating:
Summary: A Great Book!!
Review: The Phaerimm are brought out from imprisonment, Elmenster is brought into imprisonment, Khelben Blackstaff gets a hole blown out of His chest, Mind Flayers, Eye Tyrants and Bugbears are manipulated into helping the Phaerimm destroy Faerun (Or at least try to), Shadow Magic is explained (And the evil gods want to learn it's secrets..), Liches do battle, undead knights are avenged, a stone giant that has a soft spot and an elf that sleeps like a human...Troy Denning went above and beyond in this book. A pity the next one wont be out until Dec. 2001. Until then, check in on ol' Elminster and his battle/imprisonment in the 9 hells comming out in aug. 2001.
Rating:
Summary: The Archwizards return!
Review: This book deals with the return of the greatest spellcasters on Toril, the mighty archwizards of Netheril! I have high hopes for this series and cannot wait for the other novels to come out. TSR tried to bring Netheril alive with its Netheril boxed set some while back and a series of novels, but then Netheril just diappeared again without further word. Now it is being brought back and I cannot wait. After hearing Netheril mentioned in tons of FR novels, we are finally going to have a series dealing with it entirely. The only fault I had with the story was lack of character development. I just was not made to feel for the characters as I usually am and I was disappointed. Mr Denning is a great writer and I wish he would have added more details. The book, however, is wonderful and promises to start a great line of novels- pick it up!!
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