Rating: 
Summary: More than swords and thrusting.
Review: Lisa Smedman is fast becoming my favorite author in the fantasy genre. Venom's taste is a great example of her skill at creating multi-dimensional characters and intricate plotlines without resorting to bloody battle sequences to move things along. I am constantly delighted by her sense of detail. She is a master of sensory description, giving the reader clear pictures of key players and locations. The main character's frustrations and determination give the plot a juggernaut-like feel of power and movement. I only wish the next installment were scheduled for release sooner!
Rating:
Summary: Yuan-ti and psionics, a good mix
Review: This book is one of the best fantasy books to date that I've read. It takes place in the city of Hlondeth, in Faerun's Vilhon Reach. It is a mix of suspense, mystery, and most of all political intruige. There are many plot twists and the characters seem more real that some of the people you know. It is not an action packed novel like R.A. Salvatore's books on Drizzt, so if you are looking for that, steer clear. This is also the most maturely themed Forgotten Realms novel that I've read. It should be rated R for sexually explicit material. And no, I'm not joking.
Rating: 
Summary: OVERALL SCORE: (A-/B+)
Review: This is a very good story that takes place in the Yuan-ti controlled city of Hloondeth, deep in the Vilhon Reach. The story centers around a psionic/rouge Arvin, a human who accidentally gets caught up in plots beyond his understanding. This is a edgy (for Forgotten Realms) mystery, while the violence is less than many of this genre, the strange dream sequences me be more 'mature' than what readers have come to expect from Forgotten Realms books.
[The back cover is extremely misleading, the person who is listed as the main character 'Dediana', never appears in the book! While this is not a reflection on the author or the book itself, it was very slipshod of the publishers.] OVERALL SCORE: (A-/B+)
READABILITY: (A-), PLOT: (A), CHARATERS: (A), DIALOGUE: (B-), SETTING: (B+), ACTION/COMBAT: (B-), MONSTERS/ANTAGONISTS: (A+), ROMANCE: (?+), SEX: (Moderate), AGE LEVEL: (PG13)
Rating:
Summary: Mature Fantasy Fiction
Review: Venoms Taste is the most mature and nuanced novel I have seen published under the D&D imprint. The protagonist becomes entrapped in a plot involving family rivalries, fanatical cults and political conspiracy. Ms. Smedman addresses a number of areas usually left unexplored in D&D novels including racism, slavery, gender identity, and sex.
Hopefully this marks a new mature direction in D&D fiction. I recommend this book for mature readers looking to graduate from the young adult level that dominates game related fiction.
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