The Spell of the Black Dagger: A Legend of Ethshar

Rating:
Summary: I liked Tabaea too much also...
Review: I enjoyed the charaterizations in this book and the descriptions of the realm itself. However, I also found myself wanting Tabaea to win, she seemed so innocent to me, she wasn't an evil person, just a little misguided. Too bad she couldn't have become a wizards apprentice instead of dying.

Rating:
Summary: Good, but I liked the bad guy too much.
Review: I liked the book, but I seemed to keep wanting the thief to win. I liked her too much. I felt the rulers were mean.

Rating:
Summary: The best of the bunch!
Review: I love the Ethshar series, with the exception of Taking Flight, and this book is the best that LWE has produced. Some people don't like the way that the book is written or the way that the heroine in the tale turns out to be the villain, but to me this book was fast paced, had great fighting, and a tangible sense of impending doom if she isn't stopped. Don't listen to the other reviewers, as they aren't happy that this book kind of breaks from the mold of the other Ethshar novels. Give it a chance.

Rating:
Summary: The best of the bunch!
Review: I love the Ethshar series, with the exception of Taking Flight, and this book is the best that LWE has produced. Some people don't like the way that the book is written or the way that the heroine in the tale turns out to be the villain, but to me this book was fast paced, had great fighting, and a tangible sense of impending doom if she isn't stopped. Don't listen to the other reviewers, as they aren't happy that this book kind of breaks from the mold of the other Ethshar novels. Give it a chance.

Rating:
Summary: Another great Ethshar book!
Review: Tabaea of Ethshar of the Sands has led a rather unfortunate life, and becoming a thief hasn't particularly helped. However, when she spies on a wizard teaching his apprentice how to make a magical dagger, she decides that magic is the life for her. When she makes her dagger, though, everything seems to go wrong, and the result is a seemingly ineffective black dagger. But, botched magic can have strange results, and this one results in the creation of one of the most powerful magical devices that the world has ever seen!

Lady Sarai's ability to solve mysteries has landed her the jobs of Minister of Investigation and acting Minister of Justice. When a series of magicians start turning up murdered, all in the same, seemingly ritualistic, way, Lady Sarai investigates. The magical traces found by magicians point to a coven of magicians of various schools...or do they? The Guild of Wizards is worried...Lady Sarai is worried...and they have good reason to be worried!

This is another great Ethshar book! In certain ways, it is different than the other Ethshar books that I have read, focusing in on two major characters (Tabaea and Sarai). But, as with the others, it is an exciting story, with lots of intrigue, magic, and nail-biting adventure. If you like stories of wizards, powerful magic and high adventure, then I highly recommend this great book to you!

Rating:
Summary: Rather Dark Story, Sympathetic Villainess
Review: With the cover blurb focused on Tabaea, and the first two chapters centered on her, it isn't that surprising that the reader is confused when the heroine turns out to be the apparently boring but decidedly willful Sarai. Tabaea is the underdog, trying to come out on top of the world, but she lacks the character and knowledge to do it well. You know what they say about the road paved with good intentions...

Sarai, the daughter of the Minister of Justice (and therefore a member of the privileged class), spends a lot of time in detective work (for which she is naturally talented), trying to uncover what the reader already knows, which makes the reader desperately wish to just pop into the story for a moment and TELL her. When she finally gets the information she needs and makes her move, the story really gets rolling. In fact, it's almost too fast to follow.

There's a hiccup in the narrative when he replays a scene from Sarai's perspective immediately after showing it from Tabaea's, but otherwise, the plot races toward the finish. Tabaea's grisly demise is sad only because she flips back to her pseudo-noble mode in an attempt to prove her right to rule by eliminating the Seething Death that threatens not only the palace, but ultimately the entire world. She was misguided in her attempt, but the ending rather glosses over the supremely lazy and selfish methods she used to get to that point.

Basically, there was too much focus on the thief; we were in her head more than Sarai's, so we felt more for her. Add to that our almost-universal love for the underdog, and you can't help but feel disappointed with the ending, even if you knew it was the right way to end. He should have allowed the audience to remain in the dark about Tabaea along with Sarai, and get into HER head, from HER point of view instead. That would have eliminated both the divided loyalty of the reader, and the stalling of the plot while we wait for Sarai to figure out what we already know.

Nevertheless, if you like Watt-Evans' books, you'll still enjoy the action. If you've never read one of his books, I'd suggest starting with The Mis-Enchanted Sword: it's action and comedy in one.

Rating:
Summary: Well thought-out fantasy tale
Review: Young Tabaea the Thief becomes Tabaea the Empress in this installment of Lawrence Watt-Evans' Ethshar series. The point of view begins with Tabaea overhearing the secret of wizardry and how to create an athame, the magical dagger that all wizards use to channel their power. But with no training and no patience, her spell goes awry and her dagger appears worthless.

But when she uses it as a weapon, she finds that if it kills someone, she inherits all their power and ability. So Tabaea goes on a wizard-killing spree to become the strongest of them all, and then installs herself of Empress of Ethshar of the Sands.

What LWE does well is show how fantastical elements impact real people, in terms of politics, relationships, and day to day living. Many of us might have had daydreams where we take over a castle, but which of us thought it through enough to realize that you need the support of all those retainers and servants to keep the place running? LWE did, and shows the results of an impetuous teenaged monarch with no one to receive her orders.

Several reviewers mentioned the switching point of view between Tabaea and Lady Sarai, who investigates the serial murders. I agree the book would have been more effective if LWE stuck with one or the other, or at least not told us so much of Tabaea's doings in advance of Sarai's discovering them.

Note: this book is contemperaneous with Watt-Evans new Ethshar novel, _Ithanalin's Restoration_. However, as with most of the Ethshar series, they stand alone well and can be read in any order.

Rating:
Summary: Well thought-out fantasy tale
Review: Young Tabaea the Thief becomes Tabaea the Empress in this installment of Lawrence Watt-Evans' Ethshar series. The point of view begins with Tabaea overhearing the secret of wizardry and how to create an athame, the magical dagger that all wizards use to channel their power. But with no training and no patience, her spell goes awry and her dagger appears worthless.

But when she uses it as a weapon, she finds that if it kills someone, she inherits all their power and ability. So Tabaea goes on a wizard-killing spree to become the strongest of them all, and then installs herself of Empress of Ethshar of the Sands.

What LWE does well is show how fantastical elements impact real people, in terms of politics, relationships, and day to day living. Many of us might have had daydreams where we take over a castle, but which of us thought it through enough to realize that you need the support of all those retainers and servants to keep the place running? LWE did, and shows the results of an impetuous teenaged monarch with no one to receive her orders.

Several reviewers mentioned the switching point of view between Tabaea and Lady Sarai, who investigates the serial murders. I agree the book would have been more effective if LWE stuck with one or the other, or at least not told us so much of Tabaea's doings in advance of Sarai's discovering them.

Note: this book is contemperaneous with Watt-Evans new Ethshar novel, _Ithanalin's Restoration_. However, as with most of the Ethshar series, they stand alone well and can be read in any order.