Rating: 
Summary: Interesting
Review: ...I found Kelemvor Lyonsbane to be one of the more interesting characters in the Forgotten Realms, and would LOVE to have read about his quest for the ring of winter. I should mention here that the actual Forgotten Realms novel by the same name "Ring of Winter" has absolutely nothing to do with Kelemvor, he isn't even mentioned. That said, I have to agree that the Avatar trilogy is found lacking in the developement of Cyric's character and sorely lacking in letting the reader in on his motivation. I decided to take it at face value, that being Cyric simply snaps. Goes insane. This does in fact and unfortunately really happen to people, and it can happen without any warning or reason. For anyone playing in a Forgotten Realms Campaign, I think the Avatar trilogy is a must read. Don't expect much and you won't be disappointed. Not many books of the genre can truly stand up to the likes of Tolkein. You won't find the next Conan, Elric, Bilbo, or Thomas Covenant hiding within the pages of a book with "Forgotten Realms" stamped across the top. Consider the target audience, and the fact that the entire line of Forgotten Realms novels, when you get right down to it, are based on a game. If you are looking for a masterpiece of high adventure, look elsewhere.
Rating: 
Summary: AMAZING TRILOGY!!!
Review: Definitely a great fantasy epic and one of my personal favorites, The Avatar Trilogy- Shadowdale, Tantras, and Waterdeep, is about the Time of Troubles when the Gods walked the Earth (in this case Toril). The books are so incredibly well written that the reader feels that they have been transported to another plane of existence and are actually present among the characters, seeing what they see, feeling what they feel, sensing what they sense. The authors have truly outdone themselves and have presented us with a masterpiece of literature the likes of which we have seen only in JRR Tolkien's work, RA Salvatore's The Dark Elf and Icewind Dale trilogies, and in authors Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman's Dragonlance Chronicles and Legends trilogies. Love, honor, bravery, magic, and heroes are all about. In conclusion, it's what Fantasy reading SHOULD be. A GREAT trilogy indeed and a "must read" along with James Lowder's Prince of Lies and Troy Denning's Crucible: The Trial of Cyric! DON'T MISS IT!!!
Rating: 
Summary: Stream of conscious fantasy writing?
Review: I agree with one reviewer who says that the author must have played the module that this book is based on, and then wrote about the adventure. It a shame too, because the premise had some real potential. A pantheon of gods are cast down by their head honcho for being selfish, neglecting thier duties and most importantly, allowing the sacred tablets to be stolen. They must work their way back to the heavens and redeem themselves. Enter the band of adventurers who get caught in the middle. Just when I was thanking my stars that this was a not one of the countless "boy savior" stories, the author writes a mediocre tale with a scattered narrative. Giving no back story to characters or explaining arbitrary actions. They literally hop from one battle to the other. Do you know those "Choose your own Adventure" stories? Imagine reading one that someone has already done and just left their choices in the book. There is no through line, characterization, even the exposition is shoddy. Maybe I'm overanalyizing this, but these are basics in telling a story. The descriptive writing however, is very good. The author has a knack for conjuring up some great monsters and locales.
This is a very juvenile style of writing. Great images with no real substance. Anyone who has had exposure to the likes of Brooks, Jordan, Hickman & Weiss should stick to them. Ironic, because the latter mentioned wrote the amazing and highly recommended "Dragonlance" series also produced by TSR. It really too bad, because I was hoping for something along that level. But it's enough to give Salvatore's take on this world a shot.
Rating:
Summary: Not really worth it...
Review: I found this book in one of the many boxes of books in our closet, on a night when I was looking for something to alleviate my boredom. To that end, the book served it's purpose.The concept for the novel is intriguing, particularly if you have some basic knowledge of its place in the mythology of the Forgotten Realms campaign setting. The four main characters (Kelemvor, Midnight, Adon and Cyric) find themselves in a world turned upside down by the expulsion of the gods from the heavens. The gods have taken avatars (i.e. human hosts) and are attempting to reassert themselves; only adding to the chaos in the Realms. Unfortunately, the potential of that tale was not met. With the notable exceptions of Kelemvor and Cyric, I felt that the characters were one-dimensional and wholly uninteresting. The story itself was thin, with leaps in logic that I found implausible. To put it quite simply, it was fluff. I was entertained enough to attempt the second book in the trilogy (Tantras). However, I only made it a few chapters before I gave up because it was simply too much of a stretch. I suppose, to wrap up, I agree with those that have said it is the best DnD module they have ever read. The books did feel like Mr. Awlinson played in a game with that plotline and then attempted to turn it into a novel. I would only recommend the book if you are looking for an easy read to kill some time.
Rating:
Summary: Good at points, but sometimes hard to follow
Review: I just finished Shadowdale and I must say I did enjoy reading this book. After reading 4 Drizzt books in a row, I needed a change. This series seemed like a good choice. I like the character development, except they were a slightly predictable. The only thing that disappointed me was the authors storytelling technique. It seemed choppy and it jumped around a bit. The author would set the scene and tell you what was happening. Then right when you are ready to ask, "Explain how this character got to this point" the author would give you a paragraph, or two, explaining what happened in between scenes. His writing style did not have a smooth flow and can be confusing. But still it was worth the read.
Rating:
Summary: Unmemorable
Review: I read this trilogy ages ago when I was a kid and the fact that I remember so little shows that it was nothing special. Many others have said that the writing style is very ordinary and this is true in that it did not stand out at all. There was some interest in the plot (in this book I do remember the battle around Shadowdale to be an interesting section) but I guess having read it as a kid means the plot could be interesting to kids but not necessarily adults.
If you are a Forgotten Realms fan (which I'm not, I was given the books) then the added interest of this as a background story as well as connections to the world of the Realms will probably outweight the negative aspects of the book such that it may be worth reading. Otherwise, it's fairly pointless.
Rating:
Summary: Good intro to the series and its main characters
Review: If you like fantasy literature, do yourself a favor and pick up this book. Once you do, you'll be compelled to get the rest of the series (and probably any other books involving the same characters.) The gods of the Forgotten Realms have been cast down from the heavens to live among mortals by their overlord (Lord Ao, or "The One Who is Hidden.") because of the theft of the Tablets of Fate (two Ten Commandments-like items that show the names of the gods and their roles in the pantheon.) The are to remain among the mortals until the Tablets are recovered and their thief (or thieves) uncovered. Four heroes are thrust into the role of questing for the tablets: Cursed mercenary Kelemvor Lyonsbane, vain priest Adon of Sune, mysterious soldier Cyric, and novice magician Midnight. I'm not going to spoil the book(s) for you by going any deeper than that, but I will say that each of the characters will evolve tremendously throughout the course of the series. The climactic battle between the heroes and the armies of the evil Bane (God of Strife and Tyranny) is something to behold. It will whet your appetite for the rest of the series. Stick with it, 'cause it's worth your time.
Rating: 
Summary: a little help please
Review: It is clear from the way this novel is written that author Scott Ciencin expects the reader to have read the D&D Player's Handbook, or the Forgotten Realms Campaign Setting at the very least. Quite simply, Shadowdale reads more like a D&D module than a fantasy novel, complete with terse descriptions of spellcasting that refer only to the spell's name. I was almost expecting to see a footnote in the margin saying "See Pg. 168 in the Player's Handbook for description." Some of his attempts at detailed description are rather amusing, such as a reference to "Spanish moss." I'm sure everyone in the Realms knows exactly where Spain is, eh? The author consistently refers to the party of four (Kelemvor, Midnight, Adon, Cyric) as 'the heroes,' even before they have demonstrated the capability to do anything remotely heroic. By the way, that's exactly how a D&D module would describe [insert your player character's names here]. The characters in this book are described like a Dungeon Master would describe them- basic physical stats like hair color, height, and build, and everything else is what they're doing at a particular time. There's some thoughts here and there, but it's random and shallow, as if Ciencin himself isn't quite sure what they're thinking. At the same time, the author sometimes goes to great pains to distance this novel from D&D. Please note that he calls Midnight a 'magic-user' rather than a 'mage' or 'wizard,' even though the term gets noticeably repetitive and it's much easier to type the other two. The perspective jumps around in seemingly random fashion, and the characters often say things that don't make much sense, and that I doubt real people would say. At first I thought that this was because Ciencin was a lousy author with no sense of how to write dialogue, but after reading more than halfway through this novel I decided that he probably is a good one (at least potentially), but he's just not good at indicating the passage of time on paper. On closer examination, some single-line phrases span whole days, which is why his running description of events seems completely disjointed. Then again, some things the characters do STILL don't make sense, even considering the unseen passage of time. I don't think any self-respecting woman would let a complete stranger treat her like dirt for so long, even if he's a big buff stud like Kelemvor. Midnight not only puts up with him, but decides to bed him! With some explanation of what's going on in her wizardly mind, perhaps there could be a justification for this, but the author leaves you guessing. Also, Cyric sticks with the rest of the party on their whole string of quests... but for what? The guy is obviously a rogue with no real loyalties or desire to work for free, but that seems to be exactly what he's doing. At the same time, there's something sinister brewing in the guy (those who have read the FRCS may have some idea) and he regularly lies to his trusted companions. I can totally see Cyric as being the PC of a new D&D player that doesn't really like the adventure, but just wants to play to be with the rest of his friends. So he puts up with the plot and with the stupidity of his fellow party members while snickering to himself the whole time and doing things to make the DM squirm. Speaking of reluctant PCs, has anyone figured out why Adon was even in this novel? It must be something in one of the other books in the trilogy, because I couldn't figure it out by reading this one. Another mystery is the first thing you'll notice when you pick up this book- the cover. Who are these people in the illustration? They don't seem to match the descriptions of any of our heroes. I wouldn't be surprised if they just took the picture out of Dragon magazine, for lack of an available artist. If this isn't enough to convince you that Shadowdale reads like a D&D module, also consider the plot itself. The heroes periodically run into encounters of ascending difficulty, with enemies often appearing out of nowhere and attacking for no particular reason. The only thing it was missing was the DM doling out experience points and gold at the end of each encounter. I found one encounter particularly amusing, in which a haunted forest pops out of nowhere and conjures undead monsters and spider-dogs that swarm the party. I suppose this could be reasoned to be a result of magic going nuts, or an indirect attack by someone (who?), but the author does little enough to explain it. Rather, it looks more like a 'hey, we're due for some killing' random encounter that Ciencin put in to break the monotony of a long journey. I must say that as the story progresses, things do get a bit better, especially toward the end. It seems like this story took a lot of time to write- time which the author used to learn how to write a novel. He gets steadily better until the end, which culminates in a cool battle. In short, Shadowdale is a 'good book' with some great ideas and epic adventuring experiences. Note that this is precisely the way you would describe a typical Dungeons & Dragons campaign. I had never even heard of Ciencin prior to this, but just by reading this I can tell that the author is far better at writing modules than novels. He should stick to those, and leave the novels for experts like Denning and Salvatore. If you are the type of person that gets kicks just reading D&D rulebooks, then this is your game. If not, then maybe you should look elsewhere.
Rating:
Summary: The Best D&D Module You'll Ever Read!
Review: It is clear from the way this novel is written that author Scott Ciencin expects the reader to have read the D&D Player's Handbook, or the Forgotten Realms Campaign Setting at the very least. Quite simply, Shadowdale reads more like a D&D module than a fantasy novel, complete with terse descriptions of spellcasting that refer only to the spell's name. I was almost expecting to see a footnote in the margin saying "See Pg. 168 in the Player's Handbook for description." Some of his attempts at detailed description are rather amusing, such as a reference to "Spanish moss." I'm sure everyone in the Realms knows exactly where Spain is, eh? The author consistently refers to the party of four (Kelemvor, Midnight, Adon, Cyric) as 'the heroes,' even before they have demonstrated the capability to do anything remotely heroic. By the way, that's exactly how a D&D module would describe [insert your player character's names here]. The characters in this book are described like a Dungeon Master would describe them- basic physical stats like hair color, height, and build, and everything else is what they're doing at a particular time. There's some thoughts here and there, but it's random and shallow, as if Ciencin himself isn't quite sure what they're thinking. At the same time, the author sometimes goes to great pains to distance this novel from D&D. Please note that he calls Midnight a 'magic-user' rather than a 'mage' or 'wizard,' even though the term gets noticeably repetitive and it's much easier to type the other two. The perspective jumps around in seemingly random fashion, and the characters often say things that don't make much sense, and that I doubt real people would say. At first I thought that this was because Ciencin was a lousy author with no sense of how to write dialogue, but after reading more than halfway through this novel I decided that he probably is a good one (at least potentially), but he's just not good at indicating the passage of time on paper. On closer examination, some single-line phrases span whole days, which is why his running description of events seems completely disjointed. Then again, some things the characters do STILL don't make sense, even considering the unseen passage of time. I don't think any self-respecting woman would let a complete stranger treat her like dirt for so long, even if he's a big buff stud like Kelemvor. Midnight not only puts up with him, but decides to bed him! With some explanation of what's going on in her wizardly mind, perhaps there could be a justification for this, but the author leaves you guessing. Also, Cyric sticks with the rest of the party on their whole string of quests... but for what? The guy is obviously a rogue with no real loyalties or desire to work for free, but that seems to be exactly what he's doing. At the same time, there's something sinister brewing in the guy (those who have read the FRCS may have some idea) and he regularly lies to his trusted companions. I can totally see Cyric as being the PC of a new D&D player that doesn't really like the adventure, but just wants to play to be with the rest of his friends. So he puts up with the plot and with the stupidity of his fellow party members while snickering to himself the whole time and doing things to make the DM squirm. Speaking of reluctant PCs, has anyone figured out why Adon was even in this novel? It must be something in one of the other books in the trilogy, because I couldn't figure it out by reading this one. Another mystery is the first thing you'll notice when you pick up this book- the cover. Who are these people in the illustration? They don't seem to match the descriptions of any of our heroes. I wouldn't be surprised if they just took the picture out of Dragon magazine, for lack of an available artist. If this isn't enough to convince you that Shadowdale reads like a D&D module, also consider the plot itself. The heroes periodically run into encounters of ascending difficulty, with enemies often appearing out of nowhere and attacking for no particular reason. The only thing it was missing was the DM doling out experience points and gold at the end of each encounter. I found one encounter particularly amusing, in which a haunted forest pops out of nowhere and conjures undead monsters and spider-dogs that swarm the party. I suppose this could be reasoned to be a result of magic going nuts, or an indirect attack by someone (who?), but the author does little enough to explain it. Rather, it looks more like a 'hey, we're due for some killing' random encounter that Ciencin put in to break the monotony of a long journey. I must say that as the story progresses, things do get a bit better, especially toward the end. It seems like this story took a lot of time to write- time which the author used to learn how to write a novel. He gets steadily better until the end, which culminates in a cool battle. In short, Shadowdale is a 'good book' with some great ideas and epic adventuring experiences. Note that this is precisely the way you would describe a typical Dungeons & Dragons campaign. I had never even heard of Ciencin prior to this, but just by reading this I can tell that the author is far better at writing modules than novels. He should stick to those, and leave the novels for experts like Denning and Salvatore. If you are the type of person that gets kicks just reading D&D rulebooks, then this is your game. If not, then maybe you should look elsewhere.
Rating:
Summary: avatar
Review: Richard Awlinson stood for all-in-one. A group of TSR writers wrote different parts of the series. This one was written by Scott Ciencin. A good book, the best of the avatar series for my money, and introduces some interesting characters, Midnight, Cyric and Kelemvor. They will later all go spectacularly wrong and mutate beyond recognition, but here at the beginning, they are a surprisingly likeable bunch. Look for Cyric's heroic defense of Shadowdale.
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