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"In this third book of the Sundering series kicked off by R.A. Salvatore and the dark elf Drizzt, SCRIBE award-winning author Erin M. Evans thrusts her signature character Farideh into a maelstrom of devilish politics and magical intrigue that will have far-reaching implications for the future of the Forgotten Realms. As the chaos of the Sundering rages around her, young warlock Farideh faces a more personal turmoil wrought by a deal she made with a devil years ago. Hoping to protect her twin sister, she leaves everything she holds dear to assist a wizard in a scheme that pits the devils of the Nine Hells against the gods above. But when Farideh casts the spell to enter the wizard's remote mountaintop fortress, she picks up a stowaway--a Harper agent named Dahl who isn't so inclined to follow devilish demands. Dahl attempts to escape only to run into a village of odd people, lurking behind an impenetrable wall. Forced to gaze into the villagers' souls, Farideh points out the ones who seem different, only to watch as the wizard's guard carts them off to fates unknown. Are these villagers or prisoners? Are they blessed or doomed by the gods? As the wizard's guessing game proves more and more diabolical, Farideh resolves to unravel his secrets--even if it means she'll lose her own soul to the Nine Hells"--… (more)
User reviews
*I received this uncorrected galley from NetGalley*
Farideh is taken by Netherese agents and imprisoned along with other Netherese enemies. It doesn’t take long for her to realize that her fellow prisoners are something more than what she expected. These captives have powers or abilities
This series is my first introduction to these authors and I am so excited to read more from them.
My complaints always come first so I will get that out of the way. In some areas it felt cluttered and I had moments of feeling overwhelmed by the number of characters. It was mostly in intense action scenes where I was trying to keep track of the major characters plus the minor ones. Otherwise everything moves smoothly and the pace has a nice balance. The characters (I know other readers have had more experience with them than I have) are also very balanced. Having conflicted and complex characters really works well in this genre. Farideh is a good example of this and I can’t wait to read more of her adventures. I stayed up late a few nights to read this and that’s a good sign for me because I love my sleep and am an early riser. I can easily recommend this one to fantasy fans or anyone looking to get a start in fantasy. So far I don’t see a reason why this series has to be read in order.
However, unlike the previous two books in this series, The Adversary felt like once I got to know the characters a bit, I wasn’t as handicapped by lack of previous knowledge. The story felt less tied to author Erin M Evan’s previous series and more to the other books in this Sundering series. It finally felt like there really is an over-arching storyline here and not just a showcase for the different authors’ works.
At times, I found the pacing a bit slow. But that was okay – there’s a lot going on here and a whole lot of characters to keep track of and, by taking it slow through some of the build-up to the real action, it prevented the reader from getting lost. It also gave me a chance to get to know the characters and to care about what happens to them.
With this novel, I finally feel like I’m starting to understand what is happening in the Forgotten Realm and where this is all heading. It kind of feels like the previous two books were meant to set the parameters of the series and, with The Adversary, we are finally finding our way to the core of the story. I look forward to reading the rest of the books in the series to find out where it will take me.
This is the third of the Sundering series I’ve read, and I’m thinking it comes in as my favorite. We’re thrust into disaster after disaster from the very start because the main focus is on a tiefling, Farideh, who never looks before she leaps, so
Sure, this is an adventure fantasy with horrible things happening, people needing a rescue, people forced to do things they would prefer not to and suffering the consequences should they balk. It’s complex, complicated, and twisty. Deals with devils are rarely simple, and all the clauses in the world won’t cover every eventuality. But ultimately this is a people novel. It’s about the kind of trouble that comes through rash choices, and learning to live with the consequences at the same time as trying to mend what went wrong.
It’s rare that a novel can startle me into a laugh, and I wasn’t expecting it of this one as much of what happens falls into the dark paths of choosing the best of the worst when lives are at stake, but still there have been several times when the characters’ interactions just hit me the right way. There are things the characters say that stand out as poignant or telling, and yet though they have broader implications, are also perfect for the moment and that character.
Though Farideh is known in the Forgotten Realms universe, she’s new to me. What I came out of this book with is a wish to check out more of Erin M. Evans’ stories, and a sense of a rich history of which I know enough to make this book solid just in the glimpses offered, and yet I’m intrigued to discover more. The characters are complicated, well-rounded, and faced with the kinds of choices that make black and white a simple world for simple people who have never experienced anything more difficult than whether to share their breakfast meats or hoard them. I’ve already recommended the book to my son, and I suspect he’s not the first to hear about how much I enjoyed the rich characters and events put into play here.
P.S. I received this title from the publisher through Net Galley in return for an honest review.