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• Silverfall
Retail Price: $14.99
Amazon Price: $10.49
Description
Widespread and many-tentacled is the evil that threatens Faerun. Before its heart can be found, all of the Seven Sisters will play a part, and all too much blood will be spilled...drow blood. Seven linked novellas tell seven stories of seven sisters by the creator of the FORGOTTEN REALMS world!
Release date : 08/01/1999
Reviews: 1
Total Rating:   (8 of 10 stars)
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Reviewed by MasterAO on 03/31/2000
Rating:  (8 of 10 stars)
Reviewed by Robert Sullivan - BoedynLOC@AOL.COM
Author: Ed Greenwood
Page count: 376
ISBN: 0-7869-1365-7
"I hope you realize that, after this, tomorrow is going to be truly boring."
Elaith Craulnober, Silverfall: Stories of the Seven Sisters
"Silverfall" is a story of the Seven Sisters, the known female chosen who are all more or less the Goddess of Magic direct daughters. The story involves another plot, and the sisters each take turns at unraveling and dealing with the plot, almost like runners passing a baton. To tell what the purpose of the plot is would spoil part of the story, however it is something of a surprise.
"Look upon me, and know Magic."
Mystra, Silverfall: Stories of the Seven Sisters
This is one of the better Forgotten Realms novels. While the story does have a Realms-wide plot, and involves very powerful characters in the story - things that are almost cliched in many FR stories - this is accomplished with more flair than normal.
The stories portray the Sisters as if not insane, then at least very far removed from normal human psychology. The best example of this is the shear physical abuse the sisters suffer. This not just an attitude they present to intimidate tortures. Regardless of their regenerative abilities they still feel pain and can be hurt. In this book they are all severally injured, some more so than others. Yet, they all treat the most horrifically painful injuries and debilitating attacks with a cavalier attitude. This in not normal.
They all also display a degree of lasciviousness that has come to be associated with the Seven Sisters. Even this points to the fact that the Sisters are not normal. Sex - and its associated luggage - unfortunately is not all fun and games. Unless you are one of the Seven Sisters, who in addition to being immune to any possible disease, is also apparently immune to the emotional consequences of sex. Dove ponders running away with an aging slaver, with no thought given to Dove's husband. While this is not as unusual as their attitude towards personal pain, it does suggest they are not perfect, shinny paragons of endless virtue.
The Sisters are also not in perfect and continuous contact with each other. They do not e-mail each other back and forth about what they are doing, so when one is in trouble she can not automatically call upon the others. This is good in that it creates vulnerability for the Sisters.
This lack of communication creates interesting problems. In a sample of the book presented earlier, in the back of another Forgotten Realms novel, Qilue attempts to enter the Blackstaff tower. It goes rather badly with the many Blackstaff apprentices doing what they have been trained to do, what they are expected to do - they attack a drow priestess who appears in the private sanctum of Khelben and Laeral. The three Chosen could have avoided this trouble by giving Qilue a pass stone or pass word, or Qilue could have just altered her form. The fact that this did not happen suggests that the Chosen are fallible. The story also gives the impression that the apprentices will be very harshly punished for doing something any player-character would do - attacking a drow priestess before she could get a spell off. This suggests the Chosen are not very even handed. These flaws add needed depth to their character.
The stories also nicely portray the sisters as different characters. For example, the differences between the Symbuls direct brutality and the Laeral double-dealing manipulating and Alustriels compassion and integrity come across quite nicely.
"I wasn't half so clever a bitch as I needed to be, this time."
Dove, Silverfall: Stories of the Seven Sisters
There are some flaws in the book.
The introduction of Elaith Craulnober seems some what tacked on, almost as an after thought or editorial mandate.
The death -- an interesting character is thrown away -- of one of the villains seems rather abrupt, almost jarringly so.
There is an excess of not so much violence but action sequences in the book. This is a limitation of the medium, which by its very nature must include a lot of over-the-top action and silly violence to appeal to the lowest common denominator in an attempt to sell the book. As such it is not really the fault of Mr. Greenwood, but it still detracts from the feel of the book.
As an aside the art presented in the book, on the cover and at the start of the novellas, is beautiful. The interior art is particularly attractive; appearing to be digitally altered photographs, creating a highly realistic image. The cover is also attractive, however the only identifiable sisters are Qilue and Sylune. |
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