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“Finding someone to finish a series after five novels from five different authors is no easy task. He’s got to be willing to find all the open roads the others have left for him. He’s got to do his homework, and quickly. And given the quality of his predecessors’ work, he’s got to be good . . . Enter Paul Kemp. Whew! Writers like this don’t come along every day.” –R.A. Salvatore The New York Times best-selling author of The Two Swords THE SPIDER QUEEN LIVES AGAIN But something is different, something her priestesses can hear in the winds, feel in their spirits, and for a select few see with their own eyes. The Demonweb Pits, removed from the Abyss to take its place among the lower planes, is more dangerous, more horrifying than anyone has ever imagined. Teeming with feral spiders bent on ripping each other to pieces– killing, eating, and killing again–the blasted landscape of Lolth’s personal hell is still forming. Quenthel Baenre, with the tattered remnants of her expedition continuing to plot against her, crosses that spider-infested killing ground in hopes of answering the call of her reborn goddess. If she can make it to Lolth’s side, can she even imagine what plans the Queen of the Demonweb Pits has had for her all along? The final novel in an epic six-part series from the fertile imaginations of R.A. Salvatore, and a select group of the newest, most exciting authors in the genre. Join them as they bring an end to a devastating war, and give birth to the greatest horror the Realms has ever known. Danifae Yauntyrr, former battle-captive of House Melarn, has come too far to stop now. She has regained her freedom after years of servitude, but has yet to exact her revenge. Though she has gained much, grown in both power and ambition, and enjoys the protection of the powerful draegloth Jeggred Baenre, Danifae still needs to kill Halisstra Melarn. But how can she when she’s followed Quenthel and Pharaun into the heart of Lolth’s reformed domain, a hellish world of demonic spiders bent on eating each other, and anything else stupid enough to get in their way–including the chosen vessel of Lolth herself. While Danifae wonders how she’ll ever take vengeance on a woman she left behind on the surface of Faerûn, the very target of her burning hatred is close on her heals. Halisstra has come to the Demonweb Pits with a very different agenda. In her hands she holds the fabled Crescent Blade, a sword she believes will grant her the power to kill Lolth herself–but only if they find her before she fully completes her own mysterious RESURRECTION The War of the Spider Queen comes to an end. From the Paperback edition.
Reviews with the most likes.
Excellent ending of this 6-book series, each by a different author. Kemp is definitely one of the better ones as he managed to stay true to each of the characters, the plot, and the overall theme.
The story flows very smoothly from the start, building up tension, and picks up speed towards the end, shooting to a conclusion. The author has a flair with describing scenery and situations, and kudos to staying true to the characters, most especially Pharaun - back to why I really liked him in the first place. What happened to him at the end... well, let's just I was disappointed, but the little maybe-not hook that was added in was a superb touch.
Also deserving special mention are the parts that focused on Gromph were also very nicely told and described; a very refreshing and interesting part of the tale.
The motivations and plot twists all stayed true - the drow to their ruthless nature, and Lolth to her chaotic nature. The nature of chaos, alluded to by Lolth her self in the story, is what many people totally missed when reviewing or commenting on the last few chapters. The visions, their motivations, their abrupt ends, the senselessness of certain acts... that is the very essence of what is means to be a follower of Lolth.