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A new trilogy starring Erevis Cale: On the edge of a war that will change the face of Faerûn, the world finds that not all shadows serve Shade Enclave In the wake of the battle, Erevis Cale and his companions—fellow Mask agent Drasek Riven and the half-human, half-demon Mags Kest—have settled into a more peaceful existence. But secretly, Cale is in turmoil. With his transformation into a shade nearly complete, he grasps at the last scraps of his physical humanity. More than ever, he is like the master that he serves. But soon, fresh dangers are afoot. The goddess Shar has made the first move in her ploy to incite the Shadowstorm, a prophesied event that will reshape Faerûn according to her and the Shades' dark whims. As her agents sow the seeds of war throughout the realm, Erevis Cale and his companions—both old and new—must find a way to stop them in their tracks before the ancient Netheril empire can rise again.
Series
Series
7 primary books#5 in The Chronicles of Erevis Cale
The Chronicles of Erevis Cale is a 7-book series with 7 primary works first released in 2000 with contributions by Paul S. Kemp.
Series
224 released booksForgotten Realms - Publication Order
Forgotten Realms - Publication Order is a 224-book series first released in 199 with contributions by R. A. Salvatore, Ed Greenwood, and Douglas Niles.
Series
2 primary books#1 in Forgotten Realms: The Twilight War
Forgotten Realms: The Twilight War is a 2-book series with 2 primary works first released in 2006 with contributions by Paul S. Kemp.
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Well now, I guess this is where all the stuff done in the Erevis Cale trilogy pays off. Don't start this one before that previous trilogy - it's more like a 6-book series. Book 1 is basically where a major Realms event officially starts brewing. All the pieces are in place, and all that's left, is to set things in motion.
The pace of the book starts off leisurely, as we see the different players in the plot starting their engines and shifting in gear. The pace just keeps racking up to a strong finale, and dangles you off a cliffhanger - just like the previous trilogy (the cliffhanger part).
The plot is quite incredible; a massive conspiracy by Shar's faithful to plunge Sembia into civil war, Mask's mysterious behind-the-scenes machinations, then throw in ulterior motives and ties to previous back stories and you have a winner.
The protagonist of this book is Cale, since Magadon is a plot device and Riven doesn't show up until much later. We see Cale dealing with the aftermath of the previous trilogy, coming to grips with himself and his situation. Then getting called back to his old life in Sembia and stumbling upon conspiracy after conspiracy. I would say Cale didn't change much, despite the attempts at character growth - he's still the same old, struggling with the same emotions, but maybe to a lesser degree. But that's what makes him an interesting character.
Topping that would be the villains. We have agents of Shar placed in key positions of power, manipulating things to their dark ends. The Shadovar takes up a prominent part of the spotlight, showcasing what Cale is up against. I always find it refreshing when two evils (well, Cale's not exactly evil, but his deity is) go up against each other, and very entertaining when the author pulls it off with just the right motivations. All of the villains here are very well fleshed-out characters.
As the book ends with the first clash between the protagonists and the primary villains, yet another party shows up right at the end - the plot hasn't finished unfolding yet, not by far it seems.
