Vanity's Brood

Hmm... I can't help feeling a teeny bit disappointed with the final book of the trilogy. It feels different from the first two books.

The book is still a nice read and the author is still great at taking advantage of the rarely used setting and game elements - specifically yuan-ti, psionics, and this time throwing in Chult and the Abyss. Bits of lore abound to keep the reader interested too. All the unexpected twists are present in this book and they still delight me that I didn't see them coming.

What's disappointing is the return of the feeling of things being just so convenient. If Arvin really did worship Tymora instead of just paying lip service, I'd at least be inclined to believe in his luck. As it is, there's too much lucky situations and convenient coincidences.

There's also very little character development and growth this time around. If you didn't read the first two books, you'd know very little about these characters. Zelia, the villain, was the most aggrieved. She went from being Arvin's lethal nemesis, to a rather flat villain. The showdown with Zelia was good and invokes a sense of Arvin's tension, but not very satisfactory. The Secession was brought back right at the end, feeling like an afterthought. The “complications” Arvin has with the Guild also seems conveniently put aside.

I like how Lisa Smedman adheres to D&D rules and restrictions, even to the point where it feels like she just describing the rules. Too bad she breaks this consistency with the fate link psionic power, not once, but twice, to bring about Arvin's victory. Still, readers not familiar with it won't notice - although his psionic powers being so powerful that not even demons and half-fiends can't resist requires a little suspension of disbelief.

Still, the great pacing of the plot, the typing up of loose ends, and the nice plot twists all make for a good read, enough for me to suspend disbelief at Arvin's good fortune. Overall, a satisfactory end to this trilogy.