Post/Author/DateTime	Post
WNG_pfoster 12-12-06, 09:21 AM	I just wanted to put out there that I'm really enjoying the novels so far, but have to give Rich Wulf props because I've enjoyed The Voyage of the Mourning Dawn the most so far. Very good book, I haven't been able to put it down. Most importantly, NO VAMPIRES! (yet) :D I've read through the whole Mark of Death series, all the War Torn series, the Dreaming Dark series (book two was definitely much better for the whole disarming thing ;)), The Dragon Below series (I'm really enjoying this series), and the Blade of Flame series (Diran seems to be Eberron's version of Drizzt). Good stuff. It'd be nice to see some focus on Sarlona, Aerenal or even the northern continent (I keep thinking Frostfell). p.s. A RTS PC game that works like (or even done by) Relic/THQ's WH40K Dawn of War/Dark Crusade would be awesome, replay the Last War or parts of it. Just thought I'd throw that out there...
DragonReader 12-13-06, 05:25 PM	I too am really enjoying the novels. And Rich Wulf's was definately up there among the best. I just picked up The Killing Song and can't wait to dive into it. By the way, this is the book club book for the month over at worldsofdnd.com. Anyway, looking at WOTC's product catalog for the first 6 months of next year, it looks like we are in for more great Eberron novels, not to mention some pretty interesting sourcebooks :)
mhacdebhandia 12-13-06, 05:59 PM	p.s. A RTS PC game that works like (or even done by) Relic/THQ's WH40K Dawn of War/Dark Crusade would be awesome, replay the Last War or parts of it. Just thought I'd throw that out there... There is a real-time strategy game called Dragonshards but it's pretty terrible, in my opinion. Luckily, the books I've read are excellent. I know enough to stay away from the Marked for Death series (I've got no interest in any story about the return of the Mark of Death and I've heard about canon violations), but I've enjoyed the Dreaming Dark trilogy and the first two books of the Dragon Below trilogy very much, along with The Blade of the Flame and Voyage of the Mourning Dawn.
Belabras 12-13-06, 06:14 PM	I'll admit, I've read all the Eberron books so far. Some of the Wartorn books have been real dogs, but otherwise I think it's been really good. I don't want to get down on any of the specific authors, so I won't list my dislikes, but I will say I particularly like the Dreaming Dark books, as well as the Dragon Below ones. I'm looking forward to the next Morning dawn book and the last of the Dragon Below ones.
Count Nerindil Van Seraph 12-13-06, 06:48 PM	I loved Voyage! It is second only to the Dragon Below series. Just slightly better, IMHO, than the Dreaming Dark books. However, I have not picked up the third one yet (it's out, right?), so I can't speak for that one. And remember kids: AVOID THE CRIMSON TALISMAN LIKE THE PLAUGE! That is all, The Count :dragon:
Charles Phipps 12-13-06, 08:52 PM	Oh the Crimson Talisman was wonderful except for the fact... * The Emerald Claw can move vast armies of the undead without fear. * They can lose this vast army of the undead without being hurt unduly. * The Emerald Claws agents are EVERYWHERE. * A Unicorn's horn is enough to justify using this vast army of the undead * Random ruins inhabited by Godlike beings are scattered across Khovaire.
(Psi)SeveredHead 12-13-06, 09:15 PM	Is that the same book with the "extremely green and young half-elf" whose father is the wrong race but still bears the Mark of Storms?
superdeadsmurf 12-13-06, 10:09 PM	Is that the same book with the "extremely green and young half-elf" whose father is the wrong race but still bears the Mark of Storms? no, The half-elf bears the Mark of Passage, has an Orien Father, elf Mother.
WNG_pfoster 01-02-07, 12:13 PM	Yup, both the last books for The Dreaming Dark and the Dragon Below series are available. I ordered them over the Christmas break but I haven't had a chance to read them. I'm reading through the "Shadows of the Last War" short stories collection. Several of the short stories touch on characters like Diran, Teron and the fellow from the 3rd book in the War Torn series, the former spy/explorer (so far). There is a real-time strategy game called Dragonshards but it's pretty terrible, in my opinion. Yeah, I bought it to give it a try. It seems to be a mix of Battle For Middle Earth's system (sorry if that system didn't originate there) and WarCraft 3 style graphics. That was one of the main reasons why I posted saying that Relic's Dawn of War/Call of Duty (I think it's called) engine would have been cool to have for a RTS that reproduces some action in the Last War. :)
Arcane Guyver 01-02-07, 03:10 PM	I know enough to stay away from the Marked for Death series (I've got no interest in any story about the return of the Mark of Death and I've heard about canon violations)... Not to spoil anything, but they never once in the entirety of the Marked for Death series confirm that it is the Mark of Death that manifested. In my opinion, it's probably just a deadly aberrant mark. At any rate, Rich Wulf's series is definitely one of the highlights in a predominantly good library of fantasy novels.
mhacdebhandia 01-02-07, 10:24 PM	I'm reading through the "Shadows of the Last War" short stories collection. Several of the short stories touch on characters like Diran, Teron and the fellow from the 3rd book in the War Torn series, the former spy/explorer (so far). The James Wyatt story, "Call of the Silver Flame", that ties in with his novel In The Claws of the Tiger is more specifically about Dania ir'Vran encountering Captain Krael Kavarat of the Order of the Emerald Claw and Maija - the former wife of Janik Martell, the spy/explorer you're referring to - in Atur, the City of Night. Edward Bolme's story "The Weight of Water" features Teron, the monk assassin from his novel The Orb of Xoriat. Tim Waggoner's story "The Blade of the Flame" is the story of the way in which Diran Bastiaan and the half-orc Ghaji met. They're the protagonists from his novel Thieves of Blood and, presumably, the rest of the Blade of the Flame trilogy.
mhacdebhandia 01-02-07, 10:25 PM	Not to spoil anything, but they never once in the entirety of the Marked for Death series confirm that it is the Mark of Death that manifested. In my opinion, it's probably just a deadly aberrant mark. That's interesting. Still, I haven't heard much to recommend the series in any case. I'm comfortable skipping it and The Crimson Talisman.
WNG_pfoster 01-03-07, 01:02 PM	That's interesting. Still, I haven't heard much to recommend the series in any case. I'm comfortable skipping it and The Crimson Talisman. The Lost Mark series was a decent series with some memorable moments, but overall, I think it ranked lower on my scale of preference. It seemed like a trilogy that was the Eberron version of 24 (which I do like). Always something happening and cliffhanger moments/endings. In some parts it seemed a little too frantic which made it almost seem rushed. The Crimson Talisman was an interesting story and painted a picture of certain areas of Eberron that weren't commonly explored. It also gave me a few ideas, even if the Dragonmark wasn't appropriate for a half-elf. I think it really emphasized the difference of Aerenal Elves to how people generally view Elves.
mhacdebhandia 01-03-07, 03:15 PM	I bought The Orb of Xoriat and In the Claws of the Tiger the day before yesterday, and finished them by last night. I enjoyed the fast pace of The Orb of Xoriat, and the way Edward Bolme touched on the presence of the dragonmarked houses in the world - characters travel by Lyrandar airship, Orien lightning rail, and Vadalis dragonhawk. I wouldn't like to see too many novels about strange and powerful artifact McGuffins being chased after, but it was a pretty fun story. It was also interesting to have a monk as the protagonist. In the Claws of the Tiger was, for my tastes, a little better, maybe because James Wyatt is one of the developers who shaped Eberron from Keith Baker's original proposal into what it is today, and because we're both interested in some of the same things about the setting. I enjoyed his portrayal of Dania ir'Vran as a newly-called paladin, and the way his protagonist Janik Martell reacted to the change in his old friend. James used the rules of the game to good effect without making me feel like I could hear the dice rolling - I thought the way the climactic confrontation with the villain played out was a fun use of some ideas Eberron introduced. I was pleased that he used the rakshasa, because they're one of my favourite elements of the setting. It also complements his short story "Call of the Silver Flame", where Dania is the protagonist.
The White Sorcerer 01-03-07, 09:54 PM	It also gave me a few ideas, even if the Dragonmark wasn't appropriate for a half-elf.. After contemplating The Crimson Talisman, the whole half-elf scion of Orien thing isn't really that bad. That is, compared to the other even bigger mistake concerning Vaddi's family: The book fails to mention that Vaddi's father is, or at least should be, either an orphan or an excoriate.
DragonReader 01-05-07, 01:59 PM	In the Claws of the Tiger was, for my tastes, a little better, maybe because James Wyatt is one of the developers who shaped Eberron from Keith Baker's original proposal into what it is today, and because we're both interested in some of the same things about the setting. I enjoyed his portrayal of Dania ir'Vran as a newly-called paladin, and the way his protagonist Janik Martell reacted to the change in his old friend. James used the rules of the game to good effect without making me feel like I could hear the dice rolling - I thought the way the climactic confrontation with the villain played out was a fun use of some ideas Eberron introduced. I was pleased that he used the rakshasa, because they're one of my favourite elements of the setting. It also complements his short story "Call of the Silver Flame", where Dania is the protagonist. You'll be happy to know that, according to Amazon.com James Wyatt is releasinga novel call The Storm Dragon in August. They list it as book one of the Draconic Prophecies series.
DarkWarriorKarg 01-05-07, 04:17 PM	After contemplating The Crimson Talisman, the whole half-elf scion of Orien thing isn't really that bad. That is, compared to the other even bigger mistake concerning Vaddi's family: The book fails to mention that Vaddi's father is, or at least should be, either an orphan or an excoriate. maybe the half-elf had that feat from races of destiny, which qualifies him for human-only feats (forgot the name) Worst of the bunch. Mark of Death is decent, but has a horrible portrayal of palladins (Lawful Stupid)...
The White Sorcerer 01-05-07, 04:58 PM	maybe the half-elf had that feat from races of destiny, which qualifies him for human-only feats (forgot the name) Eh. As I said, Vaddi's dragonmark can be explained as a misundestanding on the author's part. It's a pretty common misunderstanding, too. The big WRONG in the book is, however, the author's lack of knowledge about the laws concerning the Dragonmarked Houses. Vaddi's father taking over a castle through armed conflict is in direct, blatant, violation of those. He should, at the very least, be an orphan. Also, a Karrnathi member of a House sending his sons to serve as knights in Thrane during the Last War? That just doesn't make any sense, and the sons should also be orphans. Also, describing every sword as a 'dirk'. What the heck is a long dirk? A long short dagger?
mhacdebhandia 01-07-07, 03:55 AM	You'll be happy to know that, according to Amazon.com James Wyatt is releasinga novel call The Storm Dragon in August. They list it as book one of the Draconic Prophecies series. Mmm. I'm interested in the series they're calling The Inquisitives, too.
DargonSwift 01-09-07, 01:17 AM	AVOID THE CRIMSON TALISMAN LIKE THE PLAUGE! The Count :dragon: I'd have to second this. This one and the monk oriented one (my mind has blocked out the title) in the War Torn series really sucked. Well, the parts I read any way. Its rare I can't bear to finish reading a book, but these two were right there.
Macrovore 01-10-07, 09:49 AM	dude, orb of xoriat was awesome. so was weight of water, with Teron. i'd have to say, teron is one of my favorite characters from the novels, along with kandler, singe and diran bastiann. i'm almost finished with queen of death. it's actually pretty good. then i have to wait for the next book to come out.
From_Khyber 01-10-07, 11:48 AM	I'm probably gonna be flamed for saying this, but I found The Shattered Land (The Dreaming Dark book 2) horribly awful. Where The City of Towers proved to offer some nice insight on Sharn, filled with plots and intrigue (the way Eberron should be), I simply found TSL too chaotic and it didn't catch me in the same way as TCoT did. The events that take place in TSL seem fairly unrealistic and painfully overpowered, (IMO) honestly being best suited for an epic-lvl crew. I admire mr. Baker for his impressive writing skills, but TSL sorely ruined the awesomeness that TCoT projected. So far, I have chosen not to engage the third and last novel of the serie.
WNG_pfoster 01-16-07, 08:58 AM	No flames needed for opinions. ;) I actually liked the second book a little better than the first. I noticed too many patterns in the first one (Daine always losing his sword and getting disarmed) and I was little disappointed that Jode was killed but the second one was quite different. I think the point Mr. Baker was trying to get across, about Xen'drik, is that it is quite savage yet also twisted as a side effect of the war with the Quori. I also liked his most powerful sorcerer in all the world character. :) I'm about 100 pages into the 3rd one and I like the insight he gives to certain planes. Thelanis is interesting. It reminds me of EverQuest's Planes of Power where you had to perform some quests and get a flag to move on to other areas. hehe At first I didn't notice a common 'addition' to each of the characters, but Daine and Lei bring it to attention. Kind of funny, but also starting to remind me of too many similarities. Daine: Am I the only one without an imaginary friend? Lei: Why don't you ask Jode? Daine: Good point. I have some suspicions about Lei, but I'll see if they turn out. I'm starting to think she might be 'Warforged' herself, though of a fleshy variety. The book had moments describing that her parents wanted a child but had difficulties so perhaps the made one through a different means? That wouldn't explain her Dragonmark unless they somehow discovered a means of duplicating it. If that isn't the case, I'm going to guess it was her staff that cured her and fixed her finger. As for Daine and Jode, the itch on his back might be the manifestation of Jode's Dragonmark? Perhaps the process of extracting a Dragonmark was learned at Whitehearth (hence, Lei being a 'fleshy' Warforged with a Dragonmark), stolen by the group that killed Jode. Or it could be Jode growing out of Daine. hehe
Orion Polaris 01-16-07, 01:49 PM	. I'm starting to think she might be 'Warforged' herself, though of a fleshy variety. The book had moments describing that her parents wanted a child but had difficulties so perhaps the made one through a different means? That has been my theory since I finished reading the first novel. Not sure what happens in the third book to help/hurt this theory, but that was the impression I got from the first two books.
Wolfrunner 01-17-07, 02:56 PM	I picked up the first book from every serise but The War Torn and that death one(no clue what its called) and I picked up Tales of the Last War. I've liked everyone of them so far and I've even ordered the rest of each serise. Just so you all know, I HIGHLY recommend getting Tales of the Last War; has a short story where Diran and Ghaji(whatever) meet for the first time, also has one with the Dreaming Dark characters. Wolf
Wolfrunner 01-17-07, 02:58 PM	Do you mean a hemoculus? I picked up the first book from every serise but The War Torn and that death one(no clue what its called) and I picked up Tales of the Last War. I've liked everyone of them so far and I've even ordered the rest of each serise. Just so you all know, I HIGHLY recommend getting Tales of the Last War; has a short story where Diran and Ghaji(whatever) meet for the first time, also has one with the Dreaming Dark characters. Wolf
WNG_pfoster 01-30-07, 12:27 PM	Finally finished the last book. Not bad. I did predict a few things, but I'm a little unsure about the ending... I did like the idea behind the the Dreaming Dark and why it was that they are hostile. Very cool. Monoliths in Sarlona, another interesting tidbit. On to the finale of the Dragon Below series. :)
Belabras 02-01-07, 02:02 AM	Killing Song doesn't disappoint. I think you'll like it.
WNG_pfoster 02-16-07, 10:36 AM	I'm not quite done yet... about page 200 or so. I'm enjoying it so far, but one thing annoys me a little. It seems the author switched his style a little for this last book (maybe I don't remember him doing it in the earlier two) where he jumps back in time and shifts the point of view to another character. This reminds me too much of when I'm trying to read something and interruptions cause me to read the same page over and over. Not horrid, but a little annoying.
Moebius 02-16-07, 10:47 AM	I also liked his most powerful sorcerer in all the world character. :)I JUST finished Shattered Land, myself. That sorcerer was the highlight of the book for me. I did catch a bit of an Indiana Jones feel throughout, but I still think City of Towers was better.
tallric_kruush 02-16-07, 12:48 PM	I've read all the Eberron novels. There have been a couple of stinkers, but overall they've been good. I really enjoyed "The Dragon Below" and "The Dreaming Dark" from start to finish. I didn't really enjoy "The Lost Mark" at all; although Book 3 was, to me, miles ahead of the first two. I'm really looking forward to seeing how "Heirs of Ash" and "The Blade of the Flame" turn out. (I must say, the characters in "Thieves of Blood" had way too easy a time getting past certain obstacles. The author seemed to gloss over a few things that should have been monumentally difficult.) Of the stand alone books, I think "In the Claws of the Tiger" was by far the best, though it seemed very short. I do intend to steal Voorkesh from "The Crimson Talisman" and use it eventually. For all it's flaws, I still enjoyed "TCT" more than the other stand-alones (excepting ITCotT). The others simply didn't have characters or plots that grabbed my interest. I really looked forward to Teron when I first read that a monk would be the main character, but I wasn't really impressed at all with the book or it's characters. Anyway, just my :twocents: I've been trying to get my wife to read a couple of these novels, and this thread gave me the opportunity to share my thoughts. I do love the community.:)
Sturm Jaeger 02-16-07, 03:00 PM	Bleh, I hated Crimson Talisman It was awful. The characters were uninteresting, the romance forced, the monsters only vaguely described, all magic was constantly referred to as "sorcery"... the author clearly had only half a clue about Eberron and it showed in the various glaring errors. The editors should have sent this one back for several more drafts or scrapped it altogether. The best Eberron fiction... Heirs of Ash trilogy so far. Voyage of the Mourning Dawn was great and I'm enjoying Flight of the Dying Sun so far (just got it yesterday). Orb of Xoriat was a lot of fun, and had smart characters. Best use of a Monk (well, Monk/Sorcerer) I've seen. The best Gnome ever. Also... Flotsam the Cat is a demigod. :) In the Claws of the Tiger is a great "Indiana Jones" style adventure that helps capture one of the fundemental aspects of Eberron. I hope for these characters to return someday. The Dragon Below trilogy. Not often we get psionic characters, much less the likes of orcs and hobgoblins among the heroes. Many great moments, fun characters, and a somber ending.
Assariel 02-16-07, 05:15 PM	Being quite new to Eberron, "Voyage of the Mourning Dawn" happened to be the first book I got into my hands. And I like it very much. Regarding that I do not know so much about the world (I'm still in the ECS), this book made everything that was mentioned in it so interesting, that I'm very tempted to read as much as possible (which is very hard right know, not having time and the "braincapacity" for it, because every bit needs to be filled with stuff for the university *sigh*). I should get the first "Dreaming Dark" novel next week and I plan to get the second "Heirs of Ash" book as fast as possible, so they can wait until the day my last test is written. Very looking forward to this day. :)
tallric_kruush 02-16-07, 05:20 PM	Bleh, I hated Crimson Talisman It was awful. The characters were uninteresting, the romance forced, the monsters only vaguely described, all magic was constantly referred to as "sorcery"... the author clearly had only half a clue about Eberron and it showed in the various glaring errors. The editors should have sent this one back for several more drafts or scrapped it altogether. Everything you've said is dead-on. I think I must have been drawn in by the Aereni elves. I did enjoy the Aereni and the Madwood a lot. Other than those two things, I guess it was pretty horrible. :rofl: Looking back, I even remember getting irritated as I read the book. Perhaps I was willing to overlook the many flaws at the time because we didn't have many novels for Eberron. This was the second, right? Man, normally I'd be disappointed to have my opinion of a book ruined. In this case, I feel like you guys pulled my head out of my ***. Thanks.
tallric_kruush 02-16-07, 05:27 PM	I should get the first "Dreaming Dark" novel next week and I plan to get the second "Heirs of Ash" book as fast as possible, so they can wait until the day my last test is written. Very looking forward to this day. :) You would do yourself a serious disservice if you didn't throw "The Dragon Below" series onto that list. It's a phenomenal story. Probably the best of them all, though "The Dreaming Dark" is very good, and written by Keith Baker himself.
hellfirewyrm 02-17-07, 03:15 AM	Honestly, the Dreaming Dark books to me are a bit...different. I really enjoyed the first one and picked up the second as soon as I saw it. Unfortunately, The Shattered Land didn't impress me. Harmattan was too confusing for me and some characters were way too powerful. I generally try to gauge a character in levels while reading a book, but sometimes Daine seemed high level, then he acted very low level. Combating a Mind flayer makes him around 7ish. That and I am a little bitter Jode got killed. I enjoyed the Tales of the Last War and the Mark of Death books. Mark of Death was enjoyed mainly on the cliffhanger parts, and some interesting characters. I didn't like the stubbornness of the Paladins. Sometimes it appeared that their actions leaned more towards a Lawful Evil, like killing someone to complete the mission. A Lawful Good person would have found another way I think. I am looking forward to the Thieves of Blood, however. The characters were portrayed as intelligent and a little mysterious in Tales of the Last War, so I'm rather excited to see how Ghaji and Diran hold out.
PlaDeDump 02-17-07, 04:28 AM	I'm getting into the novels too. I just finished the book three of The Dreaming Dark (the ending made wish for another book in the series) and am now looking into purchasing the other Eberron books that are available. This thread has been insightful and helpful to me. I think that I'll start by buying Tales of the Last War and The Dragon Below series. :)
tallric_kruush 02-17-07, 11:36 AM	I'm getting into the novels too. I just finished the book three of The Dreaming Dark (the ending made wish for another book in the series) and am now looking into purchasing the other Eberron books that are available. This thread has been insightful and helpful to me. I think that I'll start by buying Tales of the Last War and The Dragon Below series. :) Good choices. "Tales" is kind of a sneek-peak at the various series, and "The Dragon Below" is probably my favorite of them all.
Euangelion 02-17-07, 12:00 PM	The Queen of Death (Lost Mark book 3) strikes me as what happens when an author plans out the arc of a trilogy, and then realizes he's made a huge mistake with the primary plot point after the first book is published. To his credit, he wiggles his way out of it admirably, and redeems the whole series for me in the process. Of course, judging by the title, I was expecting Vol herself to make an appearance, but perhaps that's one of the things that fell to the wayside during the conversion to canon Eberron! ;)
tallric_kruush 02-17-07, 12:05 PM	The Queen of Death (Lost Mark book 3) strikes me as what happens when an author plans out the arc of a trilogy, and then realizes he's made a huge mistake with the primary plot point after the first book is published. To his credit, he wiggles his way out of it admirably, and redeems the whole series for me in the process. Of course, judging by the title, I was expecting Vol herself to make an appearance, but perhaps that's one of the things that fell to the wayside during the conversion to canon Eberron! ;) I agree. I really didn't like the first book at all. Yet, I bought the second, and it was marginally better. I then bought the third and found it much, much better than the first two. The author salvaged the series with the third book. In that sense, I'm glad I stuck it out. In the end, though, it's a very weird trilogy that I definitely could do without. I had a similar feeling to what you described above. The author seemed completely (or nearly, at least) unfamiliar with Eberron early in the series. Then he realized the magnitude of his error, and tried to save the series in book 3.
(Psi)SeveredHead 02-17-07, 12:09 PM	Harmattan was too confusing for me and some characters were way too powerful. I generally try to gauge a character in levels while reading a book, but sometimes Daine seemed high level, then he acted very low level. Combating a Mind flayer makes him around 7ish. If I were still running DnD, I'd stat up Harmattan. I might stat him up anyway if someone else were willing to deal with magic items. He has a unique template, that's all. As for the mind flayer, how do you know it didn't have class levels or something? I like them being not-too-high level, actually. It makes for more of a challenge. It does, however, mean that Lei often looks more powerful than she should be; she casts a construct-attacking spell on a 2nd-level warforged fighter (okay, the level was a guess) and it dies; people start thinking she cast a 6th-level spell! Also the livewood staff was just annoying. I haven't read book three yet; you have to order it from the book store.
tallric_kruush 02-17-07, 12:16 PM	I haven't read book three yet; you have to order it from the book store. Firstly, I agree with the rest of what you said also, except for the "spoiler stuff". Read book three before you let it get to you. It was a little strange until then. The thing I like about this series is how Keith showcased three different settings in the world he created. Hopefully, the third book will be a treat when you read it. I know I enjoyed it.
SSj3goblin 02-17-07, 12:48 PM	The Lost marke series is good (or should I say acceptable) but really brings nothing new to our knowledge of the mark of death. SPOILER: Especially considering we don't even get to know if Esprė really bears the mark of death or just an Aberrant mark.
Assariel 02-17-07, 03:29 PM	You would do yourself a serious disservice if you didn't throw "The Dragon Below" series onto that list. It's a phenomenal story. Probably the best of them all, though "The Dreaming Dark" is very good, and written by Keith Baker himself. Actually this trilogy is on my "list", as nearly every book is there. :D But the problem is, I cant read every book at once and I have to start with some. The only novels I'm not so interested in are "Crimson Talisman" (it makes me sad, that it is a stupid book, because I like the Aerenal...) and "The lost Mark" trilogy. And this book with the short stories is also not so appealing to me, but thats because I don't like shortstories. They might be good though.
tallric_kruush 02-17-07, 03:34 PM	...the problem is, I cant read every book at once... Sad, but true, my friend. So many books, so little time. And this book with the short stories is also not so appealing to me, but thats because I don't like shortstories. They might be good though. It was decent. Not great, and not essential to enjoying the novels the stories at times "prequel", but entertaining enough.
Hellcow 02-17-07, 04:18 PM	It does, however, mean that Lei often looks more powerful than she should be; she casts a construct-attacking spell on a 2nd-level warforged fighter (okay, the level was a guess) and it dies; people start thinking she cast a 6th-level spell! Yup, that's the problem with a world where people don't wear their levels on their heads. The characters range between 7th-9th level, and where magic is used, I always tried to have a specific spell in mind. Lei frequently uses inflict damage; at 8th level, this allows her to inflict an average of 9 points with minor, 17 points with moderate, 21 points with serious, or 26 points with critical (once per day). Touch attack, so easy to hit... and as PSH notes, when fighting a 2nd-level fighter with 11 hit points, moderate will disable it and serious will completely destroy it. LOOKS impressive - and it's a touch attack, so hard to dodge - but the key is the level of the opponent. Lei further complicates matters by often using spell storing item. This can create the impression that she can do almost anything, and to an extent she can... as long as it can be done with a 1st-4th level spell. But in general, 7th-9th is the range I see for them (with the notable exception of Xu'sasar, whose ability set is a little more complicated). Certainly, some of the things revealed in the last book are a little hard to represent using the RAW, but like Harmattan, not too difficult to apply stats/rules to; it's simply the case that these are things that the DM would add to the story as opposed to the PC simply buying with a feat.
mhacdebhandia 02-17-07, 10:01 PM	Go on, then, give us Xu'sasar's stats. ;)
tallric_kruush 02-17-07, 10:13 PM	Go on, then, give us Xu'sasar's stats. ;) That would be nice. I'd stat her as a Ranger/Scorpion Wraith. I will be playing a drow character soon that fights predominately unarmed and uses the ToB Swordsage class (emphasis on Shadow Hand discipline) to grant the shadowy powers I was wanting. I could easily go into the "Scorpion Wraith" PrC (in which Xu'sasar no doubt would have levels), but it's a gestalt campaign with my character advancing in druid//swordsage. (That would be the UA alternative druid with no Wild Shape, for everyone scratching their heads). I don't want to give up a single level of either. The ultimate effect, though, is very Xu'sasar-like.
Sturm Jaeger 02-18-07, 01:56 AM	Xu could definately be a Ranger/ScorpWraith. She lacks an animal companion, though.
Belabras 02-19-07, 02:58 AM	I doubt we'll ever see a specific breakdown of any of the novel characters: it would lock down the authors too much, and the speculation is more fun anyway. That said, Swordsage with the Monk unarmed attack option seems to be Xu's most likely base class.
WNG_pfoster 02-19-07, 10:48 AM	Everything you've said is dead-on. I think I must have been drawn in by the Aereni elves. I did enjoy the Aereni and the Madwood a lot. Other than those two things, I guess it was pretty horrible. :rofl: Looking back, I even remember getting irritated as I read the book. Perhaps I was willing to overlook the many flaws at the time because we didn't have many novels for Eberron. This was the second, right? Man, normally I'd be disappointed to have my opinion of a book ruined. In this case, I feel like you guys pulled my head out of my ***. Thanks. I did actually enjoy a peek at the Aereni side of things, much like I enjoyed the 'Stillborn' faction mention in the Lost Mark series. It was interesting to see what an area that is cotermus with the plane of insanity would be like, even if the author did take it a little far. (cool! Keith Baker posting on my thread! Thanks for Eberron, Keith!) Diran Bastion seems to be the Drizzt of Eberron, at least that's how I see him. A lot of 'cool' appeal with his tragic origins and the whole turning to the Light. Still, enjoyable, though I do agree with a poster above, some of the obstactles appeared too easily overcome. I'm still working through the last book of The Dragon Below - things are coming to a head on the Dandra/Singe side of things. I've got Forge of the Mindslayers and Flight of the Dying Sun in my wish list and I'll order them as soon as I get through some of the other books I have: Flight of the Nighthawks by Raymond E. Feist, Robert Jordan's latest in the Wheel of Time, a George R.R. Martin book (Crown of Iron or something like that), the Dreamers series by David and Leigh Eddings, and one of the Runelords books. And I'm still stealing time to read some of the Eberron source books - I'm hopping between Magic of Eberron and Faiths of Eberron (I like this one a lot so far - Sovereign Host gets two thumbs up). I've still got all the others to dig through too.
tallric_kruush 02-19-07, 11:31 AM	I doubt we'll ever see a specific breakdown of any of the novel characters: it would lock down the authors too much, and the speculation is more fun anyway. That said, Swordsage with the Monk unarmed attack option seems to be Xu's most likely base class. Funny that you should mention that. I've just built a drow character using that Swordsage variant, with the obvious focus on Shadow Hand. It seems to really capture their abilities, and Xu's specifically, very well. As for the lack of an Animal Companion, mentioned by Sturm Jaeger--I wouldn't think she'd have more than 2 levels of Rgr. Maybe one possible build would be Rgr 2/Ftr X/SWraith Y. I gotta say, though, that I really like the variant Swordsage a lot for the drow. The Discipline Focus (weapon focus) ability even gives you weapon focus for some of the signature drow weapons--the longknife and the scorpion chain (since dagger and spiked chain are interchangeable for that purpose). The character I built is a Druid (UA simple variant)6//Swordsage (unarmed variant) 6 gestalt character. Very nice, and seven pages of backstory between her tribe's history (5 pages) and her own background (2 pages). I actually forgot for a moment in which thread I'm posting. Sorry. On topic, again. WNG_pfoster--- I agree the Madwood went way over the top, but it was cool to see it in a novel all the same. I doubt we'll see much about it again until we're holding the "Secrets of Aerenal" or somesuch a year or two from now. The Stillborn and the Deathguard were pretty well done, I thought. Definitely the highlight of the novel, hands down.
Sturm Jaeger 02-19-07, 02:14 PM	Diran Bastion seems to be the Drizzt of Eberron, at least that's how I see him. That one sentence made me shudder, for some reason. I don't believe Eberron needs a "Drizzt equivalent." Plus, the hero with a dark past thing was around long before the drow ranger ever was.
tallric_kruush 02-19-07, 02:35 PM	That one sentence made me shudder, for some reason. I don't believe Eberron needs a "Drizzt equivalent." Plus, the hero with a dark past thing was around long before the drow ranger ever was. I love Drizzt, but I too would like him to remain in the Realms. I do like Diran, but he's not that catching, is he??? I guess we'll know in 15 to 20 years. When every killjoy on the web starts hating every human cleric that wields a knife, or wears black, or any human cleric at all for that matter-- ("Oh god, not another LG human cleric. You fanboy.") --then he'll be as big as Drizzt.;)
Count Nerindil Van Seraph 02-19-07, 06:01 PM	Yup, that's the problem with a world where people don't wear their levels on their heads. The characters range between 7th-9th level, and where magic is used, I always tried to have a specific spell in mind. Lei frequently uses inflict damage; at 8th level, this allows her to inflict an average of 9 points with minor, 17 points with moderate, 21 points with serious, or 26 points with critical (once per day). Touch attack, so easy to hit... and as PSH notes, when fighting a 2nd-level fighter with 11 hit points, moderate will disable it and serious will completely destroy it. LOOKS impressive - and it's a touch attack, so hard to dodge - but the key is the level of the opponent. Lei further complicates matters by often using spell storing item. This can create the impression that she can do almost anything, and to an extent she can... as long as it can be done with a 1st-4th level spell. But in general, 7th-9th is the range I see for them (with the notable exception of Xu'sasar, whose ability set is a little more complicated). Certainly, some of the things revealed in the last book are a little hard to represent using the RAW, but like Harmattan, not too difficult to apply stats/rules to; it's simply the case that these are things that the DM would add to the story as opposed to the PC simply buying with a feat. Thank you so much for clearing that up, oh great wise one. Stuff like that bugged me throughout the trilogy (I tend to stat things out in books, even non-D&D stuff) and now it makes much more sense. All praise the mighty Hellcow! :bow: :bow: :bow: :bow:
tallric_kruush 02-19-07, 06:38 PM	Thank you so much for clearing that up, oh great wise one. Stuff like that bugged me throughout the trilogy (I tend to stat things out in books, even non-D&D stuff) and now it makes much more sense. All praise the mighty Hellcow! :bow: :bow: :bow: :bow: Don't forget (Psi)SeveredHead. Really, he put the explanation out there, and Keith just said: "Yep, that's it."
WNG_pfoster 02-20-07, 09:39 AM	That one sentence made me shudder, for some reason. I don't believe Eberron needs a "Drizzt equivalent." Plus, the hero with a dark past thing was around long before the drow ranger ever was. Understandable, but my point was simply that I can see Diran having popular appeal because 'the hero with a dark past thing' tends to do well. I don't see any other characters in any of the books out so far, having as much popular appeal. Kandler? Burch? Not really. I don't see them lasting beyond that one series. Daine? Pierce? (maybe) Lei? Xu'ssasar maybe but she wasn't a major character. Teron? He seemed wiser in the short story than he did in the War-Torn novel. He had potential but wasn't in a longer series. The short story made me want to read more about Teron, but the War Torn book (Orb of Xoriat) sort of stifled that. Singe? Dandra? Geth? Geth was cool to start, but the more I read the more savage and feral he seems. In the Heirs of Ash some of the characters are interesting, but not in the way that I could see them becoming popular figureheads to the setting (despite really liking the first book). None of them really have that cool, sleek, edgy element to them that Drizzt and Diran have. By the way, for those looking for more Psionics in novels, take a peek at The House of Serpents series (FR) by Lisa Smedman; very interesting series involving Yuan Ti, psionics and a little written about area of the FR world. I've enjoyed her books since I read some of her Shadowrun novels. The main character seems to be a Rogue/Wilder, but I could be wrong (I've still got to brush up on the newer psionic rules).
DragonReader 02-21-07, 05:30 PM	I have read them all now, except for The Crimson Talisman (which I will read for the sake of completeness) and Flight of the Dying Sun (which I am reading now and should finish tomorrow) and have enjoyed almost all of the books, though some were better than others.
tallric_kruush 02-23-07, 01:59 PM	I bought and read "Flight of the Dying Sun" yesterday. The first book was good, but I think the series got even better with part two. I actually like Tristam, now. That could be important, seeing as he's the main character... I would assume Rich Wulf has intentionally had Tristam grow from the annoying young dweeb into the hero of the series. He definitely got on my nerves, at first, but I like him now. On the opposite side of the coin, Marth was the character I most enjoyed in Book One, with Zed Arthen being a close second. In Book Two, Marth's character took a seat way in the back to allow Tristam to develop. Zed's story is coming along nicely, though.
Sturm Jaeger 02-23-07, 05:22 PM	I also like Eraina. She's a paladin, but a smart one. And Dalan is always fun as the manipulative weasel.
RavenShinobi 02-24-07, 12:12 AM	so, with what hellcow said, what do you think Diran's stats are? levels, classes etc..
Nived 02-24-07, 02:06 AM	To add what Tallric and Sturm said, the Heirs of Ash trilogy is really coming along nicely. One of the highlights I find is Gerith disecting the story as it progresses. He is a storyteller afterall and sees everything as one big tale to be told, gives him a rather unique perspective on things and I feel Rich uses him to speak directly to the reader on occation. While taken at face value that might seem condecending to the reader... the character of Gerith makes it loveable. I absolutely love the characters in this... while I wasn't entirely sure of what the plot was about in the first one (like Seren I felt confused half the time, the characters are what really sold it. The second novel made the peril crystal clear and made the characters even more endearing. I never gave a second thought to Frostfell before Flight of the Dying Sun... now I want to write an adventure for it.
Onslaught[IT] 02-24-07, 09:33 AM	Hellcow: I'm reading the Gates right now. I'd love to know each characters stats. You should put their "character sheets" on your webpage ;) Isn't Xu'sasar a monk? Or at least have levels of monk? I remember seeing her use stunning attack on Daine at least once. Spoiler Question Ahead! You've been warned! What's the phisical difference between a Inspired and a Kalashtar. I alwasy saw the inspired as a white-haired people and the kalashtar as a black-haired people. Besides: what were those shadows Tashana controlled, and how/why the party - including Lakashtai - was attacked by Riendran guys?
Nived 02-24-07, 11:11 AM	Hey guys just wanted to drop a bit of formatting advice. I see people trying to hide their spoilers with hard to see colors. There is no need for that! The proper formatting would be SBLOCK in brackets of course. Like so Aeris dies, Vader is Luke's father, etc etc etc Hope that helps.
Macrovore 02-24-07, 11:50 AM	wait...Aeris dies?! NOOOOOO!!!!!
RavenShinobi 02-24-07, 12:41 PM	like this [SBLOCK]: she does! it didn't work.. still new to this..
Belabras 02-24-07, 12:43 PM	Well, I'm no Hellcow but here goes: ;11575206']Hellcow: I'm reading the Gates right now. I'd love to know each characters stats. You should put their "character sheets" on your webpage ;) Isn't Xu'sasar a monk? Or at least have levels of monk? I remember seeing her use stunning attack on Daine at least once. Spoiler Question Ahead! You've been warned! What's the phisical difference between a Inspired and a Kalashtar. I alwasy saw the inspired as a white-haired people and the kalashtar as a black-haired people. Besides: what were those shadows Tashana controlled, and how/why the party - including Lakashtai - was attacked by Riendran guys? From what we know, the physical difference between Inspired and Kalashtar is pretty small, and while they can recognize each other, it takes little for one to impersonate the other to outsiders. Tashana was using abilities from the Quori Nightmare PRC found in Racees of Eberron. That's what the shadows and quori like overlay are from. Also, when the party is attacked in Stormreach, it's actually by Kalashtar, we just don't realize that until the end of the 2nd book. To Daine, Lei, and Pierce, Adarans and Riedrans are pretty indistinguishable.
RavenShinobi 02-24-07, 12:52 PM	Well, I'm no Hellcow but here goes: From what we know, the physical difference between Inspired and Kalashtar is pretty small, and while they can recognize each other, it takes little for one to impersonate the other to outsiders. Tashana was using abilities from the Quori Nightmare PRC found in Racees of Eberron. That's what the shadows and quori like overlay are from. Also, when the party is attacked in Stormreach, it's actually by Kalashtar, we just don't realize that until the end of the 2nd book. To Daine, Lei, and Pierce, Adarans and Riedrans are pretty indistinguishable. ah... gotcha thanks for showing me
Onslaught[IT] 02-25-07, 07:32 AM	Hey guys just wanted to drop a bit of formatting advice. I see people trying to hide their spoilers with hard to see colors. There is no need for that! The proper formatting would be SBLOCK in brackets of course. I always wanted to know how to do that... colors is better than nothing, I guess... but I'll use sblock now that I know how to do it. Thanks! From what we know, the physical difference between Inspired and Kalashtar is pretty small, and while they can recognize each other, it takes little for one to impersonate the other to outsiders. Hun... I just got it wrong 'cos of pictures. So both Kalashtars and Inspireds looks like "humans from Sarlona with a mystic touch". Also, when the party is attacked in Stormreach, it's actually by Kalashtar, we just don't realize that until the end of the 2nd book. Hun... I tought about that possibility, but something felt wrong hehehe! Proably because Keith describes a Riedran **** somewhere there...
Hellcow 02-26-07, 09:17 PM	;11575206']Hellcow: I'm reading the Gates right now. I'd love to know each characters stats. There's a thread about this on the People&Places board, actually. I know the stats I'd use for them, but I'm hesitant to post them; I'd rather see what people think. With that said... Isn't Xu'sasar a monk? Or at least have levels of monk? Yes, she has levels of monk, though it's not her sole class. I'll note that she uses a variation of the Scorpion Wraith PrC (you'll note that she refers to herself as a "war wraith" at one point) - this is reflected by her jumping, manipulation of shadows, and one point where she uses a venomous strike. But I did have some sort of change in mind between war wrath and scorpion wraith - I'd have to look it up in your notes. As for your other question: Belabras is on the money. Kalashtar and Inspired are similar in appearance, both being preternaturally perfect humans. Within that model, there are significant variations within each race; you can have dark and light skin, dark and pale hair (note that the kalashtar in the ECS has dark hair, while Lanhareth is picture with white hair). A kalashtar can presumably tell the difference between one of her own and an Inspired, and vice versa, but the average man on the street can't immediately tell the two apart... and in this case, the character in question can also be assumed to be using the Disguise skill to conceal her race.
WNG_pfoster 02-27-07, 08:40 AM	Finished The Killing Song on the weekend, not too bad. I really liked a lot of the characters; Singe, Geth, Dandra and the Hobgoblin Bard was quite cool. I liked the fact that the Hobgoblin Bard seemed a little more like a Celtic Bard than a foppish, tight wearing and colorful jester type Bard. Definitely nice to see some more tales about the Dhakaani Empire. My D&D group goes to extra lengths to humiliate Bards in the party. Of course we poke fun at elves, dwarves and just about anything. We just keep a special place in our hearts for Bards. Very interesting twist in that you're actually cheering for a horde of orcs. Very neat twist in having the formerly 'evil' races of D&D given heroic aspects. (I realize this is an Eberron thing) Props to the author for making me want to read up some on Psionics. Overall the system is pretty decent. Countersong in use to block the Killing Song was neat. The combining of psionic disciplines is quite scary. There are some really freaky powers. Top that off with the psions likely binding power point pools and known powers... heh.
Onslaught[IT] 02-27-07, 11:13 AM	I know the stats I'd use for them, but I'm hesitant to post them; I'd rather see what people think. With that said... That's sad ;) Yes, she has levels of monk, though it's not her sole class. I tough that too... I'll note that she uses a variation of the Scorpion Wraith PrC (you'll note that she refers to herself as a "war wraith" at one point) - this is reflected by her jumping, manipulation of shadows, and one point where she uses a venomous strike. Scorpion Wraith... lemme guess... Secrets of Xen'drik?! The only book I don't have... besides Sarlona... well, that's Murphy. A kalashtar can presumably tell the difference between one of her own and an Inspired, and vice versa, but the average man on the street can't immediately tell the two apart... Hun. I didn't knew that. Thanks ;)! Hun, other doubt: 1) On Stormreech, the guys who attacked Lakashtai, Daine and the others were really Kalashtars? 2) What was that item they were using - anti-psionic orb.
Belabras 02-27-07, 11:59 AM	Finished The Killing Song on the weekend, not too bad. I really liked a lot of the characters; Singe, Geth, Dandra and the Hobgoblin Bard was quite cool. I liked the fact that the Hobgoblin Bard seemed a little more like a Celtic Bard than a foppish, tight wearing and colorful jester type Bard. Definitely nice to see some more tales about the Dhakaani Empire. My D&D group goes to extra lengths to humiliate Bards in the party. Of course we poke fun at elves, dwarves and just about anything. We just keep a special place in our hearts for Bards. Very interesting twist in that you're actually cheering for a horde of orcs. Very neat twist in having the formerly 'evil' races of D&D given heroic aspects. (I realize this is an Eberron thing) Props to the author for making me want to read up some on Psionics. Overall the system is pretty decent. Countersong in use to block the Killing Song was neat. The combining of psionic disciplines is quite scary. There are some really freaky powers. Top that off with the psions likely binding power point pools and known powers... heh. I'm pretty sure there isn't a specific mechanic to describe the Killing Song, but a really buffed version of MetaConcert seems closest.
WNG_pfoster 05-04-07, 09:58 AM	I'm back into the Eberron novels after reading through the David & Leigh Eddings series about the Land of Dhrall. Cure series, seemed a lot like other stuff they wrote. Seemed a little informal and they did a fair bit of rewind and replay the same scene from a different character's PoV (which I don't like.. seems like filler). Reading Tim Waggoner's Forge of the Soulslayers. Decent start so far, but I'm not that far into it. I like that Hinto stuck around and Dresslar is interesting. Of course Ghaji is there still with his new and improved elemental bound axe. I'm also reading through the Eberron Super Modules, Eyes of the Lich Queen. I like it so far, though I'm not sure I like the way it is laid out. They have the encounters broken out at the end of each chapter rather than all the details right there where it's happening so there will be a lot of page turning and back and forth when I finally get a chance to run it. I do like all the details for each encounter, don't get me wrong, I just don't like flipping back and forth. :(
strahd of WoD&D 05-04-07, 12:18 PM	For all those picking up the Eberron novels, don't forget to drop by and join in our book clubs (http://www.online-eberron.com/). This month we have Night of the Long Shadows and author Paul Crilley will be there to answer any questions, as you read along. We will also be running more cool competitions to win signed copies of the novels (and maybe some other goodies too). So make sure you drop by to find out how to enter! Regards
Jonasty 05-04-07, 03:58 PM	I am one of those people like some posting who has read nearly all of the Eberron novels to date. Missing one series I think. I read the second Heirs of Ash book Dying Sun and I gotta say it is continuing nicely. The last one looks to be promising and it opens up a new avenue not seen yet in Eberron in any big way. Mysterious benefactor being a black dragon from Argonessen and the crew of Mourning Dawn now has to chase the changeling to Argonessen as well. Holy crap! Should fit nicely in timing with the release of the Dragons of Eberron source book. I also just finished the first Inquisitives book, can't remember the title right now, and I would highly recommend it to anyone who likes the Eberron novels. It is well written and really well thought out. And as I was expecting when I heard about the series, it explores a much more localized view of Eberron and gives new details and tidbits. I'm a fan of globe trotting and plane hopping myself but this book really gives you some of the "meat and potatoes" views that exist as well. After all, not every adventure has you mining the depths of Xen'drik or traveling to Thelanis (both cool parts of other books by the way). So definetly pick this one up if you haven't yet.
Hellcow 05-05-07, 06:16 AM	After all, not every adventure has you mining the depths of Xen'drik or traveling to Thelanis (both cool parts of other books by the way). I completely agree. Eberron was inspired by The Maltese Falcon as well as Raiders of the Lost Ark, and I feel that there's a great deal of room for smaller, more personal stories. "Principles of Fire" in Dragons: Worlds Afire is essentially MY Inquisitive story, and I'd certainly like to do more with the characters at some point; however, with the four Inquisitives books already coming out, it seems like the subject was being well covered.
Count Nerindil Van Seraph 05-05-07, 05:01 PM	Yes, she has levels of monk, though it's not her sole class. I'll note that she uses a variation of the Scorpion Wraith PrC (you'll note that she refers to herself as a "war wraith" at one point) - this is reflected by her jumping, manipulation of shadows, and one point where she uses a venomous strike. But I did have some sort of change in mind between war wrath and scorpion wraith - I'd have to look it up in your notes. Huh, that comes as a surprise to me. I would have pegged her as a Swordsage (ToB), specializing in the Shadow Hand path. Learn something new every day, The Count :dragon:
Hellcow 05-05-07, 06:01 PM	I would have pegged her as a Swordsage (ToB), specializing in the Shadow Hand path. And if I wrote her up today, that is probably the approach I'd take. This is, in fact, exactly why I DON'T like writing up official stats for characters. The key is that Xu'sasar first appears in The Shattered Land, and that predates Tome of Battle. So like I said, NOW I think swordsage is a great match for her; but back in the old days, we didn't have none of this new-fangled swordsagey stuff.
Count Nerindil Van Seraph 05-05-07, 06:24 PM	So like I said, NOW I think swordsage is a great match for her; but back in the old days, we didn't have none of this new-fangled swordsagey stuff. :rofl: You old schooler, you. Did you walk to school up hill, both ways? ;)
Hellcow 05-05-07, 06:35 PM	Did you walk to school up hill, both ways? ;) Of course. And we didn't have any of these fancy d20s, either. If WE needed a random number, the DM would cut off his fingers and toes, throw them on the floor, and see how many the dog ate. And if you got a critical, you'd cut off YOUR fingers and toes to confirm it. And we LIKED it.
Count Nerindil Van Seraph 05-05-07, 06:37 PM	There are no words to describe how sigged that is. I just don't know enough languages...
Wizardman 05-05-07, 08:02 PM	And once again, Hellcow proves why Keith Baker > all of us (with Honeycakes as the exception that proves the rule).
Belabras 05-06-07, 02:26 AM	Laughed so hard I cryed
crashbangboom 05-07-07, 08:58 PM	I just finished the first book in the inquisitives. Being former mlitary, I can totally Identify with Cimmozjen, the book kept a good pace but the ending wasn't what I'd hoped for. There was also the best portrayal of an inexperienced warforged I'd ever come across. If the ending annoys you as much as it did me, just wait intil the final line of the bok. I was laughing so hard I almost fell out of my chair!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Belabras 05-07-07, 10:39 PM	I've been reading Bound by Iron as well. I have to say, it's the best portrayal of a paladin I've seen in WoTC literature.
WNG_pfoster 05-22-07, 10:13 AM	I am one of those people like some posting who has read nearly all of the Eberron novels to date. Missing one series I think. I read the second Heirs of Ash book Dying Sun and I gotta say it is continuing nicely. The last one looks to be promising and it opens up a new avenue not seen yet in Eberron in any big way. ... I also just finished the first Inquisitives book, can't remember the title right now, and I would highly recommend it to anyone who likes the Eberron novels. It is well written and really well thought out. And as I was expecting when I heard about the series, it explores a much more localized view of Eberron and gives new details and tidbits. I'm a fan of globe trotting and plane hopping myself but this book really gives you some of the "meat and potatoes" views that exist as well. After all, not every adventure has you mining the depths of Xen'drik or traveling to Thelanis (both cool parts of other books by the way). So definetly pick this one up if you haven't yet. I'm into the second book of the Heirs of Ash as well, very good so far. Only one editing mistake so far where they refer to the inquisitive as glaring at Zed... Very good story so far, again, I enjoy Rich Wulf's writing. I'll go troll the online book store I frequent for more sometime later today. :)
Wizardman 05-23-07, 06:11 AM	I just finished the first book in the inquisitives. Being former mlitary, I can totally Identify with Cimmozjen, the book kept a good pace but the ending wasn't what I'd hoped for. There was also the best portrayal of an inexperienced warforged I'd ever come across. The end was very noirish. It wasn't happy by any means, but a small measure of justice was dealt out to the guilty. If the ending annoys you as much as it did me, just wait intil the final line of the bok. I was laughing so hard I almost fell out of my chair!!!!!!!!!!!!!! The brilliance of the last line is found in the context of the character. Anything more would be spoilery.
WNG_pfoster 05-24-07, 09:54 AM	Pre-ordered: Rise Of The Seventh Moon: Heirs Of Ash, Book 3 Sea Of Death: Blade Of The Flame, Book 3 Legacy Of Wolves: The Inquisitives, Book 3 Ordered (in stock): Bound By Iron: Inquisitives, Book 1 Night of Long Shadows: The Inquisitives, Book 2 In the wish list: The Storm Dragon: The Draconic Prophecies, Book 1 (seems to be listed as hard cover?) The Left Hand of Death: The Lanternlight Files, Book 1 I'm down to Book 2 of Heirs of Ash for soft covers to read so I figured I'd better order some more. :D By the way, for Canadian citizens (because I'm not sure if they ship to the US or other locations), Chapters.ca has some pretty hefty discounts on a lot of Eberron souncebooks. Usually 34% off so about 25$ CDN. Free delivery for orders over 39$. ;)