Author: Thomas M. Reid
Publisher: Wizards of the Coast
Binding: Paperback
Publication Date: May 2007
We visit the realms again, but this time we venture to another unlikely locale when we follow some returning characters to the Plane of Fire. Kaanyr Vhok, fresh off the defeat suffered at the hands of the Menzoberranzan drow, is looking for a new conquest, and it seems a complex plan has been hatched. Kaanyr’s plan not only involves the human city of Sundabar, but he is venturing into the Plane of Fire for a scheme that can only have a devastating impact on the Forgotten Realms. We also get to see Aliisza – a fan favorite from “The War of the Spider Queen”. She had some interesting interactions with Phauran Mizzrym and the rest of the drow.
The first concern is the choice of Kaanyr Vhok and Aliisza as part of this story rather than bringing new players to the table. Though, Thomas Reid does introduce an interesting supporting cast: Myshik Moreume the blue-scaled hobgoblin with half-draconic heritage, Zasian the priest, and Tauran the angel of Tyr. Reid perfectly played Myshik in regards to how much stage time he is given and his actions in the book. Zasian is as well a great character; right when you think you know what he is about, Reid flips the script and he is really not at all what we thought. Tauran seemed to be the only weak supporting character, but then again, how much personality can an angel of Tyr really have?
The characters not only visit Sundabar, but we also get to see them visit the Plane of Fire. While on the Plane of Fire, the anti-heroes – in an attempt to keep cool – get to venture into the famous City of Brass after a battle with some efreeti slavers. From the crystal trees to the overall theme and look of the plane, Reid does a wonderful job at describing the locales and puts the reader right alongside the characters in their journey. Reid could have added to the story by giving a little more background as to the inhabitants that Kaanyr Vhok’s band met on the Plane of Fire, but there are only a certain amount of pages in the book, so this is understandable.
Reid refers to Vhok as “the cambion” far too often in his attempt to break up the monotony of using his name. This was very distracting to the flow of the story and effectively changed the enjoyment of the story by sheer annoyance. Reid seems to do this with other characters as well, but not to the extent that it is done with Kaanyr Vhok.
This book can be a little frustrating for the reader as they can feel a little left out until the end where things that seem out of place are explained. It is also going to be a stretch for some readers to connect with Kaanyr and Aliisza due to having rooted against them in the past.
Even though Reid’s first book in the story did not allow him to be the author we know he can be, he has the skill to be top notch. He really shines when he gets to create new characters. With that said, the supporting cast of this story could use a spin off of its own.
Overall, Reid brings us a good story and setting while introducing some well thought out and alluring minor characters. Kaanyr Vhok and Aliisza seemed forced into the story, as if they were only present for their name recognition. We could have had some new characters take their place, but WoTC does rely heavily on recognizable characters, which is understandable in a shared world setting. Let us hope we can understand why Vhok seems bent on Sundabar so quickly after his defeat at the hands of the dark elves and how Aliisza’s piece of the puzzle fits. We can only assume it has some part of the greater plan at hand. Well, we can only hope that is true.
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