This review is written with a GPL 3.0 license and the rights contained therein shall supersede all TOS by any and all websites in regards to copying and sharing without proper authorization and permissions. Crossposted at Bookstooge.booklikes.blogspot.wordpress.leafmarks.com by Bookstooge’s Exalted Permission.
Title: Corsair

Series: Blades of the Moonsea, Forgotten Realms

Author: Richard Baker

Rating: 3.5 of 5 Stars

Genre: SFF

Pages: 384

 

Synopsis:

Geran, now acting like a responsible adult, comes across pirates, who seem to be preying on only ships headed for his hometown.

Due to politics, which hide more revenge motives than you can shake a stick at, Geran is sent off with a boat and some Shieldsworn to hunt the pirates down.

On the phracking MOON!

 

My Thoughts:

This was so much more enjoyable than the previous book, Swordmage. Geran isn’t acting like a spoiled brat and his enemies are acting like enemies instead of petty idiots.

I thought the whole pirate/ship thing was pretty cool actually. And when they magically fly to the moon on a sailing ship, all I could think of was Captain Harlock and his Pirate Space/Sailing ship. And it was cool, in case you didn’t get that.

The other thing I liked was that Geran wasn’t so aggressively introspective and angsty. I’m an introspective kind of guy, but even I get tired of reading about other people being like me. Overall, there was more action, less “characterization” and more “fun” factor in this book.

This review is written with a GPL 3.0 license and the rights contained therein shall supersede all TOS by any and all websites in regards to copying and sharing without proper authorization and permissions. Crossposted at Bookstooge.booklikes.blogspot.wordpress.leafmarks.com by express permission of this reviewer.

Title: Swordmage

Series: Blades of the Moonsea #1

Author: Richard Baker

Rating: 3 of 5 Stars

Genre: SFF

Pages: 373

 

Synopsis:

An adventurer returns home after 10 years abroad, only to find nothing is as it was when he left. Not only that, but foreign economic powers are moving in, his step-cousin is trying to take over politically AND a Lich King is looking for his long missing Codex of Spells. Oh yeah, a goblin king is trying to take over the whole area as well.

 

My Thoughts:

Our protagonist, Geran, is a problem child, never satisfied with what he has. So he spends a decade ignoring his responsibilities to his family and gallivanting around. He ends up in Myth Drannor, in love with an elf and then ruins that all by cutting off another elf’s hand, in an illegal duel.

So he skips off to home and is shocked to find everything is changed.

And is forced to take action to save his family, his town and everyone he loves.

Lots of action, undead action,  battles and whatnot. Thin on character development, but who ever reads a FR book and expects character development? The goblin thing seemed kind of a third leg to the overall story, but considering that the longest battle near the end is directly because of the horde, I guess I can overlook that.

Honestly, I’m up in the air if I will finish this trilogy or not. I guess I’ll take a break and decide after the 2nd book in a month or so.