Midnight's Mask

Forgotten Realms: Erevis Cale #3

by Paul S. Kemp

The shadows deepen in every corner of the Realms.

The sun no longer shines on a man who has embraced the darkness within him.

The day's opposite finds Erevis Cale so far along the path away from his own humanity, he may never again walk as a man.

In the end, to be Chosen by a god like Mask is more curse than blessing...

Genres: Forgotten Realms, Fantasy, Fiction, Dungeons and Dragons, Adventure, Audiobook, Science Fiction Fantasy

320 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published November 1, 2005

About the author

Bestselling speculative fiction author, creator of Egil and Nix, Erevis Cale, drinker of scotch, smoker of cigars, amiable dude. :-)

Reviews

[Aram Brazilian · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you love spending time in the Forgotten Realms then there is no reason I can think of why you wouldn't love the Erevis Cale Trilogy. Many people in the Forgotten Realms Facebook Group consider this series to be among the best in this crazy magic-filled world. For me what sets The Realms apart from other worlds is its copious amounts of magic - there's a spell for everything and a dweomer for everyone. If you haven't spent time in The Realms you might find all this sorcery a tad indulgent on the part of the writer, but this is not the case - this world just happens to be a bit over-the-top, and for me, it's a perfect fit. I love the wands. And I love traveling between planes. Because this world and its magic system are so established, you have a lot of resources at your fingertips if you get lost or confused - the Forgotten Realms Wiki on Fandom for instance. And the character development does not suffer - I teared up plenty - the friendships were as real and meaningful as anywhere else. The odd-couple pairing of Cale and Riven was well-executed and I will never forget them. They reminded me of Hadrian and Royce from Michael Sullivan's Ryria series - or rather, the other way around because Erevis Cale came first! Kemp is a master storyteller and an adept writer. He seems to always find just the write words and phrases. I found myself looking up words that I had never heard of and yet they always perfectly fit the context. I can see why writers hold him in such high regard - this reader certainly does. And the good news is there's another series with Erevis Cale - The Twighlight War series.

[D · Rating 5 out of 5]

(potential spoilers disclaimer)...

From Gnoll trackers (TF) and Skullport slavers (DoN) to pirates on the Inner Sea, and Netherese ruins (MM), this third book in the trilogy of Erevis Cale is not lacking in action or suspense by any stretch! A sentient kraken?! Yep. Loved it.

Once again, I will emphasize that Paul does a fantastic job at making your care about his characters (love or hate). In my view, this book got a little more gritty and also re-introduced a love sub plot for Cale - more interesting than Thazi IMO.

The ending left some threads untied for Cale and Magadon which I hope I will get to grab onto again when I crack the spines of the Shadow Wars trilogy. I found the resolution of Riven to be well done; an homage to the little guy.

Paul: great work with "the girls" (I am a dog guy so really enjoyed this aspect of Drasek)!

[Travis · Rating 5 out of 5]

Midnight's Mask by Paul S. Kemp- This is the final book in The Erevis Cale Trilogy. The first is Twilight Falling and the second is Dawn of Night. However, the first appearance of many of these characters are found in the Sembia: Gateway to the Realms series. There is a short story in Halls of Stormweather anthology entitled "Resurrection" and the second book in the series entitled Shadow's Witness. Then after this trilogy, the story continues in The Twilight War trilogy (Shadowbred, Shadowstorm, and Shadowrealm).

Caution: Spoilers are present if you haven't read Twilight Falling or Dawn of Night!The story picks up right after Dawn of Night. The Weave Tap taps Skullport's mantle, Drasek Riven has switched sides to join with the slaadi, and Erevis Cale, Magadon, and Jak Fleet are trying to escape Skullport's skulls. After seeing the destruction in some areas of Skullport, the trio leave and return to Selgaunt, a city in Sembia, to figure out their next step. While in Selgaunt, they run into an old "friend" who rudely helps them find where Riven and the slaadi are going. Riven and the slaadi are looking for the sunken city of Sakkors, which fell into the Sea of Fallen Stars. The sunken city holds another mantle where another seed of the Weave Tap needs to be planted in order for the slaadi master, The Sojourner, to create the Crown of Flame. However, the two groups come across something bigger and very angry. Barely escaping and having the seed planted, The Sojourner starts casting his Crown of Flame. But can Cale, Magadon, and Jak stop the casting?

Negatives:
1) Crown of Flame. Honestly, it's really simple and a little lame. You get this whole big idea of what it is and it's a little disappointing in what it turns out to be. Why build something up so much only to make it so "uncool?" But then again, it was a good thing about what it turned out to be.
2) Middle Part Riven. In the first two books, Riven was a main character. Maybe he was a little bit of a supporting one, but I really looked at him being a main character in those books. And I was really disappointed with the way Riven was down played in the middle section. Yes, he was still present, but it felt like he was the side character to the slaadi, with Dolgan and Azriim (the two slaadi) being the main focus. It really threw me off and it almost made me forget about Riven's presence.

Positives:
1) Erevis Cale. What he goes through in this story really what makes him. Throughout the trilogy, Cale's been changing into something he doesn't understand or want to be, here it's no different. He gains more and more power, at times loses himself to the darkness, and still is able to prevent himself from crossing that plain (due in most part to his friends). Towards the end, he really changes into something that is, quite frankly, scary. But his continued growth and his changes were so well done and just very enjoyable to read about.
2) The Sojourner. Now, I didn't like this character at all in Dawn of Night. He was boring and just dry. However, in this book, he is given some personality and purpose. You can really see his power and his desires much more clearly. Maybe this change is due in part because of the amount of times he appears in the book, which isn't a lot but a perfect amount. Then towards the end, I became somewhat sympathetic towards him. Sure, he remained an arrogant jerk, but I just could help but feel sorry for him. There isn't an easy why to put that really. He was pretty much built up as the biggest, baddest, evil villain that there could be... But at the end, it turns out what he wanted wasn't so bad (aside from the many people he had to kill to gain what he wanted).
3) The Ending. It seems that I'm talking a lot about the ending, to put it simply, it's just good. Everything (well almost everything) is all wrapped up in a way in which you felt like it should have been. Aside from the obvious things placed in it to gain the reader's curiosity on certain things, the main story was told and told well. I really don't want to give away much of what happens but to explain why it was such a good ending, I could just give away some "teasers." Someone dies, and the death was totally unexpected, but it felt right how this character ended. Mask, the god of thieves and shadows, gained something from another rival god. And my last "teaser," someone starts to call some people friends. I hope I haven't given away that much...

Side Notes:
1) What happened to Riven's ability to wrap shadowstuff into something that could heal? It would have, I assume, helped a certain character.
2) Cover Art. Horrible. Cale looks like an old man with wrinkles and just doesn't look right. The "shadow demons" around the ...whatever it is... the globe thing, are just distracting and once again, look like bad tattoo artwork. It's ugly and a little plain.
3) I really liked how Paul S. Kemp really does stick with the small "cliffhangers" in this trilogy and places them in The Twilight War Trilogy. After reading that trilogy, and re-reading this one, I really appreciate how he did this. Nothing really seemed to be overlooked or forgotten and it is really nice.
4) Okay, quick question. Is slaadi the plural form of slaad? Or does it need an "s" at the end? I think it's slaadi. But I not sure on this. Any information on this would be appreciated!

Overall: 5/5

Final Thoughts:
But wait! I had some complaints! So why is it a 5/5? Simple, the complaints didn't really deter the story in the slightest. The only on that had an impact on the full story was the seeming "disappearance" of Riven in the middle, but he was still present and accounted for, albeit in a smaller role in these scenes. Overall, the story was great, the characters were wonderful, and it's just an enjoyable story and trilogy.

[Sergio · Rating 4 out of 5]

A solid conclusion to a trilogy that I don't think ever aspired to be much more than a fun fantasy adventure through the Forgotten Realms, full of heroic deeds, sneering antiheroes, epic battles, mysterious villains and a good dose of arcane lore, all of which it delivers on. It really is all it claims to be on the tin, and mostly for the better. I would maybe call it more uneven than the other entries but not by much.

[Benjamin Hesdorf · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed the trilogy, but it's not the best Forgotten Realms book series that I read. That honor belongs to the Avatar-pentalogy.

[Jonathan · Rating 3 out of 5]

On some level, this trilogy really should've been named the Drasek Riven Trilogy, given he goes through the greatest emotional journey of all the characters here. It's not to say Kemp doesn't do a great job with everyone else, including Erevis Cale himself. Kemp adroitly documents Cale's struggles with the darkness growing inside him, as he keeps drawing lines and then crossing them. Kemp also shows how Cale's darkness challenges everyone around him, particularly Magadon Kest. But, it's Riven who steals the show as he spends most of the novel contemplating what friendship means (and whether it actually means anything to him).

My only criticism relates to the plot itself. Kemp does something really innovative in making the Big Bad's scheme so petty. I liked this development a lot; it's a good reminder of how capricious evil can be. But, the implementation left a little to be desired. First, I found myself wondering why the Sojourner wanted exactly 24 hours of darkness to walk Toril. Why wasn't the usual 12 or so hours of night on any given day enough? Why did he need 24 hours? I think Kemp was asserting the Sojourner randomly picked that amount of time; the point was just that he could do it, not why he did it. But, I wasn't totally clear on that. Moreover, the physics were a little confusing. I'm not an astrophysicist, but I found myself spending too much time scratching my head over how the Sojourner managed to do what he did, which made it difficult to focus on the plot itself. It's ultimately why I only gave the book three stars, because I still ended it with a nagging sense of disappointment.

But, all that said, the plot is really a secondary concern; I'm here to spend more time with these characters. I managed to get through Cale realizing he had to let Jak stay dead without crying, but it was Riven offering a quiet toast to Jak at the very end that got me. Again, Riven is the star of this show. The series would've been significantly less emotionally engaging if I hadn't spent three books worrying the slaadi were going to go after his "girls." In fact, only he really gets a happy ending: his own place (in the form of the new temple) where he can safely move his girls. I love the idea of them having an island to themselves. I'm worried about what the next trilogy will bring for Riven, but, for now, I'm just glad someone finishes this novel in a better place than he started.

All in all, I can see why this trilogy is considered one of the best "Forgotten Realms" has produced. The characters leap off the page given Kemp's knack for conveying emotion, and the pace is brisk. After 900 pages, you're still at the end of your seat when the denouement comes. Onto the next trilogy!

[Terka · Rating 3 out of 5]

Moje recenze - http://sheisbookaholic.blogspot.cz/20...

[Jesse · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this whole series, but this book was especially good! Kemp does an excellent job fleshing out the area of Forgotten Realms that he has his characters in. His characters are flawed perfectly, adding complexity and a touch of realism to a highly fantastic setting. As stated by the author, he writes really good bad guys. The Sojourner and the Slaadi are all really well done and consistent. I will say that I typically don’t like this kind of ending…I don’t want to spoil anything, and I will say that I was not put off by it like I usually am. Kemp does such a good job with the other aspects of this story, that I was okay with not having a strong reason for the Big Baddie to be doing all the nefarious stuff he was doing.
I’m happy to have another FR series under my belt!

[Christopher Hernandez · Rating 3 out of 5]

Finally finished the trilogy... The overall story was decent, but the pacing fell short. The constant implementation of magics felt overused, tragically described. and overpowered. The final confrontation felt lacking, and the audio narration felt flat.

I really want to like this series and the character Erevis Cale... A dark antihero with shadow powers, regenerative abilities, and a mystical blade that can retaliate magical attacks coupled with a cohort with equally impressive skill-sets. There is so much here to love here. However, without a great story vehicle to drive through a detailed world building landscape, it just doesn't spark.

It was a good tale, but leaves a reluctance to take up the next....

[Jacob Brewer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book. Good ending to a good trilogy. I found the Everis Cale books by reading the Sundering book series. All I had read of Forgotten Realms before hand was R A Salvatore. God Born, from the Sundering series, was such a good book that I looked into the Everis Cale Books. I have to say God Born was one of the best of the Sundering book series.

This trilogy was very well written and captivating. I enjoyed reading it more then some of R A Salvatore's Drizzt books and a lot more than Ed Greenwood's Eliminster books. I will be reading the Twilight War book series now and I'm saddened to learn that God Born was the last of the Everis Cale books.

[Scott Cook · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked the reason for the Sojourner's grand plot although I was quite annoyed with Cale's reasoning for his dogged pursuit of the bad guys. I was also quite annoyed with the reason for Riven's betrayal. That is some confidence our heros had to program Riven that way when the whole thing could have been thwarted in book 2 and poor Skullport could have been spared! Overall, I was entertained and even though there were a few plot points that bugged me, I was still very happy to be reading the fun/creative work from a gifted author/storyteller.

[Leandro Couto]

Third book in this D&D trilogy I picked up after reading The Godborn by the same author. I feel lukewarm; the main characters are all dark and brooding edgelords that end up blending together a bit, they are super-serious all the time and easily offended by banter, female characters are barely existent and poorly handled and villains are saturday morning cartoon-y. I think teenage boys would definitely be the target audience. There is variety and it's an interesting example of "high level D&D", but I definitely prefer the author's later work.

[Hyann · Rating 2 out of 5]

Like previous two books... heroes develops new ability when needed and the same story happen again and again: Heroes find the bad guys, they fight and something happen to stop the battle... rinse and repeat.

When you reach the real final, you didn't care anymore and it's ending with an open door..

One positive thing, motivation of the Sojourner. D&D novel often have the chaotic evil character doing evil scheme just to be bad... Kemp gives the Sojourner a back history to explain his actions and that save the book.

I think it would have been better in one book than a trilogy.

[Thingolo · Rating 5 out of 5]

From my standpoint, this particular series of novels embodies the emotions from the computer game Baldur’s Gate (and II) in literary form best of all, although it has nothing to do with the original game, except for the common world.
It features memorable heroes whose characters do evolve, multidimensional villains, subtle intrigues, and even a deconstruction of the idea of being adventurers for the sake of great deeds. Recommended in every possible way, even if you are infinitely far from the Forgotten Realms universe.

[Kagan Oztarakci · Rating 4 out of 5]

For some, a place is home. But for men like us, people have to be home. And not just any people. Friends. The friends who live through the changes with us, who grow with us.

Strength can move only mountains. Ideas can shake worlds.

(he) has more angles than a prism.

Nothing is bigger than the personal.

[James · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the more epic series that I've ever read. The Sojourner is a foe that could walk into any part of Faerun and destroy it. It's utterly hopeless to try and stop such an indomitable foe. Cale finds his chance to defeat the Sojourner when he's at his weakest while feeling sand between his toes.

[Elar · Rating 4 out of 5]

Whole trilogy is written in style of true sword and wizardry. In last book reader finally have great face off and all the characters are well acquaintaned. Priests powers are also more exploited in this book and makes magic display even more enjoyable

[Antoine Robert · Rating 4 out of 5]

Solid conclusion to the trilogy around Erevis Cale.

The trilogy can be seen as one big book and this was the last part.

The writing is good, the characters are great. Each having to struggle with his nature, the antagonists are well drawn.

All in all a valuable addition to the Realms.

[Tim Martin · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked it. It had a surprisingly good and satisfying ending. It was lacking something to give it more stars. Maybe it was lack of empathy for the characters or lack of direness of the antagonists'plotting that I didn't get as into it. No regrets though.

[Đenis · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pri čítaní tejto trilógie som mal silné nutkanie pustiť si nejaké fajné RPG. Pekne to ten Kemp konštruuje. Cestovateľov masaker kúzlami... Posledná časť ma ale oslovila asi najmenej. Ktovie prečo.

[Ray · Rating 4 out of 5]

And all of that because the guy didn't want to use an umbrella ...

[Komble III · Rating 4 out of 5]

ჯაკ ფლიტი <3

[Vivien Varga · Rating 4 out of 5]

My dearest mr. Kemp: what in the Nine Hells made you think that this was okay?! * emotionally traumatized by a book *

[Liam · Rating 4 out of 5]

Maybe it should be five stars, got me teary-eyed at the end. My series review here: https://www.forgottenrealmsreading.co...

[George · Rating 3 out of 5]

A fitting end to the trilogy, but I still feel that the first book of the series was the best one. I'd still recommend this to anyone who's looking to go into the Forgotten Realms setting.

[Jan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Poslední díl mi přišel nejlepší. Nabitý děj a kulminace příběhu.

[E J · Rating 2 out of 5]

The last 50 or so pages were great, learning about the Sojourner's motivation (he just wants to remember what it was like to be a kid again), and Jak dying. The rest was just... whatever.

[Drizztl · Rating 4 out of 5]

7.5/10

[Keith · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was an excellent end to a superb series - emotive, engrossing and, above all, often unexpected with deeply flawed and real characters coming to life off the page.

[Pedro · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a fantastic end to a perfect trilogy. One thing I may not have praised before on my other two reviews but that just has to be mentioned is the grip the story hold on you throughout the 3 books. Right even before the trilogy in The Halls of Stormweather the "epic" tale of Erevis Cale beings, and you just feel like it is one huge book divided into small tomes. The cliffhangers on all the books from the trilogy connect seamlessly to the next book and the first book starts just days after The Hall of Stormweather's end. This is such a positive aspect on Erevis' tale and few authors explore this, trying instead to "partition" their books with "quests" that, despite connecting themselves, haven't the same sense on continuity. Thank God I've only just read these books when all of them are available. I cannot imagine the agony of waiting on each cliffhanger for the next book. Because that was what I kept thinking throughout these series. Kemp's work is THAT good! Kemp's writing is that good. Few author's can actually accomplish such a thing. In these series events just keep happenning, surprises keep popping and the end of each book is just the end of a chapter, as the beginning of the next book picks up just where the previous left off. Once again Kemp's characters are great (I know I'm biased towards Magadon, since he is a psionicist, but I understand how some people didn't like the way he was introduced). The battles in this throd novel are just epic. Which leads me to the most disappointing thing (probably the only one) the "normality" (for lack of a better word) of the end. It's surprisingly and chillingly simple, the Sojourner character. This was what mostly disappointed me, since the trilogy had been building up to it. However, not wishing to unravel anything here, I shall just say that "the ends justify the means" apply here. I know where Kemp wanted to get, the lesson at the end of it all. Some things are just so simple yet are valued by some people above anything or anyone else. "There is nothing bigger than the personal". Cale just keeps learning and learning until the very end. Going back to the epic battles, after writing about the only mildly negative (better saying disappointing) aspect of the book, Kemp once again elevates himself to Salvatore's level on the battle descriptions. Comparing Kemp to Salvatore may be doing Kemp a disservice, but the fact is most people think highly of Salvatore's fight descriptions (I do too, just not the last 10 books, just the first half of the Drizzt books, exception made to the Companions where he regains his style). Kemp works both "normal" and epic battles/fights with great care and it feels like you are there, however, the descritpion doesn't tax you or go into minute details. There is a mild cliffhanger in this book, which I hope carries on to the next, but it isn't in the final pages, it's rather in the final real "battle", though I shall not spoil the book, and hope people will understand upon reading it.
All in all I just cannot praise the book, the series, the author enough. This was written 8 years ago, most books nowadays don't last that long, but this will probably be a good read many years from now.