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Forgotten Realms: Anthologies #2
Realms of Infamy
From the secret annals of Realms history come these never-before-published tales of infamy, featuring the most nefarious villains of that magical world -- Artemis Entreri, Manshoon of Zhentil Keep, Eliath Craulnober, Zulkir Szass Tamm, and many others -- told by your favorite authors, including: Ed Greenwood, R.A. Salvatore, Elaine Cunningham, Troy Denning, Christie Golden and others
346 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published December 27, 1994
8 people are currently reading
743 people want to read
About the author
James Lowder
82 books100 followersaka Richard Awlinson, J D Lowder, Jim Lowder
James Lowder has worked extensively in fantasy and horror fiction on both sides of the editorial blotter. He's authored several best-selling dark fantasy novels, including Prince of Lies and Knight of the Black Rose, and has had short fiction appear in such anthologies as Shadows Over Baker Street and Genius Loci. He's penned comic book scripts for several companies and the city of Boston. His book and film reviews, feature articles, and role-playing game design work can be found in such diverse publications as Amazing Stories, Milwaukee Magazine, and The New England Journal of History. As an editor, he's directed lines or series for TSR, Green Knight Publishing, Chaosium, and CDS Books. He's helmed more than twenty anthologies, including Hobby Games: The 100 Best and Curse of the Full Moon. In the media, he is a regular contributor to the Public Radio show "Lake Effect" in Milwaukee, provided werewolf lore on the TV show Weird or What? and tabletop game industry lore for the documentary The Dreams in Gary's Basement, and served as a puppeteer on the indie film Misfit Heights.
James Lowder has worked extensively in fantasy and horror fiction on both sides of the editorial blotter. He's authored several best-selling dark fantasy novels, including Prince of Lies and Knight of the Black Rose, and has had short fiction appear in such anthologies as Shadows Over Baker Street and Genius Loci. He's penned comic book scripts for several companies and the city of Boston. His book and film reviews, feature articles, and role-playing game design work can be found in such diverse publications as Amazing Stories, Milwaukee Magazine, and The New England Journal of History. As an editor, he's directed lines or series for TSR, Green Knight Publishing, Chaosium, and CDS Books. He's helmed more than twenty anthologies, including Hobby Games: The 100 Best and Curse of the Full Moon. In the media, he is a regular contributor to the Public Radio show "Lake Effect" in Milwaukee, provided werewolf lore on the TV show Weird or What? and tabletop game industry lore for the documentary The Dreams in Gary's Basement, and served as a puppeteer on the indie film Misfit Heights.
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December 12, 2019
This is the second in a series of short story anthologies put out by TSR during their years of publishing Forgotten Realms novels. They were released annually for a while. This one came out in 1994. It's a stronger collection of stories than its predecessor, Realms of Valor, because of the inclusion of a broader range of authors and stories. The prior book was almost exclusively tie-in stories to recently publsihed or upcoming novels. In that way it doubles as a marketing tool or sampler. Realms of Infamy has some of the same, but also a healthy number of standalone stories and stories by authors who are not otherwise established in the Forgotten Realms publishing universe. These unconnected stories could stand in any fantasy setting, if you substitute some place names.
The collection seemed rather lacklustre at first, despite some of TSR's big-name authors placed up front, but the later stories proved to be solid. Ostensibly, the focus of the stories is on villains, rogues, and all-around bad guys. The stories stick to this theme generally, but often weakly, for example showing villains from prior FR novels doing things that are not terribly villainous. All in all, there is not much point to reading this collection in 2019 or beyond unless you are retroactively reading the Forgotten Realms novels from the 1990's. The stories unrelated to the contemporaneous novels are, at best, just OK. It makes me want to read a different fantasy anthology, one unrelated to any IP, to get a sense of what good fantasy short stories can be. To me, fantasy best lends itself to full-length books and series, but I cannot recall experiencing much short fantasy fiction other than these anthologies, other than occasional stories fit into a horror collection.
Without further ado, here is a rundown of the stories in the order in which they appear:
So High A Price by Ed Greenwood. See what I mean about "lacklustre at first"? Needless to say, I am not a fan of this man's writing in general. Yes, he created the Forgotten Realms setting, but I have always felt that the areas he focused the most on are the lamest parts of Faerun. Here, we see the formative years of the power structure of Zhentil Keep, home base ofMing the Merciless Manshoon, as he plots to rise in power. If you are not aware, Zhentil Keep houses the most overblown stock megalomaniac villains in the Realms. The details of their internal dealings are of no interest unless you are Ed Greenwood. I thought at one point, "At least it's not an Elminster story." SPOILER: It's an Elminster story.
The More Things Change by Elaine Cunningham. This is an origin story for Elaith Craulnober, villainous elf from her Songs & Swords series, wrapping around Elfshadow and Elfsong. This is one of the stories in this collection that there is not much point in reading unless you are reading the Forgotten Realms novels in publication order. I don't think it adds much of anything to Cunningham's series.
The Meaning of Lore by Barb Hendee. This is the first standalone story, and by an author not otherwise connected to the Forgotten Realms novels. She wrote this while in grad school, and later went on to publish a number of vampire thrillers. The story is about an egotistical priest with some narrow notions of power who sets out to steal some ancient tomes. As a villain, he accomplishes nothing. The story has a decent horror component.
Raven's Egg by Elaine Bergstrom, who wrote a Ravenloft novel (Tapestry of Dark Souls) published the prior year. This is another standalone story, a first-person account by a minor noble plagued by paranoia, leading to disaster. But for whom? This author also went on to publish vampire novels.
The Third Level by R.A. Salvatore a.k.a. "Bob". An origin story for Artemis Entrerii, Salvatore's obsessive assassin foe of Drizzt's. So apparently Artemis is evil because he was sexually abused by his father and uncle (this is not stated outright but is fairly implied). Gotcha. This is at least entertaining, and a legitimately villainous story all about bad people doing bad things to each other.
Blood Sport by Christie Golden, also a Ravenloft series writer (clearly, TSR draws in-house as much as possible). She had a short story featuring her reluctant vampire gold elf Jander Sunstar in the previous anthology also. Here, the story follows the perspective of a vampire slayer who styles herself "The Shark" as she attempts to kill Jander. It's a good yarn. I would happily read her Ravenloft books if I come across them. Vampire of the Mists is the full-length book featuring Jander.
Gallows Day by David Zeb Cook introduces the thief named Pinch who stars in the full-length King Pinch published the following year. On its own, the story is kind of flat, but it builds the character and environment effectively. Cook had already published a couple of good books in the FR line (Horselords, Soldiers of Ice and worked on a lot of AD&D RPG books.
A Matter of Thorns by James M. Ward. Ward wrote Pool of Radiance with Jane Cooper Hong, which was a fun if adolescent romp, and its sequels Pools of Darkness and Pool of Twilight, both of which are a complete mess, with Anne K. Brown. This story, about a monstrous rose bush, was pretty good... until the ending. It was marginally clever, but a waste of story potential. There was a much better story possible there. So, forgettable.
Stolen Spells by Denise Vitola, another standalone story by an author not otherwise connected to TSR. Again, villainy is weak, and the story doesn't have any point to it.
The Greatest Hero Who Ever Died by J. Robert King, another Ravenloft author. It's kind of an interesting story, a little bit, with a lot of reversals and with a puppet-master theme. It doesn't go any further than the last page.
Twilight by Troy Denning. This is a prequel to his contemporaneous Twilight Giants trilogy, like a waaaaay back prequel, going back to formation-of-world time of the gods. I read the first book in this trilogy, The Ogre's Pact, right before this anthology, and although I found it exceedingly dull I had hope in the potential for the next books. This story about the origins of the giant races inflames that hope. It has a suitable mythic tone.
The Walls of Midnight by Mark Anthony. A prequel story for the main villain from the author's book Crypt of the Shadowking. Good characterization and an okay plot, involving Ravendas and a mage trying to break into a mysterious lost wizard's tower that kills all comers.
by Jane Cooper Hong. BEST STORY IN THE BOOK. Now, see my comments on author James M. Ward and Pool of Radiance above. Clearly, it was Hong who made that book enjoyable. This is a terrific story about an assassin's assistant. Superficially it reminded me of the poisoner and apprentice in Joe Abercrombie's Best Served Cold. It is thoughtful, well structured, and intriguing, easily the best musing on the anthology's topic in the bunch. And Hong does not appear to have written anything else ever! I am sad at this.
Thieves' Honor by Mary Herbert. The author wrote an independent series of fantasy novels published by TSR (see Dark Horse and sequels) and later wrote novels for the Dragonlance setting. This story was appealing as a general fantasy tale about a horse thief stealing the wrong horse and getting roped into all kinds of business. The story hints at its larger setting but is compelling enough to be satisfying on its own.
by James Lowder manages to put together elements from the author's three disparate prior Forgotten Realms books, Crusade, The Ring of Winter, and Prince of Lies to craft an effective fantasy/horror tale firmly set in the Realms, proving yet again that he can write a good adventure story with just the right amount of pulp appeal.
Last, by Roger E. Moore, who dabbled in some RPG books and writing in various TSR properties. The story is about goblins re-learning to be goblins. Like many of these stories there is a nice horror/fantasy blend. Moore has the worst author bio at the back of the book. Whoever thought it would be a good idea to transcribe Beavis and Butthead dialogue?
So there you have it. It takes a long time to give mention to every story. I do this mostly for my own benefit, so that I never have to read the stories again. The collection earns a solid three stars from me (edit: dropped to two on restrospect), shorn up mostly by the second half of stories. But again, there is really no point to reading this anthology without the pointless completionist drive that is making me read the FR novels in general.
The collection seemed rather lacklustre at first, despite some of TSR's big-name authors placed up front, but the later stories proved to be solid. Ostensibly, the focus of the stories is on villains, rogues, and all-around bad guys. The stories stick to this theme generally, but often weakly, for example showing villains from prior FR novels doing things that are not terribly villainous. All in all, there is not much point to reading this collection in 2019 or beyond unless you are retroactively reading the Forgotten Realms novels from the 1990's. The stories unrelated to the contemporaneous novels are, at best, just OK. It makes me want to read a different fantasy anthology, one unrelated to any IP, to get a sense of what good fantasy short stories can be. To me, fantasy best lends itself to full-length books and series, but I cannot recall experiencing much short fantasy fiction other than these anthologies, other than occasional stories fit into a horror collection.
Without further ado, here is a rundown of the stories in the order in which they appear:
So High A Price by Ed Greenwood. See what I mean about "lacklustre at first"? Needless to say, I am not a fan of this man's writing in general. Yes, he created the Forgotten Realms setting, but I have always felt that the areas he focused the most on are the lamest parts of Faerun. Here, we see the formative years of the power structure of Zhentil Keep, home base of
The More Things Change by Elaine Cunningham. This is an origin story for Elaith Craulnober, villainous elf from her Songs & Swords series, wrapping around Elfshadow and Elfsong. This is one of the stories in this collection that there is not much point in reading unless you are reading the Forgotten Realms novels in publication order. I don't think it adds much of anything to Cunningham's series.
The Meaning of Lore by Barb Hendee. This is the first standalone story, and by an author not otherwise connected to the Forgotten Realms novels. She wrote this while in grad school, and later went on to publish a number of vampire thrillers. The story is about an egotistical priest with some narrow notions of power who sets out to steal some ancient tomes. As a villain, he accomplishes nothing. The story has a decent horror component.
Raven's Egg by Elaine Bergstrom, who wrote a Ravenloft novel (Tapestry of Dark Souls) published the prior year. This is another standalone story, a first-person account by a minor noble plagued by paranoia, leading to disaster. But for whom? This author also went on to publish vampire novels.
The Third Level by R.A. Salvatore a.k.a. "Bob". An origin story for Artemis Entrerii, Salvatore's obsessive assassin foe of Drizzt's. So apparently Artemis is evil because he was sexually abused by his father and uncle (this is not stated outright but is fairly implied). Gotcha. This is at least entertaining, and a legitimately villainous story all about bad people doing bad things to each other.
Blood Sport by Christie Golden, also a Ravenloft series writer (clearly, TSR draws in-house as much as possible). She had a short story featuring her reluctant vampire gold elf Jander Sunstar in the previous anthology also. Here, the story follows the perspective of a vampire slayer who styles herself "The Shark" as she attempts to kill Jander. It's a good yarn. I would happily read her Ravenloft books if I come across them. Vampire of the Mists is the full-length book featuring Jander.
Gallows Day by David Zeb Cook introduces the thief named Pinch who stars in the full-length King Pinch published the following year. On its own, the story is kind of flat, but it builds the character and environment effectively. Cook had already published a couple of good books in the FR line (Horselords, Soldiers of Ice and worked on a lot of AD&D RPG books.
A Matter of Thorns by James M. Ward. Ward wrote Pool of Radiance with Jane Cooper Hong, which was a fun if adolescent romp, and its sequels Pools of Darkness and Pool of Twilight, both of which are a complete mess, with Anne K. Brown. This story, about a monstrous rose bush, was pretty good... until the ending. It was marginally clever, but a waste of story potential. There was a much better story possible there. So, forgettable.
Stolen Spells by Denise Vitola, another standalone story by an author not otherwise connected to TSR. Again, villainy is weak, and the story doesn't have any point to it.
The Greatest Hero Who Ever Died by J. Robert King, another Ravenloft author. It's kind of an interesting story, a little bit, with a lot of reversals and with a puppet-master theme. It doesn't go any further than the last page.
Twilight by Troy Denning. This is a prequel to his contemporaneous Twilight Giants trilogy, like a waaaaay back prequel, going back to formation-of-world time of the gods. I read the first book in this trilogy, The Ogre's Pact, right before this anthology, and although I found it exceedingly dull I had hope in the potential for the next books. This story about the origins of the giant races inflames that hope. It has a suitable mythic tone.
The Walls of Midnight by Mark Anthony. A prequel story for the main villain from the author's book Crypt of the Shadowking. Good characterization and an okay plot, involving Ravendas and a mage trying to break into a mysterious lost wizard's tower that kills all comers.
by Jane Cooper Hong. BEST STORY IN THE BOOK. Now, see my comments on author James M. Ward and Pool of Radiance above. Clearly, it was Hong who made that book enjoyable. This is a terrific story about an assassin's assistant. Superficially it reminded me of the poisoner and apprentice in Joe Abercrombie's Best Served Cold. It is thoughtful, well structured, and intriguing, easily the best musing on the anthology's topic in the bunch. And Hong does not appear to have written anything else ever! I am sad at this.
Thieves' Honor by Mary Herbert. The author wrote an independent series of fantasy novels published by TSR (see Dark Horse and sequels) and later wrote novels for the Dragonlance setting. This story was appealing as a general fantasy tale about a horse thief stealing the wrong horse and getting roped into all kinds of business. The story hints at its larger setting but is compelling enough to be satisfying on its own.
by James Lowder manages to put together elements from the author's three disparate prior Forgotten Realms books, Crusade, The Ring of Winter, and Prince of Lies to craft an effective fantasy/horror tale firmly set in the Realms, proving yet again that he can write a good adventure story with just the right amount of pulp appeal.
Last, by Roger E. Moore, who dabbled in some RPG books and writing in various TSR properties. The story is about goblins re-learning to be goblins. Like many of these stories there is a nice horror/fantasy blend. Moore has the worst author bio at the back of the book. Whoever thought it would be a good idea to transcribe Beavis and Butthead dialogue?
So there you have it. It takes a long time to give mention to every story. I do this mostly for my own benefit, so that I never have to read the stories again. The collection earns a solid three stars from me (edit: dropped to two on restrospect), shorn up mostly by the second half of stories. But again, there is really no point to reading this anthology without the pointless completionist drive that is making me read the FR novels in general.
October 27, 2019
"Realms of Infamy" is set in the Forgotten Realms setting. Now, is it required to have a good background in the FR lore? Yes. Since these stories highlight some of the most infamous people from that setting. It gives you a better "feel" for the subject material. Otherwise you are left with a series of strange short stories. But for those of you who know these characters, it is a joy. So here are the stories:
"So High a Price"- A story of Manshoon, First Lord of Zhentil Keep, and his attempted coup in league with a Beholder. A great look at the politics of Zhentil Keep. 5/5
"The Meaning of Lore"- A story about a dark hearted bard/cleric Master Chane Troiban and his egotistical goals try to enter a sacred Library of Oghma to steal tomes. 4/5
"Raven's Egg"- Lord Sharven of Espar marries the Lady Atera, but she is accompanied by her "mage" who isn't what he seems. 4/5
"The Third-Level"- A young Artemis Entreri joins the Thieves Guild of Calimport and shows the promise that makes him into one of the deadliest assassins in the Realms. 5/5
"Blood Sport"- A Jander Sunstar story, where he meets the Vampire Hunter, The Shark, and we find out about true monsters. 5/5
"Gallows Day"- Master Thief Pinch rescues one of his own from the gallows and looks for a traitor. 4/5
"A Matter of Thorns"- Lord Stone learns the price of killing the gardener Grim. 4/5
"Stolen Spells"- Arek Adar steals an elixir for the shady merchant, Bareen Tykar, and teaches a lesson in keeping your word. 4/5
"The Greatest Hero Who Ever Died"- A tale of the dark hero Sir Paramore told to a crowd at a pub. 5/5
"Twilight"- A story of the Old Gods. Annam, High God, punishes Othea, Mother of Giants, for frolicking with Ulutiu, the Sea King and this results in the giants and giant-kin of the "current" Realms. 5/5
"The Walls of Midnight"- A mage and a thief, both wishing to join the Zhentarim, are given a seemingly impossible task. 4/5
"And Wringing of Hands"- Possibly the weakest story of the bunch. An assassin's apprentice finds his master to be less than honorable. 3/5
"Thieves Honor"- Teza the thief enters into a bargain with a Witch of Rashemen. 4/5
"Laughter in the Flames"- This one started off slowly and I wasn't sure where it was headed, but the end was sublime. An Adventurer, Sir Hamnet, deals with his reputation for exploration and meets with Cyric, the Lord of the Dead. 5/5
"Vision"- Captain Kergis learns what it means to be a goblin. 5/5
Thus, when the worst out of an almost dozen stories is a 3/5 and the rest a 4-5/5 then the collection gets a 5/5. This is a joy for any Forgotten Realms fan.
"So High a Price"- A story of Manshoon, First Lord of Zhentil Keep, and his attempted coup in league with a Beholder. A great look at the politics of Zhentil Keep. 5/5
"The Meaning of Lore"- A story about a dark hearted bard/cleric Master Chane Troiban and his egotistical goals try to enter a sacred Library of Oghma to steal tomes. 4/5
"Raven's Egg"- Lord Sharven of Espar marries the Lady Atera, but she is accompanied by her "mage" who isn't what he seems. 4/5
"The Third-Level"- A young Artemis Entreri joins the Thieves Guild of Calimport and shows the promise that makes him into one of the deadliest assassins in the Realms. 5/5
"Blood Sport"- A Jander Sunstar story, where he meets the Vampire Hunter, The Shark, and we find out about true monsters. 5/5
"Gallows Day"- Master Thief Pinch rescues one of his own from the gallows and looks for a traitor. 4/5
"A Matter of Thorns"- Lord Stone learns the price of killing the gardener Grim. 4/5
"Stolen Spells"- Arek Adar steals an elixir for the shady merchant, Bareen Tykar, and teaches a lesson in keeping your word. 4/5
"The Greatest Hero Who Ever Died"- A tale of the dark hero Sir Paramore told to a crowd at a pub. 5/5
"Twilight"- A story of the Old Gods. Annam, High God, punishes Othea, Mother of Giants, for frolicking with Ulutiu, the Sea King and this results in the giants and giant-kin of the "current" Realms. 5/5
"The Walls of Midnight"- A mage and a thief, both wishing to join the Zhentarim, are given a seemingly impossible task. 4/5
"And Wringing of Hands"- Possibly the weakest story of the bunch. An assassin's apprentice finds his master to be less than honorable. 3/5
"Thieves Honor"- Teza the thief enters into a bargain with a Witch of Rashemen. 4/5
"Laughter in the Flames"- This one started off slowly and I wasn't sure where it was headed, but the end was sublime. An Adventurer, Sir Hamnet, deals with his reputation for exploration and meets with Cyric, the Lord of the Dead. 5/5
"Vision"- Captain Kergis learns what it means to be a goblin. 5/5
Thus, when the worst out of an almost dozen stories is a 3/5 and the rest a 4-5/5 then the collection gets a 5/5. This is a joy for any Forgotten Realms fan.
July 28, 2019
A mixed bag of short stories all taking place from the villains point of view and all taking place in the Realms. The stand out stories for me were Salvatore's "The Third Level" featuring a young 14 year old Artemis Entreri, Mark Anthony's "The Walls of Midnight", Herbert's story "Thieve's Honor" ( featuring a horse thief and a monster I never even heard of and I have been playing D & D since 1981), and perhaps "Vision" from Roger E. Moore which tells the tale from a goblin's perspective.
Some stories delved more into the short horror arena like J. Robert King's "The Greatest Hero Who Ever Died" and James Lowder's "Laughter in the Flames".
An okay collection in my opinion.
Some stories delved more into the short horror arena like J. Robert King's "The Greatest Hero Who Ever Died" and James Lowder's "Laughter in the Flames".
An okay collection in my opinion.
May 31, 2017
This is a collection of stories set on Forgotten Realms. The Forgotten Realms problem is that it never evolves. It focus on a target audiance in the end we know the good guys win. That's why I am more into Black Library and it's warhammer and 40K publications. Even if they have an audiance of teens you never know how it's going to end. Not everything will be alright. Just because you are "good" that's no reason to win. You can fail.
Said that this short stories focus more on the bad guys from this realm. What's interesting is that most of this "bad" guys are more of anti-heroes and not evil.
Most of this stories are good, believe me on that.
The More Things Change by Elaine Cunningham is a tale about Elaith Craulnober. This tale tells us how and why he fell... from grace. There are some scenes their that are not that explained. Probably I had to read some of her novels.
The Meaning of Lore by Barb Hendee - If this tale had an evil characters I don't know what was. I didn't relate this tale with infamous. This tale is about a loremaster of Oghma (Lord of Knowledge) and a pursuit to knowledge.
The Third Level by R. A. Salvatore- Well, well... Entreri. This guy is evil but we care about him. RA Salvatore is a great creator of characters and I think Entreri is one of his best. He makes an evil character and works so darn hard to give him motives and explaining that we care for him. This tale tells us about his first kill and how he enter the Thieves Guild.
Blood Sport by Christie Golden is a tale that evolves Jander Sunstar. How is he evil? Probably the Shark (vampire hunter) is the evil of this tale. Neverthless in this tale the Shark is trying to destroy the Vampire and will do everything to achieve. Top notch Christie!
Vision by Roger E. Moore is a good tale about goblins. Even the main character is one. He tells us the way goblins feel about the new ways and the old ways. It's truly good My main problem is that goblins are suppossedly to be stupid and our main character, Kergis, is nothing like that. He is rather smart.
Not counting with two weak stories, I think this is one of the best anthologies Forgotten Realms published. It's a nice way to see how the "bad" guys are seen. But as I said before, if you want a evil character then turn around and head for Warhammer Fantasy. There are all full lenght books with evil characters. Not anti-heroes. Real evil characters that will kill your puppy and kidnapp your wife... but in the end you will like them. Believe me. You will.
Said that this short stories focus more on the bad guys from this realm. What's interesting is that most of this "bad" guys are more of anti-heroes and not evil.
Most of this stories are good, believe me on that.
The More Things Change by Elaine Cunningham is a tale about Elaith Craulnober. This tale tells us how and why he fell... from grace. There are some scenes their that are not that explained. Probably I had to read some of her novels.
The Meaning of Lore by Barb Hendee - If this tale had an evil characters I don't know what was. I didn't relate this tale with infamous. This tale is about a loremaster of Oghma (Lord of Knowledge) and a pursuit to knowledge.
The Third Level by R. A. Salvatore- Well, well... Entreri. This guy is evil but we care about him. RA Salvatore is a great creator of characters and I think Entreri is one of his best. He makes an evil character and works so darn hard to give him motives and explaining that we care for him. This tale tells us about his first kill and how he enter the Thieves Guild.
Blood Sport by Christie Golden is a tale that evolves Jander Sunstar. How is he evil? Probably the Shark (vampire hunter) is the evil of this tale. Neverthless in this tale the Shark is trying to destroy the Vampire and will do everything to achieve. Top notch Christie!
Vision by Roger E. Moore is a good tale about goblins. Even the main character is one. He tells us the way goblins feel about the new ways and the old ways. It's truly good My main problem is that goblins are suppossedly to be stupid and our main character, Kergis, is nothing like that. He is rather smart.
Not counting with two weak stories, I think this is one of the best anthologies Forgotten Realms published. It's a nice way to see how the "bad" guys are seen. But as I said before, if you want a evil character then turn around and head for Warhammer Fantasy. There are all full lenght books with evil characters. Not anti-heroes. Real evil characters that will kill your puppy and kidnapp your wife... but in the end you will like them. Believe me. You will.
April 15, 2020
Great stories. I always like to see Manshoon's determination to win against impossible odds to fulfill his dark ambitions. Good always needs a reminder as to why it should fear evil.
May 5, 2021
Since this is a collection I feel the need to talk about the stories individually.
"So High a Price" by Ed Greenwood
I don't have much of an opinion about this one. It was about Elminster who managed to foil Manshoon's plan to take over Zhentil Keep. It ended in a clever ploy, but definitely not the best this anthology had to offer.
"The More Things Change" by Elaine Cunningham
I was a bit exited to read this one because I really enjoyed her writing when I began to read her Starlight and Shadows series.
I suppose this one would make more contextual sense if I've read the series this particular character is from. Basically a riches to infamy type story, as those go.
I am not a big fan of "pre-destiny" and "It was foretold in ye olden times that you were to be an evil overlord so you must work towards and or unintentionally become this evil overlord" Regardless I really enjoy her writing as it goes.
Another criticism I have for it is that: It started off really strong, and then it kind of felt like it was stuck in the rising action of the plot diagram, and then we skipped the falling action and climax and then also the resolution. It kind of felt like I was reading an unfinished draft that I really enjoyed. Like I said previously, it probably makes more sense in context, but on it's own it definitely feels like something is missing.
"The Meaning of Lore" by Barb Hendee
A story about an arrogant and charismatic Oghmite with ambitions, that tries to steal some rare tomes in order to educate others, though for selfish reasons. All in all, his biggest flaw was his arrogance and a savior complex.
The arrogance and charisma of the protagonist really drove the story. Diving into the head of an antagonist is really something I enjoy reading I suppose.
Although nothing overly villainous happened to anyone, this was a well written story.
"Raven's Egg" by Elaine Bergstrom
This story was about a paranoid lord and about how his paranoia caused his ultimate doom. Really clever pacing, good intrigue, excellent buildup to the big reveal. I wouldn't be surprised if this was actually set in Ravenloft, it honestly has that type of a vibe to it. By far one of the best stories in this anthology.
"The Third Level" by R.A. Salvatore
I've read this one before, multiple times in fact. Once on it's own, the second time in Salvatore's "The Collected Stories: The Legend of Drizzt" collection and then in this particular anthology as well. I have a special love for this story and this particular character.
A story about how Artemis Entreri became enlisted into Pasha Basadoni's guild, and how he outsmarted another member of it, thus rising in rank and fully establishing himself in The Thieves Guild.
I was always a fan of Artemis' calculative mind, and his meticulousness, so I am very biased about liking this story.
I'm not going to beat around the bush in this one, but Bob, well meaning as he is, has some seriously bad implications in this one. Using Artemis' sexual trauma to imply that he became "evil" because of it is seriously fucked up. What Artemis did to survive was in self defense and anger. Yes, it fucked him up fundamentally as a person, but no, he did not become "evil" because of his trauma. That is all I will say on this subject.
"Blood Sport" by Christie Golden
I have heard about Jander Sunstar before, but nothing could prepare me for instantly falling in love with him as a character the instant he appeared.
The story was about a morally grey vampire slayer that was on the hunt for Jander Sunstar, who just seemed to be trying to live his life in peace.
Another one of those stories I really loved because of the atmosphere and pacing etc. The ending broke my heart a little, not going to lie.
"Gallows Day" by David Cook
This story was about a company of thieves that went on a mission to rescue another one of their members.
A fine story in it's own right, but I can't say it's particularly compelling. It's a good story to think about when you're trying to think about Points of View. Would the protagonists be antagonists to a certain group of people? Would the antagonists be protagonists in other cases? Depending on how each of them are portrayed.
"A Matter of Thorns" by James M. Ward
This was kind of a fun one. A devoted royal gardener is killed, so he curses the grounds he died on. The curse becomes stronger as a sort of a pact is made and a monstrous rose bush grows on the castle grounds.
It definitely felt like what watching Little Shop Of Horrors feels like. Or like watching a play within a play. The ending didn't really work for me but regardless it was a really fun read.
"Stolen Spells" by Denise Vitola
This was about a thief who was hired to steal a magical item, but then in the end was betrayed and then plotted revenge against his betrayer.
It was a good story though I feel like there was a strong sense of plot armor for the thief "I am a thief obviously I own a cave full of magical items and trinkets, and one specifically designed for the type of thing I am about to do" kind of felt like a cheap way to get it done.
perhaps if said thief didn't have the magical cape readily available and perhaps earned it via another means in the story it would have felt different somehow. But as is it didn't feel as satisfactory as it could have been.
"The Greatest Hero Who Ever Died" by J. Robert King
One of those stories that I enjoyed but also for various reasons did not enjoy. Like "Gallows Day" it's another one of those "perspective matters" type stories.
A story about a mysterious stranger who comes into a tavern and asks for some food and drink in exchange for a story. The plot twist was interesting.
Did not enjoy the children being slaughtered. I have very few things that cross the line and a lot of these just morally upset me. This one was such a story.
"Twilight" by Troy Denning
Like the above story, it also included something I morally object to. It wasn't particularly interesting but had really good plot moments.
It was somewhat a creationism story about giants and giant kin, but as time progressed it turned into a story of the giant forefathers and their plot to stop the destruction of their kingdom.
I enjoyed the pacing and It felt like reading an Edda or something within Norse mythology.
"The Walls of Midnight" by Mark Anthony
A story about a Zhent initiate and a wizard trying to get into a tower to take an artifact from it. Another story where I enjoyed the pacing and the plot was interesting to follow.
"And Wringing of Hands" by Jane Cooper Hong
This story was about an alchemist who provided poisons for an assassin, but eventually things got personal when one of the targets was someone he liked.
I really felt for the protagonist because he was driven to do 'evil' and not because he necessarily actively wanted to do evil. A story I really enjoyed because of that.
"Thieves' Honor" by Mary H. Herbert
This particular story about a horse thief aiding in a plot to overthrow a prince really took me on a wild ride. (no pun intended) It was pretty fast paced, the writing was clear and felt like the author really had fun writing it, and bringing all of these characters to life.
"Laughter in the Flames" by James Lowder
This was a fall from grace type story, where an old explorer is outed as a fraud and coward.
the build up to the reveal was enjoyable, but there was nothing particularly interesting about it. Cyric, as a character was really interesting, however.
"Vision" by Roger E. Moore
This was kind of a real downer. A story about how a half-goblin taught his goblin tribe, through atrocities, to be more savage goblins again. It started off intriguing enough but as time went on and with each new killing it made me more and more uncomfortable. The blind trust of "this is what our gods want us to do" vs a more honorable "we fight what can fight back" really stuck a chord with me.
Sure fighting with honor is more "human" though I would say it's more "humane" rather than "human"
overall I really enjoyed this collection. I wouldn't recommend all of it but definitely a lot of these stories on their own.
"So High a Price" by Ed Greenwood
I don't have much of an opinion about this one. It was about Elminster who managed to foil Manshoon's plan to take over Zhentil Keep. It ended in a clever ploy, but definitely not the best this anthology had to offer.
"The More Things Change" by Elaine Cunningham
I was a bit exited to read this one because I really enjoyed her writing when I began to read her Starlight and Shadows series.
I suppose this one would make more contextual sense if I've read the series this particular character is from. Basically a riches to infamy type story, as those go.
I am not a big fan of "pre-destiny" and "It was foretold in ye olden times that you were to be an evil overlord so you must work towards and or unintentionally become this evil overlord" Regardless I really enjoy her writing as it goes.
Another criticism I have for it is that: It started off really strong, and then it kind of felt like it was stuck in the rising action of the plot diagram, and then we skipped the falling action and climax and then also the resolution. It kind of felt like I was reading an unfinished draft that I really enjoyed. Like I said previously, it probably makes more sense in context, but on it's own it definitely feels like something is missing.
"The Meaning of Lore" by Barb Hendee
A story about an arrogant and charismatic Oghmite with ambitions, that tries to steal some rare tomes in order to educate others, though for selfish reasons. All in all, his biggest flaw was his arrogance and a savior complex.
The arrogance and charisma of the protagonist really drove the story. Diving into the head of an antagonist is really something I enjoy reading I suppose.
Although nothing overly villainous happened to anyone, this was a well written story.
"Raven's Egg" by Elaine Bergstrom
This story was about a paranoid lord and about how his paranoia caused his ultimate doom. Really clever pacing, good intrigue, excellent buildup to the big reveal. I wouldn't be surprised if this was actually set in Ravenloft, it honestly has that type of a vibe to it. By far one of the best stories in this anthology.
"The Third Level" by R.A. Salvatore
I've read this one before, multiple times in fact. Once on it's own, the second time in Salvatore's "The Collected Stories: The Legend of Drizzt" collection and then in this particular anthology as well. I have a special love for this story and this particular character.
A story about how Artemis Entreri became enlisted into Pasha Basadoni's guild, and how he outsmarted another member of it, thus rising in rank and fully establishing himself in The Thieves Guild.
I was always a fan of Artemis' calculative mind, and his meticulousness, so I am very biased about liking this story.
I'm not going to beat around the bush in this one, but Bob, well meaning as he is, has some seriously bad implications in this one. Using Artemis' sexual trauma to imply that he became "evil" because of it is seriously fucked up. What Artemis did to survive was in self defense and anger. Yes, it fucked him up fundamentally as a person, but no, he did not become "evil" because of his trauma. That is all I will say on this subject.
"Blood Sport" by Christie Golden
I have heard about Jander Sunstar before, but nothing could prepare me for instantly falling in love with him as a character the instant he appeared.
The story was about a morally grey vampire slayer that was on the hunt for Jander Sunstar, who just seemed to be trying to live his life in peace.
Another one of those stories I really loved because of the atmosphere and pacing etc. The ending broke my heart a little, not going to lie.
"Gallows Day" by David Cook
This story was about a company of thieves that went on a mission to rescue another one of their members.
A fine story in it's own right, but I can't say it's particularly compelling. It's a good story to think about when you're trying to think about Points of View. Would the protagonists be antagonists to a certain group of people? Would the antagonists be protagonists in other cases? Depending on how each of them are portrayed.
"A Matter of Thorns" by James M. Ward
This was kind of a fun one. A devoted royal gardener is killed, so he curses the grounds he died on. The curse becomes stronger as a sort of a pact is made and a monstrous rose bush grows on the castle grounds.
It definitely felt like what watching Little Shop Of Horrors feels like. Or like watching a play within a play. The ending didn't really work for me but regardless it was a really fun read.
"Stolen Spells" by Denise Vitola
This was about a thief who was hired to steal a magical item, but then in the end was betrayed and then plotted revenge against his betrayer.
It was a good story though I feel like there was a strong sense of plot armor for the thief "I am a thief obviously I own a cave full of magical items and trinkets, and one specifically designed for the type of thing I am about to do" kind of felt like a cheap way to get it done.
perhaps if said thief didn't have the magical cape readily available and perhaps earned it via another means in the story it would have felt different somehow. But as is it didn't feel as satisfactory as it could have been.
"The Greatest Hero Who Ever Died" by J. Robert King
One of those stories that I enjoyed but also for various reasons did not enjoy. Like "Gallows Day" it's another one of those "perspective matters" type stories.
A story about a mysterious stranger who comes into a tavern and asks for some food and drink in exchange for a story. The plot twist was interesting.
Did not enjoy the children being slaughtered. I have very few things that cross the line and a lot of these just morally upset me. This one was such a story.
"Twilight" by Troy Denning
Like the above story, it also included something I morally object to. It wasn't particularly interesting but had really good plot moments.
It was somewhat a creationism story about giants and giant kin, but as time progressed it turned into a story of the giant forefathers and their plot to stop the destruction of their kingdom.
I enjoyed the pacing and It felt like reading an Edda or something within Norse mythology.
"The Walls of Midnight" by Mark Anthony
A story about a Zhent initiate and a wizard trying to get into a tower to take an artifact from it. Another story where I enjoyed the pacing and the plot was interesting to follow.
"And Wringing of Hands" by Jane Cooper Hong
This story was about an alchemist who provided poisons for an assassin, but eventually things got personal when one of the targets was someone he liked.
I really felt for the protagonist because he was driven to do 'evil' and not because he necessarily actively wanted to do evil. A story I really enjoyed because of that.
"Thieves' Honor" by Mary H. Herbert
This particular story about a horse thief aiding in a plot to overthrow a prince really took me on a wild ride. (no pun intended) It was pretty fast paced, the writing was clear and felt like the author really had fun writing it, and bringing all of these characters to life.
"Laughter in the Flames" by James Lowder
This was a fall from grace type story, where an old explorer is outed as a fraud and coward.
the build up to the reveal was enjoyable, but there was nothing particularly interesting about it. Cyric, as a character was really interesting, however.
"Vision" by Roger E. Moore
This was kind of a real downer. A story about how a half-goblin taught his goblin tribe, through atrocities, to be more savage goblins again. It started off intriguing enough but as time went on and with each new killing it made me more and more uncomfortable. The blind trust of "this is what our gods want us to do" vs a more honorable "we fight what can fight back" really stuck a chord with me.
Sure fighting with honor is more "human" though I would say it's more "humane" rather than "human"
overall I really enjoyed this collection. I wouldn't recommend all of it but definitely a lot of these stories on their own.
May 16, 2010
Realms of Infamy edited by James Lowder was released in 1994 and is now out of printed today (2009). Comprised of 16 short stories by Ed Greenwood, Elaine Cunningham, Barb Hendee, Elaine Bergstrom, R. A. Salvatore, Christie Golden, David Cook, James M. Ward, Denise Vitola, J. Robert King, Troy Denning, Mark Anthony, Jane Cooper Hong, Mary H. Herbert, James Lowder, and Roger E. Moore. Some stories feature some of the Forgotten Realms most infamous villains; Artemis Entreri, Manshoon of Zhentil Keep, and Elaith Craulnober, with an appearance by Jander Sunstar.
So High a Price by Ed Greenwood- The story details the raise of the Zhentarim, an evil organization, and the attempted raise of Manshoon to rule over Zhentil Keep.
Negatives:
1) Slow to build up. The story was a little slow. It kind of detracted from what was going on and just dragged on during some scenes.
2) Dialogue. Most of the dialogue, I thought was hard to follow at times. I really didn't know who was talking or really even understanding what was really being said.
Positives:
1) Manshoon. I almost hate to say it, but I do want to learn more about him and the Zhentarim. The story really perked my interest.
2) The ending. I didn't really expect a certain mage to show up and talk the lords of Zhentil Keep out of something disastrous.
Overall: 3/5
* The reason being, the dialogue was hard to understand and that they story was a little slow to get going.*
The More Things Change by Elaine Cunningham- The story is about Elaith Craulnober, an elf, who leaves Evermeet because he can't wield his families moonblade, a magical sword passed down through elf families. Elaith joins a group of treasure hunters, thus causing him to ruin his cultural beliefs. Elaith appears in some other stories by Elaine Cunningham.
Negatives:
1) Short. The story was extremely short and just didn't really explain much.
2) The ending. I wasn't really sure what was going on in the last scene. It just seemed rushed.
Positives:
1) Elaith. He seems like a troubled character and I want to read more about him. He really is just interesting.
2) Setting up. The story seemed to set up another story, but as of this moment, I don't really know what it was setting up. My guess is another one of Elaine Cunningham's novels. But it does do a good job in making you want more.
Overall: 3.5/5
* The problem is that it just is to short and it just needed more.*
The Meaning of Lore by Barb Hendee- The story is about a loremaster of Oghma, Chane Troiban, and his selfish quest of gaining knowledge for power. He attempts to steal some ancient, forgotten knowledge from a Oghma temple and finds himself lost.
Negatives:
1) The story didn't feel evil. When reading this anthology, I kind of expected that the story would be about an evil person and his evil deeds. This just didn't really fit. Yes, Chane did seem corrupt and bad, but not on the level of pure evil.
Positives:
1) Chane. I did like Chane, with his single-mindedness and selfishness. He didn't truly fit the role of a villain, but nonetheless, he did have some infamous quality.
2) The moral. At the end, I did like the moral and the understanding that Chane receives. Sure, he still is a selfish and amoral person but the message to the reader was pretty good.
Overall: 4/5
* A good story, but just not that evil and it really had the potential to be evil.*
Raven's Egg by Elaine Bergstrom- This is a tale about a lord, Sharven, his plot to kill his most hated enemy. Written by Sharven himself, he recounts what led him to believe who it is and what he planned on doing. However, not all enemies come from the outside.
Negatives:
None. I really enjoyed this story.
Positives:
1) First Person. The point of view was very well done. It tells of Sharven's insecurities and his paranoia.
2) The paranoia. Sharven seemed to think everyone was out to get him, and the way the story reflected that mindset was well done.
3) The Ending. I thought that it was beautifully written, and even though you knew what was about to happen, the way it was described made it feel fresh.
Overall: 5/5
*I really liked the story and I liked the way everything worked together.*
The Third Level by R. A. Salvatore- The assassin Artemis Entreri's first kill is the main focus and his raise in a thieves guild by sly upon sly.
Negatives:
None. Entreri is a great character and the story was well written.
Positives:
1) Back story. The first thing I thought of after reading this is that we get some answer on where Entreri came from. What a dark, horrifying past.
2) The creativeness of the kill. I won't go into much detail, but the way Entreri killed that one person was ingenious.
Overall: 5/5
*Entreri is a great bad guy and I always have liked reading about him.*
Blood Sport by Christie Golden- A vampire hunter by the name Shark is looking for Jander Sunstar, an elven vampire. The Shark finds out the truth of Jander and goes to great lengths to stop from being in his debt. This short story follows the short story in Realms of Valor entitled One Last Drink.
Negatives:
None. Though not as good as One Last Drink, it still is a great story.
Positives:
1) The Shark. I can't help but absolutely loathe the Shark and her blindness. Which is what this whole collection is truly about, making you hate the "hero" of the story.
2) Adds to Jander. Now, I've said this before, Jander is one of my favorite characters. This story really shows the lengths in which he doesn't want people to know he is a vampire. His carvings and his home really do show that.
3) The End. So far, the endings of each story were good, but this one really does take the cake. The Shark remains the evil intended person she always was.
Overall: 5/5
* More pieces of Jander's life are such a good thing.*
Gallows Day by David Cook- A thief is about to get hung. His gang are going to try to free him, but at the same time discover who turned on the group.
Negatives:
1) The writing style. I didn't really care for it much. It just seemed to drag on in some parts
2) Minor characters. The minor characters; Brown Maeve and Sprite-Heels, weren't really that exciting and just really lame.
Positives:
1) Pinch. The gang leader was a pretty neat character and was really well-developed. Plus his calculating mind was pretty interesting.
2) The plan. The plan that Pinch comes up with was original. And I thought that the plan was well thought out.
Overall: 3/5
* Like I said, I didn't care for writing style.*
A Matter of Thorns by James M. Ward- The story is about a rose garden and it's thirst for human slaves.
Negatives:
1) The 'silliness.' I don't know how to put it, but having the villain be a rosebush is just, well... silly.
2) It's like a B-list horror movie. Cheesy concept and just seemed like it would be a direct to video movie.
Positives:
1) Good story. Even if the bad guy is a rosebush, it was a fun and entertaining story. Well written and it really did hold my attention. Even the humor is pretty funny at times.
2) Humor. There are a few laughable scenes, but the ending is just great.
Overall: 4/5
* Even though I thought it had a b-list movie feel, it still was a fun story.*
Stolen Spells by Denise Vitola- A thief, Arek Adar, that only steals magical items is on a mission to take a potion that lets the drinker grow young again. However his employer has other ideas and disfigures the thief's hand. Arek wants revenge and he gets it with a shawl.
Negatives:
1) Repetition. It seemed like there was a lot of repeating things in the story. It's just a feeling I had when reading. Some scenes seemed to say the same thing that was already said before.
Positives:
1) The trick. The trick that Arek played on his employer was really ingenious.
2) Arek. He was a great character. At first he didn't come off as infamously evil, just like a normal guy that's a thief for a living. Also, the way he explained things was great.
Overall: 4/5
*The story was great and Arek was an interesting character.*
The Greatest Hero Who Ever Died by J. Robert King- This is a tale within a story. A cloaked man walks into a tavern and begins telling a story of a Knight named Sir Paramore and how he rescued the kingdoms children. But the teller has ideas of his own.
Negatives:
1) The deaths. There were too many pointless deaths that didn't really make sense. For instance, getting hit in the face with a fist killed someone, when the hitter was falling down. It just didn't make sense.
Positives:
1) Gruesome. The deaths in the story were just awful, in a good way. Plus using someone's face as a puppet is just sick.
2) The tale. It was good. It really made you focus more on the story within and it made you feel like one of the patrons in the tavern listening.
Overall: 4/5
* Good story, just the outrageous deaths were the big problem.*
Twilight by Troy Denning- This story is a giant-kind mythology tale. Thats the best way to describe it. Basically, it tells how the giant kingdom was lost.
Negatives:
1) Mythology. Now I like mythology stories, except this one was just to confusing. I don't know any of the giant gods.
2) Name throwing. I don't like short stories that just throw names at you. It just gets hard to remember who is who.
Positives:
1) Interesting story. While I didn't understand the myth behind this, it nonetheless was interesting. The middle and ending are what really made the story.
2) The characters. Every important person had their own distinct personalities and that made them bearable.
Overall: 2.5/5
*The name throwing and the general confusion of a myth story, caused me to really dislike this.*
The Walls of Midnight by Mark Anthony- The story is about a warrior, Ravendas, and a mage, Marnok, in their attempt to steal an ancient artifact called the Finger of Ckai-el-Ckaan.
Negatives:
1) Predictable. The story was a little predictable with somethings. You could tell certain things were going to happen after the first five or so pages.
2) The Artifact. The power to resurrect the sorcerer, Ckai-el-Ckaan, just sounded lame. I think it would have been better if it was a wand with some amazing power.
Positives:
1) Story. Even though it was predictable, it was a good, fun read. The characters were interesting and the action was fun.
2) The main characters. Ravendas was a terrific character. How she didn't let her feelings get involved with getting what she wanted really made her interesting. On the other hand, Marnok was a great character because he seemed to want to change Ravendas but failed. Just reading about him being so naïve was funny.
Overall: 4/5
* Good story and characters but a little to predictable.*
And Wringing of Hands by Jane Cooper Hong- The story follows a poison maker, Tine, and how he helps his master, an assassin named Reneck, with his assignments. However, the assignments become more and more evil and Tine grows fond of some of the targets.
Negatives:
None that really mattered.
Positives:
1) Tine. I really felt sorry for him and his profession. He isn't a killer, just a 'helper.' He really isn't the bad guy.
2) Story. I did like the story a lot because it was well written and a great look into Tine's mind.
3) Sympathy. I was really sympathetic with Tine and some of the marks that he grew fond of. Like I said above, he isn't the real bad guy and you can really tell he isn't.
Overall: 5/5
*There were a few small problems, but I did like the story so much that I overlooked the things I didn't care for.*
Thieves' Honor by Mary H. Herbert- The story follows a horse thief, Teza, and her part in kidnapping a prince of Rashemen for one of the powerful witches.
Negatives:
1) Dull. The story was kind of boring. It just didn't really interest me all too much.
2) Convenience. First there was this random item that can control this horse Teza has in her pack. Yet, she didn't use it when she first tried to steal it. Sure she left her pack in a log, but why? Then second, the easiness of entering the princes camp was just unbearably too easy.
Positives:
1) Teza. She was an interesting character in a boring story. A horse thief? I would have never have guessed that anyone would write about such a boring profession, but somehow, Mary H. Herbert made it a little interesting.
2) The kidnapping. That was well done, if a bit to easy.
Overall: 3/5
* Kind of a boring story, but Teza was the real highlight.*
Laughter in the Flames by James Lowder- The story follows Sir Hamnet Hawklin and his travel to meet Cyric; the Lord of the Dead, the Dark Sun, Master of Strife, the Prince of Lies, and the Mad God. Hawklin, an adventure of some fame, wrote books accounting his adventures. Are they history or are they fiction? Only Cyric knows the truth.
Negatives:
None. I really enjoyed this story.
Positives:
1) Descriptive. The whole story was had very good descriptions of the setting and of the people. You could really picture it in your mind's eye.
2) Plot. What happens throughout the story was great and creepy at the same time. The talking weasel, the body snatchers, and the servant named Uther really made this story great.
3) The truth. What happens with Hawklin and his 'history' was just great. Plus it was ironic that it took Cyric, the Prince of Lies, to get the truth out of him was just comical in a way.
Overall: 5/5
*The story, descriptions, and the ending is what really makes this story a fun, great read.*
Vision by Roger E. Moore- A goblin captain named Kergis is forcibly made to follow his shaman's half-breed grandchild, Zeth. Zeth, who is blind, weapon and armor-less, is on a mission to teach others the ways of old. Throughout this teaching, Kergis slowly learns what it is to be a goblin.
Negatives:
1) Preachy. I really don't like preachy stories at all. They are just not my cup of tea.
2) Hard to believe. When I think of goblins, they come off as idiots and stupid, yet Kergis and Zeth don't seem to be that way. Also, I thought they were cowards, yet these goblins seemed to be brave.
Positives:
1) The message. Even though I don't like preachy stories, they message was a good one. It kind of made sense in a way that the goblins were rather 'civil' and not monsters that they should be.
2) Kergis and Zeth. Kergis was a good character. He seemed to be smart and didn't buy into what Zeth was teaching, yet Kergis was understanding. I don't know how else to explain it. Zeth on the other hand had me believing at first he was crazy and mad. Yet, he really did surprise me.
Overall: 3/5
* The preachy nature of the story really made me not enjoy it, but while it was preachy it wasn't over my head preachy.*
OVERALL ANTHOLOGY: 3.9/5
*Overall, the stories were good and fun to read. It really enlightens you on the infamous personalities of the Forgotten Realms*
So High a Price by Ed Greenwood- The story details the raise of the Zhentarim, an evil organization, and the attempted raise of Manshoon to rule over Zhentil Keep.
Negatives:
1) Slow to build up. The story was a little slow. It kind of detracted from what was going on and just dragged on during some scenes.
2) Dialogue. Most of the dialogue, I thought was hard to follow at times. I really didn't know who was talking or really even understanding what was really being said.
Positives:
1) Manshoon. I almost hate to say it, but I do want to learn more about him and the Zhentarim. The story really perked my interest.
2) The ending. I didn't really expect a certain mage to show up and talk the lords of Zhentil Keep out of something disastrous.
Overall: 3/5
* The reason being, the dialogue was hard to understand and that they story was a little slow to get going.*
The More Things Change by Elaine Cunningham- The story is about Elaith Craulnober, an elf, who leaves Evermeet because he can't wield his families moonblade, a magical sword passed down through elf families. Elaith joins a group of treasure hunters, thus causing him to ruin his cultural beliefs. Elaith appears in some other stories by Elaine Cunningham.
Negatives:
1) Short. The story was extremely short and just didn't really explain much.
2) The ending. I wasn't really sure what was going on in the last scene. It just seemed rushed.
Positives:
1) Elaith. He seems like a troubled character and I want to read more about him. He really is just interesting.
2) Setting up. The story seemed to set up another story, but as of this moment, I don't really know what it was setting up. My guess is another one of Elaine Cunningham's novels. But it does do a good job in making you want more.
Overall: 3.5/5
* The problem is that it just is to short and it just needed more.*
The Meaning of Lore by Barb Hendee- The story is about a loremaster of Oghma, Chane Troiban, and his selfish quest of gaining knowledge for power. He attempts to steal some ancient, forgotten knowledge from a Oghma temple and finds himself lost.
Negatives:
1) The story didn't feel evil. When reading this anthology, I kind of expected that the story would be about an evil person and his evil deeds. This just didn't really fit. Yes, Chane did seem corrupt and bad, but not on the level of pure evil.
Positives:
1) Chane. I did like Chane, with his single-mindedness and selfishness. He didn't truly fit the role of a villain, but nonetheless, he did have some infamous quality.
2) The moral. At the end, I did like the moral and the understanding that Chane receives. Sure, he still is a selfish and amoral person but the message to the reader was pretty good.
Overall: 4/5
* A good story, but just not that evil and it really had the potential to be evil.*
Raven's Egg by Elaine Bergstrom- This is a tale about a lord, Sharven, his plot to kill his most hated enemy. Written by Sharven himself, he recounts what led him to believe who it is and what he planned on doing. However, not all enemies come from the outside.
Negatives:
None. I really enjoyed this story.
Positives:
1) First Person. The point of view was very well done. It tells of Sharven's insecurities and his paranoia.
2) The paranoia. Sharven seemed to think everyone was out to get him, and the way the story reflected that mindset was well done.
3) The Ending. I thought that it was beautifully written, and even though you knew what was about to happen, the way it was described made it feel fresh.
Overall: 5/5
*I really liked the story and I liked the way everything worked together.*
The Third Level by R. A. Salvatore- The assassin Artemis Entreri's first kill is the main focus and his raise in a thieves guild by sly upon sly.
Negatives:
None. Entreri is a great character and the story was well written.
Positives:
1) Back story. The first thing I thought of after reading this is that we get some answer on where Entreri came from. What a dark, horrifying past.
2) The creativeness of the kill. I won't go into much detail, but the way Entreri killed that one person was ingenious.
Overall: 5/5
*Entreri is a great bad guy and I always have liked reading about him.*
Blood Sport by Christie Golden- A vampire hunter by the name Shark is looking for Jander Sunstar, an elven vampire. The Shark finds out the truth of Jander and goes to great lengths to stop from being in his debt. This short story follows the short story in Realms of Valor entitled One Last Drink.
Negatives:
None. Though not as good as One Last Drink, it still is a great story.
Positives:
1) The Shark. I can't help but absolutely loathe the Shark and her blindness. Which is what this whole collection is truly about, making you hate the "hero" of the story.
2) Adds to Jander. Now, I've said this before, Jander is one of my favorite characters. This story really shows the lengths in which he doesn't want people to know he is a vampire. His carvings and his home really do show that.
3) The End. So far, the endings of each story were good, but this one really does take the cake. The Shark remains the evil intended person she always was.
Overall: 5/5
* More pieces of Jander's life are such a good thing.*
Gallows Day by David Cook- A thief is about to get hung. His gang are going to try to free him, but at the same time discover who turned on the group.
Negatives:
1) The writing style. I didn't really care for it much. It just seemed to drag on in some parts
2) Minor characters. The minor characters; Brown Maeve and Sprite-Heels, weren't really that exciting and just really lame.
Positives:
1) Pinch. The gang leader was a pretty neat character and was really well-developed. Plus his calculating mind was pretty interesting.
2) The plan. The plan that Pinch comes up with was original. And I thought that the plan was well thought out.
Overall: 3/5
* Like I said, I didn't care for writing style.*
A Matter of Thorns by James M. Ward- The story is about a rose garden and it's thirst for human slaves.
Negatives:
1) The 'silliness.' I don't know how to put it, but having the villain be a rosebush is just, well... silly.
2) It's like a B-list horror movie. Cheesy concept and just seemed like it would be a direct to video movie.
Positives:
1) Good story. Even if the bad guy is a rosebush, it was a fun and entertaining story. Well written and it really did hold my attention. Even the humor is pretty funny at times.
2) Humor. There are a few laughable scenes, but the ending is just great.
Overall: 4/5
* Even though I thought it had a b-list movie feel, it still was a fun story.*
Stolen Spells by Denise Vitola- A thief, Arek Adar, that only steals magical items is on a mission to take a potion that lets the drinker grow young again. However his employer has other ideas and disfigures the thief's hand. Arek wants revenge and he gets it with a shawl.
Negatives:
1) Repetition. It seemed like there was a lot of repeating things in the story. It's just a feeling I had when reading. Some scenes seemed to say the same thing that was already said before.
Positives:
1) The trick. The trick that Arek played on his employer was really ingenious.
2) Arek. He was a great character. At first he didn't come off as infamously evil, just like a normal guy that's a thief for a living. Also, the way he explained things was great.
Overall: 4/5
*The story was great and Arek was an interesting character.*
The Greatest Hero Who Ever Died by J. Robert King- This is a tale within a story. A cloaked man walks into a tavern and begins telling a story of a Knight named Sir Paramore and how he rescued the kingdoms children. But the teller has ideas of his own.
Negatives:
1) The deaths. There were too many pointless deaths that didn't really make sense. For instance, getting hit in the face with a fist killed someone, when the hitter was falling down. It just didn't make sense.
Positives:
1) Gruesome. The deaths in the story were just awful, in a good way. Plus using someone's face as a puppet is just sick.
2) The tale. It was good. It really made you focus more on the story within and it made you feel like one of the patrons in the tavern listening.
Overall: 4/5
* Good story, just the outrageous deaths were the big problem.*
Twilight by Troy Denning- This story is a giant-kind mythology tale. Thats the best way to describe it. Basically, it tells how the giant kingdom was lost.
Negatives:
1) Mythology. Now I like mythology stories, except this one was just to confusing. I don't know any of the giant gods.
2) Name throwing. I don't like short stories that just throw names at you. It just gets hard to remember who is who.
Positives:
1) Interesting story. While I didn't understand the myth behind this, it nonetheless was interesting. The middle and ending are what really made the story.
2) The characters. Every important person had their own distinct personalities and that made them bearable.
Overall: 2.5/5
*The name throwing and the general confusion of a myth story, caused me to really dislike this.*
The Walls of Midnight by Mark Anthony- The story is about a warrior, Ravendas, and a mage, Marnok, in their attempt to steal an ancient artifact called the Finger of Ckai-el-Ckaan.
Negatives:
1) Predictable. The story was a little predictable with somethings. You could tell certain things were going to happen after the first five or so pages.
2) The Artifact. The power to resurrect the sorcerer, Ckai-el-Ckaan, just sounded lame. I think it would have been better if it was a wand with some amazing power.
Positives:
1) Story. Even though it was predictable, it was a good, fun read. The characters were interesting and the action was fun.
2) The main characters. Ravendas was a terrific character. How she didn't let her feelings get involved with getting what she wanted really made her interesting. On the other hand, Marnok was a great character because he seemed to want to change Ravendas but failed. Just reading about him being so naïve was funny.
Overall: 4/5
* Good story and characters but a little to predictable.*
And Wringing of Hands by Jane Cooper Hong- The story follows a poison maker, Tine, and how he helps his master, an assassin named Reneck, with his assignments. However, the assignments become more and more evil and Tine grows fond of some of the targets.
Negatives:
None that really mattered.
Positives:
1) Tine. I really felt sorry for him and his profession. He isn't a killer, just a 'helper.' He really isn't the bad guy.
2) Story. I did like the story a lot because it was well written and a great look into Tine's mind.
3) Sympathy. I was really sympathetic with Tine and some of the marks that he grew fond of. Like I said above, he isn't the real bad guy and you can really tell he isn't.
Overall: 5/5
*There were a few small problems, but I did like the story so much that I overlooked the things I didn't care for.*
Thieves' Honor by Mary H. Herbert- The story follows a horse thief, Teza, and her part in kidnapping a prince of Rashemen for one of the powerful witches.
Negatives:
1) Dull. The story was kind of boring. It just didn't really interest me all too much.
2) Convenience. First there was this random item that can control this horse Teza has in her pack. Yet, she didn't use it when she first tried to steal it. Sure she left her pack in a log, but why? Then second, the easiness of entering the princes camp was just unbearably too easy.
Positives:
1) Teza. She was an interesting character in a boring story. A horse thief? I would have never have guessed that anyone would write about such a boring profession, but somehow, Mary H. Herbert made it a little interesting.
2) The kidnapping. That was well done, if a bit to easy.
Overall: 3/5
* Kind of a boring story, but Teza was the real highlight.*
Laughter in the Flames by James Lowder- The story follows Sir Hamnet Hawklin and his travel to meet Cyric; the Lord of the Dead, the Dark Sun, Master of Strife, the Prince of Lies, and the Mad God. Hawklin, an adventure of some fame, wrote books accounting his adventures. Are they history or are they fiction? Only Cyric knows the truth.
Negatives:
None. I really enjoyed this story.
Positives:
1) Descriptive. The whole story was had very good descriptions of the setting and of the people. You could really picture it in your mind's eye.
2) Plot. What happens throughout the story was great and creepy at the same time. The talking weasel, the body snatchers, and the servant named Uther really made this story great.
3) The truth. What happens with Hawklin and his 'history' was just great. Plus it was ironic that it took Cyric, the Prince of Lies, to get the truth out of him was just comical in a way.
Overall: 5/5
*The story, descriptions, and the ending is what really makes this story a fun, great read.*
Vision by Roger E. Moore- A goblin captain named Kergis is forcibly made to follow his shaman's half-breed grandchild, Zeth. Zeth, who is blind, weapon and armor-less, is on a mission to teach others the ways of old. Throughout this teaching, Kergis slowly learns what it is to be a goblin.
Negatives:
1) Preachy. I really don't like preachy stories at all. They are just not my cup of tea.
2) Hard to believe. When I think of goblins, they come off as idiots and stupid, yet Kergis and Zeth don't seem to be that way. Also, I thought they were cowards, yet these goblins seemed to be brave.
Positives:
1) The message. Even though I don't like preachy stories, they message was a good one. It kind of made sense in a way that the goblins were rather 'civil' and not monsters that they should be.
2) Kergis and Zeth. Kergis was a good character. He seemed to be smart and didn't buy into what Zeth was teaching, yet Kergis was understanding. I don't know how else to explain it. Zeth on the other hand had me believing at first he was crazy and mad. Yet, he really did surprise me.
Overall: 3/5
* The preachy nature of the story really made me not enjoy it, but while it was preachy it wasn't over my head preachy.*
OVERALL ANTHOLOGY: 3.9/5
*Overall, the stories were good and fun to read. It really enlightens you on the infamous personalities of the Forgotten Realms*
August 16, 2021
This the the second book the the Forgotten Realms Anthology series and the the first one that I have read. This book would make for good Halloween seasonal reading. Overall the stories are strong, but there are a few stand-outs.
The Third Level, By R A Salvatore
This is a tale of the early career of the evil assassin Artemis Entreri from his Icewind Dale trilogy. A very interesting story that provides more insight into this deadly character.
The More Things Change, by Elaine Cunningham
This sorry is a brief telling of the elvish villain Elaith Craulnober from her Swords & Songs series. Hers were the first Forgotten Realms (FR) books I had ever read and I really enjoyed them. She is a great writer.
Raven’s Egg, by Elaine Bergstrom
This is a horror tale of mistrust and revenge that does not require knowledge of the FR world. She has written several Ravenloft and other horror novels.
Blood Sport, by Christie Golden
Golden has written several Ravenloft novels and this story takes a look at one of her vampires from a different point of view.
And Wringing of Hands, by Jane Cooper Hong
This is a creepy and sad tale of an assassin’s assistant who is forced to come to terms with his employer and the consequences of his own actions. Hong wrote the FR novel, Pool of Radiance, which I really enjoyed.
The Third Level, By R A Salvatore
This is a tale of the early career of the evil assassin Artemis Entreri from his Icewind Dale trilogy. A very interesting story that provides more insight into this deadly character.
The More Things Change, by Elaine Cunningham
This sorry is a brief telling of the elvish villain Elaith Craulnober from her Swords & Songs series. Hers were the first Forgotten Realms (FR) books I had ever read and I really enjoyed them. She is a great writer.
Raven’s Egg, by Elaine Bergstrom
This is a horror tale of mistrust and revenge that does not require knowledge of the FR world. She has written several Ravenloft and other horror novels.
Blood Sport, by Christie Golden
Golden has written several Ravenloft novels and this story takes a look at one of her vampires from a different point of view.
And Wringing of Hands, by Jane Cooper Hong
This is a creepy and sad tale of an assassin’s assistant who is forced to come to terms with his employer and the consequences of his own actions. Hong wrote the FR novel, Pool of Radiance, which I really enjoyed.
Currently reading
August 21, 2025I'm not as much a fan of short stories as I am of novels (some exceptions being short stories by Charles deLint and Adam-Troy Castro), so I was going into this with an expectation of three stars at best.
One of the stories I was predicting what would happen, and yes, it did happen the way I predicted. Saw that coming a mile away!
So far it's right at that three-star mark for me - not BAD, but not memorable either way.
One of the stories I was predicting what would happen, and yes, it did happen the way I predicted. Saw that coming a mile away!
So far it's right at that three-star mark for me - not BAD, but not memorable either way.
December 17, 2017
The stories in this book range from great to terrible. In fact, the story by Denning should never have been written and should be banned, as Dennings stuff is usually high quality. Were it not for that story alone and one or two others that didn’t make much sense or end well, it would have been 4 Stars.
April 29, 2021
A decent mix. Some authors should never write stories, but many of the better stories are definitely worth a look or two. Elaine Cunningham, Troy Denning, James Lowder, and of course R.A.Salvatore stand out particularly.
July 10, 2020
A compilation of stories, this book has a lot to offer. Most of the stories are intriguing tales from the Forgotten Realms. Most enjoyable
October 7, 2021
A couple of really good stories, but mostly mediocre. Decent way to pass some time.
August 7, 2023
Had a few good short stories, but it was lacking in most of the stories.
December 26, 2019
One of the better Forgotten Realms books, this story does a decent job depicting a few of the evil characters of the world. Their motivations, cultures, and circumstances are efficiently depicted in this series of short stories. The villains (tame villains, largely) are believable here, and this is an essential stop in understanding Faerun.
March 9, 2011
I don't tend to expect a great deal from shared-world fiction in general as they often sell based more on the popularity of the setting than the quality of the writing, and past experience has taught me not to expect a great deal from fiction based on Roleplaying properties such as Dungeons and Dragons, as the properties that make for a good game environment don't often easily make for good fiction.
However past experience has also shown me some exceptions to this rule, such as the Forgotten Realms novels of R.A. Salvatore, and recent experience has left me quite impressed by some of the Shadowrun novels (such as 2XS).
With this in mind I picked up Realms of Infamy, a short story anthology set in the Forgotten Realms with the running theme of evil characters. Some of these stories reaffirmed my original belief (don't expect too much) but despite the tendency towards turning these stories into simple moralistic tales (bad guy gets his comeuppance), some of these stories were actually much more, turning themselves into character studies of rather complex, well-developed villains and near-villains.
Despite the fact that this anthology contains some big names, such as an Elminster tale by Ed Greenwood, and the origin story of Entrieri himself by R.A. Salvatore, the real hidden gem in this collection is a little story called "And Wringing of Hands" by Jane Cooper Hong. This is a wonderful story about a sympathetic alchemist (of a sort) who comes across both as a little simple and a little bit morally damage, who acts as a servant to a famous and highly-paid assassin. This is a sad story and, moral fable qualities aside, an engrossing one.
There are also some nice action stories, such as the previously mentioned "The Third Level" by R.A. Salvatore and a very interesting look into Goblin philosophy in "Vision" by Roger E. Moore.
On the whole it's an entertaining collection that has something to offer even for non-realms fans of fantasy, though on the whole it is obvious who the intended audience for the stories are. It falls short of attaining a great status, but it's worth a read for fans character-based sword and sorcery.
However past experience has also shown me some exceptions to this rule, such as the Forgotten Realms novels of R.A. Salvatore, and recent experience has left me quite impressed by some of the Shadowrun novels (such as 2XS).
With this in mind I picked up Realms of Infamy, a short story anthology set in the Forgotten Realms with the running theme of evil characters. Some of these stories reaffirmed my original belief (don't expect too much) but despite the tendency towards turning these stories into simple moralistic tales (bad guy gets his comeuppance), some of these stories were actually much more, turning themselves into character studies of rather complex, well-developed villains and near-villains.
Despite the fact that this anthology contains some big names, such as an Elminster tale by Ed Greenwood, and the origin story of Entrieri himself by R.A. Salvatore, the real hidden gem in this collection is a little story called "And Wringing of Hands" by Jane Cooper Hong. This is a wonderful story about a sympathetic alchemist (of a sort) who comes across both as a little simple and a little bit morally damage, who acts as a servant to a famous and highly-paid assassin. This is a sad story and, moral fable qualities aside, an engrossing one.
There are also some nice action stories, such as the previously mentioned "The Third Level" by R.A. Salvatore and a very interesting look into Goblin philosophy in "Vision" by Roger E. Moore.
On the whole it's an entertaining collection that has something to offer even for non-realms fans of fantasy, though on the whole it is obvious who the intended audience for the stories are. It falls short of attaining a great status, but it's worth a read for fans character-based sword and sorcery.
February 12, 2009
This book is an enjoyable collection of short stories! I especially enjoyed Salvatore's story of Entreri's early days and Roger E. Moores tale. For any fan of the Sellswords trilogy, I would highly recommend this tale of Artemis Entreri in particular. It describes in nice detail his entry into the "mob of Calimport" and his association with the Pooks.
I would also recommend this book to anyone who wants a taste of some of the classic realms and d&d authors. This is a slightly older title though (when it comes to the Realms), so don't expect a taste of the new breed.
I would also recommend this book to anyone who wants a taste of some of the classic realms and d&d authors. This is a slightly older title though (when it comes to the Realms), so don't expect a taste of the new breed.
August 23, 2015
I expected to see bad guys doing bad things. Instead I saw bad guys being thwarted by good guys and missing out on some lesson learned. Which made the bad guys less sinister. All in all, completely disappointing.
April 23, 2008
Was not as good as I expected it to be. Frankly I felt the villains have not kept up their part of the bargain. Wankers...
August 21, 2011
Collection of stories from The Forgotten Reams AD&D setting. Probably for fans only.
May 21, 2014
Couple of good stories. Mostly Twilight Zoney-y 'what a twist!' sort of stuff.
July 26, 2015
I loved some of these stories. It was really nice to get to see the POV from the villain's eyes and kind of even grow to like some of them.
January 30, 2010
Always dissapointed in the anthologies
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