Ascendancy of the Last [Mass Market Paperback]

After reading the first two books in the Lady Penitent trilogy I found myself excitedly anticipating Ascendancy of the Last. Up until this story, the trilogy was excellent, but the lack of development in this story left me wanting. By the end I felt that the entire tale was contrived to "prune" the Forgotten Realms pantheon for the release of 4th Edition Dungeons and Dragons. Ascendancy felt rushed, artificial, and underdeveloped as a result and it is a poor example of the writing Lisa Smedman is capable of. This book felt like it was as much a marketing tool as a piece of fiction.

I've been a fan of the Drow since I was first introduced to them. R.A. Salvatore did an amazing job fleshing out the workings of the race, and in doing so created many "standards" by which any book involving them should be considered. Of course, these were expanded upon by numerous authors in the War of the Spider Queen series, and every author in that series proved to be not only familiar with the essence of Drow nature, their writing styles contributed greatly to the growing lore regarding the Drow race.

For me, the WotSQ series was well put together, but none of the authors stood out in my eyes. Lisa Smedman has stepped beyond her "one of the six authors" status with this entire series, culminating with this book, Ascendancy of the Last. Readers of the first two books may have ideas about what will be within, but they'll be shocked by the full contents of this book.

The book continues the plot lines outlined in the second book: the god's divine "sava game" (an excellent, if slightly overused metaphor made literal) continues, now involving the final deity worshiped by the Drow: Ghaunadaur, the Ancient Evil. The trials and activities of Q'arlynd, Cavatina, and others, as well as a new character (T'lar, the rather psychotic looking shaven-headed female on the cover). Following all of the characters at once results in a bit of jumpiness here and there, but it all flows well enough to not be disruptive in reading.

Without delving into the plots established within, all I can say is that Ascendancy of the Last does an excellent job stabilizing the Drow / Dark Elf race, and ties up every loose end nicely.

As another reviewer suggested, this seems to be WotC's way of "dumbing down" their upcoming 4th edition rule set. I felt similarly after reading the first book. However, this knowledge did not diminish the enjoyment that I received in finishing a very well-written series.

A different reviewer suggested a "cliffhanger" ending, which is hardly the case. The lives of the primary mortal players are played out, their "end game" is well set-up, and as for the divines... well, all I can say is that a literal situation was likely the basis for almost every metaphor in existence; remove a literal viewpoint when completing the book, and life goes on exactly as expected.

All in all, a very good end to a very good trilogy, and highly recommended.

Change can be good and bad. When it's done properly, it's a wonderful thing. When it's handled incorrectly, it can totally ruin something, be it a television show, a book series, a game series, what have you.

Lisa Smedman, one of the more prolific authors for Wizards of the Coast has been given the task of brining about profound change to the Drow of the Forgotten Realms RPG and novel setting.

It's a daunting task, there is no doubt about it, and her work will be met with both praise and wrath.

What brings this up? The third and final book in the Lady Penitent trilogy - Ascendancy of the Last.

Like the first and second novel in the trilogy that saw Drow pantheon change dramatically, this one has even greater repercussions than either of the first two books.

I can't give any spoilers away, as that is my policy when it comes to whatever I review. Besides anything I give away in this review would really spoil it for the potential reader.

All I can say is this - change has come in a realm shattering manner to the Forgotten Realms.

When you consider that Wizards of the Coast, as of writing this review has had the 4th edition of the venerable Dungeons and Dragons game just released, it's not a big surprise that these changes have come around.

I can't vouch for the game, as I haven't purchased it and I doubt that I will, but scuttlebutt from the internet has that the entire magic portion of the game has changed dramatically from the previous editions.

I remember when the various editions came about, that the novels that were written at the time reflected the changes that occurred in each edition. So, it goes without saying that this must be the case with this trilogy... the changes in the novel are reflections of what has changed in the game and the campaign setting as well.

Now, back to the review... I can easily state that this novel was probably the bloodiest of all three books. The body count was extremely high, and no one was spared the sword, be it the lowliest supporting character on up.

Mysteries and fates are revealed at last. What has happened to some venerable characters from this trilogy and even from previous books is revealed as well.

As I said before, this final book in the trilogy has major repercussions for the Realms. Of course the question has to be raised... how will this affect future novels and game products?

Only time will be able to answer that question. Well, and the head honchos at Wizards of the Coast.

How will these changes be met by the fans of the game and novels? That too remains to be seen.

I personally can say that I found the change to be a little disturbing. When you are familiar with something, and it's comfortable to you, any change will be unsettling. You might be asking if I liked the changes that took place... Yes, and no. Again, I can't go into details without spoiling it for any would be readers.

But, again, as I mentioned before, one of the most beloved villain races in the realms has undergone drastic change, as anyone who has read the first two novels will attest to. This one takes the change right to the edge and pushes it over.

Did I enjoy the book? Yes, I did. To me, it was far more entertaining to read than the second novel, and I had to say that I liked it pretty much on par with the first novel.

Kudos' to Lisa Smedman. She was handed a difficult task (or maybe she made the proposal to Wizards of the Coast and they liked what she had to offer) and she brought these drastic changes to one of the most venerable campaign settings in role playing history.

I can see mixed reaction to this from the fans towards her. But this is something she must have known would happen when she sat down and began work on this trilogy.

4 out of 5

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