Cry of the Ghost Wolf: A Forgotten Realms Novel [Mass Market Paperback]

So, at last, after a very long year of waiting, the 3rd book of the Chosen of Nendawen has come out.

And it was well worth the wait. What is a drag is it is over. Or is it? I have a feeling author Mark Sehestedt will be visiting this rich world and its awesome cast of characters, (those who survived, anyways), hopefully in the near future.

Cry of the Ghostwolf, as per the past 2 books in this terrific trilogy, picks up right where Sehestedt left off in book 2. Hweilan has gone through the myriad of rituals to become the mythical Hand of the Hunter, and her rendezvous with her dark destiny with the most creepy and wicked body snatching alien creature named Jagen Ghen is at hand.

I won't give spoilers here. I'd never do that. Hate it when reviewers do that. Suffice it to say, that after constantly trying different stories that pique my interest in this Dungeons and Dragons Forgotten Realms vast store of books, Mark Sehestedt thus far has become my favorite. Maybe its because I grew up in Texas and New Mexico, and his world and characters have those textures of Native Americans mixed with Stone Age, with fantasy elements thrown in. Others don't have that texture. None that I've read, leastways.

I've been reading epic fantasy for over 35 years. From the most recent authors of Abercromie to past authors like Zelazny, A to Z, and Sehestedt, for me, shines a new bright light with his style of writing in this genre. Not only is his novels action-packed, (which I am drawn to in books), but he also manages to balance that action with fantastic world-building and rich characterization. If there is only one gripe I have with this talented author, it is the sometime lack of character description. Especially when it comes to the hobgoblins.

Now, I am not a gamer. Maybe these books are not big in description because the authors feel the gamers already know what a hobgoblin looks like. And since I've read my fair share of fantasy, I too know what they look like, I suppose. Big pointed ears? Snake-like eyes? Lizard-like skin and hands and feet? I think they are supposed to be very different looking than humans. But Sehestedt, in all 3 of his books in this trilogy, never describes that aspect of them. I had to Google pics of hobgoblins just to make sure the image I formed in my reading mind was correct. Don't get me wrong, Sehestedt is mostly a master at descriptions of landscapes, and does give overall good descriptions of the large cast of characters, even the new ones he introduces with each book. And they are ALL interesting, too! Not an easy feat.

In my humble opinion, this trilogy was totally terrific. Unlike most trilogies, which have weak 2nd book fillers, or bad, rushed endings, this one satisfied me. Sure there could have been more closure, as the previous reviewer stated, but I trust this remarkable writer. I think he gave enough hints that this will not be the final book in this world. (Or worlds, really!) And I can't friggin' wait! This last book left me wanting more.

I think the difference between Mark Sehestedt and the other writers in the Forgotten Realms books is the mixed bag of genres that I feel he throws in his books. Like I mentioned earlier, I feel like I am reading a more primal, primitive, and much more early Native American legend and lore, mixed with horror and fantasy, than just your typical fantasy. I like that Sehestedt doesn't mix politics with his fantasy. I get enough politics on TV and radio, I don't like it much in my escapism reading. And you won't get it here!

I also like the dark fantasy feeling here, too. Sehestedt's world and magic usage is not pretty. In fact, his body-snatching alien baazuled characters are downright as creepy and scary as anything Stephen King has ever written, trust me. I like the twists and turns this latest book unfolded for me. I wasn't sure just how he was going to end it. A lot of authors telegraph their story, and you pretty much know how it is going to end. Not Sehestedt. He kept me on my toes.

I like the solid artwork on these particular books. In fact, the publishers of these books should clap themselves on the back. Mark's books are designed differently than the Forgotten Realms books, the look and feel of Jaime Jones's artwork fits Sehestedt's tone and look of his world and its environs. It was what attracted my attention with The Fall of Highwatch, with its cover art going vertically instead of the typical way all the others do it. And then the story sucked me in right away, and never let go. And also, none of the three books is ever slow and boring, making the reader wait for something to happen. Nothing is wasted.

Thanks Mark Sehestedt for a terrific and refreshing new type of fantasy reading.

Cry of the Ghost Wolf is the third book in the Chosen of Nendawen trilogy by Mark Sehestedt. The first book was The Fall of Highwatch and the second Hand of the Hunter.

Cry of the Ghost Wolf continues right where Hand of the Hunter left off. Now Hweilan and her companions have to find a way to escape from the hobgoblin fortress so she can continue her quest to avenge her family and destroy Jagen Ghen who is amassing an army to consume the world and he has plans for Hweilan. Some subplots involve a matter of honor, the ambitions of the hobgoblin queen, and a love interest.

This book for me was not as exciting as the first two. I am not saying there is a lack of action, but everything kept leading to a way of escaping the fortress and yet the majority of the book is a back and forth escapade within the fortress. For this the pacing does get bogged down a bit but for the most part it was done quite well. The scenes do flow nicely and the descriptions of the landscape are well done and really puts the reader right there in the story. There is some character development that is fitting and all the characters played their parts well. Even some of the tertiary characters were interesting.

Some criticisms:

1. My main gripe is that the book spent too much time in the hobgoblin fortress. Not to say that a lot didn't happen there, but I would have liked to see more of the world around like what was depicted in the first two books of the trilogy.

2. Menduarthes was an awesome character in the trilogy, but in this book his character takes more of a back seat and his skills are not really used much. I would have liked to see more of this character, especially at the end.

Some positives:

1. The story overall was just wonderful. The way things began in the first two books and the conclusion of this one which does leave an opening for more to be written. There were some great surprises as well I did not count on and enjoyed. I also liked the Native American feel to the story.

2. The characters were great and each had a distinctive voice. Even Jaden, who was the one character I didn't care for but he was written that way and so was well conceived.

3. Even though there were some openings left and not everything was resolved, the ending was well done. It added a realism to the story as not everything in life is nicely tied up in the end. The final battle was nothing like I would expect from a realms novel. There are some parts that the reader can see coming, but there are a lot also that were unexpected.

In the end, this was an excellent trilogy and one of my favorites in the realms. Mr. Sehestedt started off shaky for me with Frostfell, but has come a long way in a short time and really grasped my attention putting him into my favorite realms authors category. This trilogy is definitely recommended for fantasy lovers and also for those who like their fantasy more on the darker side. I look forward to reading more from Mr. Sehestedt.

Happy reading.

Dimndbangr

This book, Cry of the Ghost Wolf, is great. I've absolutely loved Mark Sehestedt's work ever since Frostfell, and this one doesn't disappoint. I finished it within the day, it's so good. It takes a few rather unexpected directions, but is very, very good.

Pros-
1. Imagery. Absolutely beautiful and exquisite. I felt I was right there with the characters.
2. Gleed! We see him again for a short while!
3. The myriad characters forming through circumstance and chance.

Cons-
1. At the end, Menduarthis gets left by the side. ABSOLUTELY RIDICULOUS. He's an awesome character and we still don't find out why he is so powerful. We need more.
2. There's no clear ending. Hints are given that more can/will happen, but with this being book three, I'm assuming this is the last of this trilogy. We need a clear ending.

All in all, a very nice read, so pick it up!