Villians By Necessity: Amazon.ca: Eve Forward: Books

Product Description

From Library Journal

With the banishment of Evil from the realms, the final victory of Good is assured-unless a few stalwart antiheroes can save the world from a serious and potentially fatal imbalance. First novelist Forward explores the complications that arise from a surfeit of "goodness" in the world. The result is a skewed version of the epic fantasy that features an assassin, a thief, an evil sorceress, a dark knight, and an implacable druid as the villains-turned-heroes who must restore the delicate balance of opposing forces before their world disappears in a blinding flash of Goodness and Light. Fans of role-playing games will recognize many familiar conventions in this seriocomic fantasy adventure. A candidate for fantasy collections in large libraries.
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

From Booklist

Forward's first novel gives the concept of the balance between good and evil a most ingenious twist: What if good were so totally triumphant that it became a worse danger than evil, and a band of unemployed evil characters had to go on a desperate quest to find the means of putting the saving bit of evil back into the world? The result of this twist is an almost straightforward quest tale, with numerous well-drawn characters (including a centaur who starts off as a secret agent for good and eventually joins the side of evil), great ingenuity about magic, very creditable world-building, and considerable wit. Although bearing its share of first-novel flaws, it has many more virtues, which include an underlying, serious examination of the good-evil dichotomy that is the basis of so many role-playing games. Roland Green --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

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Customer Reviews

45 Reviews

5 star:		(33)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(6)
2 star:		(0)
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Average Customer Review

4.6 out of 5 stars (45 customer reviews)

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5.0 out of 5 stars Villains have to save the world: This book is awsome!, Oct 11 2004

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The "Silver Golem" (USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Villians By Necessity (Paperback)

I've actually bought this book from somewhere else and it was completely by accident that I came across it. I'm shocked that I hadn't even heard of it before then, because this is the best book I've ever read. It seriously is. The villains are forced to save the world by doing what they do best: unleashing chaos. The funny thing is the heros are trying to stop the villains so in essance the heros and villains find themself forced in opposite roles. You actually root for the villains. Confusing? Not really. The story is easy to read, is very hard to put down, and is hilarious to the extreme. In fact it'd make a great movie to if it was famous enough to be seen by a good director. Anyway, pick it up if you ever get the chance. Beleive me, it's worth it.

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5.0 out of 5 stars Brilliant!, July 16 2004

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Travis Martinez - See all my reviews

This review is from: Villians By Necessity (Paperback)

Everything you could want in a stand-alone fantasy novel! Great action, wonderful character developement, loveable characters, a genuinely unique tale, a lovely sense of humor, and a charming love story all combine to create one hell of an enjoyable read. I suggest getting your copy FAST. This gem isn't in large circulation and the prices are sure to rise as more and more readers discover it.

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5.0 out of 5 stars What fun is Good anyway???, Jun 20 2004

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Kyle (MA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Villians By Necessity (Paperback)

This is an awsome book. For anyone who grew up rooting for the bad guys to win or who wondered what would happen if good lost this is the book for you. With a blonde assassin, a vertically challenged pick-pocket, a stick-swinging Druid, a mute Dark Knight, a sorceress eager to eat her companions, and a spying centaur who faints during a fight, this story is both funny and exciting. You'll laugh when the assassin gets hit with a stick. It's not very serious, but if you like fantasy and comedy, this is the book for you. Oh, and go bad guys!!!

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Most recent customer reviews

4.0 out of 5 stars A fresh take on a tired genre.
A first glance and a quick skim through, Villains by Necessity, by Eve Forward, seems like your average, run-of-the-mill comic fantasy epic, involving a band of adventurers out to... Read more

Published on May 30 2003 by Bray D

5.0 out of 5 stars Very Fun
I enjoyed this book, a lot. I don't rate it 5 stars in comparison to the "high fantasy" of Martin or Jordan I usually read, but on its own merits as a stand-alone. Read more

Published on Feb 4 2003 by Kenneth Raymond