Shadow Dawn (Paperback)

The beginning had some potential, and familiar characters were making appearances, and I felt like the world was coming back. Then it felt to me like the author just gave up. A lot of characters die for no apparent reason, the world changes without explaination, and I couldn't figure out why characters were doing what they were doing now.

This aside, the writing did nothing to fill in the blanks for me. Flashbacks, spirit traveling, story lines, and dialogue all mashed together into a tangled mess. It felt like the author knew what was going on and expected the reader to make due with vague discriptions, and random encounters. I felt like I was reading an idea for a book, not the finished product.

My hopes, expectations, and excitement for this series have been chopped down like so many spotted owls. Disappointing would have been too kind a word to describe my feelings toward this series.

To anyone currious about this book series, I offer this advice. Leave this one on the shelf. Don't be the next victom of cruel inadequecy.

The chapters are still far too dense- a chapter of twenty pages takes nearly three times to wade through what those of a decent book would- most of the new characters introduced are one-dimensional bores and Claremont seems to make it a habit of killing off the few that aren't. On the plus side, Elora has become much more interesting and the few chapters where she's allowed to adventure across the land on her own are by far the best bit of the book. The underlying problem is that this is absolute middle of a storyarc so nothing much happens except what is needed to reenforce what happened in 'Moon' and pave the way to the inevitable showdown in 'Star'. Expect lots of pointless wandering and expository dialogue.

Which brings me to the biggest problem of all: an Epic fantasy requires an Epic villain because, lets face it, Good vs. evil is nowhere near as exciting as Good vs. EVIL, and the story just does not deliver. Instead we are treated to baddies like The Deceiver, who is little more than a glorified zombie, and...wait for it...The Lord Of The Dance. That's right, gasp in shock and awe at the might of a guy who will literally two-step you to your doom. It's books like these that make me sincerely wish there was an emoticon for a smiley repeatedly banging their head against something hard an unyielding- perhaps the skull of whichever of the two collaborative 'geniuses' thought any of this would be a good idea.

Cheer up, there's only one volume to go!