Commentaires client les plus utiles
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4.0étoiles sur 5
On par with Cunningham and Salvatore, Fév 4 2007
This book is the kick off book in the concept series that WotC have started releasing, each series of four books focusing on one of the four archetypal classes from the DnD roleplaying game; rogue, cleric, fighter and wizard. Though each of these books are complete stand alone novels, the theme of the archetypal class is what ties them together. Essentially each book shows a different facet of the same class, so as to represent the robustness and variation that can exist amongst said classes.
This novel deals with the world of rogues, thieves and scoundrels and does so in the Forgotten Realms city of Messemprar, a large coastal city in the disputed territory of Unther in South Eastern Faerun.
The prologue of the novel gives a quick yet detailed overview of the slaying of the God king Gilgeam of Unther and its subsequent occupation by the nation of Mulhorandi. This gives us a fair understanding of the turmoil of the region and the general attitudes of its peoples.
During the coarse of the novel the author does a fair impression of letting the reader know that the closest Earth analogy to Unther would be Babylon, which he does by explaining its attire, laws, and overall geographical features. This is most important, as it helps us to understand the harsh militant rule that hangs over the land and the risks that those who thieve take should they ever get caught. There also several mentions of the Untheric quality of stoic acceptance of hardship or pain.
The main protagonist of the story is a young native of Unther who grew up under the despotic rule of the God king and his priests, and is now maturing in a world that is constantly on the edge of war or invasion. She is not a rogue in the truest sense, yet she has many of the qualities of a good rogue; quick wit and even faster hands, lithe, dexterous and ingenuity and cunning.
The story starts with her plying her trade of sleight of hand in a public courtyard, trying to gain a few coppers with which to feed her hungry belly and find her a roof for the night. Due to a series of unfortunate events, and the actions of a cruel member of the thieves' guild, she is coerced into stealing an item of magic from a local merchant.
The story goes on from there as one event leads to several more and the protagonist gets ever more and more entwined in the large scale politics and powers of this land on the verge of war.
Mr. Bolme has done a very good job of reflecting the ideas that rogues are as much con artists and opportunists as they are simple thieves. He has also admirably set up the various cast members with their own personal ambitions and very often people are not at all what they initially seem to be. Additionally he has done a great job of blurring the lines between good and evil and altruistic and selfish, as again, people aren't what they seem to be.
All in all this is an excellent book and I would heartily recommend it to anyone who either likes fantasy or is a fan of the Forgotten Realms.
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4.0étoiles sur 5
Great read - makes me want to be a thief, Jui 30 2004
This book was a look into the life of a rogue caught between a rock and a hard spot. The idea behind this book was not original, but it was masterfully carried out. Talk about your chain of unfortunate events.I almost forgot about the prolouge of the book which had a war between two god's and their followers because it seemed trivial to the main character's quest - but the book comes full circle with a nice conclusion. Also, the description of the stealing of the Alabaster Staff is incredible and very well written - I felt like I should be holding my breath in some places so I wouldn't be heard. Scenes like those, and all the things the thief had to think about and know from experience, make me want to be a thief. I also think that "The Alabaster Staff" is a nice step back from the other "mainstream" Forgotten Realms books. This book focuses on a city I had little to no knowledge on, and it also introduced some characters (even if they will not be used again) that have not been seen in other FR books. I nice breath of fresh air was what this book provided for me. The only reason I didn't give it five stars is that it's a book I really don't plan on reading again anytime in the near to mid-future, if ever - but it was certainly worth the time when I did read it.
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5.0étoiles sur 5
A great start to The Rogues series!, Nov. 10 2003
This book is an absolute gem, recommended for all Forgotten Realms and fantasy fans.I'm a long-time fan of the Realms novels, and in my opinion this is the best for ages! The first novel in The Rogues series, this book focuses on Kehrsyn, a young and reluctant thief who is required to live off her wits and skills when forced into an unfortunate situation that spirals out of control. Maybe the premise is nothing particularly new, but the execution is wonderful. Edward Bolme understands the characters he writes about completely, and each has a beautifully fleshed-out personality (and agenda)! Starting slowly and deliberately, and building up to a thunderous, fast-paced climax, this story left me wanting much more than its 309 pages could provide. Here's hoping for further exploits of the characters and setting involved. A fantastic and refreshing change from all the Drow and 'Event' series!
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