Elfshadow

Good book. Great narration.

Slow start. Fairly predictable ftom the onset, but hooks you to want to bunge the final chapters.

always a fan

this book has always been a favorite of mine and listening to it just made it all the better I am pumped for the next on...onward dandy!!!

Great story

It's wonderful to relive these books after decades of absence. I read all of these books and many others while I was in high school and this brings back fantastic memories.

My first...

Would you consider the audio edition of Elfshadow to be better than the print version?

No... I actually preferred the print, but listening was an added benefit. I don't know, maybe it's the D&D adventure side of me.

Who was your favorite character and why?

Dan[ilo], for sure!

What did you like about the performance? What did you dislike?

Sumner's performance was all right - definitely not in my top 10 narrators, but I enjoyed him nonetheless.

If you were to make a film of this book, what would the tag line be?

Adventure... when and where you least expect it.

Any additional comments?

This was my first introduction to Elaine's writing. The story made me feel like I was watching a D&D session take place (or playing in one)! I enjoyed many aspects of the tale, especially Elaine's attention to Realmslore details, like Dale Reckoning, spell components, equipment and location names, and most of all the much shrouded history of the ancient elven kingdom of Evermeet. I've read a good deal of positive reviews about Evermeet (the book) and was told that this book (and the series which it's attached to) is an excellent entry point into it. I'm looking forward to completing the rest of the Songs and Swords series and finishing off with Evermeet when I get to it.

I gave the book four of five stars as there were certain points I felt that I was being dished out too much information rather than having to piece it together (particularly in the the last third of the book). As an author, I appreciate the intricacies of "showing" rather than "telling" and while Elaine seems to have this concept locked down in this book, a few instances put me back a little. Nothing distracting, mind you, just small things I pick up on

enjoyably simple.

The plot is predictable. The narration is silly at times. If you expect something light and good natured this is the right place.

Great Listen

What made the experience of listening to Elfshadow the most enjoyable?

The story was very well written and the narration was outstanding.

What did you like best about this story?

It was very engaging and easy to follow.

Have you listened to any of Eric Michael Summerer’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

This is one of Eric's best.

Excellent Start to Finish

Where does Elfshadow rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

I really enjoyed Elfshadow. Having heard Elaine Cunningham was an excellent writer and reading a few of her prior pieces... I expected this to be good. I really enjoyed how each chapter continued to follow the same main characters. No confusion or frustrating parts as the reader.

What was one of the most memorable moments of Elfshadow?

Having read Evermeet... it was nice to see how the events in that book tied into this story. Otherwise, Danilo (really funny and enjoyable character) and Arilyn were nice characters and made for a fun read.

Which scene was your favorite?

Any scene with Danilo's wittiness.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

Fun romp.

Any additional comments?

Top to bottom it was a nice read. The story was a little weak and easily transparent but I thoroughly enjoyed reading this after the Elminster series (where Greenwood can be a little tough to follow).

Read Evermeet and then dive into this!

A Humble Start

While this isn't a bad story, nothing in this book hits the high notes. Character never quiet come to life, the plot meanders, foes are under developed and the setting isn't used very well. The book lets too many hints around the mystery slip and most readers will figure out the mystery plot long before the characters do making the middle of this book painful to get through as you wait for the characters to get a clue. While I've certainly read worse genre fiction, it lacked a little something to really set it apart or tap into the wonderfully vibrate D&D energy leaving it very average.

However despite the books flaws, I don't regret picking it up. While I can only recommend this book on its own to hard core fans of the Forgotten Realms series it does set the stage for better stories down the line and really lets you get to know the leads. The characters events and relationships established here all are used to much better effect later in the series and while it slows down in the middle, the last 3rd of the book really picked up nicely once Airlyn finally figured out the score and stopped bumbling around clueless from point A to point B and goes to confront the villains in a great high adventure conclusion.

So, while Elfshadow has its fair share of flaws, I still recommend picking it up if you are a fan as it builds into some great stories down the line.

1 of 2 people found this review helpful