There are just shy of 300 books set in the Forgotten Realms and I’m embarking on an epic adventure to read as many of them as I can.
Information & Structure ~ Book List ~ Blog Posts ~ Goodreads Group
Darkwalker on Moonshae by Douglas Niles was not only the first Forgotten Realms book published, but also the only book to be published that year.
For blocks that have more than 1 novel in them I will post my reviews for individual books separately, and have just general thoughts about them in the wrap-up post. As this one was only 1 book, it made more sense to me to do it all in one post.
My Star Rating System
1 ⭐Absolutely awful
2 ⭐Not great, could be worse
3 ⭐Neutral, not bad but not great either
4 ⭐Good but some issues that keep it from a full score
5 ⭐Amazing, perfect, or some of the best I’ve encountered
Title: Darkwalker on Moonshae
Author: Douglas Niles
Series: The Moonshae Trilogy Book 1
Genres: Fantasy
Pages: 365 (Mass Market Paperback)
For Fans Of:
- Classic D&D Party Adventure
- Badass Female Characters
- Multiple POV
- Troupe Filled Fun
- Character Growth
A cursed denizen of an ancient era again walks the islands of the Moonshaes, and the sacred realm of the Goddess Earthmother shudders under its vile onslaught.
A bold but reckless prince, a beautiful young druidess, and their companions both magical and mortal do their best to protect their cherished homeland.
If only their best was good enough.
This one reads just like the tale of a tabletop D&D party’s adventure in novel form. I would say this is neither good nor bad, it really depends on what you are wanting/expecting from reading this. It struck a nice balance between it’s tense and somber moments and its more jovial adventure ones.
Plot ⭐⭐⭐
As stated above this book takes place in the forgotten realms, a campaign setting for D&D. Specifically in the southern most of the Moonshae Isles, Gwynneth. The world felt sufficiently fleshed out, and unlike some other fantasy novels did not feel overwhelming in the amount of information throw at the reader. The introduction of people, places, culture, and history felt very smooth and natural.
World Building ⭐⭐⭐⭐
I’ll be honest, I didn’t like Tristian. He still isn’t my favorite but it was nice to see him grow at least a little bit. I hope as the rest of the trilogy unfolds he grows and matures substantially more. Robyn is my favorite hands down, I really enjoyed her take no nonsense attitude, and I was pleasantly surprised to see badass female characters like her and the Sisters of Synnoria in an older fantasy novel.
Characters ⭐⭐⭐⭐
I’s a fan of multiple POV fantasy anyway but I really enjoyed the way this book handled it. The transitions were almost always at some sort of cliffhanger, leaving you with wondering tension as you read. Some may not be a fan but for me personally it helped keep me interested.
Writing Style ⭐⭐⭐⭐
I found this to be genuinely enjoyable. Sometimes you are just in the mood for troupe filled, good vs evil, high fantasy, and this book scratches that itch.
Enjoyment ⭐⭐⭐1/2
Overall Rating 3.7/5
Life of a Nocturnal Bookworm 