This review is written with a GPL 3.0 license and the rights contained therein shall supersede all TOS by any and all websites in regards to copying and sharing without proper authorization and permissions. Crossposted at Bookstooge.booklikes.blogspot.wordpress.leafmarks.com by express permission of this reviewer. Title: Swordmage Series: Blades of the Moonsea, Forgotten Realms Author: Richard Baker Rating: 3 of 5 Stars Genre: SFF Pages: 373 Synopsis: An adventurer returns home after 10 years abroad, only to find nothing is as it was when he left. Not only that, but foreign economic powers are moving in, his step-cousin is trying to take over politically AND a Lich King is looking for his long missing Codex of Spells. Oh yeah, a goblin king is trying to take over the whole area as well. My Thoughts: Our protagonist, Geran, is a problem child, never satisfied with what he has. So he spends a decade ignoring his responsibilities to his family and gallivanting around. He ends up in Myth Drannor, in love with an elf and then ruins that all by cutting off another elf's hand, in an illegal duel. So he skips off to home and is shocked to find everything is changed. And is forced to take action to save his family, his town and everyone he loves. Lots of action, undead action, battles and whatnot. Thin on character development, but who ever reads a FR book and expects character development? The goblin thing seemed kind of a third leg to the overall story, but considering that the longest battle near the end is directly because of the horde, I guess I can overlook that. Honestly, I'm up in the air if I will finish this trilogy or not. I guess I'll take a break and decide after the 2nd book in a month or so. " ( )

This is the first of a trilogy about Geran Hulmaster, and his family in Hulburg. The book is set in the Forgotten Realms campaign world, part of the 4th Edition D&D game. As such, it contains the version of the Forgotten Realms as it has changed and progressed for 4th edition.
At first the book seems like it was written just to profile a 'cool' new 4th edition character class, the sword mage, but as it progresses the plot picks up and the characters become more alive. Unfortunately it features one of the most overdone fantasy and D&D fantasy elements ever - the orc horde. There is more to the plot than that, and the book was actually fun to read. ( )

I tried reading this a while ago, but I never got into it. I felt like I was missing something even though this is the first in a series. Probably will make sense to anyone more familiar with the D&D world this is set in, but it seemed like just another angry swordsman story. One day I'll try to read it all the way through and see how that goes.

I need to start off that this review is not really about the story, but about the format I received the story in under the Early Reviewers program. Spiral-bound 2:1 format. NOT reader-friendly. I tried 3 times to get into the story, but just found it too cumbersome. In justice to the author, this could be the BEST STORY EVER, but I won't know. It didn't grab me enough to go out and buy a copy to read in a better format. The publisher did this author no favors in this instance.

Swordmage, book one in The Blades of the Moonsea series, is the first novel set in the "new" Forgotten Realms.

When I first picked up this book and began reading it I immediately disliked the fact that a character in a Forgotten Realms series was a "swordmage". In my opinion, sword users and mages should always be seperate characters. It took me awhile to get over this issue but when I did I really enjoyed the story.

Geran Hulmaster, after many years away has returned to his childhood hometown, Hulburg. The return, however, is not a happy one. His childhood friend has been killed and he, with the help of his halfling friend Hamil and other allies, intends to find answers to his death. The main issue with this are the merchant houses who have taken control of the city in his absence.

Geran also discovers that there are even larger and more serious problems than the death of an old friend, there is an orc threat that will test him and his small band of friends, as well as, the country. These orcs are probably more intelligent and powerful than any you've seen in a fantasy novel.

I would strongly recommend this book to any fantasy reader. ( )