Baldur's Gate II: Throne of Bhaal (Forgotten Realms)
by Drew Karpyshyn
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Book Summary Information
Author: Drew KarpyshynEdition: Mass Market Paperback
Audio: English (Unknown); English (Original Language); English (Published)
Published: 2001-09
ISBN: 078691985X
Number of pages: 246
Publisher: Wizards of the Coast
Book Reviews of Baldur's Gate II: Throne of Bhaal (Forgotten Realms)
Book Review: "Based on the best-selling computer game from Interplay"
Summary: 5 Stars
It's a good thing this warning was placed on the FRONT COVER of all three books in this series, lest one gets the impression that the books should include everything found within Baldur's Gate, which by the way has to be one of the BEST computer RPG games of all time (along with Planescape: Torment)!
The book picks up from where Baldur's Gate II: Shadows of Amn left off with Abdel and his efforts to break free from being a pawn in others' schemes. His quest takes him from the land of Tethyr to the border with Calimshan, to the Outer Plane of the Abyss and back.
The book starts off incredibly well, immediately catching the reader's interest and attention. The plot as a whole is excellent! The book is so incredibly well written and presented that the reader feels that they have been transported to another plane of existence and are actually present among the characters, seeing what they see, feeling what they feel, sensing what they sense.
Drew Karpyshyn has done a FANTASTIC job of acquiring and presenting, efficiently and successfully, essential knowledge relevant to Faerun, including customs, religion and the history of the peoples of Toril. His solid grasp of factual detail makes him capable of providing the necessary background needed to carry out the difficult task of writing Forgotten Realms novels, which is something often missing from the work of many Fantasy authors. Consequently, from the moment you pick up the book you have trouble putting it down and if that is not a clear sign of a fantastic writer/author, I don't know what is!
The detailed description of warfare and the Tethyrian city of Saradush under siege, in chapter 11, was simply breathtaking.
Chapter 5 is a great source of information on the history of Toril (Forgotten Realms) regarding the fate of Bhaal's faithful after the Time of Troubles (described in the Avatar Trilogy).
Moreover, similarly to Steven Pressfield's extraordinary best-selling novel Gates of Fire (1998), Drew Karpyshyn too provides detailed, realistic and mature descriptions of bloodshed: e.g. on page 202 "Images of violence and unbridled savagery filled his mind. He envisioned himself ripping the thin elf limb from limb. He imagined his sword splitting her skull and spraying gray matter across the thick trunks of the nearby trees. He fantasized about slicing open her stomach and watching her clutch feebly at her guts as they spilled out and onto the forest underbrush."
On pages 177-185 and 213-219 respectively, the author provides two more exceptional descriptions that help teleport the reader to the world of Dungeons and Dragons: the first describes a dark elf assassin "on the job," while the second provides a detailed imagery of a monk's martial arts (and their effects) in action.
On pages 235-237 the author provides exceptional descriptions of the home of the dreaded Tanar'ri... the Abyss!
In addition, evil characters are very well portrayed throughout the book such as that of Illasera in chapter 2 and Bhaal's Anointed in chapter 21.
Dark Elves, Dragons, and factions like the Five and the Harpers (Jaheira) have been presented very well.
The story, the dialogues, and the small details are all wonderful and create a strong sense of mystery and anticipation.
Love, intrigue, betrayal, and swordfights are all about.
In short, the Baldur's Gate trilogy, Baldur's Gate: A Novelization, Baldur's Gate II: Shadows of Amn, and Baldur's Gate II: Throne of Bhaal is well worth your while!
PS One should seriously start thinking about making some movies here...
Summary of Baldur's Gate II: Throne of Bhaal (Forgotten Realms)
Death to the Children of Bhaal!
On the run and hunted by everyone in Faerūn, Bhaal?s offspring are being wiped out. Instead of ridding the land of evil, each kill gives more power to a vicious group of Bhaalspawn intent on returning their father to the world.
Follow the ultimate battle of the children of Bhaal in this thrilling novel based on the computer game from BioWare and Interplay!
On the run and hunted by everyone in Faerūn, Bhaal?s offspring are being wiped out. Instead of ridding the land of evil, each kill gives more power to a vicious group of Bhaalspawn intent on returning their father to the world.
Follow the ultimate battle of the children of Bhaal in this thrilling novel based on the computer game from BioWare and Interplay!
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