I had mixed feelings about this book. The book has a number of strengths, but also some glaring weaknesses. As is typical for a world created by Weis, this is a rich, imaginative setting. The plot is constructed such that when the elements all come together the book is exciting and hard to put down. The problem is that those moments are few and far between, and the exposition is rather dully presented. The main characters would enter a cathedral, and the reader would be treated to a several page historical discussion of the nature of that cathedral. Why it had been built, who had lived there for the past 100 years, etc. It would read like an informational tourist brochure rather than a novel. Then the characters would view a tapestry in the cathedral, and we'd get this history of the tapestry. While this did have the intended effect of giving the reader insight into the culture and history of the setting, it was done in a tedious way. If I want to read dry history, I can read history of things that actually happened. The other major weakness is that some of the characters are excessively annoying. In particular, the two main female characters have the joint distinction of being useless and causing a lot of trouble for the rest of the protagonist team. A typical battle goes something like this: bad guys arrive, the two women refuse to go to safety, even though they don't know how to fight and can't meaningfully contribute. They then get hurt, (causing one of the actual fighters to have to abandon his post to help them), or get in the way (causing the fighters to be unable to attack the bad guys) or scream (revealing their position) or otherwise do something that is going to negatively affect the battle. And this happens in every single fight in the book. Even when not in a fight they have a tendency to get lost and need rescue, or otherwise derail the quest. (For those of you wondering, there is a strong female character as well, but she is only in the first few chapters and then isn't part of the rest of the book, although I expect to see her in future books in the series). There were times I was tempted to throw the book across the room in frustration. On the whole, if you can get to page 300 things really pick up there, and if you can get to 400 when the exposition is (finally) over and the action really beings it actually is a fun read. But there were too many problems with this book to give it more than 3 stars. I've been a fan of Margaret Weis for almost twenty years and have read almost all of her novels, whether they've been ones she's written herself or with her frequent writing partner Tracy Hickman or other partners like Don Perrin and have, for the most part, enjoyed them thoroughly. So, having said that, I feel like I have to blame the fact that this book broke that streak on her partner this time around, Robert Krammes. Don't get me wrong, the book isn't all bad. There are likeable characters here and there, especially the Sherlock Holmes-style investigation team of Father Jacob, Sir Ander, and Brother Barnaby, and there are a couple of thrilling sequences peppered throughout the book. Those sequences, though are linked by scores and scores of dull pages cluttered with an over-reliance on clunky, repetitive exposition that took me out of the story by boring me to tears. I know there will be another book in the series and I honestly don't think I want to read it, but I probably will, just in hopes that Weis' talent will shine through more next time around.
What do You think about Shadow Raiders (2011)?
Good book for a light read, simple but seems to lack real depth in the characters.
—Roza
Loved evry second of it, reminded me of the
—Funnkimunnki
