Forgotten Realms: Dissolution (War of the Spider Queen #1) Book

After having read and enjoyed much of R.A. Salvatores work based in the underdark, I went into this with knowledge of the setting and a strong opinion of how it should be represented. Overall, I think Byers did a good job and showed Menzoberranzan some justice. Although I generally prefer Salvatore's presentation of the Drow mindset and chaotic way of life, Byers definitely gave it a good run.

First off, I'd like to mention that Byers writing style, while strong and focused, is somewhat cerebral like. He tends to write more logically than artistically and uses very uncommon words that will leave you pondering the meaning. You'll only have context clues to go on, unless you have a dictionary handy. It isn't necessarily a bad writing style, its just different from what im used to in the Forgotten Realms setting. I would say its night and day from probably someone like Ed Greenwood's style.

I felt the book started off with a somewhat rocky and uncompelling flow that didn't really keep me turning pages. Fortunately that changed quick, as about 1/3 of the way in, Byers seemed to get warmed up with a much smoother overall feel. Soon enough I was drawn into the story and wanting to know what was going to happen next. I really did enjoy the typical Drow plotting and scheming and I think Byers did a good job of illustrating that. Pharaun Mizzrym is a great main character and I really like how he was written. I am eager to get on with the rest of the series and see just where this chaos leads next!

It is somewhat a shame that given the setting of Menzoberranzan with Bregan D'aerthe involved, we never hear mention of Jarlaxle. This might have something to do with character legalities, im not sure. Anyway though, I think this book is a strong start to the series and I would recommend it, especially to fans of the underdark and Salvatores world of Drow!

::I also wanted to mention I have met Byers and he is a really nice guy who offered to sign my hardcover copy. You can tell he really enjoys his work and we had a chance to talk about the story a little. If (somehow) he ends up seeing this review, thanks again and keep writing! You definitely have something to contribute to the fantasy/fiction community :) ::