Tag: Kate Novak

The cover of Realms of Magic. On the left is Khelben Arunsun, a black-haired, black-bearded man holding a black staff. In the middle is Elminster, a white-bearded old man in red robes and a big red hat. On the right is some young man carrying a bunch of scrolls and a book.

Realms of Magic

June 27, 2021 By Candlekeep Janitor

“Another year, another anthology! This year’s theme is ‘wizards and magic,’ and it must be quite the well of inspiration indeed, because there are no fewer than seventeen stories this time around plus a prologue and epilogue.”

The cover of Masquerades. A red-haired woman in the foreground is looking at a full-face mask held in her hand. Behind her stand a couple of weird-looking men, one with a wide-brimmed hat who appears to be doing a Phantom of the Opera impression and another who looks eerily like Hugo Weaving in the Lord of the Rings movies.

Masquerades

January 4, 2021 By Candlekeep Janitor

“It’s such a relief to spend time with a female character who feels like a real person after slogging through so many women used as sex objects in the recent Ed Greenwood novels.”

The cover of Song of the Saurials. The background is a scene of mountains and forests. On the left, Alias, a red-headed young woman, poses dramatically and holds the glowing yellow Finder's Stone above her head. In the centre is Finder, a greying older man looking proud and holding an ornate horn instrument. On the right is Grypht, a large scaly humanoid with the head of a triceratops, wearing robes and holding a staff.

Song of the Saurials

October 27, 2018 By Candlekeep Janitor

“‘The gods give you a quest’ ranks right up there with ‘You all meet in a tavern’ and ‘You’re the chosen one’ amongst the pantheon of role-playing game clichés.”

The cover of The Wyvern's Spur. In the background, a red-scaled wyvern rises up against a sunset. In the middle ground, Olive, a caped halfling woman with long red hair, is playing a complicated lute-like instrument. In the foreground Giogi, a hawk-faced young man with a serious expression, stares off to one side while holding a rapier in one hand and the glowing egg-shaped Finder's Stone in the other.

The Wyvern’s Spur

June 24, 2018 By Candlekeep Janitor

“It’s about one-third comedy of manners, one-third mystery novel, and one-third swashbuckling action, which adds up to a much greater focus on the characters and their society than any of the other Realms novels to date.”

The cover of Azure Bonds. In the background, a tower covered in decorative barbs rises out of mist into a night sky with a giant moon. In the middle ground Dragonbait, a lizard-like humanoid, is posing with a bizarre-looking sword. In the foreground is Alias, a red-headed young woman wearing improbably revealing armor and resting a sword on her shoulder. She's staring off into the distance.

Azure Bonds

March 5, 2018 By Candlekeep Janitor

“Alias, the swordswoman whose magical tattoos are the linchpin of the plot, is the first strong female character in the Forgotten Realms novels to date. She’s jam-packed with both strengths and flaws: fiercely independent, cunning, practical, strong, stubborn, prideful, terrible at dealing with emotions and opening up to people.”