Two Words, One Answer.
penitent
 Ascendancy of the Last (The Lady Penitent) (Bk. 3) $6.99 In Lisa Smedman's defense, I do not think she is a bad writer. Quite the opposite. But this closure to the "Lady Penitent" series was simply not her best work, in my opinion. For those who are not D & D players, this series, capping off the earlier "War of the Spider Queen," focuses on setting the stage for the release of the Dungeons and Dragons Fourth Edition rules, I believe, with some major "pruning" of the bestiary and divinities of Faerun. And that is fine. What is not fine is the fact that Smedman's prose at points becomes turgid and difficult to follow. While there is nothing necessarily wrong with that either, this is supposed to be a fantasy pot-boiler where, one would think, the cardinal principle would be not to allow your reader to get bored. But bored I was. By the end of the book, I was just grateful for its conclusion. As a matter of fact, I found myself skipping ahead and omitting whole sections of text to get to the action and past a whole stable of unnecessary and dull characters. The main characters were also very wooden and unsympathetic, with dialogue sometimes far too stilted to be "real." The uneven plotting and improbable cliffhangers and co-incidences designed to rush the plot along also show unmistakable signs of haste and even a certain amateurishness I would never have expected from Smedman, although the twist ending did have certain satisfactions. My copy also had some uneven pages from printer's errors, which was annoying. I also disliked the idea that the skin color of the Dark Elves was intimately tied to their wickedness. I do not think this was intentional, but I could see where that idea is one that many would find objectionable. It added an uncomfortable racial element - the literal demonization of "black" - to the story it could well have done without. So, I would recommend the book to the hardcore D & D/Wizards of the Coast fan, but to the casual reader, I would try some of the other titles from the Forgottten Realms which are far more tightly constructed and far more entertaining. The "D'rizzt" series is especially fun. No firm recommendation on this one, except to Forgotten Realms enthusiasts only. Otherwise, I would make another selection.  Antique Print Penitent Pardoned Man Begging Garden Tree $11.81 Old Antique Historical Victorian Prints Maps and Historic Fine Art ----------. Antique Print Penitent Pardoned Man Begging Garden Tree Prints ,Etchings Or Fine Art Prints C1800-1890 Genuine Clearance Now Up To 90% Off Retail From A Quality Lot. That Was Purchased From An Old Antique Print Dealer At An Auction. Size Varies From Scan Size Of Aprox 8.5 X 6 Inches ( 215X 150) So Check The Size With The Background Dots Which Are 0.5 Inches (12.5 Cm ) Apart, So Size Of Smaller Prints Can Easly Be Verified. All Are Genuine Antique And Not Modern Copies  Among the Sleepless $29.99 Penitent are a well established and stylishly dark act with over ten albums to their name and a substantial following and this their eleventh official release is sure to bring them further fans. Themed around graveyards and death and ultra gothic in its presentation 'Among the Sleepless' creates an unsettling black soundscape for the dead to dance in. |
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