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Forgotten Realms: Avatar #3
Waterdeep
The Streets of Waterdeep...
Where danger lurks round every corner as the avatars of the gods seek the Tablets of Fate.
Where Cyric and Myrkul, god of death, plot to capture Midnight and twist the Tablets to their own dark ends, imperiling the very existence of Faerun.
Where the destiny of the world will be decided and a new pantheon of gods will rise into the heaven
Where danger lurks round every corner as the avatars of the gods seek the Tablets of Fate.
Where Cyric and Myrkul, god of death, plot to capture Midnight and twist the Tablets to their own dark ends, imperiling the very existence of Faerun.
Where the destiny of the world will be decided and a new pantheon of gods will rise into the heaven
341 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 1989
48 people are currently reading
1570 people want to read
About the author
Richard Awlinson
23 books22 followersRichard Awlinson is the pseudonym used for the initial trilogy of the Avatar Series in the Forgotten Realms.
Book One, Shadowdale, was written by Scott Ciencin
Book Two, Tantras, was written by Scott Ciencin and edited by James Lowder
Book Three, Waterdeep, was written by Troy Denning
Book One, Shadowdale, was written by Scott Ciencin
Book Two, Tantras, was written by Scott Ciencin and edited by James Lowder
Book Three, Waterdeep, was written by Troy Denning
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 90 reviews
July 6, 2016
Without Troy Denning writing this book, the Avatar Trilogy would have been a complete disaster. Thanks to Troy's work, it's only a 2/3 disaster.
The prose in the two previous books was about as enjoyable as chewing on leather for a longer time. (Back when I read them, I hadn't yet acquired the habit of putting something away if I didn't like it) To say it was bland would be an insult to bland novels, Tantras and Shadowdale had about as much energy as a worn out, non-Duracel battery, you had to push that bunny every few seconds to get a bit further. I had about given up hope on the thing, the story was well enough, but even if the intent was there, the follow through was lacking. Then came Waterdeep, and all of the sudden the prose was bubbly, I enjoyed the story, the characters had lost their dullness, and the term "the heroes" was nowhere to be seen. (I think it was in both Tantras and Shadowdale, that said term cropped up... a lot... or maybe it was another Forgotten Realms novel... the bad ones all kind of bleed together into one giant mush of awfulness.)
A few years after reading the trilogy, I had the pleasure of meeting Troy, I thanked him for Waterdeep, saying he saved the entire series. He might not remember, but I do, because his novel did save the trilogy.
The prose in the two previous books was about as enjoyable as chewing on leather for a longer time. (Back when I read them, I hadn't yet acquired the habit of putting something away if I didn't like it) To say it was bland would be an insult to bland novels, Tantras and Shadowdale had about as much energy as a worn out, non-Duracel battery, you had to push that bunny every few seconds to get a bit further. I had about given up hope on the thing, the story was well enough, but even if the intent was there, the follow through was lacking. Then came Waterdeep, and all of the sudden the prose was bubbly, I enjoyed the story, the characters had lost their dullness, and the term "the heroes" was nowhere to be seen. (I think it was in both Tantras and Shadowdale, that said term cropped up... a lot... or maybe it was another Forgotten Realms novel... the bad ones all kind of bleed together into one giant mush of awfulness.)
A few years after reading the trilogy, I had the pleasure of meeting Troy, I thanked him for Waterdeep, saying he saved the entire series. He might not remember, but I do, because his novel did save the trilogy.
August 23, 2015
So Waterdeep was a vast improvement on Tantras. Kelemvor and Midnight almost ruined it for me with their high school level romance, but the intricacies of Cyric's relationship with the sword, Adon's struggle and insights into the world of religion and philosophy in Faerun, and a healthy dose of Myrkul made it all worth it.
If you're struggling in the middle of this book keep going. It gets SO much better. It takes you inside the Realm of the Dead and all the amazingly horrible things that lie within. Also, you get to read about actions that could only happen with impossible rolls. Somehow I seriously doubt Myrkul wouldn't see a giant griffon riding right for him... Maybe he rolled a 1 on Spot?
Anyway, I feel as though romance has a place in literature but in non-romance novels it shouldn't be the focus. I'm rather frustrated with how many pages Kelemvor and Midnight took with their petty arguments. While it was interesting to see their relationship, I could've done without a few less windows in.
Upon reading the end of this book I felt great satisfaction. Although there were things I would've changed or written differently I highly recommend it.
If you're struggling in the middle of this book keep going. It gets SO much better. It takes you inside the Realm of the Dead and all the amazingly horrible things that lie within. Also, you get to read about actions that could only happen with impossible rolls. Somehow I seriously doubt Myrkul wouldn't see a giant griffon riding right for him... Maybe he rolled a 1 on Spot?
Anyway, I feel as though romance has a place in literature but in non-romance novels it shouldn't be the focus. I'm rather frustrated with how many pages Kelemvor and Midnight took with their petty arguments. While it was interesting to see their relationship, I could've done without a few less windows in.
Upon reading the end of this book I felt great satisfaction. Although there were things I would've changed or written differently I highly recommend it.
November 11, 2011
As soon as you start reading Waterdeep you will notice the difference between this book and the first two installments in the Avatar Trilogy. It was actually penned by Troy Denning instead of Scott Ciencen, and it shows. If you can't bear the first two, there is enough recapping of them that you won't be lost reading Waterdeep, and I highly recommend reading this to any fan of the Forgotten Realms setting.
Waterdeep is full of fast-paced action, interesting locations, and colorful characters. It is a fun and easy read that takes you along for the ride and keeps you wondering what is around the next bend in the road. The finale, once you get there, definitely lives up to the epic nature of the story and does not dissapoint.
Waterdeep is full of fast-paced action, interesting locations, and colorful characters. It is a fun and easy read that takes you along for the ride and keeps you wondering what is around the next bend in the road. The finale, once you get there, definitely lives up to the epic nature of the story and does not dissapoint.
February 26, 2024
4.5 ☆
December 4, 2021
Última parte de la trilogía Avatar, en que los dioses descienden a la tierra de Faerun porque la liaron parda allá arriba y Ao, señor de los dioses, les castiga a vagar por la tierra hasta la resolución del conflicto. La trilogía se presenta como la búsqueda por parte de un grupo de aventureros de las tablas del destino, unos artefactos importante, se ve. Como los dioses han bajado a la tierra la cosa se complica cuando algunos de ellos quieren hacerse con las tablas para dominar los cielos y los protagonistas las quieren devolver para que vuelva la normalidad.
Ésta última parte se lleva a cabo en Aguas Profundas, una importante ciudad de Faerun. Quizás es la más amena de las tres partes.
Trilogía indispensable para conocer las historia de Faerun.
Ésta última parte se lleva a cabo en Aguas Profundas, una importante ciudad de Faerun. Quizás es la más amena de las tres partes.
Trilogía indispensable para conocer las historia de Faerun.
November 13, 2025
I have so many thoughts about this book, most of them incoherent. If I had to sum it up in two words - wasted potential. Sure, there were some great scenes and I loved the ending, but the pacing was janky and the characterization felt off. Seriously, there where times when Kelemvor and Cyric acted so out of character that I had to put the book down and stare into the void until I regained my sanity.
As with the previous two installments, I liked most of the characters (except for Elminster, who’s about as pleasant as the plague. I want to murder him with my bare hands. Every time he speaks, I age a year).
Myrkul and Bhaal were both strong antagonists, and I liked them better than Bane.
Characters:
Adon, I’m so glad you took those couples counseling classes back in Sunite Clerical College. Without his relationship advice Kelemvor and Midnight would’ve been even more insufferable. I liked how Adon became the leader of the group - he’s not a step-cleric, he’s a cleric that stepped up, or however the saying goes. His friendship with Midnight and his struggles with religion remain one of the best things about this trilogy.
Kelemvor - you can see intelligence and wisdom are his dump stats. Kelemvor’s a man of few words and even fewer thoughts, but that’s nothing new. The way he treats Midnight is atrocious, but that’s also nothing new. I’m running out of things to write about him, but it’s hardly my fault - Kelemvor’s character is about as interesting and entertaining as watching paint dry. I can’t even make furry jokes about him anymore, since his curse is gone. Anyways, I want to put him in the oven (derogatory).
Midnight and I have an ambivalent relationship. On one hand, I like reading chapters from her perspective and I find her relationship with magic very interesting. On the other hand, she’s so stupid sometimes that I want to smash her head with a hammer. I get that she’s naive and has a lot of (undeserved) faith in people, but let’s be for real - the amount of second chances she gives Cyric can only be compared to drunk texting your ex for the thousandth time.
On a side note, I feel like Midnight got even dumber since the last book, and Kelemvor got smarter. Maybe, in addition to body fluids, they also exchanged brains? That would explain a lot.
Cyric, they could never make me hate you, but they’re trying pretty damn hard. Shortly before the events of Waterdeep, Cyric touches A Sword That Makes People Evil, and becomes, well, evil. Who would’ve guessed.
Cyric’s road to villainy could’ve been so much better if the author didn’t rush it. Instead of a gradual descent into madness, it was a highway to Hell (literally).
I’m still mad that Troy Denning stripped Cyric of almost all of his redeeming qualities that were established in the previous novels. Thankfully, I have my delusions and I’ve already gaslighted myself into blaming every character inconsistency on the Magic Sword of Evilness and Tomfoolery.
Anyways, I love Cyric and I want to put him in the microwave (affectionately).
„But he drowned innocent halflings!” ok, and I need to wrung him out like a wet towel. It’s not a hear-me-out, it’s a hold-me-back. Until my legs give out. I volunteer as tribute. I’m going to put his sleigh of hand proficiency to good use.
RIP Shadowdale Cyric, you will always have a place in my heart and in other parts of me that I dare not mention in fear of getting banned.
As with the previous two installments, I liked most of the characters (except for Elminster, who’s about as pleasant as the plague. I want to murder him with my bare hands. Every time he speaks, I age a year).
Myrkul and Bhaal were both strong antagonists, and I liked them better than Bane.
Characters:
Adon, I’m so glad you took those couples counseling classes back in Sunite Clerical College. Without his relationship advice Kelemvor and Midnight would’ve been even more insufferable. I liked how Adon became the leader of the group - he’s not a step-cleric, he’s a cleric that stepped up, or however the saying goes. His friendship with Midnight and his struggles with religion remain one of the best things about this trilogy.
Kelemvor - you can see intelligence and wisdom are his dump stats. Kelemvor’s a man of few words and even fewer thoughts, but that’s nothing new. The way he treats Midnight is atrocious, but that’s also nothing new. I’m running out of things to write about him, but it’s hardly my fault - Kelemvor’s character is about as interesting and entertaining as watching paint dry. I can’t even make furry jokes about him anymore, since his curse is gone. Anyways, I want to put him in the oven (derogatory).
Midnight and I have an ambivalent relationship. On one hand, I like reading chapters from her perspective and I find her relationship with magic very interesting. On the other hand, she’s so stupid sometimes that I want to smash her head with a hammer. I get that she’s naive and has a lot of (undeserved) faith in people, but let’s be for real - the amount of second chances she gives Cyric can only be compared to drunk texting your ex for the thousandth time.
On a side note, I feel like Midnight got even dumber since the last book, and Kelemvor got smarter. Maybe, in addition to body fluids, they also exchanged brains? That would explain a lot.
Cyric, they could never make me hate you, but they’re trying pretty damn hard. Shortly before the events of Waterdeep, Cyric touches A Sword That Makes People Evil, and becomes, well, evil. Who would’ve guessed.
Cyric’s road to villainy could’ve been so much better if the author didn’t rush it. Instead of a gradual descent into madness, it was a highway to Hell (literally).
I’m still mad that Troy Denning stripped Cyric of almost all of his redeeming qualities that were established in the previous novels. Thankfully, I have my delusions and I’ve already gaslighted myself into blaming every character inconsistency on the Magic Sword of Evilness and Tomfoolery.
Anyways, I love Cyric and I want to put him in the microwave (affectionately).
„But he drowned innocent halflings!” ok, and I need to wrung him out like a wet towel. It’s not a hear-me-out, it’s a hold-me-back. Until my legs give out. I volunteer as tribute. I’m going to put his sleigh of hand proficiency to good use.
RIP Shadowdale Cyric, you will always have a place in my heart and in other parts of me that I dare not mention in fear of getting banned.
November 29, 2020
From an awful start to a decidedly shaky follow up, this trilogy completes in masterful form in totally different, and far more capable, hands.
Troy Denning manages to save one of the most flat and dull series I've ever read with an excellent book that greatly deepens the characters, tugs on the heartstrings and truly captures the scope the trilogy intended which his predecessor failed to do so miserably.
I felt justified in struggling through the first 2 books (by Scott Ciencin) in order to read Troy Denning's closure. After loving most of his Prism Pentad I was hoping for something good here and I was far from disappointed.
An excellent book, but be aware that Shadowdale and Tantras are necessary reading first and Shadowdale is utterly awful. Tantras is a lot better but still a bit flat (Ciencin had more help from editor James Lowder in book 2 than credits suggest as it's such a marked uptick) but this book, the third in the series, is a real gem!
Troy Denning manages to save one of the most flat and dull series I've ever read with an excellent book that greatly deepens the characters, tugs on the heartstrings and truly captures the scope the trilogy intended which his predecessor failed to do so miserably.
I felt justified in struggling through the first 2 books (by Scott Ciencin) in order to read Troy Denning's closure. After loving most of his Prism Pentad I was hoping for something good here and I was far from disappointed.
An excellent book, but be aware that Shadowdale and Tantras are necessary reading first and Shadowdale is utterly awful. Tantras is a lot better but still a bit flat (Ciencin had more help from editor James Lowder in book 2 than credits suggest as it's such a marked uptick) but this book, the third in the series, is a real gem!
November 5, 2021
Вся трилогия "Аватаров" — это не то, что займёт место в сокровищнице мировой литературы. Абсолютно нишевая и абсолютно локальная, похожая на ролёвки на форумах, но тем не менее пропитанная каким-то удивительным воздухом ролевых-восьмидесятых, в которых я успел только родиться; и по-своему уютная.
Истёртый временем билет в лёгкую ностальгию и уголок памяти, где ты разглядываешь картины, например, Ларри Элмора и похожие на них, а они оживают, движутся, шепчутся и рассказывают давно забытую сказку, в которой многое помнишь и знаешь наперёд, но всё равно слушаешь, а после засыпаешь с улыбкой.
Истёртый временем билет в лёгкую ностальгию и уголок памяти, где ты разглядываешь картины, например, Ларри Элмора и похожие на них, а они оживают, движутся, шепчутся и рассказывают давно забытую сказку, в которой многое помнишь и знаешь наперёд, но всё равно слушаешь, а после засыпаешь с улыбкой.
August 30, 2022
This book was hard-carried by the last 50 or so pages. It was a decently enjoyable read, and the finale made me feel like the series' grand premise was not ENTIRELY wasted, but I still feel like these past 3 books wasted way too much of my time with pointless drivel and filler encounters that could have literally been generated from one of the random tables you would find in a D&D book.
Overall, this is a good book IF and ONLY IF you are a hardcore D&D nerd and you also love Forgotten Realms and its expansive pantheon. Otherwise, there's probably better stuff to read out there.
Overall, this is a good book IF and ONLY IF you are a hardcore D&D nerd and you also love Forgotten Realms and its expansive pantheon. Otherwise, there's probably better stuff to read out there.
February 23, 2016
Very good fantasy trilogy based on the D&D game. Recommended
April 26, 2025
For a book called Waterdeep, there are very few sentences dedicated to Waterdeep itself.
I gotta say, sure I jumped to the third in a series for its title, but this one just really didn't speak to me.
I gotta say, sure I jumped to the third in a series for its title, but this one just really didn't speak to me.
November 21, 2025
As with Tantras I thought this had a strong start. For a while you had the feeling that you were reading about a three dimensional world with a history and culture. Then you quickly moved on from that to a blow by blow rehash of someone’s Monty Haul campaign gone stale.
I finished the Avatar Trilogy and I’m surprised these books sold so well. Poorly written. Bad characterisation. Wonky plot.
I finished the Avatar Trilogy and I’m surprised these books sold so well. Poorly written. Bad characterisation. Wonky plot.
February 11, 2022
A fantastic conclusion to the original trilogy but I’m very excited to get to the next books. Great character development here, and over Bhaal and Myrkul (+Cyric) are better villains than Bane.
July 10, 2015
The final instalment of a rather bland trilogy
24 March 2012
Okay, I have finally come to the end of this rather pointless trilogy that was designed simply to bridge the gap between the first and second editions of Dungeons and Dragons. In a way there was no other purpose for these books to be released, if only to attempt to make more money on the transition. I remember when the hype about the new system came along, they would not only promote the system, but also these novels and the adventures that went along with them.
This time the protagonists make their way to Waterdeep, which is a large city on the western coast of the Forgotten Realms. It seems that there is a lot of focus on the city of Waterdeep, and it seems to be trying to mimic the major medieval cities in our world. However one thing that I have noticed when looking at major European cities, is that very few, if any of them, are actually located on the coast. The only two cities that do sit directly on the coast that I can think of would be Napoli and Genoa. Venice is built on an island in the middle of an estuary (Athens was not at city of any importance) and the rest are usually slightly inland, either on a sheltered bay (Lisbon) or located some distance down a river (Amsterdam, London), or els inland.
They call Waterdeep Waterdeep because it is built around a deep water harbour (surprise, surprise), which has allowed it to become a major trading city. However, if you look at a map of the Realms, you immediately ask the question of why, and how, did this city become so big. To the west there are a multitude of small islands, but nothing one would consider a major port. The coast then goes up and down, with no massive innersea that connects to the Trackless Sea. There is an Inner Sea, but that it inland with no water connection.
I guess we can't really comment on the Realm's realism because it is a fantasy world, but in another way I simply felt that there wasn't really all that much thought thrown into it. I personally cannot see or understand how Waterdeep could have really grown and sustained itself as a major port city when there is really not much need of a major port. The only reason would be that it would make it a lot easier and quicker for merchants to move goods along the coast by ship rather than overland. There are inland regions, but the trek between the Dalelands and Waterdeep is huge, and without magic, it could take from three to six months to make the journey by foot.
Well, I have rambled on enough now and I haven't even mentioned anything about the book. In the end, despite a couple of statements that I would, I'm not sure if there is anything I can actually say about it that I have not mentioned in the previous two books in the trilogy. As I look back on these books, I never really liked them all that much, and really do not know why I even bothered reading them. I guess it was because at that time I had not been challenged to broaden my reading interests and was stuck reading plup science-fiction and fantasy. However I just realised that there are a number of Ron Hubbard books that I did read, and am still wondering whether I should actually include them (I think I will, not that they were all that enjoyable either).
24 March 2012
Okay, I have finally come to the end of this rather pointless trilogy that was designed simply to bridge the gap between the first and second editions of Dungeons and Dragons. In a way there was no other purpose for these books to be released, if only to attempt to make more money on the transition. I remember when the hype about the new system came along, they would not only promote the system, but also these novels and the adventures that went along with them.
This time the protagonists make their way to Waterdeep, which is a large city on the western coast of the Forgotten Realms. It seems that there is a lot of focus on the city of Waterdeep, and it seems to be trying to mimic the major medieval cities in our world. However one thing that I have noticed when looking at major European cities, is that very few, if any of them, are actually located on the coast. The only two cities that do sit directly on the coast that I can think of would be Napoli and Genoa. Venice is built on an island in the middle of an estuary (Athens was not at city of any importance) and the rest are usually slightly inland, either on a sheltered bay (Lisbon) or located some distance down a river (Amsterdam, London), or els inland.
They call Waterdeep Waterdeep because it is built around a deep water harbour (surprise, surprise), which has allowed it to become a major trading city. However, if you look at a map of the Realms, you immediately ask the question of why, and how, did this city become so big. To the west there are a multitude of small islands, but nothing one would consider a major port. The coast then goes up and down, with no massive innersea that connects to the Trackless Sea. There is an Inner Sea, but that it inland with no water connection.
I guess we can't really comment on the Realm's realism because it is a fantasy world, but in another way I simply felt that there wasn't really all that much thought thrown into it. I personally cannot see or understand how Waterdeep could have really grown and sustained itself as a major port city when there is really not much need of a major port. The only reason would be that it would make it a lot easier and quicker for merchants to move goods along the coast by ship rather than overland. There are inland regions, but the trek between the Dalelands and Waterdeep is huge, and without magic, it could take from three to six months to make the journey by foot.
Well, I have rambled on enough now and I haven't even mentioned anything about the book. In the end, despite a couple of statements that I would, I'm not sure if there is anything I can actually say about it that I have not mentioned in the previous two books in the trilogy. As I look back on these books, I never really liked them all that much, and really do not know why I even bothered reading them. I guess it was because at that time I had not been challenged to broaden my reading interests and was stuck reading plup science-fiction and fantasy. However I just realised that there are a number of Ron Hubbard books that I did read, and am still wondering whether I should actually include them (I think I will, not that they were all that enjoyable either).
January 27, 2020
This one was a step up in quality in terms of how the characters were written and also for the storytelling. We got perspectives outside the main cast that were interesting and additive to the narrative, and a couple of gut punches along the way.
November 15, 2007
One of the worst fantasy books ever written, work for hire created solely for the purpose of promoting the new edition of the Forgotten realms campaing setting.
February 9, 2019
I loved these books in high school. They were such fun reads and I loved the battle of the gods scenario. Those ideas really fuelled some of my best D&D adventures.
July 26, 2024
For the first time in the 1989 Avatar trilogy I did very little skimming, but actually read most of the book. I suppose that itself is an endorsement of a kind.
This is the epic conclusion to the original three Avatar books, and stands as one of the stronger DnD books from the early Forgotten Realms days (late 80s/90s). For the previous two I would read the first and last chapters, and then try to read the first and last sentences of each paragraph. I quickly started skipping paragraphs or even whole chapters, but heret the plot, the pacing, the sense of intrigue etc. was good enough that I actually decided to stop skimming at the 25% mark and read the whole damn thing. I don't know if that makes it an excellent book, but it's certainly a lot more functional. You will be very confused if you haven't at least read a plot summary of the others though.
There are some weakish moments that I wanted to call out. One of the villains finds a demonic sword which is a clear Stormbringer rip-off. The plagiarism didn't bother me too much; Stormbringer is cool as fuck and we are reading a DnD novel after all. There was just something amateurish about the way the sword was written. Instead of seducing its bearer, of driving them mad and mastering them, this sword nags pathetically and begs her wielder to feed her.
The whole point of the sword being demonic, of whispering to you, of demanding to be fed, is that it has an irresistable and corrupting hold on you. Not only is this character already corrupt as hell anyway, he also negotiates with the sword from a position of power. It just robs Totally-Not-Stormbringer of any sense of menace.
Imagine if the One Ring coaxed Frodo "yesss, put me onnn, you must take me, I am yourssssss" only for Frodo to go "Nah don't feel like it" and then the ring goes "WHAT! Aww pleaaaasssssee! C'mon, just put me on! I'm desperate over here." It's just lame.
I think that's a pervasive problem with this series. So many of the big, epic, awe-inspiring or terrifying moments just have way too little weight to them. There's this other moment where a character is trying to find a portal to Hades in the caverns below a castle, and she ends up in this gloomy subterranean pool filled with wandering ghosts. She talks to one ghost and he goes "Ah so you are seeking the Realm of the Dead?" and she's like "You mean this isn't it?" and then he says "Oh no way this is just the ancient city of the Dwarves. They dug too deep and then they found the Pool of Forgetfulness" and then she goes "Oh you mean this is not at all the Portal to Hades?" and then the dude's like "Oh no it totally is. Yeah that's what the Dwarves found. The Pool of Forgetfulness i.e. the Portal to Hades."
What's with this detour about Dwarven history and making us go back and forth on whether we are getting closer to Hades or not? Unless we're about to flee from Durin's Bane across the Bridge of Khazad-Dûm, just leaves the Dwarves out of this. We already had enough setup about Hades being ominous and spooky.
I'm making it sound very bad. The concept was fine, yet something about how that exposition dump played out simply sapped the location, the lore and the moment of its sense of awe or mystery. This might just be my experience, but there's something about these books that misses the sense of *fantasy* in a fantasy novel.
I'm probably just very difficult to please, and honestly, I'm nitpicking the book to this extent because I was actually paying attention most of the time. This book is better than the previous ones, without a doubt.
What to say in conclusion? The main characters didn't really interest me, but have improved since the first book. The villains include Myrkul and Bhaal themselves, which is pretty cool. Bhaal is just a stereotypical brooding assassin, and Myrkul is a stereotypical scheming necromancer, and both are pure evil and devoid of nuance.
SPOILERS:
In the end Ao chastises the gods for having been self-serving. He rewrites the rules of the cosmos so that a god is only as powerful as the number and fervour of their worshippers. Then he makes the most reprehensible character a god. The whole point of Ao actually being good or wise all along seems to be subverted as the very point is being made. I am left unsure what I was supposed to take away from the novel.
I think the point was maybe religion bad? Or maybe Overgod good, other gods bad? But then why make an evil god for every good god? I'm sorry, I don't get it. I guess it was fine. A fun, mindless read.
Verdict: I'll give this one a 6/10.
TL;DR - It's a functional and compelling fantasy romp, but does not rise above the mediocre bar set by other DnD novels. It's the best book in the trilogy, but you need to read the previous ones to understand it. Like the others, I recommend it to those interested in foundational Forgotten Realms lore. If you're just looking for a good fantasy book, on the other hand, there's better stuff to be found elsewhere.
This is the epic conclusion to the original three Avatar books, and stands as one of the stronger DnD books from the early Forgotten Realms days (late 80s/90s). For the previous two I would read the first and last chapters, and then try to read the first and last sentences of each paragraph. I quickly started skipping paragraphs or even whole chapters, but heret the plot, the pacing, the sense of intrigue etc. was good enough that I actually decided to stop skimming at the 25% mark and read the whole damn thing. I don't know if that makes it an excellent book, but it's certainly a lot more functional. You will be very confused if you haven't at least read a plot summary of the others though.
There are some weakish moments that I wanted to call out. One of the villains finds a demonic sword which is a clear Stormbringer rip-off. The plagiarism didn't bother me too much; Stormbringer is cool as fuck and we are reading a DnD novel after all. There was just something amateurish about the way the sword was written. Instead of seducing its bearer, of driving them mad and mastering them, this sword nags pathetically and begs her wielder to feed her.
The whole point of the sword being demonic, of whispering to you, of demanding to be fed, is that it has an irresistable and corrupting hold on you. Not only is this character already corrupt as hell anyway, he also negotiates with the sword from a position of power. It just robs Totally-Not-Stormbringer of any sense of menace.
Imagine if the One Ring coaxed Frodo "yesss, put me onnn, you must take me, I am yourssssss" only for Frodo to go "Nah don't feel like it" and then the ring goes "WHAT! Aww pleaaaasssssee! C'mon, just put me on! I'm desperate over here." It's just lame.
I think that's a pervasive problem with this series. So many of the big, epic, awe-inspiring or terrifying moments just have way too little weight to them. There's this other moment where a character is trying to find a portal to Hades in the caverns below a castle, and she ends up in this gloomy subterranean pool filled with wandering ghosts. She talks to one ghost and he goes "Ah so you are seeking the Realm of the Dead?" and she's like "You mean this isn't it?" and then he says "Oh no way this is just the ancient city of the Dwarves. They dug too deep and then they found the Pool of Forgetfulness" and then she goes "Oh you mean this is not at all the Portal to Hades?" and then the dude's like "Oh no it totally is. Yeah that's what the Dwarves found. The Pool of Forgetfulness i.e. the Portal to Hades."
What's with this detour about Dwarven history and making us go back and forth on whether we are getting closer to Hades or not? Unless we're about to flee from Durin's Bane across the Bridge of Khazad-Dûm, just leaves the Dwarves out of this. We already had enough setup about Hades being ominous and spooky.
I'm making it sound very bad. The concept was fine, yet something about how that exposition dump played out simply sapped the location, the lore and the moment of its sense of awe or mystery. This might just be my experience, but there's something about these books that misses the sense of *fantasy* in a fantasy novel.
I'm probably just very difficult to please, and honestly, I'm nitpicking the book to this extent because I was actually paying attention most of the time. This book is better than the previous ones, without a doubt.
What to say in conclusion? The main characters didn't really interest me, but have improved since the first book. The villains include Myrkul and Bhaal themselves, which is pretty cool. Bhaal is just a stereotypical brooding assassin, and Myrkul is a stereotypical scheming necromancer, and both are pure evil and devoid of nuance.
SPOILERS:
In the end Ao chastises the gods for having been self-serving. He rewrites the rules of the cosmos so that a god is only as powerful as the number and fervour of their worshippers. Then he makes the most reprehensible character a god. The whole point of Ao actually being good or wise all along seems to be subverted as the very point is being made. I am left unsure what I was supposed to take away from the novel.
I think the point was maybe religion bad? Or maybe Overgod good, other gods bad? But then why make an evil god for every good god? I'm sorry, I don't get it. I guess it was fine. A fun, mindless read.
Verdict: I'll give this one a 6/10.
TL;DR - It's a functional and compelling fantasy romp, but does not rise above the mediocre bar set by other DnD novels. It's the best book in the trilogy, but you need to read the previous ones to understand it. Like the others, I recommend it to those interested in foundational Forgotten Realms lore. If you're just looking for a good fantasy book, on the other hand, there's better stuff to be found elsewhere.
January 31, 2019
Following the calamitous events in Tantras, during which the gods Bane and Torm perished, the magic-user Midnight and her allies must bring the Tablet of Fate - one of a pair of ancient artifacts upon which the duties of the gods are recorded - to the city of Waterdeep, so that it can be returned to the overgod Ao. However, the god of death, Myrkul, and the god of murder, Bhaal, have other plans - as does Midnight's erstwhile ally Cyric, who covets the Tablets for his own selfish purposes.
The third and final book in the epic, and occasionally epically silly, Avatar Trilogy (later expanded to become a quintet) is somewhat different to the preceding novels. Written by Troy Denning instead of Scott Ciencin, the prose is a marked step up from both Shadowdale and Tantras. Unfortunately, though the writing is superior, the same cannot be said for the delivery of the story or its content.
The first hundred pages or so in particular are a slog. Unlikely events conspire to put artificial obstacles in the way of our heroes making it to Waterdeep. Denning has a habit of glossing over the most interesting developments in the story, only to then go back and explain them after the fact, resulting in the narrative lacking the sense of momentum and adventure that Ciencin's novels, despite their often amateurish writing, managed to convey.
Once again, Cyric is the book's standout character. His battle of wills with his sentient, bloodthirsty sword makes for one of the strongest scenes in the entire trilogy. Compared with the paper-thin characterizations of Midnight and comic-book bad guy Myrkul, Cyric's background and motivations make a lot of sense. Here is a young orphan raised on the streets of one of the evilest cities in the Forgotten Realms, given an opportunity to seize ultimate power and free himself from the machinations of the wizards and gods that are so ubiquitous in every corner of the setting. It's difficult not to root for him in the face of Midnight's constant stupidity and the blatant selfishness and callousness of the gods.
As mentioned, Myrkul - ostensibly the novel's main villain - is a rather hapless villain. It's unclear why the God of Death, whose sphere of influence includes the undead, would make a ragtag group of ambling zombies his tool of choice to thwart the heroes and recover the Tablets - I assume Larloch, Szass Tam, and various other liches, vampire lords, and eminently more intelligent and powerful minions were unavailable - nor is it clear why Midnight, Kelemvor and co actually fear said zombies so much. It is perhaps fitting that Myrkul's final act as a god is a crawl through the filthy sewers of Waterdeep before getting royally pummelled by the heroes.
Thankfully, Bhaal, the God of Murder, makes for a more terrifying threat. The book's standout scene involves Bhaal massacring his way through an entire citadel of defenders, Jason Vorhees-style, while our heroes try desperately to stop him. In the end, it takes a superhuman act of will from Cyric (of all people!) to vanquish the Lord of Murder once and for all.
For a novel named Waterdeep, the titular city makes a disappointingly brief appearance. That said, despite the turgid start and middle of the novel, it does finish strongly once the heroes make it to the City of Splendors. The denouement at the foot of the Celestial Stairway on Mount Waterdeep is as iconic as Mystra's death in the first book in the trilogy, as our heroes (and villains) each get what they deserve. Even Ao, the overgod, who, it turns out, also has to answer to someone - possibly the Abrahamic God, though in greater likelihood the DM.
All in all, Waterdeep is a mediocre conclusion to a trilogy that had its work cut out from the start, carrying as it did the burden of explaining the transition from 1st to 2nd edition D&D on its shoulders, as well as attempting to novelize a series of adventure modules. The somewhat jarring switch in style from the previous two books doesn't do Waterdeep many favours, and neither does the obligation to continue Midnight and Kelemvor's execrable romance and the poorly conceived schemes of the Dark Gods, or the absence of Bane's clowning villainy, which was at least amusing. Nonetheless, older fans of the Reams will still find much to remember fondly. For Realms historians, the trilogy represents a panoramic snap shot of fantasy's most detailed setting three decades ago, before the hundreds of novels and blockbuster video game adaptations that would follow.
The third and final book in the epic, and occasionally epically silly, Avatar Trilogy (later expanded to become a quintet) is somewhat different to the preceding novels. Written by Troy Denning instead of Scott Ciencin, the prose is a marked step up from both Shadowdale and Tantras. Unfortunately, though the writing is superior, the same cannot be said for the delivery of the story or its content.
The first hundred pages or so in particular are a slog. Unlikely events conspire to put artificial obstacles in the way of our heroes making it to Waterdeep. Denning has a habit of glossing over the most interesting developments in the story, only to then go back and explain them after the fact, resulting in the narrative lacking the sense of momentum and adventure that Ciencin's novels, despite their often amateurish writing, managed to convey.
Once again, Cyric is the book's standout character. His battle of wills with his sentient, bloodthirsty sword makes for one of the strongest scenes in the entire trilogy. Compared with the paper-thin characterizations of Midnight and comic-book bad guy Myrkul, Cyric's background and motivations make a lot of sense. Here is a young orphan raised on the streets of one of the evilest cities in the Forgotten Realms, given an opportunity to seize ultimate power and free himself from the machinations of the wizards and gods that are so ubiquitous in every corner of the setting. It's difficult not to root for him in the face of Midnight's constant stupidity and the blatant selfishness and callousness of the gods.
As mentioned, Myrkul - ostensibly the novel's main villain - is a rather hapless villain. It's unclear why the God of Death, whose sphere of influence includes the undead, would make a ragtag group of ambling zombies his tool of choice to thwart the heroes and recover the Tablets - I assume Larloch, Szass Tam, and various other liches, vampire lords, and eminently more intelligent and powerful minions were unavailable - nor is it clear why Midnight, Kelemvor and co actually fear said zombies so much. It is perhaps fitting that Myrkul's final act as a god is a crawl through the filthy sewers of Waterdeep before getting royally pummelled by the heroes.
Thankfully, Bhaal, the God of Murder, makes for a more terrifying threat. The book's standout scene involves Bhaal massacring his way through an entire citadel of defenders, Jason Vorhees-style, while our heroes try desperately to stop him. In the end, it takes a superhuman act of will from Cyric (of all people!) to vanquish the Lord of Murder once and for all.
For a novel named Waterdeep, the titular city makes a disappointingly brief appearance. That said, despite the turgid start and middle of the novel, it does finish strongly once the heroes make it to the City of Splendors. The denouement at the foot of the Celestial Stairway on Mount Waterdeep is as iconic as Mystra's death in the first book in the trilogy, as our heroes (and villains) each get what they deserve. Even Ao, the overgod, who, it turns out, also has to answer to someone - possibly the Abrahamic God, though in greater likelihood the DM.
All in all, Waterdeep is a mediocre conclusion to a trilogy that had its work cut out from the start, carrying as it did the burden of explaining the transition from 1st to 2nd edition D&D on its shoulders, as well as attempting to novelize a series of adventure modules. The somewhat jarring switch in style from the previous two books doesn't do Waterdeep many favours, and neither does the obligation to continue Midnight and Kelemvor's execrable romance and the poorly conceived schemes of the Dark Gods, or the absence of Bane's clowning villainy, which was at least amusing. Nonetheless, older fans of the Reams will still find much to remember fondly. For Realms historians, the trilogy represents a panoramic snap shot of fantasy's most detailed setting three decades ago, before the hundreds of novels and blockbuster video game adaptations that would follow.
August 24, 2022
A little bit of a step down from the prior novel, but still pretty good - a slight time jump from the end of the last book, but all that really did was remove some unnecessary travel as such for the reader.
Built upon the previous books and character arcs to come to a pretty satisfying conclusion to the series, with some pretty substantial changes triggered for the setting as a whole.
From this series, Cyric also became one of my favourite Gods of the settings, as seemed quite an interesting, if evil, character, and while I Didn't like what became of him in Prince of Lies, could already see the seeds here for why he would go down that road, and Crucible fixed it at least, and the ultimately reduced portfolio made more sense than the uber portfolio he had at the end of this novel.
Midnight I didn't find as interesting, while definitely a lot nicer person than Cyric, she didn't make for as interesting a God to my mind, and did feel more or less driven into it here, rather than the willingness Cyric had.
I will put it here as well, but I don't really like Elminster as a character, throughout the novels really he is just annoying, and indeed makes the situation worse at times with his general attitudes, and while it made sense to have him here given his prominence in the setting, I think the novels could have been stronger without him. This also rubs off somewhat on Khelben as well, who seems to inherit some of Elminster's traits, albeit at least seems more willing to back off / listen when needed, and is sadly ironic when Elminster point's out Khelben is out of line, but won't recognise it in himself.
All round though, quite a good trilogy with good suspense, action and some quite Realms shaking events that are portrayed well.
Built upon the previous books and character arcs to come to a pretty satisfying conclusion to the series, with some pretty substantial changes triggered for the setting as a whole.
From this series, Cyric also became one of my favourite Gods of the settings, as seemed quite an interesting, if evil, character, and while I Didn't like what became of him in Prince of Lies, could already see the seeds here for why he would go down that road, and Crucible fixed it at least, and the ultimately reduced portfolio made more sense than the uber portfolio he had at the end of this novel.
Midnight I didn't find as interesting, while definitely a lot nicer person than Cyric, she didn't make for as interesting a God to my mind, and did feel more or less driven into it here, rather than the willingness Cyric had.
I will put it here as well, but I don't really like Elminster as a character, throughout the novels really he is just annoying, and indeed makes the situation worse at times with his general attitudes, and while it made sense to have him here given his prominence in the setting, I think the novels could have been stronger without him. This also rubs off somewhat on Khelben as well, who seems to inherit some of Elminster's traits, albeit at least seems more willing to back off / listen when needed, and is sadly ironic when Elminster point's out Khelben is out of line, but won't recognise it in himself.
All round though, quite a good trilogy with good suspense, action and some quite Realms shaking events that are portrayed well.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 30, 2021
The Avatar trilogy was a highlight of my early teens. It really stirred my imagination and inspired many early scribblings. I'm glad I revisited it but the magic has faded somewhat. I think this is partly due to my having read many books since, partly due to modern fantasy being written in a different style, and also down to me getting older and grumpier! The bickering between Kelemvor and Midnight grated this time round, whereas my memory had me seeing these two as a wonderful but tragic love. Life, hey?
New characters to Waterdeep are welcome. Bhaal makes for an excellent antagonist, being very active and making up for Myrkul's low-key skulking. Sneakabout is instrumental in (finally!) convincing Midnight that Cyric has gone full Dark Side, and the sword is a nice bit of evil weaponry.
The magic continues to be random. I know magic is askew in the Avatar trilogy but it just felt thrown in at times. And Midnight's magic worked when the plot needed. I know I'm being harsh but we live in an internet world now where everything has a back-story, everything must make sense and world-building has to be logical. In this sense, Waterdeep does harken back to a time when fantasy had no constraints and could run free.
What I hope to see going forth in the fantasy genre is a balance. Keep the wonder and the anything-is-possible mind-set, but strengthen that with some logic and consistency. Charm the grumpy old men!
PS I remember re-reading the last few pages again and again, while listening to Aaron Copeland's "Fanfare For The Common Man". One character looking up to the skies and seeing...
New characters to Waterdeep are welcome. Bhaal makes for an excellent antagonist, being very active and making up for Myrkul's low-key skulking. Sneakabout is instrumental in (finally!) convincing Midnight that Cyric has gone full Dark Side, and the sword is a nice bit of evil weaponry.
The magic continues to be random. I know magic is askew in the Avatar trilogy but it just felt thrown in at times. And Midnight's magic worked when the plot needed. I know I'm being harsh but we live in an internet world now where everything has a back-story, everything must make sense and world-building has to be logical. In this sense, Waterdeep does harken back to a time when fantasy had no constraints and could run free.
What I hope to see going forth in the fantasy genre is a balance. Keep the wonder and the anything-is-possible mind-set, but strengthen that with some logic and consistency. Charm the grumpy old men!
PS I remember re-reading the last few pages again and again, while listening to Aaron Copeland's "Fanfare For The Common Man". One character looking up to the skies and seeing...
May 16, 2019
No querría tener al señor Awlinson (o a Denning, lo que sea) como compañero de viaje, porque convierte los viajes en algo muuuuy aburrido. Y buena parte de este libro es un largo viaje, a pesar del título (la ciudad de Aguas Profundas solo aparece en la parte final).
Por si fuera poco, usa el mismo recurso que hizo que acabara odiando Añoranzas y pesares: deja a un personaje en una marcha solitaria por un lugar laberíntico o de características repetitivas.
Los personajes son los mismos que en las anteriores entregas de esta saga. A mí me resultan bastante sosos, y la intención de hacer a un par de ellos más o menos grises (esa al menos creo que ha sido la intención) los convierte en personajes-veleta que me resultan bastante odiosos. Toda la Era de Conflictos, un evento a escala global en los Reinos, queda reducido a un muy reducido puñado de personajes poco carismáticos. El resto queda como anecdótico.
En global, estas cosas hicieron que abandonara el libro durante meses. Lo acabé solo por mi orgullo lector.
Por si fuera poco, usa el mismo recurso que hizo que acabara odiando Añoranzas y pesares: deja a un personaje en una marcha solitaria por un lugar laberíntico o de características repetitivas.
Los personajes son los mismos que en las anteriores entregas de esta saga. A mí me resultan bastante sosos, y la intención de hacer a un par de ellos más o menos grises (esa al menos creo que ha sido la intención) los convierte en personajes-veleta que me resultan bastante odiosos. Toda la Era de Conflictos, un evento a escala global en los Reinos, queda reducido a un muy reducido puñado de personajes poco carismáticos. El resto queda como anecdótico.
En global, estas cosas hicieron que abandonara el libro durante meses. Lo acabé solo por mi orgullo lector.
February 25, 2025
This probably got a better review than it deserves just because it was the last book in the series and it has some serious stakes in D&D history. Ultimately the first 4th of the story was great. The writing was much better than in the previous books, and the characters were more realistic and less flat. However, it really feels as though Denning got feedback that he needed to finish the entre thing in this single book, so the rest of the book feels disjointed. It almost feels like hundreds of pages were cut, just to get to the end point. This makes each individual chapter feel like individual short stories that are loosely connected in the series. Not necessary to read unless you have a love of D&D history, or if you've already put in the time with the first two books.
July 16, 2025
Honestly, probably the best of the three so far. The pacing is better and the characters finally seem worked out. The ending seems a bit like playing a plot driven D&D campaign, not so much finding that the reader is at the end of a story as learning that the narrative arrived at the scheduled and predetermined destination. still, that's probably my only major complaint about the book. there's some fun action in here and it's a good time. we're not talking an amazing genre shifting work, but it's a good time if you want more time with Midnight learning to be a badass and Kel doubling down on INT being his dump stat. I'd give it a 3.5 if I could.
September 23, 2018
A Splendid Treat
By far the best of the original three. Tightly plotted and exciting, the characters really bloom under Denning's pen. The Midnight/Kelemvor relationship is still somewhat hollow, but it works better than before here. I feel like Kel is ultimately short-changed, but overall it all clicks together smoothly. A hugely important event in Realmsian history is here well handled and satisfyingly told. My final thought, having read all three original volumes, is that this is really Adon's story. Loved it!
By far the best of the original three. Tightly plotted and exciting, the characters really bloom under Denning's pen. The Midnight/Kelemvor relationship is still somewhat hollow, but it works better than before here. I feel like Kel is ultimately short-changed, but overall it all clicks together smoothly. A hugely important event in Realmsian history is here well handled and satisfyingly told. My final thought, having read all three original volumes, is that this is really Adon's story. Loved it!
April 3, 2019
The third book in the series, this is a really good read...I have a little problem with the ending, but it's because I prefer happy endings to 'bittersweet' ones. I love Midnight, the heroine. The characters are well drawn; dialogue engaging and there's enough action for the action-adventure crowd. It was nice to see Elminster and Blackstaff again. There was a new character that I wish they'd keep, Atherton 'Sneakabout' Cooper, a halfling. If you've read other Forgotten Realms books by Troy Denning, you'll like this one because Awlinson is a Pseudonym for Denning in this instance...
April 27, 2023
This trilogy culmination is better than the other two books that preceded it, but would have hugely benefited from a strong edit. There's a lot of extraneous stuff that simply did not need to be included, or that was drawn out for far too long. The last third of the book is where the bulk of the story payoff happens, but getting to it was a grind. I don't think that most people would enjoy reading this trilogy; it's not aged well, and a wikipedia-style summary would generally be enough to understand the important beats of the story.
Read
March 22, 2025I enjoyed reading this novel even if I already knew the larger lore events that are depicted within. It's nice to get a grassroots understanding of these big events rather than just read the summaries at the Forgotten Realms wiki. I will say that it's odd to have Elminster involved in the story and be such a passive character. I understand that it's incumbent upon the main characters to be the heroes, but then why include someone as important as Elminster if he's going to be such a wallflower? In any case, a fun read.
October 2, 2025
My favourite book of the series, lots of plots coming together and finishes the story with more to come. I love the scene setting the events in this book hold for many of the core godly struggles that we still see in modern DnD settings, that are hinted at but never fully explained, which this series does a great job of bridging in my opinion. That said... There's arguably better intros to DnD fiction and you see more of poor female perspective writing in this book, which is cringe to read and I wish it had held up better to modern standards.
January 6, 2024
The previous entries in the series are rescued by the final book of the trilogy. Sure, the series is intended as a bridge between editions of FR, but up until this book the series hasn't been fabulous. Here, the series is saved, and in particular by the final several dozens of pages. Cut out the random encounters that we might as well have rolled on a DnD chart and it would be even better. The first two books were not quite worth it for the finale here, but Troy saved the series in the end.
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