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The "Double Diamond Triangle Saga" continues! Lord Piergeiron has fallen ill, but his loyal retainers prepare to rescue his abducted fiancee. But their quest lies far beyond the areas around Waterdeep, and in the uncharted Utter East.
88 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published February 10, 1998
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About the author
James M. Ward
116 books57 followersJames M. Ward (b. 1951) is an American game designer and fantasy author.
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
November 11, 2019
Not as good as the first in my opnion, but we got a lot of character development, and cool paladin vs demon battle so "hurray!!"
December 29, 2025
The story picks up right after the first vignette, having the famed Waterdeep wizard. Blackstaff, send a troop of Paladins and a Wizard to find their way to the 'Utter East', where the Princess-to-be was whisked away to by fel magics and eastern heathens. Blackstaff says there should be a portal to the Utter East in the famed dungeon of Undermountain, and the Paladins can get there through the criminal market of Skullport, which is an underground harbor that allows for all types of evil merchants and business to happen. A lot of pages are kinda wasted on when they arrive. I think Ward was trying to give us some insight into the characters, but several of them die...so why?
The readers also get to see two Vrock Demons doing evil things and betting on things that the paladins are doing in Skullport...it reminded me a lot of the very first novels written in Forgotten Realms.
Ultimately, there is a showdown with the Vrocks, a Magic Mirror, and a portal to the Utter East. We have some casualties, but ultimately the remaining characters make it to the Utter East. this vignette doesn't move the plot along much, but more demonstrates the chaos that can befall any plan.
This is a very easy read, not an amazing story.
The readers also get to see two Vrock Demons doing evil things and betting on things that the paladins are doing in Skullport...it reminded me a lot of the very first novels written in Forgotten Realms.
Ultimately, there is a showdown with the Vrocks, a Magic Mirror, and a portal to the Utter East. We have some casualties, but ultimately the remaining characters make it to the Utter East. this vignette doesn't move the plot along much, but more demonstrates the chaos that can befall any plan.
This is a very easy read, not an amazing story.
February 7, 2021
Second installment. A rescue mission is mandated by Arunsun Khelben. I suspect some double dealing going on; I wonder if Khelben knows something he's not telling. And I wondered how long it was going to take the heroes to figure out the ploy they finally used; I thought of it as soon as I saw what was in the side cavern. And I would have used it more than once. But I didn't write this so I can't change it. Recommended as part of the series.
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November 4, 2020Absolutely this would have gone better for me if I'd been able to read Part 1 first.
May 2, 2021
TYR!!!!!!!!!
March 18, 2009
The Paladins
The Paladins is the second book in a nine part serial novel called the double diamond triangle saga. The books can be read in a couple of different orders. This one being the second one is the logical next book in the series, but one can forgo this to read book 3 The Mercenaries. For now, here is the review of The Paladins.
The paladins continues right were the first book left off with the abduction of the open lord’s fiancé. Now however, the open lord has fallen into a coma and so the paladins that have been assembled must begin the quest without him to find Eidola his fiancé. The paladins also have an extra person to take with them by the name of Noph who has proven himself as very loyal to Waterdeep and is rulers. They also have at the behest of the lord mage Kelben Arunson to take along Aleena Palidinstar. The paladins are Miltiades, Kern, Jacob, and Harloon.
Another short book to continue the serials, this one’s main plot is more of just the typical adventure fare. Since one of the characters possesses resistance to magic, the party can not be teleported to the Utter East where they believe Eidola is being held and where the kidnappers are, so they have to travel through Skullport to get to a teleport gate in Undermountain. There are a couple of subplots with the fiends from the abyss, Noph’s trying to fit in with the paladins, and the paladins trying to stay the course with all the evil they witness in Skullport.
Some criticisms
1. The subplot with the fiends was ok, but it was input into the story between each chapter and seemed to distract from the overall storyline.
2. The flow of this book was just not there. Once something got started, the book jumps to something else and then back and it was hard to want to pick the book up again.
3. The paladins are just too stereotypical. If I remember correctly, Kern and Miltiades were much more than they were here. I was a bit disappointed to see their characters undevelop (for lack of a better term) from a previous series.
Some positives
1. Once again I really enjoyed Noph’s character. I know that this one is written by different authors from the first book, but I feel that they kept in the spirit of Noph’s character and developed him a bit.
2. Even though the book is mostly just another adventure of getting the characters to their destination, the things that they go through on the way to their destination was entertaining and even a bit comical.
Overall, it is an average continuation to a good series so far. I wished that this would have kept to the standards set in the first book, but I was a bit disappointed there. Maybe I was expecting a bit much.
The Paladins is the second book in a nine part serial novel called the double diamond triangle saga. The books can be read in a couple of different orders. This one being the second one is the logical next book in the series, but one can forgo this to read book 3 The Mercenaries. For now, here is the review of The Paladins.
The paladins continues right were the first book left off with the abduction of the open lord’s fiancé. Now however, the open lord has fallen into a coma and so the paladins that have been assembled must begin the quest without him to find Eidola his fiancé. The paladins also have an extra person to take with them by the name of Noph who has proven himself as very loyal to Waterdeep and is rulers. They also have at the behest of the lord mage Kelben Arunson to take along Aleena Palidinstar. The paladins are Miltiades, Kern, Jacob, and Harloon.
Another short book to continue the serials, this one’s main plot is more of just the typical adventure fare. Since one of the characters possesses resistance to magic, the party can not be teleported to the Utter East where they believe Eidola is being held and where the kidnappers are, so they have to travel through Skullport to get to a teleport gate in Undermountain. There are a couple of subplots with the fiends from the abyss, Noph’s trying to fit in with the paladins, and the paladins trying to stay the course with all the evil they witness in Skullport.
Some criticisms
1. The subplot with the fiends was ok, but it was input into the story between each chapter and seemed to distract from the overall storyline.
2. The flow of this book was just not there. Once something got started, the book jumps to something else and then back and it was hard to want to pick the book up again.
3. The paladins are just too stereotypical. If I remember correctly, Kern and Miltiades were much more than they were here. I was a bit disappointed to see their characters undevelop (for lack of a better term) from a previous series.
Some positives
1. Once again I really enjoyed Noph’s character. I know that this one is written by different authors from the first book, but I feel that they kept in the spirit of Noph’s character and developed him a bit.
2. Even though the book is mostly just another adventure of getting the characters to their destination, the things that they go through on the way to their destination was entertaining and even a bit comical.
Overall, it is an average continuation to a good series so far. I wished that this would have kept to the standards set in the first book, but I was a bit disappointed there. Maybe I was expecting a bit much.
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews