Book III, The Adversary: The Sundering

Another excellent book for The Sundering.

The Adversary is the third book in both The Sundering and the Brimstone Angels series. It pics up following the events of Brimstone Angels: Lesser Evils and continues the changes to the Realms with the majority of the book taken place about a year after the end of The Godborn. There didn't seem to be any references directly to The Companions and a few references to The Godborn, neither book is needed to enjoy this one.

The intro to the book is the setup for both the ~8 year time jump between Lesser Evils and The Adversary and the catalyst to the book's plot. Lorcan is still being protected from scrying from the Hells by Farideh's mysterious protection, but Sairche, Lorcan's sister uses other means to track him down. Worried about the saftey of Havi and Lorcan, Farideh enters a deal of protection with Sairche in exchange for two favors to Sairche. This leads to the twins being held in stasis in the Hells for 7 1/2 years and when the return Sairche requires the first favor of Farideh.

Farideh is sent to a Netherese interment camp where they are searching for Chosen of the Gods, Dahl inadvertently is dragged along with the portal . The camp is being run by Adolican Rhand, the Netherese wizard involved in Lesser Evils. With Farideh forced to help Rand find chosen with some new found mysterious powers, Havi, Brin, Lorcan, Mehen, and the Harpers go out to rescue her.

What follows is a story of a struggle between the machinations of Shar, Goddess of Loss, and Asmodeus God of Evil at the interment camp. The politics of the Hells has agents trying to help or hinder Asmodeus' goals. The separate groups search for the mystery of the camp or for the rescuers delve into their interpersonal roles, with Havi and Brin trying to see where they now stand, and Mehen's background and love for his adopted daughters coming to the fore. The climax is action packed, entertaining, and claims up the particular plot points of the book very well. The mysteries that are left, or explained enough to set up what should be the potential for a another great follow up as the true origins of the sisters become known.

Highly recommended.

One issue I've had with the first 3 books of the Sundering (or in R.A. Salvatore's case, the Last Threshold, the set up book for his Sundering book) is that all of them have features some sort of magical time skip. Held within the confines of the individual plots they all hold together well, but having three straight books feature them is a bit jarring. Otherwise, I highly recommended the series so far.

Ok, so these are relatively new characters for me and I'm not familiar with the whole concept of Erin's books and what the other books may be like but a few chapters in I honestly was skimming through just to get to something more exciting. I swear a whole chapter was two characters that just seemed to appear (some harper spies or something) and proceeded to droll on about this and that. Felt totally out of place. The first two books in this series I really liked. The familiar Salvatore characters then the Cale/Shade scenario, good stuff, but this is just out of place it seems. To be honest I'm trying to see where this whole series is actually going. Is it just a collection of independent stories or does something tie them all in to one another and at $15/pop for the Kindle edition I might have to think long and hard about continuing. This is one I definitely could have felt no remorse about skipping.

Unreadable! I finish every book I start. I kept waiting for it to get better; it didn't. I hope Salvatore drops this writer for books based on his series. This author was an incredible disappointment.

Great read, story kept getting better as the pages turned. If you like reading Forgotten Realms or fantasy, you will enjoy this story. You should read Mrs. Evans previous books about the adventures of Fari and Havi before picking this one up.

The Adversary is another great addition to the Sundering series. I'd definitely recommend reading Evans' earlier works with the same characters so you have the back story.

Looking forward to the next installment!

I'm getting a little disappointed in this series in general, as it seems to be all build up and no conclusion. That being said I still find the book interesting, and I was genuinely interested in how it was going to wrap up.

I am rating it on condition. Upon receiving it I found a 1" tear on the back of the dust cover. I know this doesn't sound like much but these books aren't for reading, they are for my collection of 1st editions. When I'm ready to read them I order them on Kindle. Though this is the 1st book I've had this problem with, I was very disappointed. Wayne

[...]

Rating 9/10

The third book in The Sundering series, which aims to return the Forgotten Realms to a bit of normalcy following some great turmoil, is a great read. Granted, there is not much fighting, and no detailed combat like you would find in a book by R.A. Salvatore, who kicked off the series. But there is power struggle, personal struggle, the threat of violence at every turn, political manipulations to keep readers (and characters) guessing, and refreshingly real characters.

I’ll be honest, the only reason this is not getting a 10/10 is that for the first third of the book, I was not nearly as invested. I was wondering if this book was going to be a disappointment, and combined with the second book of the series, wondering if any of the rest of the books in the series (whose characters I also had never read about) would also not satisfy. The reason was simple. There were too many characters to keep up with, and none to really feel like you knew. This is the danger with having a standalone novel that continues stories of several characters of prior books, but I’m not willing to excuse it. I believe it is a challenge, but not a necessary evil.

So what changed? Easy. After about a third of the book, we stopped being introduced to new characters via scenes that were often introductory soliloquies. Instead, we got extended portions of text that focused on one character, or at most two or three together, while they were moving the plot. With extended portions devoted to a character or two or three, you got to get to know them, understand them, and identify with them. Their interactions were revealing. History between them naturally arose. How they reacted to events told us infinitely more about them than their soliloquies.

And once we got to the plot of this story, it was tense to the end. After reading about 45% of the book, I couldn’t put it down. I stayed up into the morning reading when I haven’t done that in years. The plot was wonderfully intriguing, and it always left you wondering how all the different parties would play out. They were fractious on so many levels that I haven’t seen that level of detail in even R.A. Salvatore’s work. No one seemed to be on the same side or have the same motives completely. Erin Evans made every character so real, it was incredible.

And that, in the end, is what made this book so amazing, beyond even the plot. The characters. Every character was unique, no matter how large or small their role. I was particularly fond of Farideh and Havilar, the tieflings, because of how they reacted to each other as sisters and also seeing the genuine portrayals of young women (err…tieflings) in them. As a side note, I also really appreciated the view of sex here. It wasn’t taken lightly, and the sister who did partake was still honest as a character since she tends to be more passionate and reckless but not entirely stupid; she did so within a relationship. When Farideh decided to resist Lorcan’s temptations and said she should be praised for her “basic morals”, it was a great turn from what is the current trend in our culture. Our current trend is represented by things like “50 Shades of Grey” where a woman should give into the dark, seedy side of sex instead of holding out for something pure and life-giving. It was greatly refreshing, wherever Farideh eventually ends up on the issue (none of us are perfect!).

Since there weren’t many scenes of violence in the book, I thought I would mention that Erin Evans chose her moments selectively. Every combat furthered a plot, changed a relationship, created an unexpected twist. No violence for the sake of violence (even though I do enjoy a good R.A. Salvatore battle scene). Honestly, I didn’t even notice the lack of violence until this review, especially since the tension from the threat of violence overhung everything. It was very well done and should not put anyone off from this book.

I only hope that Erin Evans can learn from R.A. Salvatore in how he introduces characters in each book (except for Drizzt’s journal entries, please forego those). I first read “The Lone Drow” by Salvatore, the second book of a trilogy and many books into his characters’ development, but didn’t feel lost or uninvested. He introduced them through action and interaction, with their thoughts interspersed between. I didn’t appreciate the difficulty of that enough until I read books two and three of the Sundering.

The honesty and authenticity of Erin Evan’s characters alone would have me wanting to read her past and future books, but combined with the intricately woven plot, I have a new competitor for my favorite fantasy author.

Book- The Sundering Book III: The Adversary

Author – Erin M. Evans

Price- $8

TL;DR- Another good addition to the Sundering lineup 80%

Basics- Time to return to the Realms. Erin M. Evans returns to the Forgotten Realms continuing the story of Farideh and Havilar. Farideh makes a deal with a devil and ends up being teleported through time. Now Ferideh is caught up in a plot involving Asmodeus’ continuing godhood, devils vying for power, Netheril, and trying to do the right thing. Havilar has to face the realities of what seven years can do to a relationship with a crown prince in Cormyr.

Setting- This book feels like it’s in the realms. Everything feels right. Lots of realm lore comes into play and those of us who are read lots of Forgotten Realms books will feel right at home and get a knowing wink from the author. New readers will get a good background to at least part of the world. 4/5

Characters- This is truly an ensemble book. Heck, the author doesn’t just have a main character; she’s got twin sisters running around stirring up trouble. Every character gets a bit of time to shine, and when I was finished, I didn’t have a standout character who was my favorite. I rooted for everybody all the way through. However with the number of character running around, I did get a little confused from time to time on who someone was. 4/5

Story- I’ve talked before about the Sundering, and this book follows the same formula. It takes a good story, introduces major players and what they’ve done since the last realms books came out, and sets up the characters for another book trilogy. I like the story that this book has while it does set up major events in the realms, and I most likely will pick up the following trilogy. The story itself is a bit long for my taste, and I did take a few breaks while getting through it. I might not been the greatest page turner, but I am glad I read it. 4/5

Summary- I liked this story, maybe not as much as other Sundering books, but I did like this. I know more about the realms now than I did before and want to see where it goes from here. I like the characters I read about, and am honestly interested in what happens to them. I can easily recommend this book. 80 %

Getting to this book after reading the first two was like being launched off an awesome roller coaster ride only to suddenly hit a brick wall. I demoted this book to a bathroom book because I can only read about 2-5 pages at a time before I want rip this book up and it also keeps me from sitting on the toilet too long.

I am about 200 pages into this book and I feel like I should be given an award for committing to reading this crap as much as I have. I am ocd and simply must finish reading this book to move along with The Sundering series but sweet Jesus is it terrible.

For the first 90 pages, you are subjected to the mind of a teenage girl. There is no action. There is no meaningful dialogue or introduction of characters. You get the pleasures of reading such things as the two sisters arguing over sleeping arrangements at an inn because one of them wants to shack up with her boyfriend. And in the next chapter, you get to read about this lad's lack of confidence and them asking each other how well they performed. I mean, seriously. This garbage followed Salvatore and Kemp? If WotC was allowing the inclusion of Erin Evans because they wanted the diversity of a female author in this series, they could have slipped a golden ticket into a box of tampons and given the job of writing the third book to that woman and have a better book. Hopefully one that wasn't 506 pages of the two worst female protagonists ever created. Elaine Cunningham could write circles around Evans.

In her acknowledgements at the end of the book, Evans thanks a lot of people who gave her advice and listened to her "ramble about quite a lot of plot problem". Either she didn't listen to any of this advice or shame on these people for making her write such crap.

I will never read a book written by Evans again. Her characters are idiots, the story moves at a pace only a glacier would approve of, and this book should have never, EVER been included in The Sundering.

Also, every person who gave this book a 4- or 5- star rating is a liar, a fan of teenage fantasy or paid to do it.

As for myself: I give it two stars because I haven't found any spelling errors yet.

‘The Adversary’ is the third book in the Forgotten Realms, multi-author event ‘The Sundering’. I have not read Erin Evans before, but a glance at the blurb and the chance to jump back into Faerûn had me hopping from foot to foot until the ARC hit my hands. Wrapped in a devilishly barbed tale of intrigue, ‘The Adversary’ furthers the adventures of the tiefling, Farideh and her companions.

Finding herself in a bind—one tighter than the pact she shares with the cambion, Lorcan—Fariden strikes a bargain with Lorcan’s sister. The deal quickly devolves into a mess of disastrous proportions and the only way out is for Farideh to follow the instructions of her new patroness. She winds up in a secure and secluded fortress in Netheril. That’s when things start to get really interesting.

The camp within the fortress houses prisoners of all races. Many appear to be quite ordinary, but it is the few who are not that catch her attention. These are Chosen and they are a part of the mystery Farideh is unwittingly involved in. As she figures out who they are and what their purpose is, she discovers who and what she is as well.

Erin M. Evans does a fantastic job of catching up the casual reader. Being familiar with her characters would make ‘The Adversary’ more compelling…maybe. Having being introduced at the beginning of this book, I found the journey of all the characters very satisfying. In particular, Dahl’s story. The fallen paladin quickly captured my imagination. He comes across as an atypical hero, which led me to expect great things, of course! I enjoyed his struggle as much as I did Farideh’s, which makes me sound rather sadistic. But, as readers, we’d rather see a character grow than go out for coffee, right? Strength usually comes from adversity and all that. The conclusion to his portion of the story alone is enticement enough for me to reach for the next novel.

The pace of ‘The Adversary’ is a little slow at times, but this does allow Evans to share the thoughts of all the players. I did not really mind the sometimes ambulatory pace; I understand an author’s desire to visit with each of her characters. For instance, the slow reveal of Clanless Mehen’s back story adds depth to all the characters and therefore the novel. The exploration of the romance between Havilar and Brin is sweet. The more complicated relationship between Farideh and Lorcan is another of those elements that will have me reading forward.

‘The Adversary’ is a satisfying entry in ‘The Sundering’ series. As a novel, it’s a good read. As part of its own series, I’m sure it will delight fans. What impresses me the most is the author’s confidence in shifting events on Toril, messing with the grand order, while advancing her own story arc. Well done!

Written for SFCrowsnest.

The Adversary is a good third book in the Sundering series, but very dull when taken as part of the Brimstone Angels series. The characters seem to face the same obstacles, and internal party struggles as in the pervious Brimstone Angels books. Farideh makes deals with devils, the deals don't go as she planned, people question her motives even though she had the best intentions, Mehen is angry, Havilar is jealous, Lorcan is caught up in things way over his head and he is just trying to survive. The technical writing in the book is done very well. Her word choice and pace is spot on, and helps keep the story moving where the plot drags it down. I will offer one last critique: the scheming by Lorcan's sister doesn't seem to be in line with being any part devil. Specifically, her trying to "manage" her deal with Rhand. As a devil, or even part devil, she should be quickly able to find any loophole she needs in deals she has made to keep them in her favor.

I will leave this on a positive note. The very end of the story, with one of Farideh's relatives, will actually have me reading the next one in the Brimstone Angels series.

Originally published at Tales to Tide You Over

This is the third of the Sundering series I’ve read, and I’m thinking it comes in as my favorite. We’re thrust into disaster after disaster from the very start because the main focus is on a tiefling, Farideh, who never looks before she leaps, so determined to do what’s right that she doesn’t take the time to think things through. Of course, she’s rarely given the time she needs either. Then there’s the Harper Dahl who comes with a history rich with disaster and a self-destructive streak miles wide, Lorcan who is a devil half-blood driven by emotions he doesn’t believe he can have, Farideh’s sister with her own issues, and more.

Sure, this is an adventure fantasy with horrible things happening, people needing a rescue, people forced to do things they would prefer not to and suffering the consequences should they balk. It’s complex, complicated, and twisty. Deals with devils are rarely simple, and all the clauses in the world won’t cover every eventuality. But ultimately this is a people novel. It’s about the kind of trouble that comes through rash choices, and learning to live with the consequences at the same time as trying to mend what went wrong.

It’s rare that a novel can startle me into a laugh, and I wasn’t expecting it of this one as much of what happens falls into the dark paths of choosing the best of the worst when lives are at stake, but still there have been several times when the characters’ interactions just hit me the right way. There are things the characters say that stand out as poignant or telling, and yet though they have broader implications, are also perfect for the moment and that character.

Though Farideh is known in the Forgotten Realms universe, she’s new to me. What I came out of this book with is a wish to check out more of Erin M. Evans’ stories, and a sense of a rich history of which I know enough to make this book solid just in the glimpses offered, and yet I’m intrigued to discover more. The characters are complicated, well-rounded, and faced with the kinds of choices that make black and white a simple world for simple people who have never experienced anything more difficult than whether to share their breakfast meats or hoard them. I’ve already recommended the book to my son, and I suspect he’s not the first to hear about how much I enjoyed the rich characters and events put into play here.

P.S. I received this title from the publisher through Net Galley

I love the Forgotten Realms, and the Sundering has me both nervous and excited. The first two books, The Companions and The Godborn, were great, and The Adversary is no exception. It continues the Brimstone Angels story, and Evans is becoming one of my new favorite FR authors. There were twists and turns in this story I didn't see coming.

During the Sundering, it has been rumored that some of the dead gods were returning. This had me hopeful, as I am a fan of the gods, and Mask returned in the Godborn. I hope this isn't giving too much away, but there is a "village" of Chosen of various gods that Farideh ends up in, and one of the "villagers", is a drow. The book itself did not explicit say the name, but I knew it wasn't Lolth, and the author herself later concerned my suspicions. This made me happy, as I was a fan of this particular drow god.

This was a heavy read at times, but a good one. Farideh is a strong character, for even in her moments of self-pity, she always manages to come through. And I love Lorcan! He reminds me of a character I co-created with a friend, and he one of my favorite characters in the series. Dahl, whom I didn't like much at first, has grown on me. Havilar still annoys me most of the time, but there were revelations about Mehen that I want to know more about! All in all, a great read, and I look forward to more!

THE ADVERSARY is the third book in The Sundering series, and also the third book about tieflings Farideh and Havilar. If you’re new to The Sundering, you don’t need to have read the previous books. If you haven’t read the Brimstone Angel books which introduce Farideh and Havilar, you should be okay to start their tale with THE ADVERSARY. There’s a fair amount of background information on their previous adventures that should fill you in. I did have some confusion in the first half of the book, but that was because I had read BRIMSTONE ANGELS but not LESSER EVILS — I skipped book two — but eventually everything fell into place for me.

Erin M. Evan writes some amazing characters. Farideh is so *real.* I emphasized with her struggle to protect her sister, as well as her wish to do the right thing. Poor Farideh — every time she tries to do the right thing, she gets herself in more trouble. But that’s what happens when you make a deal with a devil, as Farideh did. Yes, she’s a somewhat reluctant warlock, but that doesn’t change the fact that she’s a warlock. And one with an important heritage, which has other devils after her twin Havilar. I really liked that Farideh has such a strong desire to protect Havilar, instead of say, wanting to protect a lover.

All the other characters are just as developed, with their own stories. I’m just going to mention one other: Mehen. Mehen adopted the girls when they were abandoned as babies, and man, you have got to feel for the poor dragonborn. It’s so obvious he cares for both of his daughters, and I can’t imagine his pain when Farideh and Havilar disappear for seven years. Yeah… the twins get put into stasis by a devil for seven years because Farideh didn’t word her bargain clearly enough. Ouch, right? When the girls come back, they jump right into trouble again, leaving Mehen to try and rescue Farideh before she’s captured as an agent of the Shade.

Camps for the Chosen — mortals blessed by the gods — have been mentioned in previous books in the series. THE ADVERSARY takes us into one of those camps. It’s a chance to see how and why the Chosen are important, and what the gods want with them. Because of the deal she made to protect herself and Havilar, Farideh gets mixed up with a wizard in control of a camp. But when she finds out what the wizard is really doing with the Chosen, she tries to stop it … only to have something even worse happen.

THE ADVERSARY has layers upon layers of plot and intrigue, and sometimes I was like, “What the heck is going on? Who are these people?” But around the halfway point, the book started coming together for me, and I went from “Huh?” to “Wow. I didn’t see that coming.” I did find it to be a little long, but that might have been because of my confusion at the start.

The ending of THE ADVERSARY had me going “Wowza!” I’m eagerly looking forward to FIRE IN THE BLOOD (October 2014) so I can see what will happen next with Farideh and Havilar.

Lastly, I kinda love the cover art for the book. Finally a full-length image of Farideh!

Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

The Adversary is the third book in The Sundering series, a multi author series that takes place in the Forgotten Realms of the Dungeons and Dragons universe. Going into this book I was expecting to be extremely confused because A) it’s the third book in the series and B) I’ve never played Dungeons and Dragons in my life. I am extremely pleased to say I was not confused and I really enjoyed this book.

The Adversary is written by Erin M. Evans, who has written other novels that have taken place in the Forgotten Realms. In this particular novel Farideh, the tiefling protagonist has landed herself in trouble when she makes a pact with a cambion named Sariche. Farideh, her twin sister Havilar, and another cambion, Lorcan, are to be protected until Farideh’s twenty-seventh birthday. Unfortunately, Sariche’s idea of protection involves hiding the three for seven years. Everyone Farideh and Havilar know and love thinks they’re dead, and Lorcan has been trapped by Sariche, who happens to be his sister.

One of the things that made me really happy about this novel is that even if you’re unfamiliar with the D&D universe, you can still enjoy it. A lot of the terminology that might be unfamiliar, you can pick up from context fairly easily. And if you want to be 100% sure, you can always do a quick search on the more unfamiliar terms such as tiefling and cambion.

This was a really great adventure story. Farideh has gotten herself in a bit of trouble, and it is up to Havilar and Lorcan to rescue her, with the help of some other friends along the way. The rescuing of Farideh, plus the sketchy goings on that Farideh has been dragged into take the main stage in the story, but there are some romantic elements in it as well, which kept me entertained.

I really enjoyed how well all of the characters are written. They each have their specific things that drive them. Mehen, the adoptive father of Farideh and Havilar and he would do anything to keep his girls safe. Farideh feels the need to protect those around her, especially Havilar. Lorcan and Sariche, typical to their cambion nature, are typically out to do whatever is in their best interest. The ways that the characters all interact is done really well, and it made the novel really enjoyable to read.

The only thing that keeps me from giving this 5 stars is that there were a few parts that kind of seemed to drag for me. The ending really slowed down in pace, and a lot of the battle scenes I tended to skim through because there was just a lot going on. But the scenery was described really well without being too descriptive to the point that it detracts from the story.

I’m giving The Adversary four out of 5 controllers. It was a really great plot, great characters, and really well written. Just a little slow in a few parts, not too many, and the author does a fantastic job of making sure you’re not confused so even if you haven’t played D&D you can still enjoy the story.

Originally Reviewed At: Mother/Gamer/Writer
Rating: 4 out of 5 Controllers
Reviewer: Ariel

The stand-alone Forgotten Realms novels that loosely tie together into the series called "The Sundering" seem to get better with each addition. I enjoyed this enough that I plan on going back to read Evans' previous novels. Having mostly read Salvatore prior to this, I was a bit shocked at how more developed and complex the characters in this series are, and Evans' voice is so unique and refreshing that at times I forgot I was reading a media-tie in, shared-universe genre novel. This is simply a good fantasy.

Evans writing is strong, often evoking a Medievalesque vocabulary and style of dialogue that places the story squarely in a high fantasy world without it seeming ridiculous. The style of her language is not artistic in a high literary sense, but it is fluid and unique, suiting this story well. Her plotting is also spot on, moving the story at a brisk pace without resorting to any tired troupe of merely moving heroes from one action sequence to another, overcoming each and every challenge in relative ease of a daily routine. Here victories are bittersweet, exacted with a price, and the most succulent bits of the story are not the physical clashes but the verbal and psychological battles.

Getting into the novel was a bit slow to start due to my unfamiliarity with the characters, and Evans does place a wide variety of settings and characters (basically those from her first two books) into the complex intersections of the plot here. Things therefore do get a bit jumbled now and then, particularly in the second portion of the novel. Nonetheless this story stands far better as a stand-alone novel than others (say Salvatore's entry). While "The Adversary" sets up future directions, the whole point of "The Sundering series", a full story arc is still covered here, and in-depth knowledge of the previous books, while helpful, isn't necessary. The next volume of the series is already in my queue to read, but I'll be really surprised if any can top what Evans accomplishes here.

4 Stars
*I received this uncorrected galley from NetGalley*
Farideh is taken by Netherese agents and imprisoned along with other Netherese enemies. It doesn’t take long for her to realize that her fellow prisoners are something more than what she expected. These captives have powers or abilities that their captors will use or destroy so the race is on for her to find a way to release them. Farideh has allies within the camp but one is an old adversary who she’s not sure she can trust. While she works tirelessly on her plans Farideh’s sister and friends are on their own seemingly impossible journey to attempt a rescue that magic and politics could destroy before they reach the camp.
This series is my first introduction to these authors and I am so excited to read more from them.
My complaints always come first so I will get that out of the way. In some areas it felt cluttered and I had moments of feeling overwhelmed by the number of characters. It was mostly in intense action scenes where I was trying to keep track of the major characters plus the minor ones. Otherwise everything moves smoothly and the pace has a nice balance. The characters (I know other readers have had more experience with them than I have) are also very balanced. Having conflicted and complex characters really works well in this genre. Farideh is a good example of this and I can’t wait to read more of her adventures. I stayed up late a few nights to read this and that’s a good sign for me because I love my sleep and am an early riser. I can easily recommend this one to fantasy fans or anyone looking to get a start in fantasy. So far I don’t see a reason why this series has to be read in order.

The Adversary is the third book in the Sundering series, and also the third book for her Brimstone Angels series. Caught up in the machinations of the Sundering, the gods scrambling for position and power while the world is set into chaos, Evans' tiefling sisters not only get more character development here but a great deal of growth and depth in their relationships.

My review of her first book was rather pale, not because of her writing but because of how flawed the 4th edition Forgotten Realms had become. I was unhappy with a main character taking a pact with a devil and not having it mean very much - it just seemed to be like any other wizardly magical powers without any real costs to her soul.

But throughout the first and second book of Brimstone Angels, Evans has proven herself to be a truly great character author. More than that, she took the background of the Sundering and had her characters react to it - rather than just have them view the ongoings from a distance. Her pact with the Hells is slowly coming to a head, and the dangers and the spiritual costs to Farideh are becoming more clear with each novel. Asmodeus has a plan, we don't quite learn what it's all about, but it seems this will eventually be revealed in a future novel because it's literally core to Farideh and her sister's very identity and ancestry.

The writing is tight, immersive, and exciting, even at slower points (when captured by Adolican Rand). For someone who has taken on a devil-pact, Farideh naively hopes to use those powers to protect those she loves. But when forced to do the work of the Netherese, she again steps up to the plate and does the right thing instead of just the most pragmatic. She's still young and hopeful, and yet the real costs of decisions is much more clearly being shown.

If you're looking for reveals about the Sundering itself, don't count on many here, though. As the WotC story-team announced, these novels in this series are about "slices of life" of individuals in the Realms and the events of the Sundering are happening in the background. This series isn't about the Sundering itself.

A few minor things bothered me. I'm really sick of seeing Chosen with god-powers in the Realms. Everyone of importance and their grandmother seem to be a Chosen of some deity or another (or if not that, they're a deva or angel or celestial). And here, because they've been hunted down and collected by the Netherese, there are tons of Chosen. Some of the suspected Chosen are not actually Chosen - they may just have a random unusual power, which was certainly known to happen in the Realms. But when you have a glut of Chosen wandering around it's really too easy to just have a deus ex machina take over and resolve everything. To writer Evans' credit she chose NOT to resolve things that easily, and the ending is both intriguing and suspenseful. Just enough was revealed to still be tantalizing. And I've now grown extremely fond of Farideh, her sister, and the other characters. I'll definitely keep following Evans work, and looking for more in future about these Brimstone Angels.

The Adversary is the third book in the multi-author Sundering epic fantasy series. Like the previous two books, this is the first I have read by this author and also like the first two books, it continues the story of characters from another series by the author. As a result, it took me a while to orient myself and really get into the tale.

However, unlike the previous two books in this series, The Adversary felt like once I got to know the characters a bit, I wasn't as handicapped by lack of previous knowledge. The story felt less tied to author Erin M Evan's previous series and more to the other books in this Sundering series. It finally felt like there really is an over-arching storyline here and not just a showcase for the different authors' works.

At times, I found the pacing a bit slow. But that was okay - there's a lot going on here and a whole lot of characters to keep track of and, by taking it slow through some of the build-up to the real action, it prevented the reader from getting lost. It also gave me a chance to get to know the characters and to care about what happens to them.

With this novel, I finally feel like I'm starting to understand what is happening in the Forgotten Realm and where this is all heading. It kind of feels like the previous two books were meant to set the parameters of the series and, with The Adversary, we are finally finding our way to the core of the story. I look forward to reading the rest of the books in the series to find out where it will take me.

I give this a four because i actually really enjoyed the storyline. Cool characters and battles scattered theoughout. Well written action and character interactions. Really cool ending and plot with what was happening with the chosen.

I was close to giving it a 3 because i felt like this book was more of a sci-fi teen romance novel. I understand that the main characters themselves are teens, but devils flirting/falling in love with a teifling who may be in love with another guy while leading somebody else on while simultaneously not caring or wanting a relationship with any of them??? I just wanted to read Forgotten Realms... Not love lifes.

The third in the Sundering event and it is getting better book by book.
Farideh and Havilar are heirs to a very powerful warlock and because of this they are very important to all demons from the Underworld. The twin sisters couldn't be more different and some of the decisions made by Farideh threaten to break their tight bond. It is irrelevant why she makes those choices, because in the end everyone perceives her deeds to be those of traitor.
The two women also have romantic interactions going on throughout the book. Fortunately those relationships never overshadow the spectacular plot.
Farideh is actually bound to a devil called Lorcan. He isn't exactly Mr Charming but then that is exactly what makes him so interesting and attractive. The ultimate bad boy attitude with the powers of hell to back him up. He also has this completely psychotic sister called Sairche, she and her brother spend all their time trying to out-do, out-bargain and even out-kill each other.
Havilar is attracted to someone who is unobtainable to her, due to her social class and this problem takes her attention away from her own powers and the strife her sister has placed them both in.
There is so much intricate plot-weaving going on from the start to the end, which made this an extremely good read. I highly recommend it and look forward to the next book in the Sundering series.
I received a copy of this book via NetGalley.

Book 3 in the series, the prologue has the twins, tieflings Farideh and Havilar, in trouble, and their traveling companions Brin, a prince of Cormyr, and Lorcan, a devil, missing. Clanless Mehen, Farideh’s and Havilar’s father, is in trouble, too. Brin helps Mehen, but at a cost. The Shadovar war is progressing. Lorcan’s sister is dancing a knife-edge while trying to trap him. And then there are plans within plans. Everybody ends up in big trouble, with Shar and Asmodeus taking a hand. A new Chosen is revealed; well, lots of new ones. There’s a huge battle, both physical and wizardly. This story is so dense, with plans within plans and plots and counter-plots, it’s hard to read. Or maybe it’s just me that’s dense. Just going with it is the best policy because it all gets explained and ties together at the end but with lots of alliances and deals and Chosen still up in the air. So many adversaries, it’s hard to pick which one is the right one for the title. Yet another great addition to this world. Delighted to receive free copy for review.

Events are really ramping up in this sundering novel, and the tiefling twins seem to be getting into more trouble than they know how to get out of. A big part of this series's appeal lies in the Faustian elements of the protagonist's pact with her devil. You see her walking a very narrow line, always struggling to make the right choices despite her circumscribed position, and not always succeeding. I'm always up for more shenanigans from Farideh and Havilar, and it's thrilling to know that Evans will continue to write about them, especially since lot of fantasy novels try to excise the element of family so they can portray lone orphans out to face the world alone. To discover the (mis)adventures of a pair of sisters and their stepfather was very refreshing, and Evan's writing remains enjoyable and accessible. I thought that I'd grown out of Forgotten Realms novels a long time ago, but this writer has earned a permanent spot on my bookshelf. Now I can't wait for the sequel, Fire in the Blood, to be out.

As a literal "fanatic" of ALL things Forgotten Realms for 7 + years, and as one who can say with pride, "Yes, in fact I have read EVERYTHING the world Forgotten Realms has to offer...most of it 2 - 5 times over..." I STRONGLY DISAGREE WITH ANY OF YOU that dismiss our Brimestone Angels, Fari & Havi, as, "Shallow, self-involved, sniping, defiant teenage girls who can't 'seem to focus on what is in front of them/do what needs doing' etc. etc." I really do feel sorry for you. Why? BECAUSE YOU MISSED THE BOAT! In your seeming "snap judgment" of these 2 robust and rich NEW characters Evans has placed on the field of Forgotten Realms; you utterly missed Evans' GENIUS as she masterfully weaves for us a brand new story line filled with all the intrigue, plots-within-plots, a set of strong new supporting "costars," and all the great magic/fight/escape scenes we expect in ANY Realms Book...what you "overly-critical" folks seemed to miss COMPLETELY is Evans MASTERFUL understanding of adolescent female psychological development! Evans uncanny ability to create a brand new awesome story, while SIMULTANEOUSLY filtering that story through the essentially normal but often "histrionic" emtionality, impulsivity, self-centeredness, conflicting urges, defiance of authority in their attempts at "being grown up" + the 1000 other, "But what about me?" often irrational, emotionally-driven decisions that lead to trouble for our Brimestone Angels (just like adolescents today!) Evans shows us (via 2 teenagers...twins to sweeten the pot!) how a story is driven by the inherent motivatons, emtionality, and thinking errors of adolescence
and we must watch, painfully at times, as our Brimestone Angels stumble as best they can in a hostile world toward adulthood...and if we are brutally honest with ourselves, we catch a glimpse of US as we watch them do the best they can, hobbled by the psychological traps of adolescence in a very dangerous world.

The Sundering is picking up speed with the third novel in the series. Erin M. Evans’ novel about her iconic characters plunged them and us deeper into the tension that is building in the Forgotten Realms. Thus far, each of the three novels have increased the intensity of the events occurring in the Realms. In The Adversary we get a glimpse at the gods of Toril scrambling to be ahead of the divine events of The Sundering as well as how mortals are trying to use the pending possible upheavals and changes to their advantage. We learn that the Netherese are not only using war during this time of upheaval to gain more power, but believe that they can gain an upper hand by collecting the divine shards of the gods Chosen.

The Adversary kept me on the edge of my seat and I had a very hard time putting it down. I HAD to know what was going to happen and how things were going to come out. There was so much hanging in the balance for the characters (as well as many other people), starting with a mistake that our heroine, Farideh, makes at the very beginning of the novel that effects all those she loves. From that point on, it is a struggle not only to make things as right as she can for the people her decisions impacted, but also doing what she believes to be the right thing. As tends t happen to Farideh, she gets herself into a huge mess and has to use her wits to get out. However this time, Farideh is isolated from her friends and loved ones, as well as the devil she has a pact with for her warlock powers (who has come to her rescue more than once in the previous novels). While she is trapped, and her family races to save her, more of the events of The Sundering become evident. It is very apparent that things are heating up in the Realms and will be at a fevered pitch until the end of The Sundering.

I loved this book. I read it twice in a row. The first time through, I raced through having to know how things were going to turn out the first time. I had a hard time putting the book down and several nights I stayed up way too late reading. I greatly appreciated the character growth and development for all the primary characters of the Brimstone Angels series. Farideh, Havilar, Lorcan, et al each have signs of growth and becoming more fully rounded individuals. I cannot wait to see what will happen in the next novel. :)

The Sundering is looming over the events of the novel, but the characters are not lost in this bigger picture. Each of the characters have their own subplots that play out and move along the bigger plot of the struggles with the Netherese, as well as their own personal stories. It is a fabulous read and full of excitement. When you open the novel, be ready for a fast paced and thrilling ride.

I received an ARC copy of this novel from Wizards of the Coast for their honest review.

I’ve read many of the Forgotten Realm novels, by well-known authors of fantasy genre(R.A Salvatore, Paul Kemp, Ed Greenwood, Richard Byers, Troy Benning to name a few), and I would place my interest in Erin Evans stories on par with the rest. Erin’s stories of twin female tieflings, Havilar and Farideh, being raised by their adoptive parent Mehen, a dragaonborn, and an equally hard books to put down. I find Erins stories to be deep, full of good plots, intrigue, and enough surprises to keep one from thinking “how boring, it’s like any other generic fantasy novel”. All their characters have their share of flaws, weaknesses, secrets, and strengths, which Erin goes in to great detail for readers to be well immersed in their lives, and the realms they travel. There’s enough romance twist for those that enjoy the drama that unfolds from two different races trying to stay in love in the middle of family feuds, war, demons and devils that can’t leave well enough alone. Farideh’s is a bit of a curious warlock-magic nerd that can’t keep from making pacts with a devil. At a young age Farideh determines how to form a pack with a devil, hoping the arrangement be a plus, to provide her power for herself and protection for her a sister Havilar and herself. The development of the drama between Farideh and her pact devil is a great plot to keep me flipping pages. Erin has many ideas in the fire, and will all be worth chasing after when they’re in print. I would highly recommend adding Erins novels to your collection, even if you’re not a big D&D fan.
Realms of the Dead: A Forgotten Realms Anthology (January 2010)
The God Catcher (February 2010)
Brimstone Angels (November 2011)
Brimstone Angels: Lesser Evils (December 2012)
The Adversary: The Sundering, Book III (December 2013)
Brimstone Angels: Fire in the Blood (October 2014)
Ashes of the Tyrant, expected later in the fall/winter of 2015.

I joined an online book club for fans of Dungeons and Dragons novels two years ago. Before that time, I had never heard of Erin Evans (I will pause here so you can jeer me and throw rotten vegetables.) Once the book club started to read Brimstone Angels, I was instantly hooked. I had found an author who I would read everything she wrote...even if it were a series of cookbooks.

The Adversary is another great novel from Erin featuring the tiefling sisters Havilar and Farideh. The best part of this book for me is that all of the characters are flawed, even the heroes. These are not the "greatest swordsman in the realms" or an "archmage of unrivaled power". These characters almost always seem to be in over their heads, but they still stubbornly stand their ground and fight. These are the working man's/ woman's heroes. Farideh, Havilar, Mehen, Dahl, and Brin. Lorcan and Sairche return with more pacts and loop hole filled promises. Remember Adolican Rhand....his creepy evil self is back and he is in league with someone even creepier if you can believe that.

Please don't make the same mistake I made and pass over books by Erin M Evans. She has quickly become one of my favorite authors and I think she may become yours too if you give it a shot.

I just finished The Adversary by Erin M. Evans and I have to say it is one of the more frustrating and infuriating fantasy novels I have ever read, even other Dungeons and Dragons novels. That's a good thing. In fact it is a very good thing.
Evans turns everything you think you know about Farideh and Havilar on the head and leads you through a series of twists and turns that keep you riveted and anxious. Some of these twists are expected, but some take you by surprise and may cause you to tear frantically back through the pages you already read to see if you missed clues that would have allowed you to have seen them coming.
A great plot though is not without great characters, and there again Evans delivers. In fact, The Adversary is arguably Evans' greatest work when it comes to character development. In addition to Farideh and Havilar, the richly developed cast includes a broad spectrum of family and friends, uneasy allies, bitter enemies, and everything in between. The heroes are not always clearly good. The villains are not always clearly evil. In fact, Evans seems to delight in developing characters that fall clearly in shades of grey and who can be both hero and villain as the situation dictates. Better yet, in The Adversary we often get glimpses into the reasons why the characters are the way they are.
Only two other regular authors in the Dungeons and Dragons universe do this as well; R. A. Salvatore and Elaine Cunningham. It is fairly easy to imagine that if the Harpers subseries had continued that The Adversary could easily find a place sliding in place next to Cunningham's work. It is also fairly easy to imagine that if Salvatore and Evans ever co-wrote a Dungeons and Dragons novel together in a way that combined their talents it would probably set a new standard for the series.

Evans has crafted a masterpiece of intrigue and magic, devilish plots within plots within plots. Every scene is crisp and meaningful: there is no filler here. Chosen of the gods and devils of the Hells clash in an epic conflict, all the while leading you on into an ending so stunning you'll be howling for the next. Buy this book; it'll be well worth it.

Spiraling out of their attempts to do the right thing to protect those that they love, these girls stumble into trouble everywhere they go and make decisions that affect themselves and those around them. This is a story that show's the twins growing up and trying to find their place in the world. If you like the continuing adventures of Faridah,Havilar, this book will not disappoint. The girls learn to come to grips with one of their recent disastrous pacts. A fun book and it sets the path for future novels.

In reading Erin Evans contribution to the The Sundering series, her book The Adversary turned out to be a mixed bag. Evans does a masterful job of sharing setting and action with the reader through her use of imagery and choice of diction. Her character development however is a long and painful process that detracts from the plot as a whole.
In the opening of the book, as well as at several points throughout the book, Evans does a superb job of using all five senses to create a tableaux vivant for the reader. This quality allows the readers to feel as if they are actually experiencing what is being described. This is a wonderful and rare trait that only a few fantasy authors have mastered. Additionally, Evans has a well-developed vocabulary which she also uses to good effect. In several places, it is obvious that she chooses to use the best word rather than a simpler, less descriptive word that would be more easily understood by the reader. Both of these qualities drew me in early on and provided excellent moments of respite throughout the novel.

The great detractor in this book was the far too overly developed scenes where the characters’ relationships are introduced and explored. Now some of this may have to do with the fact that Evens is the only female writer in The Sundering series. Her style may too sharply contrast the other masculine writers. Along that same line of thinking, it may be that she is following in the footsteps of to highly accomplished authors. More likely, it is my dislike for the penchant of female fantasy authors to wax romantic rather than adventurous in this genre of writing. There are exceptions of course, but this seems to be an unfortunately common trait.

When I find myself skipping ahead pages to get past the deluge of motivations, feeling, and interpretations of each character examined in a myriad of minute details, there is a serious problem. If, as a reader, you are looking for wondrously good description wrapped around intricate character development through interaction and relationship this is likely the book for you. If you are more into a plot that steadily moves forward in a non-brooding fashion that can interconnect earlier elements of the series, you may wish to look elsewhere.

Dr. Nicholson reviews academic, Christian living, and fiction books for a variety of publishers in an array of formats. He is never paid for any of his reviews. For more reviews or information, visit Dr. Nicholson’s blog at drtnicholson.wordpress.com.

The book for this review was provided free of charge by Wizards of the Coast through NetGalley.com. This book was provided without the expectation or requirement of a positive response. Thank you to both the publisher and NetGalley.com for the opportunity to both read your advanced copy and to provide this unpaid evaluation. All opinions in this review reflect the views of the author and not NetGalley.com or the publisher.

The first book was typical RA Salvatore and great, the second book by Paul Kemp was awesome. This book was slow and painfully adolescent. It read like a young adult romance novel. Where's the evil?

I bought the audiobook and this probably exacerbated the effect. The reader made even the few action scenes sound like something out of high school. There was way too much talking between characters and internal dialogue concerned with petty romantic worries. I wanted to barf at times. This may sound harsh and it is my personal viewpoint but there are other reviews with the same comments. Some may like this kind of fantasy but after the epic violent struggle in the second book, I felt let down. I was hoping someone would slay Farideh just so I wouldn't have to hear her silly schoolgirl thoughts. Sigh.