Dawn of Night

I've just finished reading Dawn of Night, sequel to Paul S. Kemp's Twilight Falling. And I must admit I'm a little perplexed. Indeed, the second volume of a trilogy is usually the book in which the story truly gets into gear. Alas, such is not the case with this Forgotten Realms novel.

Twilight Falling opened up a number of possibilities that showed some potential. And yet, there is very little development in this sequel. I can't even claim that this is a case of missed opportunities. It appears that, for this book at least, the author elected to go with an action-packed scenario. Everything seems to be just another excuse to showcase yet another battle scene. Hence, for fans of both R. A. Salvatore and David Gemmell, this should be right up your alley. If you are looking for something more, well this book falls short. . .

For a guy like me, who prefers substance to fight scenes, I found the pace sluggish at times. The story doesn't really move forward, and the plotlines more or less stagnate for the better part of the novel.

However, the prose is superior to what is currently the norm in the market today. Paul S. Kemp can write!

Although we learn a little more about a number of main characters, namely Riven and Magadon, there is very little actual character growth. And the introduction of a new protagonist is not enough to remedy that.

The surprising ending seems to set the stage for an interesting final volume. Hopefully there will be less action and more storytelling. Kemp has enough in terms of plotlines to end this trilogy with a flourish. I'm curious to see if he'll capitalize from that or not.

The final verdict: 6,5/10

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