Dissolution

View other editions of Dissolution.
View books by Richard Lee Byers.

a good read - Rated
This is a good book so i'll start by getting the negative point over first. While I am interested in the forgotten realms novels, i found it so hard to keep up with the story initially. I'm sure people who don't really know much about the dark elves will have the same problem. while I know they often write the story in scenes. I felt bowled over by the numerous characters before they were properly established. A character summary might have been a good idea to start with. E.g . in the first few chapters we are introduced to so many characters, some of whom are not important at all ( well they are just side characters) and while the realism helps, its just confusing. I found myself thinking, who was that again, the wizzard, or an initiate or a warrior. E.g. the conflict in the Mizzrym house and the baenre house. there was Quenthel, Triel, Gromph, Pharaun, the sisters, and various house guards. I just kept thinking, who is who?
Despite that, if one perseveres it is a good book, once you understand what the drow society is like, the basics that the Arach til.. something is the central temple group of priestesses, the melee magthere is the warriors group and the sorcere group consists of wizards.
I think you need to understand the foundations of drow society and the book is not self explanatory in that way.
On the plus side I found the book very entertaining, once you got in to it. The adventure is very diverse. Lots of different things happen and its somewhat refreshing to read a book where there are no good guys. There are the conformists and the revolutionaries. I think we can get attached to the story but at the end of the day not feel sorry for them when bad things happen as they're all evil and treacherous opportunists.
A good read overall.

Delve further into Menzoberranzan - Rated
This book delves much further into the real workings of Menzoberranzan, R.A. Salvatore's gives you the feel of a visitor glancing unpon a wondrously evil city of magic an grandeur. Byers on the other hand takes you much deeper, making you feel actually in the city, and gives you a much better insight into the politics, dealings and state of the great drow city.

This time it's not all the glamour of the powerful houses, you get to explore the dredges of society from the lowest houses and further still into the workings of the slave society. Byers refuses to gloss over the realities this city would entail, the overcrowded houses of slaves and lowly commoners are described in detail.

The story itself is woven particularly well, Byers uses a wonderful narrative style and has obviously put a great deal of effort into creating realistic dialogue. Ranging from deadly serious matters of life and death (literally) to comical exchanges and witty remarks from Pharaun, a Master fo Sorcere and a lead character, the effort is not misplaced.

With an intriguing environment, well-built characters who, while different from the norm, are not different for difference's sake the story is hardly short of captivating. In no way is the tale straight-forward or simple yet some people may be able to work along the same lines of thinking as the wizard does and discern the climax before quite getting to it.

One of the best aspects of the book is the way Byers has managed to leave to feeling contented by the ending yet still hungry for the next book in the saga.

Enjoyable - drow as they should be: nasty - Rated
I've never really rated R A Salvatore that much. I've enjoyed the Drizzt books, in a trashy sort of way, but his best characters have always been the evil drow, not the drippy drow do-gooder with his tedious philosophising. So it's nice that the drow in these books are authentically unpleasant - even the characters we are supposed to sympathise with (like Pharaun the wizard) are a pretty rum bunch. It's much more shades of grey than the black and white in Salvatore's books. I also enjoy the fact that the author has worked in the D&D rules (in the use of material components and spell-effects, for example) which Salvatore never bothered with.

That said, this book is something of a "get to know the characters" affair (this written with hindsight having read up to book 4) and has a few longeurs. But it is certainly enjoyable, and in terms of the writing style the best of the series, with the dialogue between the characters well brought out (and it's not a challenging read, despite some other reviews).

Intriguing. . . - Rated
I found that this is certainly an interesting book, though it still has some spots which could use work. Upon picking up the book, I didn't really know what to expect; R.A. Salvatore has had some exceptional books, and although this surrounds the same places and some of the same people, it is not, in fact, R.A. Salvatore. I know it is wrong to expect to just fall right into a tale by the original author of the Drow stories, so I had no expectations from the start.

Byers does not exactly do justice to Menzoberranzan as well as Salvatore was able to do. The atmosphere is changed somewhat, an expectable aspect of differing authors. Perhaps the buildings are described differently, perhaps the lighting, but all the same, the city is not so much the same as before. "Dissolution" shows more parts of the city other than the noble houses, moving into the districts of commoners and the slums of underling fugitives and unfortunates. Menzoberranzan shows in a different light of not just being a beautiful, majestic city, and other aspects are revealed. Crowded houses and dying goblinoids pile into the slums, and a bustling marketplace brings trade to the Drow and gold to the matrons.

The characters don't all show the same outstanding cruelty of Salvatore's books. Pharaun and Ryld, two dark elf masters, are the best of friends to ever be found amongst the most untrusting of races. I was perhaps skeptical, and nearly disappointed, by how they were portrayed as more loving creatures than I would expect, but at the same time, they can show that even friendship isn't enough to risk everything they have. Other characters, such as Quenthel Baenre, show the spite, malice, and gruesome affection for death and suffering, which one would expect of the Drow. Overall Byers does well to portray the race.

Despite the bright sides of the book, I still think that there are parts which could be improved. Even with the long list of books Byers shows to have written, I would have expected a book of this quality to be of a first or second novel. The writing style and overall voice in the first half of the book occasionally show a poor side, with weak word choice and perhaps points where the author just simply trying too hard. Towards the end, Byers had much fewer errors and seemingly picked up on where he was going wrong at the start. The second half could be considered more like the work of an experience author.

"Dissolution" is still a fairly good book. The story keeps the reader interested and intrigued through the book, and the pros outnumber the cons. This is a good, fun read. The intriguing plot leads into book two with excitement and expectations for an impressive story to follow.

good start!!! - Rated
this book has started a series which has left lots of room for developing the characters from menzobarranzan, the first book hasn't disappointed. Strange though that each book is written by a different forgotten realms author, but that remains to be seen. Keep up the good work.