Monday, April 7, 2014

The Adversary: The Sundering, Book III by Erin M. Evans


Release Date: December 3, 2013
Publisher: Wizards of the Coast
Series: The Sundering, Book III

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars.

Synopsis:
Farideh had one mission in life - keep her twin, Havilar, safe from whatever life threw their way. Of course, this included making pacts with devils and working for a wizard who was trying to discover a way to single out the Chosen among ordinary folk. No matter how rough or narrow the path became, Farideh walked further down to ensure Havi's safety. She'd walk straight into the Hells if necessary.

After disappearing for a number of years per one of her pacts, Farideh found herself in the middle of a much larger scheme between devils that could cost her way more than her simple soul. As her family and friends rally to rescue her, a sudden turn of events launched them all into a battle where the lines separating good and bad were blurred. Can she continue to protect her sister without damning herself? Will she be able to stop the madness of a wizard once the full truth is revealed?

Review:
Book III of the six-part Sundering arc began with a bang - literally and in several ways. Within the first couple of chapters, the main characters are introduced and immediately thrown into action. The story captured my attention quickly with the early action and the use of twins as the main characters. It was interesting to see the strength of the bonds between Farideh and Havilar as well as the affects of those bonds in both positive and negative manners.

As with the previous two books of the Sundering arc, the events of this book were able to affect the world of Toril while examining the current happenings contained within one part of the world. While the story stood well on its own, there were several noticeable threads connecting it to the other novels in the series. Nearing the end of this book, I wondered exactly how the entire arc was going to end and whether any of the characters I've met along the way would survive. I must admit, I felt close to the characters in this book because the author did a wonderful job in creating in-depth characters with the capacity to make mistakes, seek redemption and change their paths as we often do in real life.

There were quite a few fight scenes, each with some brilliant moves made by the characters involved. While I enjoyed the energy and story movement they provided, I really found the lingering consequences of the scenes more important to the overall story. It was in the precious seconds during the fighting that snap decisions were made. Often they led to repercussions with devastating results. However, the unique mix kept me turning pages to find out what else was in store for everyone! And yes, there were a number of moments when my heart broke. I felt especially bad for Farideh because she continually tried to do the right thing and yet it kept turning out wrong. I began to believe she was being haunted by Murphy's Law!

All in all, I really liked this book and I was glad that my request to view it at NetGalley had been granted. It held a bunch of surprises throughout the story and not only in the usual places. I was swept up in Farideh and Havilar's world, coming to think of them both as long-lost friends. I can't wait to find out what will happen in their next set of adventures. There were quite a few open doors in the story that I'm interested in searching as well. If you love action, fantasy and some good-natured sibling rivalry tiefling-style, then you must put this book on your TBR list!

The Adversary: The Sundering, Book III by Erin M. Evans is currently available at many retailers in hardcover, mass market paperback and Kindle formats. You can click the link below to purchase a copy of your own at Amazon.
The Adversary: The Sundering, Book III by Erin M. Evans

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