My rating: 5 of 5 stars
I received a copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for my unbiased and honest review.
First of all, I am not a gamer and have no clue about Dungeons & Dragons except that I am aware that a lot of people love the game. When The Sundering series came out with its very first book -- The Companions -- I decided it was something I might try to read. I did not regret my decision and, to be perfectly honest, have gotten hooked on the series. Each and every book is written by a different author. The Reaver is the fourth book of The Sundering.
The story of this book centers around Anton Marivaldi, a reaver. He is a bloodthirsty pirate who is on a mission to find a Chosen named Stedd Whitehorn. Times are hard and rain has been falling steadily for many months. Water levels are rising and many are starving because crops are unable to flourish in such miserable conditions. The sun has not been seen to shine for a very long time.
The book begins with Anton and his men going after Stedd. In the process, there is a fight and Anton loses many men. However, Anton refuses to have the men he has left pick up the bodies of those who have been slain. Because of that, his men turn on him and he is help prisoner along with the boy Stedd.
Anton, along with Stedd, is able to escape. He still plans to take the boy to Evandur Highcastle and claim his reward. However, it is easier to do so by pretending to be the boy's friend. During their journey, they come across a Red Wizard named Umara who is acting under the orders of a vampire named Kymish. Things are never easy for Anton and Stedd.
Stedd Whitehorn is the Chosen of Lathander, the Morninglord. He claims that Lathander wants him to go to Sapra and is hoping Anton will take him there. Stedd, being a Chosen, is being pursued by two camps. The first is that of Evandur Highcastle who is an undead pirate chosen by the "Bitch Goddess of the Sea" Umberlee. The second camp after the boy is the Thayan lich-lord Szass Tam. The boy only wants to accomplish what Lathander wants him to do -- help to end the rain and make people aware that Lathander is back.
The Reaver is a fast-paced book that has a lot of interesting twists and turns. Author Richard Lee Byers does a fantastic job of writing a very entertaining story. I consider this book a must-read if you are into reading books that have a lot of action and exciting turn of events.
I can't wait for the 5th book in the series which I hope will be as good as, if not better, than this one.
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