Quick Review: Douglas Niles's The Black Wizards

Yet again, the Moonshae Isles comes under the threat of sinister and supernatural forces.From the back of the book:  "A council of dark sorcerers has usurped the will of the High King.  An army of ogres and zombies guided by Bhaal, the super-deity of death and destruction, threatens the gentle Ffolk while the puppet king acquiesces.  Meanwhile, the young druid Robyn grapples with her new powers, and Prince Tristan Kendrick struggles to earn his birthright.  They must join forces with the chrildren of the Goddess for a showdown with the dread Black Wizards that will seal the fate of the Moonshae Isles."

I really enjoyed The Black Wizards.  I read book one, Darkwalker on Moonshae, a couple of months ago for nostolgia's sake and loved it.  I remember buying that one in highschool when it first came out and not finishing it for whatever reason.  So, I read it and loved it.

I am an avid D&D player (2nd edition only please) to this day, but I don't think that influenced me in any way.  It's nothing as complicated as A Game of Thrones - it's not as complicated as Stormbringer for that matter - but its heart is in the right place.  It is like playing D&D.  I caught myself trying to id spells and monsters, but I also got caught up in the stories of the main charachters.  Douglas Niles's writing is tight and brisk and the stories flow well.

I took a break before beginning this second book.  The story pretty much picks up where the other left off.  Again, it is what it is, and I recommend it to any fan of the high fantasy genre.  This is definitely good vs evil, so if you're all into that whiney, tortured anti-hero stuff that dominates the fantasy market today, avoid it. 

The Black Wizards ended, but it has more of a lead in to another story than the first book.  I very much look forward to reading the final book, Darkwell.

Ebook versions of the entire Moonshae Trilogy are available at Amazon.