Suvudu Universe

Expanding my literary journey deeper  into the Forgotten Realms is the new hardcover release, The Adversary by author Erin M. Evans.

Evans novel released on December 3rd, 2013 follows the adventures and misadventures of Farideh and her twin sister Havilar. The sisters are Tieflings, the descendants of humans and fiends. This novel follows up on two previous novels featuring the characters, Brimstone Angels (Nov 2011) and Brimstone Angels: Lesser Evils (Dec 2012).

Farideh is a warlock who has a pact with a devil, Lorcan. As the novel opens it seems that both Farideh and her sister are in hot demand in the Nine Hells to be convinced to forge new pacts with devils. In the case of Farideh she makes the decision to make a pact with Lorcan’s dangerous sister Sairche. Farideh’s deal with Sairche is two protect herself, her sister until they turn 27 and Lorcan in return for two favors.

What Farideh doesn’t know is that she and her sister will loose 7 and a half years, they are transported nearly instantly into the future and return to a world changed and their previous life with friends Dahl and Brin and their adopted father Clanless Mehen.

The favor that Farideh must fulfill or loose her soul is to help an evil wizard sort the chosen of the gods for his own and possibly the Lady of Loss’ diabolical purposes. Despair and regret dominate Farideh for much of the novel into her friends and family provide a chance for escape and a chance to save both the chosen and herself.

I found The Adversary to be a very enjoyable novel once it got going but as a new reader to Evan’s series of books I had a bit of trouble getting my footing in her corner of the Forgotten Realms world. The prologue and first chapter are easily digested and give us an introduction to the characters and their relationships, but the second chapter which introduces us to the Harpers in present days left me confused about the organization and the characters.  This speed bump in the reading experience may not occur for readers who have read her previous novels, but to me this made The Adversary a tougher novel to get into than either of the previous books in The Sundering series.

Other issues that cropped up for me in this novel is that at times it was hard to have a mental image of some of the characters, I would have appreciated more in-depth physical descriptions to allow me to picture this strange cast of characters in my mind.  There also are some issues with the characterization of both Farideh and Havilar that bothered me. Farideh’s submissiveness and depression once she is bound to serve wizard Adolican Rhand felt to easy to fall into for a heroic character. While Havilar’s insecurity about her love life with Brin was so frustrating you wanted to reach into the pages and shake her out of it.

The novel presents an interesting character of Lorcan and the devils. The alienness of the way that Lorcan and his siblings thought and acted made for very interesting reading. Trying to determine Lorcan’s motives in his relationship with Farideh is challenging and frustrating, but provides for interesting dramatic tension.  Lorcan is a devil caught between various competing powers who just barely seems to keep a step ahead of destruction.

I also enjoyed the characterization of Mehen a lot. This character will feel very Mandalorian to my fellow Star Wars Expanded Universe fans. Though I never quite had a picture of what Mehen looked like in my mind’s eye as I read.

The bulk of the story takes place at what amounts to a prison camp for individuals that are chosen by gods. These chosen are marked and given special abilities often without their knowledge until these powers manifest. Farideh is given the gift to look at their auras and see whether they are chosen or not. In the end it is revealed that Farideh is the chosen of the god of sin, Asmodeus. The twists and turns the story takes once we are inside the prison camp are well done. The characters of the novel, much like the reader only get part of the full picture of what is going on. Evans keeps multiple story lines going that all unite at the culmination of the novel in a fulfilling way.

In The Adversary Evans crafts a novel that tells its own story related to the larger Sundering story line, but also sets up her characters for a very interesting follow-up with a very interesting new threat to face.

If like me you have a bit of trouble orienting yourself in the early pages of this novel, stick it out and enjoy the ride.

For more on The Adversary you can visit Wizards of the Coast’s product page. To learn more about author Erin M. Evans you can check out her website, SlushLush.com.

Editor’s Note: A review copy of the novel was provided by the publisher via Net Galley for this review.