Tomes of Spellcasting

Welcome to the land of mystery, where the impossible is possible, and the improbable the reality. Join me as I investigate worlds filled with magic and meet the souls that wield this wondrous powers.

W A R N I N G !

This review does not represent the opinions of the general public. It reflects my personal thoughts and opinions on the book.

That said, on to the review!
Note: cover graphic used with permission from Amazon.com.

Title: A Breach in the Watershed
Author: Douglas Niles
Publisher: Ace Books
Format: Paperback
Copyright Date: 1995

Long ago three great gods divided the world between them, erecting a great and vast watershed and distilling the liquid of the world into three different substances, each essence suitable to one of them. Then, the gods departed the mortal realm...all save one. Through trickery he remained behind, and through his vile machinations set out to conquer the world. Baracan's mortal men of Dalethica, land of Water, and Aurianth's long-lived people of Faerine, land of Aura and magic, stood against Dassadec's minions of Duloth-Trol, land of Darkblood, evil, and decay. The forces of darkness were turned back for a time, but at great cost. Now Dassadec the Sleepstealer is preparing for another invasion, and this time has taken steps to prevent a human/Faerine alliance and to undermine the forces of both lands from within.

Rudy Appenfell, an Iceman of Halverica, climbs one of the highest ridges of the Watershed with his brothers and a visiting nobleman--one with a dark and deadly mission to fulfill. One by one the Appenfell brothers fall before a mysterious, black sword until only Rudy remains, left behind at the base of the ridge. The corrupted nobleman uses dark magic to steal a large chunk of the Ice of Three Waters from the very top of the world. Rudy himself falls in an avalanche and, it seems, was later stabbed through the Sword of Darkblood. Circumstances, however, have conspired to mix frozen Aura with the frozen water that nearly entombed him. The stabbing succeeded in melding within him the three waters of the Watershed, turning him into the Man of the Three Waters.

Now it is his task to save not just his own land of Dalethica from a dark-hearted prince, but the world entire, for this corrupted lord would turn the armies of men against those of Faerine, and behind it all would be the Sleepstealer, waiting to take advantage of the situation. Moreover, Dassadec has minions burrowing beneath the Watershed itself to corrupt the streams of Water that flow into human lands and thus remove the human threat to his plans. Only by uniting can the forces of Dalethica and Faerine hope to triumph over the armies of minions, but first they need to overcome their distrust of each other...not an easy thing, for Dassadec's human servant has planned well!

Douglas Niles has written numerous books for TSR, Inc., with titles in the Dragonlance and Forgotten Realms series. A Breach in the Watershed starts off a trilogy set in an independent fantasy realm. It's an impressive work that will keep you reading until the very end.

Rating: Thumbs up! Get ready for a world of differences and those that overcome them for the sake of their existence!

B O N U S !

Don't forget to visit Corridors of Communication to take a look at my interview with Douglas Niles!

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