Tomes of Other Realms: Pool of Twilight

Tomes of Other Realms

Welcome to the lands of swords and sorcery, where people live and die by the sword and only the bravest of souls stand between the common folk and the forces of darkness. Join me as I wander different planes and hear the stories of their greatest defenders and the sagas of their worthiest warriors.

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!

Title: Pool of Twilight
Author: James M. Ward & Anne K. Brown
Publisher: TSR, Inc.
Format: Paperback
Copyright Date: 1993

Tarl and his companions have encountered pools of two very different sorts: radiance and darkness. Now, though, they must face the minions of the Pool of Twilight, whose guardian has decided that the city of Phlan, once a bastion of goodness against the evil god Bane, is exactly the sort of city it needs to increase its power. Once, the city could have withstood any assault from such a malevolent force, but the soul of Phlan has ebbed with the loss of the Hammer of Tyr. Now, however, is the time for a brave paladin to recover that hammer and bring piety back to Phlan. For young Kern, however, it is a quest fraught with danger and possibility. And, too, there is the problem of being the only son of two of Phlan's greatest heroes, Shal and Tarl. With any luck, this quest will help him come into his own as a paladin of Tyr and as an individual not trapped in his parents' shadows. But, only if he survives!

Pool of Twilight is rather different from the first two books. Although the characters are basically the same, they've passed the onus of heroics to the next generation. We have new friends and new foes to deal with, and of course, there's always the pool to contend with. On the other hand, we get to revisit old characters and see how they've grown in the meantime since the defeat of Bane's armies.

One thing which I found particularly interesting is how the novel linked the pool of twilight so intimately back to the origins of Phlan's problems, namely the dragon-rage that had first decimated Phlan's defenses and left it vulnerable to invasion by the forces of evil. The whole thing made for a nice, tidy package, although the pool didn't actually have anything to do with the dragon-rage in and of itself. And of course, seeing the characters battling the pool's power via its guardian (or guardians, depending on how you want to look at it), was a great experience as well.

Pool of Twilight brings to a close a great set of books and a terrific plot that needed a conclusive ending worthy of the first two books. Believe me: the authors did it! Of course, you can always see for yourself if you won't take my word for it!

Rating: Thumbs up! Saving a city from itself isn't very easy, as you'll see if you read the book!

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