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I've enjoyed Richard A. The characters are simply dull, unoriginal, and cliche (strong older brother, good and reliable best friend, eccentric but occasionally useful younger brother, damsel-in-distress childhood friend). I do not recommend this series at all to anyone but the most die-hard of fans.I bought this series because, as a fan of Blizzard's adapted novels and the Diablo II video-game, I was intrigued by the backstory of the Diablo universe. This is strange more-so because typical "casting" wizards are present in the storyline and the differences are not described but simply explained as being that way. But still, the only reason I finished the series at all is that I bought the series together and had little else to read. Knaak's works before but this series was thoroughly uninspired.Even for a fantasy book, there were just too many instances requiring an extreme leap of faith. Furthermore, none of the characters experience much, if any at all, growth throughout the series and are completely predictable and stereotypical.
It's also disappointing that what few connections he made to the Diablo universe were even incorrect.The weakest links of the story are the beginning and ending; the beginning explains nothing and is beyond cliche while the ending is completely over-the-top. However, upon reading the series, I found that not only does this novel explain next to nothing about the Diablo universe, it is also very poorly written. Any recognizable connections to the Diablo universe are not explained but simply assumed to be and felt very forced as if Knaak included them as obligations. While most fantasy themes revolving around magic require effort, will, and preparation such as words of casting, reagents, etc., magic in this book happens simply by thinking about it (huh). The story makes you feel that these characters have god-like powers but are simply too ignorant to realize as much. Aside from that, the bulk of the story itself plods and clips along at a decent pace and the action is acceptable, though in most cases is completely far-fetched. I kept hoping that Knaak would redeem himself by the end of the series but alas, he did not.
Least favorite diablo books. The author otherwise makes some real quality stories, and while this will give you a bit of origins that is invaluable for someone really interested in the series, these books themselves feel really mediocre. The characters are not very likable, though the villains are. Read it I guess if you're bored and really like diablo, but read his other books first.
however, i`d like to tell potential buyers that this book is a pretty good ride, through and through, and well worth your money. the first book in the sin war trilogy was a decent starter book to the trilogy. i know there are some poo-pooers saying that knaak`s work in this was lacking. the tension throughout is palpable, the mystery intense. read the sample and see what i mean.
Decent book, not bad, but is rediculously slow paced to me. The series is definatly my least favorite of knaacks. The characters are ok, but the don't really stand out much at all. I've seen mny reviews of other books citing underdeveloped/poor characters, this is the 1st book that I can really agree with those statements.It's alright if you want to waste a good chunck of time/for the collection, but if you just want to know backstory I would suggest finding a nice summary, instead of wading through the book.Also, I think its worth noting the game it is based on is a hack and slash, complete opposite of the book.
Bought this as a gift for my son that likes this series. He said it was good and enjoyed reading it.
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